Alex's Asteroid Astrology

Serbian tennis phenom Novak Djokovic may have thrown a spanner into his quest for a new world record as the winningest Grand Slam champion of all time.  Djokovic is in a three-way tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, with 20 titles each, but he may have stubbed his toe with his COVID anti-vax stance, which may prevent him from competing in the Australian Open, beginning January 17.  Australia’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has been notoriously strict, with county-wide lockdowns and stringent protocols on entering the country. 

Djokovic has chosen not to be vaccinated, but claims to have been infected with COVID last month, granting him natural immunity, and packed a medical exemption note from his doctor in his traveling kit when he flew to Melbourne on January 5^th.  But Australian immigration authorities said, “not so fast!” and after arrival Djokovic was detained at the airport for several hours before being denied entry to the country, then moved the next morning to a quarantine hotel to await the results of his appeal.

On the 10^th, Judge Anthony Kelly overturned the ban on Djokovic’s entry and participation in the event, and the celebrity athlete began his practice.  But there’s one more tennis shoe to drop – Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has the prerogative to reinstate the ban on his personal authority, and so far, no final decision has been made.

We can debate the pros and cons of science, COVID, and the vaccine, but rules are rules, and flouting them should come with consequences.  If Djokovic elects, for personal or medical reasons, not to comply with current Australian regulations, then that’s his choice, but he has to live with the ramifications.  There’s no reason to grant him special treatment solely because he’s a talented and popular player, or bend the rules due to his celebrity status.

Born 22 May 1987 at 11:25 AM MEDT in Belgrade, Serbia (Rodden Rating AA), Novak Djokovic sports a remarkable cluster of natal asteroids which seems to suggest that this chapter in his life may have been fated from birth.

Between the Sun at 1 Gemini and Mercury at 18 Gemini lies a fertile field of stellar bodies:  Achilles (at 8 Gemini), Koronis (10), Vaxjo (11), Icarus (12), Karma (15) and Melbourne (18).  Achilles refers to athletic prowess, but also stubbornness, and an inherent flaw or weakness which threatens to destroy the individual.  Koronis is our celestial referent for the coronavirus; Vaxjo represents vaccines, commonly termed “vax”; Icarus is noted for rash, reckless acts heedless of the consequences; Karma is how we pay for our decisions and prior actions; and Melbourne is the venue for the Australian Open.

Put it all together, and we see an innate vulnerability and stubbornness (both Achilles) regarding COVID (Koronis) prophylactic measures (Vaxjo), which are treated with a devil-may-care disregard for the costs (Icarus), which must nevertheless be paid (Karma), coming into focus at the Australian Open (Melbourne).  Having asteroid NOT, a general disqualifier or block to progress, in exact trine to Vaxjo from11 Libra, identifies the source of the problem as Djokovic’s refusal to be vaccinated (as well as explaining his hesitancy in the first place).

As to the innate vulnerability depicted by Achilles, we might attribute that to TNO Ixion.  Ixion is named for the first murderer in Greek myth, and in my work, I most commonly encounter it in that capacity, as homicide.  However, Ixion’s myth is complicated, and the TNO represents many things, including ingratitude and a sense of entitlement.  This is a not uncommon side-effect of success and celebrity, and that Djokovic might be at least as susceptible to this as others is betrayed by a close conjunction of natal Ixion at 20 Scorpio with asteroid Novakovic (a kind of contraction of Novak and Djokovic) at 19 Scorpio, further binding this trait personally to him.  Individuals with this affliction frequently believe that the rules do not apply to them, and act accordingly.  Djokovic’s native sense of entitlement can only have been exacerbated by the close square to asteroid Champion at 20 Leo, once he rose to the top of his profession.

This rise is prefigured in a Grand Trine of Champion with Saturn at 19 Sagittarius, ruling career, and Jupiter at 18 Aries, bringing celebrity and fame.  This becomes a Kite with Saturn’s opposition to Mercury at 18 Gemini, indicating that Djokovic’s decisions (Mercury) will play a pivotal role in how the potential of the Grand Trine manifests, and with Melbourne also here at 18 Gemini, the implication is that this locale may have bearing upon the ultimate outcome.  With Roger Federer downed by a knee injury, if Novak Djokovic is prevented from playing by his decision not to vaccinate, Rafael Nadal could have a virtually unimpeded path to breaking the three-way tie that currently binds tennis’ top male players.

The Ixion theme of entitlement repeats itself, with a vengeance, on the day Djokovic was denied entry to Australia (when the Sun at 16 Capricorn closely opposed transit Novakovic at 17 Cancer, putting him in the spotlight).  On January 6^th, Ixion at 1 Capricorn was exactly squared asteroid Kimnovak at 1 Aries, a CNA (Compound-Name Asteroid) which includes Novak, Djokovic’s first name.  These exactly T-Square Djokovic’s natal Mars, ruling sports and competition, at 1 Cancer; this pattern becomes a Grand Cross with transit Champion at 6 Libra.  Kimnovak also conjoins Djokovic’s natal Moon at 5 Aries, implying an emotional response from a health-related issue (both Moon-ruled), while Mars natally conjoins asteroids Victoria and Nemesis at 3 and 4 Cancer, identifying the Australian state (Victoria, where Melbourne is located) as his potential downfall (Nemesis), denying (Nemesis again) him a win (also Victoria, named for the Roman goddess of victory).

Natal Kimnovak at 19 Pisces conjoins Damocles, the doom hanging unseen overhead, at 17 Pisces, a caveat to beware interactions with this place; squared Saturn at 19 Sag, the implied threat involves career, and is also a personal matter (Kimnovak).  Transiting this zone when Djokovic was stopped at the Australian border are Neptune at 20 Pisces, which brings deception, confusion and disappointment; asteroids Victoria and Australia at 12 and 22 Pisces, defining the venue; and asteroid Hawke at 16 Pisces, for Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, who will make the final call. 

Natal asteroid Australia at 3 Taurus conjoins Venus at 6 Taurus, but also opposes Pluto at 7 Scorpio:  the result is power plays (Pluto) involving a clash of competing (opposition) values (Venus) – Djokovic’s and Australia’s.  Transit Koronis at 12 Leo is currently exactly opposed Saturn at 12 Aquarius, and this polarity forms a crossbar with the natal opposition, forming a Grand Cross.  Koronis/Saturn suggests some restriction, limitation or penalty (all Saturn) involving the coronavirus (Koronis); joining the pattern is transit Uranus at 10 Taurus, an indication that the resolution is somehow controversial or unexpected. 

Supporting players in this drama find themselves represented celestially as well.  Djokovic’s lawyer Nicholas Wood shows his importance to his client’s biography as asteroid Wood, which at 17 Capricorn conjoins the natal Ascendant at 16 Capricorn, with both in turn conjoined by the transit Sun at 16 Cap when Djokovic was denied entry (with, you will recall, transit asteroid Novakovic in opposition).  Wood on the Ascendant is appropriate here, in that the lawyer’s job is to help craft his client’s public image.  Transit Wood at 4 Pisces conjoins transit Jupiter, ruling lawyers, at 1 Pisces, and is exactly semisquare the Sun, for his moment in the spotlight. 

Three variants for Nicolas further refine the lawyer’s role:  asteroid Nicky (nickname) at 11 Gemini and Nicole (feminine version) at 14 Gemini are embroiled in the midst of the natal stellium which so aptly describes the situation, placing him front and center in the fracas, and rendering his involvement virtually inevitable.  Asteroid Nichol at 12 Taurus is again angular, on the 14 Taurus IC, reinforcing the lawyer’s importance in Djokovic’s life, and opposes Ixion/Novakovic, reinforcing Djokovic’s sense of entitlement. 

By transit these points also collude in the saga.  Transit Nichol at 17 Sagittarius conjoins transit Mars exactly, also conjunct transit Vaxjo at 20 Sagittarius, while transit Nicky at 20 Gemini opposes these, binding the lawyer (Nichol, Nicky) with the sporting event (Mars) and the underlying issue of vaccination (Vaxjo).  These conjoin natal Saturn at 19 Sagittarius, representing Djokovic’s career, the government entities and their rules and regulations with which he has come into conflict, and any penalties or restrictions they may impose.  Transit Nicole at 20 Scorpio exactly conjoins transit asteroid Kelly, for the judge who ruled in Djokovic’s favor, and these in turn are also exactly conjunct natal Ixion, for the tag team that together validated Djokovic’s privileged status.  Transit asteroid Melbourne stands at 27 Scorpio, reminding us where we are, and where these two met.

The judge, Anthony Kelly, is seen natally as asteroids Antonia, Antonella (both feminine versions of Anthony), Kelly and Kelley (alternate spelling).  Kelly at 26 Cancer and Kelley at 22 Taurus each conjoin an angle, with Kelly on the 16 Cancer Descendant and Kelley on the 14 Taurus IC, again conferring the judge’s importance in Djokovic’s bio.  Asteroid Antonella at 15 Pisces conjoins Damocles and Kimnovak, squaring Saturn, giving the judge some degree of influence over that looming threat (Damocles) to Djokovic’s (Kimnovak) career (Saturn).  Antonia at 19 Aquarius T-Squares Ixion/Novakovic opposed Kelley, doubling down on enabling Djokovic’s entitled mentality. 

Incredibly, by transit, Antonia has come to 26 Cancer, exactly conjoining natal Kelly, from where it exactly opposes transit Pluto at 26 Capricorn, acknowledging the judge’s power over the situation, while transit Antonella at 4 Libra is traveling with transit Champion at 6 Libra, affirming the judge as Djokovic’s “champion”, his defender and ally in this matter.

That leaves Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, who may yet reverse Djokovic’s status and deny his participation.  We’ve already seen that transit Hawke is enmeshed with Victoria, Neptune and Australia, atop natal Damocles/Kimnovak.  But natal Hawke is here, too – at 13 Pisces, meaning that Djokovic has just experienced his “Hawke Return”, a period reinforcing whatever natal potential as spoiler (Damocles) may be inherent in the role he was destined to play in this life (Kimnovak). 

Natal asteroid Alex at 21 Cancer conjoins the Descendant, affirming persons of that name as pivotal in the biography, and transit Alex at 23 Capricorn opposes natal Antonia and transit Kelly, perhaps reversing the judge’s ruling.  Transit Alex also joins the transit Venus/Pluto conjunction at 20 and 26 Capricorn; just as Venus and Pluto were opposed at Djokovic’s birth, they are now conjoined, with Venus retrograde, suggesting a reappraisal (retrograde) of values (Venus), with the Minister (Alex) as the man with the ultimate power (Pluto) to decide which set of values comes out on top – his country’s, or its guest.

Alex Hawke is about to have his literal “moment in the sun” as well, with the transit Sun and transit Alex coming into conjunction, exact at 27 Capricorn on January 17^th, the day the Australian Open begins.  With transit Champion, currently at 8 Libra, gaining ground on Djokovic’s natal NOT at 11 Libra daily, there’s every chance that the tie-breaking Grand Slam championship is slipping through “No-vax” Djoker-vic’s fingers, even if he’s allowed to play.