Music. Beauty. Joy. The mind of Alice Herz Sommer

Occasionally we encounter other humans who are hugely inspirational.
On Maori Television in February 2015, a documentary* on Alice Herz Sommer passed that test for me. 

aged 107

Born in 1903, she lived for 110 years. Music it seems was to be her life, her purpose: the child of cultured parents, she excelled as a pianist and came to the conclusion that “my world is music. I’m not interested in anything else”, “music is a dream”, “music is god”.

This gift, combined with an enduring optimism enabled her to retain a joyful attitude –despite a two-year period of incarceration under the Nazi regime inflicted primarily on the European Jewish ethnic population to which Sommer belonged.

Interestingly, Sommer had a twin sister who lived only to age 74 – a beautiful but pessimist person [twins often manifest polarity features] & Sommer felt “If you are a pessimist the whole organism is in a tension all the time”.

Playing over 100 concerts in her concentration camp, Sommer felt the connection between imprisoned performers and captive audience generated “a sense of the divine”

Beethoven was credited as being her religion.

Sommer also outlived her violinist husband [died age 40] and her son Raphael [died age 64]
*The Lady in Number 6, an account of her life, is briefly available on Demand on Maori Television NZ as well as on You Tube and on DVD 

Further biographical info

Astrological notes 

There are various aspects of Alice Sommer’s character which are reflected in the planetary positions on the day of her birth, 26 November 1903

Sun & Mercury conjunct in Sagittarius [2-5 degrees] – a placement associated with an optimistic, carefree disposition.

The Sun-Mercury link to Mars-Chiron [17-19 Capricorn] and Venus [16 Libra] show the healing power of music & how that flowed through Sommer to enable healing of others – like medicine for the soul.

Jupiter in Pisces [14] enables an enhanced sense of spirituality, the divine, religious consciousness & this is intensified by her Pluto in Gemini [20] – very insightful capacity to communicate about the spiritual i.e. non-physical, metaphysical, pure energy dimensions of existence. 

The north lunar node in Libra [5] is a major indicator of a life connected to music, the arts in general, beauty, significant partnerships or relationships

With Neptune closely connected [5 Cancer] a nurturing form of compassion infused Sommer’s destiny as a lover of music, beauty and people.

Being incarcerated by the Nazis was not a death sentence for Alice Sommer, it was transformational – both for herself & for everyone she reached - heralded by the transit of Saturn conjunct her natal Pluto [20 Gemini] in July 1943 when she was sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp.

This was a blessing –to be in a situation of confinement, surrounded by dark, controlling forces, threatening to take over the minds of their captives – Alice Sommer called on her unconventional beliefs and philosophy [Uranus in Sagittarius opposite Pluto] to exude a spiritually supportive atmosphere communicated through music.

This capacity endured beyond the period of confinement and existed till here final days, as she played piano, entrancing neighbours & passersby, daily.

Sublime.