Jessica Murray: On Michael Jackson and Growing Up

Since the shocking death of Michael Jackson, I've been looking at old videos and been in awe of the global reaction. It's odd how the finality of death makes you step back and see the whole lifetime, and the poignancy of the journey. As a child star, his innocence softened many hearts to see beyond race. As David Wilcock writes, he bust through race barriers in the music industry, and paved the way for others to follow. Some of his later work, like Earth Song and They Don't Care About Us had a decidedly Us Vs. Them theme, and he stood defiantly with the people.

His passing has sadly hit some of his fans really hard, with suicides reported; like drugs, a way to check out of this harsh reality (associated with Neptune). MJ's death nearly took the Internet with him, and some souls in his fan network (both the 'net and networks associated with Aquarius). The Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke the language of Neptune when he said, "This is a time when hearts are heavy. There is great pain but great cause to celebrate Michael’s life. It made Michael happy saying 'We Are The World.' Don’t self destruct.” It's clear that his death has been a global event, with a unifying thread being the themes of his music. I asked Jessica Murray for her take on this coming under the triple conjunction (Neptune, Chiron, Jupiter) in revolutionary Aquarius. Was he some kind of unlikely Awakener?

From Jessica Murray, "Interesting point about the revolutionary currents (Uranus conjunct Venus in his natal chart; which also explains his genre-crossing and gender-blending) you hear in MJ's music. It does seem he battled against some 'Them' -- the shrinks would probably say this was his authoritative father -- while condemning himself for his own differentness. Eccentrics don't fare well in this country."

Jessica continues, " In the end I think his story can teach us that in order to stay whole with an outer-planet-driven chart -- to value the true Uranian genius MJ personified musically; and to self-transform (Pluto) in healthy ways -- one's self-cohesion needs to be solid as rock. Instead, to plead his case for individuality MJ fashioned his tragic face into a mask, destroying it (Pluto conjunct Sun) in a perverse effort to perfect it (Sun in Virgo). He made it clear he never wanted to grow up; and the 'children of the world' he said he wanted to save were clearly himself."

Another serendipity with the timing is the great purging of the recent New Moon in Cancer, which is inviting us to heal old wounds and learn to love our vulnerabilities. There's another chance to let go with the Full Moon in Capricorn and lunar eclipse on July 7th. It almost seems like we're due for a public keening, as the true hidden depths of the heart start to surface. And this early death of someone many of us knew since he and we were children, reminds us how old hurts can keep us from being all we can be....sometimes it can even cut our lives short. Writes Murray, Perhaps the best way to honor his life is by nurturing the vulnerable kid within each of us, the way his inner child was not nurtured; and by guiding it into a wholesome adulthood, where the little boy that was Michael Jackson never arrived. "