[Editor’s note: we are delighted to publish this article by Alex Miller, with thanks to Alex and his website, Alex’s Asteroid Astrology, an incomparable resource for asteroid-related astrology. There you’ll find in-depth astrological analyses of breaking events, as well as the astrological meanings of many mythic named asteroids.]
Astrology is a tricky business. Every symbol has a light side and a dark side. Determining which side the native comes down on in his or her expression of that archetype is no easy matter. And these things are not cut and dried, embedded in psychic cement for all time; sometimes a point will manifest on one end of its continuum at one stage in the life, and then on the opposite end at another stage.
When looking at the sort of turnaround we see in the image of Brett Kavanaugh, currently a nominee for the SCOTUS, we have to assume that both views may be true, at varying periods in his biography. Kavanaugh had, as far as we knew, an unblemished character, albeit an extremely conservative one. Now allegations have been leveled, all of a similar nature, of sexual misconduct, particularly early in life. These range from indecent exposure and lewd conduct to aggressive physical interactions with women, attempted rape, and participation in “gang” or “train” rapes.
How do we determine the likelihood of the veracity of these charges, astrologically? The best we can do is to track the potential for such behaviors in the birth chart, and, when incidents are timed, in the transits operative or in force for that period. In Kavanaugh’s case, we have distressingly little information regarding the dates when these alleged events occurred. And traditionally, the only astrological markers to turn to for sexual issues would be Mars or Pluto, and to some extent, Venus.
But now we have the asteroids.
For issues of male sexual expression, and particularly for aggressive, coercive acts, we have a full range of celestial options to choose from, in gleaning precise information. It cannot be overemphasized that everyone, man or woman, has these points in their nativity; the extent to which they form a factor in the biography will depend upon how prominently they are displayed, and in combination with what additional factors.
There is a plethora of celestial points which describe the male member, thanks in part to human squeamishness and inventiveness in not calling a spade a spade, when genitalia is involved. No, there isn’t a “penis” asteroid, but four common penis euphemisms do exist: asteroids Dick, Wiener, Dong and Pecker. All of these reflect surnames, and were not intended as penile substitutes, but they function quite well in that capacity, based on well over a decade of extensive research. Dick is named for German astronomer Wolfgang Dick; Wiener is named for Norbert Wiener, an American mathematician; Dong is named for Feng Dong, a Chinese-American astronomer; and Pecker is named for Jean-Claude Pecker, one-time head of the observatory in Nice, France.
So let’s start with those, and while we’re in this zone, let’s include asteroid Lust, named for German astrophysicist Reimar Lust, which acts as a spur for sexual activity; and Nymphe, named for the classic Greek minor female deities noted for their sexual availability, the partial root of our word “nymphomaniac.” Also for consideration is TNO (Trans-Neptunian Object) Salacia, named for the wife of Roman sea god Neptune, and the root of our word “salacious”, meaning “intended to titillate or arouse people sexually, usually by having an explicit erotic content” or “having or showing explicit or crude sexual desire or interest.”
At first glance, we can see that Brett Kavanaugh (born 12 February 1965, no time available) has a stand-out Pecker, very “in-your-face”, as it were, which is ironic here in light of one of Kavanaugh’s accuser’s assertions that this is fact just what he did—dropped his pants and thrust his penis in her face.
At 22 Gemini, Pecker is stationary, and any planet or point in this condition exerts undue influence, all out of proportion to its usual effect. It is embedded in consciousness, a still point upon which the rest of the chart revolves, a lodestar of the native’s existence, and often the energies these points embody (or the places, people or things they represent) prove to be hugely important, formative agents in character and biography.
Another of Kavanaugh’s stationary points is asteroid Justitia, named for the Roman goddess of justice, the root of our word, and the actual job title of the promotion he is seeking! So you can see how vital these stationary bodies can be. Kavanaugh’s Pecker turned direct on February 9, 1965, a week after his birth, but was already at its station degree.
Pecker squares Mars at 26 Virgo, a signal that Kavanaugh’s sexuality is focused on his genitals. That might seem like an obvious statement, but there are varying degrees of identification with the penis which men experience. For some, sex is a more tactile experience, incorporating other areas of the body; for some, it is mental, and the involvement of fantasy or mindful interaction is vital; for some, it is highly visual or auditory, with certain “cues” having to be met to ensure satisfaction in the experience. With a stationary Pecker, it is the erection and its physical stimulation which is paramount; arousal, consummation and release are everything. There could even conceivably be issues with priapism given this status. (Priapism is defined as “a medical disorder in which there is persistent, often painful erection of the penis in the absence of sexual interest.”) The penis simply will not be denied, and constitutes a persistent force in the life.
Kavanaugh’s Pecker is also closely trined the Sun at 23 Aquarius, so it is a core facet of Kavanaugh’s personality; he identifies strongly with his genitalia, it is a self-referential part of him. Additionally, Pecker is bound up in a very interesting Mirror Configuration. Essentially, these are any groupings of points which are in geometric symmetry. In this case, the pattern is carved out of one hemisphere of the chart, formed from the Sun trined Pecker, with both of these points in semisextile to another, which themselves oppose. That is, we’re looking at a semisextile from the Sun to TNO Salacia at 22 Capricorn, which is inconjunct Pecker, and a semisextile from Pecker to asteroid Achilles at 25 Cancer, which is inconjunct the Sun; Salacia and Achilles oppose each other. These points work together as a unit, what affects one part affects the whole.
As noted above, Salacia relates to sexual scandal and sensationalist behaviors; Achilles refers to an inherent flaw or weakness, a vulnerability which threatens to destroy the native (as in our phrase, “Achilles heel”). The opposition between these two is especially important, as it identifies nonconformist or socially taboo sexual behaviors to be an intrinsic fault in the individual, and as an opposition aspect, this energy is fully on display, in its “Full Moon” illumination. Since both aspect the Sun, this tendency is magnified and becomes a core part of the self, something which others see as memorable, even identifying.
Having Salacia also within orb of conjunction to asteroid Cavagna at 17 Capricorn (pronounced “Kah-VAHN-ya”), our closest phonetic match to “Kavanaugh”, further personalizes this energy to him, creating an even greater likelihood that this becomes a defining trait. Given Salacia’s propensity for sleaze and prurience, this potentially makes Kavanaugh, in the vernacular, “a pig,” which is certainly consistent with his behaviors as described.
But since these are sexual matters, it’s very natural that most people do not see them, given society’s “behind closed doors” taboo on sexual expression. It’s quite easy to mask or obscure these types of interactions from all except those who are involved in them, and the most likely period when they will be publically apparent is in late adolescence or early adulthood: in short, just the timeframe when most of these allegations originate.
Incidentally, another piece of this pattern is asteroid Dionysus, which at 25 Aquarius conjoins the Sun and is exactly inconjunct Achilles. Dionysus also has a sexual component, as his followers were noted for their frenzied, orgiastic rites and revels, often enacted under the influence of copious amounts of wine or other intoxicants. This obviously reflects the accusations of group sex which have been directed at Kavanaugh, and brings in another vital part of these allegations, which are universally stated to have been performed in states of extreme drunkenness.
Salacia also connects to Mars, by trine, and together these form a Grand trine with our next penis stand-in, asteroid Dick. At 18 Taurus, Dick conjoins Jupiter at 17 Taurus, and opposes Neptune at 19 Scorpio, which creates a Kite pattern of the Grand Trine, with Neptune as the “string”, guiding or controlling its manifestation. Dick with Jupiter is potentially every man’s dream. Not only does it hint at an outsized endowment, but it translates as lots, and lots, and lots of sex! It’s potentially a huge sexual appetite, and the opposition to Neptune, the planetary ruler of alcohol, again makes the case for altered consciousness via substance abuse as being pivotal in sexual expression.
Neptune also rules forgetfulness and self-denial (as well as deception toward others), and remember—this is what drives this pattern! It’s entirely consistent that Kavanaugh may also have been a “blackout drunk”, as his best friend from the period, Mark Judge (linked to Kavanaugh in many of these allegations), describes himself to have been. Thus Kavanaugh’s assertions that he is innocent may have a quasi-legitimate basis in a memory which is flawed via alcohol use, with refusal to accept as inauthentic whatever snatches of recollection of these abuses might have been retained.
We don’t have a time of birth for Kavanaugh, but the Moon was in Cancer, and if he was born early in the day, this could indicate a connection to our third penis euphemism asteroid, Wiener. At 5 Libra, Wiener could be in square to the Moon, which would indicate a deep emotional connection with his sexuality, which is of a habitual nature. What we can say definitively is that Wiener is trine to Venus at 8 Aquarius, and exactly inconjunct Saturn at 5 Pisces.
Wiener trine Venus shows a strong desire for sexual expression, but the contact with Saturn can limit or block this. Saturn can also restrict or dampen whatever moral or ethical curbs on sexual activity which the predominant culture (also Venus) imposes. Since Saturn also “stiffens”, there could be long-term implications for erectile dysfunction with this placement, though likely not at the age we’re considering (unless brought on by excessive alcohol use).
The fact that the bond between them is an inconjunct, a noted health aspect, supports the theory that Kavanaugh may have experienced difficulties on the erectile spectrum, ranging from priapism to impotence. Wiener is also semisquare to Neptune and sesquiquadrate Dick/Jupiter, reinforcing those energies, as well as squared asteroid Bacchus at 2 Capricorn, named for Dionysus’ Roman counterpart, with a similar reputation for drunken orgies, known as “bacchanals”. Although not technically stationary, Wiener is less than two weeks out from its retrograde station a degree later, and still moving at a slower pace than normal, so it exerts a greater influence on the psyche, a “drag” on consciousness.
Our last penis placeholder is asteroid Dong, which may be among the most telling. At 25 Leo, Dong opposes the Sun, giving us yet another indication that Kavanaugh’s self-image is, or was at one point, very much bound up in his private parts. But more importantly, Dong conjoins asteroid Nemesis at 27 Leo. Nemesis is named for the Greek goddess of divine retribution and vengeance, but over the years has come to represent any sort of downfall, typically self-created, but also brought on by others, who are viewed as adversaries or opponents. This suggests two things: one, that Kavanaugh is his own worst enemy, with Nemesis connected to his Sun; and two, that it is his sexual expression specifically which is the root of his undoing. Need we mention that Dong also squares Neptune, adding yet another layer of alcoholic involvement in the story, and with Nemesis forms a loose Grand Cross with the Dick/Jupiter end of the equation?
Which brings us to Lust and Nymphe. Lust at 12 Aquarius conjoins Venus and Mercury, at 8 and 14 Aquarius, which suggests that Kavanaugh has a “thing” for young (Mercury) girls (Venus), something borne out by his aggressive attempts to bed Christine Blasey Ford, aged 15 at the time of his alleged assault. Also here is Damocles, that sword of doom hanging overhead, at 15 Aquarius. This is a signal that potential disaster awaits, and can ensue from any lustful activities; within orb of Venus, loved ones are likely to be impacted negatively, as is the case here with Kavanaugh’s wife and daughters.
Asteroid Nymphe at 13 Leo opposes these points, adding an obsessive quality to Kavanaugh’s lusts, and an expectation that, like Nymphe’s eponymous mythic forbears, the objects of his lust would be amenable and accommodating to his advances, however unsophisticated. In an act of cosmic irony or predestination, whichever you prefer, Nymphe is accompanied in Kavanaugh’s birth chart by asteroids Christine and Askalaphus, at 14 and 16 Leo respectively. Christine of course represents Professor Ford, and Askalaphus is noted as a tale-bearer, a whistleblower, a revealer of secrets. Askalaphus in the sky came to its station direct the very day Ford revealed herself as Kavanaugh’s first accuser!
Lust and Nymphe also connect to natal Mars, by semisquare and sesquiquadrate. This further enhances the natural sex drive, lending an “out of control” aspect to its energy. Lust is never sated, it feeds on itself, and nymphomania is defined as a compulsive drive toward sexual relations; though classically the term has only been applied to women, the cosmos isn’t sexist. (Which reminds me of an old joke: What do you call a male nymphomaniac? A man!)
Having all four penis euphemism asteroids in such provocative and meaningful placements certainly suggests that the impulses exist which could prompt the behaviors described. It doesn’t prove guilt for Kavanaugh, but it does indicate propensity.
It had been my intention when I began this piece to discuss also the placement of bodies relating to coercive sexual contact in Kavanaugh’s birth chart. In the interest of not letting this article becoming too unwieldy, we’ll address these in future.
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 .
Thank you Alex. Masterful analysis. Sadly, so On The Money.