Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman Supreme Court Justice and regarded generally as a shining example of a past that has gone, has died. She was a trailblazer not only in rising to the top but in giving the casting vote to the Roe v Wade ruling, and she was also believed to be pivotal to the vote which put George W Bush into the White House instead of Al Gore after a deadlocked election. She was collaborative and keen to ensure rulings would sit well with ordinary Americans.
Born 26 March 1930 1.10am El Paso, Texas, she was the daughter of Arizona cattle ranchers, tending the herd on her way to her class at Stanford Law School in 1952.
She had the signature Saturn opposition Pluto square Uranus of her generation – used to hardship, unyielding and innovative. She had a pro-active, sharp-witted 3rd house Aries Sun close to unconventional Uranus and Venus – so a mix of charm with a hint of rebellion. She had an 8th house Neptune opposition Mars square Jupiter in her 5th – good at attracting publicity, an enthusiastic worker and a good team mate with an ability to project an aura of helpfulness from Neptune.
What runs through her notable harmonics – 5H, 13H, 17H and 22H – are marked Jupiter Pluto aspects, not visible on her natal chart – super-confident, lucky and successful.
I met her a couple of times in Washington at the Cosmos Club, a club for “achievers,” not the wealthy, in the nation’s capital. She was remarkably warm and friendly and had a natural knack for putting people at ease.
Bush v. Gore was the one decision for which she received considerable criticism and one I believe she later came to second-guess. A true trailblazer and delightful woman.
Wikipedia article has some criticism of her. Yes, the Gore–Bush vote and how Arthur Miller didn’t want to shake hands with her after that, how her husband had a remark that they’d have to delay retirement because a non-Republican won, seeming case-per-case decision method, making it difficult to detect a clear standpoint and direction of travel regarding similar issues, how Alito basically annihilated her legacy. It’s informative reading.
She had a great name. Very zingy and memorable, even imposing-sounding.
I struggle to remember if there was a controversy about something she did near the end of her judicial career. Maybe it was the Bush–Gore vote. Good that I might be wrong and that all she is getting in the articles is praise.
Yesterday or the other day I read somewhere some thought she was a “fence-sitter” and USA Today remarks today
“Sandra Day O’Connor: Supreme Court’s right turn has eroded her impact
Two of Justtice O’Connor’s best-known opinions, one about abortion and the other on affirmative action, have been abandoned in recent years.”
She had unusual eyes. I knew an attorney who told me he went to argue an issue with her, face to face, and he couldn’t figure out where to look to make eye contact because her eyes were so weird. She was lovely as a person, with a strong presence, but those eyes threw him off. Cap rising with Saturn right there, interesting.
My Mom’s close to the same age. Mom had childhood polio that left damage in one eye. Looked just like O’Connor’s half-closed eye in this picture.