Alex's Asteroid Astrology

At the age of 25, Elizabeth found herself reigning head of an empire upon which the sun literally never set, comprising some quarter of the globe.  The seventy intervening years have seen much change and turmoil, both for Britain and the world at large, but the Queen has been a rock in the stream of time, a stabilizing influence for her people, and an invaluable source of information and experience for her governments over the decades.

A chart for her accession cannot be timed precisely, since her father passed away in his sleep, unattended; though ill with cancer for some time and clearly failing, the suddenness of the death was unexpected.  However, an astrological look at the date reveals much about the circumstances which birthed the reign.

To begin with, on 6 February 1952, the Sun at 17 Aquarius conjoined asteroid Britten (phonetic match for “Britain”) at 23 Aquarius, both opposing Pluto at 20 Leo, in a T-Square with asteroids George, Edinburgh and York, at 10, 14 and 26 Scorpio respectively.  This puts a focus (Sun) on a death (Pluto, modern lord of death) affecting England (Britten), involving George (George VI, her father’s regnal name), Edinburgh (Elizabeth was styled “Duchess of Edinburgh” at the time, in right of her husband Prince Philip’s title) and York (her father’s title before acceding to the throne in 1936 was Duke of York).  Not bad, but we can go this one better, if we add in asteroid Sagan (for Sagana Lodge, where the new Queen first learned of her status) at 28 Taurus, for a loose Grand Cross.

This pattern is a sure fit for Elizabeth’s birth chart (born 21 April 1926, 2:40 AM GDT, Mayfair, London, England; Rodden Rating AA), with the solar pair opposing natal asteroid Rey (Spanish for “king”) at 21 Leo and asteroid Albert (her father’s given first name) at 13 Leo, and squaring a conjunction of asteroid Requiem (named for the funeral mass for the dead) at 22 Scorpio with Saturn (ancient lord of death) at 24 Scorpio, on the MC (career, status, place in the world) at 25 Scorpio.  Also in the mix is natal asteroid George at 13 Scorpio, exactly squared Albert, the name he chose when he succeeded his brother after Edward VIII’s abdication.

The solar grouping opposed Pluto forms the spine of a Grand Trine Kite pattern, with trines to asteroid Prinz at 16 Gemini (a general indicator of royalty, which was stationary, having turned direct just three days prior) and Saturn (the head-of-state, in addition to its status as a death indicator) at 14 Libra.  Saturn had also stationed recently, turning retrograde on January 24^th, now just 8 minutes away from its station position.  The double stations suggest a major “turning point” for the head-of-state and the princely couple.

Earlier in Aquarius there is a stunning pileup of celestial factors which also describes the situation.  Asteroid Requiem at 0 Aquarius is joined by TNO Albion and asteroid King, both at 2 Aquarius, asteroid Roy at 3 Aquarius and Mercury at 6 Aquarius.  This speaks to news (Mercury) of the death (Requiem) of a monarch (King and Roy, Old French for “king”) of England (Albion, an ancient term for the country).

This also resonates to Elizabeth’s nativity, squaring her 0 Taurus Sun, accompanied by asteroids Edinburgh at 5 Taurus (her “married” name) and York at 9 Taurus (known in her youth as “Princess Elizabeth of York”, her father’s title).  The transit Aquarian stellium also opposes natal asteroid Africa at 7 Leo, for the continent where she first learned the news (Mercury) that she was now the sovereign (King, Roy) of England (Albion).

Geography has another role to play in the celestial circumstances being described on the day:  an exact conjunction of transit asteroid Kenya (the country she was visiting) with asteroid Atropos (named for the mythic Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death) at 9 Capricorn was conjoined Venus (a loved one) and asteroid Osiris (named for the ancient Egyptian god of the dead) at 12 and 17 Capricorn.  This grouping is also caught up in a broad Grand Cross with asteroid Lachesis (Atropos’ sister Fate, who determines the span of life) at 1 Aries and Jupiter (ruling royalty generally) at 11 Aries; asteroids Anubis (named for the Egyptian deity governing funerary rites) and Duke (her current title of duchess) with Uranus (the sudden, unexpected passing of her father) at 2, 7 and 10 Cancer; and Saturn at 14 Libra.

This Grand Cross overlays natal placements of Mercury (news) at 4 Aries; asteroids Duke, Lachesis, Elizabethof and Britten, at 5, 10, 13 and 16 Cancer, with Pluto, modern lord of death, at 12 Cancer; and asteroid Roy at 12 Libra.

Natal Kenya is prominent as well; at 8 Pisces it conjoins natal asteroid Elisabetha at 11, Venus at 13 and asteroid Queen’s at 16 Pisces, opposing natal asteroid Rip (which functions as a death indicator in the form of the acronym “RIP”, “Rest In Peace”, a common tombstone inscription) at 8 Virgo.  Rip is also at station, turning direct six days after her birth, indicating the most powerful and impactful (station) death (Rip) of a loved one (Venus), which made her (Elisabetha) monarch (Queen’s), while abroad (Kenya).  Note that Rip and Kenya are exactly opposed, for the most important passing of her life, which transformed her status in an instant.

In addition, transit asteroids Philippa (feminine form of Philip) and Elisabetha conjoin at 16 and 19 Pisces, conjunct the natal grouping, as well as natal asteroid Prinz at 21 Pisces, while squaring transit Prinz at 16 Gemini (itself also stationary), with transit Rip at 10 Gemini.  That transit Rip also forms a T-Square with transit Rey (king, or more generally, monarch, of either gender) at 4 Pisces, opposed transit asteroid Albert (King George’s birth name) at 5 Virgo and transit asteroid Africa at 4 Virgo.

Technically, Elizabeth ascended the throne in the moment of her father’s death, but it would be more than a year until she was formally crowned and consecrated.  That ceremony, held 2 June 1953, is also reflected in the skies.

The Sun at 11 Gemini is virtually overwhelmed by celestial markers of royalty.  Jupiter, the planet ruling those born to the purple, conjoins from 5 Gemini, with asteroids Rey and Roy at 12 and 19 Gemini also in attendance.  Prince Philip is seen as asteroid Philippa, conjunct the Sun from 18 Gemini, for the husband who chaired the Coronation Committee, overseeing the event and planning many of the details, as portrayed by its conjunction with Mercury at 22 Gemini.  Philip’s famous tirelessness and indefatigable energy as he produced his wife’s most important day is represented by Mars, also at 22 Gemini.

The ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey, and was the first ever to be televised, depicted by asteroids Abbe (for “abbey”) and Photographica (the filming) at 17 and 16 Pisces, squaring the Sun.  The coronation was officiated by Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, represented by asteroid Geoffroy at 13 Cancer (conjoined asteroid Elizabethof at 8 Cancer), exactly opposed asteroid Canterbury at 13 Capricorn, T-Squared by asteroid Fisher at 14 Libra, which was at station, having turned direct on May 29^th.  Note that 14 Libra reprises the degree of Saturn for Elizabeth’s accession.

In exact trine to the Sun is asteroid Elisabetha at 11 Aquarius, also at station, about to turn retrograde 5 days later, once more underscoring the major turning point for the young queen – her life would never be the same again.  Elisabetha is accompanied by asteroids Edinburgh and Duke at 14 and 21 Aquarius (for the spouse at the center of things, first to pledge fealty to his sovereign after the oath was administered), and TNO Albion (England) at 5 Aquarius.  Reinforcing her connection to the country she now reigned over is a square to asteroid Britten at 17 Taurus, with asteroid King at 21 Taurus, reiterating her status as monarch.

Elizabeth’s incredible longevity on the throne may be hinted at with asteroid Platanus, closest to “platinum.”  At birth, Platanus at 10 Gemini squares Elisabetha and Queen’s at 13 and 16 Pisces.  When her father died and she was elevated to the throne, Platanus at 26 Sagittarius conjoined asteroid Queen’s at 28 Sag.  And Platanus at 19 Gemini squares the coronation Sun at 11 Gemini, asteroid Rey at 12 Gemini, and asteroid Roy at 19 Gemini; Platanus is also conjunct natal Elisabetha/Queen’s.

At her coronation, when the last baron had completed his pledge of allegiance and fealty, the entire assemblage shouted “God save Queen Elizabeth!  Long live Queen Elizabeth!  May the Queen live for ever!”

They little knew.