Blessing and Curse: the extraordinary gift of Maria Callas through the lens of House Prosperity and Annihilation

Are you interested in learning Vedic Astrology from an experienced teacher? Do you want to deepen your understanding of the ancient wisdom of the stars and planets? If so, you might want to check out the Asheville Vedic Astrology Apprenticeship Program, a two-year online course that covers all the essential topics of this fascinating discipline.

The Asheville Vedic Astrology Apprenticeship Program is offered on the teachable.com platform, where you can access the lectures, exercises, quizzes, and assignments at your own pace. You will learn about the fundamentals of Vedic Astrology, such as the rasis, the signs, the houses, the planets, the vargas, the dashas, the yogas, and more. You will also learn how to interpret charts, make predictions, and apply remedies.

If you are looking for even more rigour, you can also enrol in the Certification Pathway, a complementary program that allows you to submit your work for assessment at the end of each semester. There are nine semesters in total, and each one has a specific focus and theme. By completing the Certification Pathway, you will demonstrate your mastery of Vedic Astrology and earn an invitation to join the Practicum Year of supervised, applied Vedic Astrology.  Successful completion of the Practicum Year will entitle you to Certification from Asheville Vedic Astrology and its associated benefits.

But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself the quality of the work produced by students on the program. Today’s blog post is a paper written by one of our apprentices at the end of the second semester, which explores how prosperity and annihilation on a house in a birth chart can materialise in a person's life.

We hope you enjoy reading this paper and find it informative and insightful. If you are inspired by what you see and want to join our program, please visit the Asheville Vedic Astrology Apprenticeship Program on teachable.com or contact me for more information. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you on your journey of learning Vedic Astrology.

Blessing and Curse: the extraordinary gift of Maria Callas through the lens of House Prosperity and Annihilation by M Criticos

Maria Callas

02 December 1923

New York, NY 06h00

In astrology, each birth horoscope is divided into twelve houses, which relate to different tendencies and affairs of life.  Through techniques described in Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra, the astrologer can assess the “prosperity” and “annihilation” of each house.  A prosperous house will give ease and success in its relevant areas; an annihilated house will suffer, due to ignorance or an unconscious awareness of the areas indicated.  This essay will assess three houses in the chart of the opera singer Maria Callas according to the following principles:

Prosperity and Annihilation Formula

“Predict the prosperity of a house which is conjunct or aspected by a benefic.  Also when its lord is in a Yuva Avastha; or Prabudha Avastha; or Kumara Avastha; or in the Tenth House.  If we have these things, the Bhava’s wellbeing is indicated.  The Bhava which is not aspected by its lord; or whose lord is with a malefic planet; or with one of the lords of evil and such other houses, which are third, sixth, eighth, eleventh and twelfth; or is defeated in a planetary war; or is in Vriddha Avastha, or Supta Avastha; this causes difficulty and despair within the Bhava”.  (Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra)

THE SECOND HOUSE

In this chart, the Second House is in the sign of Sagittarius.  Here sits Jupiter, a benefic planet.  Jupiter is Jagrat, since he is in his Mulatrikona position of 01:56 Sagittarius.  He is also a manifesting planet.  These three factors contribute to the prosperity of the Second House.

Although Jupiter brings grace and opportunity to Second House affairs, there is also the presence of the Sun and Mercury.  Since Mercury is closer in degree to the Sun, he functions here as a cruel planet.  This makes for two cruel planets conjunct the Second House.  The Second House Lord, Jupiter is conjunct these two malefics.  Additionally, Mercury is the Eleventh House Lord.  This makes him Lord of an “evil” House, which is another count towards annihilation.  There are also malefic rasi aspects with Ketu in the Fifth House, and with Rahu and a waning Moon in the Eleventh House.

One sees that there is almost an even amount of factors contributing towards both prosperity and annihilation of the Second House.  There are three points towards prosperity and four towards annihilation: the results are mixed.

Life experience

The Second House represents wealth & income, resources, early childhood, imagination, and the face – particularly the mouth as it relates to speech and to food (Fish, 72).  Knowing these key themes, the astrologer can see a mix of good and bad influences in these areas.  

Maria Callas made her living from her voice, gracing the world’s stages with her powerful, nuanced operatic performances.  Indeed, her voice – not her vocal technique or her acting, but the quality of her voice itself – has always prompted extreme reactions in people.  There are those who are thrilled by it and those who are repulsed, but the fact remains undeniable: Callas’ voice is the basis for her artistic and financial success.

However, Callas’ voice, which was the foundation for her success, failed her in the end.  By 1959, she was facing the reality of dwindling vocal resources.  It is not known why Callas underwent such a dramatic change in vocal quality.  What is known is what can be heard from the recordings: by the time of her final public performance in 1974, the Callas instrument held merely an echo of its former power.

In her prime, Callas was a prominent and sought-after performer in the opera world.  Her career was lucrative; she married her manager, Giovanni Battista Meneghini, and he was shrewd with their finances.  She was wealthy enough to maintain residences in Italy and New York, and finally, to live out her retirement in Paris.  Upon her death, her remaining wealth was used to establish the Maria Callas Foundation, which provides scholarships for young singers.

The annihilation of the Second House also points towards hardships in Callas’ early life.  This is perhaps best be summed up in her own words:

“My sister was slim and beautiful and friendly, and my mother always preferred her.  I was the ugly duckling, fat and clumsy and unpopular.  It is a cruel thing to make a child feel ugly and unwanted.  [...]  I'll never forgive her for taking my childhood away.  During all the years I should have been playing and growing up, I was singing or making money”.

THE THIRD HOUSE

The Third House is in the sign of Capricorn.  It is conjunct a benefic planet, Venus.  Its lord, Saturn, is in Libra, which is the sign of its Exaltation.  This makes it a Jagrat, or “awake” planet.  This gives two counts towards the prosperity of this house.

When looking at its annihilation, the astrologer sees that the Third House is not aspecting its own Lord.  Saturn is, however, conjunct the “evil” Sixth House Lord, Mars.  Additionally, Saturn is in a Mrita state.  This is three counts towards the annihilation of this house.  When combined with the prosperity listed above, this again gives mixed results.

Life experience

In order to assess these mixed results in Callas’ life, the astrologer must be familiar with the indications of the Third House.  These include one’s mental qualities and capacity to learn; communication; relationships with siblings; courage; and hobbies, talents & skills (Fish, 73).

Here, we see the gentle presence of Venus clearly contributing to the prosperity of Callas’ skills and talents on the stage.  Not only possessed of a formidable vocal range, she also had the technical prowess to match.  Such greats as Leonard Bernstein, Tullio Serafin, and Victor de Sabata have all lauded her technical mastery and virtuosity.  In addition to her musicianship, Callas had a particular gift for language and for the use of language in music.  In her own life, she spoke four languages fluently.

The annihilation of the Third House is seen in Callas’ relationship with her sibling, Jackie.  Of the two, Jackie was the “preferred” sister.  Their relationship was overshadowed by a rivalry that their mother encouraged, and a bitterness arose between the two sisters.  They remained estranged throughout their adult lives.

THE TWELFTH HOUSE

In this chart, the Twelfth House is neither conjunct nor rasi-aspecting any benefic planet, nor is it conjunct or aspecting its own lord.  The Twelfth House Lord, Venus, is neither Yuva, Kumara, nor Jagrat; nor is it placed in the Tenth House.  This makes for zero counts towards the prosperity of this house.

In contrast, the Twelfth House is conjunct two malefics, Saturn and Mars.  As mentioned above, it is not aspecting its own lord; and Venus is in a Mrita state.  This is three counts towards the annihilation of this house.

Next, the astrologer must look to the indications of the Twelfth House.  These include the subconscious; loss; expenses; spirituality & enlightenment; after-death states; foreign lands; and places of confinement (Fish, 83).  From these indications, one sees that this house deals with subtleties and concealments.  It represents the seclusion of the inner world and the dissolution of the outer world.

Life experience

Towards the end of her life, after her doomed love affair with Aristotle Onassis and after she left her career on the stage, the diva lived a life of seclusion.  Alone in her Paris apartment save for her dogs and one companion, she spent the final decade of her life in isolation.  She lost her voice, her career, and her love – and there are many who say that she died of a broken heart.  

The astrologer can see that the Twelfth House position of the Fourth House Lord, Saturn, and the First House Lord, Mars, both contribute to these events.  The Fourth House indicates emotional contentment and happiness (Fish, 74).  The presence of the Fourth House Lord in the Twelfth House indicates a loss of happiness in Callas’ life.  Although Callas was talented, dedicated, successful, adored – she was not happy in her life.  She was happiest when she was with Onassis, and it was the end of that relationship that heralded the beginning of her isolation and her ultimate demise.

The First House relates to the body, the ego, and self-awareness (Fish, 71).  The presence of the First House Lord, Mars, in the Twelfth House can indicate a loss of the self.  And indeed, Callas was subservient to her gifts.  In the words of her friend, John Ardoin:

“There are times [...] when there are people who are blessed, and cursed, with an extraordinary gift, in which the gift is almost greater than the human being.  And Callas was one of these people.  It was almost as if her wishes, her life, her own happiness were all subservient to this incredible, incredible gift that she was given, this gift that reached out and taught us all – taught us things about music we knew very well, but showed us new things, things we never thought about, new possibilities”.  

This quote illustrates the extent to which Callas was a captive in her own life, held in thrall to the very music that brought her success.  

Conclusion

Few performers have revolutionized opera as much as Maria Callas.  She lived a turbulent life, both onstage and off.  Through analyzing the prosperity and annihilation of the houses in her natal chart, the astrologer gains insight into the diva’s successes as well as her woes, and therefore a deeper understanding of her as a human being.

WORKS CITED

Ardoin, John.  Callas, A Documentary (1978).  Extra Features.  Bel Canto Society.  DVD, BCS-D0194.

Callas, Maria.  "The Prima Donna." Time, vol. 68, no. 18.  October 29, 1956.

Fish, Richard, and Ryan Kurczak.  The Art & Science of Vedic Astrology.  Coppell, TX, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012.

Sage Parasara.  Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra.  “Bhavas & Houses.  Class 3, Video 1.”  

Uploaded by Ryan Kurczak.  http://vedic-astrology.teachable.com