Rock music is inherently the warrior’s dominion so it may seem natural that the talent pool has been overwhelmingly dominated by men. Amidst the hip shaking of Elvis Presley, the phenomenal celebrity status of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, innovators like Moby and living legends like Bono and Eric Clapton, there have been few women who have achieved rock star status and become icons of their time. When asked their influences, few modern bands name Janis Joplin, Chrissie Hynde, or Joan Jett as compared to Nirvana, Led Zeppelin or ACDC.

However, is it possible a turn in the astrological tide could breed a new and more influential generation of female rock stars? If you think the answer is yes, that time may have arrived! Music is destined for dramatic change with the advent of Uranus in Pisces which began in earnest on December 30th, 2003. Uranus starts revolutions, rebels against the norm, hits like lightning, and has lasting impact. Pisces is feminine and artistic, ruling music and healing along with other soulful and spiritual experiences. A trip back into music history finds Uranus in Pisces last during the Roaring 20s when jazz took hold of the listening audience and became wildly popular! Simultaneously, American women worked to secure the right to vote!

Uranus, planet of change, in Pisces, a vulnerable sign now opens the soul of the collective conscious and readies us for the sweet alternative of a female voice and message. All indicators show that the music industry is in for a major overhaul. Sales of compact discs have lagged in recent years, and while some blame file sharing services and technology, many say music has become stagnant. With Uranus in dreamy Pisces the time is ripe for a tidal wave of women to pluck the heartstrings of audiences with a guitar pick or the steady bass of the drum.

From 2003 to March of 2011, here are some of the women to watch:

Melissa Auf Der Maur
The former bass player for Hole and Smashing Pumpkins, Melissa Auf Der Maur has found her voice and confidently moved into the forefront! Her debut solo album, Auf Der Maur, was released in the spring of 2004 shortly after her birthday. Melissa is a Pisces born March 17th, 1972, so with Uranus now touring her Sun sign she has the chance to reinvent herself and be recognized for her original work. Formerly a supporting player in one female and one male dominated rock band, Melissa effectively collaborates with male and female partners and includes musicians from both genders in her new band.

Melissa’s lyrics are sensual and sexual, metaphorical, and very Piscean in nature. “I followed the waves to you…” is the refrain of her first single. Another title, “I’ll be anything you want” mimics the Pisces tendency to give and adapt for another. Flowing water images permeate the album and the cloudy, romantic influence of Pisces’ ruler Neptune is evident with tracks like “My Foggy Notion” and “Skin Receiver”. The album opens with “Lightning is My Girl”, a direct connection to the shocking, electrical effect of the planet Uranus! If this is Pisces’ time in music, the Melissa Auf Der Maur personifies the period.

(A closer look at Melissa’s chart shows the Sun at approximately 27 degrees of Pisces and Mercury and the Moon in Aries, the sign Uranus will impact from 2011 forward. Along with her Pisces traits, Melissa shows her Aries proudly. She is a redhead, a charming person and an engaging storyteller. With this strong Aries influence in her chart, Melissa’s career should continue to blossom and unfold as Uranus shifts to Aries from 2011 into 2018! Melissa is now also involved in artist development for a major record label, exerting her influence in another aspect of the music industry.)

Amy Lee of Evanescence
Amy is a Sagittarius born on December 13, 1981 on the West Coast. The voice of a new generation, she is one of the youngest women making a name for her self in the world of rock. Her vocals are both ethereal and strong, and the piano is her instrument of choice. Her lyrics are inspired by horror movies and nightmares which she claims to have suffered all through childhood. She is fascinated by vampires, shops in vintage outlets and designs clothing including the costumes used in one of the band’s videos. The music Amy writes reflects Neptune’s themes of deception, redemption and dreams. Her band’s spiritual roots are reflected in lyrics like “My god, my tourniquet, return me to my salvation” and “will I be denied Christ?”, though any religious affiliation the band once had was tempered as they were removed from Christian bookstore shelves in the spring of 2003 when “Fallen” was released. Nevertheless, the religious overtones are in sync with the influence of Uranus in Pisces. So is the band’s name which means to dissipate into a vapor or disappear, in a Neptunian, dreamlike way.

While Uranus occupies Pisces, Neptune’s natural home, Amy Lee’s fascination with altered states, dreams and things that go bump in the night will appeal to an audience more tuned in to the invisible world. More than half of the songs on “Fallen” relate to sleep or dream states, and arguably, death. Amy’s generation, with Neptune in Sagittarius (1970-1984), is not afraid to explore these realms, and Amy with her Sun, Mercury and Neptune lined up within a few degrees in Sagittarius, is the voice to express these ideas without inhibition. She is a bold risk taker with a deep need to express through her music. Evanescence may mean to disappear, but Amy Lee’s influence is only beginning to take form in this decade of musical change.

Meg White

Meg White, drummer for the White Stripes, has the potential to influence without stepping front and center. The beat of her drums resurrects musical ghosts of an earlier era while pounding out a clear trail to the future. Meg, born December 10, 1975, belongs to a generation capable of bringing transformative change and innovation thanks to Uranus in Scorpio from 1975-1981. A Sagittarius with a Pisces Moon, Meg shows her adaptable nature through her music, combining retro influence with a modern rock style. For Meg White, the emotion of the music is what’s most important though. It’s not fame or acclaim, or even breaking new ground that she aspires to. Meg claims that knowing what a band needs and carrying that out to the tiniest detail is what she admires in a drummer. She has mentioned Ringo Starr as exemplifying that quality with the Beatles. Unlike her band mate Jack, Meg has no desire to analyze their sound or figure out why something works. Letting the feeling of the music carry her, she acts with the open minded nature of a Sagittarius and the floating, dreamy quality of a Pisces moon child. Critics have called Meg’s drumming style simple, childlike, and primal. This is the beauty of her work and the influence she will exert; bringing things back to basics, making spontaneous music, being free of agenda and attitude. She is a rock and roll drummer with the traits of a Uranus in Pisces era, when music’s potential for tapping into the unconscious, the emotional, and even the inner child is at a prime.

Meg White spends most of her time behind the kit, is rarely the spokesperson in interviews, and remains somewhat of a mystery compared to her more outspoken musical partner and ex husband, Jack White. In fact, Meg is a self proclaimed hermit at times and claims to have little in common with the everyday world. So don’t expect Meg to become an outspoken leader or move center stage any time soon. Her drums speak for her, and like a heartbeat, they will resonate, infiltrating the subconscious of her audience, and I predict, inspiring female musicians at a very receptive moment in time.

Tori Amos
Considering that Uranus in Pisces indicates a time when music and healing become increasingly intertwined, Tori Amos is a voice that cannot be ignored. She has already influenced a generation with her unapologetic honesty and feminism. A survivor of abuse and exploitation in both her personal and professional experiences, Tori Amos began speaking out for women with the release of Little Earthquakes in 1991. Her songs are like catharsis; very personal, intensely emotional, perfect for an era when the planet of shock and awakening tours the sign of compassion and spirituality. A Leo with a Libra Moon, standing only 5’2” tall, Tori Amos is like a beautiful fairy tickling the ivories of the gentle giant, her grand piano. Far from delicate though, her message is bold and clear! References to religion and hypocrisy scream through lyrics like “So you can make me cum that doesn’t make you Jesus” in the song “Precious Things” and “Witches burning, gets a little toasty here” in “God”. Daughter of a minister with the brazen of a Leo lioness, Tori isn’t shy about questioning her upbringing, society’s attitudes and actions toward women, and the meaning in personal crises. After a devastating miscarriage, Amos wrote the album from the choirgirl hotel including “Spark” where she expresses “…she’s convinced she could hold back a glacier, but she couldn’t keep baby alive”. On that same record, Tori relates to another Leo woman with a painful life in “Jackie’s Strength,” a song about Jacqueline Onassis that references anorexia, black magic, and getting lost on her wedding day. Strength and healing are intrinsic to Tori Amos’ music.

Beyond the music, Tori Amos’ influence will continue to be felt through RAINN, the Rape and Incest Survivors network she founded more than a decade ago. The nation’s largest anti sexual assault organization, RAINN runs a hotline, carries out educational programs and fundraisers and provides support for sexual abuse victims while taking steps to bring assailants to justice. With Chiron in Pisces in her personal chart, Tori Amos takes the role of healer and continues her own process by reaching out with compassion. As a Leo she does this on a grand scale, producing music compilations, organizing large scale events on college campuses and other venues, and dedicating herself to work that can have lasting impact. Uranus in Pisces awakens the spirit, the feminine, and promises to expose what is hidden and harmful. In that light, Tori Amos appears a prophetess since the early 1990s. Her music and mission have tremendous potential to strike harder than ever in the battle against cultural demons; spreading a message of healing, justice, and the strength of survival.