Inspired by Music

by Amy Shapiro and Michaela Meiser

Vienna 1918. Not only is it the year WW1 ended; it is also the end of the Austrian Monarchy and the time of the Spanish Flu Pandemic, taking more lives than 4 years of war. In that intensely crisis-ridden time of change – like today, with Pluto-Eris and other major squares – Dr. Oskar Adler, a then 42-year-old Austrian medical doctor and musician, connects his philosophical musings, astrological insights and experiences as concert violinist and lecturer in a script that explores the essence and source of music: The Critique of Pure Music, published at long last in 2020!

Reviews:

Arnold Schönberg, early student and lifelong friend of Oskar Adler, wrote:

This is the book I would have most liked to have written myself!

American Composer Reese Scott wrote that it...

...transcends time in a way unique to Adler. It's a curious combination of pure sincerity mixed with relentless pedantry. He talks about music's spiritual basis, as if it were a touching prayer. The primary force behind Adler's unique ideas is cosmic and esoteric. His work is deeply steeped in many traditions, and yet full of odd eccentricities, as shown by his unusual nomenclature for modal scales, his ideas on music and triangles, and his cosmic symbolism reminiscent of much older authors, such as Kepler.

Schönberg’s praise reflects Adler’s support for 12-tone music; likewise, Adler values harmonic aspects and transpersonal planets, shown in quotes herein, from his later “The Testament of Astrology” (TOA) series, by which he became known as the ‘Father of German Astrology’.

Music is the immediate inner experience of number. It is a message of the inner connection of the universe. In this sense the ancient sages spoke of the harmony of the spheres.
Oskar Adler (TOA, Vol.1)

In his music-philosophical book, which seems like a prelude to his later Testament series, Adler questions traditional music theory and delves beyond doctrines and teachings. He views them as mere “technology” or craftmanship of music, not doing justice to the arts and essence of music. As an alternative, Adler comes up with the term “technonomy – a theory, able to derive its content by recognizing the essence of art and in this case, of music alone” (CPM, Prologue, p.4).

As opposed to strict rules and regulations (Saturnian, master-pupil oriented), the approach is more dynamic, interactive, spiritual and Neptunian, moving beyond such boundaries, into timeless truths, rhythms and symbolism, aiming to knit them into a fabric, guiding us in our spiritual quest on Earth (Saturn/Neptune).

Focusing on a perception-based approach, Adler sees all art as a symbolic way to understand the universe, as ongoing interaction between part and whole. He sees the artist’s role as finding one’s way to the source through the inherent inner rhythm of the medium specific to the chosen artform and expressing it in the outer rhythm of manifestation through the robes of its particular time.

Taking us back in time, Adler explores primordial expressions of sound and movement in early humankind and how they made up our artforms. As such, Adler contemplates nature itself as a work of art and elaborates how it differs from natural science, as a spiritual versus intellectual perspective.

The first concept critically examined is that of harmony, of consonance and dissonance and why we perceive them as such. Could it be habit, or convention? What or who determines harmony or disharmony? Or is it found in the very attributes underlying tones? Here mathematics and consequently astrology enter the equation. Relating numbers, sequences, proportions, triads and frequencies was already part of all ancient philosophical teachings. Although not the first to formulate them, they are most commonly credited to Pythagoras.

Triads in music, like trines in astrology, are perceived as harmonious. They seem to belong together in some way – as for astrology, we know they belong to the same elemental group and the opposing triads of the two positive (Air, Fire) and two negative (Water, Earth) elements form our twelve astrological signs. As for music, the planets allocated to the triad points form one six-pointed star, depicting the tones of the major and minor triads of the diatonic system. (see above figure of interlocking triangles allocated to the planets with Sun in the center):

The exact age of our diatonic system is unknown; surely the Old Egyptians were already in possession of the same. If we distribute the hexachord tones: C, D, E, F, G, A in such a manner at the tips of the two triangles which interlock into a six-pointed star, that each contains three tones in a quintal distance from each other, namely the male triangle, with the tip pointing up, with the tones F, C, G and the female triangle with the tones D, A, E, a highly surprising fact results. The male triangle contains the main levels of our diatonic: tonic, dominant and sub-dominant, which are also the carriers of the three major triads; the female triangle shows us the main carriers of the three minor triads. These connected major and minor triads literally face each other through the angles of the opposing triangles. But the really amazing factor only becomes visible when we add the planets to their indicated positions; then we will find the well-known astrological oppositions of Mars-Venus, Saturn-Moon and Jupiter-Mercury, as shown in the following figure of the ancient tradition of distributing planetary rulership to the zodiac signs.
(CPM page 27, Chapter 1)

For a clear overview of the Planets and Tones:

C: Mars
D: Moon
E: Mercury
F: Saturn
G: Jupiter
A: Venus
B:¹ Sun

Integrating the Sun completes our tonal system with the original 7 planets, creating the Heptagram (seven-pointed star), or Septile in our astrological aspects. The 7th overtone or harmonic also takes a special place in music theory and is, interestingly, often avoided or even perceived as false or dissonant.

Adler questions the rank and possible source of harmony and melody, and how scales and triads interlink:

We might formulate the question of a relationship between these two fundamental elements of music as follows: are both elements related to each other in such a way that the one is derived from the other, or are both equally independent and possibly the joint result of a third element?
Should the first apply, then we could ask the question if one of them had a priority due to its essence and therefore preceded the other – melody over harmony or harmony over melody? Or to rephrase that more clearly, is the triad older or younger than the scale?

He further explores the triad structures of sounds, taking readers through intrinsic mathematical calculations and drawings, explaining scales based on various keynotes, like the Old Dorian, Phrygian and Lydian scales and how they relate to each other. The resulting geometric shapes and angles can be related to planetary orbits and aspects in our astrological practice, showing the intrinsic link to sacred geometry. In this sense our chart comes alive through the harmony of the spheres as our personal tune, playing a part in the symphony of the universe.

The following excerpts highlight the various relations to show the angles and tones central to these star formations. The angles show the aspect degrees as used in astrological practice. Quoted from the book (pages 38 & 39):

In the Dorian scale, the basic underlying unit 1 would relate to tone B, thus becoming the numerical center of this system, which the Ancients symbolically expressed as the Sun; in the angle series this would be expressed as number 36, the angle of the pentagram.

The angles contained in this figure are 36, 72 = B, 108 = E and 180 = G and form the basic triad of the Dorian scale. The exterior angle of 324° shows tone A (162).

The basic underlying unit of the Phrygian tone sequence would correspond to tone A. In the sequence of angles, this would lead to the numbers 160 – 80, 40, 20 ….

20° relates to the sharp angle of the 9-pointed star (nonagram), a rather strange structure, which angles of 20°and 80° correspond to tone A, 60° to tone D and 100° to tone F. Intriguingly, also 140 appears here, showing at one of the angles of the nonagon, which brings us in touch with the number seven for the first time!

If, however, we take our starting point from the triangle d–f–a of the Lydian figure and allocate d = 3, a = 4 and f = 5, …… and multiply these relations with the number five in order to compare them with the previous sequence ……

We now find tone A with the angles 180°, 90°and 45° at the center. 45° is the angle of the 8-pointed star (octagram).

The angles featuring here correspond as follows:
45, 90 and 180 to tone A, 135 to tone D, and 225 as the exterior angle of the 8-sided figure (octagon) corresponds to tone F.

The exterior angle of the 8-pointed star of 315° leads us back to the number 7!

Along with several detailed calculations and deductions, Adler illustrates the next steps leading to the 12-pointed star (page 41 & 42):

In his book “About the Greek Tonal System,” Bohr also offers the drawing of the pentagram and shows that placing the 5 quintal steps F, C, G, D, A at its points results in the sequence of the ancient penta-chord, being the oldest diatonic scale.

If we extend the figure of the pentagram to a heptagram by adding the two further quintal steps of E and B, then the drawing now shows our diatonic 7-step scale. These tones, however, are all arranged in intervals of thirds!

Again, it is only one step from this figure to the dodecagram of the temperate system. The following drawing will clarify, how the twelve-pointed star incorporates most perfectly the pentagram and heptagram into one structure and thus shows how both ancient diatonic systems in fact complement or complete each other. This is particularly evident when looking at our piano keyboard, which encompasses the entire chromatic scale of the temperate system although it is clearly comprised of two diatonic components: the seven-step scale as white keys and the five-step scale as black keys. The dodecagon angle is 30˚. This relates to tone D in the Dorian scale and strangely enough this tone forms the central key in our keyboard; from this tone all keys, both white and black, arrange themselves in perfect symmetry to both ends of the scale. For the ancients, the symbol of this tone was not the Sun – but the Moon.

Even though this figure illustrates the symbol of the temperate system, the base-triad again resounds in absolute purity, as demonstrated by the angles: 90, 120 and 150 degrees, and with that restores the purity that was lost through the temperate approach.

The exterior angle of the dodecagram: 330˚ corresponds closest to the tone G-sharp… However, it offers a strange testimony to the unity of this temperate system, insofar as this G-sharp – just like tone D – is the symmetrical central tone of our keyboard. All white and black keys of the keyboard arrange themselves in the same symmetrical manner to both ends of the keyboard around this G-sharp, as is also the case around tone D.

In the years to follow, Oskar Adler immersed himself deeper into Astrology and gathered a small circle around him during the 1920’s and 1930’s in Vienna. His private lectures were transcribed by his students and later also distributed by them throughout the world in an attempt to get them translated and published. Circumstances make finding publishers for his works difficult. In 1937 he self-publishes parts of his 7-volume “Testament Series”, called Introduction to Astrology as an Esoteric (Metaphysical) Science in German in Vienna. From late 1938 on, in the UK, Adler continues developing his lectures and giving musical performances. More publications follow in the 1950’s.

Adler applies more musical insights to Astrology in The Testament of Astrology including then-newly discovered planets beyond Saturn, like Pluto. Just like Astrologers today, who add Eris and other recently discovered cosmic bodies to their interpretations. We have chosen some excerpts from various volumes relating to Music and Astrology, to give more insights into Oskar Adler’s teachings:

When a child is born, delivered out of Earth’s womb, it bears as dowry, the fundamental mood that permeated the planetary world in this moment. Whatever thought the Earth held in the dialogue with her cosmic surroundings is within the newborn as the law governing his future life. We, like the chord of a musical instrument impurely tuned, may be attuned by fate, and brought closer to accordance with the harmony of the cosmos.
Vol1

We must recognize the special importance of the radiations that each Zodiac sign receives for an individual by the planets, according to one’s birthplace, as ambassador. The cooperation between the seven messages creates a sort of musical harmony, as an essential factor in determining the harmony or discord of one’s constitution. The study of these harmonies necessitates, as is in music theory, resolving the separate chords and ascertaining in which mutual proportion the simple chords of two planets stand together, and extend this procedure to all other planets. This leads to the idea of the interval; the concept of the ‘Aspect’ energy exchange between planets.
Vol.3

If we recognize in music an echo in human consciousness of the music of the spheres as the direct experience of the reality of numbers, ruling the universe, then the 7-number of the ancient holy planets and their cohesive unified action would be the inviolable, heavenly root of our “diatonic” tonal system, upon which all music is based. The appearance of new tones, not within this system, thus alien to it, could create an element that disturbs the balance, forcing the system to defend its inner cohesion and firmness against the new element or to test itself on it.
Vol.3

Observing the development of music after incorporating 5 new tones (black keys) as descendants of the 7 original tones, which in their totality represent the stabilizing factor of music, which these new tones cannot shake. Their constancy is more consciously confirmed, the more we feel the need to return, after all aberrations, to their original tonality, which is hence, through all changes and attacks, confirmed in its existence and strengthened, as its inner value is reinforced in the temptations of the interplay of the modulations. It is thus forced to be conscious of itself.
Vol.3

As all those ‘alien’ tones existed already as a possibility when their musical use had not yet become a need, so too the transcendent planets, as long as their function was not yet needed, remained beyond the reach of perception of their existence. And later too, when progressive musical geniuses mastered and recognized in their necessity the function of those chromatic tones, this new tone material at first formed an element of confusion and offense for people not yet thus far developed. We may further assume, that those new planets have been important and meaningful in the horoscope of highly developed people.
Vol.3

As a musician knows to differentiate between the actual tone and its significance for the composition, and the tonal color added by its realization through a distinct instrument, so the astrologer must also make analogous distinctions in psychologically analyzing the nativity. A similarity exists for the astrologer judging the connections of the horoscope’s single elements, with judging musical elements in a composition: sounds may unite in a synthesis. The distinction between favorable and unfavorable is insufficient for the abundant possibilities, – as, with musical composition, it corresponds to too primitive an attitude, should one find the expressions beautiful or ugly as sufficient; one may return to them after one has experienced and perceived the entire depth of everything that vibrates with the sounds. This discrimination of aspects is tied to just the relative angles, as music’s discrimination of consonance and dissonance is bound to number relations. Were someone to declare a composition “beautiful” only if it contains nothing but consonances, it would be like considering only that horoscope harmonious that contained “favorable” aspects exclusively – nature does not proceed as a bad composer might possibly do if he were to use only triads.
Vol.3

Aspect interpretation demands deep insight into the nature of the soul, and in the teamwork of all the qualities given by them. The astrologer who succeeds in working out and experiencing his own horoscope will be freed of the insipid distinction between benefic and malefic aspects. He will comprehend in each case the original music that speaks from the concord of the single tones and accords of the constellation in the nativity – if his ear is susceptible to this music.
Vol.4

He who would study astrology only if foretold of advantages it would bring him, asks for the impossible. This would be similar to someone studying music only if he were foretold how he might profit by it. The advantage music brings is in the study itself, and in all the efforts made in its study.
Vol.7

Oskar Adler’s many gifts show clearly in his chart. Here some brief pointers:

Strong water, Mars-Neptune trine and Pisces MC shows musicality. His astrology gifts show via his 3rd house Uranus sextile Gemini New Moon, trine NN and square Venus for unique artistry. His quest for knowledge shows in his 3rd house Uranus, Gemini Sun/Moon, and Mercury conjunct Asc opposing Mars. Saturn elevated in Aquarius further reflects his affinity for astrology. Saturn trine Jupiter adds affinity for science and philosophy, and performance talents with a 5th house Jupiter. Saturn square Pluto in his 12th hints how personal loss fueled his quest as a healer.

Note:
1Transl. Note: In German Tone B as given here is called Tone H, whereas b-flat is the German Tone b.
Chart data and source for Oskar Adler: Astrodatabank

Published in: The Career Astrologer, March 2021.

Authors:
Michaela P. E. Meiser (Austria/South Africa) is translator and co-editor of ”The Critique of Pure Music“. Austrian born and educated, she also played the violin and emigrated to South Africa as a young adult, where she began studies in Astrology & Polarity Therapy in Cape Town. Further studies in Austria include Psychological Astrology with a special focus on Black Moon Lilith in Salzburg and Practical Philosophy in Vienna. She currently studies for her Diploma with the Faculty of Astrological Studies in London and also gives talks with the CAA. Her special interest lies in combining astrology with the healing art of polarity therapy and combining readings with body work. She is available for consultations, translations and workshops in both German and English on www.astro-polarity.

Amy Shapiro, M. Ed. (USA) blends healing and education in serving clients. Cape Ann School of Astrology founder, Amy has appeared on dozens of radio and cable shows and her own ”Good Heavens!“ shows. She’s written for Horoscope Magazine, served in NCGR, Star Rovers and Seacoast Astrological Assns. Besides ”Testament of Astrology“, Amy published her Adler biography, ”The Critique of Pure Music“; a biography of Isabel Hickey ”Never Mind“, ”It Is ALL Right“; ”Cosmic Blueprint“and ”Eris“ reports. Her original research is in ”Forces At Work: Astrology and Career“ and ”Inviting Eris To The Party: Our Provocateur in Unfair Affairs“. Amy also coinvented the mid-time relationship chart, (then called Davison-Shapiro Chart).
To view all her publications and services, please contact Amy at NewAgeSages.com.

Images:
All images taken from the book, with kind permission from Amy Shapiro

© 2021 - Amy Shapiro and Michaela Meiser - The Career Astrologer

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