OK, in the previous section we looked at Rudhyar’s 4-Stage theory for the ‘structure’ of a typical ‘Individuation Cycle’.
Now we’re going to look at the biographical facts of Joy Adamson’s life these years (1930-1960) with a view to seeing if we can match these facts to Rudhyar’s theoretical framework.
Before we do that though we ought to take a quick look at the Sabian Symbol for the degree of the New Moon that began this whole cycle, back in 1930. This Lunation falls on Aquarius 21°, yes, coincidently the same as it did for Martin Luther King a generation later (weird coincidence) …
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
21° Aquarius : “A disappointed and disillusioned woman courageously faces a seemingly empty life.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
… as you might recall from the Martin Luther King study, this is a rather tense symbol that foretells a cycle of setbacks, reverses of fortune, struggles with disillusionment and depression, and a need to develop COURAGE and RESILIENCE in the face of seemingly endless years of turmoil, specifically “… at the emotional level we see a ‘woman’ confronted with sharp disappointment and the vanishing of cherished illusions, presumably in terms of a close personal relationship.” [‘Astrological Mandala’, p.262]. So Rudhyar asks us to keep this symbol in mind as we analyze the biography as it may be telling us something significant about the way this cycle unfolds for Joy Adamson …
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
1930 – 1937 … a phase of married life in Vienna, ending in divorce in 1937, after her affair with a man who later became her second husband. Here perhaps we see both efforts to overcome the inertia of her past conditioning as a ‘good Austrian wife’ … along with the implications of that ‘disillusioned woman’ Sabian Symbol.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
1938 – 1945 … a move to Kenya and a second marriage in 1938 to Peter Bally, a wealthy Swiss botanist. This man gave her the nickname “Joy” and encouraged her to develop her talent for painting African flora and fauna. The marriage ended in divorce in 1944, after her affair with a man who later became her third husband. Well, the move to Kenya certainly sounds a lot like “a definite severance from the past followed by efforts to establish a new ‘individual’ life direction” doesn’t it. And again, the meaning of the ‘disillusioned woman’ symbol seems implicated, as the second affair and then divorce may suggest.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
1945 … makes a new life for herself in Kenya with her third husband, George Adamson, a wildlife warden and epic conservationist who believed his “mission on earth was to protect lions” [https://www.fatheroflions.org/Articles_NewsItems_General…]. The biography offers no particular fact of interest for the year 1945, aside from it being her first year with George Adamson, her wildlife conservation ‘mentor’. This in itself perhaps, IS the ‘culmination’ referred to, the “change of gears point in the cycle” (as Rael puts it) from which Joy’s life as an individual really starts to take off.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
1945 – 1952 … years of her third marriage in Kenya, largely spent learning about big cats from her husband/mentor; as well as a lot of time spent painting and drawing flora and fauna, in particular portraits of the indigenous populations commissioned by the government of Kenya. There’s no definitive evidence of Joy’s individuality ‘blossoming’ in these years, though clearly she’s become involved in the ‘wider social participation’ that’s mentioned in Rudhyar’s theory for this point of the cycle.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
1953 – 1960 … continuing years in Kenya with George Adamson. This, from Wikipedia, “In 1956, George Adamson, in the course of his job as game warden of the Northern Frontier District in Kenya, shot and killed a lioness as she charged him and another warden. George later realized the lioness was just protecting her cubs, which were found nearby in a rocky crevice. Taking them home … the smallest, “Elsa”, was thereafter raised by the couple. After some time living together, the Adamsons decided to set Elsa free and spent many months training her to hunt and survive on her own. They were in the end successful, and Elsa became the first lioness successfully released back into the wild, the first to have contact after release, and the first known released lion to have a litter of cubs.” Considering all that followed in Joy’s life on the basis of these events, it’s arguable I think that Elsa was the ‘synthesis’ of Joy’s individuation that Rudhyar implicates as critical at this point in the cycle, and indeed, the ‘seed’ from which the next phase of Joy’s life – the ‘Born Free’ phase – germinated.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
1960 … the next Lunation Cycle begins. As you might recall from the Carrie Lamb study, in the later-life cycle, after we ‘Individuate’, the life focus shifts to what Rudhyar calls ‘Resocialisation’, that is, finding our way back to the world we ‘grew beyond’; and now CONTRIBUTING to it in the unique ways described by the ‘highest potentials’ of our birth-chart which is now, as it were, in full flower. [Note 3]
How does Joy Adamson’s biography relate to this? Again, the Wikipedia account gives us a concise summary : “Using her own notes and George’s journals, Joy wrote ‘Born Free’ to tell the lion’s tale. Published in 1960, it became a bestseller. Later, Adamson worked closely with publishers to promote the book, which soon led her to international celebrity.”
The Sabian Symbol for Joy Adamson’s Second Progressed New Moon Chart (1960-to-death), covering the whole ‘Born Free’ phenomena, turns out to be …
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
21° … “Under the watchful and kind eye of a chinese servant, a girl fondles a little white lamb.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
A great metaphor given the biographical circumstances, non?
We’ll have a look at these final years of Joy Adamson’s life in the next chapter of this study.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
[Note 3] … for what is meant by these so-called ‘higher potentials’ you’ll need to go back to the discussions at the beginning of the study (Natal Chart and Pre-Birth Lunation Chart).
Quest for the Real Astrology 
Leave a comment