The USA’s First Pluto Return will happen on the next President’s watch (2022/23). While there may be symbolic events which carry the significance of the epochal shift in the power balance of the country’s style of government and status that comes with Pluto’s return to its natal position, it is often only with the perspective of hindsight that a clear pattern can be seen.
Some hints can be seen in the examples in the post below (November 18th). For England the humiliation of Suez in 1956 and loss of empire; and previous occurrences also came with failure in one area followed later by successful development in a different direction; as well as the gradual shift towards more democratic government from the 13th century onwards. The deaths of Napoleon, Stalin and Franco were also clear Pluto Return markers in the old France, Russia and Spain charts of a break with one style of government.
The 2021 USA Inauguration chart itself is stark enough with a 12th house explosive Mars Uranus in Taurus exactly square the USA 1776 leadership North Node in Leo; and square Saturn, Sun, Jupiter on the day. With a control-freak, autocratic Pluto on the midheaven. Throughout 2020 tr Pluto will be in a bitterly stubborn opposition to the USA 1776 Mercury from early in 2020, exact over January 2021 and running on till late 2021. The latter tends to bring hostile, fanatical debates and can feel like a collective nervous breakdown.
So it’s not just a Pluto Return for the USA, but Pluto battering on Mercury as well which rules the rational and mental functions.
Inauguration charts set the tone for the Presidency. Abraham Lincoln’s First Term through the civil war had a brutal Mars Pluto trine Saturn. His Second Term, which saw his assassination had Uranus Mars conjunct with Mars square the Sun – sudden acts of violence. Garfield and McKinley who were also assassinated also had Jupiter Saturn conjunctions over their start; with both having stressed Uranus and Mars in Aquarius. Ronald Reagan’s First Term during which he was shot had Jupiter Saturn conjunct and Mars in Aquarius trine Saturn Jupiter and Pluto. Oddly enough JFK’s Inauguration although it had a Jupiter Saturn conjunction didn’t have an afflicted Mars, though it did have a Yod apex Uranus, which can be divisive and disruptive. GW Bush’s First Term in 2001 had an exceptionally afflicted Mars opposition Saturn square Uranus and a Jupiter Saturn conjunction. But the violence of this was obviously soaked up by 9/11 and the subsequent Afghanistan/Iraq wars.
Bill Clinton’s 2nd Term, during which he was impeached but found innocent, was very tough with a Half Grand Sextile from Mars opposition Saturn, sextile Pluto and Uranus.
On impeachments: Andrew Johnson in 1868 – tr Neptune was square the USA 1776 Sun. Richard Nixon’s resignation to avoid impeachment had tr Uranus square the USA 1776 Mercury and tr Saturn conjunct the Cancer Sun. Bill Clinton’s attempted impeachment came when tr Saturn was square the USA Mercury opposition Pluto. All three had Jupiter in Pisces then, which recurs in the first half of 2022.
On the USA First President chart, 30 April 1789 12.45pm New York, all the three above impeachments are clearly highlighted in transits. When Bill Clinton’s near miss happened tr Uranus was in hard aspect to the Taurus Sun and that is back round even more strongly as tr Uranus conjuncts the Sun in 2020 and early 2021. Though that may just be coincidence since previous tr Uranus hard aspects didn’t seem to have a cataclysmic effect. Tr Pluto is also squaring the First President Neptune in 2019/2020 which indicates devastating confusion; with the trigger-point 8th house Mars which was keyed up for Andrew Johnson’s impeachment and Nixon’s resignation, also being hammered in the third week of January 2019, and again in September 2019.
The USA Constitution chart, 17 September 1787 11.29 am Philadelphia, does show signs of major challenges coming up. Tr Pluto will trine the Sun in 2020/2021; and there looks to be a major upheaval around 2022/23 with the Solar Arc Uranus opposition the Sun and tr Pluto opposition the Uranus. Tr Pluto was conjunct the Constitution Uranus in 1936/37 –
Andre writes: ‘There was a major constitutional event in the US in 1937. The Supreme Court had been blocking many of FDR’s initiatives under the New Deal which had been meant to fight the Great Depression in his first term. The President was re-elected in 1936 with what was known as the Court-packing plan, by which he threatened to pass a law (he controlled both houses of Congress) to add seats to the highest court and force early retirement of the sitting judges. They backed down in 1937 with a famous footnote where they basically raised the white flag and overturned a long line of previous cases to finally allow such measures as Medicare. This is known in law schools as «the switch in time that saved nine». It was in effect a bloodless constitutional revolution.’
Apologies for the amount of astro-info above but I was trying to clear my thinking about the likely outcomes. Definitely a defining and possibly violent moment in the country’s destiny with a constitutional battle and long term ramifications is the best I can do in the meantime.
oh Marjorie!
I was delighting in reading and absorbing this wonderfully researched take on the USA Pluto return… and then at the end you surprised me by apologizing!!!!! for all the astrology! It’s a terrific and, I think, rather succinct synopsis of the important history that goes with a Pluto return of a country.
Not even close to too much astrology!
You did get me to chuckle, though.
all the best,
“Democrats should attempt to raise the number of Supreme Court judges to 11”
Speaking non-astrologically, I would say that this is a very foolish suggestion. If the Democrats can do it when they have control of the trifecta (Presidency and both Houses), you can bet that the Republicans definitely will. You will then have an ever expanding Supreme Court whenever one party controls all three parts of the legislative system.
It is worth noting that it was the Democrats who removed the filibuster protection on (inferior court) judicial appointments when the Republicans were blocking judicial appointments under Obama. That has now given the Republicans free rein to stuff the courts.
“set a term limit”
That *may* require a constitutional amendment. Article III, Section 1 of the US Constitution states “The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior…”. The “during good behaviour” part is interpreted (by judges) to mean “for life”, unless removed by congressional impeachment or resignation.
The threshold for constitutional amendments is quite high in the US (2/3 majority in both Houses of Congress, followed by ratification with a simple majority in 3/4 (38/50) of all state legislatures). I would not consider it (or any constitutional amendment) a viable opton, especially given how febrile and excitable US politics currently is.
“If the Democrats can do it when they have control of the trifecta (Presidency and both Houses), you can bet that the Republicans definitely will.”
There’s a lot of evidence to contrary. They are currently holding the trifecta in Washington and 26 States (this will be down to 22 in 2019, and Democrats will be up from 8 to 18). I can think of zero evidence in any of these cases of them actually wanting a stronger Judicial Branch, including a more “representative” Supreme Court.
Democrats, on the other hand, may be forced to make this a priority in case a Liberal judge will be incapacitates somehow during Trump Presidency.
Obviously, this would require a Democratic Trifecta. And I don’t think this will happen in 2021, even with an utter and complete devastation of Republican Party due to DJT. Republicans actually only lost 4 seats in Senate at 1974 Elections. And The US wasn’t as polarized geographically as it is now. I guess one outcome could be The Senate being split 50-50 and The VP being a deciding vote.
But, as said, neither Nov 3rd 2020 nor Jan 21st 2021 charts are pretty. There’s an infighting indicated on that Inaugural Chart that’s even more intense than in 2017 Chart.
There was a major constitutional event in the US in 1937. The Supreme Court had been blocking many of FDR’s initiatives under the New Deal which had been meant to fight the Great Depression in his first term. The President was re-elected in 1936 with what was known as the Court-packing plan, by which he threatened to pass a law (he controlled both houses of Congress) to add seats to the highest court and force early retirement of the sitting judges. They backed down in 1937 with a famous footnote where they basically raised the white flag and overturned a long line of previous cases to finally allow such measures as Medicare. This is known in law schools as «the switch in time that saved nine». It was in effect a bloodless constitutional revolution.
This is the exact comment I was going to make.
And, behold, political commentators are actually suggesting that Democrats should attempt to raise the number of Supreme Court judges to 11 and set a term limit (which I actually do think is reasonable). I mentioned this on an earlier thread, but failed to count back to the 1930’s and this incident taking place ecactly at Pluto opposition to US Pluto!
Thanks, most helpful. How was 1849/50 constitution-wise? That was the previous hard aspect of tr Pluto in Aries to the Cons Uranus. I’ll add it into the main text for ease of finding later. Also 1983/84 when tr Pluto in Libra was square the Uranus.
Both 1849-50 & 1983-84 were periods of short-lived political compromise. Nothing remarkable on the constitutional front.
The Compromise of 1850 tried to avert the Civil War by defining where slavery can be implemented in the new states and territories won from the Mexicans. The Compromise was torn up by the Kansas-Nebraska Bill just four-five years later. As an aside, the Compromise of 1850 was a lot like Brexit, in that each side favoured different provisions of the Compromise and vehemently opposed the ones that they disliked, but which the other side favoured.
The 1984 election saw Ronald Reagan win 49 out of the 50 states in the Electoral College, with the help of the “Reagan Democrats”. Indeed, he came within 0.18% of winning Minnesota, which was the only state not to vote for him.
Thanks. Both these were transiting squares so perhaps less powerful in effect, than the opposition/conjunction.