The 27 Club: An Astrological View of Young Death
From left: Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse
“I’m the one that’s got to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
Jimi Hendrix, Jimi Hendrix — Axis: Bold as Love
Introduction: What is The 27 Club?
Anyone who keeps up with pop culture has heard a few references to the infamous 27 Club and the musicians that are a part of it, but what exactly is it? In truth, it’s not an actual club, nor something that anyone would likely want to be a part of. The 27 Club refers to a group of famous artists, primarily musicians, whose lives have all been cut short at the age of 27. While there are no statistical facts or any scientific evidence to support the idea of a “spike” in risk at this time of life, people continue to believe in this morbid club as a supernatural phenomena. The origins of the club can be traced to the rock era of the late 60s, where 4 important musicians all died at the age of 27 between 1969 and 1971. These key 4 were Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones), Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin (Big Brother), and Jim Morrison (The Doors). However, it wasn’t until Kurt Cobain’s (Nirvana) death in 1994 that the “club” really became cemented in the public consciousness. Some other notable “members” of the club include blues musician Robert Johnson (died 1938) and Amy Winehouse (died 2011).
Why Astrology?
Astrology is humanity’s most ancient form of complex time measurement. When man began to mark both Earthly and personal seasons, astrology became the chief methodology employed in understanding these changes. This brings us to mankind’s first major crisis, prime adulthood, known in astrology as the Saturn Return. The Saturn Return is a long term transit when Saturn first returns to the exact degree it was in at the time of your birth, it begins at age 27 and it lasts until you’re around 30 years old. This is considered a time of trials and tribulations as one transitions into ripe adulthood. During this experience one is tested harshly by Saturn, who demands that we re examine ourselves and ensure that we are prepared for the next phase of our lives by stripping us of what is unnecessary. Many people describe this as a very turbulent and difficult time, as their life is being constantly challenged.
However, this isn’t the only astrological connection there is to the symbolic age of 27. If we turn to the Hellenistic astrology school of thought, we see a key concept known as Annual Profections. This is a technique which allows you to see what house and planets are “activated” during a certain year of your life. This starts with year 1 at the rising and spirals out as depicted by the diagram below.
Age 27 is the year for the 4th house. This is the house of home, foundations, and acts as the cosmic umbilical cord connecting our lives to where we came from. This is the lowest house in the natal chart. The fact that the natal chart is shaped like a circle is no coincidence, as the zodiac wheel repeats itself year after year. Therefore it represents the ever-present cycle of rebirth we go through as individuals in our emotional and spiritual lives. The 12th house is painted as a house of potential crisis & difficulty. This is where we are presented with challenges. Oftentimes these challenges and situations are dire enough that one can end up in a public institution such as prison, a psychiatric ward, or a hospital. If we can get through the challenge, we get to go through a new cycle. If we fail, we begin our descent to the 4th house whence we came.
While other houses, such as the 8th, also represent death it, is a death we observe OR a symbolic death. It is the finalization of deeds, relationships, and projects. In the 8th house we merge things together, the death of a couple (7th house) to become a whole. However, the 4th house is more often a finite death as we spiritually “come home” to our cosmic origins, soul leaving the mortal plane. The theory at work here is that these artists face a significant life moment at 23 (12th house year) and it’s all downhill from there. At 27 they’re broken by the Saturn return, ill prepared for the challenges of transitioning into ripe maturity, thus tragically returning to the spiritual plane through death. All in all, we must remember that these are merely spiritual theories. The truth regarding this age related coincidence will likely remain a mystery, shrouded in public speculation of occultism, but it is ultimately a tragedy to the families affected by the lives lost, and a tragedy to society as we lose icons, brilliant minds, and the gifts they had to offer.
