At approximately 8:18 AM EDT on September 16, 2013, Aaron Alexis, a Hewlett-Packard subcontractor working with the IT system at Washington’s Navy Yard, opened fire with a shotgun on co-workers. After killing a security guard, Alexis took his semiautomatic pistol and continued his rampage, in all killing 12 and wounding three more, until finally being brought down by police in a firefight at 9:20 AM.
Details which have emerged since show a pattern of mental illness and violent confrontation. Arrested twice before in shooting incidents which were never prosecuted (in 2004 he shot out the tires of another man’s car in a road rage incident, and in 2010 shot through the floor of his apartment into that of his neighbor below because he was making too much noise), Alexis was a former Navy reservist severed in 2011 after more than a half dozen incidents of misconduct. He sought treatment privately and through the VA for psychological and physical issues including insomnia, sleep deprivation, anger and paranoia.
In recent months he became convinced that he was hearing voices in his head and through the walls of his hotel room, and that others were sending “vibrations” through the walls and from a microwave to keep him from sleeping. After his death, FBI agents discovered several electronic documents by Alexis, in one of which he stated, “Ultra low frequency attack is what I’ve been subject to for the last three months, and to be perfectly honest, that is what has driven me to this.” He also stated he was prepared to die, and accepted this as the “inevitable consequence” of his actions.
Alexis purchased the shotgun with which he began his spree just two days prior to the shooting at a Virginia gun shop, passing the background check with no problem, and used a valid pass to bring the gun, disassembled and sawed off, hidden in a shoulder bag, into the Navy Yard. He reassembled the gun in a bathroom on the fourth floor of Building 197 and began the carnage.
As with other recent mass shootings of this type, a preponderance of PNAs (Personal-Named Asteroids) representing the shooter and victims were highly active on the day in question, incorporating the effects of both the current Uranus/Pluto square and the Pholus/Ixion conjunction, so crucial to these stories.
Most dramatically placed are asteroids representing the shooter himself. There are three variants of “Alexis” in the heavens, and all three were angular and involved in the Uranus/Pluto square that day.
- Asteroid Alex (#3367) at 8 Aries retrograde was conjunct Uranus (ruling shootings and mental breakdown) at 11 Aries retrograde, both setting on the Descendant at 10 Aries.
- Asteroid Alekseev (#9933, a Russian version) at 12 Capricorn was exactly conjunct the IC and conjoined Pluto (ruling death and destruction) at 8 Capricorn retrograde.
- And asteroid Alexandra (#54) at 13 Libra conjoined Mercury (ruling data and IT work) at 11 Libra on the 10 Libra Ascendant, creating a T-Square of the Uranus/Pluto pattern.
Three for three, pretty impressive. Completing the Grand Cross was Jupiter at 16 Cancer on the 12 Cancer MC, pulling in naval themes via its rulership of Pisces.
Asteroid Aaronson (#3277, for Aaron) at 23 Libra was not tapped into these energies directly, but appears in company with asteroid Karma (fated circumstance) at 20 Libra, and opposes Eris at 22 Aries retrograde (strife and discord, feeling marginalized or disrespected—Alexis frequently felt discriminated against; he also alleged underpayment for prior jobs). When Aaron Alexis was shot and killed by police at 9:20 AM, the Ascendant had come to exactly conjoin Aaronson at 23 Libra.
Also of note is asteroid Washingtonia, representing the nation’s capital where the shooting occurred, which at 22 Gemini opposes the exact conjunction of centaur Pholus with TNO Ixion at 18 Sagittarius. Ixion is named for the first murderer in Greek myth, and Pholus relates to mass deaths, by whatever cause. This pairing has dogged the steps of all mass shootings since 2008, when they came into orb of conjunction, which will last until 2043. Also lending fuel to the fire is TNO Chaos, representing turmoil, disorder and anarchy, currently conjoined Washingtonia and exactly opposing Pholus/Ixion from 18 Gemini.
All of the shooting victims have at least one asteroid representing them; many have multiple referents. As with previous tragedies of this nature, victim names tend to “clump” in groups, suggesting shared circumstances, and also to conjoin or aspect other points representing death.
Saturn is the ancient lord of death, and appearing here at 8 Scorpio, it is accompanied by asteroid Frazer (#10323, homophone for victim Sylvia Frasier, 53) at 7 Scorpio and asteroid Knight (#29391, for victim Mary Francis Knight, 51) at 14 Scorpio. Saturn also opposes asteroid Requiem, named for the funeral mass for the dead, at 11 Taurus, and forms a T-Square with Mars, violent death and attacks, at 12 Leo.
Mars is paired with asteroid Atropos, named for the Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death, at 16 Leo, and running in tandem with asteroids Sylvia and Silvo (#87 & #29753, both also for Sylvia Frasier) at 14 and 6 Leo, Mary (#2779, also for Mary Francis Knight) at 11 Leo, and Kohler (11775, for victim Frank Kohler, 50) at 2 Leo. The Moon at 14 Aquarius transforms this pattern into a Fixed Grand Cross, into which can be incorporated asteroid Rogers (#7894, for eldest victim John Roger Johnson, 73) at 3 Aquarius, within orb of the square to Saturn.
Pluto is the modern ruler of death; at 8 Capricorn it conjoins not only Alekseev at 12 Capricorn (for Aaron Alexis), but also asteroid Bernardi (#27983, for youngest victim Kenneth Bernard Proctor, 46) at 6 Capricorn, as well as asteroid America, the country in which the shooting occurred, at 14 Capricorn. Pluto also opposes asteroid Lachesis, named for the Greek Fate who determines the span of life, at 6 Cancer, and squares asteroids Arnolda (#1018, for victim Michael Arnold) at 0 Libra, Kenny (#10107, also for Kenneth Bernard Proctor) at 1 Libra, Martina (#981, for victim Martin Bodrog, 54) at 11 Libra (exactly conjunct Mercury), and of course Alexandra, also for Alexis, at 13 Libra. Completing this second Grand Cross are squares to Uranus, asteroid Alex and asteroid Nemesis (downfall, undoing) at 11, 8 and 15 Aries respectively.
We mentioned the exact Pholus/Ixion conjunction above, at 18 Sagittarius, uniting themes of murder and mass deaths, exactly opposed TNO Chaos at 18 Gemini. Connecting to this pattern are conjunctions from asteroids Richard (#3972, for victim Richard Michael Ridgell, 52) at 19 Sagittarius, Reid (#3422, homophone for victim Gerald Reed, 58) also at 19 Sagittarius; an opposition to asteroid Johney (#90308, also for John Roger Johnson) at 23 Gemini with Washingtonia at 22 Gemini, representing the city where the shooting took place; and a square to the Sun at 23 Virgo, conjoined asteroid Gardon (#13033, for victim Kathy Gaarde, 62).
So much for the major indicators of death. But several minor factors are at play as well. Asteroid Rip (#7711), which has been shown to function as “RIP”, a common gravestone inscription, falls at 19 Scorpio, in company with asteroids Franke (#2824, also for Frank Kohler) at 19 Scorpio, Michela (#1045, also for Michael Arnold and Richard Michael Ridgell) at 20 Scorpio, and Johnson (#5905, also for John Roger Johnson) at 23 Scorpio, and squaring asteroids Johnny (#3252, also for John Roger Johnson) at 23 Aquarius and Gardel (#6380, also for Kathy Gaarde) at 21 Aquarius. A T-Square is created by squares from Rip to asteroids Arthur (#2597, for victim Arthur Daniels, 51) at 22 Leo and Katharina (#320, also for Kathy Gaarde) at 27 Leo.
Asteroid Osiris, named for the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, at 11 Pisces conjoins Chiron (wounding, maverick behaviors) at 10 Pisces, Neptune (co-ruler of naval matters) at 3 Pisces, and asteroid Franck (#4546, also for Frank Kohler) at 0 Pisces. These form a Grand Cross with opposition to asteroids Geraldina (#300, also for Gerald Reed) at 2 Virgo, Pandion (#21284, for victim Vishu Pandit, 61) at 4 Virgo, Kathy (#4711, also for Kathy Gaarde) at 6 Virgo, and Michelle (also for Michael Arnold and Richard Michael Ridgell) at 11 Virgo. Completing the Grand Cross are squares to Rogeria (#920, also for John Roger Johnson) at 9 Gemini and Michel (#1348, also for Michael Arnold and Richard Michael Ridgell) at 0 Sagittarius, Vishnu (#4034, also for Vishnu Pandit) at 5 Sagittarius, and Francis (#2050, also for Mary Francis Knight) at 8 Sagittarius.
Finally is asteroid Apophis, named for the ancient Egyptian personification of pure evil, which at 29 Cancer conjoins asteroid Jerold (#33544, also for Gerald Reed) and opposes an exact conjunction of asteroid Daniel and Danielson (#2589 and #6132, both also for Arthur Daniels).
Twelve victims, represented by no less than 34 asteroid referents in total, all contacted to indicators of death and murder.
What of the shooter, Aaron Alexis? Born 9 May 1979, Alexis’ 18 Taurus Sun is closely opposed by Uranus, ruling shootings and mental breakdowns, at 19 Scorpio, and is conjoined by asteroid Atropos, that Greek Fate who severs the thread of life at death, at 17 Taurus, making him potentially an agent of death and destruction. These form a T-Square with asteroid Tantalus, that point noted for the commission of heinous, irredeemable acts, at 21 Aquarius.
Natal Neptune, ruling outright insanity as well as fantasy and delusion, at 19 Sagittarius is tightly inconjunct the Sun, suggesting a need for a reality adjustment for Alexis, born with significant discernment issues and a potential victim mentality. At the time of the shootings, the Pholus/Ixion conjunction was focused on natal Neptune, exacerbating inborn tendencies toward paranoia and conflating these with themes of mass murder. Natal Ixion also opposes the Sun from 12 Scorpio, just one degree shy of Saturn’s retrograde station last February.
An exact opposition from natal Pluto at 17 Libra to natal asteroid Alekseev at 17 Aries shows a very personal linkage between Alexis and themes of death and homicide; this was highlighted by transit Jupiter coming to 16 Cancer for the shootings, forming a T-Square and inflating the natal potential, bringing public notice, notoriety and negatively charged renown. Pluto is also inconjunct the Sun/Atropos grouping, and with Neptune forms a Yod, or Finger of Destiny, suggesting that some fated or predestined circumstance, involving mental aberration or skewed perspective and deadly force, would dominate Alexis’ life.
Eclipse activations abound, in the prior year and going forward into the next. The solar eclipse at 19 Taurus in May 2013 fell on Sun/Atropos, exactly opposed Uranus, and coincides with the onset of the final mental deterioration which drove Alexis to mass murder. The Lunar Eclipse of April 2013 at 5 Scorpio closely opposed natal asteroid Washingtonia at 7 Taurus, helping to choose the venue for Alexis’ rampage, while the subsequent Lunar Eclipse in May at 4 Sagittarius opposed natal asteroid Phaeton at 0 Gemini, a point representing running amok in a spectacular implosion and associated disaster.
That eclipse also squared a natal pairing of asteroid Aaronson, Saturn and America at 6, 7 and 8 Virgo, a combination once again linking Aaron Alexis very personally with themes of death and his native land. The two upcoming Lunar Eclipses, in October 2013 and April 2014, at 25 Aries and 25 Libra, both hit Alexis’ natal Mars, representing attacks and violent death, at 24 Aries, showing difficult times still in the offing for Alexis, caught in a downward spiral of violence.
Another month, another mass shooting tragedy, as Uranus and Pluto continue their square and Pholus and Ixion continue their conjunction. And another group of shooter and victims caught in the celestial web of nomenclature.
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 .
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