Paul McCartney famously turns 64 today, encouraging reminiscences of the early Beatles and their song from nearly 40 years ago that wondered, “Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m 64.” After nearly a lifetime with his first wife Linda, Sir Paul recently separated from his second wife and is about to go through a very public divorce and probably nasty property settlement.

It would not be too much to say that McCartney is one of the major cultural icons of a generation. Although John Lennon, as the revolutionary face of the Beatles, received more media attention for his more outrageous exploits, Paul McCartney was the stabilizing force, the family man who loved nothing more than staying at home with his (first) wife and children, eating home cooked organic food and washing the dishes afterwards.

Paul McCartney’s mother died when he was 14, which we see in his birthchart in the Moon in Leo (craving attention and self-expression) wedged between Chiron (creating pain to accelerate the healing process) and Pluto (death and transformation). The loss of Linda McCartney must have opened up those old wounds in a devastating way, and a short time later he married the controversial Heather Mills (more on her in a later column).

Paul’s Sun (view chart) is in Gemini at 26 degrees, exactly opposite the Galactic Center which is at 26 degrees Sagittarius. His Sun also squares Neptune at 27 degrees, indicating his strong sense of spirituality and creativity. Because the square aspect can bring out the more negative qualities of both planets, the Sun square Neptune can evoke an individual who is extremely creative but may be prone to fantasy and escapism. Neptune blurs the Sun’s ability to forge a strong individual identity, but this blurring of boundaries is the very thing that opens the door to creative channeling of the artistic impulse.

Astrologers are still exploring the meaning of the Galactic Center, but some have theorized that individuals who have personal planets that aspect this point exactly have a significant role to play in the evolution of human culture and society. Earlier in this column we explored the fact that Brad Pitt and Katie Holmes, also in the news undergoing significant changes, have Suns that aspect the G.C. The fact that Sir Paul’s Sun is exactly square to the G.C. may help to explain his phenomenal effect on the evolution of music and culture in the 1960s that changed the direction of human life forever.

Beginning in February of this year transiting Pluto began affecting Sir Paul’s chart intensely, setting off the dynamic with Neptune. (Geeky astrological details: Transiting Pluto first hit the opposition to Paul’s Sun in February ’06, making a retrograde station in May, coinciding with the announcement of his separation from Heather Mills. Pluto will hit his Sun again in December and reach the point of his Neptune in January of ’07, with a direct station on the Sun/Neptune point between July and November of ’07.) When Pluto in the sky moves over a planet in our birthchart, we experience a transformation of some kind. The challenging aspects (the 90 degree and 180 degree angles), which is what Sir Paul is undergiong right now, bring about intense periods of letting go of things or people. Often in Pluto transits we feel that the very ground underneath us is shifting and we cannot find our footing. However, the end result is usually a feeling of exhilaration as we find ourselves having shed an old skin that we didn’t really need.

Last year, transiting Saturn (challenge and hard work and Chiron (wounding and healing) began a pass over Paul’s Leo planets (Mars, Pluto, Moon and Chiron all within 10 degrees), no doubt creating enormous stress in his marriage as it opened up the old wounds from the deaths of both his mother and his first wife (the Moon represents relationships with women as well as emotional stability). This dynamic is difficult, but also the potential of enormous rewards. Sir Paul is a hard worker, and this could be a period where his creativity is unleashed by these difficult planetary events and Saturn offers the opportunity to work hard and gain success. He has been closely involved in the planning of a huge Cirque du Soleil event called “Love” that features songs and soundbites from the Beatles huge catalog. In the process,

Over the next few years he will be going through a period of intense change and transformation, and it will be interesting to see what effects his life continues to have on the rest of the world.