Alex's Asteroid Astrology

Despite the title, the Grim Reaper has seemingly been working overtime this July, with a spate of celebrity deaths mid-month that have gone largely unnoticed in the midst of the political maelstrom of a presidential election summer.  It’s actually been open season on the rich and famous for months, with Jupiter, planet of fame and celebrity, linking arms with two asteroids that indicate mortality:  Lachesis 120 and Libitina 2546.  Lachesis is named for the mythic Greek Fate who determines the span of life, while Libitina’s namesake is the Roman goddess of funerals and burial. 

This triumvirate has been traveling together since April, moving through Taurus and Gemini, and will be locked in resonance until early August.  They’ve been getting a further boost from asteroid Graves 18824 (with obvious applicability to the theme), in square from Leo and Virgo, as well as asteroid Grimm 6912 at 22 Sagittarius (for the Grim Reaper, opposed Lachesis and Libitina and squared Graves for much of the month) and as their time together is drawing to a close, it seems they’ve shifted into hyperdrive so as not to waste a minute. 

That may in part be attributed to yet another death indicator, asteroid Rip 7711, which functions in that capacity as the acronym RIP, “Rest In Peace,” a common tombstone inscription.  Rip has been slowing to its station of late, emphasizing themes of death and dying, and turned direct July 18^th at 20 Scorpio, inhabiting that degree from July 7^th through the 30^th, adding oomph to the others, albeit not in major aspect.

Case in point, the deaths of actresses Shelley Duvall and Shannen Doherty, sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and fitness guru Richard Simmons, all within three days in mid-July.

Shelley Duvall was the first to clock out, on July 11^th.  Best known for her performances in two films from 1980, “The Shining,” a Stephen King thriller also starring Jack Nicholson; and as Olive Oyl in “Popeye,” opposite Robin Williams, Duvall has appeared in more than two dozen films, and as many TV shows.  At her death, asteroid Shelly 17280 (alternate spelling) at 10 Leo was widely opposed Pluto, modern lord of death, at 1 Aquarius, and widely squared Rip at 20 Scorpio.  Shelly was also conjunct asteroid Actor 12238 at 13 Leo and Mercury at 14 Leo, bringing news (Mercury) of the actress’ (Actor) passing.  Shelly is also exactly sextile Jupiter at 10 Gemini, with Lachesis at 16 and Libitina at 17 Gemini.  Born 7 July 1949, transit Jupiter is an exact match for natal asteroid Graves, while the trio is also clustered atop natal asteroid Requiem 2254 (named for the funeral mass for the dead) at 15 Gemini and Mars at 19 Gemini.  Her natal Sun at 15 Cancer was conjoined by transit asteroid Atropos 273 (named for the Fate who severs the thread of life at death) at 13 Cancer, with the transit Sun exactly conjunct natal Libitina at 19 Cancer.

Next to go was the inimitable Dr. Ruth, the 4’7” pintsized powerhouse who exhorted Americans to own their sexuality and discuss it openly.  When she passed on July 12^th, aged 96, asteroid Ruth 798 at 5 Gemini was conjunct Jupiter at 10 Gemini, also squared by asteroid Anubis 1912 at 29 Aquarius, named for the ancient Egyptian deity governing funerary rites.  Born 4 June 1928, her natal Sun at 13 Gemini was conjoined transit Jupiter, Lachesis and Libitina at her death, with the transit Sun at 20 Cancer conjunct natal Pluto and asteroid Atropos at 15 and 17 Cancer.  Lachesis and Libitina are united at 17 Gemini, also opposing her natal Moon at 19 Sagittarius.

The following day brought news of the deaths of both Shannen Doherty and Richard Simmons.  Doherty, a television actress noted for her work on the seminal ‘90s teen angst drama “Beverly Hills 90210” and the early millennium occult drama “Charmed,” passed on July 13^th, with asteroid Shannon 18838 (alternate spelling) at 11 Taurus, squaring Actor with Mercury, now at 13 and 17 Leo, as with Duvall.  Shannon is involved in a loose Grand Cross with Pluto at 1 Aquarius (which also squares natal asteroid Graves at 0 Taurus, with Doherty born 12 April 1971) and Rip at 20 Scorpio (which opposes natal Saturn, ancient lord of death, at 21 Taurus).  Shannon is also trine asteroid Graves at 19 Virgo (squared by transit Lachesis and Libitina), itself atop natal asteroid Lachesis exactly, which is also exactly opposed by transit Saturn at 19 Pisces.  Transit Jupiter at 10 Gemini conjoins natal asteroid Requiem at 11 Gemini, and the transit Sun at 21 Cancer exactly squares natal asteroid Libitina at 21 Libra, in a T-Square with her natal Sun and asteroid Shannon, at 22 and 27 Aries respectively. 

Richard Simmons’ irrepressible personality lit up the ‘80s, when he had us “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” with his exercise videos.  A fat kid who took off the weight in his twenties and managed to keep it off for over half a century, Simmons estimated that in the course of 35 years of motivating others to battle the bulge, he’d helped humanity lose 12 million pounds.  At his death on July 13^th, asteroid Simmons 22294 at 20 Gemini conjoined the triple conjunction, at 10, 17 and 18 Gemini.  Simmons with Lachesis and Libitina at 17 and 18 Gemini rests on the fulcrum of a T-Square with Saturn (death) at 19 Pisces, exactly opposed Graves at 19 Virgo.  Asteroid Richard 3972 at 19 Cancer conjoins the spotlighting Sun at 21 Cancer as well as asteroid Atropos at 14 Cancer, in a Grand Trine Kite pattern, trine Saturn and Rip at 20 Scorpio, with the String formed by Saturn’s opposition to asteroid Graves.  Born 12 July 1948 (he died a day after his 76^th birthday), Simmon’s natal Libitina at 22 Taurus was conjoined by transit Requiem at 23 Taurus when he died, with the transit Sun at 21 Cancer conjoined his natal Sun at 20 Cancer and bringing out the natal square to asteroid Rip at 17 Libra.  A natal pairing of asteroids Requiem and Osiris 1923 (named for the Egyptian god of the dead) at 28 and 29 Capricorn was conjoined by transit Osiris at 29 Capricorn, as well as transit Pluto at 1 Aquarius, so Simmons was engaged in an “Osiris Return” at the time of his death.

Just four examples of the power of these bitty bits of rock to guide our lives, and deaths.