AG Merrick Garland: Sun Scorpio-Moon Libra

March 11, 2021: Back in the olden days of 2016 a post appeared here concerning President Biden's now-confirmed Attorney General of the United States Merrick Garland. You'll remember that 2016 was a discouraging time for our country with the "former guy" hunkered down in the White House and using AG Bill Barr as his own personal attorney to shield him from answering for his scofflaw actions and crimes.

But now with AG Garland, there's a 'new sheriff in town' and it looks as if the same favors will not be forthcoming.

Merrick Garland, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Astro-Notes on the Personality of AG Merrrick Garland

Here are a few details concerning Merrick Garland and below are a few of my notes on his misty Water-Air Sun Scorpio-Moon Libra personality blend. Even without an accurate birth time for him I can tell you that during the 24-hours of his birth day (November 13, 1952 Chicago, IL) Luna remained in Libra, sign of the Scales of Justice (00:01 to 12:21), and the Sun in Scorpio ranged from 20:48 to 21:48.

This blend of conscious (Sun) and unconscious (Moon) energies when well-coordinated decribes someone with a shrewd intellect, a commitment to fairplay, and someone who's poetic and has a keen sense of drama. Furthermore, AG Garland is a cooperative fellow and needs to be liked yet underneath it all he's actually a "tough cookie"! Toughness supplied by intense Scorpio along with a placid Moon in Venus-ruled Libra.

We can also see toughness via the closest applying aspect to his natal Sun, a square with manipulative Pluto (1A55 at noon). This suggests a determination toward power and control, and possibly a volatile temper (probably learned from a plutonian, domineering father). As an adult, one assumes that AG Garland's calming Libra Moon can dial down what could be destructive emotional energy when necessary in spite of his ego (Sun) needs.

Also notable in the solar department is his Mars-Pluto inconjunct (ruler and co-ruler of his Sun sign, from Mars exalted in Capricorn to dramatic Leo) which can lead to a depletion of energy due to taking on too much at one time. Hopefully, he has this tendency under control by now at age 65.

Now in closing, here is one of the blend's 'Images for Integration' which seems more than a little descriptive to me:

"A criminal lawyer auditions for the lead part in a new play about heroes of the second-world-war resistance movement."

(Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Charles and Suzi Harvey.)

Does "resistance movement" remind you at all of current political, legal, and social dramas now playing out in America with AG Merrick Garland snagging "the lead part"?

Undermining SCOTUS? Who Else but Neptune!

Horoscopes: SCOTUS 1790 (inner) with a snapshot of the June 2020 Mars-Neptune Conjunction (outer); as you see, both transit Neptune and Mars were conjunct 1790 Saturn in June (Mars-Neptune = Saturn with potentials for: 'instability; misdirected energy; unfortunate consequences because of a weak will; lasting illness or weakness; an epidemic; toxins in the body'--R. Ebertin).

In Progress, a Significant Transit to SCOTUS Saturn: transit Neptune, now floating through its own sign of Pisces, is influencing and more than likely undermining Saturn in the SCOTUS First Session Horoscope (February 1, 1790 NYC--I use 9:00 am LMT). The slow-moving gas ball has been within orb of 1790 Saturn for some time, yes, but in February and March 2021, transit Neptune @20Pisces will directly conjunct SCOTUS Saturn, the legal-eagle planet of judges, The Law, attorneys, courts, government, authority, realism, facts, accountability, reliability, restriction, limits, and thereby will reveal a period when structures and traditions are being eroded and/or are disintegrating due to current conditions.

This erosion of our court and legal systems has already begun, of course, but early 2021 could be the period when such effects become stronger and thus more obvious to the general public, perhaps to the point of legal paralysis.

Other possibilities with Neptune-to-Saturn include contagion (Neptune) affecting judges or other court officials (Saturn) to a hobbling degree, there may be loss although it's impossible to say from what cause (it may be mysterious!), and/or there may be some combination of inspired ideals and misguided notions being argued during proceedings. Naturally, other court circuits may be affected as well (Saturn) with substandard judges attempting to adjudicate in positions they should not have taken due to inexperience, ill-preparedness, lack of education, and/or odd or strange ideas. Notably, conspiracy theories may crash against brick walls during this period.

Now as you know, much of the results of Neptune-to-Saturn for SCOTUS will depend on whether Trump manages to finagle four more years with sidekick Barr running interference for his scofflaw antics, or, whether Joe Biden takes the White House and brings with him a more professional team such as former prosecutor Glenn Kirschner who some see as imminently qualified for the position of US Attorney General to replace Billy Barr. Perhaps you've heard Mr. Kirschner's Justice Matters podcast or watched his videos, and as one born with four planets in Saturn-ruled Capricorn, I appreciate Mr. Kirschner's reality-based views and legal expertise!

A Closing Note: The above post was originally typed and included with a Thom Hartmann video (October 11, 2020) but Blogger wouldn't allow this text to be published with Thom's content as has been my usual habit these 15 years of writing Stars Over Washington. However, maybe I can share the link to Thom's video: Stacking the Supreme Court - History vs Fiction. Hopefully the link is Live but if not, you can always search YouTube (ex: Thom's channel) for it as you wish. jc

Stacking The Supreme Court: History vs. Fiction! - Thom Hartmann

Autumn Equinox 2020: Our Degraded Justice System

America at the Crossroads 2020: Fighting for a Restored US Justice System

by Jude Cowell

September 20, 2020: Yes, we've discussed the Autumn Equinox 2020 Horoscope previously but today I'm posting the horoscope again (follow the link for more details) just to emphasize the YOD of crisis in the chart between the speculating, risk-taking, bubbly pair of Jupiter-Neptune (fraudsters!) at its base pointing accusingly at *Venus in Leo. Of course, a YOD pattern also relates to a special task and a crossroads so with the US Legal System under siege as it is by a corrupt "president" and his henchman "Attorney General," a "special task" must be engaged here, at the point in time, at what can only be described as America at the Crossroads, for our nation's very existence is at stake.

(Note that for obvious reasons, the YOD's timing of health crisis is also part of our current picture as Autumn 2020 begins but the topic is beyond the scope of this post and has been previously discussed in various posts.)

As you see, with 00Scorpio rising, Mars rules the chart and applies twice: a square to Saturn (1A36), then a square to Pluto (4A27) - the wealthy manipulator, the 'hidden hand', is co-ruler of the chart and the season. The Saturn-Pluto-Mars trio suggests the "necessity to fight for one's existence" (Ebertin). For more details, follow the link, above.

DC Horoscope: Autumn Equinox Tuesday September 22, 2020 9:31 am edt:

*Note that Venus @18Leo07 at apex of the YOD conjuncts the August 11, 2018 Solar Eclipse (18Leo41) which I have reluctantly called The Tower Eclipse and my Tarot friends know very well what #16 The Tower signifies, as might you, dear reader. My dearest hope for 2020 into 2021 is that the corrupt criminal enterprise, the global syndicate now gripping Washington DC, its institutions, departments, and the White House is the system that will collapse into dust as the integrity of the US Justice System is upheld with the aid of folks like former prosecutor Glenn Kirschner whose motto, as you know, is, Justice Matters.

Related: September-November 2020: Mars in Aries to and fro (trolling the path of Mars, the arsonist, shooter, activist, officer, malcontent, criminal).

When Rep. Pramila Jayapal Questions Bill Barr

Photo: William Barr

July 29, 2020: Yesterday on SO'W I typed aloud my dream that it could be Senator Kamala Harris who would question Trump's interference-running Attorney General Bill Barr during his testimony before Congress for Senator Harris is Barr's favorite interrogator, as you know. After all, it was Senator Harris' natal Pluto @15Virgo and Venus in Virgo (17:53) that peeked over the horizon on Capitol Hill as the congressional session opened at 9:30 am edt. Here's yesterday's DC Horoscope set for 9:30 am edt. Perhaps her powerful style of dealing with prevaricators was present in spirit!

However, with the testy proceedings occurring in the House not the Senate, lady Venus in the questioning sign of Gemini at apex of a YOD configuration and with a special task to perform at the appointed time turned out to be reflected by Rep. Pramila Jayapal which suited the situation just fine. Her characterization of Barr's actions concerning Black Lives Matter protesters (he's against them) vs Barr's coddling (my word) of armed right wing extremists who threatened to lynch a governor is based in reality unlike so much that spews out of fantasist Trump and his scofflaw regime which Barr was hired to protect like Trump's mentor Roy Cohn used to do back in the olden days.

So in case you missed it (and it's a doozy!), here's a clip of Pramila Jayapal questioning the very dodgy Bill Barr yesterday. Oh, and like Kamala Harris, she controls her time!

Two Related Posts: July/December 2020: Pluto Opposes Trump natal Saturn, and the Natal Horoscope of Kamala Harris (RR:AA); note that rising just prior to her Pluto is Uranus in Virgo, the revolutionary pair of the mid-1960s Civil Rights Movement. Their three intense conjunctions in mid-Virgo are now being re-activated (opposed) by the transiting midpoint in mid-Pisces of Uranus in Taurus and Pluto in Capricorn - reminding us that Civil Rights Matter!

July 28, 2020 Horoscope: Bill Barr to Capitol Hill

July 18, 2020: Unless a cancellation, rescheduling, or delay occurs (chart-ruler Mercury opposes Jupiter Rx), Trump's AG William Barr is scheduled to testify today (9:30 am edt) before Congress and defend ongoing militarized actions in Portland, Oregon, among other acts of the Trump regime.

Since it's almost 9:30 am as I type, this is a quick posting of the morning's horoscope and as you see, Barr's Saturn, then Mars, rise on Capitol Hill and the natal Pluto @15Vir27 of Senator Kamala Harris (his favorite questioner, no doubt!) precisely rises at 9:30 am along with her natal Venus (17:53).

A high-flying Kite pattern (success) with testifying Mercury as its tail is shown along with a YOD pattern of crisis, special task, and/or karmic opportunity with lady Venus (Senator Harris?) at apex in Mercury-ruled Gemini. Questions! Yet Mr. Barr is there to restrain and cover-up, his usual political gig.

And with chart-ruler (and Midheaven-ruler) Mercury applying three times we may expect severe disagreements and conflicts (opposes Jupiter Rx), perhaps a lack of logic, inspired ideas that can be misused or glamorized (trines Neptune), and a display of opposing forces during these intense proceedings as information is manipulated to someone's advantage, withheld, or the wrong answers are deliberately provided in order to mislead. Obviously with Barr protecting Trump, damaging secrets will be closely held (opposes Pluto).

Oh! and Pluto Rx @23Cap25 continues his powerful opposition to Trump's natal Saturn in watery, tribal, business-oriented Cancer (Saturn, planet of authority and control).

Now much more info is embedded within the chart but time is short so I'll trust you, dear reader, to sleuth away if you're so inclined!

DC Horoscope June 24, 2020: Testimony Please?

June 21, 2020: From his Wikipedia bio we find that former attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) Geoffrey Berman was born on September 12, 1959 in Trenton, New Jersey. Currently top of the news, Mr. Berman has now stepped down from his SDNY position after a brief stand-off between him and Trump's 'AG' Bill Barr who, acting under orders of Trump (my assessment), was originally fired-by-press-release in a 'Friday Night Massacre' event (June 19, 2020).

As you know, Mr. Berman's ouster is an obvious attempt to stop ongoing SDNY investigations into Trump and various of his dealings (exs: Campaign 2016, irregular banking - exs: Deutsche Bank loans and Turkish bank Halkbank indicted in 2019 on money laundering charges) - Russian and other money laundering offenses (perhaps China? a Middle Eastern nation or two), etc, etc.). Plus, the Barr-Trump power play is an attempt to cover up the activities of Rudy Guiliani, and to stop the Jeffrey Epstein pedophile/sex trafficking investigation/s. And since Trump and Barr are allegedly linked to the latter, of course they're ansty to hide any damning evidence of their perversions (if any) that could be shown by ongoing SDNY investigations.

However, perhaps Mr. Berman will speak out on various topics of great interest to the American public even if anti-Trump investigations are stymied by his and Barr's strong-armed power moves against him (so I'm adding Mr. Berman's natal planets to the June 24, 2020 horoscope along with its significant 2020 contacts to Barr's natal planets, as you see, below.

Note that this is a speculative horoscope set for June 24, 2020 10:00 am edt Capitol Building Washington DC when the House may hold a hearing and Rep. Nadler may call certain whistleblowers or others to testify. Therefore, I've titled the chart based on its potential to become a "Whistle Blower Day" and am interested in readers' on-topic comments concerning this horoscope and its contacts to Berman's and/or Barr's natal planets, if you please:

Outer: Geoffrey Berman blue; Bill Barr green; a few USA planets are penned around the center chart but are not color coded. Trump's first natal planet to rise is his pesky Mars @26Leo. Berman's is Venus Rx @1Vir53 although his natal Uranus @18Leo42 has already risen into the 12th house of Politics, Karma and Large Institutions (such as the US Congress). Mr. Berman's already-occurred separation from SDNY is indicated by Uranus and Venus Rx.

Barr's first natal planet to rise at 10:00 am edt is 'legal eagle' Saturn @12Vir38 but his natal Pluto and Moon (his Luna probably in Leo) have just risen into the 12th house. The Moon-Pluto duo tends toward secrets being revealed and/or scandals along with deep emotions - probably rage, plus, personal insults and offended vanity or conceit (Ebertin).

Actually, Bill Barr is most likely the primary reason for the hearing (if it occurs) for you see the pile-up at Midheaven (MC: The Why? Point) of his Sun-conjunct-Nemesis, Mercury Rx, Midas, and his political Uranus-NN midpoint suggesting potentials for criticism, impetuous goals, and his fanatic promotion of anarchistic ideas and ideals. With his Uranus-NN at Midheaven his zealous views are brought into a public forum and hints that Barr has received assurances from someone 'higher up' that his ideas and ideals will be well received and that his and Trump's teamwork will pay big dividends in the long run if not the short.

DC Horoscope: 1st Public Impeachment Inquiry

Image: A speculative '10:00 am' Horoscope for the 1st Public Impeachment Inquiry into Donald Trump scheduled for November 13, 2019, probably opening at 10:00 am est Capitol Building Washington DC. US diplomat to Ukraine William Taylor is expected to present a damning case against Donald Trump--and note that personal name asteroid Taylor @22Lib53 sits atop the Midheaven ('MC'), the Goal Point of the chart and of the inquiry. Also at MC are starry Arcturus and Spica (the spike), and in L'Enfant's original plan for the District of Columbia, Arcturus represents the White House while Spica is the Washington Monument, or, the presidency as archetypally modeled for us by George Washington.

Asteroids America (10th house), Columbia (5th house), and Washingtonia (7th house--conjunct US natal Mercury Rx @25Cancer) are penned inside the chart as well; opposite Washingtonia is Hopi (ambush or prejudice) conjunct US natal Pluto Rx (1st house). The chart's Vertex @10Leo, a point of fated encounters, points directly toward Trump's natal 12th house Pluto (10Leo02), his Underworld planet and part of his natal midpoint picture of which to be afraid--Mars-Saturn = Pluto: brutality; rage, fury; murder; death of many people -Ebertin). As you know that Trump has already caused tragedies for many. That's his creepy, subversive Pluto in egotistical Leo.

Just crossed the 10:00 am MC is Trump's natal trio in Libra: Neptune-Chiron-Jupiter. He of the speculative ventures, fraud, and grand schemes of bubbly proportions (aided by his natal Mercury-Neptune square of fantasies, lies, inability to learn, and confusion). He's having morbid thoughts now (Mercury-Neptune = Saturn @16Cap23 in 1st house).

Lower right is marked transiting Icarus (who flew too high) @24Scorpio39--conjunct Trump's natal IC of Endings (round up to "25Scorpio" = "An X-Ray"). What is an impeachment inquiry if not an x-ray, a scrutiny looking beneath surfaces? As you see in the 12th house, Trump's natal South-Node-Moon conjunction has already risen so his next natal planet to rise is his 10th house Uranus (17Gem53) all the way over in the 6th house of this chart (unmarked). His North Node, then natal Sun in perverse Gemini soon follow Uranus, his guiding planet of chaos. And notice that the transiting North Node @9Can16 (conjunct hellish Hades!) still points in the general direction of the current 3 North Solar Eclipse ('PE" marked in red) with its 'news that transforms a situation'/'large plans are wanted--but don't get carried away' vibes (Brady), news that the first and other inquiries are certain to provide.

Now sprinkled around the outside of the horoscope, highlighted in blue, are a few of Trump's natal placements (June 14, 1946 10:54 am edt Queens, NY), plus, there's US natal Moon (We The People; the public) in 6th house with the Pluto-Chiron midpoint of Plutocracy @26AQ26 sitting atop it/us. I can feel the weight of plutocrats' boots on our backs, can't you?

Edit January 24, 2020: this month the Pluto-Chiron midpoint by transit has conjoined with America's natal Moon (We The People) in late Aquarius. Ouch. Exploitation and power abuse. Both perpetrated and experienced.

At 10:00 am "30 Sag" rises ("The Pope Blessing the Faithful"--and I'm sure he does) so let's not forget that a key player in Trump's so-called administration is pretend-AG Bill Barr, an ultra-right ideologue they say in league with Opus Dei. This gaggle of gangster kleptocrats surrounding Trump don't believe in democracy (asteroid of democracy, Ceres, is rising with passionate Eros, the piercing) so why are we allowing them to sabotage America? Besides, starry Acumen also rises with keywords: attacks which weaken and I sincerely hope that this and other political performances we're being 'treated' to these days bring a loosening of the grip around the necks of decent people the world over by global mob syndicates, networks of gangsters, bankers, corporatists, and other criminal elements banded together and now clawing and grasping for total control.

That my expectations for our nation's better future are very high, I know. But what better can a Child of the Revolution pray for?

America, Saturn-Neptune, Eclipses, and Donald Trump

In a January 2019 SO'W post concerning the December Solar Eclipse that ends 2019 with Jupiter and Pluto issues, multiple mentions were made including the Saturn-Neptune pair of energies, Donald Trump, and Republican operative Bill Barr who was just coming into the DOJ picture with his senate confirmation hearing occurring as I typed. (And note that Jupiter-Pluto is the 'wheeler dealer' and plutocrat duo.)

Now one reason mention was made of Saturn-Neptune in the post is that their midpoint rises in Trump's natal chart as it does in the December 26, 2019 Eclipse's DC Horoscope (chart shown in the above post) with vibes of depression and limitation of freedom (Ebertin). Another reason to keep our collective eye on the Saturn-Neptune duo (the "illness axis," Reinhold Ebertin calls it--conjunct Trump's natal Ascendant, his nibs himself born into an 'oppressive family environment') during these harrowing days is that it relates to such realms as the social welfare programs constantly under attack by the Republican Party (most of whose members I tend to think of as misfits of the human race). Apparently the party's past "compassionate conservative" slogan no longer applies if indeed it ever did.

So below is a hodge podge of dates and associations for the Saturn-Neptune pair so famously representing hidden or secret (Neptune) government or control (Saturn)--and of course imaginary + real, lie vs fact, and idealism vs materialism also apply, plus the -isms such as Communism, Bolshevikism, Marxism, Capitalism, Socialism, Nationalism, Patriotism, Nativism, Zionism, conservatism, 'Trumpism'--labels invented by hidden manipulators to divide, conquer, exploit, and weaken populations who might think to rise up against the 'ruling class'. Fact is, We have the numbers, they have the desperation to hold on to power and control.

Now as you know the Saturn-Neptune cycle lasts approximately 36 years and their last conjunction was actually a three-fer due to retrogradation yet all during 1989: 1. March 3, 1989 @11Cap55; 2. June 24, 1989 @11Cap14; and 3. November 13, 1989 @10Cap22. See Events of 1989, an extremely busy year, domestically and abroad. The next Saturn-Neptune conjunction occurs only once on February 20, 2026 @00Ari45, the Aries Point where global events tend to manifest. Note that this conjunction in 2026 will conjoin the IC of the natal chart of America that I tend to use most often (July 4, 1776 5:09 pm LMT Philadelphia, PA).

Obviously, we are now mired within the third period (3 x 12 years = 36) which began on November 13, 1989 @10Cap22, a degree stimulated by the July 2, 2019 Solar Eclipse @10Can37 in the 3 North Saros Series--between America's Jupiter and Sun; this is the eclipse series we're in as I type.

Now here are Saturn-Neptune's Hegelian potentials within the realms of Politics and Business, some of which may sound appropriate for our times:

Thesis: Delusions among the real leadership; long lived programs which have no real purpose; policies which restrict spies; misusing law officers; inefficient use of capable expert advice; mistaken religious leaders.

Antithesis: Leaders deceive about the exercise of control; deficient business practices exposed; respected persons involved in questionable practices; reliable equipment failures; a leader capitulates. (Midpoints: Unleashing the Power of the Planets, Michael Munkasey.)

Looking ahead: the first eclipse of 2020 is a Lunar Eclipse. Here's a view of its DC Horoscope.

And in case you missed it: Saturn-Pluto and Our Social Safety Net Chickens.