July 11, 2006 | Syd Barrett CHART >> http://planetwaves.net/chart.php?c=barrett VIDEO >> http://snipurl.com/t32i WE are saddened to note the passing of Roger "Syd" Barrett, the co-founder of Pink Floyd, and one of the early pioneers of psychedelic music who influenced several generations of rock musicians. It was Barrett, mythologized in numerous later Pink Floyd songs, who named the band, and whose early songwriting and haunting voice stoked its artistic originality and led to its initial success. He died of diabetes-related illness July 7 in Cambridge, England, Wikipedia has reported. His death was also reported today by the Associated Press, but no official announcement has been made by Pink Floyd, AP said. Barrett was a founder and early member of Pink Floyd, which began in 1965. Around 1968, then one of the most famous guitarists in England, he experienced a mental breakdown, widely felt to have been exacerbated by his use of LSD. He was the "missing member" of the band, in the immortal folklore of its albums, but recorded several albums before leaving. His voice, songs and psychic ambience are a familiar presence from countless acid trips by millions of the band's fans over the years. His voice alone can evoke the feeling and memory of the drug. "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play" are two songs in this genre. Barrett was replaced by lead guitarist by David Gilmour, whose guitar sound would become among the most familiar in all of rock. Bassist Roger Waters, to some surprise, stepped up to the challenge and took over as the band's main songwriter creative influence, coming up with numerous concept albums such as Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Barrett was a Capricorn, born Jan. 7, 1946. What is most striking about his chart are the distinct concentrations of energies: Mars and Saturn in Cancer; a packed stellium in Libra; and another in Capricorn. From this image we get a look at the defined facets of his artistic personality (Libra, painter, Capricorn, lyricist, and Leo, guitarist). This is also an image of a fractured and divided mind. In the years subsequent to his going into reclusion, Uranus and Pluto moved through Libra, pressuring many angles of his chart with outer-planet influences. He was, in a real sense, a victim or casualty of the Sixties. He has the Aquarius Moon, something he shares with rockers John Lennon (also a painter) and Neil Young. This is a restless, creative, mentally driven Moon. It never thinks for itself alone. Many identified with what Barrett went through, and fans never stopped being aware of his ideas and influence. As for another planet addressing mind and creativity, retrograde Mercury is exactly aligned with the Galactic Core in Sagittarius, which is some extraordinarily deep inner connection to a cosmic source. His South Node is in the last degree of that sign -- a strong influence of galactic energy as well as a striking alignment to the "2012 zone" of the night sky. The Nodes will be exactly squared by an eclipse later in the year, an example of how an eclipse that hasn't happened yet can have effects on the present. Barrett's life was the theme of some later Pink Floyd songs, particularly on the 1975 album Wish You Were Here, which documents some of the band's early history. Barrett mysteriously appeared at the recording session of the song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," which was about him, though band members did not recognize him when they saw his face. Wiki writes, on the subject: Barrett's decline had a profound effect on Roger Waters' song-writing, and the theme of mental illness would permeate Pink Floyd's later albums, particularly 1973's Dark Side of the Moon and 1979's The Wall. One track from Dark Side of the Moon, entitled Brain Damage, contained a specific reference to Barrett's mental illness. A later line in the song references "the band you're in starts playing different tunes", which is a situation Barrett often got into when suffering from the symptoms of his mental illness. Wish You Were Here (1975) was a conscious tribute to Barrett. There can be little doubt that Barrett's personal struggle helped call attention to the plight of the mentally ill. It came at a time when information about the treatment of people with compromised minds held considerable sway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syd_Barrett http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd Photos: http://www.pink-floyd.org/barrett/floyd.html