We Are Stardust Series 2 - Oscar Niemeyer Drawing Curves in the Sky

'What attracts me is the flowing, sensual curve. The curve which I find in the mountains of my country, in the body of a favourite woman, the clouds in the sky and the waves on the sea. The whole universe is made of curves – Einstein’s curved universe'.

Oscar Niemeyer, visionary Brazilian architect, died on 5th December, 2012, aged 104, designing about 600 works around the world and with 20 projects still unfinished. Indefatigable,political revolutionary and mischievous this renowned creator of an entire city, Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, has many key astrological attributes that point to his world view and personal perspectives.

The planned city of Brasilia developed between 1956-1960 showing the aesthetics of reinforced concrete. 

Here's his birth chart 15th December, 1907 (time unknown)

Oscar Niemeyer birth chart (flat)

First some of the buzz words used to describe his work include ‘innovative’ and ‘daring’, as well as ‘curvy’ and ‘sensuous’. Unpicking one of his oft-used quotes about his work we discover a key and major player in his birth chart 'I am attracted to free-flowing, sensual curves. The curves that I find in the mountains of my country, in the sinuousness of its rivers, in the waves of the ocean, and on the body of the beloved woman'. This speaks of a chart where earth and water meet, earth for the sensuality and water for the curves and flow. Venus is symbolic of women, especially ‘beloved woman’. Oscar has his Venus in earthy Capricorn, whose symbol is the mountain goat and is a sign that loves to bring structure and substance to whatever it touches. His Venus is also touched by Neptune, God of the Ocean, in the water sign of Cancer. These two planets are connected by an opposition aspect, they are 180 degrees apart, and this aspect will bring a super awareness. In other words, Niemeyer was hyper aware of mountains and oceans. He brought form, Venus in earth, to the imagination, Neptune in water. His buildings were ‘sculptures’, soft sensual curves molded out of concrete and steel.

Copan, San Paulo, 1951. Latin America's largest apartment block with 1,600 units. 

Traditionally, Venus opposite Neptune is an indicator of prodigious artistic and imaginative sensibilities, as well as a tendency to idealise and romanticise loved ones. He was married to his first wife for 76 years, a union only interrupted by her death. He married for a second time just before he turned 99 years old. His Venus and Neptune are also deeply engaged with another planet, Uranus the Sky God. Above all Niemeyer’s buildings, his creations, reached up into the sky and formed aesthetic silhouettes persuading us to look upwards, skywards.

Headquarters of the Attorney General's Office in Brasília, a unique city that helps you to appreciate the beautiful blue sky against the urban architecture shapes on the skyline

A political mind is frequently found with people who have Jupiter in aspect to Mercury. With Niemeyer his Mercury is also in Jupiter’s own sign of Sagittarius. Jupiter will concern itself with our philosophy, how we look for and find some meaning. Although an atheist Niemeyer designed some magnificent religious buildings often summing up and symbolising faith which was not his own. Talking about Brasilia Cathedral’s large glass window, he said he designed it 'to connect the people to the sky, where their Lord’s paradise is'. 

Cathedral interior, Brasilia

One very key aspect of Oscar Niemeyer was his politics. As a communist he was denied a visa to the USA. The first time was in 1946 when asked to teach at Yale and the second in 1953 when he asked to teach at Harvard. Teaching, a personal philosophy and politics are all very Jupitarian, so lets look further at his Jupiter. First of all it is the ruler of his Sun, Sagittarius, his very identity and core self,(Sun in Sagittarius - Big Time Adventures on Horseback) secondly it is in the grandiose, majestic and flamboyant sign of Leo and thirdly it forms the apex to an aspect configuration called a Yod, or ‘Finger of God’.

Cathedral of Brasilia, Brazil - two hands reaching up towards heaven

‘Innovative’ and ‘daring’ are two words frequently used to describe his work, and this is found in his astro grouping of Mars sextile Uranus and Venus 'you’ll never be able to say you’ve seen anything similar before'. This forms the base of the yod, it forms the raw material, the foundation upon which to build. The two arms from this base are quincunx aspects, they form aspect arms and these arms are ‘itchy’ they are restless, they are searching and stretching and reaching out to catch the ball. And Jupiter is the ball, the caught object at the apex. Jupiter is held aloft and upfront, it is held out as a precious ornament to be proudly displayed. Jupiter ‘Big’ and in Leo ‘Dramatic’, will definitely want its abundance to have flair, impact and be admired for its grandeur. As Niemeyer once said 'poor people don’t get to take part, but they can be brought to a halt in front of a building that is so different that it sparks a moment of surprise and emotion'. 

National Museum, Brasilia

This sensitised Jupiter in Leo meant that 'doing stuff' on a grand, dramatic scale seemed natural, after all not many people are asked to build a city, let alone complete the whole undertaking with such bravura! President Kubitschek asked him to build Brazils new capital city, Brasilia and to this day it is the only one which is a World Heritage site.

Sagittarius is his Sun and Mercury sign (Mercury in Sagittarius - Postcards from an Optimistic Mind) Sagittarius is also ‘The Joker in the pack', the one that manages to scrape humour from the most unlikely of sources and apparently Niemeyer did indeed have a mischievious and wicked sense of humour. As well as having a fondness for practical jokes his earthy humour, full of surprises, goofiness, pranks and high jinks is exaggerated by the conjunction of Venus to Uranus and driven on by surprises.

             
Using Niemeyers own Jupitarian words once again 'it’s a fantastic Universe which humiliates us' and with his life and work he added to the worlds marvels and beauty for us all to enjoy.
             
credits: architekton & economist & reuters & telegraph & astrotheme & national geographic & art & architecture brazil
posted by pippa ponton & jphibbs