Celebrity Asteroids

by Alex Miller

There you are, a tiny bit of space debris, endlessly circling the Sun in a predetermined orbit that can be calculated time out of mind. So far, no one has even noted your existence, but one day, just as you are rising in Chicago, Illinois, a child is born there, who would grow to become one of America’s best-loved and most talented comedic geniuses, a multiple Oscar nominee and Best Supporting Actor winner.

Some 45 years later, an astronomer at the Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona discovers you — you’ve finally made the big time! And boy, have you, for you are named “Robinwilliams,” after the stand-up comic and actor. But here’s the thing: 45 years before you were discovered, and decades before your eventual terrestrial namesake made such a name for himself as to be deemed worthy of celestial nomination, you were only that tiny chunk of rock that nobody even knew about, just rising in Chicago when Robin Williams was born there!

Robin Williams has an Ascendant degree of 12° Scorpio, with asteroid Robinwilliams (#12820) right beside, at 11° Scorpio. When the asteroid that would be named for him was discovered on May 11, 1996, transiting Robinwilliams at 6° Scorpio was just about to return to its degree and the Ascendant in Robin Williams’s chart. More than that, at his birth, asteroids Robyn (#5183) and Williams (#1763) were themselves conjunct, at 9° and 6° Leo, respectively, about to be conjoined by the Sun, rapidly approaching from 28° Cancer.1

So, we see two separate, generic asteroids representing Robin Williams in conjunction at his birth, linking those names in close proximity to the Sun, a celestial entity that defines his core identity; and a third asteroid, which would eventually be named specifically for him, closely conjunct the Ascendant, a point that represents how he presents himself to others and how they see him. And when that asteroid was finally discovered, we find it again approaching his Ascendant and squaring both generic asteroid referents that reflect his birth names.

Surely this is some bizarre cosmic coincidence, a celestial happenstance with literally astronomical odds against its repetition in other circumstances, yes?

Not so. For my research over the past decade and more has shown, time and again, that even ordinary mortals typically find their asteroid referents, when they exist, to be in close contact to the natal Sun, Moon, or angular degrees. And in the case of celebrities who actually have asteroids named for them, these can be seen to have prominence in the birth chart as well, literally decades before their namesakes made their cultural impact.

For the purposes of this article, we’re going to look at just those celebrities whose full names have been given celestial recognition, like Brad Pitt, Sean Connery, Stevie Wonder, Roger Federer, and the Monty Python gang. There are many others, living and dead, whose surnames only have been designated, such as Sandra Bullock, Wolfgang Mozart, Frank Sinatra, Steven Spielberg, and Pablo Picasso. Still, in the interests of brevity, we’ll focus on full names only.

But just to get the ball rolling — lest you think this applies only to the rich and famous (and also since I’m a self-focused Leo) — let’s start with myself as an example of the sort of thing I’m talking about. Born Kevin Miller on July 27, 1960, I chose the name “Alexander” when I came out at age 17, and though I have never changed it legally, “Alex” is the name that 95% of the world knows me by.

Natally, asteroid Kevin (#23739) at 0° Leo conjoins my 4° Leo Sun, indicating the very personal connection to that name for my core self, and a logical choice for my first name by my parents, highlighted and illumined, as it was in the popular consciousness of the time, by the transiting solar connection. Asteroid Miller (#1826) at 23° Pisces opposes the natal Moon at 19° Virgo, also a logical and appropriate position, since the Moon represents family roots and heritage, and my surname is of course inherited (as opposed to my first name, which was chosen for me).

Astonishingly, though, asteroid #54, Alexandra, the feminine form of “Alexander,” the name I chose to best represent my true self to others (often opposite-sex names will apply, and the cosmos is very obliging on gender issues), appears at 4° Scorpio, exactly conjunct the natal Ascendant, the point at which we make that presentation! Alexandra is also exactly square the natal Sun, and exactly semi-square the natal Moon, cementing its impact in my psyche and, once again, making it a logical choice (albeit an unconscious one) when it came time for me to define myself. (As it happens, there is both an Alexander and an Alex asteroid as well; see footnote.)2

Such connections are commonplace in the general population, and while this example is a textbook case, these asteroids were not named for me specifically, but can be applied to anyone who shares these names. In the case of asteroids named to honor particular individuals, however, the correlations between these points and the native’s birth chart can be even more dramatic and stunning.

Perhaps among the most outstanding “celebrity asteroids” I found were those named for individuals who became famous with names other than those they were born with. Such as blind American musician, composer, and pop singer Stevie Wonder, winner of more than two dozen Grammy awards, born Stevland Morris on May 13, 1950. Amazingly, asteroid Steviewonder (#144296), the chunk of rock that would later be named for him after its discovery in 2004, appears exactly on his natal Moon at 18° Aries! His birth surname of Morris also appears prominently: At 22° Cancer, asteroid Morris (#3783) is exactly sextile his 22° Taurus Sun, square his Moon, and also sextile natal Mercury at 23° Taurus.

Betty Joan Perske is a name you’re probably not familiar with, unless you’re a cinema buff. When she was 19, having just been signed by Warner Brothers, her name was changed to Lauren Bacall, and she went on to become a ‘50s screen icon of feminine pulchritude and grace, later married to Humphrey Bogart. Asteroid Laurenbacall (#5107), discovered in 1987 when the actress was in her sixties, appears at 23° Gemini in her nativity, exactly square her 23° Virgo Sun.

Both of these celebs sport eponymous PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids) in exact contact to luminaries! It almost seems as if the cosmos somehow knew in advance the names they’d become famous by and the importance of integrating these into their personal celestial frameworks, even though these points wouldn’t even be discovered for decades. Not to mention giving a gentle nudge to their PNAs’ discoverers, to push them in that name’s direction, validating the prescience of the cosmos.

Research Parameters and Results

My methodology for this research was simple, though not simplistic. I merely scrolled through the alphabetical list of named asteroids on the Minor Planet Center page at the website of the IAU (International Astronomers Union, the governing body that regulates naming). Yes, all 17,000 of them!

I’m sure my tally is incomplete — I’m not an expert in history, science, sports, or pop culture, and there are probably more than a few names on that list that didn’t resonate with me, although they might be considered “famous” to others. Are Aaron Golden and Aaron Ritter famous? Not to my knowledge, but both have asteroids named for them. The vast preponderance of full-name PNAs are chosen to honor individuals whom the discoverer knows, either personally or by reputation, who may be friends, family, colleagues, or leaders in their fields, but are not generally known to the public.

I chose just the ones I recognized immediately, bona fide celebrities, and as stated above, full names only. I came up with a list of 76 names, and began to research their data on Lois Rodden’s AstroDatabank (the gold standard for authenticated birth times, now available on the Astrodienst website: http://www.astro.com), coupled with PNA data plugged into the asteroid ephemeris generator at http://www.serennu.com/. I compared natal PNA placements in the chart, with a view solely to connections to the Sun, Moon, angles, or Mercury, which governs the naming function. These make the most dramatic impact in the chart, though many individuals also have connections to more peripheral planetary energies, not detailed here.

What I found was truly stunning, if not surprising to myself, since I’ve been giving these little bits of space rubble a close eye for more than a decade now. Of the 76 names on my list, only eight do not fit the pattern of connection to the chart points in question — a success rate of over 90%. And of those eight, five entries (more than half) belong to individuals for whom no birth time was available, meaning that I had only the Sun and Mercury to look to. If the angles and Moon were known, these might well fit into the pattern also.

A listing of data is available at the end of this article; for now, let’s just take a quick look at the results.

Musicians

Besides Stevie Wonder, mentioned above, other musicians on the list included Beach Boys founding member Brian Wilson (Mercury exactly sextile Brianwilson, #18125); jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker (Moon quincunx Charlieparker, #4479); gender-bending Brit rocker David Bowie (Sun exactly sextile Davidbowie, #342843); prolific 19th-century Austrian classical composer Franz Schubert (Ascendant square Franz Schubert, #3917); 20th-century classical pianist Glenn Gould (Sun and Mercury sesquiquadrate Glenngould, #29565); Swing era big band leader and clarinetist Glenn Miller (Ascendant exactly semi-sextile and Moon semi-square Glennmiller, #5062);3 1960s counterculture guitarist icon Jimi Hendrix (Sun and Mercury trine Jimihendrix, #4738); Dire Straits lead singer and songwriter Mark Knopfler (Ascendant trine Markknopfler, #28151); modern American composer Philip Glass (Sun square and Mercury trine Philipglass, #100417); ‘60s Welsh pop crooner Tom Jones (Sun trine Tomjones, #10828); and American rocker Frank Zappa (Mercury square Zappafrank, #3834).

Writers

Notable authors formed a significant subsection of the celebrity PNA list. These include American playwright and one-time Marilyn Monroe hubby Arthur Miller (Mercury square Arthurmiller, #3769); French poet, journalist, and novelist Anatole France (Ascendant square Anatolefrance, #11166); American horror, sci-fi, and fantasy author Dean Koontz (Mercury exactly semi-sextile Deankoontz, #5860); English novelist and screenwriter Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Moon semi-square, Mercury trine, and Midheaven, or MC, quincunx Douglasadams, #25924); Romanian-American Jewish writer, professor, and political activist Elie Wiesel (Sun semi-square Eliewiesel, #232763); Dune author Frank Herbert (Moon conjunct and Mercury sextile Frankherbert, #115561); 19th-century French novelist and memoirist George Sand (Sun conjunct and MC semi-square Georgesand, #10733); German-Swiss poet, writer, and painter Hermann Hesse, author of Steppenwolf and Siddhartha (MC sesquiquadrate Hermannhesse, #9762); James Bond creator, author Ian Fleming (Sun sextile Ianfleming, #91007); American horror writer Robert Bloch, author of Psycho (Ascendant opposed Robertbloch, #143622), and 18th-century Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns (Mercury square Robertburns, #5739).

Two other authors merit special attention. American adventure novel writer, journalist, and social activist Jack London, author of The Call of the Wild, provides another example of celestial nomenclature synchronicity. London was born John Griffith Chaney, but chose “Jack London” as his nom de plume, with asteroid Jack London (#2625, discovered in 1976, 100 years after London’s birth) at 2° Aquarius conjunct writer-ruling Mercury at 3° Aquarius! Similarly, Mark Twain, known as the father of American literature, was born Samuel Clemens on November 30, 1835. He came by his pen name after years of working on Mississippi River craft, where the frequently uttered term “mark twain!” referred to a depth of two fathoms beneath the boat, meaning that the water was deep enough to navigate. Astoundingly, asteroid Mark Twain (#2362), discovered nearly 150 years after Samuel Clemens’s birth, appears at 29° Scorpio, broadly conjunct the 7° Sagittarius Sun. The intimate placement of eponymous PNAs representing these writers’ pen names begs the question of what cosmic influences and nuances were operative for the two authors to bring about this strange “coincidence.”

Athletes

Noted sports figures honored by celestial nomination include Olympian track and field star Carl Lewis, who won nine gold medals (Moon exactly quincunx Carllewis, #39566); baseball legend Jackie Robinson, first black player to integrate the Major League (Sun and Moon trine Jackierobinson, #4319); American bicyclist Lance Armstrong, winner of seven consecutive Tour de France races and later stripped of his titles in a doping scandal (Mercury square Lancearmstrong, #12373); and Swiss pro tennis player Roger Federer, currently ranked third in the world (MC conjunct Rogerfederer, #230975).

Comedians

Comedians are also well represented in the heavens. Like Robin Williams, most of these are also actors, but known primarily for their comedic roles, whether on screen or off. Bob Hope tops the list, one of America’s best-loved classic comedians, a frequent Oscar host (helming the show 19 times from 1939 to 1977), and box office gold in the 1940s and ‘50s. Born May 29, 1903, Hope’s given first name was Leslie, but asteroid Bobhope (#2829) at 8° Virgo tightly squares his 7° Gemini Sun. Additional comedians on the PNA celebrity list include longtime Tonight Show host Jay Leno (Sun quincunx and MC sextile Jayleno, #13212); wacky slapstick artist and humanitarian Jerry Lewis (Moon sextile and Mercury semi-square Jerrylewis, #11548); noted comic actor Dudley Moore, star of Arthur and 10 (Ascendant sextile and Mercury trine Dudleymoore, #20469); and the entire Monty Python gang.

Yes, each member of the British sketch comedy troupe has an asteroid named for him, and some, like John Cleese, have gone on to impressively well-rounded careers as film stars, writers, and producers. Cleese’s further endeavors included the BBC series Fawlty Towers, starring roles in mainstream American films like A Fish Called Wanda, and voiceover work in animated films, such as The Princess and the Frog (PNA Johncleese, #9618, is trine his Ascendant and semi-square Mercury). Eric Idle branched out into music as a singer–songwriter and comedic composer, writing the Broadway musical Spamalot (Ascendant sesquiquadrate Ericidle, #9620). Michael Palin’s second act came as a respected travel documentarian (Sun square and MC sextile Michaelpalin, #9621). Terry Jones moved into directing after the breakup of the Monty Python gang, and he is also noted as a writer and television documentary presenter on medieval and ancient history (Sun quincunx and Moon semi-sextile Terryjones, #9622).

Graham Chapman’s struggle with alcoholism led to his early death at age 48, shortly after filming wrapped on Life of Brian (Ascendant conjunct and Moon sesquiquadrate Grahamchapman, #9617). Terry Gilliam, the only American member of the group, contributed animation to the Monty Python TV show and went on to direct a dozen feature films, including two Monty Python movies, plus The Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Sun square and Moon conjunct Terrygilliam, #9619). If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll note that the Python gang’s PNAs are sequentially numbered, all discovered over a period of four days in March 1993 and named as a group.

Actors

Actors formed the largest contingent of celebrity PNAs, which is hardly surprising given their huge cultural profiles. They are, after all, known as “stars”! In addition to Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall detailed above, thespians who have found their way into the skies include Alan Alda, best known as star of TV’s M*A*S*H (Sun and Moon both quincunx Alanalda, #15131, forming a yod, or “Finger of Destiny,” with Alanalda at the apex); megastar Brad Pitt (Sun conjunct Bradpitt, #29132); George Clooney, frequently voted “sexiest man alive,” with more film credits than can be listed (Sun quincunx Georgeclooney, #22903); 1940s leading man Glenn Ford (Moon sesquiquadrate and MC quincunx Glennford, #3852); actress, model, and princess-by-marriage Grace Kelly (Ascendant semi-square and Moon square Gracekelly, #9341); ‘90s British heartthrob Hugh Grant (Mercury conjunct Hughgrant, #20759); perennial character actor Hume Cronyn (Sun conjunct Humecronyn, #12050); Big Bang Theory co-stars Jim Parsons (Mercury sextile Jimparsons, #8621) and Johnny Galecki (Sun square Johnnygalecki, #8623); child actress, director, and focus of John Hinckley, Jr.’s obsession, Jodie Foster (Sun and Mercury conjunct Jodiefoster, #17744); ‘50s sex symbol Kim Novak (Moon sesquiquadrate Kimnovak, #9339); ‘90s “girl next door” Meg Ryan (Mercury opposed Megryan, #8353); noted Scottish actor Sean Connery, originator of the James Bond role (Sun square Seanconnery, #13070); and square-jawed ‘50s leading man William Holden (Mercury conjunct Williamholden, #9340).

Two-time consecutive Oscar winner Tom Hanks makes a good illustration of the ways in which one’s PNAs continue to appear prominently at pivotal moments in the life. Hanks’s 17° Cancer Sun is only broadly opposed natal asteroid Tomhanks (#12818) at 9° Capricorn, but his 9° Leo Moon is exactly quincunx. In addition to the asteroid named specifically for him, Hanks sports strong natal contacts from more generic PNAs that reflect his name. Asteroid Thomas (#2555) at 11° Aries trines the natal Moon and broadly squares both the Sun and his 5° Cancer Mercury, while asteroid Hank (#4582) at 13° Taurus is square the Moon and sextile the Sun, as well as broadly trine his 21° Virgo Ascendant.

Hanks’s back-to-back Best Actor nods came for Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994). When the 66th Annual Academy Awards were presented on March 21, 1994 (for the 1993 season), transiting asteroid Tomhanks at 3° Taurus was sextile a transiting Mercury–Saturn conjunction (news regarding career) in Pisces, but was also square asteroid Oskar (#750) at 29° Capricorn and sesquiquadrate asteroid #829, Academia (for the Academy Awards), at 19° Sagittarius. (Incidentally, that Mercury–Saturn pairing was conjunct Hanks’s natal asteroid Oskar at 1° Pisces.) When Hanks reprised his Oscar win a year later, at the 67th Annual Academy Awards held on March 27, 1995, transiting asteroid Tomhanks at 10° Cancer squared the transiting Sun at 6° Aries and trined transiting Academia at 4° Pisces (which provided further stimulation of Hanks’s natal Oskar), also broadly trining transiting Saturn at 17° Pisces. Transiting Oskar at 28° Pisces formed the apex of a temporary yod, with quincunxes to Hanks’s natal Jupiter (fame, renown) at 0° Virgo and Neptune (films) at 27° Libra; it was also broadly square Hanks’s natal Venus at 22° Gemini and conjunct the transiting Sun.

Another notable example of a stage name showing up prominently in the birth chart, years before the name was adopted, is the case of Archibald Leach, better known as screen icon Cary Grant. Born on January 18, 1904, Grant had a Mercury–Sun conjunction at 25°–26° Capricorn in sextile to natal Carygrant (#9342) at 21° Scorpio in the 1st house, ruling self-identity. Carygrant also broadly squares natal Mars at 28° Aquarius and tightly trines Jupiter at 20° Pisces, appropriate for an actor who became famed for his sophisticated sex appeal. Interestingly, both birth names are well represented, too, with asteroid Archibald (#28823) at 12° Leo conjoining the MC at 7° Leo, and asteroid Leach (#157258) squaring this point from 12° Scorpio.

Miscellaneous

A number of individuals on the list don’t fall into any of the above categories. However, several of these people have been involved in filmmaking, among them director and screenwriter David Lynch, with such offbeat projects as movies Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man, and Eraserhead and the TV series Twin Peaks to his credit (Ascendant quincunx and Mercury exactly square Davidlynch, #262876); Star Wars creator George Lucas (Sun semi-sextile and Moon quintile Georgelucas, #28600); and British director Ken Russell, director of the Oscar-winning Women in Love and Altered States, known for his bizarre and flamboyant style (Sun semi-square, Moon conjunct, and MC trine Kenrussell, #3714).

We also have American businessman and noted philanthropist Armand Hammer (Mercury opposed Armandhammer, #3376); 17th-century physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton (Mercury semi-square Isaac Newton, #8000); French deep-sea explorer, filmmaker, and conservationist Jacques Cousteau (Sun sextile Jacquescousteau, #6542); political philosopher Karl Marx, co-author of The Communist Manifesto (Sun and Moon trine Karl Marx, #2807); painter and chronicler of everyday American life Norman Rockwell, noted for his iconic Saturday Evening Post covers over five decades (Sun and Mercury sesquiquadrate and MC quincunx Normanrockwell, #10189); and Swedish architect, businessman, diplomat, and humanitarian Raoul Wallenberg, credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust (Mercury opposed Raoulwallenberg, #140620).

One final example of an assumed name showing prominently in the birth chart is that of 19th-century Indian mystic and yogi Ramakrishna. Born Gadadhar Chatterji on February 18, 1836, this influential Hindu teacher and sage was instrumental in bringing Eastern philosophy to Western audiences. Ramakrishna was given his name in his early twenties by a priest at the Dakshineswar Kali temple near Calcutta, where he apprenticed. Some 163 years after his birth, in 1999, a small Main Belt asteroid (#25468) was named after him, which falls at 1° Aquarius in Ramakrishna’s natal chart, closely conjunct his 29° Capricorn Ascendant.

 

When a generically named PNA such as William, Patricia, Smith, or Johnson subsequently shows up prominently in the birth chart of someone given that name, this might be attributed to its synchronic resonance with the planetary energies of the day. That is, the name was already highlighted by its connection with a major celestial body, and its impact was therefore boosted in the collective unconscious for that time frame, making it a statistically more likely choice.

But what can we make of eponymous PNAs, specifically named for one individual, which also show up prominently in the person’s own birth chart, despite the fact that the discovery of these asteroids may be decades, even centuries, in the future? The mechanism by which this operates still eludes me, after more than a decade of research. All I can do is chalk it up to the ongoing, ineffable mysteries of the cosmos.

Celebrity Chart Data:
(in alphabetical order)
Editor’s Note: Further details about birth data and sources can be found at AstroDatabank (http://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Main_Page), unless the source is indicated as Wikipedia.
Douglas Adams, March 11, 1952; 11:10 a.m. GMT; Cambridge, England; Rodden Rating: A.
Alan Alda, January 28, 1936; 5:07 a.m. EST; Manhattan, NY, USA; A.
Lance Armstrong, September 18, 1971; no time given (Wikipedia); Plano, TX, USA.
(Editor’s Note: In all cases of Wikipedia and C-rated data in this listing, the date of birth is reliable.)
Lauren Bacall, September 16, 1924; 2:00 a.m. EDT; New York, NY, USA; B.
Robert Bloch, April 5, 1917; 9:20 p.m. CST; Chicago, IL, USA;
David Bowie, January 8, 1947; 9:00 a.m. GMT; Brixton, England; A.
Robert Burns, January 25, 1759; no time (Wikipedia); Alloway, Scotland.
Graham Chapman, January 8, 1941; 8:30 a.m. GDT; Leicester, England; C.
John Cleese, October 27, 1939; 3:15 a.m. GDT; Weston-Super-Mare, England; A.
George Clooney, May 6, 1961; 2:58 a.m. EST; Lexington, KY, USA; AA.
Sean Connery, August 25, 1930; 6:05 p.m. GDT; Edinburgh, Scotland; AA.
Jacques Cousteau, June 11, 1910; 1:06 p.m. LST; St. André de Cubzac, France; AA.
Hume Cronyn, July 18, 1911; no time (Wikipedia); London, Ont., Canada.
Roger Federer, August 8, 1981; 8:40 a.m. MEDT; Basel, Switzerland; A.
Ian Fleming, May 28, 1908; no time (Wikipedia); London, England.
Glenn Ford, May 1, 1916; 12:00 p.m. EST; Quebec, Canada; A.
Jodie Foster, November 19, 1962; 8:14 a.m. PST; Los Angeles, CA, USA; AA.
Anatole France, April 16, 1844; 7:00 a.m. LMT; Paris, France; AA.
Johnny Galecki, April 30, 1975; no time (Wikipedia); Bree, Belgium.
Terry Gilliam, November 22, 1940; 12:35 a.m. CST; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A.
Philip Glass, January 31, 1937; no time (Wikipedia); Baltimore, MD, USA.
Glenn Gould, September 25, 1932; no time (Wikipedia); Toronto, Ont., Canada.
Cary Grant, January 18, 1904; 1:07 a.m. GMT; Bristol, England; B.
Hugh Grant, September 9, 1960; no time (Wikipedia); London, England.
Armand Hammer, May 21, 1898; no time (Wikipedia); New York, NY, USA.
Tom Hanks, July 9, 1956; 11:17 a.m. PDT; Concord, CA, USA; AA.
Jimi Hendrix, November 27, 1942; 10:15 a.m. PWT; Seattle, WA, USA: AA.
Frank Herbert, October 8, 1920; 7:30 a.m. PST; Tacoma, WA, USA; AA.
Hermann Hesse, July 2, 1877; 6:30 p.m. LMT; Calw, Germany; AA.
William Holden, April 17, 1918; 5:00 p.m. CWT; O’Fallon, IL, USA; AA.
Bob Hope, May 29, 1903; 3:36 p.m. GMT; Eltham, England; C.
Eric Idle, March 29, 1943; 1:20 p.m. GDT; South Shields, England; A.
Terry Jones, February 1, 1942; 11:00 a.m. GDT; Colwyn Bay, Wales; A.
Tom Jones, June 17, 1940; 12:10 a.m. GST; Pontypridd, Wales; B.
Grace Kelly, November 12, 1929; 5:31 a.m. EST; Philadelphia, PA, USA; AA.
Mark Knopfler, August 12, 1949; 9:50 p.m. GDT; Glasgow, Scotland; AA.
Dean Koontz, July 9, 1945; no time (Wikipedia); Everett, PA, USA.
Jay Leno, April 28, 1950; 2:03 a.m. EST; New Rochelle, NY, USA; A.
Carl Lewis, July 1, 1961; 7:49 a.m. CST; Birmingham, AL, USA; A.
Jerry Lewis, March 16, 1926; 12:15 p.m. EST; Newark, NJ, USA; AA.
Jack London, January 12, 1876; 2:00 p.m. LMT; San Francisco, CA, USA; B.
George Lucas, May 14, 1944; 5:40 a.m. PWT; Modesto, CA, USA; AA.
David Lynch, January 20, 1946; 3:00 a.m. MST; Missoula, MT, USA; AA.
Karl Marx, May 5, 1818; 2:00 a.m. LMT; Trier, Germany; AA.
Arthur Miller, October 17, 1915; 5:12 a.m. EST; New York, NY, USA; C.
Glenn Miller, March 1, 1904; 11:30 a.m. CST; Clarinda, IA, USA; C.
Dudley Moore, April 19, 1935; 6:30 p.m. GDT; Dagenham, England; A.
Isaac Newton, December 25, 1642 OS (January 4, 1643 NS); 1:38 a.m. LMT; Wolsthorpe Manor, England; C.
Kim Novak, February 13, 1933; 6:13 a.m. CST; Chicago, IL, USA; AA.
Michael Palin, May 5, 1943; 11:45 a.m. GDWT; Sheffield, England; A.
Charlie Parker, August 29, 1920; 1:45 a.m. CST; Kansas City, KS, USA; B.
Jim Parsons, March 24, 1973; no time (Wikipedia); Houston, TX, USA.
Brad Pitt, December 18, 1963; 6:31 a.m. CST; Shawnee, OK, USA; A.
Ramakrishna, February 18, 1836; 5:00 a.m. LMT; Karmarpukar, India; B.
Jackie Robinson, January 31, 1919; 6:30 p.m. CST; Cairo, GA, USA; B.
Norman Rockwell, February 3, 1894; 2:00 a.m. EST; New York, NY, USA; B.
Ken Russell, July 3, 1927; 12:05 a.m. GDT; Southampton, England; A.
Meg Ryan, November 19, 1961; 10:36 a.m. EST; Fairfield, CT, USA; A.
George Sand, July 1, 1804; 3:00 p.m. LMT; Paris, France; AA.
Franz Schubert, January 31, 1797; 1:30 p.m. LMT; Vienna, Austria; AA.
Mark Twain, November 30, 1835; 4:45 a.m. LMT; Florida, MO, USA; C.
Raoul Wallenberg, August 4, 1912; 4:35 a.m. MET; Stockholm, Sweden; A.
Elie Wiesel, September 30, 1928; no time (Wikipedia); Sighet, Romania.
Robin Williams, July 21, 1951; 1:34 p.m. CST; Chicago, IL, USA; AA.
Brian Wilson, June 20, 1942; 3:45 a.m. PWT; Inglewood, CA, USA; AA.
Stevie Wonder, May 13, 1950; 4:15 p.m. EST; Saginaw, MI, USA; A.
Frank Zappa, December 21, 1940; 6:22 a.m. EST; Baltimore, MD, USA; A.

Notes:
1. The issue of orbs for smaller bodies is often raised; generally speaking, I prefer to keep orbs to within 6 degrees, but there are occasions, particularly with mundane events, when the effect of the point is so obvious in the story at hand that I will consider aspects in orb up to 10 degrees, and designate the contact as “wide” or “broad.” I do not differentiate between traditional planets and smaller bodies, as mass is not a consideration in consciousness; just as we do not allow larger orbs for Jupiter, the largest planetary body, than we do for Mercury, the smallest, I see no reason to treat so-called minor bodies any differently. I rarely use aspects other than those in the 30° increment series, plus “phase” aspects of semi-square and sesquiquadrate, but on the occasions when I do, I typically reduce orbs to 3 degrees.
2. At the time I originally investigated my own PNAs, the asteroid “Alexander” had not been named. New points are being discovered and named constantly, and I used “Alexandra” as a substitute. I became aware of the newly minted “Alexander” only several months ago (after writing this article, in fact), and promptly plugged it into my chart. At 14° Capricorn, it sits beside my natal Saturn at 13° Capricorn, also an appropriate position for the name I chose when I announced my “coming of age” as an adult and began taking responsibility for my authentic self. There is also an asteroid “Alex” — at 20° Libra, this closely squares my natal Mercury at 19° Cancer (which Saturn–Alexander also opposes). Interestingly, it was among peers and as a writer (Mercury) that my new name was first used, and it has become an exclusive identity in my career (Saturn).
3. For this and other C-rated birth information, readers are advised that the data are unconfirmed, so use good judgment when delineating the angles or the Moon.

Images:
Robin Williams 2011: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Bob Hope 1950: NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Stevie Wonder 1979: Motown Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Grace Kelly 1954: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

First published in: The Mountain Astrologer, Oct/Nov 2017.

Author:
Alex Miller is a professional writer and astrologer, past president of the Philadelphia Astrological Society, current board member of the Philadelphia Chapter of NCGR, and author of The Black Hole Book. His pioneering work with Black Holes and Deep Space in astrological interpretation began in 1991, and he has been actively researching and chronicling the effects of asteroids, Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), and other minor bodies of the solar system since 2005. Alex can be reached for comment at his website, http://www.alexasteroidastrology.com; e-mail: glaktix@verizon.net

© 2017/22 - Alex Miller

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