If you are American or live in the US, then you have no doubt heard of Brett Kavanaugh, and also with little doubt, have heard quite enough about him. If you have not heard of Brett Kavanaugh, then this will fill you in on what has been a heated debate in the US for weeks now. You see, Brett is Donald Trump’s pick to fill the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) seat vacated by the retirement of judge Anthony Kennedy. Kavanaugh was nominated for the post on July the 9th this year, when Saturn was opposite the US Venus/Jupiter conjunction. It was a sobering day for progressives and women. Controversy has surround his ascension to the higher courts of the land since the Bush days, and this time is no different. Kavanaugh is conservative, Catholic, Republican, Yale educated, from a privileged upbringing (his grandfather also went to Yale) and his parents are both attorneys. Public hearings on his confirmation started on Sept. 4th. Since then, accusations of sexual assault have been leveled against him by three women, and his character has been called into question. The question arises, though, are these accusations where the real focus of attention should be directed at Kavanaugh – many would say yes – or should there be something deeper at the heart of the hearings, something that the press is either not covering or covering up? Let’s see what the astrology says about the man and the nation.
The hearings have been pasted with many labels, such as a dress rehearsal for impeachment, “an emergency…for the future of our country”, a ‘challenge to abortion rights, gay rights, and affirmative action’, the character assassination of a man of character, an outrageous Senate circus, and so on. There seems to be no middle ground. And indeed, it is an important nomination, because no matter who takes the chair of SCOTUS, that appointment and future ones will affect the lives of millions of people far into the future, and most especially women in this instance. Why the latter is important in this case will be addressed shortly. Kavanaugh is described as an ‘Originalist’, referring to judicial interpretation of the original intent or original meaning (there is difference) of the Constitution, rather than the text. Originalism is a concept or approach to Constitutional law that is too much to go into here, but it has been used in recent years to call into question the efficacy of human rights legislation in the US and is a favored stance of Tea Party politicians.
But perhaps one of the biggest reasons Trump has put Kavanaugh forward is because the latter believes in the immunity from prosecution for the Chief Executive while in office. So, with all the kerfuffle around the Kavanaugh hearings, these latter points have been left out of the discussions, but in fact are central to why consideration of his potential seat on at the Supreme Court is so important: It would leave the ground open for rollback of many key rulings on civil, worker’s and equal rights we have seen in the 20th century. What we have instead is a media circus and commentary fixated upon the man’s character and his past, not that any serious allegations are unimportant. That being said, does the chart confirm the allegations that are being leveled against him, or not? His chart (hypothetical birth time) is below (bigger):
There are two factors that have been most focused upon in the comments I have read on the Kavanaugh hearings: 1) his alleged abuse of women, and 2) his presumed alcohol abuse. Well, as to the latter, he has stated that he likes beer. If he is a functioning alcoholic or past binge drinker, the markers for it are not in his chart, though. Normally for that there would be activity with the Moon/Ascendant or Neptune/Pluto midpoints, the other main markers being Mars and/or Jupiter in Pisces and Neptune in Taurus. Those markers are just not there. This is not to say that people who have those markers are substance abusers. They are just indicators of susceptibility, depending on all the factors in the chart. As for Kavanaugh, yes, there is a square between the Sun and Neptune, but that in itself does not spell alcohol abuse. In fact, it can show quite the opposite, as a person with that aspect is overly sensitive to any sort of stimulus, especially to psychotropic substances and environmental toxins. I know several people with that aspect and in general, they do not drink or if so, only a little. In addition, the Sun is the apex of a t-square with the Jupiter/Neptune opposition at the base, which leaves him open to deception or betrayal, and which also amplifies the effects of any substances taken into the body. Thus, it is not hard to imagine he would have drunk to excess when he did in his younger days. Plus, alcohol is a dis-inhibitor, which leads in to the women, next. But on a final note with the alcohol, that same t-square also connects him with the judiciary, Jupiter ruling the judiciary. But the Sun/Jupiter square is also associated with over-consumption, especially with Jupiter in Taurus, while the Sun/Neptune square is also implicated with unreliable associates, the latter more likely than not a throwback to his youth. It is a very dangerous setup where any sort of ‘recreational’ drug is involved – dangerous to one’s future, especially.
As for the women who have come out with allegations of abuse against them by Kavanaugh, this is where matters get more conjectural and tricky, because we have no birth time for him. There are a lot of ‘ifs’ from here on, because not only do the angles change, but so also does the Moon’s degree. Noting the time on the chart that is posted above, it is set for 10:45 am. This gives Taurus rising, with Jupiter on the Ascendant in the 12th house, and Neptune on the Descendant. It also gives the lunar midpoints which would point toward alcohol problems and problems with women in general. Those midpoints are listed next to the chart. However, that time also yields something else: 1) Saturn transiting through the 8th house, marking Kavanaugh’s ascension to a position of authority (possibly) as well as all the other associations with the 8th hosue, 2) a Mars direction to his Neptune, activating the t-square and also the Sun/Mercury midpoint (quarrels and intrigue) and 3) a direction of Saturn to his meridian axis, marking his current difficulties and his past catching up with him. Anything concerning angles is purely speculation at this point, though. One thing particularly of note here, however, is the natal Uranus/Pluto conjunction, which can mark a risk-taking nature, potential violence, ‘putting the gun to one’s head’ behavior and so forth. It can also indicate the heights of achievement if used well, and a visionary attitude. And lastly, there is a direction of Pluto square to his Venus at the moment, which represents the three women coming out against him.
Now, if Kavanaugh did as these women say, then he needs to be brought to account, which in the US means being marked as a sex offender and doing time. It would also mean that he would say goodbye to the SCOTUS seat and be disbarred as well. We can probably imagine that he and his wife are having some pretty serious conversations about now, too. Those are pretty serious charges, no matter if one is a foolish and exuberant kid when one does them. The chart, however, shows something more in the vein of the stupidity of youth and the hubris of privilege than it does repetitive, criminal behavior, even with having stepped through every possible birth hour. The Moon in Cancer gives the devoted family man. The Sun/Jupiter square gives the expansive, optimistic temperament than makes him very likeable on first meeting, his privileged past and so on. Yes, he can be cool and detached emotionally where women are concerned with the Venus in Aquarius. All this probably sounds like a defense of the man, but it is simply ABC astrology. But the thing that is lacking in the chart is the violent tendency, that is, unless it comes out under the influence of substances and/or being egged on by peers. In the end, though, he is an ideologue, and a conservative and that is what has more liberal types on edge.
We can see several threads, speaking more conspiratorially, running through these hearings on the nomination: the Republicans putting up a candidate as a sort of ‘Stuff you!’ statement to Democrats as well as to women, the Democrats understandably seeking to derail him in order that the Court does not get stacked in favor of conservatives, the anti-abortion lobby wanting desperately to overturn Roe v. Wade, business and banking interests wishing for further deregulation and lessening of worker’s rights, conservatives wanting to stack the Supreme Court for at least a generation, and so forth. There is a grain of truth to all those theories. From the larger perspective, though, the nomination comes at a time for the US when there is strong opposition to the sitting administration, illustrated in the US chart by transiting Saturn opposite Venus, which is also indicative of the uproar over Kavanaugh and his alleged abuse of women. The Republicans would seem to be against women for the most part. For their part, the three women who have come forward – Christine Ford, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick – have put their own reputations on line for doing so, with very serious consequences for them if they are proven to be perjuring themselves. Why would they risk it, if it weren’t true? A minute of fame? Money? And then, the majority of Republicans have said they would vote to confirm him, even if the allegations were proven true. It is no wonder more liberal voters and women are up in arms.
There is one more piece to add to this, and that is the timing of it all. The Republicans are in a hurry to push this through. Midterms are coming in about a month. The Republicans want a ‘win’ for their side. There is increasing opposition in Congress to the US involvement in the Yemen war. Unreported in the US press by and large, Russia is installing advanced anti-aircraft missile batteries in Syria, bringing the situation there with Israel and Turkey to a breaking point, and now there appears to be a more concerted aim at US-backed military intervention in Venezuela. The deadline for Iran sanctions is also looming in five weeks. They would want a Kavanaugh in place, just in case. Is the Kavanaugh circus all just a distraction, then? Possibly. But then, this is a very important nomination, not just for Americans, but for the wider world..
Justice, in our idealistic view, is meant to be fair, impartial, aimed at the truth as nearly as it can be ascertained and in the United States, at least, beyond the shadow of a doubt. Stacking the Supreme Court in one direction or another is the antithesis to that ideal. Of course, it is human nature to want people to be on your side of opinion, and the Supreme Court has been accused of bias in the past. The one thing that is clear about the Kavanaugh nomination is that the Court would definitely be conservative-leaning if/when he is confirmed. If the man is more easily swayed, as his chart would indicate, then is that the sort of judge we want sitting on the bench when, for instance, cases involving Citizens United, Roe v. Wade and so forth come up for adjudication? This is what is really at issue. And while a good character should be a prerequisite for such a post, a clear and impartial mind is even more to be valued. The symbol for justice is the scales, where the evidence is weighed and balanced. And if a President or high official needs to be prosecuted, as we have seen in the past with the likes of Nixon, then we need high court judges who will support that process and see to it that justice is properly done. It is this last point which is possibly the underlying reason for the Kavanaugh nomination, and one of the biggest reasons he needs to be voted down, aside from questions of past possible illegal activities. No person is above the law. Not Trump. Not Kavanaugh. No one.
Featured pic from Variety