What’s In a Name? Celebrity Asteroids

By Alex Miller

Sometimes things really are written in the sky.  Many of us share first or surnames with named minor bodies, and though not named for us, we can still see correlations between their birth placements in our charts, interacting with major planetary energies.  As well, when these points continue to show prominently during their incessant celestial perambulations, their earthbound namesakes here below often experience circumstances which mirror those described by the patterns unfolding above.

Typically, asteroids which represent one’s own name will appear in the birth chart in connection to the Sun (lifeforce, self-identity), Moon (physical body, family heritage), Ascendant (how others see us) or Mercury (ruling the naming function).  This is so for mere, everyday mortals like you and me, but it’s even more staggering when we find asteroids which have been named specifically for famous individuals, persons whose talents or achievements have set them apart from the crowd.  These eponymous bodies were discovered and named decades after the births of those whose eventual fame made them worthy of celestial nomination, yet they present themselves with undeniable prominence in the birth charts of those individuals.

Two cases in point are American film star Brad Pitt and comedy genius Robin Williams.  Two-time Oscar winner Brad Pitt has starred in more than sixty films, including the “Ocean’s” series, and was born 18 December 1963.  Asteroid Bradpitt (typically, astronomers use both first and last names strung together as one word when naming objects for individuals) falls conjoined his Sun in Sagittarius.  When Brad Pitt won his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” at the 92^nd Academy Awards on 9 February 2020, asteroid Bradpitt conjoined asteroid Oskar.

Robin Williams began his career as a stand-up comic and gradually moved into television and film roles, acknowledged as a talented dramatic actor as well.  Williams made more than seventy films before his suicide in 2014.  Born 21 July 1951, asteroid Robinwilliams cojoins his Ascendant.  Willams was also an Academy award winner, as Best Supporting Actor for “Goodwill Hunting.”  When the Awards were presented on 23 March 1998, asteroid Robinwilliams was conjoined the Sun (putting him in the spotlight), semisquare asteroid Oskar (alternate spelling of Oscar) and squared asteroid Victoria, named for the Roman goddess of victory. 

It’s one thing when someone becomes famous under their birth name, but how about those who adopted stage or professional names?  Surely the cosmos can’t account for the name change?  Not so, as the cases of Lauren Bacall, Stevie Wonder and Freddie Mercury attest.  Born Betty Joan Perske on 16 September 1924, Lauren Bacall underwent her name change as a result of the Hollywood studio system, which often made such little adjustments in its effort to build star power.  Incredibly, asteroid Laurenbacall, discovered and named when the actress was in her sixties, appears exactly squared her Sun.  Bacall never cared for the name, and remained “Betty” to family and friends to the end of her days, but even in death, couldn’t shake her film moniker, with asteroid Laurenbacall conjoined both the Sun and asteroid Lachesis, named for the Greek Fate who determines the span of life, when she passed on 12 August 2014.

Singer/songwriter Stevie Wonder was born Steveland Morris on 13 May 1950, but was christened Little Stevie Wonder at age 11, by the Motown machine.  Phenomenally, the musical prodigy sports asteroid Steviewonder exactly conjoined his Moon.  Another popular singer whose birth name was shed for something with more popular appeal is Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.  Born Farrokh Bulsara on 5 September 1946, asteroid Freddiemercury is an exact match for Mercury, showing that the cosmos does indeed have a sense of humor.  Freddie Mercury’s name change came in stages; he started calling himself “Freddie” in boarding school, but didn’t legally adopt Mercury as his surname until forming Queen, and is the only member of this list whose altered identity was his own idea.

You may not have an asteroid specifically named for you, but if there’s one out there with your name on it, then it likely appears at a significant place in your birth chart, and continues to mark pivotal moments and watershed events in your life.