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Aster-Obit:  Dick Cheney

On the evening of 3 November 2025, former US Vice President Richard “Dick” Cheney passed away at his home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, of complications related to pneumonia and vascular disease.  He was attended by Lynne, his wife of 61 years, their daughters Mary and Liz, and other family members.

Cheney’s career in politics spanned decades, from his early work in the late 1960s as an aide to Donald Rumsfeld, later Defense Secretary, to his stint as Chief-of-Staff for President Gerald Ford; U.S Representative for Wyoming; Defense Secretary for President George H. W. Bush; and Vice President for his son, George W. Bush.  He made a brief foray into the private sector as CEO of Halliburton, a Fortune 500 company, during the Clinton administration.

cheney wedding
Dick Cheney and Lynne Vincent married in 1964; asteroid Lynn opposes the Sun and is sesquiquadrate Venus; asteroid Vincent is at station, squared asteroid Juno, Roman goddess of marriage

Known as Darth Vader by his detractors, Cheney’s omnipresent half-smile, which some considered a smirk, may have contributed to his reputation as the power behind the throne for George W. Bush, the architect of the 9-11 attacks, and the mover and shaker behind the Iraq War and the overarching War of Terror.  To his credit, he vigorously opposed Donald Trump after the 2021 Capitol Insurrection, characterizing him as a threat to democracy, and came out to endorse Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, despite his long association with conservatism and the Republican Party.

Born 30 January 1941 at 7:30 PM CST in Lincoln, Nebraska (Rodden Rating AA), asteroid Richard 3972 at 28 Pisces conjoins the 22 Pisces Moon and is semisquare the 10 Aquarius Sun, typical placements for one’s own PNA’s (Personal-Named Asteroids).  Although “Dick” is a common enough nickname for Richard, the presence of asteroid Dick 17458 at 22 Scorpio, exactly trine the Moon and conjoined the IC, may have influenced the choice in Cheney’s case.

cheney ford
Cheney’s stint as Chief-of-Staff to President Gerald Ford catapulted him into the highest echelons of political power in Washington; asteroid Ford appears at station, signifying a pivotal role to play in his bio

His wife Lynne (nee Vincent) is seen as asteroids Lynn 4358, which at 9 Leo closely opposes his Sun, also sesquiquadrate Venus (romantic partners) at 21 Capricorn; and Vincent 34846, which at 6 Gemini is embedded at station (turning direct the day after his birth), indicating someone of prime importance in the biography, and squared asteroid Juno 3 at 4 Virgo on the 2 Virgo Ascendant, with Juno named for the Roman goddess of marriage, and Ascendant connections suggesting individuals who are key in crafting our public image.

cheney bush sr
Cheney was George H. W. Bush’s Defense Secretary, as depicted by asteroid Richard semisquare asteroid Bellona, Roman goddess of war

Also at station is asteroid Ford 13852, which at 16 Gemini turned direct February 1st.  Gerald Ford’s elevation of Cheney to his Chief-of-Staff, arguably the second most powerful position in Washington after the president himself, catapulted him, at just age 33, to the highest echelons of national political power and influence.  Ford’s choice cannot be underestimated in Cheney’s bio, as the stationary status of his eponymous asteroid attests.

cheney lynne
All hat and no cattle; Dick Cheney represented the state of Wyoming in the US House of Representatives for a decade, as witnessed by asteroid House trine Saturn, ruling career; Saturn also denotes his roles in House leadership, where he was HRC Chair and briefly Minority Whip

The pivotal role played by the Bush dynasty in his biography is represented by asteroid Busch 7121 (alternate spelling) at 21 Scorpio, given Angular heft by conjunction with the 27 Scorpio IC, and personal connectivity via the conjunction with asteroid Dick, also closely opposed Uranus at 22 Taurus on the 27 Taurus Midheaven, ruling career, status, reputation and place in the world.  The Bushes are inextricably linked to Cheney’s rise via this connection.  The unconventionality of Uranus is displayed, perhaps, by Cheney heading the vice-presidential search committee for Dubya in 2000, only to choose himself as the running mate.  Busch is also broadly conjoined asteroid Whitehouse 5036 at 1 Sagittarius, denoting the two Bush presidencies in which his involvement was key.  Asteroid George 3854 at 16 Taurus squares the Sun, underscoring the personal relationship between Cheney and the Bushes, father and son.

cheney bush jr
The importance of the Bush dynasty to Cheney’s career cannot be overemphasized; asteroid Busch opposed the Midheaven, ruling career, and asteroid George squared the Sun show the personal and professional bonds

A pairing of Jupiter with Saturn at 7 and 8 Taurus squared the Sun indicates a career (Saturn) in politics (Jupiter), inclining toward the conservative side (Saturn), and with his Sun opposed Pluto at 3 Leo, there’s no doubt of Cheney’s attraction to power, and perhaps underhanded, even criminal, activity.  An inconjunct from the Sun to asteroid Washingtonia at 9 Cancer shows a pull toward the nation’s capital, while a trine from Pluto to Whitehouse suggests direct involvement with a presidential administration as the surest, easiest route to Pluto’s goal.  Again, asteroid George within orb of conjunction shows the Bush’s facilitation of that desire to dominate. 

cheney mary
Cheney’s younger daughter Mary (right) is lesbian, an embarrassment to her conservative family; asteroid Mary is inconjunct asteroid Sappho, named for an ancient Greek lesbian poet

Cheney served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1979-1989), as displayed by asteroid House 4950 at 1 Capricorn, in trine to Jupiter/Saturn.  A semisquare from asteroid Richard at 28 Pisces to asteroid Bellona 28 at 11 Taurus, named for the Roman goddess of war, describes his stint as Bush Sr’s Defense Secretary (1989-1993).  But it was as architect of the Iraq War under Bush Jr that Bellona truly shone, in exact inconjunct to asteroid Baghdad 7079 at 11 Sagittarius (named for the Iraqi capital), itself conjoined Mars, planetary ruler of war, at 17 Sagittarius.

cheney iraq
Cheney was a leading advocate of the Iraq War and the War on Terror; with asteroid Baghdad, named for Iraq’s capital, conjunct Mars, ruling armed conflict, the focus is understandable

Several eclipses in 2025 heralded Cheney’s potential demise.  The Lunar Eclipse of 14 March 2025 at 23 Virgo opposed both natal asteroid Richard at 28 Pisces and the natal Moon at 22 Pisces, signifying health at risk generally, and anticipating pneumonia as the proximate cause of his death, with lungs ruled by the Moon.  The subsequent Solar Eclipse of 29 March at 9 Aries squared natal asteroid Requiem 2254 at 7 Capricorn, named for the funeral mass for the dead.  Finally, the Solar Eclipse of 21 September at 29 Virgo opposed natal asteroid Richard, setting the seal on his mortality.

cheney liz
Dick and daughter Liz were the only two Republicans to attend the year anniversary memorial to the January 6th Capitol Insurrection in 2022; the Sun opposed Pluto in a T-Square with Jupiter and Saturn shows an innate (Sun) drive for political (Jupiter) power (Pluto) via conservatism (Saturn)

When Dick Cheney passed away on 3 November 2025, the transit Sun at 11 Scorpio conjoined both transit asteroid Richard at 10 Scorpio, spotlighting him one last time; and transit asteroid Atropos 273 at 3 Scorpio, named for the mythic Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death.  The transit Sun was also closely squared to Cheney’s natal Sun at 10 Aquarius and natal asteroid Osiris 1923 at 9 Aquarius, named for the Egyptian god of the dead, as well as opposed natal Saturn, ancient lord of death, at 8 Taurus, and squared natal Pluto, modern lord of death, at 3 Leo, forming a Grand Cross of death.

cheney hospital
Cheney returns home after his heart transplant surgery in 2012; he had endured 5 heart attacks, starting at age 37, as well as bypass surgery, balloon angioplasty and the implantation of both stents and a defibrillator; asteroid Valentine (hearts) is broadly conjoined asteroid Nemesis (ruin, destruction) and inconjunct asteroid d’Arrest, signaling cardiac arrest and heart issues generally

Transit asteroid Dick at 11 Capricorn is conjoined by transit asteroids Rip 7711 (acting as a death indicator in the form of the acronym RIP, “Rest In Peace,” a common tombstone inscription) at 16 Capricorn and Jackson 2193 at 20 Capricorn, reflecting the Jackson Hole, Wyoming venue of his demise.  Natal Jackson at 4 Leo conjoins Pluto and opposes the Sun, squaring Saturn, prefiguring someone or someplace of that name as a salient factor in his eventual death.  Transit Dick also conjoins natal asteroid Requiem at 7 Capricorn and natal asteroid Atropos at 17 Capricorn.

cheney old
Dick Cheney was the oldest-living former Vice President; at his death, the Sun conjoined asteroids Richard and Atropos, named for the Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death

Additional contacts from the transit sky to natal placements include transit asteroid Requiem at 26 Virgo, opposed the natal Moon, asteroid Richard and asteroid Lachesis 120, named for the Fate who determines the span of life, at 0 Aries; transit Saturn at 25 Pisces, conjoined the natal Moon, Richard and Lachesis; transit Lachesis at 15 Virgo, semisquare natal Pluto at 3 Leo; transit Atropos at 3 Scorpio exactly squared natal Pluto; transit Osiris at 8 Gemini squared the 2 Virgo Ascendant; and transit Pluto at 1 Aquarius opposed its natal place and widely conjoined the natal Sun and asteroid Osiris pairing, also widely squared natal Saturn.  Pluto’s station retrograde in May 2025 occurred at 3 Aquarius, exactly opposed its natal degree, another indicator of imminent demise.

Dick Cheney will be long remembered.  Whether with affection or disdain, depends upon one’s political perspective.

Alex Miller is a professional writer and astrologer, author of The Black Hole Book, detailing deep space points in astrological interpretation, and the forthcoming Heaven on Earth, a comprehensive study of asteroids, both mythic and personal. Alex is a frequent contributor to “The Mountain Astrologer”, “Daykeeper Journal”, and NCGR’s Journals and “Enews Commentary”; his work has also appeared in “Aspects” magazine, “Dell Horoscope”, “Planetwaves”, “Neptune Café” and “Sasstrology.” He is a past president of Philadelphia Astrological Society, and a former board member for the Philadelphia Chapter of NCGR.

One comment, add yours.

Laurien

Quite the life regardless of how you feel about him and I do give him credit for rejecting Trumpism. Thanks for profiling him. Fascinating asteroid connections!

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