Will He Stay or Will He Go?
Liberals breathed a collective sigh of relief yesterday when Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy did not announce his retirement at the end of the court’s summer session. Rumors that the 80 year-old jurist might step down had the media in a tizzy, since it would have given Donald Trump and his congressional backup band a chance to stock the court with another reliable conservative.
This is not to say that Kennedy is a liberal. He was appointed by Ronald Reagan, cites his party affiliation as Republican and most often votes with the conservative Justices. However, on the key issues of abortion and gay rights, Kennedy has consistently veered away from the Republican Party line. He seems to think that the constitution does grant women control over their own bodies and that it does not favor one sexual preference over another.
In a partial horoscope charted for noon on Kennedy’s birthday (click on Anthony Kennedy to see the horoscope) we find his Sun in the first degree of Leo conjunct Mercury. (The Sun stays in Leo even with an early morning birth, but Mercury would move to the last degree of Cancer.) His Moon is in Libra in this chart, but would be in Virgo if he was born in the morning. I think, considering his profession, a birth time later in the day is more likely. The Moon in Libra not only indicates a deep, emotional concern for justice, but also a need to look at both sides of an issue before making a decision.
What I find most interesting about this partial chart is the placement of Saturn. Kennedy’s Saturn is at 22 degrees of Pisces. That put it in a close square aspect with Donald Trump’s Sun and his Moon. In terms of compatibility, this aspect is the ultimate deal breaker. It describes a relationship in which one party seriously disapproves of another. Justice Kennedy doesn’t seem like the kind of person to make his feelings known in such matters (unlike his colleague, Justice Ginsburg), but my guess is that in this relationship, he is the disapproving party.
This placement of Saturn is also significant because of its relationship with Saturn in the sky right now. This transiting Saturn is currently moving retrograde into a square aspect with Kennedy’s natal Saturn. This square aspect is one of the crucial points is the Saturn cycles I’m always talking about. The square first occurred in December of last year and it will be in effect again from now until September.
When Saturn squares its own place in the horoscope it generally a time for hard choices and important decisions, like the decision to retire. I don’t know how the rumors of Kennedy’s retirement got started, but it seems likely from this aspect that he is considering stepping down. That brings us to the “choice” that so often comes with Saturn. Will Kennedy take the summer recess to think this over and then announce his retirement in the fall? Or will he decide to keep his seat because of his distaste for the current administration? Either way, the decision will be momentous, not just for him, but for the country.
