Atropos Archives - Alex's Asteroid Astrology

August 6th, 2025 at 11:02am by Alex Miller

Two Funerals & a Memorial

The Sun’s annual opposition to Pluto (in 2025 extending from July 15 to August 5) cast a bright spotlight (Sun) on themes of death and mortality (Pluto), showcasing the passing of two iconic ‘80s figures, and the unveiling of a memorial to commemorate the passing of a third. On Sunday 20 July, actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, part of the ensemble cast on the megahit “The Cosby Show,” accidentally drowned while on holiday in Costa Rica. On Thursday 24 July, WWE pro wrestler Hulk Hogan died at his home of cardiac arrest. And on Saturday, 19 July, a mural was unveiled in Paris to honor Jazz era American-French dancer, singer and actress Josephine Baker, marking the fiftieth anniversary of her passing.

July 24th, 2025 at 01:59pm by Alex Miller

Aster-Obit: Connie Francis

“Who’s Sorry Now?” Legions of Connie Francis fans, that’s who, mourning the death of the singer whose signature tune that became. Francis herself hated the song, but it was her breakout hit from 1958, and she paid homage to its importance in her life and career by using the phrase to title her 1984 autobiography. Francis was translated to the celestial choir on 16 July 2025, aged 87.

July 7th, 2025 at 11:16am by Alex Miller

Deadly Texas Flash Floods Kill Dozens

Rain-sodden remnants of Tropical Storm Barry dumped more than 6” of precipitation on Kerr County, Texas, USA in the early hours of 4 July 2025. Rainfall rates of 2-3” per hour prompted the Guadalupe River to overflow its banks in a surge of more than 29 feet, causing devastating flash flooding across hundreds of acres of Texas hill country. At least 84 were killed, including 21 children, with search and rescue efforts for more possible victims ongoing, including 10 girls missing from a summer camp in Hunt.

June 6th, 2025 at 08:17am by Alex Miller

Aster-Obit: Loretta Swit

On 30 May 2025, American actress Loretta Swift passed away at her home in New York City, at the age of 87. Best remembered for her performance as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in the smash 1970s TV hit series M*A*S*H, Swit effortlessly grew that character from one-dimensional, strait-laced, traditionalist army nurse having an extramarital affair with an inept doctor, to a married, then divorced, fully emancipated modern woman. The metamorphosis was stunning to behold, and Swit’s character became an icon of feminism for the time. Swit won two Emmy Awards for her portrayal, appearing in all but 11 of the series’ 256 episodes, only one of two actors to appear through the run of the show, from pilot to finale (the other being Alan Alda, Captain Hawkeye Pierce).

April 22nd, 2025 at 10:18am by Alex Miller

Aster-Obit: Pope Francis

At 7:35 AM CEST on Monday, 21 April 2025, Pope Francis passed away, apparently from a stroke, in his apartment at the St Martha House in Vatican City. The notoriously down-to-earth pontiff eschewed the luxurious papal penthouse in the Apostolic Palace, preferring the humbler surroundings of the Vatican’s adjacent guest house. Francis had recently battled bilateral pneumonia and other respiratory complaints during a weeks-long hospital stay, but returned to the Vatican a month ago, where he resumed some of his papal duties. On the day before his death, Francis went out to greet the Easter Sunday crowds in St Peter’s Square, also meeting with US Vice President JD Vance, so, although he was still in ill health, his passing just hours later was unexpected.

April 7th, 2025 at 08:54am by Alex Miller

Asteroid Sleuth: The Case of the Train Track Tragedy

Shortly after 6 PM EDT on Thursday, 3 April 2025, a father and his two adult sons were struck and killed by an Amtrak train in Bristol, PA. Christopher Cramp, 56, and David Cramp, 31, were apparently on the scene attempting to remove Thomas Cramp, 24, from the tracks before the arrival of the oncoming train. Thomas Cramp reportedly suffered from mental health issues and was suicidal, though no specifics of the circumstances surrounding the incident have emerged. Police have ruled the death of Thomas Cramp a suicide, and that of his elder brother and father as accidents.