Alex's Asteroid Astrology

The New York Times broke a story on May 8, 2024 that might just explain the antics of presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr, currently polling as much as 15-20% in some key battleground states.  While Kennedy is unlikely to reach his goal of the Oval Office sans major party affiliation, such numbers, should they materialize at the polls in November, could decisively swing the 2024 election one way or another.  The Times story revealed a statement made by Kennedy in 2012, where he alleged that the “brain fog” and memory loss he had experienced two years prior had been “caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died.”  Well, that explains a lot!

Somehow this tidbit, the product of a deposition in a divorce proceeding with his second wife, had flown under the radar, perhaps buried in the avalanche of bizarre conspiracy theories espoused by RFKJ, a leading proponent of the anti-vax movement who also churned out a plethora of “alternate fact” theories involving the COVID-19 pandemic.  Among his more obtuse positions:  vaccines cause food allergies; AIDS is not caused by HIV, and AZT (a leading AIDS treatment drug) is “absolutely fatal;” and exposure to the herbicide atrazine causes childhood gender dysphoria.  He has also campaigned against fluoridation of drinking water, the use of the pain reliever acetaminophen, and wireless communication.

I wish I could say that the worm brain-eating episode was the cause of all this, but Kennedy stepped way out on the conspiracy theory limb well before then, although his advocacy for these views has considerably increased in the aftermath.  I also wish I could say that his words fall on deaf ears, but as a scion of the vaunted Kennedy political dynasty, his ideas have clout.  In March 2021, the Center for Countering Digital Hate identified RFKJ as one of a dozen people responsible for up to 65% of anti-vaccine content on Facebook and Twitter (now “X”), no mean feat, when you think about it.

I was appalled to find in a recent survey of my own state of Pennsylvania that Kennedy’s presidential bid garnered 18% support.  That’s almost one in five, much more than enough to move the meter of the November election, should these voters maintain their allegiance, though it remains unclear which candidate is most damaged by his appearance on the ballot.  Donald Trump seems to think RFKJ’s bid would disadvantage his campaign more, coming out with an anti-Kennedy tirade after the worm story broke.  Perhaps he thought (not unreasonably) that he had the lunatic fringe vote all to himself.

It was then I decided to look more deeply into RFKJ’s celestial bona fides, having previously written him off as an asterisk.  And I’m glad I did, because there’s a great deal of potential there to affect the US presidency, one way or another.

Born 17 January 1954 (no time available), Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr has the 26 Capricorn Sun conjoined both Venus at 23 Cap and Mercury at 28 Cap, granting him the photogenic appeal (Venus) and articulate expression (Mercury) so noted in the Kennedy clan, and so vital for a successful politician.  With that Sun/Mercury conjunction, RFKJ’s utterances have the stamp of authenticity:  whatever you think of his content, he gives the appearance of sincerity and true belief in his statements.  The Sun with Venus shows him as compassionate and values-based, but not necessarily confirming that his values are the right ones. 

A Grand Cross created by opposition to asteroid Whitehouse 4036 at 26 Cancer and squares to asteroids Washingtonia 886 and Karma 3811 at 21 Libra and 26 Aries respectively (with asteroid America 916 along for the ride from 27 Libra) shows him bound up with his country’s (America) destiny (Karma) and government (Washingtonia, for DC), and a likely candidate for the presidency (Whitehouse).  This can be a plus or a minus, depending on your perspective, but, given his family history, it’s an astounding confirmation of the role the Kennedys have come to play on the national scene.

So far so good, but there are mitigating factors.  Is RFKJ, in fact, mentally stable?   Surely some of his stances and opinions call this into question.  How do we verify or refute that in the chart?

When looking for insanity astrologically, the planetary ruler is Neptune, with sometimes a dash of Uranus in the mix, which can indicate when genius crosses the line into madness.  In an asteroid context, we can look to Dionysus 3671, named for the Greek god most associated with insanity (though many of them routinely went round the bend), who imbued his followers with manic frenzy in their rites; and Ophelia 171, named for the tragic Shakespeare character in “Hamlet” who goes insane and drowns herself. 

There’s another intriguing possibility for a marker of mental instability, in the form of asteroid MANIAC 228029, an acronym of an early version of computers from the 1950s, called the Mathematical Analyzer, Numerical Integrator and Computer (“MANIAC”).  The term maniac means “a person exhibiting extreme symptoms of wild behavior, especially when violent and dangerous,” or “a person suffering from mania,” which is further defined as “excessive excitement or enthusiasm; a craze (slang).”  Colloquially the term is used for anyone exhibiting signs of intense abnormality or bizarre behaviors, someone whose sanity is suspect.  I haven’t previously worked with MANIAC; this will be our maiden voyage.

So how do these stack up in RFKJ’s nativity?

Well, it ain’t good.  Leading off, we have Neptune joining that solar Grand Cross from 26 Libra, exactly squared the Sun, and Uranus opposed it from 20 Cancer.  Both leading planetary indicators of insanity, both strongly aspecting the Sun (core essence) and Mercury (the mind).  Check and double check on the astrologic “Is he nuts?” ledger.  (Neptune also facilitates conspiracy theories and misinformation, both of which RFKJ indulges in with disturbing regularity.)

But it gets worse.  Dionysus also opposes the Sun, from 0 Leo, and Ophelia is embedded at station, trine the Sun from 18 Taurus.  Points at station exert a greater-than-typical influence on character or biography (so don’t be surprised if someday Bobby Junior “gets himself to a nunnery”), here reinforcing the possibility of mental breakdown.  Not to be outdone, asteroid MANIAC at 20 Libra squares the Sun as well.  For those keeping track, that’s five out of five on our insanity checklist, which, at a minimum, could incline the native to hold extremely left-field views, and at worst, become a blithering idiot.

On a more positive note, Neptune also promotes empathy and compassion, and RFKJ is known for his charity work in underprivileged areas of the globe.  Uranus is creative, and can signal high intellect and a forward-looking viewpoint.  Here RFKJ has a mixed legacy – once an environmental lawyer, he now espouses certain climate change conspiracy theories.

And frankly, that’s about as good a gloss as I can put on this.  I don’t see much positivity coming out of a strong Dionysus, unless RFKJ is bi-curious, seeks a career onstage or is fun at orgies.  Ophelia, too, is somewhat devoid of a plus side, and as for MANIAC, what can I say?  Perhaps he’s good with numbers?

Without a time of birth, we can’t fully rate how his own PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids) factor into the chart (normally connected to the Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Mercury), as we don’t have a degree for half these points.  But given what we have, here’s what we know.  Asteroid Kennedy 7166, the most defining point about him, appears at 27 Sagittarius, conjunct the Galactic Center, which offers global notice and recognition.  As a Kennedy, he certainly garners that. 

Asteroid Roberta 335 (one of three variations for Robert) falls at 18 Sagittarius, broadly conjunct Kennedy and the GC, in a T-Square with asteroid Roberts 3428 at 17 Pisces and Jupiter at 17 Gemini.  Again, we see here a potential for fame and celebrity (Jupiter) as well as a connection to law (with lawyer as his chosen profession), politics (also Jupiter) and perhaps a tendency to go to excess (as Jovian types often do).  Perhaps more to the point, Roberta is also exactly inconjunct Ophelia, with Roberts in sextile, further reinforcing whatever outcome that energy has in mind (no pun intended).

Asteroid Roberto 96257 opposes Ophelia from 10 Scorpio, as does Mars, at 16 Scorpio, funneling more and more personal connection (the PNAs) and energy (Mars) into that point, possibly making mental (in)stability (Ophelia) a defining feature.  None of these PNAs connect strongly to the Sun or Mercury (barring a relatively wide semisquare from Roberts), which in my experience, sometimes leads to a “fractured” personality, with many unintegrated facets.  I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest schizophrenia (especially since these points could very well interact with the Ascendant or Moon, whose degrees are unknown, thus grounding them substantially), but it does suggest some level of internal inconsistency or confusion regarding self-identity and how he presents himself to others.

RFKJ is perhaps best known for his anti-vaccination stance, which he alleges causes autism and a host of other ills in children.  While we don’t have any matching asteroid markers for this, there are some asteroids with phonetic or linguistic resonance to the theme.

These include asteroids Vacchi 7600, Schatz 25232 and Schott 5312; all are surnames which may have additional application to the matter at hand.  The word vaccine is derived from the Italian vacca, “cow” (with bovines being instrumental in their development), and so does Vacchi, an Italian surname derived from herding.  So we can reasonably use Vacchi as a placeholder for “vaccine.”  Schatz and Schott, both German, are homophones of “shots” and “shot,” which is how vaccines are generally administered.

RFKJ’s inimical stance on vaccines generally may be seen in asteroid Schatz (shots) at 8 Pisces, squared asteroid NOT 2857 at 2 Sagittarius.  NOT acts as a general disqualifier, a symbol of refusal or reluctance, an unwillingness to comply or proceed.  A T-Square is formed with asteroid Achilles 588 at 6 Virgo, indicating an inherent vulnerability or weakness, something that threatens to destroy the native.  Certainly his stance on vaccinations could be the “Achilles heel” of his campaign.

That RFKJ would become personally identified with this issue is portrayed as a T-Square incorporating asteroid Roberto at 10 Scorpio, exactly squared asteroid Vacchi (vaccine) at 10 Aquarius on its fulcrum, opposed asteroid Schott (shot) at 12 Taurus, making his position on vaccine shots self-defining.  Asteroid Kennedy with the Galactic Center feeds into this, in semisquare to both Roberto and Vacchi, sesquiquadrate Schott, further identifying him (Kennedy) with vaccinations (Vacchi, Schott) and providing a global platform (GC) for his views.

Vacchi is also parenthesized by Damocles 5335 at 1 Aquarius and asteroid Nemesis 128 at 20 Aquarius, essentially on their midpoint.  Damocles is the doom hanging unseen overhead, about to descend at any moment (which fairly encapsulates RFKJ’s opinion of vaccines, wouldn’t you say?), while Nemesis is an opponent or archenemy, a source of ruin or destruction, often self-created.  Again, this well reflects his opinions of vaccines, but both points can also be viewed in a political context, as potential derailers of his presidential ambitions due to his views on this subject.

And what of that campaign?  RFKJ announced his candidacy on 19 April 2023, and many of the natal factors that define him are restated in that chart.  In general, it’s an auspicious moment, and a good one for his purpose.  The 29 Aries Sun is conjoined by Jupiter at 23 Aries, ruling luck, expansion and politics; and by asteroid Whitehouse, his stated goal, at 26 Aries.  As well, the points at station, exerting maximum influence, are asteroids Washingtonia and Roberta.  Washingtonia at 1 Capricorn, representing the nation’s capital and underscoring his goal, turns retrograde on the 26^th, a week later; while Roberta at 27 Leo, suggesting a major turning point in his life (which a presidential campaign, successful or not, surely qualifies as), turned direct on the 17^th, two days prior.

But that’s where the fun ends.

Already we’re seeing signs of potential weakness due to the issue of vaccination, reinforcing the natal issue created by the Achilles/Schatz connection.  For one, asteroid Schatz is closely conjunct the Sun from 28 Aries, with asteroid Vacchi in an out-of-Sign square from 4 Leo, making the vaccine issue potentially self-defining for the campaign.  As well, asteroid Schott at 11 Virgo is embedded at station, making it a pivotal point upon which the campaign might turn.  Schott turned direct May 7^th but is already inhabiting its station degree. 

Asteroid Roberto at 8 Taurus leads off a string of points including Mercury at 15 Taurus and Uranus exact with asteroid Nemesis at 17 Taurus.  This suggests that RFKJ’s (Roberto) pronouncements (Mercury) may seem eccentric or downright bizarre (Uranus), constituting his downfall (Nemesis).  Also at station, asteroid MANIAC at 16 Leo, turning direct April 7^th and squared the Taurus points, further embedding the notion that the candidate is a bit off, at the least.  RFKJ is once again associated with the anti-vax movement as a potential weakness, and likely destructive, by asteroid Roberto at 8 Taurus, squared asteroid Vacchi at 4 Leo, in a T-Square with Pluto at 0 Aquarius, which can lead to devastating outcomes.

Even the seed of the brain-eating worm story appears, as asteroid Worms 100046, which at 19 Pisces is exactly squared weakness-exposing asteroid Achilles at 19 Gemini.  Achilles is also exactly semisquare Vacchi, highlighting vaccines as an issue that additionally promotes inherent vulnerabilities in the campaign.  Natally, having RFKJ linked personally with worms is seen as asteroid Worms at 8 Sagittarius, semisquare the Venus/Sun/Mercury grouping and widely conjunct Roberta at 18 Sag, widely squared Roberts at 17 Pisces.

Although the brainworm thing is real, a parasite caused by a pork tapeworm, and infecting several million people globally, the story fed neatly into the “loony” narrative already circulating about RFKJ.  Late night comics had a field day with “the conquering worm,” and asteroid Worms also shows the potential to be somewhat self-defining for the candidate.  At 19 Pisces, it conjoins asteroid Roberts and Kennedy at 23 and 25 Pisces, as well as Neptune (mental confusion, insanity, conspiracy theories, breaks from reality) at 26 Pisces.  PNAs can be considered “mini-Suns,” so having Worms conjunct two of them, with a planetary energy that highlights abnormal mental states, could signal “lights out” for the campaign.

The timing of the Times piece, published on 8 May 2024, more than a year after the campaign rollout, couldn’t have been more perfect for calling attention to RFKJ’s weirdness.  Incredibly, an exact pairing of the spotlighting Sun with asteroid Roberts at 18 Taurus exactly conjoins the stationary natal asteroid Ophelia, one of those points that can symbolize insanity.  An exact opposition to asteroid Vacchi at 18 Scorpio once again reasserts the vaccine issue as self-defining.

The orb of the Sun stretches its influence to encompass asteroid Karma at 20, Uranus at 22, Jupiter at 25 and asteroid Worms at 26 Taurus.  This can be construed as a fated (Karma) surprise revelation (Uranus) about an eccentric (Uranus again) politician (Jupiter) with worm-related (Worms) brain damage.

Worse, RFKJ’s other PNAs are also linked to energies describing mental illness, such as Neptune at 29 Pisces squared asteroid Kennedy at 27 Gemini; asteroid Ophelia at 4 Pisces exactly opposed asteroid Fitzgerald 3665 at 4 Virgo; and worst of all, asteroid Roberta exactly conjunct asteroid MANIAC at 9 Aquarius, with asteroid America close by at 6 Aquarius, and Pluto within orb from 2.  (MANIAC also opposes the Roberto/Nemesis pairing in early Leo, doubling down on the sense that RFKJ is just not right in the head.)  This is a powerful celestial warning that, by and large, the country (America) considers RFKJ (Roberta, Roberto) to be mentally unstable (MANIAC), potentially sounding the death-knell (Pluto) for the campaign. 

Or so we may hope.  If Bobby Junior does the right thing and pulls out of this race before November, perhaps we can have a less complicated election.  He has absolutely no chance of winning, and what more tattered, sad legacy for a Kennedy to leave than contributing to the potential death of democracy in the USA?