Spike Lee’s new documentary on Showtime, Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall is a lovely love letter to Michael Jackson. The film is all about MJ’s music, and his evolution from child prodigy to fully developed and highly influential musical, dance and breakthrough performing artist.

What struck the psychological astrologer in me was how fully Michael lived out his astrology. Spike showcases a letter that the teenaged Michael wrote right before The Jacksons moved from Motown to Epic Records. The letter itself is filled with misspellings, but Michael is already totally clear about who he is. He writes: I AM MAGIC (this is his Pisces moon and rising sign speaking, dissolving boundaries, ruling dreams and the magical realms) and I AM A PERFECTIONIST (this is his hardworking, diligent, high expectations Virgo Sun speaking). His mother says, “He was born dancing.” (Pisces rules dancing, by the way, and you will find many dancers with the Sun, Ascendant, Venus or Mars in Pisces.)

Sometimes when I’m working with clients we do their chart, as it’s a map of the psyche, and can provide enormous insight into how each of us functions, what’s going on in our family background (where elements of your brand come from), and what your relationship is to the world out there. That’s super important, as we need to find the bridge from your inner world to the outer world so that you can consciously and clearly come to market. 

But back to Michael. Spike said in an interview that he would make a film that dealt only with Michael’s music, not any of the dark stuff. Thanks, Spike. The film gave me lots of pleasure and an opportunity to talk about how psychological astrology plays out.