Death in Triplicate
The recent pairing of Jupiter, the planet ruling fame and celebrity, and asteroid Requiem 2254, named for the funeral mass for the dead, has yielded a fresh crop of autumnal celebrity deaths, much in the way Jupiter’s earlier conjunction with asteroid Lachesis 120, named for the mythic Greek Fate who determines the span of life, depopulated the planet of famous names in mid-summer. Among the recently departed: Dame Maggie Smith, celebrated British actress best known for her work in the Harry Potter movies and PBS’ “Downton Abbey;” Kris Kristofferson, American singer, songwriter and actor; and Pete Rose, American professional baseball player and gambling afficionado.
Taking them in order of departure, Margaret “Maggie” Smith took her final bow on 27 September 2024. Smith’s career spanned eight decades, and her accolades included six Academy Award nominations (with two wins), a Tony Award, and four Emmys.
Born on 28 December 1934 (no time available), Maggie Smith’s destiny as an award-winning actress was laid out from birth, with asteroid Actor 12238 at 28 Sagittarius, sextile to both Saturn (career) at 24 Aquarius and asteroid Victoria 12 (Roman goddess of victory) at 24 Libra, on their rough midpoint. The connection to the Academy Award in particular is shown by Actor’s square to asteroid Academia 829 at 20 Virgo, conjoined asteroid Smith 3351 at 18 Virgo, and inconjunct to asteroid Oskar 750 (for Oscar) at 24 Taurus.
Smith’s first Oscar win, as Best Actress in the title role for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” (1969), is seen in asteroid Brody 9974 (alternate spelling of Brodie) at 19 Aquarius, conjoined asteroid Margret 1410 (one of four “Margaret” variations) at 17 Aquarius, squared to asteroid Oskar at 24 Taurus. When PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids) for a role connect with the Sun or the actor’s natal PNA (which acts as a mini-Sun), it provides for an authentic portrayal of the character, which can often garner awards. As well, asteroid Jeanne 1281 (alternate spelling of Jean) at 28 Gemini is exactly opposed asteroid Actor, evoking one of Smith’s most memorable roles.
When Maggie Smith claimed her Oscar at the 42nd Academy Awards on 10 April 1970, asteroid Jeanne at 8 Pisces opposed asteroid Oskar at 16 Virgo in a T-Square with asteroid Margret on its fulcrum at 11 Sagittarius. Margret is at station, having turned retrograde on April 2nd, indicating a pivotal turning point for Smith, as any Oscar win would be. As well, asteroid Actor at 22 Sagittarius is also stationary, approaching a Return to its natal degree at 28 Sagittarius, marking a renewal of the natal potential, which for Smith includes an Oscar win at some point in the career. Actor turned retrograde on April 7th. Asteroid Smith at 5 Aries is trine asteroid Victoria at 13 Leo, also at station, having turned direct April 4th, providing another link between the actress and winning, while natal Smith at 18 Virgo was conjoined by transit Oskar at 16 Virgo, specifying the award to be won.
Smith’s next Oscar was for Best Supporting Actress, as Diana Barrie in 1978’s “California Suite.” Again we see a presentiment of the win, with asteroid Barry 1703 (alternate spelling) at 19 Cancer, squared Victoria at 24 Libra, and bisecting the Oskar/Victoria trine, sextile to each. A trine from asteroid Diana 78 at 9 Virgo to the Sun at 6 Capricorn again provides that spark of authenticity. Asteroid California 341, forming part of the movie’s title, appears at 18 Aquarius, conjunct Margret and Saturn, squared Oskar.
At the 51st Academy Awards ceremony on 9 April 1979, asteroid Margret at 14 Leo is trine an exact conjunction of the Sun with asteroid Victoria at 19 Aries, and asteroid Academia at 22 Aries. Margret also widely opposes asteroid Oskar at 22 Aquarius (which is in turned squared by asteroid Smith at 29 Scorpio) as well as asteroid Diana at 10 Aquarius (though these several points are too far out of orb to be considered a T-Square). With Smith conjoined asteroid Barry at 5 Sagittarius, we’re seeing a double identification with the role that brought Maggie Smith her final Oscar, in the Margret/Diana opposition, and the Smith/Barry conjunction.
Without doubt, Maggie Smith’s most enduring roles will be as Hogwarts teacher Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series; and as Violet Crawley, Dowager Duchess of Grantham, in “Downton Abbey.” Asteroid Minerva 93 at 28 Scorpio is exactly semisextile asteroid Actor at 28 Sagittarius, while asteroid Crowley 28794 (for Crawley) at 27 Gemini opposes it. Smith won three of her four Emmys for her work in “Downton Abbey,” as reflected in asteroid Violetta 557 (closest to Violet) at 8 Taurus, exactly sextile asteroid Emma 283 at 8 Pisces (closest to Emmy). Her performance as the Dowager Duchess of Grantham is her winningest role, reflected in the close conjunction of asteroid Grantham 13414 at 25 Libra with asteroid Victoria at 24 Libra. Gilding the cosmic lily, the Grantham/Victoria pairing is sesquiquadrate asteroid Emma.
When Maggie Smith passed on 27 September 2024, a conglomeration of points in mid-Leo heralded her death, including asteroids Margherita 248866 (a second Margaret variant) at 9 Leo, Atropos 273 at 13 Leo (named for the Fate who severs the thread of life at death), Margarethe 220495 at 15 Leo (third Margaret variant), and Smith at 20 Leo, all opposed asteroid Anubis 1912 at 17 Aquarius, named for the Egyptian deity governing funerary rites. Smith was also semisquare the Sun at 4 Libra, spotlighting the actress one final time, and semisquare asteroid Lachesis (lifespan) at 7 Cancer. Asteroid Margarita 310 at 4 Sagittarius (the fourth and final Margaret referent) conjoins asteroid Rip 7711 at 29 Scorpio, which acts as a death indicator in the form of the acronym RIP, “Rest In Peace,” a common tombstone inscription.
The transit Jupiter/asteroid Requiem pairing at 21 and 23 Gemini was squared natal asteroid Smith at 18 Virgo and opposed natal Actor at 28 Sagittarius. Transit Anubis at 17 Aquarius was exactly conjunct natal Margret, also aligned with natal asteroid Rip, Saturn (ancient lord of death) and asteroid Lachesis, at 20, 24 and 25 Aquarius respectively. Transit Lachesis at 7 Cancer opposed the natal Sun at 6 Capricorn.
Singer/Actor Kris Kristofferson’s swan song came on the following day, 28 September 2024. Kristofferson was a leading light in the move away from traditional country music epitomized by the Nashville sound, into a more raw, gritty performance. Kristofferson came somewhat late to music, delayed by family pressure into joining the military after earning a degree as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford, and didn’t release his first album until 1970, at age 34. By then he was an accomplished songwriter, penning such classics as “Me and Bobby McGee“, “For the Good Times“, “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down“, and “Help Me Make It Through the Night.“
The ’70s also saw his entry into films, often Westerns, quickly becoming known for his roles in “Cisco Pike” (1972), “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” (1973), “Blume in Love” (1973), “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” (1974), and “A Star Is Born” (1976), opposite Barbra Streisand. A major stumble with “Heaven’s Gate” in 1980 derailed his acting career, but Kristofferson continued to appear in character parts such as Whistler in the “Blade” trilogy.
In the 1980s Kristofferson teamed with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash to form the supergroup the Highwaymen. Their initial album was a success, but the group’s output was erratic, coming roughly every five years, and it disbanded after three albums. Kristofferson was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985, and he continued to compose original music into his eighties. He retired from performing in 2021.
Born 22 June 1936 at 3:30 PM CDT in Brownsville, Texas (Rodden Rating AA), Kristoffer “Kris” Kristofferson’s self-identification with music is obvious, with asteroid Christophe 1698 (closest to Kristoffer) at 9 Aquarius cojoined asteroid Singer 10698 at 3 Aquarius, on the 13 Aquarius IC. Christophe is also widely conjunct asteroid Actor 12238 at 19 Aquarius, also on the IC, with asteroid Singer inconjunct the 1 Cancer Sun and asteroid Actor in sesquiquadrate, marking both professions as self-defining.
At his death on 28 September 2024, asteroid Christophe at 16 Libra formed a T-Square with asteroid Lachesis (Lifespan) at 8 Cancer, opposed asteroid Singer at 16 Capricorn. Singer conjoins asteroid Osiris 1923, named for the Egyptian god of the dead, at 22 Capricorn, also squared by Christophe (but too wide to join the T-Square with Lachesis). Asteroid Christoffel 18548 at 18 Aquarius, another Kristofferson variant, conjoins asteroid Anubis at 17 Aquarius (funerary rites) and opposes asteroid Atropos (death) at 14 Leo; Anubis is also squared its natal degree of 23 Taurus.
The transit Jupiter/asteroid Requiem (funeral mass) conjunction at 21 and 23 Gemini is trine Christophe, conjoined natal Mars and Venus at 27 and 29 Gemini, just coming into conjunction with the natal Sun at 1 Cancer. Transit Atropos at 14 Leo conjoins the natal 16 Leo Moon, and the natal MC at 13 Leo, also squared the natal Ascendant at 10 Scorpio and natal asteroid Osiris at 13 Scorpio. Transit Lachesis at 8 Cancer is within orb of the Sun.
Third man out was Pete Rose, who spent 23 years in the MLB, mostly with the Cincinnati Reds, winning three World Series championships and appearing in the All-Star game 17 times, the only player to cover five positions in those contests. After short runs with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Montreal Expos, Rose returned to Cincinnati as a manager in 1984. At his retirement in 1989, Rose was accused of betting on games in which he had played or managed, a major infraction of MLB rules. A subsequent investigation pointed to Rose’s guilt, but was dropped six months later when Rose accepted permanent ineligibility for the Baseball Hall of Fame, without formally admitting fault. He applied for reinstatement in 1992, and sporadically continued these efforts unsuccessfully until 2023.
Born 14 April 1941 at 5:45 AM CST in Cincinnati, Ohio (Rodden Rating AA). Peter “Pete” Rose sports asteroid Peter 1716 at 21 Aries, conjoined both the Sun at 24 Aries and the 15 Aries Ascendant. A triple conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter and Uranus at 14, 20 and 24 Taurus suggests a career (Saturn) in professional sports (Jupiter) marked by controversy (Uranus). This grouping squared asteroid Cincinnati 1373 at 24 Aquarius identifies where Rose spent the majority of his sports career. A semisquare from TNO Salacia 120347 at 18 Sagittarius to Mars at 8 Aquarius suggests a scandal (Salacia) involving athletic competition (Mars).
Asteroid Rosa 223 (closest to Rose) at 3 Cancer cojoins the 8 Cancer IC and exactly squares Mercury at 3 Aries, a typical connection for one’s own PNA, commonly aspected to the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Mercury (as ruling the naming function).
When Pete Rose passed on 30 September 2024, asteroid Peter at 5 Libra conjoined an exact pairing of the Sun with Mercury at 7 Libra, placing him in the spotlight (Sun) and the headlines (Mercury) once again. The group is squared by asteroid Lachesis (lifespan) at 8 Cancer, exact on Rose’s natal IC, also conjunct natal asteroid Rosa at 3 Cancer. Asteroid Rosa at 26 Scorpio conjoins asteroid Rip at 0 Sagittarius, conflating Rose with mortality; Rip is also an exact match for the natal Moon. Rosa is also widely squared asteroid Anubis at 17 Aquarius, inconjunct the Jupiter/Requiem conjunction, and sextile asteroid Osiris with Pluto, modern lord of death, at 22 and 29 Capricorn.
Transit asteroid Atropos at 15 Leo opposes natal asteroid Requiem at 11 Aquarius, in a T-Square with natal Saturn at 14 Taurus. Transit Osiris at 22 Capricorn is squared the natal Sun/Peter conjunction at 24 and 21 Aries, also activating natal asteroids Lachesis and Anubis at 25 and 26 Aries. The transit Jupiter/Requiem conjunction is sextile this late Aries celestial traffic jam and trine natal Atropos at 28 Aquarius, which squares transit Rosa.
All in all, three remarkable lives, concluded by three remarkable deaths, from an asteroid perspective.
