Alex's Asteroid Astrology

On 1 September 2023, word came of the death of singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who passed away at his Sag Harbor, NY home, surrounded by his family, friends, music, and dogs, after a four-year battle with an aggressive, rare skin cancer.  Buffet was best known for his patented brand of “tropical rock,” celebrating a back-to-the-beach, “island escapism” aesthetic, especially epitomized by “Margaritaville” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” from the 1970s.  But Buffett was also a gifted businessman and entrepreneur, with a net worth at his passing of over a billion dollars, making him one of the richest musicians on the planet, albeit most of his wealth stemmed from these other sidelines, and not record sales.

But Jimmy Buffett was no slouch in the recording industry either, with more than 30 albums and 20 million records sold.  Despite good popular reception and a loyal fanbase, Buffett never gained critical acclaim, being nominated for just two Grammys (and even that not until the early 2000s, for collaborations with Country writers), and no wins.

Born on 25 December 1946 at 1:08 AM CST in Pascagoula, Mississippi (Rodden Rating B), Jimmy Buffett’s pull toward music was obvious, with an exact Neptune/asteroid Karma 3811 pairing at 10 Libra on his 18 Libra Ascendant, fated (Karma) to be seen by others (Ascendant) as a musician (Neptune).  As well, asteroid Singer 10698 is also angular; at 11 Capricorn it conjoins the 20 Cap IC, also broadly conjunct both the 2 Cap Sun and the 21 Cap Moon.  Singer further appears at the Apex of a Yod, or Finger of Destiny, with inconjunct aspects to Saturn (ruling career) at 7 Leo and asteroid Buffon 74120 (closest to Buffett) at 10 Gemini. 

But Singer’s closest aspect is to … you guessed it!  Asteroid Margarita 310, at 13 Capricorn, for “Margaritaville,” the song that Buffett would be most identified with.  Buffett himself may never have won a Grammy, but his signature tune was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016 for its cultural and historic significance.  Asteroid Paradise 2791, for perhaps his second best-known single, “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” appears at 6 Gemini, aligned with Buffon, as another self-identifying element of his nativity.  With asteroid Berger 12729 (phonetic match for “burger”) at 29 Pisces conjunct asteroid James 2335 at 22 Pisces, both markers of this song are aligned with self-referential asteroids.  (Not to be outdone, asteroid Margherita 248866, an alternate spelling, exactly cojoins the natal Moon at 21 Capricorn.)

Jupiter at 19 Scorpio conjunct Venus at 22 Scorpio, in a Grand Trine Kite pattern trined the MC at 20 Cancer and asteroid James at 22 Pisces, with the Moon on its String at 21 Capricorn, shows Buffett (James) as a beloved (Venus) celebrity (Jupiter) entertainer (also Venus), with an expansive (also Jupiter) career (MC), and a love (Venus again) of the beach (Moon).  A tight square from asteroid Kalypso 53 at 1 Libra to his 2 Capricorn Sun may have attuned him to the islands music that formed such a strong element of his compositions.  James in a T-Square with Mercury at 16 Sagittarius and Uranus at 19 Gemini suggests writing (Mercury) songs about exotic (Uranus) locations.  James linked to Mercury is also typical of the placement of one’s own PNA (Personal-Named Asteroid), which commonly interacts with the Sun, Moon Ascendant or Mercury (as ruling the naming function in the birth chart).

James’ opposition to asteroid Grass at 24 Virgo reflects Buffett’s longstanding use of marijuana, for which “grass” is a euphemism, even extending to teaming with a Wrigley chewing gum heir in 2019 to license his “Coral Reefer” brand of cannabis products.  But Grass also conjoins asteroid Nemesis 128 at 22 Virgo, a point of self-undoing, which may explain his abandonment of the drug later in life:  perhaps he decided the aftereffects were more deleterious than the high was worth.

When the “Margaritaville” single was released on 14 February 1977, asteroid Margarita was embedded at station, having turned direct at 26 Gemini two days prior, perhaps adding to the song’s staying power and long-term entrenchment in American culture.  An opposition to the Galactic Center at 26 Sagittarius also ensured universal notice and attention.  Asteroid James at 16 Aquarius broadly conjoined the 25 Aquarius Sun, placing Buffett in the spotlight.  A square to Jupiter at 22 Taurus suggests enhanced celebrity from the song.  James is also trine to asteroid Singer at 19 Gemini (widely conjunct Margarita), in a Grand Trine Kite pattern with Pluto (transformative agent) at 13 Libra, placing Venus (singers, entertainers) on the String at 10 Aries.

When Jimmy Buffett passed away on 1 September 2023, the Sun at 8 Virgo conjoined asteroid Margarita at 10 Virgo, spotlighting the songwriter’s most famous composition.  An opposition to Saturn, ancient lord of death, at 3 Pisces, speaks to his mortality, reinforced by asteroid Requiem 2254 (named for the funeral mass for the dead) on the fulcrum of a T-Square at 11 Sagittarius.  Saturn is an exact match for natal Damocles 5335, the threat or doom hanging overhead, while natal Paradise/Buffon at 6 and 10 Gemini completes a Grand Cross.

Asteroid James at 9 Aquarius opposes Buffon at 8 Leo with Venus (entertainers) at 12 Leo, in a Grand Cross with Jupiter (fame, celebrity) at 15 Taurus and asteroid Merkley 22132 at 9 Scorpio, for the Merkel-cell carcinoma that took his life.  Natal Merkley at 12 Libra opposes natal asteroid Lachesis 120 at 20 Aries, named for the mythic Greek Fate who determines the span of life, in a T-Square with Singer and Margarita at 11 and 13 Capricorn, putting an expiration date (Lachesis) on the “Margaritaville” (Margarita) vocalist (Singer) due to the Merkel-cell cancer (Merkley).  Jupiter is also squared to natal asteroid Atropos 273 at 17 Leo, named for the Fate who severs the thread of life at death, as well as an exact natal conjunction of Pluto, modern lord of death, with asteroid Rip (“RIP”) at 13 Leo.  Venus conjoins all three and is at its station degree, marking a major turning point (station) for the entertainer (Venus), about to resume direct motion on September 4^th.

Mars at 3 Libra and asteroid Singer at 6 Libra conjoin an exact natal pairing of death indicator asteroids Requiem and Osiris 1923 (named for the Egyptian god of the dead) at 2 Libra, also squaring natal asteroid Anubis 1912 at 2 Cancer (named for the Egyptian deity governing funerary rites).  Transit asteroids Rip and Osiris at 18 and 25 Libra opposed natal Lachesis as well as transit Lachesis at 29 Aries.  Transit Lachesis is at station, having turned retrograde on August 24^th, and making a Return to its natal degree two months prior, resetting its natal potential, including the opposition to Merkley.

Jimmy Buffett will be mourned and missed by his devoted fanbase, known as Parrotheads, mostly aging baby boomers who remember his songs as the soundtrack of their youthful spring break indiscretions.  Let’s just hope that when he finds his paradise, there’s a cheeseburger there waiting for him.