Cosmic Grab Bag: Spring 2026, Part Three
So little time, so many stories. Once again, AAA plays catch-up with some skipped news over the final weeks of May 2026. Included: a pair of top-level Summit meetings in Beijing; the death of a long-term progressive Congressman, a leading light in the fight for gay rights; and the grand finale of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
HE SAID, XI SAID
In less than a week, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted both the US and Russian presidents for high-level talks in Beijing. Donald Trump’s visit May 14-15 was followed closely by Vladimir Putin decamping to the Chinese capital on the 19th. While the skies for both summits were similar, key differences appear when PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids) are added, representing key players in the talks.
The Trump/Xi tete-a-tete began appropriately, with an exact triple conjunction of the Sun (focus), Mercury (communication) and asteroid Xi’An 2387 (closest to Xi) at 23 Taurus. The stage is set for dialogue and debate (Mercury), with the host (Xi’An) spotlighted (Sun). This solar stellium anchors a Grand Cross, with squares to asteroids America 916 at 20 Leo and Peking 2045 (the outdated, westernized spelling of Beijing) at 28 Aquarius, and an opposition to asteroid Taipei 171381 at 29 Scorpio, named for the capital of Taiwan, whose status is a leading bone of contention between the two powers.
That Sun/Taipei polarity also forms the String of a Kite pattern, a modified Grand Trine, with trine aspects from the Sun to asteroids Nemesis 128 at 22 Capricorn, and China 1125 at 26 Virgo, both embedded at station, signaling prime importance and influence. Nemesis identifies an opponent or adversary, a role China fills for both the US and Taiwan, and turned retrograde May 20th. China at station implies the nation is at a crossroads or “turning point;” its station came May 10th.
Taiwan as a key element of US foreign policy in the region is depicted by asteroid Taiwan 2169 at 4 Leo, conjoined both asteroid Donn 4689 at 2 Leo (for Trump) and Washingtonia 886 at 9 Leo (for the US capital), opposed asteroid Whitehouse 4036 at 7 Aquarius (as emblematic of the US presidency, another Trump marker currently) with Pluto at 5 Aquarius, suggesting manipulation, coercion, power plays and secrets, with likely criminal conduct somewhere along the line (all Pluto).
It was just four days later that Vladimir Putin stuck in his oar, arriving in Beijing May 19th. The Sun, Mercury and Xi’An are still together, though more spaced out, with Xi’An lagging a bit behind, at 25 Taurus, the Sun advanced to 28 Taurus, and Mercury at 4 Gemini. Joining the party, Uranus at 1 Gemini, perhaps an indication of something controversial or volatile to emerge from these talks over time.
The Sun is still warming the Grand Trine with stationary Nemesis and China, but asteroid Russia 232 has been added to the mix; at 27 Virgo, it aligns closely with asteroid China, perhaps signaling harmony or an alliance – at a minimum, a shared worldview. A new Kite is formed, with the String now provided by Nemesis’ opposition to Jupiter at 21 Cancer, and asteroid Moskva 787 at 17 Cancer, named for the Russian capital, Moscow. Internal Russian (Moskva) politics (Jupiter) prompted this meeting, with Putin looking for help in propping up a failing regime.
Vladimir Putin is seen as asteroids Vladimir 1724 and Putilin 3577. With Putilin at 0 Cancer, exact with Venus, squared Neptune at 3 Aries and exactly sextile Mars at 0 Taurus, Putin is pulling out all the stops to appear gracious, friendly, charming and diplomatic (all Venus), while using subterfuge, guile and deception (all Neptune) to attain his ends, particularly as regards the war (Mars) with Ukraine, which has been going disastrously for Russia of late.
Putin may be putting up a brave front, but the inherent weakness of his position is underscored by asteroid Vladimir’s conjunction with asteroid Achilles 588 at 15 and 10 Libra respectively. Achilles represents a vulnerability or weakness which threatens to destroy the native (the “Achilles heel”). The precise nature of that weakness is revealed in a conjunction of asteroids Ukraina 1709 and Kiev 1724 at 7 and 8 Leo, named for Ukraine and its capital Kyiv (with Kiev the older, anglicized spelling). These form a Grand Trine with Saturn at 11 Aries, signaling loss, hardship and deprivation, and asteroid Bellona 28 at 12 Sagittarius, named for the Roman goddess of war. Achilles/Vladimir opposed Saturn provides the String of another Kite. In toto, the pattern defines the war (Bellona) with Ukraine (Ukraina, Kiev) as the weak link (Achilles) threatening Putin’s (Vladimir) presidency (Saturn).
Neither Summit appears to have been particularly productive of any groundbreaking change in the status quo between the three powers. Certainly not on the American side, where Trump didn’t manage to accomplish much more than the stroking of Xi’s ego, despite advanced promises of “great things” to ensue from the meeting.
SPEAKING FRANK-LY
Barney Frank, former Representative for Massachusetts’ Fourth District, passed away at his home on May 19th from congestive heart failure, while in hospice care, at age 86. The 16-term legislator served in the US Congress from 1981-2013, and was the first national politician to come out as gay, in an interview with the Boston Globe in 1987. He is survived by his husband, James Ready, whom he married in 2012. Frank was well-named, a forthright, brass tacks, down-to-earth politician who never quite dropped the North Jersey accent of his Bayonne birthplace, migrating to Massachusetts to attend Harvard, then staying to work as Chief Assistant to Boston Mayor Kevin White. He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1972, and served for eight years until his election to Congress.
Barney Frank’s passing occurs under a square between Jupiter at 21 Cancer and TNO Eris 136199 at 25 Aries which aligns with the US natal Mercury at 24 Cancer opposed Pluto at 27 Capricorn, depicting the death (Pluto, modern lord of death) of a politician (Jupiter) who was a voice (Mercury) for marginalized, disrespected populations (Eris), specifically, the LGBTQ community, of which he was a member.
Transit Saturn at 11 Aries squared the US natal Sun at 13 Cancer and opposed its natal Saturn at 14 Libra signals a focus (Sun) on the passing (transit Saturn, ancient lord of death) of a government official (natal Saturn). Born 31 March 1940 (no time available), transit Saturn also aligns with his natal Sun at 10 Aries, semisquare the natal Venus/Mars conjunction at 25 & 29 Taurus, reflecting his status as a beloved (Venus) champion (Mars) of his community, as a cofounder of the Congressional Equality Caucus, pushing for marriage equality for same-sex couples.
Death is an exceedingly personal experience, and it would be remiss indeed of the cosmos not to take note of Barney Frank’s passing, on a personal level beyond his government employee status.
And so we find a Grand Cross composed of Venus at 0 Cancer conjunct asteroids Osiris 1923 and Anubis 1912 (both 8 Cancer), opposed asteroid Barney 5655 at 2 Capricorn, with the crossbars formed by a conjunction of asteroid Rip 7711 at 0 Aries and Neptune at 3 Aries) and asteroid Requiem 2254 at 3 Libra. Osiris and Anubis are named for the ancient Egyptian god of the dead and the deity governing funerary rites, respectively, while Requiem is named for the funeral mass for the dead, and Rip acts as a death indicator in the form of the acronym RIP, “Rest In Peace,” a common tombstone inscription. (One might think the cosmos is laying on the “death” theme rather thick here, with no less than four mortality indicators ganging up on an asteroid representing the deceased, but such repetition is common in passing charts.) Neptune relates to his passing while in hospice, and Venus is another marker of the affection and esteem in which he was held. Barney had made its station at 3 Capricorn on May 2nd, just four days after Frank entered hospice care, highlighting the major shift in his fortunes as he approached death.
Not to be outdone, the 28 Taurus Sun is exactly squared asteroid Franck 4546 at 28 Leo, an alternate spelling of his surname, granting Barney Frank the spotlight (Sun) one final time. In addition, asteroid Franke 2824 at 24 Cancer, another surname variation, joins the more generic aspect of Jupiter squared Eris, to personalize the pattern to Barney Frank himself.
Frank’s cosmic bona fides as a gay man are well-evidenced by the natal Sun at 10 Aries in a T-Square with asteroids Sappho 80 at 6 Libra, named for an ancient Lesbian Greek poet, and Eros 433 at 2 Capricorn, the acknowledged patron of same-sex relationships in Hellenistic Greece, making this attraction self-defining (Sun) for him. His life’s work in the US House of Representatives as a member from the Bay State, despite his Jersey origins, is shown as asteroid Massachusetts 4547 at 12 Capricorn squared the Sun, and asteroid House 4950 at 12 Scorpio in inconjunct.
When Barney Frank made history by coming out as the first openly gay US Congressman in an interview with the Boston Globe on 31 May 1987, a remarkable cluster of Mercury at 1 Cancer with Mars at 6 Cancer and asteroids Barney at 5 Cancer and Eros at 11 Cancer tells the tale of Frank’s (Barney) statement (Mercury) of his sexuality (Mars) as a gay man (Eros). An exact semisquare to Mercury from Venus in a precise triple conjunction with asteroids Boston 58221 and Newtonia 662 (all at 16 Taurus) suggests Frank’s confidence in the affection (Venus) borne him by his constituents in Massachusetts’ Fourth District, which centers on the city of Newton (Newtonia), enabling him to confess (Mercury) his same-sex romantic attraction (Venus) to the Boston Globe (Boston) reporter (Mercury) with political impunity.
The supporting patterns are just as dramatic. The Sun at 9 Gemini conjoins asteroid Antinous 1863, named for the gay lover of Roman Emperor Hadrian, opposed asteroid Franck at 12 Sagittarius, in a T-Square with asteroid Massachusetts at 12 Pisces, identifying the congressman and the state he represents. As well, the emergence of the first openly gay member of the US House of Representatives is signaled by a T-Square from asteroid House at 27 Aquarius opposed asteroid Ganymed 1036, named for Zeus cupbearer and underage boy-toy lover, at 24 Leo, with asteroid Sappho at 27 Leo on the fulcrum.
STEPHEN COLBERT’S “LATE SHOW” SAYONARA
On Thursday, 21 May 2026, comedian Stephen Colbert ended his 11-year run as host of CBS’ “The Late Show”. The show itself has been canceled; Colbert will not be replaced. CBS cited cost overruns and shrinking audiences for late night network shows generally (though “The Late Show” was still #1 in its timeslot) in its decision not to renew Cobert’s contract, but many see in the termination the tiny hand of US President Donald Trump, a vociferous Colbert critic, who objected to “The Late Show” host’s regular mocking excoriations of his performance and personality.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the cancellation was announced in July 2025, two days after Colbert characterized as “a big, fat bribe” a $16 million settlement between Paramount (CBS’ parent company) and Trump (who had sued CBS’ “Sixty Minutes” for what he termed unfair editing of a Kamala Harris interview in 2024). The week before, the Trump administration had finally approved a pending merger between Paramount and Skydance that had been hanging fire for nearly a year, and Colbert’s calling out of the seeming quid pro quo led directly to his firing.
Colbert pulled out all the stops for his finale, including appearances by fellow late-night hosts Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, but the showstopper was Sir Paul McCartney, who joined Colbert in a rendition of the Beatles standard “Hello, Goodbye.” The performance was especially poignant, as “The Late Show” was filmed on the Ed Sullivan Stage, the same venue where the Beatles made their US debut in 1964.
The combination of politics and celebrity on a national talk show was imaged by transit Jupiter at 22 Cancer conjunct the US natal Mercury at 24 Cancer, with an opposition to natal Pluto at 27 Capricorn accounting for the behind-the-scenes manipulation and power play resulting in Colbert’s downfall. A square from transit TNO Eris 136199 at 25 Aries shows Colbert as a dissenting (Eris) voice (Mercury) to the powers that be (Pluto).
An exact conjunction of the Sun and Uranus (both 1 Gemini) with Mercury at 10 Gemini in tow alludes to a spotlight (Sun) on television (Uranus), and especially talk shows (Mercury). An exact conjunction with TNO Sedna 90377 (also 1 Gemini) and a trine from Pluto at 5 Aquarius depicts Colbert’s apparent isolation (Sedna) and destruction (Pluto), but Sedna is also known for resilience, and Pluto prompts rebirth, so US audiences have likely not seen the last of Stephen Colbert.
Such a momentous development in the life and career of Stephen Colbert is surely reflected in the heavens, and indeed, both asteroid Stevin 2831 (alternate spelling) and asteroid Colbert 9164 appear at station, a stage in their astronomical cycles which represents a major shift or change in direction, a pivotal moment or crisis. Moreover, Stevin at 17 Capricorn is exactly conjunct the Ascendant for the 11:35 PM EDT premiere of the finale, its public face, while Colbert at 1 Aquarius conjoins Pluto, emblem of major transition and change.
As well, Stevin squares asteroid NOT 2857 at 20 Aries, a symbol of negation, in a T-Square with Jupiter, known as the Greater Benefic, implying that bigger, better things may be in store for Colbert’s future. Colbert is further accompanied by asteroids Manhattan 12464 at 6 Aquarius, identifying where the show is filmed, and Beatles 8749 at 9 Aquarius, named for the group which guest Paul McCartney headlined.
Not to be outdone, asteroid McCartney 4148 at 7 Libra, named for the performer, is also at station, specifically identifying Paul McCartney as somehow pivotal in the moment. With McCartney is a stationary asteroid Requiem 2254 at 3 Libra, named for the funeral mass for the dead, and more generally signaling endings. This Libra grouping joins the Aquarian cluster and the solar stellium in Gemini to form a Grand Trine. Colbert et al opposes asteroid Sullivan 15133 at 9 Leo, pinpointing the Ed Sullivan stage as the venue, and creating a Kite pattern. Separating out that polarity from the pattern, we find a second T-Square, with squares to asteroid Stephania 220 at 9 Taurus, a feminine variation of Stephen, on the fulcrum.
The Ed Sullivan stage’s prominence in Stephen Colbert’s life (born 13 May 1964, no time available) is portrayed by his natal Sun at 22 Taurus conjoined asteroid Stevin at 0 Gemini, with the Sun exactly opposed asteroid Sullivan at 22 Scorpio, in a T-Square with asteroid Colbert at 21 Aquarius. A triple conjunction of Mercury at 1 Taurus with Mars at 4 Taurus and Jupiter at 7 Taurus grants potential to Colbert for becoming famous (Jupiter) for his biting, caustic (Mars) wit (Mercury). A Grand Trine from this grouping with a Uranus/Pluto pairing at 5 & 11 Virgo and a stationary asteroid Stephania at 3 Capricorn suggests Colbert (Stephania) as making an impact (station) as someone who rebels (Uranus) against the power structure (Pluto).
Colbert famously introduced the world to the concept of “truthiness,” defined as “the quality of asserting a statement is true based on intuition, emotion, or a desire for it to be true, rather than on factual evidence, logic, or intellectual examination.” Natal asteroid Truth 249521 at 26 Scorpio opposes the Sun, while asteroid Veritas 490 at 23 Aquarius, Latin for “truth,” conjoins natal asteroid Colbert and squares the Sun.
Options for a non-network venue for Stephen Colbert’s patented brand of parody, sarcasm and snark are virtually endless in today’s broadly-varied media landscape. Fans, have no fear – Colbert will be speaking truth to power for a long time to come.
Title Image Credit: drawn by Chat GPT
