Alex's Asteroid Astrology

The nominations for the 90^th Academy Awards are out! Hollywood’s annual honors debauch will be held at 5 PM local time on March 4, 2018 in Los Angeles. Announced on January 23^rd, the nominees form a multicultural “Oscars Not So White” list, in contrast to recent years where minorities were poorly represented, sparking protest. The Academy Awards are a global phenomenon, since American culture has invaded nearly every society on earth. Although a passing nod is given to foreign films, it’s English-language movies, mostly American and British, which form the backbone of the Oscars.

Calling winners in advance is an obsession for media outlets and private citizens alike, and Oscar Night parties of every conceivable type and venue are held, from cozy living room gatherings among friends to star-studded bashes drawing hundreds of glitterati. What can we suss out from the heavens regarding likely winners and losers?

Oscar statuettes await their new owners – who will bring home the gold in 2018?

We’re somewhat handicapped, when looking solely to the date of the Awards, by the fact that some nominees don’t have a clear celestial referent. Meryl Streep, for example, with a record 21 nominations and three wins to her credit, has no suitable asteroid matches, and thus skews the entire process, on the female side of the ledger. Streep is nominated again this year, for “The Post”, but we can’t justly rate the chances of her victory because there’s no data to look to, unless we turn to her birth chart.

Now, I like a data challenge as much as the next Virgo Moon native, but there is no way I am comparing the charts of all the nominees to see who’ll come out on top! (But we will take a closer look at the actual winners after they are announced.) Fortunately, in most years, we can get a good idea of those truly in the running by looking at the data we have for the day, interpolating PNAs which match the contenders, where they exist. [Author’s Note: You can get a good example of how transits do affect Oscar victory in last July’s Aster-Obit of actor Martin Landau.]

First, a bit about the asteroids of the Awards themselves. There’s an Oskar, an Academia (for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which sponsors the awards) and a two-part referent for the venue, asteroids Holly and Wood. Most years these are prominently placed when the ceremony is held, and this year is no exception.

Oskar makes the proudest showing; at 23 Pisces, it broadly conjoins the Sun at 14 Pisces, and is more closely aligned with an exact pairing of Mercury and Venus at 27 Pisces. These are opposed by asteroid Academia at 28 Virgo, bringing together the society and the nickname of the awards with a symbol of culture, entertainment and popularity (Venus) and the process of voting itself (Mercury).

That clump of bodies is part of a larger Piscean string which engulfs the 4 Pisces Descendant, including asteroids Nike and Victoria, named respectively for the Greek and Roman goddesses of victory, both at 7 Pisces; Neptune, ruler of films, at 13 Pisces, next to the Sun, showing the day’s focus; and Wood, half of the venue, at 12 Pisces.

Most of the 2018 nominees have asteroids which match, or approximate, all or part of their names, Meryl being of course the most prominent exception. So what are their chances?

Let’s be chivalrous and look at the ladies first, in order of nomination. The Best Actress nominees are: Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water”), represented by asteroids Salli and Hawking; Salli is of course a homonym of “Sally”, and Hawking makes a reasonably phonetic match with “Hawkins”. Salli at 2 Taurus trines the 4 Virgo Ascendant of the awards, and is widely semisquare the Sun at 14 Pisces; both put Hawkins front and center, and a focus of the day. But a winner? Salli is still within orb of Uranus at 26 Aries, so something considered surprising, an upset win or loss perhaps (depending which is expected – I’m shockingly uniformed about these movies, this is just an astrologic analysis with no weight given for real-world probabilities), is possible. The Uranus contact also inclines me to think her outfit for the evening may be somehow shocking, avant garde, or futuristic, perhaps in metallic or electric tones. (I’m also totally new at astro-fashion-analysis, so please be kind if she comes out in white linen.)

Sally Hawkins, nominated for “The Shape of Water”

Asteroid Hawking at 8 Capricorn closely conjoins Saturn at 7. Now, Saturn can be tricky. It often withholds or limits, particularly if the individual is not ready for the task at hand. It’s fond of imparting life lessons, whether you want them or not. But it’s also a harbinger of success, of accomplishment and, moreso, recognition, and could be a strong assist in attaining this career pinnacle. Effectively, Hawking forms a Grand Trine with Salli and the Ascendant, a very strong placement, which becomes truly powerful as the pattern transforms into a Kite, with that exact Nike/Victoria pairing at 7 Pisces. I have no idea what her prospects are considered to be, but that looks good for a win to me.

Next is Frances McDormand (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri”), represented by asteroids Francis and McDermind; Francis is of course another homonym, and McDermind reasonably approximates “McDormand”. At least, in my cosmos it does. Asteroid Francis at 14 Aries is exactly semisextile the Sun; a minor aspect, yes, but exact is important, and this solar contact also grants prominence for the day. Francis is also widely squared Saturn, and more closely semisquare the 1 Gemini MC, bringing public attention. There are a lot of contacts similar to Salli Hawkins’ (Sun, Saturn, angular), which makes sense for individuals competing for the same honor.

Frances McDormand, nominated for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri”

Asteroid McDermind at 26 Cancer is at its station degree, about to turn direct ten days later. This puts McDormand in a commanding position, with her referent a still point deeply embedded in the sky, and also in the psyches of the Academy voters. McDermind widely opposes Pluto at 20 Capricorn, which could suggest either enhanced power or a devastating loss, but a transformational experience is guaranteed. There’s a T-Square created by the Moon at 23 Libra, so she may be the popular choice overall, even if she doesn’t win (politics can play a role in voting, too, however the actual performances are viewed). And yes, once again, we have Uranus, as with Hawkins, making this a Grand Cross. An upset is indicated, but will it be upsetting to McDormand, or exhilarating? Both are Uranus.

Margot Robbie, nominated for “I, Tonya”

Also nominated is Margot Robbie (“I, Tonya”), with an exact match for Margot and asteroid Robbia a close substitute for Robbie. Asteroid Margot falls at 20 Taurus, opposing Jupiter at 23 Scorpio, perhaps bringing fame and the limelight. Margot is also exactly trine Pluto, for a possible transformative moment, one which increases personal power or evokes enhanced control in future. Asteroid Robbia at 23 Sagittarius conjoins Mars at 22 Sag and squares Mercury/Venus at 27 Pisces, with an exact square to Oskar at 23 Pisces; the Robbie nomination could attract a lot of energy (Mars) with this placement, winning hearts (Venus) and minds (Mercury) in the competition (Mars), bringing home the gold statuette (Oskar).

Saoirse Ronan, nominated for “Lady Bird”

Saoirse Ronan (“Lady Bird”) hasn’t got anything close to her first name on the Minor Planet Center list, but there is an asteroid Ronan matching her last name exactly. This appears at 16 Capricorn, in company with powerhouse Pluto at 20 Capricorn, and exactly inconjunct asteroid Holly at 16 Leo. Another opportunity for a transformational evening; a square to the Moon in Libra is wide, but could grant public notice and popular acclaim.

Meryl Streep, receiving her 21st nomination, for “The Post”

Which leaves Meryl Streep (“The Post”). I’m sure someday there will be an asteroid named for her, and should she win this year, when we look back on the date with celestial hindsight, we’ll doubtless find asteroid Merylstreep was conjunct the Sun. In the meantime, we could look to her role as Washington Post owner Katharine Graham for clues as to Streep’s likelihood of taking home that fourth Oscar. Remarkably, asteroids Graham and Kathryn are conjunct, at 3 and 10 Cancer, and both have recently come to station, making them embedded still points in the sky. Their opposition to Saturn could suggest Streep at the apex of her career, tying the all-time champ, that other Katharine, Kate Hepburn. Asteroid Katharina, another variant of Katherine, falls at 8 Gemini, conjoined the 1 Gemini MC, perhaps marking Streep as the focus of all eyes that night.

Timothee Chalamet, nominated for “Call Me By Your Name”

The men vying for Best Actor also have a nominee who is scratched from the outset, with no PNA referents: Timothee Chalamet (“Call Me By Your Name”). Playing a gay ingénue in the film, we might find a substitute for him in two gay asteroids – Ganymed, named for Zeus’ boy toy lover, and Sappho, named for an ancient Greek lesbian poet. Ganymed at 23 Virgo opposes Mercury/Venus and exactly opposes Oskar, while Sappho at 2 Pisces conjoins the Descendant at 4 Pisces and the Nike/Victoria pairing at 7; both prominent placements, but only tangentially related to Chalamet himself. Still, since it’s the role he’s nominated for, he has a chance.

Daniel Kaluuya, nominated for “Get Out”

There are two “Daniel” nominees – Daniel Day-Lewis (“Phantom Thread”) and Daniel Kaluuya (“Get Out”), who split the celestial vote between them. At 26 Capricorn, asteroid Daniel is exactly squared Uranus at 26 Aries; the kind of upset win this suggests favors Kaluuya over Day-Lewis, who would be the sympathetic favorite due to his decision to retire from acting, making “Phantom Thread” his last nomination. The three-time Oscar winner, who would set a new Academy record for men if he won a fourth award, is also supported by asteroid Lewis, which at 21 Sagittarius conjoins Mars and squares Oskar at 23 Pisces, perhaps providing an energetic boost to his candidacy and linking him closely to the award itself. Lewis also widely squares both the Sun and the Mercury/Venus combo, making Day-Lewis a leading contender. With asteroid Daniel also squaring the Moon at 23 Libra, either actor could as emerge the popular choice, but the Moon’s accent on nostalgia and emotion gives Day-Lewis the edge in the competition between them.

Daniel Day-Lewis, nominated for “Phantom Thread”

Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hour”) is represented by asteroid Gary, an exact match for Saturn at 7 Capricorn. Oldman’s fine body of work has rarely been recognized by the Academy, with only one other nomination to his credit in his almost four decade career. This could be his year, with Saturn’s support causing others to view him as justly deserving of honors and accolades.

Gary Oldman, nominated for “Darkest Hour”

Finally, Denzel Washington (“Roman J. Israel, Esq.”), with asteroid Denzilrobert for “Denzel” (doubled asteroid names may be split into their component parts and used as markers for either portion) and Washingtonia for “Washington.” Denzilrobert at 2 Pisces conjoins the Descendant and that Nike/Victoria conjunction, while Washingtonia at 6 Aquarius is the only applicable PNA we’ve encountered so far which makes no significant aspects in the chart. Denzilrobert makes a brave showing, but its somewhat tentative connection to Washington may not be strong enough to pull the double Oscar winner over the finish line. Yet angular placements should not be discounted, as they signal importance in the moment.

Denzel Washington, nominated for “Roman Israel, Esq.”

Whoever the winners are, it’s truly remarkable to see so many pertinent PNAs in such meaningful configurations for the day these nominees capture the focus of the world. Or perhaps, if you’ve been following these “minor” bodies as long as I have, it’s just another day at the celestial office.

Judging by the stars, this looks to me like a close contest between Sally Hawkins and Frances McDormand on the female side, with Meryl Streep a potential spoiler. For the men, Daniel Day-Lewis seems to have the edge, but with Gary Oldman and Denzel Washington coming up fast on the outside.

Whatever the outcome, we’ll know in just five weeks…