Alex's Asteroid Astrology

Grace Kelly has always been one of my favorite actresses, despite a thin body of work, with just ten films to her credit over her truncated, five-year career.  But what credits!  “High Noon” with Gary Cooper; “Mogambo” with Clark Gable; “The Country Girl” with Bing Crosby and William Holden (which garnered her an Oscar); and three Hitchcock classics: “Dial M for Murder” with Ray Milland; “To Catch a Thief” with Cary Grant; and “Rear Window” with Jimmy Stewart.  Kelly abruptly left show business at the peak of her career for a higher calling:  to become a princess as the wife of Prince Rainier III of Monaco.  The connection to royalty didn’t hurt one bit in my admiration of her.

I recently had occasion to view again two of her Hitchcock films, and was captivated once more by her beauty, elegance, poise and, well – Grace!  I got to wondering how the asteroids fit into her biography, and what I found was quite remarkable, but not surprising.

Born 12 November 1929 at 5:31 AM EST in Philadelphia, PA (Rodden Rating AA), Grace Kelly is one of that elite club of performers who actually have a celestial body named for them.  It’s always fascinating to me how PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids) which are named for a specific individual fit so well into that individual’s birth chart, despite being undiscovered at their births, and not named until decades later. 

Asteroid Gracekelly 9341 isn’t as tapped into the chart as some (like Robinwilliams, which appears on Robin Williams’ Ascendant; Bradpitt, which appears on Brad Pitt’s Sun; or Steviewonder, which appears on Stevie Wonder’s Moon), but it makes a good showing.  At 9 Sagittarius, it conjoins asteroid Kelly 22312 at 1 Sag, opposes Jupiter (fame, celebrity, royalty) exact with asteroid Nike 307 (named for the Greek goddess of victory) at 14 Gemini and asteroid Academia 829 at 4 Gemini, in a T-Square with Neptune (the movies) at 3 Virgo and asteroid Actor 12238 at 1 Virgo, telling the tale of a film star (Neptune, Actor) who was famous (Jupiter) for winning (Nike) an Academy Award (Academia) and marring royalty (Jupiter).

One’s own PNAs typically interact with the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Mercury (as ruling the naming function), and while Gracekelly doesn’t conform to this pattern, it does trine the 11 Leo MC closely, ruling career, status and place in the world.  And Grace Kelly isn’t short of other PNAs which do conform to the rule, and add further confirmation of certain aspects of her life and biography.

There’s no Grace asteroid, but there are several CNAs (Compound-Named Asteroids, consisting of first and last names strung together as one word, which can be separated and used for either) beginning with that name.  Asteroid Graceleanor 27253 at 16 Gemini joins the Jupiter/Nike/Academia mix to provide further evidence that Grace Kelly would one day be an Oscar winner – as does asteroid Gracetian 34268, which at 27 Capricorn aligns with asteroid Oskar 750 at 0 Aquarius.  As well, Graceleanor squares the Moon at 21 Pisces, while Gracetian squares the Ascendant at 4 Scorpio, conforming to the normal PNA placement structure.

Asteroid Gracecook 50739 at 17 Cancer is trine the 19 Scorpio Sun and also at station, having turned retrograde just two days before her birth.  Gracecook conjoins Pluto at 19 Cancer as well, perhaps a nod to her personal power, as one of the most-recognized women in the world of her day. 

Asteroid Gracecai 9459 at 14 Aries is inconjunct the Sun, and closely conjoined asteroid Rainer 16802 at 15 Aries, our celestial marker for her future husband, Rainier III.  Together these conjoin Uranus at 7 Aries, identifying the unorthodox (Uranus) match of Hollywood royalty with the real thing; trine both asteroid Juno 3 at 10 Sagittarius, named for the Roman goddess of marriage, and asteroid Hera 103 at 13 Sagittarius, named for her Greek counterpart; and square asteroid Prinz 4595 at 10 Capricorn, German for “prince,” specifying her husband’s rank.  Asteroid Gracehsu 19428 at 0 Cancer is sesquiquadrate the Sun, rounding out the celestial “Grace” referents.

Asteroid Kelly 22312 at 1 Sagittarius doesn’t interact with the normal points (barring a very wide trine to the Moon), but it does reaffirm the Best Actress Academy Award, being opposed asteroid Academia at 4 Gemini, exactly squared Actor at 1 Virgo, and exactly sextile Oskar at 1 Aquarius.  But asteroid Kelley 4477, an alternate spelling of her surname, does conform to the rule, being conjoined the Sun from 24 Scorpio, and trine the Moon.

Grace Kelly had three points at station in her birth chart, a status which indicates major formative influences on character or biography.  One is asteroid King 2305, which at 3 Aries is sesquiquadrate the Sun, and turned direct a week after her birth.  King in this context would suggest a strong connection to royalty, which of course came with her marriage.

The other two seem to have acted in tandem as they played out in her life.  Or, more accurately, her death.  These are asteroid Lachesis 120, named for the mythic Greek Fate who determines the span of life, and asteroid Carr 3837, phonetic match for “car.”  Both are trine the Sun and bookend the 21 Pisces Moon, with Lachesis at 16 Pisces turning direct five days before her birth, and Carr at 24 Pisces following suit the day after.  Kelly famously died in a car crash at age 52 (more on that later).

As to career matters, director Alfred Hitchcock was perhaps most formative in developing her image on the silver screen, starring her in three well-received films.  Asteroid Alfreda 1375, a feminine form of his name, appears at 9 Scorpio on the 4 Scorpio Ascendant, which governs how others see us, while asteroid Hitchcock 7032 (named for the Master of Suspense) at 28 Virgo exactly squares natal Saturn at 28 Sagittarius, ruling career.  Hitchcock is also semisquare to the 11 Leo MC, also with affinities for career, reputation and worldly status.

The high-water mark of Kelly’s film career came on March 30^th, 1955, when she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her performance in “The Country Girl.”  The odds-on favorite was Judy Garland for “A Star Is Born,” but Kelly edged her out for the win, as predicted in her birth chart.  The cosmos wasn’t taking any chances, though, and Grace Kelly appeared prominently in the skies on Awards night as well.  The Sun at 9 Aries was conjunct asteroid Kelly at 17 Aries, granting her enhanced visibility, with asteroid Kelley at 3 Leo in trine to the Sun, and embedded at station (it had turned direct a week prior), marking a pivotal moment in her biography.  From this fixed stance, Kelley is also squared asteroid Oskar at 11 Scorpio, which conjoins Grace Kelly’s natal Ascendant and exactly squares her 11 Leo MC.

Asteroid Gracekelly at 25 Pisces was no longer within orb of the Sun, but it does join a Grand Trine Kite pattern, with trines to a Jupiter (luck, fortune, positive outcomes)/Uranus (shocking, unexpected win) duo at 20 and 23 Cancer, and Saturn at 20 Scorpio, ruling career, with the String of the Kite formed by asteroid Actor at 28 Virgo, opposed Gracekelly for her acting award.  Gracekelly also squares asteroid Victoria 12 at 21 Gemini, named for the Roman goddess of victory.

What other indicators can we see of her eventual royal status?  For one, the aforementioned asteroid Prinz at 10 Capricorn is also trine asteroid Groom 5129 at 4 Virgo, suggesting a princely husband.  The Monegasque Royal House is named Grimaldi, and asteroid Grimaldi 129743 at 23 Virgo squares Saturn, which designates the spouse or consort, and opposes the Moon at 21 Pisces, implying a domestic partnership. 

Although Rainier was not styled as “king,” he was a reigning monarch of an independent principality, so generic terms for royalty may also be applied.  As such, asteroid King at 3 Aries appears at station, indicating an enhanced importance for all things royal in Grace Kelly’s biography.  This is further affirmed by King’s trine to Gracekelly conjoined Juno at 9 and 10 Sagittarius, celestial shorthand for her marriage to a reigning monarch.

Asteroid Queen’s 5457 at 1 Scorpio conjoins the 4 Scorpio Ascendant, with asteroid Regina 285 (Latin for “queen”) at 14 Leo on the 11 Leo MC, thus providing Grace Kelly with a royal (Queen’s, Regina) public image (Ascendant) and worldly status (MC).  Regina is also trine to the Rainer/Gracecai conjunction, in a Grand Trine with Gracekelly/Juno/Hera, bringing it home personally to the married couple.

Her meeting with the Prince of Monaco does seem an act of Fate.  Grace Kelly headed the US delegation to the Cannes Film Festival in April of 1955, and was invited to participate in a photo session with the bachelor prince, whose demesne was just a little further along the Cote d’Azur.  Kelly agreed, but scheduling complications postponed their meeting until May 6^th, by which time the cosmos had everything in place.

Venus at 14 Aries was now an exact match for Kelly’s natal asteroid Gracecai, also conjunct natal Rainer at 15 Aries, and the goddess of love wasted no time in bringing their romance into being, dragging along asteroid Gracekelly at 12 Aries in her wake.  With Venus conjoined her own special PNA, Grace Kelly was fully primed to fall in love, and naturally turned to the man whose celestial stand-in had been awaiting her since birth. 

As well, the Sun at 15 Taurus conjoined asteroid Grimaldi at 9 Taurus, putting the Monegasque Royal Family in focus, with asteroids Kelly at 1 Taurus and Graceleanor at 3 Taurus also conjunct Grimaldi, and asteroid Eros 433 (the Greek Cupid) providing the dart of love from 3 Taurus as well.  This group further squares a pairing of asteroids Kelley and Gracecook at 9 and 11 Leo, straddling Kelly’s 11 Leo MC, governing her status and place in the world, which was about to take a huge step up.  Echoing this event is Pluto at 24 Leo, conjoined asteroid Photographica at 21 Leo, suggesting the transformative event (Pluto) based on a photo shoot (Photographica).  These square Kelly’s natal Sun at 19 Scorpio, personalizing the energy to her.

Born 31 May 1923, Prince Rainier’s 8 Gemini Sun is closely conjoined by asteroid Gracekelly at 7 Gemini, showing an individual of that name who would be of prime importance in his life.  Transit Rainer at 2 Gemini was highlighting this natal connection when they met, spurred also by transit asteroid Hera (marriage) at 0 Virgo (which itself conjoined Kelly’s natal asteroid Groom at 4 Virgo) in square.

In less than a year the couple were married, exchanging vows in two ceremonies, one civil and one religious (as mandated by Monaco’s adherence to the Napoleonic Code) on 19 April 1956, under skies that practically screamed the headlines.  The Sun at 29 Aries conjoined asteroid Briede 19029 (for “bride”) at 27 Aries, opposed Neptune (film star) at 29 Libra with asteroid Groom at 4 Scorpio, itself exactly on Kelly’s natal Ascendant.  A Grand Cross is formed by squares to Uranus at 28 Cancer (the unconventional match) with asteroid Rainer at 26 Cancer and asteroid Grimaldi at 2 Leo, and asteroid Juno (marriage) at 20 Capricorn.

At station were asteroid Queen’s at 10 Virgo (turning direct ten days later), reflecting Grace Kelly’s new royal status; asteroid Kelley at 9 Sagittarius (which turned retrograde ten days before), signaling the sea change in her life’s direction; and asteroid Hera at 20 Sagittarius (turning retrograde the day prior), affirming the prominence of marriage on the day.  Transit Gracekelly at 12 Gemini conjoins, not only Rainier’s natal Sun/Gracekelly (thus he’s having his “Gracekelly Return” when they wed, with the Return of any point being a time which reactivates the natal potential), but also transit Venus and asteroid Regina, both at 14 Gemini, imaging the actress (Gracekelly) made royal (Regina) by love (Venus).

The couple had three children:  Caroline, Albert and Stephanie.  All three appear in asteroid form, all connected to Minor Planet Ceres 1 at 16 Gemini, named for the Roman goddess of motherhood, with asteroid Carolina 235 at 17 Libra in trine, asteroid Albert 719 at 19 Leo in sextile, and asteroid Stephania 220 at 0 Leo in semisquare.

The youngest child featured prominently in her mother’s tragic and untimely death, with Princess Stephanie also in the car when a road accident took Grace Kelly’s life.  On 13 September 1982, Kelly was driving back from their country home in Roc Agel when she suffered a mild cerebral hemorrhage and lost control of the car, a Rover P6 3500, which ran offroad and plunged 120 feet down a mountain ravine.  Kelly received severe injuries to the brain and thorax, and a fractured femur, and died the following night in Monaco Hospital at 10:55 PM CEST, after Rainier had her removed from life support.

Grace Kelly was buried in the Grimaldi family vault on September 18^th, in a ceremony attended by 400 mourners, including the newly-minted Diana, Princess of Wales (who had married Prince Charles the year before), an eerie presentiment of her own demise in a car crash.

A chart cast for her passing shows a startling correlation to events.  The 27 Aquarius MC is exactly conjoined by Damocles 5335, representing the doom or threat hanging unseen overhead, about to descend at any moment, and is exactly opposed asteroid Roversimonaco 8809 at 27 Leo on the IC.  Roversimonaco’s application to the story is especially apt, beginning with “Rover,” the name of the vehicle she was driving, and ending in “Monaco,” where the accident occurred.  The aspect perfectly illustrates the doom awaiting Kelly in her Rover on that mountain road in Monaco.

Asteroids Gracecai and Gracecook at 16 and 22 Gemini conjoin the 24 Gemini Ascendant, and are opposed by Neptune exactly on the 24 Sagittarius Descendant, a final nod to the movie star origins of Monaco’s princess.  Grace Kelly’s natal Saturn, ancient lord of death, is highlighted by all these points from 28 Sagittarius, with her natal Moon (the physical body) forming a T-Square from 21 Pisces, and that natal Lachesis/Carr pairing also activated, prefiguring her death by auto.  Natal Carr at 24 Pisces is exactly squared the passing chart’s Ascendant.

Transit Carr at 22 Aries opposes transit Saturn at 21 Libra exact with asteroid Lachesis, that Fate who determines the span of life, as well as transit Pluto, modern lord of death, at 25 Libra, in a T-Square with transit asteroid Nemesis 128 at 24 Cancer, signaling ruin and destruction.  The transit Sun at 21 Pisces is exactly conjoined by transit asteroid Anubis 1912, named for the ancient Egyptian deity governing funerary rites, and these exactly oppose the natal Moon with Lachesis and Carr, for a synastric Grand Cross in late Mutable Signs.

Perhaps most astonishing, Kelly’s passing occurred under stations for three points in conjunction:  asteroids Karma 3811 exact with Gracehsu at 9 Taurus, and Kelly at 11 Taurus.  Karma turned retrograde on the very day of the crash, preceded by Gracehsu three days earlier, and Kelly a week before that.  Together they signal a fated (Karma) turning point (stations) for Grace Kelly (Gracehsu, Kelly).  This remarkable grouping forms the spine of a Grand Trine Kite pattern, with trines to a triple conjunction of asteroids Requiem 2254 (named for the funeral mass for the dead) and Grimaldi with Venus at 6, 7 and 8 Virgo respectively, and a pairing of asteroids Osiris 1923 (named for the Egyptian god of the dead) and Rip 7711 (which functions as a death indicator in the form of the acronym RIP, “Rest In Peace,” a common tombstone inscription) at 1 and 4 Capricorn.  The String of the Kite is formed by asteroid Kelley at 1 Scorpio, conjoined Jupiter, ruling royalty, at 8 Scorpio, and asteroid Gracekelly at 11 Scorpio, all opposed the stationary Taurean points.

Kelly’s natal Damocles at 15 Aquarius is opposed by the transit Moon at 17 Leo, doubling down on the threat level to her physical body for the period, forming a T-Square with the natal Sun at 19 Scorpio.  Additional activations of death indicators in Kelly’s birth chart include natal Osiris at 2 Aquarius, which is T-Squared by the transit Kelley-Karma/Gracehsu/Kelly opposition; natal Anubis at 19 Sagittarius, aligned with the transit Horizontal Axis and Sun/Anubis conjunction in a T-Square; natal Atropos at 11 Sagittarius, squared by the transit Requiem/Grimaldi/Venus grouping; natal Requiem at 14 Scorpio, opposed by the stations in Taurus; and natal Rip at 3 Pisces, opposed by the Virgo stellium.

Although she received only a minor concussion and a hairline fracture of a cervical vertebra from the accident, Princess Stephanie’s involvement in the death is well represented in the crash chart, with asteroid Stefani at 22 Libra joining Saturn/Lachesis/Pluto and opposing Carr; and asteroid Stephania at 0 Capricorn conjoined Osiris and Rip.  Here we see Stephanie cheek-by-jowl with a death, which was not her own, but affected her deeply.

In closing, let’s take a look at the history of Grace Kelly’s eponymous asteroid, apart from its direct involvement in her life.  This minor body was discovered on 2 August 1991, more than 60 years after her birth and almost a decade after her death.  Appearing at 10 Aquarius, Gracekelly conjoins its namesake’s 11 Aquarius IC and is squared her natal 19 Scorpio Sun.  When the point was finally named on 20 November 2002, more than a decade later, it appears at 15 Scorpio, conjunct that Sun.

Truly, the workings of the cosmos are perfect, ineffable, and unfathomable.