Alex's Asteroid Astrology

On Sunday, 29 December 2024, former US president Jimmy Carter passed away peacefully at his home in Plains, Georgia; at age 100, he was the longest-lived chief executive in US history.  Carter had been in hospice care for nearly two years, since February of 2023, and had lost his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, that November.  He also enjoyed the longest post-presidency, which was viewed, rightly or wrongly, as considerably more successful than his administration, with the Carter Center promoting democracy, advancing human rights and assisting disease eradication globally.  Jimmy and Rosalynn also partnered with Habitat for Humanity in an annual home-building blitz, which the Carters joined personally.

An avowed evangelical Christian who led Bible classes and taught Sunday School, Jimmy Carter was swept into the White House in 1976 on a tide of Americans’ revulsion for the sleaziness, criminality and corruption of the Nixon administration, with both Nixon and his first vice president, Spiro Agnew, resigning from office in disgrace.  But the mood of the country soon turned sour in the face of rising inflation and economic stress, and when in 1979 the Islamic Revolution overtook Iran, with the American Embassy overrun and 52 embassy staffers taken hostage, Carter’s stock plummeted still further.  Negotiations for their release were fruitless, and a botched rescue attempt lent a flavor of incompetence to the administration.  In 1980 Carter lost his re-election bid against Ronald Reagan, setting the stage for the disintegration of the country and the Republican Party which has followed, with the TEA Party movement and now MAGA.

Born 1 October 1924 at 7 AM CST in Plains, Georgia (Rodden Rating AA), James “Jimmy” Carter’s PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids) conform to the typical placements for such bodies, commonly connected to the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Mercury in the birth charts of those they resonate to.  Asteroid James 2335 at 5 Aquarius is embedded at station (turning direct the very day of his birth) and trine the 8 Libra Sun; and asteroid Carter 10683 at 26 Cancer is exactly squared the 26 Libra Ascendant. 

Carter’s career path was somewhat uncertain from birth.  As a youth, he had long cherished the dream of attending the US Naval Academy, but his journey there took a rather circuitous route, via ROTC and an eventual appointment from his US Representative.  Upon his graduation in 1946, Carter married the girl-next-door (quite literally:  the Carters and the Smiths, Rosalynn’s parents, were near neighbors) and embarked on a naval career that lasted seven years.  The attraction to the Navy is easy to see, with asteroid Navi 218998 (alternate spelling of “navy”) at 19 Taurus in sesquiquadrate to the 8 Libra Sun, and in a T-Square with Neptune at 21 Leo and the Moon at 13 Scorpio, joint rulers of the sea. 

By all accounts, the Carters enjoyed their peripatetic seagoing life, but it ended abruptly when his father died of pancreatic cancer in 1953, and Carter left the service to run the family’s peanut farm.  Farming was actually a better celestial fit for Carter than the Navy, with asteroid Farmer at 2 Scorpio, closely conjunct Saturn, ruling career, at 1 Scorpio.  It took a while to make the transition, and despite his upbringing, Carter wasn’t really prepared to run a farm business, but over time he and Rosalynn worked out the kinks and the business became a success.

Carter’s entry into politics was also a rather slapdash affair, beginning with the Sumter County school board shortly after his return to Plains.  In 1962 he suddenly jumped into the deep end of the political pool, deciding at the last moment, within two weeks of the election, to run for an open seat in the Georgia State Senate.  Carter lost that first bid, but in a strange twist of fate, the voting was found to be fraudulent, and when a second election was held, he won, taking office in 1963. 

Carter’s time in the Georgia Senate is seen as asteroid Senator 8603 at 14 Cancer, conjoined Pluto at 13 Cancer and in a T-Square with the 8 Libra Sun and asteroid Demokritos 6129 at 16 Aries, also exactly inconjunct Jupiter at 14 Sagittarius.  This shows Carter (Sun) grasping political (Jupiter) power (Pluto) in the Georgia Senate (Senator) on the Democratic (Demokritos) ticket.  Senator is also exactly quintile (72 degrees, one fifth of the circle) to asteroid Georgia 359 at 26 Virgo, specifying the state he would serve.  It’s interesting that asteroids Georgia and America 916 (at 27 Virgo) both conjoin Mercury, ruling elections, at 21 Virgo, and Carter ran campaigns statewide (Georgia) and nationally (America).

But Jimmy Carter quickly grew restless with his new position and set his sights higher.  A failed Democratic primary bid for Governor of Georgia in 1966 was followed by a successful run in 1970, and he went on to win the general election with 59% of the vote. 

That election, held 3 November 1970, saw asteroid James at 11 Capricorn squared asteroid Nike 307 with Mars at 4 and 8 Libra (conjoined the natal Sun at 8 Libra), fueling a winning (Nike, named for the Greek goddess of victory) campaign (Mars).  As well, asteroid Carter at 1 Sagittarius conjoined Venus and asteroid Georgia 359 at 21 and 24 Scorpio, with this pair also aligned with natal asteroid Victoria 12 at 23 Scorpio, named for the Roman goddess of victory, and opposed transit Saturn, ruling chief executives, at 19 Taurus.  Carter also opposed natal Nike at 8 Gemini, tripling down on the “winning” vibe.

At the time, Georgia’s governors were limited to a single term, so within four years, Carter was looking for another job.  Late in his term as governor, on 12 December 1974, he announced his candidacy as Democratic nominee for the 1976 presidential race.  It was an auspicious date, with the 20 Sagittarius Sun conjoined by Venus (popularity) at 28 Sagittarius, Mercury (the vote itself) at 16 Sag, and asteroid Victoria (winning) at 23 Sag, all trine to asteroids Washingtonia 886 at 16 Leo (representing DC as Carter’s goal) and America 916 (the US generally) at 24 Leo, and squared asteroid Carter at 24 Pisces, linking him personally with the energy.

Asteroids America and Washingtonia were at station (turning retrograde December 16^th and 4^th respectively), as was asteroid James at 7 Aries (turning direct on December 8^th), showing a pivotal turning point (station) had arrived for the nation (America, Washingtonia) and for Carter himself (James).  Pluto at 8 Libra was exactly conjoined Carter’s natal Sun, prefiguring the tremendous transformation (Pluto) to come, as Carter became the most powerful (also Pluto) man in the world.

Unlike many American presidents, Jimmy Carter’s road to the White House wasn’t obvious from birth, celestially speaking.  True, at 19 Aries, asteroid Whitehouse 4036 is exactly conjunct asteroid Karma 3811, conveying a sense of fate connected to the office, as well as conjoined asteroid Demokritos 6129, defining which pollical Party he’d adhere to.  Also true, a conjunction with the 26 Aries Descendant confers Angular force and importance to this mix, but that’s where the connectivity ends.  Most US presidents show strong contacts from Whitehouse to the Sun (self-identifying), Moon (place of residence), or Saturn (career), but for Carter, natal Whitehouse falls just outside these parameters, a bit too wide of opposition to the 8 Libra Sun, a bit too shy of opposition to Saturn at 1 Scorpio, and making no aspect to the 13 Scorpio Moon.

But win the office he did, on 2 November 1976, with asteroid Nike at 22 Scorpio conjoined natal Victoria at 23 Scorpio, and asteroid Whitehouse at 5 Gemini conjoined natal Nike at 8 Gemini.  The Sun at 10 Scorpio was traveling with Uranus (upsets – Carter defeated incumbent Gerald Ford) and Mercury (the vote), both at 7 Scorpio, and Mars (the campaign) at 16 Scorpio, all atop his natal Moon (place of residence, about to change) at 13 Scorpio, and squared by asteroid Victoria (winning) and Saturn (career generally, and presidency specifically) at 15 and 16 Leo.  Asteroid James at 0 Capricorn is also exactly sesquiquadrate Victoria, and semisquare Mars, for that personal connection (James) to campaign (Mars) success (Victoria).  Asteroid Carter at 26 Libra exactly conjoins the natal Ascendant, reflecting his new public image (ASC) as President of the United States; also conjoined natal Saturn at 1 Scorpio (career) and squared the natal MC (reputation, status) at 28 Cancer, while opposed natal Whitehouse at 19 Aries.

New First Lady Rosalynn had been a helpmeet and active partner in all these endeavors, business and political, even taking the lead role in organizing that first, truncated campaign for Georgia Senate.  Multiple markers in the birth chart show her pivotal importance in Jimmy Carter’s biography.  There is no “Rosalynn” asteroid, the closest phonetically would be asteroid Rosalinde 900, but the name is also a precise composite of Rosa and Lynn, both of which do have exact matches (#s 223 and 4358 respectively).  There is also an exact match for her maiden surname, in asteroid Smith 3351.

Asteroid Rosalinde at 12 Virgo is semisquare asteroid Juno 3 at 0 Scorpio, named for the Roman goddess of marriage, as well as sextile the 13 Scorpio Moon, indicating a shared domestic environment.  Rosalinde further opposes asteroid Groom 5129 at 7 Pisces, and is exactly sextile asteroid Briede 19029 (phonetic match for “bride”) at 12 Scorpio, leaving no doubt whatsoever of their eventual status. 

Asteroid Rosa at 23 Cancer conjoins asteroid Carter at 26 Cancer (denoting the personal connection) as well as the 28 Cancer MC (indicating her influence on career matters), and also squares asteroid Hera 103 at 21 Libra, named for the Greek goddess of marriage.  Asteroids Lynn and Smith conjoin exactly at 22 Virgo, conjunct Mercury at 21 Virgo (a meeting of the minds) and sextile asteroid Carter.

At their marriage on 7 July 1946, asteroid Rosa at 8 Cancer was conjoined the transit Sun at 14 Cancer (making the bride the spotlight of the day), exactly squared Carter’s Sun at 8 Libra, and sextile a pairing of asteroids Briede and Hera at 5 and 7 Virgo.  Rosa also squares asteroid James at 7 Aries, directly linking the couple.  Asteroid Carter at 3 Gemini is broadly conjoined asteroid Rosalinde at 25 Taurus and squared Briede/Hera, sesquiquadrate asteroid Juno at 16 Libra.  The Carters were also the longest-wed presidential couple, at 77 years and four months.

The couple had four children – three boys, who were grown adults with lives of their own at Carter’s election; and one daughter, Amy, who came late and was only 9 when her parents moved into the White House.  Asteroid Amy 3375 appears at station from 12 Aquarius, turning direct on November 26^th, in sesquiquadrate to asteroid Child 4580 at 26 Virgo.  Additional Carter family characters who garnered a high profile during the presidency include Miss Lillian, his mother, represented by asteroid Lilliana 756 at 5 Virgo, trine dwarf planet Ceres 1 at 8 Taurus, named for the Greek goddess of motherhood; and ne’er-do-well brother Billy.  Billy’s reputation for drinking and carousing led to a notorious commercial venture, as the endorser of “Billy Beer,” reflected in his brother’s birth chart as asteroid William at 21 Scorpio trine asteroid Beer at 13 Cancer.

In addition to asteroids James and Amy, Jimmy Carter sported two other asteroids at station, both forming major components of his character or biography.  Carter’s religious outlook was a defining feature, represented by asteroid Church 10343 at station from 26 Aquarius, turning direct October 10^th.  While president, Carter avowedly prayed several times a day, and professed that Jesus was the driving force in his life.  As an evangelical Baptist, Carter’s brand of religion would have been more active than passive, perhaps reflected in the close conjunction of Church with energetic Mars at 25 Aquarius.

The other stationary body is asteroid House, which at 27 Taurus turned retrograde on October 2^nd.  House could perhaps be seen as another form of “White House,” but it’s in Carter’s post-presidency where this point really comes to the fore, with his committed involvement in house-building via Habitat for Humanity.  The Carters established an eponymous Work Project under Habitat for Humanity which continues after their deaths.

Despite his strongly religious outlook, Carter was pragmatic and straightforward about sexuality, and not easily shocked, though he once famously shocked others.  An interview with “Playboy” magazine, released barely a month before the 1976 election, drew considerable blowback from the evangelical community, threatening his candidacy, when Carter confessed, “I’ve looked on a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.”  Which can’t have been pleasant for Rosalynn. 

A lust for females generally is portrayed as asteroid Lust 4386 exactly conjunct the Moon at 13 Scorpio; a square to asteroid James at 5 Aquarius reinforces the intimacy of the statement.  The actual disclosure of this revelation on 24 September 1976 is seen in a Sun/asteroid Carter conjunction at 1and 4 Libra, sesquiquadrate asteroid Lust at 22 Aquarius.

Carter’s presidency was a short and troubled one, but one milestone accomplishment stands out – the Accords signed between Israel and Egypt at Camp David, the Maryland presidential retreat, in 1978.  Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were so antagonistic to each other at the start of this 12-day process that they couldn’t be in the same room together, but by the end they were trading bear hugs under Carter’s grinning auspices.  These initial agreements were the first step in a full-fledged peace treaty between the two nations, signed the following year, the first acknowledgment of Israel as a valid political entity by an Arab nation.

Carter’s birth chart shows an opportunity for rapprochement between the countries, in an exact sextile between asteroid Israel 7507 at 15 Capricorn and asteroid Aigyptos 19913 (Greek term for “Egypt,” origin of the name) at 15 Pisces.  But sextiles need an instigator to produce a manifestation, and this is seen in asteroid Davida 511 (feminine form of “David”) at 11 Libra, squared Israel and inconjunct Aigyptos, with Carter’s 8 Libra Sun joining the pattern and making the Camp David Accords self-defining in some sense.

When Jimmy Carter passed away on 29 December 2024, the skies provided a remarkable send-off, heralding his passing in grand style, with two major configurations that tell the tale.  The first pattern is a T-Square, consisting of Jupiter at 13 Gemini, ruling both celebrity and political figures, conjoined asteroid Requiem 2254 at 15 Gemini, named for the funeral mass for the dead, opposing Mercury at 16 Sagittarius, denoting a newsworthy event, conjoined asteroid Carter at 17 Sagittarius, with both ends of this polarity in square to Saturn at 14 Pisces, emblem of the presidency and ancient lord of death, with asteroid America at 10 Pisces.  Put it all together and we have a rather extraordinary celestial rendering of the facts on the ground – news (Mercury) of the death (Requiem) of a US (America) politician (Jupiter) and former president (Saturn), named Carter (Carter).

As well, a second configuration repeats the theme of mortality, a Grand Trine Kite pattern, formed from three points equidistant from each other by trine aspects, with one point in opposition to a fourth player.  Here we see a more “informal” announcement of his death, as opposed to the “official” statement presented above.  This pattern keys on asteroid James at 5 Scorpio, for “Jimmy,” in trine to both asteroid Lachesis 120 at 4 Cancer, named for the mythic Greek Fate who determines the span of life, and asteroid Anubis 1912 at 5 Pisces, named for the ancient Egyptian deity governing funerary rites.  Both asteroids are death indicators, commonly active in charts of passings.  The “String” of this Kite (the point in opposition) is asteroid Washingtonia at 9 Taurus, here representing Washington DC, the US capital, home of the president while in office, opposing asteroid James.  James is also squared transit Pluto, modern lord of death, at 0 Aquarius.

Activations from the transit sky to natal death indicators include Mars at 2 Leo conjoined natal asteroid Requiem at 1 Leo; asteroid Osiris 1923 (named for the Egyptian god of the dead) at 20 Aquarius opposed natal asteroid Atropos 273 (named for the mythic Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death) at 19 Leo; asteroid Whitehouse exactly conjunct natal asteroid Osiris at 25 Libra (depicting the passing of a former US president); and asteroid James at 5 Scorpio conjoined natal Saturn (ancient lord of death) and opposed natal asteroids Lachesis 120 (named for the Fate who determines the span of life) and Rip 7711 (“RIP”) at 1 and 4 Taurus.

Jimmy Carter’s legacy is a complicated one, but in general, the reputation he earned as a failed president is largely undeserved.  America’s only self-professed “born again” evangelical Christian president seems more sinned against than sinning.