Alex's Asteroid Astrology

When allegations first surfaced in late February 2021 that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had been behaving inappropriately with female staffers and others, I took a look at the chart.  We’re hampered in not having a time of birth, so can’t determine Angles, the Moon, or which minor bodies might be emphasized by connection to same.  Still, he has the signatures of a serial abuser, but the acts then alleged – which amounted to inappropriate, flirtatious office conversations and an unwanted kiss – didn’t rise nearly to the level of what these cosmic bad boys are capable of.  So I let things ride for awhile, to see if another shoe would drop.  That happened on March 11^th, when an unnamed former staffer accused Cuomo of groping her on the job.  Now we’re getting somewhere!

Born 6 December 1957 (no time available), Cuomo’s reputation for aggressive, bullying behaviors and an acerbic, caustic style is well earned, with the 14 Sagittarius Sun conjoined by Saturn at 16 Sag and asteroid Toro at 18.  Saturn inclines Cuomo to the stern, terse, blunt demeanor, and also led him into the law and government work in executive positions, as New York’s Attorney General in 2006 and Governor since 2010.  Like Donald Trump, who has it trine the Sun and embedded at station, Cuomo sports a strong Toro, noted for bullying and intimidation, toxic masculinity and aggression.  Reports of setting staffers against each other are common, and Cuomo is often seen as demeaning others to elevate himself, employing strong arm tactics to get his way. 

Also in this mix is asteroid Achilles at 16 Sagittarius, exact with Saturn, a complex point with multiple meanings, many of which Cuomo has actualized.  The most common usage is as an inherent weakness or point of vulnerability, something which threatens to undo the native; proverbially, the “Achilles’ heel”.  Exact with Saturn, the underlying statement is that exercising his authority (Saturn) is potentially what brings Cuomo down – he is a not a man who can lead gracefully, but uses bluster and coercion or fear to control others.  In the process, he makes a lot of enemies, who will circle to pick the carcass clean, once Cuomo is fallen.

Achilles also represents leadership, and a sense of invincibility or being able to accomplish what others cannot, as evidenced in the initial accolades Cuomo received for his response to the coronavirus pandemic.  Cuomo was given extraordinary powers to manage the emergency, which led to the attempt to fudge the numbers on nursing home deaths, which now forms a major vulnerability.  His emergency powers have been revoked, and on the heels of the sexual harassment allegations, impeachment proceedings are being mooted in Albany, promoted by fellow Democrats, while the majority of the New York congressional delegation, including both senators, is calling for his resignation.

Lastly, Achilles natives are famous for their stubbornness or intransigence, black moods and sulks, ease of taking offense from others, and the inability to let go of perceived slights.  Cuomo has expressed all these traits over the course of his career.

Additionally, the Sun is part of a Grand Trine Kite pattern, with trine aspects to Uranus at 11 Leo and asteroid Hera at 13 Aries, both of which are also at station, making them formative agents in character.  Uranus adds its store of unorthodox, norm-shattering, offensive or controversial acts and utterances, but also confers sparkling intelligence, with genius insights possible.  Hera is named for the Greek goddess of marriage, and in opposition to the Sun, forming the “String” of the Kite, is asteroid Juno, her Roman counterpart.  This heavily weights relationships in Cuomo’s life, and with Uranus guarantees that these will be seen as shocking, unconventional or somehow controversial or inappropriate. 

Also at station is asteroid Washingtonia at 7 Leo, trine the Sun, indicating the nation’s capital as a lodestar for Cuomo.  Indeed, his political career began there in the Clinton administration, when he was appointed as a HUD Assistant Secretary in 1993, then taking over as Secretary for the second Clinton term, 1997-2001.  Cuomo’s presumed presidential aspirations may be seen in asteroid Whitehouse, which at 27 Aries is approaching its direct station and sesquiquadrate the Sun, the implication being that Cuomo easily sees himself in the Oval Office, though how the fallout of this political crisis will affect that goal remains to be seen.

Himself the son of New York Governor Mario Cuomo, Andrew allied himself with another prominent liberal American political dynasty when he married Kerry Kennedy, daughter of assassinated RFK, in 1990.  The couple has three daughters, separated in 2003 and divorced in 2005, with divorce and separation also having affinities with Uranus.  Cuomo then allied himself in a long-term relationship with Food Network style maven Sandra Lee, with whom he cohabited in the Governor’s Mansion for several years, but never married.  The couple split in 2019.  Another unconventional, shocking (to some) relationship, courtesy of Uranus’ influence on the marriage goddess asteroids.

Asteroid Kennedy at 21 Sagittarius also conjoins the Sun, signaling that family connection to be somehow self-defining for Cuomo, but only widely connects to Hera and Juno, making for a less than firm foundation for a marriage.  Neither does Kennedy interface significantly with Mars at 18 Scorpio or Venus at 0 Aquarius, signaling that for Cuomo, that union was not based in either affection (Venus) or physical attraction (Mars).  A close sextile to Jupiter at 24 Libra suggests it was predominantly a political alliance, one to increase prestige and status.  Kerry Kennedy Cuomo is reported to have suffered years of verbal abuse and demeaning behaviors from her husband, and spent the last several months of their cohabitation sleeping in a locked bathroom to avoid this abuse, which certainly fits with asteroid Kennedy conjunct Toro in his chart.

In sharp contrast, the relationship with Sandra Lee has deeper celestial roots.  Asteroid Lee at 16 Scorpio conjoins Mars and falls at the Apex of a Yod, or Finger of Destiny, with inconjunct aspects to both marriage goddess asteroids, Hera and Juno.  This indicates a strong physical attraction and a fated union, albeit one not consummated in law.  Additionally, asteroid Sandra at 28 Aquarius is exactly squared asteroid Andree, closest match to Andrew, at 28 Scorpio, suggesting a strong personal connection, though not one without its share of strife or argument, also reflected in the Mars prominence.

Cuomo’s nativity betrays several signatures of a sexual abuser.  Greek myth being the tragic thing it is, there are a dizzying number of asteroids named for mythic characters which tie to the theme of sexual assault.  Prominent among these are Nessus and Aristaeus; Nessus was a centaur who offered Heracles’ wife Deianira a piggyback ride across a flooding river, then attempted to rape her on the far shore, only to be shot across the water by one of Heracles’ arrows.  Nessus represents acquaintance rape, incest and family patterns of abuse. 

Aristaeus is named for the man who came across Orpheus’ wife Eurydice unawares in a field; seized with desire, Aristaeus pursued and attempted to rape her, but the fleeing Eurydice trod upon a poisonous serpent, was bitten and expired before Aristaeus could act on his passions.  Aristaeus inclines more to violent, stranger rape, but acts for all types of sexual abuse.

Cuomo has natal Nessus at 22 Taurus, opposing both Mars and namesake asteroid Andree, marking him personally and incorporating Nessus’ forcible approach to relations into his sexuality.  “Men behaving badly” might be a good keyword phrase for Nessus, whose antics can encompass everything from a pinched butt to a gang rape.  Perhaps more significantly in this current crisis, Nessus is also at the Apex of a Yod with Jupiter at 24 Libra and asteroid Nemesis at 27 Sagittarius.  The implication is that sexual misconduct (Nessus) has the potential to evoke a political (Jupiter) downfall (Nemesis).

Aristaeus is also strongly placed.  At 19 Capricorn, Aristaeus exactly opposes asteroid Aphrodite at 19 Cancer, known for flirtations, affairs and one-night stands, as opposed to committed long-term relationships.  This may be the source of the “softening” of Aristaeus’ baser instincts into the comparatively harmless sexual innuendo and inappropriate suggestions which form the basis of most of the complaints against the Governor.  Aristaeus also links to Jupiter, by trine, and forms a Grand Trine Kite with Nessus, Aphrodite at the string driving the pattern. Aristaeus is also sesquiquadrate Pluto at 2 Virgo, perhaps prompting scandal and behaviors which qualify as criminal.

With Jupiter is asteroid Ganymed at 20 Libra, named for the beautiful shepherd boy Zeus absconded to Olympus with, making him his paramour.  This also connects to the theme of forced sexual contact, as well as indicating a propensity for “unequal” relationships, where the partners are very disparate in age or status, such as are found in employer/employee liaisons, with one wielding power or undue influence over the other.  It’s also significant here that Cuomo is alleged to have discussed the issue of having sex with older men, with some of the young staffers who have lodged complaints.

COVID-19 put Andrew Cuomo squarely in the national spotlight, and at first the New York Governor shone, as his frequent press conferences, honest and realistic appraisals of the threat posed and the task to be undertaken, formed an almost daily counterpoint to Trump’s muddled, feckless response.  Cuomo’s relationship with the coronavirus pandemic may be illustrated by the placement of asteroid Koronis, our celestial referent for the virus, in his birth chart.  At 7 Taurus, Koronis squares a Venus/Damocles conjunction at 0 and 6 Aquarius, as well as Uranus at 11 Leo, and trines Mercury at 5 Capricorn.  Cuomo’s stress on following the science in New York’s response to the crisis can be seen in that Koronis/Uranus square, exacerbated and enriched by transit Uranus crisscrossing natal Koronis in 2020-21, as the virus tightened its grip on the Empire State, one of its first targets in the US. 

The square from Koronis to Venus played out as increased popularity for Cuomo initially, as people appreciated his fact-based policies and largely approved their implementation.   The Mercury/Koronis trine shows a savvy use of the press conferences for burnishing Cuomo’s image via the pandemic. But Uranus is unpredictable and volatile, and the worm turned as the vaccine was released and the end of the crisis appeared on the horizon.  Revelations of skewed records designed to downplay the loss of life in New York nursing homes tarred Cuomo’s image as the hero of the hour, and brought out the latent potential of Damocles in this mix, as the  looming disaster which threatened total destruction, weakening his position for the sexual misconduct allegations shortly to follow.

For the genesis of this present crisis, we’ll be looking at February 24, 2021, when Lindsey Boylan first made public her allegations, setting the ball rolling.  The Sun at 6 Pisces conjoins an exact pairing of Aristaeus with Nessus at 12 Pisces, and these in turn square Cuomo’s natal Sun at 14 Sagittarius, marking the time as focused (Sun) on sexual misconduct (Aristaeus/Nessus) generally, and further specifying the issue to Cuomo directly (natal Sun).  The transit Sun also semisquares natal Aristaeus at 19 Capricorn and opposes natal Pluto at 2 Virgo, suggesting the potential for criminal charges to ensue. 

A combination of transit Saturn and Mercury at 8 and 11 Aquarius indicates that the statements of a chief executive are under scrutiny, and ties to the much later groping allegations as well, with Mercury also ruling the hands.  These oppose natal Uranus at 11 Leo, for the element of shock value and the resulting controversy.

Transit Venus at 29 Aquarius closely squares natal asteroid Andree at 28 Scorpio and brings out a T-square with natal Nessus at 22 Taurus, calling into question Cuomo’s morals and relations with women.  Transit Mars at 25 Taurus has recently conjoined natal Nessus and lends its force to the allegations.  Transit Andree at 21 Virgo trines transit Pluto at 25 Capricorn, and these form a Grand Trine with natal Nessus, again linking Cuomo personally (Andree) with the themes of scandal, coercion and criminal conduct (Pluto) of a sexual nature (Nessus).  Asteroid Aphrodite, ruling affairs and flirtatious behaviors, is at 10 Cancer, trine the transit Sun and at station, about to turn direct on March 1^st. 

Lindsey Boylan is represented by asteroids Lindsay, an alternate spelling, and Boyle, closest to Boylan.  Lindsay at 20 Cancer closely conjoins natal Aphrodite at 19 Cancer, and opposes natal Aristaeus at 19 Capricorn.  Boyle at 24 Capricorn conjoins Pluto at 25 Cap, also tying to the natal Aristaeus/Aphrodite polarity, and reiterating the themes of potential criminal liability and scandal. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James has begun an investigation into the complaints, and if asteroids are any guide, she is well placed to make a serious impact on Governor Cuomo’s standing.  With natal asteroid James at 21 Sagittarius conjunct his Sun and asteroid Nemesis at 27 Sagittarius, and natal asteroid Laetitia at 23 Libra conjunct Jupiter, the AG could be a formative influence, and has the potential to affect Cuomo’s political outlook (Jupiter) in very personal ways (Sun), leading to his ultimate downfall (Nemesis). 

Cuomo has vigorously asserted that he will under no circumstances resign his office, and it remains to be seen if the lack of political support within New York and nationally translates into an effective impeachment proceeding.  But things are starting to look rather bleak for Andrew Cuomo.

A pair of eclipses in spring 2021 stresses Cuomo’s birth chart, with the Lunar Eclipse at 5 Sagittarius on May 26 in semisquare to Aristaeus, while the Solar Eclipse at 19 Gemini on June 10 opposes the Sun, Saturn and Achilles. This emphasizes the sexual misconduct charges (Aristaeus), while revealing the full extent of Cuomo’s weakness and vulnerability as Governor. Matters could build to the point where the embattled Cuomo can no longer resist calls for his ouster and, like Donald Trump before him, the eclipse opposed his Sun could presage a fall from grace and power.