The Trayvon Martin Killing

At approximately 7 PM on February 26, 2012, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch captain in the gated community of Twin Lakes in Sanford, Florida. The boy, an African American Miami Gardens resident who was visiting his father at the latter’s fiancée’s house in Twin Lakes, had gone out to a local 7-11 to buy Skittles candy and iced tea, and crossed the path of George Zimmerman on his nightly patrol, who found his behavior “suspicious.”

Zimmerman called police (his 46th call since January), and described Martin, who was wearing a gray hoodie with one hand in his waistband and the other carrying something (which turned out to be a cell phone), as “just walking around looking” at houses in the rain, adding, “This guy looks like he is up to no good. He is on drugs or something.” The dispatch operator informed him that police were on their way, and not to follow Martin. But when the boy attempted to flee, Zimmerman pursued and shot him dead. Invoking Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, Zimmerman claimed self-defense, and by the terms of the law, was granted immunity from arrest, unless responding officers found cause to doubt his story.

Martin’s body went unidentified for three days before his family was notified, despite his father filing a missing person’s report the day after the shooting, and Martin’s having a cell phone on him which would have led police directly to his family. The transcript of Zimmerman’s call clearly shows that he was in pursuit of Martin, and told not to follow. Martin’s girlfriend was on the phone with him at the time of the shooting; he told her that “a strange man” was following him, and she advised him to run, after which she overheard a verbal altercation with Zimmerman, which abruptly ended when Martin’s headset went dead. Several local witnesses corroborated her story of Zimmerman’s aggressive pursuit, and related Martin’s attempts to flee and cries for help.

Almost a month elapsed with virtually no action before the media picked up on it and the case became a national sensation, forcing Florida State Police and the US Justice Department to become involved in the case. The police and 911 recordings were not released until March 17; contradictory statements by witnesses as to a physical confrontation between Zimmerman and Martin immediately preceding the shooting variously assert that one man or the other was the aggressor. The case quickly garnered national attention, with large anti-racism rallies being held in several American cities the week of March 18.

The truth of what occurred that night is still murky, beyond the simple fact that an unarmed black youth who apparently had no original violent or illegal intent was targeted and confronted by an overzealous neighborhood watch member of mixed race, who eventually shot and killed him. Whatever intervened between the time Martin set off for his Skittles and his deadly meeting with Zimmerman is still in doubt and under investigation. Regardless, charts for the time of the shooting and the two nativities well reflect the substance of the tragedy.

An astrological chart set for 7 PM EST on February 26, 2012 in Sanford, Florida, when the first call was placed, shows deadly, violent Mars exactly rising on the 16 Virgo Ascendant, with Mars also squared a close conjunction of asteroid Nemesis (retributive vengeance) and TNO Ixion (named for the first murderer in Greek myth) at 16 and 19 Sagittarius, which cluster about the 16 Sagittarius Nadir, giving this powerful square angular force and momentum.

Further, Mars at 15 Virgo retrograde highlights asteroid Zimmerman (#3100) in George Zimmerman’s (born 5 October 1983) chart by conjunction at 17 Virgo, and is tightly sextile his natal Ixion at 16 Scorpio, while approaching square to Zimmerman’s natal asteroid Martina (#981, for Martin) at 10 Gemini. Mars/Ascendant also forms one leg of a Yod, or Finger of Destiny, by sextile to Trayvon Martin’s (born 5 February 1995) natal asteroid Atropos (named for the Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death) at 17 Cancer, both inconjunct Martin’s natal Sun at 16 Aquarius, on the Yod’s Apex.

The transit Sun at 7 Pisces is exactly opposed a Black Hole at 7 Virgo, exactly squared a Maser at 7 Gemini. Sun/Black Hole contacts indicate sudden, unexpected twists of fate, and perfectly portray the alternate realities competing for dominance in this story. Maser contacts promote volatile, controversial interactions, very high energy, often-violent confrontations. The Sun is also conjoined asteroid George (#3854) at 6 Pisces in Martin’s natal chart, closely squared Uranus (shootings) at 6 Sagittarius in Zimmerman’s chart, while approaching square to Zimmerman’s 10 Gemini asteroid Martina.

The transit Moon at 4 Taurus exactly opposes Zimmerman’s natal Saturn (ancient lord of death) at 4 Scorpio, both conjunct Quasars, which promote notoriety, public attention and high visibility. The Moon is also closely trine Zimmerman’s natal asteroid Icarus at 3 Capricorn, itself atop a Black Hole, suggesting an ease (trine) of implementation of rash, reckless (Icarus) behaviors or actions, with unexpected, reality-altering (Black Hole) results.

A Grand Trine is formed with the inclusion of Zimmerman’s natal Mars (violence, attacks, conflict) at 3 Virgo. The Moon is just past exact square to Zimmerman’s natal asteroid Sanford (#5736, the venue for the killing) at 3 Leo, still squared to Martin’s natal asteroid Sanford at 1 Leo, and is exactly semisextile Martin’s natal asteroid Martina at 4 Gemini. Zimmerman’s Sanford is also conjoined his natal Atropos at 2 Leo, blending his current town of residence with his capacity to end a life.

Both men’s Sanford asteroids are involved in a synastric Grand Trine pattern, incorporating Martin’s natal Pluto (modern ruler of death) at 0 Sagittarius and transit Uranus (shootings, sudden violence) at 2 Aries. Transit asteroid George also joins the pattern by conjunction with Pluto from 1 Sagittarius on the day of the killing. A kite pattern forms by the inclusion to the Grand Trine of Martin’s natal Martina at 4 Gemini and Zimmerman’s Chiron at 2 Gemini, opposed Pluto and focusing the energies of the Grand Trine on a wounding (Chiron) of Martin (Martina).

Several factors in Trayvon Martin’s astrological chart suggest an early, violent or ambiguous death. A triple conjunction of natal Neptune (confusion, martyrdom) at 23 Capricorn with Uranus (sudden, violent attack, shooting) at 27 Capricorn and asteroid Requiem (the funeral mass for the dead) at 28 Capricorn was exactly conjoined by transit asteroid Zimmerman at 28 Capricorn and opposed by transit asteroid Martina at 23 Cancer on the day of the shooting (with transit Zimmerman also conjunct transit Icarus—rash, reckless action—at 29 Capricorn and transit Neptune—confusion, misunderstanding—at 0 Pisces).

Another triple conjunction of natal Sun at 16 Aquarius with Mercury (youths) at 12 Aquarius and asteroid Lachesis (named for the Greek Fate who determines the span of life) at 13 Aquarius is squared by Zimmerman’s natal asteroid George at 13 Scorpio. Both Mercury and Lachesis are exactly conjunct Black Holes, with the natal Sun conjoined a third at 17 Aquarius, indicating an extremely high level of instability, unpredictability, and the potential for rapid and dramatic shifts in the status quo reality throughout Martin’s life.

Martin’s natal Mars (conflict, violence, attack) at 25 Leo retrograde exactly opposes natal asteroid Nemesis (retributive vengeance) at 25 Aquarius and is squared natal TNO Ixion (murder) at 29 Scorpio, forming a T-Square. Transit asteroid Osiris (named for the Egyptian god of the dead) at 25 Scorpio for the shooting completes the T-Square exactly, while transit asteroid Requiem reinforces this from 21 Scorpio. Requiem also pulls in a fourth arm, more loosely connected to the others, creating a Grand Cross by exact opposition to a unique triple conjunction of transit asteroids Apophis (named for the Egyptian personification or pure evil), Asbolus (a mythic centaur augur, who divined the signs of the times by observing the patterns of birds in flight) and Karma (the fated results of our actions), all at 21 Taurus.

George Zimmerman’s potential for killing is also apparent in the natal astrological chart. Natal Mars at 3 Virgo squares Chiron (wounding) at 2 Gemini and more broadly squares Zimmerman’s natal asteroid Martina at 10 Gemini, with natal Mars also in square to Martin’s natal Pluto (death) at 0 Sagittarius. Mars is also exactly trined natal asteroid Icarus (rash, reckless action) at 3 Capricorn, providing a well-lubricated interchange (trine) of energies between Zimmerman’s aggressive tendencies (Mars) and propensity to act without due consideration of the potential consequences (Icarus).

Natal Saturn and Pluto, ancient and modern astrological rulers of death, conjoin from 4 Scorpio and 28 Libra respectively, from where Pluto exactly squares transit asteroid Zimmerman at 28 Capricorn for the shooting. Saturn is also exactly inconjunct to Martin’s natal Martina at 4 Gemini, while exactly opposed the Moon of the shooting. Pluto exactly on a Black Hole and Saturn exactly on a Quasar indicates an alternate reality involving death (Black Hole/Pluto) and a very visible or publicized involvement with loss of life (Quasar/Saturn).

A triple conjunction of asteroids Requiem and George with TNO Ixion at 11, 13 and 16 Scorpio tie Zimmerman personally (George) to the concepts of death or bereavement (Requiem) and murder (Ixion). These square Martin’s natal triple conjunction of Mercury, Lachesis and Sun in mid-Aquarius. Ixion is also tightly sextile to natal asteroid Zimmerman at 17 Virgo, once again connecting him personally to murder, with Zimmerman touched off by the Mars retrograde transit in exact conjunction just days before the shooting, and the shooting’s Ascendant degree about to conjoin it exactly just minutes after the initial call to police. Natal Zimmerman is also inconjunct Martin’s natal Sun at 16 Aquarius, and exactly sextile his Atropos at 17 Cancer, which itself is tightly opposed Martin’s natal Zimmerman at 18 Capricorn.

Sanford, too, has an astrological tale to tell. Transit asteroid Sanford for the shooting fell at 10 Aries, exactly conjunct a Quasar, a deep space anomaly which shines a bright spotlight upon whatever it touches, like setting a beacon on a hilltop. Surely Sanford, Florida has become the focus of the nation and the world since this awful story unfolded. Sanford is also squared to transit Pluto (death) at 9 Capricorn, and exactly sextile Zimmerman’s natal Martina at 10 Gemini, while opposed his natal Sun at 11 Libra.

Such specific contacts between personal-named asteroids in the nativities and the chart for the shooting, coupled with a preponderance of major configurations, indicates a high level of fated or karmic interaction in the tragedy. We can only mourn the loss of life, demand a thorough investigation, and hope for justice to be done.

Alex Miller

Alex Miller is a professional writer and astrologer, whose website AlexAsteroidAstrology.com offers a trove of info on the role of asteroids in personal and mundane astrology. He is the author of The Black Hole Book (available on Amazon.com) and The Urban Wicca, former editor of “The Galactic Calendar,” and past president of The Philadelphia Astrological Society. His pioneering work with Black Holes in astrological interpretation began in 1991, when his progressed Sun unwittingly fell into one. Alex’s books and writings are available on his website. Alex can also be reached for comment or services at .