Alex's Asteroid Astrology

On Monday, 18 October 2021, four-star general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell passed away unexpectedly, from COVID-19 complications while fighting multiple myeloma cancer and Parkinson’s disease.  Though fully vaccinated for COVID and awaiting his booster shot, the 84-year-old Powell acquired a breakout case of the coronavirus, and his compromised immune system was unable to shake it off.  He is survived by his beloved wife of almost 60 years, Alma, who also acquired a milder COVID infection at the time of her husband’s illness.

Powell was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the First Gulf War, and the first African American US Secretary of State, under George W. Bush, during the Iraq War.  Noted for his honesty, candor and integrity, Powell’s legacy was marred by his presentation to the UN in 2003, based on flawed CIA intelligence, alleging possession of weapons of mass destruction by Iraq’s dictator Saddam Hussein, in an effort to justify that forthcoming invasion to the global community.

Born 5 April 1937 (no time available), Colin Powell’s attraction for a military career can be seen in the stationary status of natal Mars, which at 5 Sagittarius is trine the 15 Aries Sun and preparing to turn retrograde just 9 days after his birth.  A stationary point emphasizes those traits and activities which relate to its energy, and Powell’s 35-year career as a professional soldier began in college with ROTC training, followed by tours of duty in Vietnam and a steady rise through the ranks, culminating as a four-star general.  As well, asteroid Achilles, named for the dominant combatant of the Trojan War and often associated with soldiering and military matters, falls at 5 Pisces, conjoined asteroid Colinstuart at 3 Pisces, a CNA (Compound-Name Asteroid) closest to his first name.

The pivotal importance of his life partner is represented by asteroid Hera, named for the Greek goddess of marriage, also stationary; at 10 Leo, Hera trines the Sun and turned direct on March 30^th.  The choice of Alma Johnson as his spouse is foreshadowed by asteroid Johnson closely opposed Hera from 11 Aquarius, with asteroid Alma at 26 Cancer exactly conjunct natal Pluto, denoting a hugely transformative influence, and sextile asteroid Juno at 29 Virgo, named for Hera’s Roman counterpart.  Powell has often credited Alma’s support, and the bond of love between them, as crucial to his success.

Powell’s unfortunate involvement in the deception which created the Iraq War can be seen in a combination of asteroids Baghdad and Intel at 12 and 18 Libra, opposing the Sun with asteroid NOT and TNO Varuna at 15 and 12 Aries, symbolizing the inaccuracy (NOT) of the flawed intelligence (Intel) regarding Iraq (Baghdad, named for its capital), and the resulting blot on Powell’s (Sun) legacy (Varuna).

Colin Powell passed on the day two planets changed direction – both Mercury and Jupiter resumed direct motion on October 18^th, denoting momentous changes.  Powell’s career as a statesman, his celebrity status and political influence is depicted by Jupiter, while his thoughtful intellect and careful elocution, as well as his status as a bestselling author of six books, is reflected in Mercury.  Mercury at 10 Libra opposed both his natal Sun at 15 Aries and natal asteroid Rip at 3 Libra (which functions as a death indicator as the acronym “RIP”, “Rest In Peace”, a common tombstone inscription); and squared natal asteroid Lachesis at 7 Cancer, named for the mythic Greek Fate who determines the span of life.  Jupiter at 22 Aquarius conjoined natal asteroid Osiris at 24 Aquarius, named for the Egyptian god of the dead; transit Damocles, representing the doom hanging overhead, also at 24 Aquarius, conjoins this point exactly.

The seed of Powell’s mortality was planted by that Osiris, which also conjoined natal Damocles and natal asteroid Koronis, our celestial marker for the coronavirus, at 25 and 28 Aquarius respectively.  Thus the future virus represented a potentially lethal danger from his birth, eight decades before its existence.  Jupiter’s station also conjoined these points, though more broadly.

Natal Koronis at 28 Aquarius was exactly trined by transit asteroid Powell at 28 Libra when he passed, which was highlighted by the transit Sun at 25 Libra, putting Powell in the spotlight one last time.  Also with Sun/Powell is transit Mars at 21 Libra, ruling contagions and identifying his military connections; this solar stellium squares Powell’s natal asteroid Atropos at 21 Cancer, named for the mythic Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death, Mars squaring exactly.  Transit Powell and natal Koronis form a precise Grand Trine with natal Powell at 28 Gemini, currently conjoined by transit TNO Chaos at 29 Gemini.  A Kite pattern is created with the addition of natal asteroid Requiem at 24 Sagittarius, opposing natal Powell, and named for the funeral mass for the dead; this pattern also incorporates natal asteroid Anubis, named for the Egyptian deity governing funerary rites, at 26 Gemini.

Transit Koronis at 6 Leo was involved in a T-Square, exactly opposed transit Saturn, ancient lord of death, at 6 Aquarius, with transit asteroids Achilles and Osiris at the fulcrum, from 0 and 7 Taurus respectively.  This depicts the death (Saturn, Osiris) from COVID-19 (Koronis) of a soldier or military figure (Achilles).  Also here is natal Uranus at 8 Taurus, suggesting a sudden or unexpected passing; Powell had recently experienced his Uranus Return, with that transit body currently at 13 Taurus, exactly semisquare his natal Sun.

Transit Anubis at 3 Virgo exactly opposes natal Colinstuart, approximating Powell’s first name, and forms an exact T-Square with transit Lachesis at 3 Sagittarius, while transit Atropos at 4 Libra conjoins natal Rip at 3 Libra.  Transit Requiem at 23 Leo is widely squared transit Colinstuart at 17 Scorpio, providing another link to mortality. 

Early indicators of a possible pending demise include transit Pluto’s April 2021 station, which at 26 Capricorn exactly opposed its natal degree of 26 Cancer, with Pluto the modern ruler of death; and the May 2021 Lunar Eclipse at 5 Sagittarius, which exactly conjoined natal Mars, ruling contagious disease.  The subsequent Solar Eclipse of June 2021 at 19 Gemini widely opposed natal Requiem at 24 Sag, and Neptune’s retrograde station later that month at 23 Pisces more closely squared Requiem, further activating its potential.

Colin Powell’s lifetime of service deserves the accolades it has received.  In recent years he was a voice of sanity in an increasingly unhinged Republican Party, for which he was seriously considered as a presidential candidate in 2000.  One can only speculate if he’d have been as eager to start a war in the Middle East as the Bush/Cheney administration, had he become the Commander in Chief then, or as willing to accept the faulty intelligence that promoted it.  Unfortunately, his most lasting legacy will likely be that fallacious UN speech, and, wittingly or not, his participation in the deception perpetrated at the time.