I like to live always at the
beginnings of life, not at their end. We all lose some of our faith under the
oppression of mad leaders, insane history, pathologic cruelties of daily life.
I am by nature always beginning and believing…
The Diary of Anais Nin, Vol. 4, 1944-47.
It’s useful to remember that on average in this world, Americans have it pretty good. That
goes for American women, as well,
despite all the justified anguish over Brett Kavanaugh’s controversial, but likely-looking
ascent to the Supreme Court. Even so, the situation simply oozes with the abuse of power,
and has become, to my somewhat jaded eye, a no-win, tragically ironic
situation.
Even if we ignore other women who
have come forward with allegations, Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford testified quite
credibly last week that she narrowly escaped being raped by Kavanaugh when they
were both teenagers, yet those who are eager to confirm Kavanaugh are in power
and they’re planning to vote him onto the Court tomorrow, come what may.
Trump
pulled the illusion of a supplemental FBI background check out of his hat—an
investigation in which the FBI wasn’t even allowed to interview Blasey-Ford and
Kavanaugh, so he’s given the Senate Judiciary Committee the cover they need to confirm.
In retrospect, the whole spectacle of Senator Flake demanding a week-long
investigation starts to look like a sham. And, (update since this was first posted), Sen. Susan Collins' subsequent critical support for Kavanaugh completed the "kangaroo court" proceedings.
Here’s a quick look at the chart for
today’s (Friday's) projected procedural vote at 10:30 a.m.. Notice how well-timed this vote is, if the
goal is to marginalize women and their concerns. **(post-vote update: the vote was 51-49 in favor of advancing Kavanaugh's nomination to a final vote in the Senate on Saturday).
Chart
#1: Kavanaugh Procedural Senate Vote, October 5, 2018, 10:30 a.m. DST (news reports),
Washington, D.C. Tropical Equal Houses,
True Node.
Jupiter (Scorpio) rises at the ASC
(Scorpio); Pluto (Capricorn) and Mars (Aquarius) co-rule from 2nd
and 3rd houses. Jupiter gains heft in Pluto-ruled Scorpio, and
its ambitious growth agenda can act out in dark and unscrupulous ways in the
wrong hands. Greed is a potential pitfall, but so is a vengeful spirit and the
will to power over others. These dynamics are on full display in D.C., of
course, but there’s also a lot of projection going on. They’re seeking revenge; no they are! The “sting” we’re all feeling with today’s deeply toxic partisan
divide is certainly reflected here, as well.
There’s no coincidence that Venus
(Scorpio) is kept stuffed away in the 12th house here, where
she can protest all she wants, but she won’t be given her due. Unfortunately,
this state of being ignored and denigrated (Sen. Grassley apparently told protestors
to “grow up” this morning) only enrages people more, deepening the cycle of
torment. Trump may have a vision for shaping the nation into his very own misogynist
paradise (making American “great” again?), but how long will a Pluto-powered
Scorpio
Venus put up with that?
 |
| No shrinking violet, our Venus in Scorpio |
The 12th has been a convenient
placement for Venus—it’s very interesting, actually, that Venus
is about to Station Rx at 3:05 p.m. today! So women will have that biblical 40 days and 40 nights to sort through
what’s happened to them and regroup. Venus in Scorpio (that mythological seductive
“Devil?”) falls over the Sibly 12th
house, as well—this nation simply isn’t, by nature, equipped to deal in a balanced way with chthonic feminine power.
We’re far more capable, indeed, of
dealing with Capricorn-style
femininity: the ambitious, material-oriented force that balances the checkbook
with one hand while keeping the wheels of commerce moving with the other. Women who tap into this spirit may also be quick to hold others responsible for the shortcomings of men in their lives--there's a certain jolt of power and control that goes along with that.
There’s
a curious overlap between these two feminine forces here, however, that could
influence today’s vote: in Scorpio, Venus is disposed by this
commerce-driven Pluto, which is reinforced by Saturn’s strong presence
in home sign Capricorn.
In fact, the Saturn/Pluto (midpoint,
Capricorn) sextiles Venus and squares Libra
Sun (Venus-disposed), so the points of authority and big business in this chart all tie back into Venus
in some way. This has become all the more intense since Pluto
stationed direct on September
30th at 18°+Capricorn.
A conservative majority on the Court is something that the corporate world is
undoubtedly thirsting after, for their own purposes, but what happens if they
alienate their favorite consumers, women!!?
Even so, the move to hold
entertainment royalty, Bill Cosby responsible for his history of sexual assault
may have just struck a nerve and triggered a backlash. His is a story for
another day, but the dynamics figure into why the “angry
white men” on the Senate Judiciary Committee are defending their man in
such shrill, victimization-laced terms.
This anger is reflected here in the Sun-Mars
trine (Libra to Aquarius), which has been within orb throughout last week's hearings. The potent square we see here from the Saturn/Pluto midpoint to Libra
Sun (and Sibly Saturn, for that matter) reflects the resistance from the
American Bar Association, not to mention over a thousand law professors and judicial types against Kavanaugh’s nomination. As mythology loves to remind us,
the sin of Hubris stinks to the gods—will the Senate push its luck and vote against so many voices joined in
opposition?
They have their “Kavanaugh is a
victim” narrative to help stiffen their spines, of course, and undoubtedly, the
dominant fixed feel to this chart
will also figure into the results: we have a fixed horizon, Moon
(Leo), Venus and Jupiter (Scorpio) and
Uranus (Taurus). Add to that a fixed
T-square formed between the Nodal axis (Leo-Aquarius) square Uranus, and
we can see how the fixed energies will fight to maintain the status quo in the
presence of a demand for change (Uranus). Venus-ruled Taurus
reflects how deeply invested women are
in this change.
 |
| Anger doesn't become him, or any judge.. |
We are seeing a re-assertion
of (especially white) male privilege under Trump, so despite a flood of resistance,
the odds for overturning this privileged “frat boy” nomination are remote.
This makes the following all the
more interesting: the MC-IC axis falls in mutable
Virgo-Pisces, with Virgo Pallas (Justice) opposing Pisces
Neptune. This could certainly reflect how nebulous and inconclusive the
FBI’s supplemental background check on Kavanaugh has been. Yet, if the “higher
angels” of Neptune are hovering around somewhere, perhaps some small
concessions will emerge from this torturous process. Even a small crack in the
fixed façade may catalyze change—we’ll have to wait and see.
In the meantime, what would First
Lady Melania do? Oh, wait…she’s conveniently in Africa, in charge of making us look compassionate towards their women and children. Go figure!!
Final
thoughts
Those who support Kavanaugh, no matter what, (as Trump was supported
by many), have his long, apparently distinguished judicial career to rely on, but his recent behavior has suggested that they will need the “man-is-a-victim-of-false-accusations” narrative
for justification, as well. Unless they simply have no empathy for sexual assault
victims--then, there's no problem pulling that lever. It would be unfair to judge what’s in anyone’s heart on this—the situation
has unfortunately opened up a myriad of other
excuses for voting yes: partisan obstinence, the upcoming midterm
elections, the desire to de-fang the Mueller investigation before it gets to
the Executive office, and so on.
Perhaps the most disturbing takeaway
from all this, however, will be the long-term damage that’s being done to the
Supreme Court, one of our most essential
institutions. In a future post we’ll explore the role transiting Pluto’s
excruciatingly slow return to our Sibly Pluto is playing in this
degradation of the Court—and of Justice, in general, in this nation. For now,
hold on to your hats—it could be a volatile weekend!
Raye
Robertson is a practicing astrologer, writer and former educator. A graduate of
the Faculty of Astrological Studies (U.K.), Raye focuses on mundane,
collective-oriented astrology, with a particular interest in current affairs,
culture and media, the astrology of generations, and public concerns such as
education and health. Several of her articles on these topics have been
featured in The Mountain Astrologer and other publications over the years.
She is
also available to read individual charts—contact her at: robertsonraye@gmail.com.
© Raye Robertson 2018. All
rights reserved.
