“I Am the Joker”: Astrology of the Aurora Shootings

When James Holmes opened fire at the midnight premiere showing of the Batman sequel “The Dark Knight Rises” in the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado on July 20, 2012, he was enacting some sort of deranged fantasy, which cost the lives of 12 people, with 58 others wounded. Holmes had dressed the part, all in black, wearing SWAT team gear including protective vest, knee and groin coverings, ballistic helmet and gas mask, with his hair dyed red. He slowly, silently strode to the front of the theater as the film played, released canisters of toxic gas and began spraying the crowd with bullets. When police apprehended him later in the parking lot at his car, he calmly stated, “I am the Joker,” a reference to the chief villain of the previous Batman film.

The incident is a horrible playing-out on a very intimate, up-close level of one of the major formative patterns of our day, the just-beginning Uranus/Pluto square, rooted in the violence and turmoil of the 1960s. Taken together, Uranus and Pluto can be violent and incendiary, but also somewhat abstract; it takes a catalyst of some type, in this case angry, attack-mode Mars, to bring these energies into the realm of the everyday. Holmes was reacting to the pressure we all felt over those few days prior to the shooting as Mars came first to square Pluto and then oppose Uranus, bringing their rarefied cosmic energies into sharp and tragic relief.

But why James Holmes, in particular? Why Aurora? Why that film? We’ve all been under the Mars/Uranus/Pluto gun, but we didn’t all step out and murder a dozen people. The key to understanding the why of that when, where, and who may lie in a little-explored field of astrological study, personal named asteroids.

There are literally millions of these bits of rock and cosmic debris of various classes known collectively as “minor planets”, most of them floating in a vast belt between Mars and Jupiter, perhaps hundreds more strung out over the next few planetary orbits, until we reach a final grouping, again numbering thousands, in the regions past Neptune. Many of them are still unplotted and unnamed, but some 15,000 are tagged and tracked. Many of this group have mythic names, and these resonate infallibly with the themes and elements of the ancient stories they represent. But there are thousands more with “normal”, everyday names: beer, fireman, lie, lust, petunia. And many are named for just everyday people—Kate, George, Doris, Paul—or common surnames like Kennedy, Brown, O’Donnell, Miller.

As it happens, among those named asteroids we find Aurora, James, Holmes and Knight, and their celestial positions when gunman James Holmes shot up the screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colorado have a remarkable tale to tell.

Aurora’s asteroid namesake (#94) was cresting the midheaven, the most elevated, visible point of the sky, like the sun at noon, when James Holmes began his spree. It is a position which guarantees public attention and notoriety, the zenith of the moment. The first 911 calls came in at 12:39 AM MDT, and show asteroid Aurora at 17 Capricorn, just four degrees off the actual midheaven at 21 Capricorn, meaning it had met that topmost angle within the previous 15 minutes or so, as James Holmes made the final preparations which would skyrocket Aurora, Colorado to international attention.

From here asteroid Aurora formed a pair of complex, interlaced patterns, always a sign of importance and fraught with potential. First, a Grand Trine with asteroids Atropos (named for the mythic Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death) at 24 Taurus and Apophis (named for the ancient Egyptian personification of pure evil) at 22 Virgo, two very potent and obviously apropos mythic images. Grand Trines often provide success in endeavors with very little effort, and everything certainly worked together smoothly for James Holmes’ agenda that night.

Aurora was also at the apex, the critical lynchpin point, of a Yod, sometimes known as a Finger of Destiny, formed by inconjunct aspects to a paring of Venus (ruling places of entertainment) and Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO) Chaos (just what it sounds like, at its most basic interpretive level, and just what ensued) at 15 and 16 Gemini, and a second pairing of the Moon (the public, public spaces) and Mercury (news) at 10 and 11 Leo, then traveling with asteroid Knight, more of which later.

All this shows the coming together of a chaotic event making big news, involving the public, focused on an entertainment venue in Aurora, with the flavor of something unavoidable or predetermined. Mercury is also known as “the Trickster,” which equates well with the Batman villain “the Joker,” with whom James Holmes self-identified at his arrest, with flame-orange hair dyed to simulate the Joker’s cinematic appearance.

Asteroid James (#2335) was even more tightly tapped in to the other celestial energies. At 3 Virgo, it formed a Grand Cross, one of the most stressful major configurations, with an opposition to Neptune at 2 Pisces and squares to the North and South Nodes at 2 Sagittarius and Gemini. A more Neptunian scene can hardly be imagined—the movie theater setting; the dramatic, theatrical presentation embraced by the clearly unbalanced James Holmes; the chemical bombs and booby traps later found at his home; the bleeding of the fantasy and real worlds, to the extent that initially, movie patrons thought his acts were just part of the show. The activation of the nodal axis suggests a karmic situation, something not perhaps predestined in its specifics, but based in long-term or habitual patterns very difficult to deny or escape—the ineluctable bonds of cause and effect.

Asteroid Holmes (#5477) makes the most stunning appearance.  At 9 Libra it is an exact match for Mars in the sky, the planet of attacks, guns, conflict and violent death. As we noted above, that Mars had just activated the dynamic Uranus/Pluto square over the past few days, with asteroid Holmes in tow, bringing along his human counterpart for the ride, creating a very personal vessel for all the rage, volatility and destruction of which Mars/Uranus/Pluto is capable. Filling the missing leg of that T-Square and forming a full-fledged Grand Cross was asteroid Tantalus at 11 Cancer, a mythic figure noted for heinous, unspeakable crimes.

The fourth and final identical asteroid referent was Knight (#29391), representing the cinematic protagonist of the “Dark Knight Rises” film. This is a role James Holmes seems to have cast himself in, with his dress and statements, and his choosing of the very first showing of that long-anticipated summer blockbuster for his crimes. Asteroid Knight falls at 13 Leo, conjoined that Moon/Mercury combination, and in square to two other death-related asteroids, Requiem (named for the funeral mass for the dead) at 9 Scorpio and Osiris (Egyptian god of the dead) at 14 Scorpio.

That James Holmes identified with the Knight can be clearly seen in that asteroid’s placement in his astrological birth chart (born 13 December 1987). At 29 Sagittarius, Knight is within orb of the 21 Sagittarius Sun, making that image one central to his self-identity. Also conjoined by Uranus (volatile reactions, shootings, as well as the PhD in neuroscience which Holmes had been working toward) at 26 Sagittarius, Saturn (ancient lord of death) at 23 Sagittarius, and exactly conjunct asteroid Arachne, that Sun was squared by evil-incarnate Apophis at 22 Virgo for the shooting.

Arachne here shows the intricate, complex system of bombs and booby traps Holmes set up in his apartment, even reflecting the complicated series of trip wires found there, like strands of a spider’s web that alert its owner to the presence of prey. Arachne further describes the detailed planning of the incident (in the two months prior, Holmes purchased 2 Glock handguns, a Remington shotgun, and an AR-15 assault rifle, plus more than 9000 rounds of ammunition)—the woven strands of the plot, as the mythic Arachne was a weaver noted for her delicate, complex designs.

Also in broader solar aspect is natal asteroid Holmes at 13 Virgo, itself conjunct asteroid Nemesis, the bringer of vengeance, at 17 Virgo, both squared the Sun, with natal Nemesis exactly squared at the shooting by TNO Ixion at 17 Sagittarius, named for the first murderer in Greek myth. As such, James Holmes may have seen himself as some sort of cosmic avenger, an agent of divine retribution, and Ixion’s mounting pressure pushed him toward enacting a murderous vengeance.

Asteroid James also plays its part. At 6 Scorpio it is joined by natal Pluto and Mars at 11 and 12 Scorpio, reiterating the themes present in the sky under the Mars/Pluto square and personalizing this seed point of violent death and destruction to James Holmes directly. Natal James is also conjoined the Descendant of the shooting at 7 Scorpio within a degree, marking the moment as crucial to Holmes personally, as well as conjunct asteroid Requiem, defining the relationship between Holmes (James) and others (Descendant) as one marked by death (Requiem).

Perhaps the most evocative point is natal asteroid Aurora, which at 8 Libra is just a degree past the exact combination of Mars and asteroid Holmes for the shooting. Thus Aurora was the geographic recipient of the current Uranus/Pluto square energies in James Holmes’ psyche, identifying the city which became the venue for his crimes. The coming together of violence-ruling Mars with an asteroid matching Holmes’ surname atop another matching the city in which he resided, provided the release point for the stress and tension of the square between volatile Uranus and deadly, destructive Pluto.

Natally, Aurora’s placement is not especially prominent, but something drew San Diego native James Holmes to the asteroid’s terrestrial namesake in Colorado a year before, in time to capitalize on the influx of violence and devastation as Uranus and Pluto formed their predestined pattern. Into this maelstrom strode Mars and asteroid Holmes, almost willy-nilly, at just the right time, concretizing a potential which had lain dormant for decades, and might have remained so if James Holmes had never made that fateful move from California.

Those are the highlights, but there is much, much more. Two additional asteroid significators of death are Requiem, named for the funeral mass for the dead, and Osiris, named for the Egyptian god of the dead. Both appear conjunct the 7 Scorpio Descendant for the shooting, at 9 and 14 Scorpio respectively, emphasizing the death theme as the relationship priority (Descendant) for that moment in time. A third, Lachesis, named for the mythic Greek Fate who determines the span of life, falls at 27 Aries, just within orb of the 7 Taurus Ascendant, and exactly squared the 27 Cancer Sun of the event, further forming a T-Square with its opposition to Saturn at 23 Libra.

These three points fall in significant aspect in James Holmes’ astrological chart as well. Osiris at 1 Gemini was being squared by transit Neptune (movies, theaters, toxic gases) over the past year, and forms the apex of a loose Yod pattern with natal asteroid James at 6 Scorpio and natal Neptune at 7 Capricorn. A major planet aspect which strongly and stressfully activates a Yod’s apex will act to ramp up the karmic implications considerably, and puts into full force any latent potential in the natal configuration, impelling manifestation.

Lachesis at 28 Libra natally is broadly conjunct James, tying the shooter personally to life-span issues, and also conjunct asteroid Bateman (#21399, for “Batman”) at 21 Libra, indicating that movie franchise as the venue for Holmes’ acting out of the Lachesis role. Natal Lachesis was being opposed by transit Lachesis at 27 Aries at the shooting, with the Sun at 27 Cancer forming a tense T-Square and focusing the dynamism of Lachesis’ cyclic opposition to itself onto the day in question, making that day one permeated with Lachesis’ themes, generally (the transit Lachesis/Sun square) and for James Holmes in particular (the opposition to his natal Lachesis, squared by transit Sun).

Natal Requiem at 13 Capricorn makes an astonishing exact conjunction with another near-miss asteroid, Centenaria (#1240), which here acts as a stand-in for the Century 16 theater where the shooting occurred. Requiem and Centenaria in the exact same degree in Holmes’ chart is a chilling prefiguring of the crime, an almost unbelievable confluence of celestial factors charting the native’s life course in specific detail, binding the theme of death with the name of the theater in which Holmes’ crimes were committed. Requiem/Centenaria are also conjoined asteroid Icarus, noted for rash, reckless actions, at 16 Capricorn, as well as Venus, ruling places of entertainment generally, at 19 Capricorn, two additional factors that well express the circumstances.

In the shooting chart, these three make a major impact also. As noted above, Venus at 15 Gemini is conjoined TNO Chaos at 16 Gemini, while opposed TNO Ixion (murder) and centaur Pholus (toxic substances) at 17 and 16 Sagittarius, with asteroid Nemesis also in opposition from 9 Sagittarius. These form a T-Square with Holmes’ natal Nemesis at 17 Virgo, itself conjunct his natal asteroid Holmes at 13 Virgo.

Asteroid Centenaria for the shooting falls at 8 Pisces, between transit Chiron (wounding, maverick behaviors) at 9 Pisces and Neptune (movies, theaters) at 2 Pisces, providing a potent astro-word-picture of the scene. That 8 Pisces degree highlights Holmes’ natal Damocles (the doom hanging unseen overhead) at 5 Pisces, as well as opposing his natal asteroid Holmes and exactly squaring his natal Tantalus (heinous crimes) at 8 Sagittarius.

Asteroid Bateman falls at 24 Scorpio for the shooting exactly opposed transit Atropos at 24 Taurus, forming a T-Square with transit Damocles at 21 Aquarius, and fatally linking the Batman franchise with death. Natal Bateman at 21 Libra in Holmes’ chart was being transited by Saturn at 23 Libra (once again bringing together the themes of Batman and death), and is natally squared that cluster of points from Requiem/Centenaria through Venus.

Each of the 12 dead have asteroid referents which represent them, and all form significant patterns on the day, and in Holmes’ chart. Most astounding of these is asteroid Alex (#3367). Three of the victims shared that name, fully one quarter of the total dead, a mind-boggling statistic. What are the chances that in a random mass shooting event of this type, that Alex Sullivan, Alex Teves, and Alexander “AJ” Boik would all lose their lives? Actually, the chances are pretty good, with asteroid Alex then at 6 Capricorn, just a degree away from Pluto, modern ruler of death, at 7 Capricorn.

Alex Sullivan, who died on his 27th birthday, has a second asteroid representing him, asteroid Sullivan (#15133), which also forms part of the name of another victim, the youngest, 6-year-old Veronica Moser-Sullivan. The two are not related, and again we see the improbable recurrence of a name among victims who were strangers to each other and the shooter. Asteroid Sullivan at the shooting falls at 10 Cancer, conjoined Tantalus at 11 Cancer and opposed Pluto/Alex.

Veronica Moser-Sullivan is further represented by asteroid Veronika (#612), which at 0 Aries conjoins Uranus (shootings) at 8 Aries and squares Pluto, and also by asteroid Mosser (#186832, for “Moser”), which at 6 Sagittarius conjoins asteroid Nemesis at 9 Sagittarius and squares transit asteroid James at 3 Virgo.

In Holmes’ birth chart, Alex appears at 18 Libra, conjoined Bateman/Lachesis on one side, and natal Aurora at 8 Libra on the other, and is exactly squared asteroid Sullivan at 18 Capricorn, which conjoins the Requiem/Centenaria/Icarus/Venus stellium. This complex interaction virtually spells out “Alex Sullivan life-span ended in reckless act at Batman movie in Century 16 entertainment theater” in astrological shorthand.

Asteroid Veronika appears at 6 Libra, squared natal Neptune at 7 Capricorn and more broadly squared natal Requiem/Centenaria at 13 Capricorn, while asteroid Mosser at 10 Cancer opposed these and is trine natal Pluto at 11 Scorpio while broadly opposed Aurora. Incredibly, Holmes’ natal Mosser and transit Sullivan occupy the same degree, and with the square to Veronika point the finger of the cosmos directly at Veronica Moser-Sullivan of Aurora, Colorado.

Two other victims share an asteroid—Jessica Ghawi and Jesse Childress are both represented by asteroid Jessie (#10464), which in the shooting chart falls at 9 Leo, combined with the Moon/Mercury/Knight stellium,

• in exact trine to Nemesis at 9 Sagittarius,
• exactly square Requiem at 9 Scorpio,
• exactly sextile asteroid Holmes at 9 Libra and
• exactly inconjunct Chiron at 9 Pisces,
• in addition to tight aspects to Uranus (trine) and Pluto (inconjunct).

In Holmes’ astrological birth chart, asteroid Jessie falls at 5 Leo, squared asteroid James at 6 Scorpio, trine Tantalus at 8 Sagittarius, and forming the apex of a Yod with inconjuncts to Neptune at 7 Capricorn and Damocles at 5 Pisces. Here again we see a heinous crime (Tantalus) perpetrated upon victims (Neptune) Jessica and Jesse (Jessie) in a theater (Neptune), caught up in a karmic situation (Yod) with no prior awareness of the danger (Damocles), instigated by (square) Holmes (James).

Victim John Larimer is represented by asteroid Johnny (#3252), at 26 Scorpio in the shooting chart, conjunct Bateman at 24 Scorpio and opposed Atropos at 24 Taurus. Also here is asteroid Rebekka (#572) at 24 Scorpio, exactly on Bateman, for victim Rebecca Wingo. In Holmes’ birthchart, Johnny falls at 6 Pisces, conjunct Damocles at 5 Pisces, and Rebekka falls at 6 Taurus, sextile Damocles and opposed asteroid James at 6 Scorpio exactly, more broadly opposed Pluto and Mars at 11 and 12 Scorpio. This forms one more astro-word-picture of the event, linking John and Rebecca (Johnny and Rebekka) with an unseen doom (Damocles) that ends their lives (Atropos) at a Batman franchise movie (Bateman) via secret actions (Pluto) resulting in violent death (Mars) proceeding from Holmes (James).

Similarly named, victim Jonathan Blunk is represented by two asteroids, Johannes (#9300) and Johanna (#127). Johannes falls at 21 Cancer in the shooting chart, conjoined the 27 Cancer Sun and squared Saturn at 23 Libra while opposed Aurora at 17 Capricorn; Johanna falls at 12 Scorpio, conjunct Descendant/Requiem/Osiris at 7, 9 and 14 Scorpio. Johannes appears at 22 Libra in Holmes’ nativity, conjunct Bateman at 21 Libra and Lachesis at 28 Libra, and Johanna squares these points from 17 Cancer, also falling in opposition to the Capricorn Requiem/Centenaria grouping.

Victim Matt McQuinn is also represented by two asteroids, Matthias (#7687) and Matti (#2714); Matthias falls at 12 Gemini in the shooting chart, conjunct Venus/Chaos and opposed Ixion/Pholus/Nemesis; Matti falls at 27 Libra, conjunct Saturn at 23 Libra and exactly squared the 27 Cancer Sun, forming an exact T-Square with Lachesis at 27 Aries. In Holmes’ natal chart, Matthias appears at 5 Pisces, exactly conjoined Damocles, and Matti appears at 26 Leo, squared natal Ixion at 21 Scorpio and trined Holmes’ Sun/Saturn/Uranus/Knight stellium in late Sagittarius.

At age 51, victim Gordon Lowden was the eldest of those killed, and is represented by asteroid Gordonia (#305), which at 4 Sagittarius in the shooting chart falls conjunct Nemesis at 9 Sagittarius and squared Pluto/Centenaria/Chiron at 2, 8 and 9 Pisces, also squared asteroid James at 3 Sagittarius, together constituting a T-Square. At 0 Taurus in Holmes’ birthchart, Gordonia opposes asteroid James at 6 Scorpio, linking killed and killer in both charts.

Victim Micayla Medek has no exact asteroid equivalents for her name, but Micayla can be construed as phonetically, if not linguistically, related to “Michael,” for which there are three asteroid stand-ins: Michel (#1348), Michelle (#1376), and Michela (#1045). In the shooting chart, Michel falls at 9 Virgo, conjoined asteroid James at 3 Virgo and exactly squared Nemesis at 9 Sagittarius, exactly opposed Chiron at 9 Pisces, squared Jupiter at 8 Gemini, forming a Grand Cross. Michelle falls at 21 Gemini, broadly conjunct Venus/Chaos and opposed Ixion/Pholus, and forming a T-Square by a tight square to asteroid Apophis at 22 Virgo. Michela at 18 Leo joins the Moon/Mercury/Knight stellium, is closely inconjunct Aurora at 17 Capricorn and opposes Damocles at 21 Aquarius. In Holmes’ nativity, Michel appears at 4 Taurus, opposed asteroid James at 6 Scorpio; Michelle appears at 2 Sagittarius, conjunct Tantalus at 8 Sagittarius, squared Damocles at 5 Pisces and opposed Osiris at 1 Gemini, forming a T-Square; Michela appears at 19 Scorpio, conjunct Pluto, Mars and Ixion at 11, 12 and 21 Scorpio.

Birth data was only available for two of the victims, Alex Sullivan, who died on his 27th birthday, and Jessica Ghawi, a blogger and aspiring sportscaster. Predictably, these are well tapped in to both the time of the shooting and the shooter’s nativity.

Born 20 July 1987, Alex Sullivan was experiencing a solar return at the time of his death, with the transit Sun just past its 26 Cancer natal degree and exactly conjunct natal Mars (violent death) at 27 Cancer, plus transit Lachesis in exact square to Mars from 27 Aries. Natal Requiem at 4 Cancer was still opposed by transit Pluto at 7 Capricorn, and more closely by transit asteroid Alex at 6 Capricorn. Natal Atropos at 11 Sagittarius was conjunct transit Nemesis at 9 Sagittarius and squared by transit Chiron at 9 Pisces. Natal Osiris at 10 Libra was conjoined by transit Mars and transit Holmes together at 9 Libra, and exactly squared by transit asteroid Sullivan at 10 Cancer for the shooting. Natal Lachesis at 25 Taurus was closely conjoined by transit Atropos at 24 Taurus, opposed by transit Bateman at 24 Scorpio.

Alex Sullivan’s natal Centenaria at 14 Leo fell into the transit Moon/Mercury/Knight mix, his natal Bateman at 26 Sagittarius conjoined James Holmes’ natal Sun/Saturn/Uranus/Knight stellium at 21-29 Sagittarius, with natal Knight at 25 Gemini opposed natal Bateman and Holmes’ solar stellium. Natal asteroid James at 16 Scorpio falls atop natal Ixion (murder) at 17 Scorpio and Saturn (ancient lord of death) at 21 Scorpio (the latter a perfect match for Holmes’ natal Ixion). Having James with Ixion natally, and Saturn close beside, is a startlingly clear image of Sullivan’s murder by James Holmes. Asteroid James was also within orb of Holmes’ Pluto/Mars conjunction at 11 and 12 Scorpio, reiterating the violent death theme, and hit by transit Requiem and Osiris at 9 and 14 Scorpio for the shooting.

Sullivan’s natal Nemesis at 19 Capricorn is tightly conjunct Holmes’ natal asteroid Sullivan at 18 Capricorn, and squared his natal asteroid Alex at 18 Libra, again linking the idea of Holmes as an agent of inescapable undoing very personally to Alex Sullivan. Natal Alex at 2 Aries is still within orb of transit Uranus at 8 Aries and inconjunct both transit James at 3 Virgo and Holmes’ natal Holmes at 6 Scorpio, forming a Yod which once more connects killed and killer in some form of karmic bond. Natal Sullivan at 0 Gemini conjoins Holmes’ natal Osiris at 1 Gemini.

Natal asteroid Aurora at 22 Aries was exactly conjunct transit Eris, named for the Greek goddess of strife and discord, and opposed by transit Saturn at 23 Libra, also trined by Holmes’ natal Sun/Saturn/Uranus at 21, 23 and 26 Sagittarius. A second Yod is formed from an exact inconjunct to transit Apophis, named for the ancient Egyptian personification of pure evil, at 22 Virgo and Holmes’ natal Ixion at 21 Scorpio, identifying Aurora as the setting for a particularly atrocious homicide. Natal Tantalus (heinous crimes) is an exact match for Holmes’ natal Apophis at 9 Aquarius.

Jessica Ghawi was born just 16 days before James Holmes, on 27 November 1987. Incredibly, Jessica survived a similar incident at a mall shooting in Toronto, Canada, just 7 weeks prior, when she left the mall’s food court scant minutes before a gunman opened fire. Her 4 Sagittarius Sun conjoins Holmes’ natal Tantalus and transit Nemesis at 8 and 9 Sagittarius, also tightly squared transit James at 3 Virgo, and opposed Holmes’ natal Osiris at 1 Gemini and her own natal Osiris at 5 Gemini, while still enduring the transit square from Neptune, then at 2 Pisces, all points together forming a Grand Cross. With many generational planets similar to Holmes, Ghawi sports an exact pairing of Saturn and Knight natally, at 21 Sagittarius, the degree of Holmes’ Sun.

A cluster consisting of natal Requiem at 4 Capricorn with natal Neptune and Centenaria, both at 6 Capricorn, was highlighted by transit Pluto at 7 Capricorn at the shooting and clearly spells “death at the Century theater.” Natal Aurora and Bateman at 4 and 14 Libra respectively both conjoin transit Mars/Holmes at 9 Libra, and Holmes’ natal Aurora at 8 Libra. Natal Atropos at 5 Virgo is conjunct natal Holmes at 8 Virgo and transit James at 3 Virgo, binding the end of life with both the shooter’s names, with all points opposed transit Neptune/Centenaria/Chiron, defining the scene of the shooting. Atropos is also exactly semisextile natal asteroid Jessie at 5 Leo, personalizing everything to Jessica Ghawi.

Natal Nemesis at 14 Virgo also conjoins natal Holmes, as well as James Holmes’ own natal Holmes/Nemesis at 13 and 17 Virgo. Natally, asteroids Lachesis and James are conjunct at 22 and 28 Libra, with natal Lachesis conjoined by transit Saturn at 23 Libra for the shooting, and natal James squared the transit Sun at 27 Cancer, forming a T-Square with transit Lachesis at 27 Aries.

Natal Mars at 2 Scorpio is conjunct Holmes’ natal James at 6 Scorpio, which squares both his and her natal Jessie at 5 Leo, and falls within orb of the shooting’s Descendant at 7 Scorpio. Remember, more than anything in the chart, the angles define the moment, and we see here Ghawi’s natal potential for violent death (Mars) coming together with a point defining the shooter (James) in his own chart, meeting up with the impact of the moment (Descendant angle) and reverberating back on Ghawi personally (natal Jessie). Natal Pluto at 10 Scorpio also conjoins that Descendant, as well as transit Requiem and Osiris at 9 and 14 Scorpio, linking three more death factors with the chronology of the shooting. Natal Tantalus at 18 Scorpio conjoins Holmes’ natal Ixion at 21 Scorpio, while conjunct transit Osiris and transit Bateman at 14 and 24 Scorpio.

Precise interactions such as these are actually quite common when events are examined with the filter of personal named asteroids. In some unfathomable way, these bits of space gravel, named by total strangers decades apart, come together with uncanny accuracy to describe events both momentous and mundane, in clockwork synchronicity as the world unfolds about us.

Many of the stories I have covered over the last few years betray these qualities of celestial precision and accuracy, but this is among the most compelling. I keep going back to the synchronicity that brought James Holmes onto the geographic setting which was fertile ground for his mental aberration, in time to be activated by the transit sky, and the deadly aim of those random bullets amid the pandemonium of a panicked sold-out movie crowd in a darkened, fogged theater, mercilessly targeting the holders of names that fit seamlessly into the day’s heavens. If that doesn’t spell fate, nothing does.

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 .