Surprising no one, the US Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade today. The Roe v. Wade decision granted a constitutional right to an abortion and has been controversial since it was declared on January 22, 1973. (Note: I am not by any means pro-abortion. The whole idea makes me very squeamish. But I do believe that we have an inalienable right to control own bodies, and that makes me against this decision.)
The Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade began with a lawsuit that was filed in March of 1970 as part of a general plan to legalize abortion. The actual plaintiff in the case, later named as Norma McCorvey, was later revealed to be a relatively uneducated young woman who was solicited by attorney Sarah Weddington for her test case on abortion rights.
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At the time, the progressed (Sibley) chart for the United States had some interesting alignments involving Pluto, the planet of power and transformation by creative destruction and regeneration. Pluto sits in the second house of money and values in the US chart, describing the connection between money and power in this country (read more about that here).
- Pluto, which is retrograde in the US chart, turned direct in 1871 just after the Civil War. The significance of this shift cannot be overstated – a progressed planet changing direction denotes a major change, and when that planet is Pluto the change is seismic. The Civil War completely transformed the United States and its very existence was in danger from the destruction.
- In March of 1970 when the Roe v. Wade case was filed in Texas, progressed Pluto had caught up to Pluto in the nation’s chart and the two were exactly aligned with the South Node as well. (The South Node marks the clearing of past karma and events.)
- It should be noted that with transiting Pluto in Venus-ruled Libra at this time, relationships of all kinds were undergoing significant transformation, and the fight for the power (Pluto) of women over their own destiny was at a crescendo.
- The US progressed Ascendant was exactly opposite the US Pluto point, as well as progressed US Sun and Pluto for the entire time that Roe v. Wade was before the Supreme Court. This extremely significant event shows a shift in the perception of the country, especially as it relates to the family unit with the progressed Ascendant in Cancer.
- Progressed Neptune was in an exact trine to progressed and natal US Pluto, facilitating the passage of the landmark decision.
The transits were even more interesting. (Note: progressed planets tend to reveal inner shifts and changes where transits of planets moving through the sky to natal or national charts tend to coincide with events.)
- Our friend Pluto was in an exact trine to both natal and progressed US Pluto in 1970 and 1971, facilitating endings and transformation.
- Transiting Uranus, the planet of revolution, was in a challenging square to the US Sun between December 1970 and October 1971, and the US was ready to throw out old and outmoded regulations to enable greater liberation.
- This was followed by a transit of Pluto over the Midheaven of the US chart representing the government and people in authority. During this period (between November 1971 and September 1972) the Equal Rights Amendment was approved by Congress but never ratified. Still, the drumbeat towards women’s rights, including the right of a woman to choose her own health care, continued while Roe was being argued.
- This transit of Pluto over the US Midheaven also coincided with the disclosure of the Watergate burglary and the re-election of Richard Nixon. As we know, Nixon ultimately resigned in 1974.
On June 24, 2022 at around 10 am it was announced that the US Supreme Court has struck down the Roe v. Wade decision. This was certainly not a surprise since a draft decision had leaked a few months ago. This is an extremely unpopular opinion since even most Republicans did not want Roe v. Wade to be overturned according to the Pew research group.
We are in the throes of the US Pluto Return – the time when Pluto returns to the same degree as it was in the national astrological chart. Everything you see in the news, from alarm over the end of US democracy, to election lies, to political rage and violence in the street, can be connected to this significant planetary alignment.
I will be covering more details about the current state of the US chart in my July 4th report. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is just one of many incidents that are marking this turning point in American society and law.
I’m neutral on it Hookup culture has gone way too far, dehumanizing both men and women and devaluing sex to mere stimulation and high “body counts”. This seems like a possibile course correction but who knows? I’m certainly against forcing any woman to carry a child of rape or in any case where life is endangered.
With due respect, Norma McCorvey was a complicated woman who switched sides and allegiances many times and in the end was working within the pro-choice community to keep choice available. It happened in both cases which went to the SCOTUS at the same time. The court looked at Roe v Wade from Texas and Doe v Bolton from Georgia and their decisions were formed from both arguments. My mother was the attorney for Doe v Bolton and in her example, she was hired as the attorney by the Ga chapter of ACLU who was looking for women who wanted the procedure and were denied by the state appointed panel of 3 doctors and 1 physchiatrist. There were many candidates and these women, though both uneducated, consented and were on board and only changed their tunes afterwards. They were pressured by their local church communities and in small towns that can be formidable.
As the law became national decision, my mother worked with state legislators to create consent forms, clinic standards of care, licensing procedures and form what is the modern day out patient clinic.
Forgive me for offering the correction, even though minds can change, legally and wholeheartedly consent was given in both cases. I’d be happy to describe my mother’s impressions of her client “Mary Doe” aka Sandra Cano to paint a more full picture of the situation and it is a tragic tale at best. The point is no one’s arms were twisted and that is an interesting detail to have put in this story.
Donia, this is fascinating. Thank you for sharing this perspective. I would love to hear more about your mom’s experience.