“Queen of Rock” Tina Turner passed into the celestial firmament on 24 May 2023, to the sorrow of her many fans globally. A literal rags to riches, to rags, to riches, American success story, Turner’s music galvanized the 1980s, becoming the soundtrack to our lives, and her personal saga of rejection of a life with an abusive spouse gave hope to millions of women. Already on her way to becoming a music icon by the early ‘60s, Turner’s career slumped after her separation from Ike, but an amazing comeback in the mid-‘80s inspired all performers of a certain age.
With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, Turner was one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, with 12 Grammy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Turner was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, once with Ike and once as a solo artist. Born Anna Mae Bullock, the Tina Turner we know today was a creation of her first husband Ike Turner, who took the raw talent he saw in the 18-year-old and molded it into the superstar noted for her electric performances and throaty vocal stylings.
But that transformation came at a price, with an abusive Ike managing her career and physically assaulting her at times, to instill fear and maintain control. After almost 20 years of physical and psychological abuse, in 1976 Tina split from Ike and headed out on her own. She left abruptly, after an altercation, with just 0.36 cents and a Mobil gas card in her pocket to start her new life. The duo had produced hits such as “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine“, “River Deep – Mountain High“, and “Proud Mary“, but progress on the national stage was slow, and after leaving Ike, Tina’s career faltered, with the singer performing in cabarets and small venues, and overseas tours. By the early ‘80s, Turner was at serious risk of becoming a nostalgia act, a has-been regurgitating the songs of her glory days.
That all changed in 1984 with the release of her “Private Dancer” album in May. The album was a smash success, spawning such Top Ten hits as the title track, “Better Be Good to Me” and “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” The album was certified 5x platinum in the US and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. MTV was just hitting its stride, and Tina seemed made for the medium, with videos of her strutting her stuff and gyrating wildly across the nation’s television screens. Turner’s accomplishment was all the more remarkable given the music environment of the time, with 1984 also seeing the release of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”, iconic albums which pervaded the social fabric and established those artists as megastars.
Musical success led to a modest acting career, with Turner appearing opposite Mel Gibson in 1985’s post-apocalyptic “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome”, for which she sang the title track, “We Don’t Need Another Hero.” Half a decade after her triumphal comeback, she reprised her feat with “The Best,” which became her signature song. Other albums and small movie roles followed, but she never again attained the level of success that came with “Private Dancer.” She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with ex-husband Ike in 1991, but didn’t attend the ceremony. Recognition as a solo artist didn’t come until 2021.
In 1986, Turner met German music executive Erwin Bach, who was sent by her European record label (EMI) to greet Turner at Düsseldorf Airport. Bach was over sixteen years her junior; initially friends, they began dating later that year, and in July 2013, after a 27-year romantic relationship, they married in a civil ceremony on the banks of Lake Zurich in Küsnacht, Switzerland. Turner passed away at their mansion there on 24 May 2023.
As with most individuals, PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids) feature prominently in the birth chart, with a Grand Cross formed from the Sun’s square to asteroid May 348 (for Mae) at 6 Virgo, asteroid Bullock 78453 at 11 Pisces joining Mars in also squaring the Sun, while asteroid Anna 265 at 2 Libra was in sextile. (PNA aspects to the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Mercury are the most common, and we have here all three birth names attached to three of four factors.) Asteroid Anna is also squared to asteroid Singer 10698 at 1 Capricorn, pushing her toward a music career.
It was Ike Turner who christened her Tina and gave her his surname; asteroid Ike 21022 at 6 Virgo exactly conjoins Mae, perhaps “eclipsing” her birth identity in some sense. Replacement asteroid Tina 1222 was close at hand at 29 Leo, waiting to pick up the slack, in an out-of-sign square to the Sun. Asteroid Turnera 1186 (closest to Turner) gave her the strongest connection between her stage name and her profession – at 5 Capricorn it conjoins asteroid Singer at 1 Cap. But a cosmic caveat applies here as well, with asteroid Nemesis 128 conjoined Turnera from 7 Capricorn, suggesting her husband could be an opponent or enemy at times, someone with the potential to bring ruin. Ike opposed Mars also images the beatings, while Saturn at 25 Aries conjunct centaur Nessus 7066 at 29 Aries, signature of men behaving badly in an abusive manner, portrays a spouse or career influence (both Saturn) who treats one badly.
Venus at 24 Sagittarius opposed asteroid Rocknroll 17058 at 20 Gemini channeled Turner’s natural gifts as an entertainer (Venus) into popular music (Rocknroll), while a Grand Cross with Jupiter at 28 Pisces and Neptune at 25 Virgo prefigures fame and celebrity (Jupiter) as a musician (Neptune). Asteroid Hera 103 in the mix from 17 Pisces indicates a partner would be influential in her success, and actualizing her potential. Turner came by her “Queen of Rock” title honestly, with asteroid Regina 285 (Latin for “queen” conjoined Rocknroll from 24 Gemini, also squared by asteroid Queen’s 5457 at 25 Virgo, exactly conjoined Neptune.
Second husband Erwin Bach is also reflected, as asteroid Irwin 3989 (phonetic match), which at 8 Sagittarius conjoins her Sun, an indication of an important role to play in the life. As well, asteroid Bach 1814 at 6 Scorpio conjoins the 10 Scorpio IC, the Fourth House cusp, granting him angular importance and also signifying her longest domestic (IC) relationship.
Her long residency in Zurich, Switzerland appears as asteroid Zurich 13025 at 11 Aquarius, also angular on the 17 Aquarius Descendant, and trine the Moon (home) at 7 Gemini. Asteroid Helvetius 6972 at 18 Capricorn, a form of Helvetica, Latin for the area now known as Switzerland, squares asteroid House 4950 at 22 Libra. Turner bought her home there in 1994, and applied for Swiss citizenship in 2013. Helvetius exactly conjoined asteroid Lachesis120, named for the mythic Greek Fate who determines the span of life, is an early indicator from birth that she would pass away in Switzerland generally. The precise location for her death at home is pinpointed in a Grand Trine Kite pattern which incorporates the Zurich/Moon trine, also trine to asteroid Anna with asteroid Requiem 2254 (named for the funeral mass for the dead) at 2 and 5 Libra, with the Sun at 4 Sagittarius on the Kite’s String.
When she passed on 24 May 2023, a Grand Trine of transit asteroids Rocknroll with Singer at 13 and 15 Leo, trine Requiem with Turnera, May and Bach (at 16, 13 and 11 Sagittarius respectively) and asteroid Lachesis at 13 Aries tells the tale of the death (Lachesis) of a rock and roll (Rocknroll) singer (Singer) who was born Anna Mae Bullock (May), lived as Tina Turner (Turnera) and died married to Erwin Bach (Bach). Further celestial confirmation of the event is offered by transit asteroid Bullock at 20 Virgo conjoined asteroid Osiris,named for the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, at 24 Virgo, and by an additional pattern involving Lachesis, which also lies at the fulcrum of a T-Square with transit asteroid Tina and Venus (entertainer) at 8 and 18 Cancer, and transit asteroids Anna and Zurich at 8 and 11 Capricorn. Although too wide in orb from Lachesis to complete a Grand Cross, asteroid Rip 7711 (which functions as a death indicator in the form of the acronym “RIP”, “Rest In Peace”) at 1 Libra does T-Square the exact Tina/Anna polarity.
Tiebacks to the natal chart which reflect her passing include transit Pluto, modern lord of death, at its station degree of 0 Aquarius just two degrees shy of opposing its natal place at 2 Leo; natal asteroid Atropos 273 at 18 Virgo, conjoined by transit Bullock/Osiris and squared by transit Requiem; natal Anna and Requiem at 2 and 5 Libra conjoined by transit Rip, which also squares natal Turnera; natal Osiris at 7 Scorpio squared by transit Mars at 2 Leo (which conjoined natal Pluto exactly); and natal Tina at 29 Leo squared by transit asteroid Anubis 1912 (named for the Egyptian deity governing funerary rites) at 27 Scorpio.
Tina Turner will always be remembered for her unique presence as a performer, and her resilience in both her personal and professional lives. May she rest in peace.
Alex Miller is a professional writer and astrologer, whose website AlexAsteroidAstrology.com offers a trove of info on the role of asteroids in personal and mundane astrology. He is the author of The Black Hole Book (available on Amazon.com) and The Urban Wicca, former editor of “The Galactic Calendar,” and past president of The Philadelphia Astrological Society. His pioneering work with Black Holes in astrological interpretation began in 1991, when his progressed Sun unwittingly fell into one. Alex’s books and writings are available on his website. Alex can also be reached for comment or services at .
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