Freda & Lennox Berkeley – an impossible match that worked

The marriage everyone said would never work but lasted over forty happy years and produced three children was between a seemingly mismatched couple. Freda Bernstein, orphaned at 5, met and fell in love with composer Lennox Berkeley, 20 years her senior, who was a lover of Benjamin Britten amongst others. Her influence over him led to him breaking away from Britten emotionally and culturally and he produced more cheerful and optimistic music as a result; and she ran a successful salon which encouraged many young musicians and artists.

Born 25 May 1923, she was an airy Sun Mercury in Gemini trine Saturn in Libra, sextile musical Neptune in Leo; with her steadfast and charming Venus in Taurus sextile Pluto and opposition Jupiter. She also had a wide Yod of Saturn sextile Neptune inconjunct Uranus – so would need an unconventional setting before she’d feel she fitted in – and possibly also thrived on the sense of adventure it brought. She said she was the only one who thought it would work. And it did.

Lennox Berkeley, 12 May 1903, was a Sun Taurus with his Venus in Gemini conjunct her Mars; and his Jupiter in Pisces conjunct her Uranus – so there was a spark of passion and a sense of adventure between them. His Jupiter was exactly opposition her Virgo North Node; and her Saturn was conjunct his Libra North Node – so quite a karmic connection with her providing the self-discipline to ensure he brought out the full relationship potential of his North Node.

Their relationship chart had an affectionate composite Sun Venus conjunction; with a wide Mystic Rectangle of Venus opposition Saturn trine/sextile Mars opposition Uranus – so some stability and some rough edges.

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