Alex's Asteroid Astrology

 

On Saturday 19 May 2018, Prince Harry of Wales and American actress Meghan Markle will wed in St George’s Chapel, Windsor. Vows will be taken at noon, before a comparatively small (by royal standards) company of some 600 friends and relatives, after which the couple will drive on a two-mile procession through the town, followed by a reception hosted by the Prince’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. That evening an even smaller gathering for 200, hosted by Harry’s father Charles, will precede the couple’s departure for their as-yet-undisclosed honeymoon destination. The ceremony, though private, will be televised, to an estimated one billion-plus people.

 

We’ve already taken a look at the young couple’s prospective union, which seems perhaps to be somewhat of a rocky road. What does the wedding chart tell us about them?

 

Cast for noon at Windsor, there is a stunning opposition of asteroid Groom (for Harry, obviously) at 29 Leo to Briede (for the bride, Meghan) at 4 Pisces, straddling the Horizontal Axis at 25 Leo/Aquarius. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, especially as this puts asteroid Meghanshea, one of several PNAs representing Meghan Markle, exactly on the Midheaven, the focus of all eyes, at 13 Taurus. This opposes Jupiter, ruling royalty, at 17 Scorpio on the IC, indicating the select club Meghan will be joining by her marriage, and substantially increasing her fame and celebrity, also Jupiter-ruled arenas. Asteroid Hera, named for the Greek goddess of marriage, conjoins Jupiter from 22 Scorpio, another signature of a royal wedding.

Harry’s actual first name is Henry, and Meghan is Ms. Markle’s middle name, which she uses professionally as an actress; her first name is Rachel. These two are bound in the skies on their wedding day by a T-Square, comprising asteroid Henry at 11 Cancer exactly squared asteroid Rachele at 11 Aries, which is conjoined by Juno, Roman goddess of marriage, at 10 Aries, with asteroid Prinz, another indicator of royal status (as “Prince”), filling in the T-Square at 15 Capricorn. This pattern becomes a Grand Cross with the addition of Saturn at 9 Capricorn, and asteroid Photographica at 15 Libra, representing the wedding photos and televised nature of the event. Saturn here suggests Harry’s entry into fully “adult” status with his marriage (Meghan has been married before), and can also indicate the spouse or consort. It may refer to a solid structure or basis for the marriage, but can also point to frustration or limitation of some sort.

 

The groom’s brother (and Best Man) and sister-in-law, William and Kate, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are drawn into the Grand Cross as well, as asteroids Kate and Williams, at 14 and 19 Aries respectively, and so is Harry’s father Charles, Prince of Wales, who shows up as asteroid Charlotte, near his son at 9 Cancer (exactly opposing Saturn, the father). Charlotte also represents Harry’s three-year-old niece, Princess Charlotte, who will be a bridesmaid at the wedding.

There is a second T-Square active, and this one isn’t so pleasant. It’s formed from the Moon at 22 Cancer, which is just past its opposition to Pluto at 21 Capricorn, and squared by asteroid Meghanarao at 22 Libra, another PNA suitable as a Meghan Markle stand-in. The Moon is modified by asteroid Kassandra at 25 Cancer, a point which relates to one’s credibility and trustworthiness. This speaks of serious domestic issues (Moon) for the couple, perhaps based in issues of trust (Kassandra), likely focused on Meghan personally (Meghanarao), with potential for scandal, power plays, manipulation or some devastating outcome (all Pluto).

 

Just what the nature of this might be may perhaps be foreshadowed by what appears to be a repeat of a family pattern. In the wedding chart of Harry’s parents, Charles and Diana, there is an exact conjunction of asteroids Aphrodite and Achilles, both at station. This suggested that infidelity (Aphrodite) would be a weak spot or vulnerability (Achilles) in that union, as indeed proved to be the case.

Amazingly, both Aphrodite and Achilles are again at station, and although this time they are only very broadly conjoined, with Aphrodite at 23 Capricorn and Achilles at 2 Aquarius, what lies between them does not inspire confidence. These intermediary points are Mars at 0 Aquarius, and asteroid Askalaphus at 1 Aquarius, which suggests that the revealing of secrets (Askalaphus) about sexual matters (Mars) may prove pivotal in their troubles. Not to mention that Aphrodite is also bound up in the T-Square mentioned above, conjunct Pluto, suggesting that it may be a scandal based in her infidelity or sexual history which is the issue (due to the inclusion of asteroid Meghanarao in this configuration). Achilles turns retrograde three days before the wedding, Aphrodite four days after; Askalaphus is also stationary, and turns retrograde the day before. This is a very worrisome grouping of energies, especially for a couple who, after all, have not really known each other for very long (they first met less than two years ago, in July 2016).

 

And making things worse is the square from Uranus at 0 Taurus to this early Aquarius grouping, which suggests additional volatility, shock, surprise or revelations which produce turmoil and upset. Just by itself, the tight Uranus/Mars square in that pattern is a particularly fraught one for a marriage chart. Kinky sex? Perhaps, but the afterglow includes lots of potential for conflict, argument, anger and even physical violence. Uranus also strongly hints at the possibility of a separation or divorce based in the issues raised by the Aquarian stellium.

Adding to that sense of impending doom for the marriage is the presence of Damocles at 27 Aquarius, hovering on the Descendant, the cusp of the Seventh House, ruling relationships. Damocles indicates a peril which is not at once obvious, but which is inherent in the situation, and makes itself known in the fullness of time. Asteroid Nemesis, indicating undoing of some sort, falls at 29 Aries and is inconjunct asteroid Marcelle, for Markle, which at 0 Libra is also stationary, turning direct the same day as Achilles. Nemesis is also in a wide square to the Moon/Pluto opposition mentioned above, and widely opposed Meghanarao.

 

On its own, Marcelle’s stationary status shows this to be an important period for Markle, as it obviously will be, whatever the ultimate outcome. It’s also tapped into peripheral asteroids which further describe the setting – opposing asteroid Elisabetha, for granny-in-law Queen Elizabeth (on the grounds of whose home the ceremony takes place), at 0 Aries, and Connors, for officiating Dean of Windsor David Conner, at 2 Aries. (Conner will share his official role with Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who shows up as asteroid Canterbury, exactly semisextile Marcelle from 0 Scorpio, with asteroid Merkley, another Markle variant, close beside at 2 Scorpio.) Asteroid George, for the venue, St George’s Chapel, is also opposed, at 27 Pisces, putting the bride on the scene. George also represents the groom’s nephew, four-year old Prince George, who will be a page at the wedding.

There are a few points of note when looking at the birth charts of the bride (born 4 August 1981) and groom (born 15 September 1984). Transit Rachele, representing Markle’s first name, appears exactly on her natal MC at 11 Aries, indicating her stunning royal apotheosis, the pinnacle of success in matrimonial terms, but with transit Henry in exact square, exactly on her natal Mars at 11 Cancer. That is a very mixed message – great sex, probably, but also the potential for heated confrontation and strife, likely played out in a highly visible, public (MC) manner.

Unfortunately, Meghan is currently undergoing her waxing Pluto square, with transit Pluto exactly squared its natal degree of 21 Libra, thus the tense T-Square of the wedding chart fully engages with her own. This speaks of transformation, which is a theme of the Pluto square to itself, but is further brought home personally by the inclusion of transit Meghanarao atop natal Pluto, reinforcing the importance of this period and its transformational nature.

Transit Juno, Roman goddess of marriage, at 10 Aries closely trines her natal Sun at 11 Leo, repeating the wedding theme; natal Juno at 27 Libra is conjoined by transit Canterbury, representing the officiant. The transit Jupiter/Hera conjunction at 17 and 22 Scorpio squares her natal Hera at 19 Leo, further activating her marriage potential, adding the “royal” touch via Jupiter. Transit Neptune at 16 Pisces is encroaching upon her natal asteroid Briede at 18 Pisces, suggesting there could be some disillusion or disappointment to follow, or that Meghan has unrealistic expectations of marriage and her role as a royal wife. Transit Briede at 4 Pisces opposes natal Groom at 6 Virgo, bringing both halves of the union together; this T-Squares natal Henry at 8 Sagittarius, identifying him as the groom in question. Henry is itself conjoined natal Meghanarao at 6 Sag, Rachele at 1 Sag and Aphrodite at 11 Sag. All these are stationary, giving them embedded force and power.

Harry is also tapped into the time of the wedding, with his 11 Capricorn Ascendant exactly squared transit Rachele, and his own referent, transit asteroid Henry, exactly on his natal Descendant at 11 Cancer, signaling the change in his relationship status. This of course puts transit Rachele in an exact T-Square to his Horizontal Axis, establishing Meghan as both a pivotal influence on his public image (Ascendant) and as a primary partner (Descendant). Natal Henry at 29 Leo not only appears on the 25 Leo Ascendant for the wedding, but is exactly conjoined by transit asteroid Groom, emphatically reiterating his role on the day. Natal Groom at 4 Leo forms a T-Square with the marriage square between Uranus and those troublesome Aquarian points comprising Mars, Askalaphus and Achilles, highlighting the fact that it is Harry’s status as groom which embroils him in that drama. This becomes a full-fledged Grand Cross with the addition of Harry’s natal Pluto at 0 Scorpio, reiterating the themes of trauma or crisis and scandal. Lots of potential fireworks for the male half of the sketch in that pattern.

There is again an unfortunate connection to the Cardinal T-Square of the union, with natal asteroid Meghanarao at 23 Libra, conjunct the transit degree of that same point at their wedding (thus, Harry is in the midst of his “Meghanarao Return”), repeating the theme that whatever their Moon/Pluto domestic issues may be, they center on her.

 

Transit Briede, for “bride”, appears at 4 Pisces, from where it forms a T-Square with Harry’s natal square between asteroids Hera and Juno, Greek and Roman goddesses of marriage, at 4 Gemini and 3 Virgo respectively, another apt image for a wedding.

All in all, this doesn’t look like a successful union to me, and with both partners coming from broken homes, and the bride with one failed marriage already under her belt, I’d say the prospects for Harry and Meaghan growing old together aren’t favorable.

 

ADDENDUM:

 

A few last points to make, post-ceremony. On the day of his wedding, Queen Elizabeth gave her grandson a noble gift, creating him and his new bride as Duke and Duchess of Sussex. There is no Sussex asteroid, but there is a “Duke”. At 12 Aries, transit Duke was conjoined transit Rachele (Meghan’s first name) at 11 Aries and squared transit Henry (Harry’s official first name) at 11 Cancer. In Harry’s chart, Duke at 5 Aquarius is sesquiquadrate the 22 Virgo Sun, making that title a part of his core identity. In Meghan’s chart, Duke at 29 Libra conjoins Juno, ruling partners, at 27 Libra, suggesting that one day she’d marry a Duke.

 

The initial vows were taken at 12:12 PM, with the Ascendant moved to 27 Leo, even more closely highlighting asteroid Groom at 29 Leo. When the formal proclamation of Harry and Meghan as “man and wife” came at 12:39PM, after a second round of vows, the Ascendant had moved to 2 Virgo, more closely highlighting Briede at 4 Pisces, in opposition, and tightly conjoined Harry’s natal Juno at 3 Virgo.

After the ceremony, the couple took a carriage ride through the town of Windsor before returning for luncheon. One of the horses, a Windsor Grey named Storm, had his literal moment in the sun, with asteroid Storm at 26 Taurus conjoined the transit Sun at 28 Taurus.