Uranus
The person who has survived the stage of Saturn can then move into a new liberated atmosphere where he or she is more truly self-conscious. This is where we find Holst. In the opening brass incantation of Uranus, the Magician.
By a most interesting and original intuition Holst has united the extrovert aspects of the tarot card the magician with the eccentricities of Uranus. Leo calls Uranus the awakener because it shows people that there is more to living than what can just be seen or touched. A magician invokes and manipulates unseen elemental forces. A composer can also be compared to a magician, because he conjures sounds out of nothing which can alter states of consciousness in the listener. It is clear that in this movement Holst feels truly in his element, confident, enthusiastic, humorous, daring and original. As Leo says Uranus imparts great impulse, power and enthusiasm…originally of thought… independence. Its action is sudden and irregular.
By a most interesting and original intuition Holst has united the extrovert aspects of the tarot card the magician with the eccentricities of Uranus. Leo calls Uranus the awakener because it shows people that there is more to living than what can just be seen or touched. A magician invokes and manipulates unseen elemental forces. A composer can also be compared to a magician, because he conjures sounds out of nothing which can alter states of consciousness in the listener. It is clear that in this movement Holst feels truly in his element, confident, enthusiastic, humorous, daring and original. As Leo says Uranus imparts great impulse, power and enthusiasm…originally of thought… independence. Its action is sudden and irregular.
URANUS, the magician. You can take as the figure of Uranus almost any magician you have ever seen in opera, drama or vaudeville - preferably one with the tall pointed hat studded with stars, the flowing blue robe with voluminous sleeves, and the silver want. He is invoked by Holst with a triple invocation, and he begins to show his tricks immediately. His repertoire is vast and astonishing and at the climax of his demonstration he struts around pompously to a pompous tune. By way of encore he makes some mysterious incantations, suddenly (one guesses from the music) envelops himself in flames - and disappears.