Anita Brookner – fulfilment through writing

Anita Brookner, the Booker-winning novelist of Hotel du Lac amongst many others has died. She wrote stories about women who lived lives of excruciating loneliness which clearly mirrored her own. Born 16 July 1928 in England into a family of Polish Jewish emigres, she describes growing up with parents ‘who should never had children’ and various unpleasant relatives. She escaped her family to live in Europe for many years, working as an art historian, causing them to cut her off.  Her novels came late in life in her fifties out of she said ‘idleness’ but underlying that was a fear of an unlived, drifting life.

She was a Sun Cancer conjunct Venus on one side and Pluto (Moon) on the other. With a Yod of Mars in Taurus sextile Pluto inconjunct Saturn which would be a truly difficult burden to carry. The Yod gives a sense of strain, of never fitting in; and those three planets are fearful, repressive, and highly frustrating.

Her Mercury in Cancer was sextile Jupiter in Taurus which would help; as would an adventurous Mars Jupiter conjunction.

Five Cancer planets would certainly give her a creative streak, though sadly also a yearning for a supportive family which she never had.  Her writer’s 211st Harmonic is very strong.

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