Alex's Asteroid Astrology

On 18 January 2022, music fans across the globe were saddened to hear of the death of singer/songwriter David Crosby, a leading light of the American music scene in the 1960s and ‘70s.  As a founding member of popular groups, the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, David Crosby’s music became the soundtrack of many peoples’ lives during the turbulent period, with such mega-hits as “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!”  Crosby passed at the age of 81 after a long illness, with cause of death undisclosed as of this writing.

Born 14 August 1941 at 9:02 PM PST in Hollywood, California (Rodden Rating A), PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids) representing his first and last name fit the typical profile of appearing in aspect to the Sun, Moon, or Ascendant.  Asteroid Davida (a feminine form closest to David) at 24 Virgo is trine the Moon at 23 Taurus, forming a Grand Trine with asteroid Crosby (named for another singer, Bing Crosby) at 21 Capricorn, also trine the Moon.  Crosby is also exactly inconjunct the 21 Leo Sun, while Davida lies between Venus at 23 Virgo and Neptune at 26 Virgo, two planetary energies associated with music and entertainment, making this field a natural fit for David Crosby.

Neptune also rules drugs, with which Crosby had a lifelong personal struggle.  Arrested several times on drug charges, Crosby spent nine months in a Texas jail in 1985 for possession of cocaine and heroin.  With natal asteroid d’Arrest, a symbol of indictment, charges filed and detention, at 25 Virgo, conjoined both Neptune and Davida, that outcome is perhaps to be expected.  The initial arrest in that Texas case came on 13 April 1982 in Dallas, with a sky reflecting the event, in the form of asteroid Crosby at 19 Pisces, squared Panacea (drugs) at 21 Gemini, with asteroid d’Arrest at 4 Taurus exactly semisquare Crosby and conjoined by asteroid Dallas at 0 Taurus.

But it wasn’t all hard drugs for Crosby, who as a 50-plus-year cannabis use advocate credited marijuana with contributing to his creative process of songwriting, avowing, “All those hit songs, every one of them, I wrote them all on cannabis.”  Crosby also credited cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) with alleviating his chronic shoulder pain, allowing him to continue touring and making new music well into his seventies.  Late in life, after California and much of the nation had caught up to his relaxed attitude about marijuana use, Crosby developed a craft cannabis brand called “MIGHTY CROZ” and in 2018 was invited to join the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) advisory board.

In addition to Neptune tied with a personal asteroid, we see asteroid Panacea, named for the Greek goddess of medicines and drugs of all types, legal and otherwise, at 11 Libra on the 15 Libra Descendant, giving it angular power and force in his life.  Also linked to Davida is asteroid Grass, a common marijuana euphemism, in square from 29 Gemini. 

The specific connection between his marijuana use and his songs can be seen in asteroid Grass’s conjunction with asteroid Singer at 2 Cancer, exactly squared asteroid Herba, for “herb”, another marijuana nickname, at 2 Libra.  Singer also conjoins the 9 Cancer IC, likewise giving the performance of vocal music angular importance, and making it a foundational (IC) energy for Crosby.  The connection to Crosby’s folk rock style is pictured by Singer’s trine to asteroid Rocknroll at 0 Scorpio.

Even the specific band names he chose are reflected in the birth chart.  This founding member of the Byrds, which formed in 1964, had asteroid Byrd at 20 Leo closely conjunct the 21 Leo Sun, making the name self-defining for him, a reflection of his core essence.  Mercury is also here at 17 Leo, depicting Crosby as a natural writer, in this case, of lyrics.

His initial partners in Crosby, Stills & Nash, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, are seen as asteroids Nash and Still, conjoined at 20 and 21 Scorpio, tightly squared the Sun.  Neil Young joined the group in 1969, a year after its founding, and is represented more peripherally, by asteroid Young at 29 Cancer, which opposes asteroid Crosby at 21 Capricorn. 

When David Crosby died on 18 January 2023, the transit Sun was exactly conjunct transit Pluto, modern lord of death, at 28 Capricorn, with asteroid Davida standing by at 20 Capricorn, just one degree shy of the natal Crosby degree.  Opposed Sun/Pluto was transit asteroid Singer at 1 Leo, itself conjunct Crosby’s natal Pluto and asteroid Rip (a death indicator in the form of the acronym RIP, “Rest In Peace”, a common tombstone inscription), both at 4 Leo.  Singer forms a Grand Trine with transit Jupiter (denoting celebrity or fame) at 3 Aries, asteroids Nemesis at 1 Aries (noted as a point of ruin or downfall) and Requiem at 0 Sagittarius (named for the funeral mass for the dead), with the Sun/Pluto opposition forming the String of a Kite pattern.  Requiem also squares its natal degree of 1 Pisces, and opposes natal asteroid Lachesis at 3 Gemini.

The Sun and Pluto were also exactly sextile asteroid Crosby at 28 Pisces, which conjoined transit Neptune at 23 Pisces, associated with music and musicians, and opposed natal asteroid Davida with Neptune at 24 and 26 Virgo.

Transit asteroid Atropos at 19 Aquarius, named for the mythic Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death, and transit Saturn at 24 Aquarius, ancient lord of death, both opposed the natal Sun at 21 Leo in a T-Square with the natal Moon at 23 Taurus and natal Saturn at 27 Taurus.  Also broadly opposed the Sun was transit asteroid Lachesis at 29 Aquarius, named for Atropos’ sister Fate, who determines the span of life.  A Grand Cross is formed with transit asteroid Anubis at 24 Scorpio, named for the Egyptian deity governing funerary rites, opposed the natal Moon/Saturn and squared the natal Sun.

Transit asteroid Osiris at 6 Libra, named for the Egyptian god of the dead, formed a T-Square, opposed natal asteroid Atropos at 2 Aries, with natal asteroid Singer at 2 Cancer on the fulcrum.  Transit Requiem at 15 Libra was an exact match for Crosby’s natal Descendant, and exactly opposed natal asteroid Osiris at 15 Aries, on the Ascendant, as death (Requiem, Osiris) forever altered his public image (Ascendant) and relationships (Descendant).

David Crosby was twice inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, for his work with the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash.  His music will continue to entertain for generations to come.