Marriage equality in June 2015?

[Jim Eshelman]

(7/2/2014)

Ted Olson has most reasonably predicted that the Supreme Court will decide in favor of national marriage equality rights in June 2015. This is quite reasonable - in a nonastrological way, I'm making the same prediction. It seems common sense; my argument is as follows:

There are contested Federal bench decisions in over a dozen states on the issue of same-sex marriage, so the chance of them hitting the Supreme Court next year are very high. I think the chance increases because some of the judges are likely considering whether to retire in the near future, and want to get this decision made during their service; and none of the judges are likely to want to put it off until 2016 because it is a presidential election year (historically not a great time for the Supreme Court to take up paradigm-redefining issues).

Many of the court's decisions, especially the most challenging, come out the last session weeks in June. (They tend to keep writing the tougher decisions up to the last minute, understandably.) If the matter is heard next year, then the odds are very high the decision will come out at the end of June.

Finally, the legal grounding comes as close as anything can to guaranteeing a decision in favor of allowing same-sex marriage. The decisions a year ago, even though addressing narrow and particular issues, included such decisive language that even Justice Scalia, in his dissent, put in writing that he considered the majority decision dangerous because there were not likely any state laws against marriage equality that could stand up against it. In other words, Scalia essentially compelled himself, in the future, to vote the way the majority voted last year. This stands a good chance of being a 7-2 decision in favor allowing same sex marriages as a constitutional guarantee and, just maybe, 8 or 9 in favor. (Thomas is not really likely to go with it, though IMO.)

With all of this good legal and political logic, the question then remains: What does astrology say about the matter?

[Jim Eshelman]

Historically, when there have been big shifts in this issue we have seen such things as an angular Venus combined with both Uranus and Pluto. We have also seen the civil rights configurations such as prominent Jupiter (including Moon-Jupiter) with Uranus.

For example, the 2013 Capsolar for Washington had a Venus-Pluto conjunction square Uranus on the angles. The SCOTUS decisions came out, many states started altering their laws in favor of marriage equality, the Pope came out for compassion and inclusion on the issue... it got a lot of traction.

This year, we have a wave of Federal decisions building on last year's SCOTUS decisions - 16 states last I counted. At present, if you count the states where same-sex marriage is legal and those where a restrictive law has been overthrown but the matter is on hold while it's appealed, you find 28 out of 51 jurisdictions (states + DC), 55%, accounting for much more than half of the national population. (California, New York, and Texas are on that list, but Florida is not.) And this year's Capsolar has Venus foreground (in fact, a Venus-Mars mundane square foreground and only 12' wide) with both Uranus and Pluto angular and the "civil liberties" Moon-Jupiter conjunction at MC.

These aspects don't always show liberal changes, though. They show it being an issue, and the issue being acted on aggressively. Consider the 2004 election when several states simultaneously passed constitutional amendments narrowing the definition of marriage. That year, the DC Capsolar had Pluto closely foreground in wide mundane square to a foreground partile Venus-Uranus conjunction. Jupiter was also closely foreground, on the Descendant, which possibly signified traditional values temporarily gaining force on the burgeoning issue of marriage equality. In any case, the issue was large and “in play,” cultural redefinition was clearly a foot, and significant legislation was enacted redefining relationships – in this instance, in a conservative wave. Additionally, the Libsolar, right before the election, also had Venus, Uranus, and Pluto foreground, with a partile foreground mundane square of Venus and Pluto.

[Jim Eshelman]

Strangely, we don't have any of that sort of thing coming up for the next year. The ingresses get rather boring, in fact.

As mentioned above, the current Capsolar has all of the right factors in play. It's a little tricky for the Supreme Court to hear high-volatility items around the time of an election (in this case, the mid-terms), but one suspects that the matter would be heard under the current Capsolar.

The Cansolar that sets up this month is dormant for Washington. It's about as boring as can be. (Whoopee, it has a Moon-Mercury square! <g>) Furthermore - something almost unheard of for decades - the 2015 Capsolar is also dormant - not even the routine angular Pluto that we've had for decades. (But this one at least has an interesting Moon-Jupiter square and worrisome Mars-Saturn 8' square that we'll be seeing show up around the world next year.)

The first interesting chart on the matter is a chart usually rather weak in Washington (usually stronger at other locations where national-level events happen), the Arisolar of April 2015. The Arisolar has Pluto 0°28' above Ascendant, with a foreground Mars (6°). Even this just shows serious shakeups. Venus isn't directly involved. We do get Venus action, though, and it's pretty negative:

9°10' Scorpio Saturn
9°15' Taurus Venus
10°58' Aquarius Moon

If something is going to happen, it looks like it happens under the Arisolar, and the outcome is not at all certain to be socially progressive!

[Jim Eshelman]

A quick survey of Caplunars. (This isn't a certain way to get an answer, though, since the result is often shown by weekly charts under a contrary or silent Caplunar. I'll look more closely as we zoom in on June.)

Marriage equality could certainly be in the news following the March 15 Caplunar, with Venus setting and Moon square Ascendant, A Moon-Mars mundane square and Moon-Venus ecliptical square are foreground, and I don't think we can get away without feeling the Mars-Uranus conjunction. Possibly the hearing is this month and the decision held until June?

May 9 Caplunar: Again, possibly marriage themed if we only look at the Descendant symbolism, since Moon is conjunct Descendant with Pluto 7° below the horizon.

June 5 we get Venus reigning supreme: Venus is 0°43' from the Caplunar's MC. Moon and Uranus are also foreground, only 0°03' (3'!!) from exact mundane square. This has the marks of the chart under which culturally-redefining marriage equality becomes law.

So, let's focus on the charts that break down the weeks beginning June 5.

[Jim Eshelman]

The June 12 Arilunar is dormant for Washington.

The June 18 Canlunar has Venus square Ascendant (0°18') and Jupiter conjunct MC within 0°01' of arc. I predict that in the two weeks beginning June 18, the U.S. Supreme Court will issue a majority opinion and decision that it is unconstitutional to deprive people of the same sex the right to marry if they are otherwise legally entitled to marry.

The June 26 Liblunar is technically dormant, though Saturn is nearly within 3° of Descendant. I think this will be felt in the shifting of circumstances in the aftermath. Therefore, I think it most likely that the decision will be before June 26.

[Jim Eshelman]

So, can we time the day? I'm so far expecting it to be between June 18 and 26. What do the solar ingress quotidians show?

On June 18 at noon, the CapQ for Washington has 15°41' Gemini rising. The Ascendant squares ingress Uranus on the 20th (which is a Saturday) and opposes ingress Pluto in the wee hours of Monday morning, and transiting Pluto on Tuesday June 23. Based on this the decision could come on Friday, June 19 (right before the weekend, get out of town!), or on Tuesday, June 23.

The CanQ is less active. However, most distinctly, it has Ascendant square transiting Saturn on June 20-21. This, however, is the weekend. I think it is showing aftermath. I think (based on legal assessment and the Caplunar) that it is aftermath of marriage liberalization, though it could also be the opposite. In any case, some large group is going to be very unhappy. The CanQ isn't nearly as strong as the CapQ, so I think this is support information, not primary. On Sunday noon, June 21, there is a Moon-Saturn square at 4° Leo-Scorpio with the Washington CanQ Ascendant being 5° Leo.

Based on all of this, I'm going to call the decision for Friday, June 19, 2015.

[Jim Eshelman]

According to their website, SCotUS announces decisions Tuesday and Wednesday mornings right after 10 AM when the justices enter the courtroom, and on the third Monday morning of a sitting. A sitting is when the judges sit to hear cases argued. In between while they read briefs and argue among themselves they are in recess.

http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/procedures.aspx

[Jim Eshelman]

The decision likely will be finalized on the 19th, but it sounds like the only opportunity to air it will be June 23.

[Jim Eshelman]

The Supreme Court sits from 10 AM to Noon, and again from 1 PM to 3 PM, Eastern Time, Monday through Friday when it is sitting. Decisions are announced after the Court sits, but before the first case is presented, during the morning session on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and the third Monday of the sitting. Occasionally a decision will be announced right after the Court returns to session after lunch recess on those same days.

[Jim Eshelman]

(6/12/15)

A report on what is happening under this current "Jupiter zone" and current Capsolar...

The Supreme Court Down the Stretch
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/11/opini ... retch.html

[Jim Eshelman]

(June 26, 2015, 7:53 AM)

And it's the law of the land. At 7:06 am PDT I heard something was about to happen. At 7:14 AM, CNN broke the news that the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled 5-4 that states cannot ban same-sex marriage.

Anyone have an exact time? I'm going with 7:12 AM PDT (10:12 AM EDT) for the moment.

[Jim Eshelman]

And it's the law of the land.

And an excellently accurate prediction from Mr. E. far in advance of the event. Congratulations!

-Derek

[Jim Eshelman]

The first news stories are all timed at 10:02 AM. Can't get back that far on Twitter, will have to wait for the mirrors.