Alex's Asteroid Astrology

Italians in Florence were livid after disturbing footage went viral on the internet, of a female tourist simulating sexual acts with a statue of Bacchus, Roman god of wine and revelry, in the streets of Firenze, as the city is known locally.  A fully dressed blonde had mounted the plinth that holds a copy of the original sculpture by Giambologna, kissing it lasciviously, then miming fellatio and penetration from the rear.  Outraged locals have been outspoken in their condemnation of the incident, revealed in grainy still shots that were captured from the internet, but authorities have not been able to identify the tourist or her friend who took the pictures.

Occurring over the weekend immediately preceding the Mars/Uranus/Algol conjunction, one might say that the Florentines have “lost their heads” (Algol, a Fixed Star associated with decapitation) over the shocking and controversial (Uranus) portrayal of sex acts (Mars).  In the absence of a specific date, I have used Saturday July 13^th for the analysis, as approximating that weekend. 

With Mars and Uranus at 24 and 26 Taurus, a square to asteroids Nemesis 128, Eros 433 and Photographica 443 at 24, 25 and 26 Leo tells the tale of erotic (Eros) pictures (Photographica) which constitute another nail in the coffin of Florentine opinions of the floods of tourists to the city of late, whom locals see as adversarial, ruinous (both Nemesis) and disrespectful.  With Mars and Uranus also squared Mercury at 16 Leo, the incident was bound to make news.

Additional points add color to the event, such as a grouping of asteroids Firenze 30585 (Italian for Florence), Italia 477 (Italian for Italy) and Lynch 7824 (seemingly what the irate locals would like to do to the offender, if caught) at 12, 15 and 14 Libra, respectively, opposed TNO Salacia 120347 at 11 Aries, named for a Roman sea goddess from which we derive our word “salacious,” meaning “lecherous, lustful, or arousing or appealing to sexual desire or imagination.”

Many consider the act barbaric, even criminal, as depicted in a T-Square formed by an opposition from Pluto at 1 Aquarius (crime, sexual perversion) to Venus (artwork) at 2 Leo, joined by asteroids Barbarossa 1860 (for barbarity) and Smuts (for pornographic content) at 0 and 3 Leo, with an exact conjunction of asteroids Bacchus 2063 (the statue’s subject) and Hybris 430 (arrogant behaviors) on the fulcrum at 3 Scorpio.

The unnamed, wanton tourist is seen as asteroid Blondelet 13231 (for blonde) at 9 Sagittarius, conjoined asteroids Florence 30585 and Icarus 1566 (rash, reckless, foolish acts) at 12 and 13 Sagittarius, opposed Jupiter at 10 Gemini (ruling foreign travel and tourists).  As well, the Sun at 21 Cancer squares asteroid Hebe 6 (named for Zeus’ eternally youthful daughter, denoting a young woman) at 26 Libra, conjunct asteroid Humperdinck 9913 (with “humping” slang for sexual intercourse, one of the simulated acts) at 24 Libra, another allusion to the offender.

Truly, is there any human act, however nonsensical or random, of which the cosmos does not take note?

[Special thanks to reader and fellow astrologer Laurien Rueger, who brought this incident to my attention and suggested pertinent asteroids.  Her website, “Astrology, Eh?”, chronicles Canadian politics and world events.]