Joe Biden’s pardon for his son Hunter for gun and tax charges and broken promise not to do so has brought criticism even from his own side. One Democratic congressman tweeted “This wasn’t a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers.” The president backdated the wide-ranging pardon to 2014, even though the gun charges arose from actions in 2018 and the tax charges from 2016-19. Hunter began working for a Ukrainian gas company, in 2014, a lucrative job clearly linked to his father’s role as vice-president with responsibility for that country, leaving the impression that Biden is covering both himself and Hunter from future investigation.
Arguments that the other side is worse are hardly encouraging especially when the USA chart has Saturn in Libra, supposedly rigorous about fairness in legal matters.
The broader question is whether the entire system is sinking into banana republic corruption. The Times writes: “America’s presidential power of pardon was always in danger of becoming just another lever of patronage and perhaps this should not be surprising in a legal system which is overtly politicised from top to bottom thanks to its system of elected prosecutors and politically appointed judges.”
Whether it would ever be possible to entirely remake this system, part of which is the ludicrously partisan Supreme Court, would depend on grassroots pressure of major proportions from a public largely disinterested in social makeovers.
My eye is drawn to the USA Saturn in Libra which has the Solar Arc South Node conjunct in late 2025 which suggests a slide backwards, not forwards.
On the Supreme Court chart, 2 February 1790, transiting North Node will conjunct the Aquarius Sun Pluto in 2027 which may bring a prompt to improve its Aquarian credentials – though it has a very Fixed chart and won’t budge under anything but monumental pressure. 2028/29 will see tr Pluto opposing the SCOTUS Uranus for another disruptive phase of challenge to change.
But it is 2032/33 which will see tr Pluto conjunct the SCOTUS Sun and trine the USA Saturn which might be the crucial trigger for change (against reluctance and under extreme pressure). SCOTUS will go through its Pluto Return in 2034/35, which again could be a marker which separates it out from the immediate past. Or not. At that point tr Saturn Uranus in Cancer is around which historically is associated with the rise of better times.
It may all be part and parcel of the USA’s Pluto Return recently which hints either at a slide into irrelevance, stagnation, deterioration or a chance for a reboot.
As far as Joe Biden is concerned, this decision will do nothing to burnish his image already wilting under criticism that he hung on too long and made Kamala Harris the only choice. With his 5th house Taurus Moon under pressure from tr Pluto square earlier through this year and again in January 2025, it was clear that his son would be his Achilles’ Heel, a dilemma and a priority. His SA Pluto also opposes his Moon in a few months which will be emotionally fraught.
Hunter Biden’s time ahead won’t be a walk in the park with tr Pluto moving into his 8th house for many years to come which can throw up financial problems and well as restrictions elsewhere. His Progressed Moon is also moving through his 8th for nearly another two years which can also be slow going, a time of pressure to transform inwardly – which he may or may not pick up.
Add On: The USA Constitution, 17 September 1787, is also undergoing its Pluto Return in 2032/33.
What interests me is the timing of the pardon. Makes sense that it happened before Hunter’s scheduled sentencing later this month – and there’s compelling astrology, I think, to go public with the pardon this past weekend.
President Biden and Hunter, father and son, have strong natal synastry suggesting potential for President Biden’s action, support, and encouragement to favorably – and significantly – benefit Hunter’s reputation and status. Check out the president’s Saturn (10 Gemini) and Mars (12 Scorpio) square-trine Hunter’s MC-North Node conjunction (9 and 12 Pisces).
Notably, that potential has been emphasized and under pressure for important development since mid-November, when T Saturn turned direct at 12 Pisces. Perhaps serious discussion and preparation for the pending pardon began then, highlighted with the Sun transiting behind-the-scene in the president’s 12th House.
And then, on Sunday, with the freedom-loving New Moon at 9 Sagittarius in the president’s 1st House, and triggering the above synastry, his decisive action on Hunter’s behalf was announced – and he left on a trip to Africa. Perhaps being out of the country during the initial ‘fallout’ from the pardon was part of the strategic timing.
Yesterday I watched the Rachel Maddox show and she hit on the highlights of her podcast, Ultra, season 2
https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-podcast/rachel-maddow-presents-ultra/rachel-maddow-presents-ultra-season-2-episode-1-dr-hunt-n1309994
It echos what happened when another father tried to protect his son and the Republicans would nearly do anything to keep power.
“The broader question is whether the entire system is sinking into banana republic corruption. ”
Ironically, the homeland of Carmen Miranda, Brazil, which has a federal and judicial system not unlike that of the US has, in the past 10 years, managed to indict and condemn a sitting President, as well as to bring charges to an insurrectionist former President. In addition, they have made the Richest Man of the World to comply to their privacy laws.
It does tell me that sometimes, perhaps, it would be better not to be too complacent and certain of the exceptionalism of the judicial system, but fight to improve it. Many Central and Southern American countries that were true dictatorships not too far back in the history, have infact done a lot to guarantee sturdy judicial structures. The same goes with Southern Europe’s relatively recent democracies. Silvio Berlusconi, the richest man in the country spent two decades attacking Italian judiciary system already overworked with organized criminality and common corruption. But it didn’t collapse. If anything, judges and prosecutors who made it through those years are extraordinary tough and immune to political pressures, as seen with the decision of forcing the Italian Government to take back asylum seekers sent to Albania.
And here is what might prove to be Biden’s biggest legacy: Congress Democrats have spent the lame duck period hammering in as many as possible Liberal judges. These people will grow in a climate VERY different to that producing Merrick Garlands, Bill Barrs and the rest of the Ol’ Good Boy Court House Gang.
This message was brought to you by a Mars in Libra trining The US Moon.
Very hopeful passage… completely agree and really kudos to Brazil to bringing musk to knees…globally judiciary in old democracies is losing its power and sheen. Communist countries and tyrannies never had any justice so only hope was from old democracies and Seems Pluto in Aquarius and Neptune in Aries is going to if not do anything that end systems which have lost effect…we might not be in new robust ones but atleast can hope that cleaning will begin
Small and recent European democracies have upheld how life should be and indeed south american countries and also some African nations r rising like phoenix
Thank you, Solaia.
It definitely feels like the country is decending into a pile of garbage led by DJT. Next comes civil war or intl conflict and hopefully by 2030’s things will calm down which was the previous projected outlook by Marjorie as well
Let’s see how the next 8-12 months play out.
“Hunter Biden’s time ahead won’t be a walk in the park with tr Pluto moving into his 8th house for many years to come which can throw up financial problems and well as restrictions elsewhere.”
Not at all happy about this. Hunter Biden and I share the same Ascendant (same degree; I haven’t checked the minutes/seconds) and assuming equal house system, tr Pluto is entering my and his eighth House at the same time.
On the other hand, UM, Pluto in the 8th House is at home isn’t it? So perhaps the ‘buried treasure’ aspects of Pluto may also surface – psychologically, spiritually,or even in the garden?!
It has just entered my own 8th, making no aspects as yet. Last Christmas, as it hovered on the cusp, I was given a book about mudlarking on the foreshores of the River Thames. The author describes the many amazing small things she found there, all relating to the richness of everyday life and our history. Her passionate hobby has also been part of a healing process in her life. I thought this was a wonderful synchronicity – delving in the mud for treasures and seeing life and death in a new way. Pluto is a detective too.
“The key to spotting objects on the foreshore is simply to relax and look through the surface. Mother Nature rarely makes perfectly straight lines or circles, and as the eye becomes practised, imperfections and patterns start to stand out.” – Mudlark: In Search of London’s Past Along the River Thames by Lara Maiklem
He also has the tr Neptune Saturn in Aries moving to hit his Mars opposition Uranus in two or three years which won’t improve his good humour.
Roderick, with respect, it’s not what “the American people” as a whole want, and the rest of us certainly don’t deserve to “burn down” because of the loonies and brainwashed among us. (The popular vote was the closest it’s been in decades, including during Bush II’s first term, and “buyer’s remorse” among Trump voters has already taken root. Plus, Trump barely eked out a popular vote win against an arguably weak opponent who, among other things, entered the race incredibly late.)
How I wish we had true proportional representation here, but alas, we are currently stuck with the horrid, winner-take-all Electoral College system.
Lakedefiance: 1,000 times this. Merrick Garland has much to answer for.
Late to the party post: for someone so late to the election scene, Harris rasied an incredible amt of emotional support and financial motivation. What might hv happened if she had started earlier in the race? We’ll never know. That the popular vote results were so close.
America just isn;t ready for a woman president. It probably is now too late.
With great respect, I have to say–this is a very misguided take on the Hunter Biden pardon, which completely misreads both the situation on the ground and Joe Biden’s personal identity as protective (to a fault) paterfamilias. Susan, Newbie and Les are 100 percent correct: the Hunter Biden prosecution was politically motivated from start to finish, based on an egregious violation of Hunter Biden’s privacy rights, and fanned by the proven-false right-wing Burisma allegations.
@AI22, I totally agree. I couldn’t have said it better.
The prosecution — and persecution — of Hunter Biden are politically motivated, designed to destroy his father. As Susan pointed out, charges such as these are usually pled out and not criminally prosecuted under conditions similar to these.
I agree that the pardon was justified, since Trump would undoubtedly continue to find new ways to torment him. This is not to say Hunter is a good guy, but he’s a recovering drug addict who’s been in recovery for over five years, yet the MAGAts would never give him a break.
I too fear for the future of justice in my country and hope that democracy, true justice and the Constitution will survive what I expect will be extremely rough coming years.
Where is the astrology in your argument? Pluto transiting Aquarius will square Hunter Biden’s Saturn in hiis 11th Taurus, the house of groups, throughout 2025. There may be much speculation by different groups as to whether a Ruler/President (Saturn) should, as an outgoing President, Pardon a family member? The semantics of politics will be argued. Especially as transiting Pluto in Aquarius will be influenced by Uranus its ruling planet in Hunter Biden’s 4th house – which rules family ties. Libra is the Scales of Justice? This may be the catalyst for a change to this law in future.
Trump pardoned a family member on his way out, who was a convicted felon prosecuted by Chris Christy, who is now going to be ambassador to France. Jared Kushner’s father.
The American people decided that the rule of law meant nothing on November 5th by electing a convicted felon who sold pardons at the end of his first term.
The Democrat is incorrect…this was very much a political prosecution because before the Republicans took over the HoR in 2021 the Special prosecutor had offered Hunter a plea deal which was rescinded after Republican Congressmen went on Faux News to spew their lies.
Let Trump finish burning down the U.S. That’s what the voters want.
Not all voters. You might like reading what Dr Timothy Snyder is saying (history professor at Yale)
Agree. I support the pardon. Merrick Garland waited 2 years to appoint a special prosecutor for Trump, who fomented a violent insurrection, but was quick to appoint one to prosecute Hunter Biden at the behest of Republican congress members.
The US seems more and more like the old Wild West.
Very, very few people are criminally prosecuted for income tax evasion, and fewer are imprisoned in the US for them. These things are negotiated by the IRS and tax attorneys representing the perps. Hur, the prosecutor in this instance, was a Trump-appointed prosecutor who scuttled the deal worked out for Hunter Biden previously. This can only be deemed a politically-motivated hit. And wrapping that together with his handgun is laughable, with all the legally concealed weapons walking around with their gun-humping owners throughout the country. Oh, and many of them are with people who have been accused and previously convicted of crimes. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that Hunter Biden would have been “Epsteined” if incarcerated for no other reason than for political retribution on tRump’s part.
Amy Comey Barrett and the Chief Justice of the US Roberts are both early Aquarius Suns and will soon experience their own Pluto transit. In coming years, the US Constitution will also have its Pluto return. The rule of law has been irretrievably lost in the US in its present form. Soon, there will be a CINO (a Constitution in name only). I do not expect free and fair elections in 2026, much less 2028. Tyranny may be there for the long haul. This may last until Uranus opposes the US Moon and Pluto conjuncts it around 2040.
The Pluto return of the ratification of the US Constitution falls within that period of 2033-34, mentioned re: SCOTUS.
I agree with this timeline broadly. By 2040 we will once again be having another Jupiter/Saturn conjunction, this time in Libra in the U.S. 10th house of leadership. The U.S. will be going through its Saturn return at the time, with Jupiter also nearby. Uranus in Leo will be in the U.S. 9th house opposing the U.S. Moon in Aquarius in the 3rd House, pushing for reforms in the legal arena. We might also be reforming our educational system during that time as well. Generally politics may be more egalitarian going into the 2040s, with Uranus in Virgo opposing Pluto in Pisces for much of that decade. But the next decade and a half are going to be very difficult, particularly the next 8 years. There may be some green shoots after the Saturn/Uranus conjunction in 2031-32.
It is never okay to disobey the the law.Hunter Biden is now a very rich man thanks to his president daddy,certainly not fair play.
Yep! When they say nobody is above the law (just saw a huge compilation) they are exclusively talking about people they disagree with. Doesn’t extend to their side.
He knows what is coming with the new administration of DJT. He is doing what he can to protect his family. DJT has already threatened prosecution against Biden, Mattis, Kelly, Milley. This pardon is the least of our worries. If Kash Patel is made FBI head – DJT will be going after his enemies. If he starts prosecuting the Generals and Biden and Hillary Clinton (he has threatened this all) I do not know what will happen over here.
Exactly. Per former US attorney, Barbara McQuade, “Pardon of Hunter Biden is in the best interests of justice. Based on the facts, most federal prosecutors would have declined to charge him. The botched misdemeanor guilty plea and sentence of diversion were a tell that the special counsel had the same assessment.”