The Supreme Court’s latest ruling allowing presidents to be unrestricted by legal niceties has been described by the media as “unconscionable” and “bad beyond wildest imaginings”. With an expert on judicial ethics calling SCOTUS “an organization more political than legal.” And saying flatly that the Supreme Court now has a “potential legitimacy problem.” “The traditional notion that we will accept the results of the court whether we agree with it or not … is decreasingly the case.” It was announced with Neptune in final degree Pisces trine Mercury, which is not exactly rock solid or enduring.
But despite public alarm at the state of affairs within SCOTUS with additional concerns about financial questionmarks over Thomas and at least two justices with blatantly pro-Trump family connections, there seems little possibility of change unless Democrats gain control of both chambers in the November election and retain the White House. Plus whether any retirements from the court lead to a change in the 6-3 conservative-liberal split in coming years.
The SCOTUS chart, 2 February 1790, looks exuberant at the moment with tr Uranus square the Mars Jupiter conjunction. Though with disappointment (and unpopularity) lurking as tr Neptune is conjunct the Venus (on the focal point of a yod to Neptune sextile Mars Jupiter, so doubly important) from this October to early March 2025. 2026 sees a sharp wake-up call in the form of a major collision from Solar Arc Sun; followed by a rattled 2027 as SA Uranus is conjunct the focal point Venus – and a downbeat 2029 with SA Saturn square Sun.
My sense from having scanned various associated charts (see below) is that this coming presidential term will be a stormy one vis a vis the Supreme Court with their comeuppance arriving with the next presidency from 2029 onwards. The 2025 Inauguration chart has Mercury in the legal 9th opposition Mars for a term of arguments about justice. The 2029 Inauguration has Venus, North Node and Mercury in the 9th square Jupiter – with perhaps a hope of putting improvements in place.
The relationship chart between SCOTUS and the USA hints at a tussle for the upper hand this year and next from tr Pluto opposition the composite Jupiter; with even greater uncertainty and concern from 2026 onwards for three years with tr Saturn Neptune in Aries square the composite Saturn and then the Uranus.
John Roberts, heretofore deemed sensible and reasonable, but now seeing his halo dim, is having a peculiarly difficult 2027 with a blocked SA Pluto square his Sun, at the same time as tr Pluto starts to conjunct his Sun in 2027/28 putting him under immense pressure. And worse in 2028 with a panicky-failure tr Neptune conjunct his Mars into 2029.
Other justices in no particular order:
Brett Kavanaugh, wobbling this year; running into scandals from over confidence in 2027 to 2029 as his SA Pluto hits his Jupiter opposition Neptune.
Amy Barrett, blocked in 2025 from SA Sun opposition her Pluto; with a downbeat 2026 and maximum pressure in 2027/28 from tr Pluto conjunct her Sun.
Clarence Thomas, an angry collision in 2026 and a longish slide from 2026 to 2028 courtesy of tr Neptune Saturn square his Sun, Mercury, Venus in Cancer.
Samuel Alito, excitable and nerve-stretched this year into 2025 with tr Neptune opposition his Mars; erupting in high tension in 2025 with SA Uranus conjunct his Saturn; panicked in 2026/27 as Neptune collides with Uranus; meltdown in 2027.
Sonia Sotomayor, under huge pressure with tr Pluto square her Saturn in Scorpio in 2024/25; sagging badly 2026/28 with tr Saturn Neptune square her Mars and her Sun.
Neil Gorsuch, into a nerve-shredding 2026/27 courtesy of Uranus Neptune cross overs and worse in 2027 with his SA Uranus conjunct his Mars.
Elena Kagan. Her Taurus Sun opposition Neptune is getting the full brunt of a hit from Solar Arc Pluto in 2026/27; as the same time as tr Pluto is grinding its way in hard aspect across both in 2027/28. She looks rattled at the moment by a major setback.
Ketanji Brown Jackson, upset at the moment; high tensions in 2025; logjammed in 2026; ready to blow a fuse in 2027 and maybe just maybe feeling upbeat by 2028.
“It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” James Baldwin.
“There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice.” Montesquieu
“Justice will overtake fabricators of lies and false witnesses.” Heraclitus
“If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us.” Francis Bacon
Two things come to mind….Since there is no constitutional rule that mandates the court stays at nine justices could it be the court will be expanded similar to what FDR threatened to do? It has been pushed for especially with the the court decision that DJT is immune from prosecution or ….. will they have preside over some sort of break up of the country?
Trump could do it, too, alas, expanding his dominance and impunity.
@ Troy,
It would have been since if American voters learned this lesson prior to the 2016 election. Just think, had people in the critical swing states had voted Hillary Clinton in the general election, then she could have gone on to appoint 3 Supreme Court Justices and we wouldn’t be in this colossal mess right now.
Actually, we could go back in further than that. The 2014 midterm elections were the precursor. Republicans expanded their control in the House, won the Senate, and even won most Gubernatorial elections that year.
What’s alarming is that many Americans didn’t learn the hard lessons of 2014 or 2016 and we’re still doing this dance as MORE rights and liberties are being taken away from us.
I’m being facetious here, but sometimes I entertain the fantasy of mandatory IQ tests for every American voter and anyone who has a below average spatial, logical-mathematical, or interpersonal intelligence level would be prohibited from voting.
The Supreme Court is not legitimate anymore. The lower Federal Courts still are. These judges have to adhere to ethics rules that the Supreme Court does not adhere to.
We see Leonard Leo at play here.
Alito and Thomas are corrupt. In the pockets of bilionaires. They have lied more than once.
European Friends – USA is in real trouble.
Maybe there will be a division in the USA. I don’t know. Many just regular old Americans with no ideological bone in the fight do not view the court as Legitimate any more.
This should be a lesson from everyone, even for me, to never trust a Republican in a position of power. Work with them as necessary, but not trust. You’d have thought the likes of Roberts and Barrett would have learned from their foolish abortion decision. Well ok. Thanks to these partisan muppets, they have just guaranteed a Democrat power marathon. The true Swing voters are going to keep Dems in control of the White House and legislative branches as a backstop to the current masquerade of a SCOTUS for several election cycles going forward. They will not be lucky again to get another so called Judge on that Bench anytime soon(regardless of how much Judge Cannon is pining for a position) and Thomas and Alito are no spring chickens. Mark my words!
Thanks Felon Don with thy MAGA cult of morons.
Thank you so much for writing about this, Marjorie.
I have nothing to add regarding the astrology, but like Nicole said, this write up does give me some hope.
Even though it feels like the U.S. is headed for a fascist takeover with the SCOTUS rulings, awful polls, and the news media reports helping with the perception that Donald Trump is unstoppable, a part of me still believes this could all be an illusion. There are still more sane voters in this country who want to move forward.
I finally began reading the agenda of Project 2025 and it’s absolutely horrific. They want to abolish hate crime laws (basically allowing for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC to be victims), they want to do away with government jobs and government benefits, revamp Social Security, and so much more.
I no longer trust SCOTUS to be reasonable and to uphold the rule of law. So, the only way we’re going to be able evade things like Project 2025 and keep what rights and privileges we still have is to ensure Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, or whoever the Presidential nominee is going to be in the general election.
This is certainly no time for American voters to be treating this election like some high school popularity contest, that’s for sure.
Frightening to say that same voters might not vote as they did in 2016 because of Biden’s seemingly inability due to his age and health thus giving Trump the easy victory because his supporters are going to vote in huge numbers, no matter what.
Also anti migrant fire is raging globally in developed world so many liberals might also vote for Trump and as inflation grows, tax reductions for rich by Trump might make even upper class elite vote for him giving away their liberal outlook for sake of wealth preservation and race preservation.
Biden’s excessive migrant stance alongwith his health and age r giving fascism easy victory.
I don’t think so . The constant pestering by the media of Biden verging on actual harassment, suddenly and viciously, discredits them hourly and should ensure Biden gets in. He has already put them nicely on notice. Mess with him at everyone’s peril.Good for him!
Project 2025 totally smacks of anarectic degree Pluto in Capricorn. It’s completely a last-ditch, last-gasp move by far-right Reactionary Conservative groups in the U.S., like the Heritage Foundation, to seize and hold power and impose their ideology on the nation for the rest of time.
By 2025, however, Pluto is firmly in Aquarius. The balance of power will invariably shift away from the elitist and authoritarian far-right—the interests backing Trump for a second term—towards organized groups on all sides, though with a much greater focus on the interests of humanity as a whole—the other 99% vs the top 1% of the Pluto in Cap era.
2025 itself and Pluto in Aquarius doesn’t guarantee a denial of the White House to Trump, nor does it pre-empt the imposition of Project 2025. What it does suggest is that both would be experiencing extraordinary headwinds, likely in the form of massive public protests and activism, if Trump does somehow win this fall.
I don’t think Americans are going to long tolerate full-blown fascism in their country once they get burned by it. Everything about another Trump term and Project 2025 looks like an arrogantly overplayed hand, and it all blows up in its owners’ faces.
Thank you, Marjorie. You give me some hope. The court has definitely lost its way and its respect and legitimacy.
During her confirmation hearings I had the sense that Justice Jackson will ultimately wind up as Chief Justice. And, soon after his illegitimate confirmation, that Kavanaugh wouldn’t serve as long as normally expected because of re-emerging scandals. (I’d hoped he’d be gone by now.) But then, the more recent scandals surrounding Thomas and Alito seem even worse and growing.
It could be that if the US is forced to endure a second Trump term the excesses of his “criming,” provided there’s ever another free and fair election, will result in a restructuring of the court. The court would then revisit and overturn this decision.
Nicole: I posted a parallel post to you along the same line. Drompf won’t live forever, esp on “a diet of cokes, fries, and hamberders.”
Once he is gone, the country can look to pull itself together. Hopefully.
Europe managed to escape the threat of right wing parties. For now…
I read the musings of JA on her site. Trump claims two birth times…so are utterly useless. Neither candidate may win a clear advantage…but do you want a 3rd party person who has worms eating his brain while he eats someone’s dog? 😉
Jackson was the one who famously claimed that she couldn’t define the word woman because she wasn’t a biologist. Full marks for being so open about her ideological allegiances and unwillingness to go against the party dogma.
No self respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her sex. Susan B. Anthony
That question was a well-recognized right-wing trap, not a legitimate question, designed to rev up Republican opposition. The fact you cite it emphasizes my point.
It is a clear and simple question.
So clear that it exposed Brown’s adherence to the dogma of her ideology.
The party faithful and true believers will of course consider it as a trap or as trolling. Otherwise too much cognitive dissonance is generated trying to reconcile such an astonishing declaration.
If you had actually watched the hearings she stated that she didn’t answer the question because there were lower court cases involving transgenderism that may end up at the Supreme Court and the stupid question.
It was a troll question that didn’t deserve a serious response and Associate Justice Jackson gave the question more respect in her answer than I would have.
PC- if she has answered more fully, she would need to recuse herself from any future cases regarding transgenderism brought before the SC. This is what judges must do.
Hi Nicole. This ruling is so brazen and corrupt on its face that it feels like a form of trolling. But, IMO, it’s not sustainable and there will be a course correction. Reading it, I was yet again, distressed to the point of paralysis, which is also not sustainable. I come by it honestly,
as a Sun Sag and with my MC in Cap.
This all highlights though that politics is not solving our myriad problems. There isn’t a political will for ending poverty and homelessness which could be achieved within hours (given the $ available) at this point. IMO, there needs to be a new way forward -a blend of humanism, technology with perhaps more local input. Not sure how to move it forward (unfortunately systemic racism is preventing so much good that can happen) but I have hope. Please also remember that the astrology for Heritage Foundation is not looking good.
Thanks, Aim. I agree with you. We could solve so many problems if adequate resources were redirected appropriately.
I started out as a historian — primarily mediaeval and Renaissance, with some early modern — so I tend to look at political movements through the sweep of history. Provided Trump doesn’t succeed in imposing a dictatorship — I think, if elected, he’ll try — but there would be so much revulsion he and his people will be removed, one way or another. I think also of the McCarthy era and the anti-pink crusade in the ’50s, my earliest memories, which peaked after a few years and then McCarthy was discredited, driven out of office and died. But it took 10 to 20 years to remove the last vestiges of the stain he created on the US.
Still, my husband and I have agreed that we need to get and keep our boat in good mechanical condition and fueled up so that, if necessary, we can slip across the border to Mexico to escape Trump. I hope it doesn’t come to that. We’ll do our part to prevent it. (I look to improve my scant understanding of astrology for insight.)
Organize, organize, organize!
Mexico may not save you! My daughter in law’s parents tried retiring in Baja and they were harassed daily and shaken down by the Mexican police
No thanks!!
Nicole – one might try for Canada…
Thanks to you, as well-Nicole. Sometimes my intuition is wrong, but I don’t see Trump in the WH again. Don’t know who will be “in.” But we will eventually have a new golden era, IMO. And maybe the nation will become two nations and maybe that could work-who knows?
I know so many MAGA and they are frightened, disordered and disregulated. I’m trying to counteract this by being true to myself with who I am and by being true with/to others. Basically, trying to be in balance as a counter weight to how unbalanced MAGA is. Hope this helps to give some support.
If Kavanaugh retires early I believe that it have more to with his health than suddenly finding a conscious and adhering to basic ethics.
As for Justice Jackson I’m not sure how she would leapfrog Sotomayor or Kegan unless they are no long on the court when she is elevated to Chief Justice.
It’s always the president’s choice, not a matter of seniority. For me it was just a flash of intuition she might be promoted, nothing more.
“I can get you all the justice you can afford.”
My lawyer during a court case in 1982.
🙂 none knows more about vocabulary than a lawyer
For the Supreme Court I know I’ve been trying to find the exact time some years ago and managed to find some book that described the First Session in Manhattan, and for some reason I now can’t remember – maybe noon was mentioned – I put in the tentative time of 13:00. So
U.S. Supreme Court First Session (e), 2 Feb. 1790 at 13:00 , Manhattan, NY (US).
Maybe some historian or someone else interested can plough through the Court’s history to see when did it all begin.