Alex's Asteroid Astrology

On May 24^th, 2019, UK PM Theresa May made a tearful departure from the political scene, as she announced her resignation in the wake of the collapse of the disastrous Brexit negotiations to withdraw Britain from the EU. The move was not unexpected, as May had intimated as much, should the third vote on a dissolution proposal fail in Parliament, which it did in late March. At that time the European Union gave Britain a further seven months to craft a deal suitable to all parties, but having failed at each successive attempt over the prior three years, May felt new leadership was required to resolve the impasse.

Brexit is a study in why we don’t allow popular voting on vital policy issues; most voters were completely uninformed about the issues or the ramifications of their decision, and the vote to leave the EU passed by the skin of its teeth, based, not on rational appraisal, but gut reactions, cultural prejudices, anti-immigrant sentiment and general discontent. Now that push has come to shove, all parties balk at the consequences, and finding a workable compromise has been well-nigh impossible. May is the second Conservative Prime Minister to go down over the issue, with a third now waiting in the wings for his or her turn.

 

Theresa May took the UK helm in 2016, in the wake of David Cameron’s resignation following his disastrous decision to put through the Brexit referendum; her resignation will not become official until June 7, allowing her to preside over Donald Trump’s first official state visit to London on June 3-5. Lucky her. After that, the prospect of leaving office may not seem so dire.

 

Born 1 October 1956 (no time available) Theresa May’s 8 Libra Sun conjoins Mercury retrograde at 28 Virgo and asteroid Nemesis at 13 Libra. Sun/Mercury denotes a thinker, a planner and strategist, someone focused on details and minutia, but who may not always have a grasp on the Big Picture. Since Mercury is retrograde, it’s very likely that May has difficulty communicating her intent, and may not be able to see the forest for the trees. But she’s an ideal person for going back over a matter, seeing it upwards, downwards and sideways.

However, having performed her analysis, her Libra Sun may balk at making a decision about which action to take. She prefers conciliation and compromise whenever possible and hates unpleasantness or a “scene.” She sees both (or all) sides, and coming down on one side over another can be emotionally disturbing.

 

Nemesis here is interesting. On the one hand, it confers an ability to block others’ progress, to enact punishment for wrongdoing or offer reward for good behaviors, on an almost cosmic/divine level. But on the other hand, she’s subject to others performing that vengeance and retribution-based role against her, often rooted in her own conduct or decisions. When the Conservative Party was in disarray following the Brexit vote, she stepped in to fill the void created by PM Cameron’s resignation, but internal opposition (she couldn’t even get majorities of her own Party for her proposed Brexit solutions) prevented her ultimate success in the role. Her best efforts seem eternally dogged by Nemesis’ continuing interference and tendency to undermine or promote self-undoing.

 

The Sun is also squared by asteroids Teresa at 0 Capricorn (one of two PNA referents for Theresa) and Icarus at 2 Cap. Having one’s own PNA (Personal-Named Asteroid) in aspect to the Sun, Moon or Ascendant is very common and May conforms to this pattern. A PNA acts as a “mini-Sun”, so that anything connected to it can affect character, self-identity, and destiny just as a solar contact would. Icarus squared the Sun is reinforced by the conjunction with Teresa, and this implies that May can be a risk-taker, sometimes rash, not always concerned with the consequences of her statements or actions, and has difficulty accepting or following good advice. There certainly seems to be some of this playing out in the Brexit deal debacle.

 

The other Theresa asteroid variation is Theresia, which at 26 Taurus is trine to Mercury, representing the naming function (and the second most-common placement for one’s own PNA). But it’s also stationary, turning retrograde on the very day of her birth. A PNA at station can indicate an entrenched, immovable energy within the individual, one who is unstintingly oneself, but maybe a little too much so. Difficult to persuade or “move”, once an idea or a plan is adopted, these individuals may become “stuck” or mired in the agenda, unable to adapt or revise the strategy, even after resistance is met or defeat is apparent. Again, echoes of Brexit.

 

Theresia’s square to Pluto at 29 Leo, in a T-Square with Saturn at 29 Scorpio, suggests a hard-as-nails core of steel within May; tough and gritty, she can be a dirty political street fighter, for all her Libra politesse. Saturn again suggests a leadership role in government, as well as her Conservative bent, and conveys excellent organizational skills, a natural authority and gravitas, as well as a stoic, phlegmatic approach. Asteroid May at 20 Scorpio opposes Theresia and is conjoined Saturn, an apt placement for her married surname, as she takes the name of her husband. It also indicates how she is known professionally.

Venus at 24 Leo stands close beside Pluto, offering a pleasant face and diplomatic manner, but this is just a gloss, no more natural for her than a cosmetics application is one’s true complexion. But Neptune at 29 Libra inconjunct Theresia suggests that there is some vacillation, some self-doubt, some internal weakness or indecision which prevents her Plutonian strength from fully asserting itself, or her Saturn from fully claiming its authority.   With Mars retrograde in Pisces, May finds it difficult to act directly, preferring a sideways approach, veiling her anger in passive-aggressive responses and avoiding conflict when possible.

 

A combination of asteroid Karma and Britten (phonetic match for Britain) at 15 and 18 Sagittarius is squared to Mars at 13 Pisces. This suggests a fated role (Karma) for May as a leader (Mars) of her country (Britten), but one enacted during a period of strife or conflict (also Mars). Jupiter at 17 Virgo creates a T-Square pattern, signaling the political aspects of the situation (and with Jupiter opposed Mars the politics are likely to be extreme, overblown, and out of control), as well as indicating overreach or a basic dispute (Mars) over the political philosophy (Jupiter) directing the nation (Britten), evoking long-term repercussions (Karma).

 

Perhaps the most interesting element of the chart, given Brexit, is a grouping of stationary points in early Aquarius, all trine the Sun, indicating a core or central importance in her biography. These comprise Damocles, asteroid Lachesis, centaur Chiron and TNO Albion, at 3, 4, 6 and 7 Aquarius respectively. These all came to station within weeks of May’s birth, and all remain at their station degrees in her nativity, granting them enhanced power and significance. Damocles refers to a doom hanging overhead, which threatens to destroy the native; Lachesis governs life spans (whether of a person or another entity) and indicates an ending or termination; Chiron suggests an incurable wound, as well as maverick behaviors; and Albion is an ancient name for Britain.

 

Albion’s stationary status, like Britten tied to Mars, prefigures a vital role for May with her country, while its attendant celestials refine the nature of that role. Clearly we are at some crisis end point when May’s connection to Britain’s destiny occurs – there has been an unexpected, atypical or out-of-the-box action taken, resulting in a vexing, debilitating situation impossible to fix (both Chiron, in the form of the Brexit referendum and its aftermath) which leads to a termination (Lachesis) that threatens major disruption or destruction (Damocles) for Britain (Albion).

May came to power in the wake of Cameron’s resignation, when the Queen “invited” her to form a government on July 13, 2016. Asteroid May at 0 Leo joins a cluster of points within orb of the Sun at 21 Cancer, including Mercury at 28 Cancer and Venus at 1 Leo. This identifies May as a focus of the day (Sun), in a role where she speaks for the nation (Mercury), and as a woman (Venus). Nemesis at 26 Libra is now squared the Sun, where it was conjunct at her birth, and so its influence remains strong in this phase of her career, during her time at No. 10 Downing Street, an ever-present threat just waiting in the wings to bring her down.

 

Asteroid Teresa at 11 Sagittarius closely conjoins Saturn at 10 Sag, marking an important period for career as well as the assumption of additional authority and responsibility. These encroach on natal Karma/Britten, enacting that fated role for her with the UK. Mars at 24 Scorpio conjoins both natal May and Saturn, providing that energetic spur to her career, while Jupiter at 18 Virgo has just returned to its natal degree, signaling a refreshing or reset in matters of politics, growth and expansion. Neptune at 11 Pisces exactly squares May and opposes Jupiter, suggesting a confused, disoriented, debilitating political picture, and some degree of ambivalence, indecision or lack of direction for May herself, forced to enact a policy of separation which the majority of her Party did not support. Asteroid Britten at 17 Gemini, opposing Saturn/Teresa, defines the field of action.

 

Asteroid Theresia at 17 Aquarius conjoins Damocles at 24, a warning that doom for May is close at hand; Damocles’ exact square to Mars shows the strife and struggle over the divisive Brexit issue as the leading component for that looming disaster. An exact sextile from Damocles to Uranus at 24 Aries (exactly inconjunct Mars) shows the volatility of the impending separation (both Uranus).

 

When Theresa May announced her resignation on May 24^th, a Sun/Mercury conjunction at 3 and 6 Gemini was squared by asteroid May at 7 Pisces, once again showing the embattled PM (May) as the focus of the period (Sun), with an important decision to announce (both Mercury). Asteroid Osiris at 3 Virgo, named for the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, creates a T-Square and lends a flavor of finality or termination to the day and for May personally.

Asteroid Teresa at 24 Cancer opposes the Saturn/Pluto conjunction at 20 and 22 Capricorn, signaling a devastating loss (Pluto) for a chief executive (Saturn) named Theresa (Teresa), involving a reduction of power (Pluto) and a major change in her career (Saturn). A T-Square from asteroid Requiem at 20 Libra, named for the funeral mass for the dead, again underscores the ending or termination theme. Asteroid London at 17 Aries transforms this into a Grand Cross and establishes the venue for the announcement.

 

Amazingly, asteroid Theresia at 6 Libra is once again at its station, as in May’s birth chart, about to turn direct just two days later, reiterating its importance in her life and marking this period as a (literal) major turning point. Theresia is the fulcrum of a T-Square incorporating asteroid Britten at 11 Capricorn and a Mars/Nemesis combination at 5 and 9 Cancer, revealing the ruin or downfall (Nemesis) of a Brit (Britten) named Theresa (Theresia), due to strife or turmoil (Mars). Theresia conjoins May’s natal Sun at 8 Libra, tying this energy to her very personally, with natal Nemesis also in the mix from 13 Libra, activating that potential for self-undoing, or having one’s ambition or goal blocked by forces beyond one’s control.

 

A grouping of Uranus, TNO Albion and Venus at 4, 8 and 11 Taurus depicts controversy (Uranus) surrounding a British (Albion) woman (Venus); these oppose May’s natal asteroid Achilles at 12 Scorpio, a point which exposes inherent weakness and vulnerability. A Grand Cross is formed with natal Uranus (indicating the suddenness of the announcement and the controversy or volatility of the Brexit issue) at 6 Leo and that natal stationary cluster of Damocles, Lachesis, Chiron and Albion in early Aquarius which is at the heart of the issue for May personally. Note also that Albion has just formed its waxing square to itself, a period recognized as representing a crisis of action: her relationship with the nation is undergoing major change.

An exact pairing of Neptune with asteroid Karma shows a paying of karmic debt with a disappointing outcome; from 18 Pisces, this conjoins natal Mars at 13 Pisces, indicating the fight or struggle, and closely opposes May’s natal Jupiter at 17 Virgo, incorporating the political sphere as the field of battle. This is exacerbated by transit Jupiter in square from 21 Sagittarius, further inflating the issue, which is still energizing the natal Karma/Britten conjunction. Thus transit Karma is also squaring its natal position (though, unlike Albion, not for the first time in May’s life), again prompting a crisis of action based in karmic consequences for prior acts or decisions.

 

Transit Achilles and Damocles at 27 and 28 Aquarius are energizing the natal Theresia/Pluto/Saturn T-Square and creating a temporary Grand Cross, focused on the weak spot in May’s armor (Achilles) and the doom that has now descended (Damocles), manifesting the potential that natal pattern holds for a devastating transformation (Pluto ) of May’s (Theresia) career (Saturn).

 

Politics can be a cruel playing field, elevating an individual one day and crushing them the next. The politics of Brexit brought Theresa May to both the apotheosis and the nadir of her career, based in a circumstance which was not of her making, and beyond her power to repair. And it’s all right there, written in the stars.