Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” Sayonara

By Alex Miller

On Background:  On Thursday, 21 May 2026, comedian Stephen Colbert ended his 11-year run as host of CBS’ “The Late Show”.  The show itself has been canceled; Colbert will not be replaced.  CBS cited cost overruns and shrinking audiences for late night network shows generally (though “The Late Show” was still #1 in its timeslot) in its decision not to renew Cobert’s contract, but many see in the termination the tiny hand of US President Donald Trump, a vociferous Colbert critic, who objected to “The Late Show” host’s regular mocking excoriations of his performance and personality.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the cancellation was announced in July 2025, two days after Colbert characterized as “a big, fat bribe” a $16 million settlement between Paramount (CBS’ parent company) and Trump (who had sued CBS’ “Sixty Minutes” for what he termed unfair editing of a Kamala Harris interview).  The week before, the Trump administration had finally approved a pending merger between Paramount and Skydance that had been hanging fire for nearly a year, and Colbert’s calling out of the seeming quid pro quo led directly to his firing. 

Colbert pulled out all the stops for his finale, including appearances by fellow late-night hosts Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, but the showstopper was Sir Paul McCartney, who joined Colbert in a rendition of the Beatles standard “Hello, Goodbye.”  The performance was especially poignant, as “The Late Show” was filmed on the Ed Sullivan Stage, the same venue where the Beatles made their US debut in 1964.

The Lede:  The combination of politics and celebrity on a national talk show was imaged by transit Jupiter (22 Cancer) conjunct the US natal Mercury (24 Cancer), with an opposition (180 degrees) to natal Pluto (27 Capricorn) accounting for the behind-the-scenes manipulation and power play resulting in Colbert’s downfall.  A square from transit dwarf planet Eris (25 Aries) shows Colbert as a dissenting (Eris) voice (Mercury) to the powers that be (Pluto).

In Brief:  An exact conjunction of the Sun and Uranus (both 1 Gemini) with Mercury (10 Gemini) in tow alludes to a spotlight (Sun) on television (Uranus), and especially talk shows (Mercury).  An exact conjunction with dwarf planet Sedna (also 1 Gemini) and a trine (120 degrees) from Pluto (5 Aquarius) depicts Colbert’s apparent isolation (Sedna) and destruction (Pluto), but Sedna is also known for resilience, and Pluto prompts rebirth, so US audiences have likely not seen the last of Stephen Colbert.

Deep Dive:  Such a momentous development in the life and career of Stephen Colbert is surely reflected in the heavens, and indeed, both asteroid Stevin (alternate spelling) and asteroid Colbert appear at station (1), a stage in their astronomical cycles which represents a major shift or change in direction, a pivotal moment or crisis.  Moreover, Stevin (17 Capricorn) is exactly conjunct the Ascendant for the 11:35 PM EDT premiere of the finale, its public face, while Colbert (1 Aquarius) conjoins Pluto, emblem of major transition and change. 

As well, Stevin squares (90 degrees) asteroid NOT (20 Aries), a symbol of negation, in a T-Square (2) with Jupiter, known as the Greater Benefic, implying that bigger, better things may be in store for Colbert’s future.  Colbert is further accompanied by asteroids Manhattan (5 Aquarius), where the show is filmed, and Beatles (9 Aquarius), named for the group which guest Paul McCartney headlined. 

Not to be outdone, asteroid McCartney (7 Libra), named for the performer, is also at station, specifically identifying Paul McCartney as somehow pivotal in the moment.  With McCartney is a stationary asteroid Requiem (3 Libra), named for the funeral mass for the dead, and more generally signaling endings.  This Libra grouping joins the Aquarian cluster and the solar stellium in Gemini to form a Grand Trine (3).  Colbert et al opposes asteroid Sullivan (9 Leo), pinpointing the Ed Sullivan stage as the venue, and creating a Kite pattern (4).  Separating out that polarity from the pattern, we find a second T-Square, with squares to asteroid Stephania (9 Taurus), a feminine variation of Stephen, on the fulcrum.

The Ed Sullivan stage’s prominence in Stephen Colbert’s life (5) is portrayed by his natal Sun (22 Taurus) conjoined asteroid Stevin (0 Gemini), with the Sun exactly opposed asteroid Sullivan (22 Scorpio), in a T-Square with asteroid Colbert (21 Aquarius).  A triple conjunction of Mercury (1 Taurus) with Mars (4 Taurus) and Jupiter (7 Taurus) grants potential to Colbert for becoming famous (Jupiter) for his biting, caustic (Mars) wit (Mercury).  A Grand Trine from this grouping with a Uranus/Pluto pairing (5 & 11 Virgo) and a stationary asteroid Stephania (3 Capricorn) suggests Colbert (Stephania) as making an impact (station) as someone who rebels (Uranus) against the power structure (Pluto).

Colbert famously introduced the world to the concept of “truthiness,” defined as “the quality of asserting a statement is true based on intuition, emotion, or a desire for it to be true, rather than on factual evidence, logic, or intellectual examination.”  Natal asteroid Truth (26 Scorpio) opposes the Sun, while asteroid Veritas (23 Aquarius), Latin for “truth,” conjoins natal asteroid Colbert and squares the Sun.

Options for a non-network venue for Stephen Colbert’s patented brand of parody, sarcasm and snark are virtually endless in today’s broadly-varied media landscape.  Fans, have no fear – Colbert will be speaking truth to power for a long time to come.

Notes:  (1) Stations are periods when, from our perspective on Earth, a planet appears to slow its movement, come to a standstill, and reverse course.  This is an optical illusion created by the triangulation between the sun, Earth, and any third celestial body; astrologically, it represents a focusing of the energies associated with that point, and often coincides with major life events or a radical recalibration of how that point has functioned previously.

(2) A T-Square is a dynamic pattern composed of two or more planets in opposition (180 degrees), each squared (90 degrees) a third.  It represents stress and conflict, with the fulcrum point (at the square) offering a possibility of resolution.

(3) A Grand Trine is a pattern comprised of three or more points, all equidistant from each other by 120 degrees.  It denotes special gifts or opportunities, but may need a “trigger” in the form of a transit to activate its potential.

(4) A Kite is special type of Grand Trine, with one or more points opposing one of the three primary Grand Trine points.  The point in opposition is termed the “String,” and guides the operation and manifestation of the Kite itself.

(5) Stephen Colbert, born 13 Mat 1964, no time available

Sources:  reporting from CNN; chart data from serennu.com; graphic images by author

Title Image Credit:  drawn by Chat GPT