Yesterday, February 9, 2014, marked the 50th anniversary of when the Beatles changed the world, appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show and tipping the collective consciousness on its collective ear. Since then, many books, blogs, articles and TV documentaries have delved deeply into just why this event impacted us so strongly. Yes, America was in a dark depression after the assassination of President Kennedy, it needed a happiness jolt - and it got one. But it spurred me to thinking metaphysically about the topic, which is one of my proclivities. And that usually leads me to thinking of the tarot, too. And I have a bit of a theory I'd like to share.
The Beatles represent the Four Elements, earth, air, fire and water. Since we live amongst those elements every day, they are familiar to us and we respond to them viscerally; they're literally a part of us all. So when four scrappy lads from Liverpool came on over to the U.S. with their jangly guitars and cheery dispositions, we all subconsciously latched onto them not only because of their passionate personas, but because of their representations of the parts of our selves, the emotions, the groundedness, the intellectual and spiritual aspects. Now, the elements can mean different things to different people and any rabid Beatle fan could wax poetic about which element represents which Beatle. One could even argue that any given Beatle changed his elemental leaning as the band grew in popularity and inventiveness. And, as I said, everyone has bits of each element. Here are my elemental assignments for each Mop Top:
John Lennon: Air I dare you to argue this one. The intellectual and brash Beatle, prone to flights of fancy and deep discourses on how his brain worked. Swords in tarot slice through the mental clouds, or tear through with razor-sharp wit. And, this doesn't apply to all the other Beatles, but Lennon was a Libra, an Air sign, and had an Aquarian (Air sign) Moon (and Aquarians are known for being the peaceniks and the people who battle against social injustice, just as John had). So he was destined to be the visionary, the dreamer, the wordsmith, the sardonic analytic. The brain of the band.
Paul McCartney: Water In the tarot, Cups (or quite often, Hearts) represent the water element. When I think of Paul McCartney's contribution to the Beatles legacy, two things come to mind: love songs and heart-centeredness. McCartney was the heart of the Fab Four. So many of his songs, whether they be "Michelle", "Martha, My Dear", "Yesterday", "For No One" - speak of love lived, lost, unrequited, and longed-for. And, long after the Beatles had broken up for all intents and purposes, he threw himself in with deep emotion to try to keep them together. Just watch "Hey Jude". You'll see what I mean.
George Harrison: Fire The suit of Wands corresponds with Fire. It also speaks of spiritual energy, of chi, of swirling chakras and life force. One might argue that George would be the heart of the band, but for me, he's the soul, the spirit. His interest in Indian mysticism and its effect on the direction of the bands music is quiet telling. Songs with titles like "Within You and Without You" and "The Inner Light" speak of spiritual journey and soul growth. Lyrically and musically, they never fail to inspire me to flow along with them, seeing what new insights might be gained. I feel transported to Rishikesh and I'm sitting at the Maharishi's feet, incense wafting near by.
Ringo Starr: Earth Baked beans. Legend has it that when the Beatles went to India to study with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Ringo brought along suitcases filled with cans of baked beans, because of his delicate digestive system. Take that image and add drums, and you've got Ringo. I'm being silly, really; ofcourse there's a lot more to this legendary drummer than that. But Ringo always struck me as the more earthy, grounded soul, the Beatle manifestation of pentacles in the tarot: earth and physical solidity (he got his nickname because of the rings he wore - a close enough representation of the pentacles in the tarot for me!). He provided the pulse of the band, kept the body of the band pulsating and alive. His gentle humor and solid demeanor seemed to anchor the band; while other members experimented musically and psychedelically, Richard Starkey remained content providing that solid beat.
There you have it. I would love to hear your Fab Four elemental feedback!
