Alex's Asteroid Astrology

On 30 May 2025, American actress Loretta Swift passed away at her home in New York City, at the age of 87.  Best remembered for her performance as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in the smash 1970s TV hit series M*A*S*H, Swit effortlessly grew that character from one-dimensional, strait-laced, traditionalist army nurse having an extramarital affair with an inept doctor, to a married, then divorced, fully emancipated modern woman.  The metamorphosis was stunning to behold, and Swit’s character became an icon of feminism for the time.  Swit won two Emmy Awards for her portrayal, appearing in all but 11 of the series’ 256 episodes, only one of two actors to appear through the run of the show, from pilot to finale (the other being Alan Alda, Captain Hawkeye Pierce).

Born 7:50 AM EST on 4 November 1937 in Passaic, NJ (Rodden Rating AA), Loretta Swit’s lifepath was laid out clearly, with asteroids Actor 12238 and Loretta 1939 both embedded at station, indicating prime importance in her bio, and directly linking her with the profession she chose to pursue.  Asteroid Loretta at 11 Cancer turned retrograde the very day of her birth, trined asteroid Actor at 19 Pisces, which turned direct ten days later, but is already inhabiting its station degree.  Together, these form a Grand Trine with the Sun conjunct Mercury at 11 and 15 Scorpio.  As well, Loretta’s trine to the Sun comports with typical PNA (Personal-Named Asteroids) placements, which commonly interact with the Sun, Moon, Ascendant, or Mercury (as ruling the naming function).

A presentiment of her Emmy-winning role is seen in a cluster of asteroids Margret 1410 (alternate spelling of Margaret) and Emma 283 (closest to Emmy) at 13 and 15 Libra, with Venus, ruling entertainers and popularity, at 19 Libra, semisquare asteroid Victoria 12 at 29 Leo (named for the Roman goddess of victory) and trine asteroid Houlahan (alternate spelling of Houlihan) at 12 Libra.  This grouping brings together variations of both names for the character that brought her Emmy Awards as “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series,” in 1980 and 1982.  The importance of the role to her career is underscored by asteroid Margarita 310 (another Margaret variant) at 2 Capricorn, squared Saturn, ruling career, at 29 Pisces.

Loretta Swit has another Houlahan connection, in the form of her only spouse, fellow actor Dennis Holahan, married from 1983-1995.  The two met on the M*A*S*H set, where he played a Swedish diplomat with whom she had a brief affair.  Asteroid Houlahan is trine asteroid Hera 103 at 17 Libra, named for the Greek goddess of marriage, and also inconjunct asteroid Juno 3 at 8 Scorpio, named for her Roman counterpart.  Houlahan further trines Venus, ruling romance and partners.

Swit spent the bulk of her career, 11 years, on M*A*S*H, with its 24 Virgo Sun from the 17 September 1972 premiere opposing her natal Saturn at 29 Pisces.  Asteroid Margarethe 220495 (yet another Margaret variation) at 26 Virgo conjoins the Sun, establishing her as a central character in the series.  Margarethe also conjoins Pluto at 1 Libra, which in turn conjoins asteroid Loretta at 9 Libra, and is squared by asteroid Houlahan at 6 Cancer, illustrating the total transformation (Pluto) for both character (Margarethe, Houlahan) and actress (Loretta) during the show’s run.  The Sun is focal of a T-Square with Saturn at 20 Gemini and Jupiter at 29 Sagittarius, assuring the show’s longevity (Saturn) and fame (Jupiter).

Swit began her career on the stage, a decade prior to M*A*S*H, and returned to this first love after it ended, but never again attained the heights of success she enjoyed with the Korean War-set comedy-drama.  Appearances on TV were sporadic, guest roles and small parts, and her further work included a smattering of minor roles on film.  A lifelong animal rights activist, she became a vegan in 1981, and published a book of watercolors in 2017, and one on needlepoint in 1986.

When Loretta Swit passed on 30 May 2025, asteroid Loretta at 17 Taurus conjoined asteroid Anubis 1912 at 10 Taurus, named for the ancient Egyptian deity governing funerary rites, and squared asteroid Atropos 273 at 24 Leo, named for the mythic Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death.  But it’s her M*A*S*H role that gets top billing for the day, with the 9 Gemini Sun in an exact triple conjunction with Mercury (news) and asteroid Margret, in a T-Square with asteroid Graves 18824 and Margarita at 0 and 7 Pisces, and asteroids Actor, Margarethe and Grieve 4451 at 4, 14 and 17 Virgo.  As well, asteroid Houlahan at 22 Cancer conjoins asteroids Lachesis 120 (the Fate who determines the span of life) and Requiem 2254 (funeral mass for the dead) at 19 and 20 Cancer, opposing asteroids Rip 7711 (for the acronym RIP, “Rest In Peace,” a common tombstone inscription) and Mashu 4126 (closest to M*A*S*H) at 22 and 26 Capricorn, T-Squared Venus (entertainers) with asteroid Osiris 1923 (Egyptian god of the dead) at 23 and 29 Aries.  Mashu is also at station, granting further prominence (turning retrograde May 16^th) for the esteemed M*A*S*H alum.

Connections from the transit sky to Swit’s birth chart include transit asteroid Lachesis at 19 Cancer conjunct natal asteroid Loretta at 11 Cancer; transit asteroid Margarethe exactly conjunct natal asteroid Anubis at 14 Virgo; transit asteroid Grieve at 17 Virgo conjunct natal asteroid Lachesis at 20 Virgo; transit asteroid Anubis at 10 Taurus opposed natal Sun at 11 Scorpio, as well as natal asteroids Libitina 2546 (Roman goddess of burials) and Grieve at 11 and 13 Scorpio; transit Saturn (ancient lord of death) conjunct natal Saturn at 0 Aries and natal asteroid Grieve, both at 29 Pisces; transit asteroid Requiem at 20 Cancer exactly squared natal asteroid Margarethe at 20 Libra; transit asteroid Libitina at 4 Leo conjunct natal Pluto (modern lord of death) at 0 Leo; transit asteroid Atropos at 24 Leo squared the exact natal Moon/Ascendant pairing at 26 Scorpio; and transit asteroid Graves at 0 Pisces conjunct natal asteroid Osiris at 7 Pisces.

In the 40-plus years since its finale, M*A*S*H has never been off the air, still a staple of cable syndication today, guaranteeing Loretta Swit a type of immortality.