Dear readers:
Last night I attended a "revival" for lack of a better word, hosted by the Mormon church (of all things) featuring Gladys Knight and the SUVs (that's Saints Unified Choir). OMG. Gladys Knight is not only still one of the queens of soul, she is a preacher as well, although the LDS described it as "a testimony" from her. Nope, this woman can preach!
So of course, I had to look at her chart, which is rated AA by astro.com. May 28, 1944 CWT 7:52pm Atlanta Geogia, ASC 10 Sagittarius.
What I was initially curious about was her Mormon conversion in 1997. I wondered why Mormon? Her bio says that she was raised Baptist (of course) and began singing as a child in church (of course). For awhile in her adulthood she became Catholic and then Mormon in 1997 when her son Jimmy convinced her to join up with him and his family. Two years later Jimmy died of a drug overdose, a horrible, horrible time for her with Pluto crossing her ASC. She never brought this up in her talk last night.
In 1997 tr Uranus was opposing her Mars and then her Pluto both located in the 8th. Mars rules her 5th, and she was getting a divorce (again). Pluto rules her 12th, which is the 8th of her 5th. She was very close to her son Jimmy, who was her manager, a man who obviously was already having signs of deep trouble in his life. He was 36 when he died. At hard times she would look to her religion. But Mormon?
I think that religion and being in ministry is an important theme in her life. There is the obvious performance needs that we see in her chart. The MC ruler Mercury is in Taurus in her 5th. She has a Leo Moon, the Neptune AP in the 10th 7 degrees from the MC. But check out her Jupiter also about 7 degrees from her Moon in the 9th house. She is comfortable in a church setting…in a big performance way. Her Sun conjunct Uranus in Gemini which rules her 9th house are closely quintile to Jupiter there. Uranus rules her 3rd. Singing gospel and preaching is right where she belongs.
But why Mormon? How odd, right? They are quite famous for their choirs, but not gospel choirs. Well, all that may all change. With Uranus there with the Sun, Gladys truly needs to be singularly recognized, special, not just one of many of her kind. If she were travelling around to Baptist churches (or even Catholic ones) with her choir and giving testimonies, would she not be just one of many awesome African-American people who praise God with their fervor and their talent? Well, not quite, because her voice and her soul-sound are incredible, her star quality very big, as Moon-Jupiter, Sun-Uranus suggest. But would the public in general notice enough?
I have to admit, as my son said who was with me last night, if there had not been the sprinkling of people of color in that assembly, the stiff white people there might not have been able to receive her performance as it needed to be received. It required participation, you know, a few Amens and Allelujiahs, etc., etc., etc., which did indeed happen. In fact we were sitting right in the joy spot.
I hope she continues to help make transformations within the Mormon church. But…I have my doubts. If it doesn't continue, then she has at least stirred some people up, given some people a taste of something outside their tight and tiny range of experience within the LDS family. Right now, tr Uranus is opposing her Neptune for the last hit. She and her SUVs have created an album. We'll see.
Barbara Ybarra
