Judge Clarence Thomas

Zip Dobyns

The U.S. Supreme Court has another conservative judge and, thanks to Lorraine Walsh of Massachusetts, we have his birth time. Thomas was born on June 23, 1948 at 9 P.M. EST in Pin Point, GA, 31 N 57.2, 81 W 5.5. He was raised by grandparents who had a strong Puritan work ethic, and taught by Roman Catholic nuns. Like Souter, he successfully evaded questions about his views on abortion, but most people expect him to oppose it. The primary court decision which guaranteed the right to abortion to U.S. women was Roe vs. Wade. I was told by someone who has contacts with government officials that the Republicans hoped to avoid a court test until after the November 1992 election, but Pennsylvania is pushing the Supreme Court to consider their restrictive abortion law before the present Court adjourns in July, 1992. So we may see the fur fly just in time for the summer conventions of both Parties.

Thomas was nominated for a place on the Supreme Court on July 1, 1991. His hearings began on September 10, 1991 at 10:06 A.M. EDT. He won approval (after some stormy sessions) and was sworn in as Judge in the top court of our country on October 23, 1991 at 12:05 P.M. EDT. During the hearings, Thomas was accused of sexual harassment by Anita Hill who was born in Morrison, OK on July 30, 1956 (time unknown). Thomas denied the charges and some observers were inclined to doubt Hill because she did not complain about his actions at the time and continued to work for him, moving to another job to continue as his assistant. However, keeping quiet in order to keep a job is a common reaction of young women who are just starting out on their careers and who need the favor of men with power in the system. An article by Dr. Joyce Brothers in the December 11, 1991 Los Angeles Times says that a study by Gutek of 832 working women found that nearly half had been sexually harassed but none sought legal recourse and only 22% told anyone about the incident. An Illinois survey found that more than half of the female employees reported they had been subjected to sexual “leering” or “sexual propositions.” Dr. Brothers states that “sexual harassment threatens a woman’s economic livelihood, and it exists on campuses, in offices and in factories around the nation.” I am inclined to believe Anita Hill but it is also possible that Thomas did not consider his remarks important enough to remember them. The offender may forget while the victim remembers.

We do not have Hill’s birth time, but from her birth date we can see that her Pluto in Leo is conjunct Thomas’ Vertex while her Saturn in Scorpio squares her own Pluto and his Vertex axis. Her Venus is conjunct his Uranus in his fifth house, so he could easily have been attracted to her as a target for “friendly” (in the sense of uncommitted) sex. Her Mercury is also conjunct his Saturn in Leo and her information may have helped to teach him a lesson about sex. Thomas’s horoscope could easily fit Hill’s charges. Saturn rules his Capricorn Ascendant, and it is in Leo in the seventh house conjunct Vesta and Pluto. Pluto forms a grand cross in fixed signs, indicating a lesson involving money, and/or possessions, and/or sensuality and/or power. Placement of the two keys to “lessons”, the south lunar node in Scorpio in the ninth house and Saturn in Leo in the seventh house, could certainly point to lessons in sex, including the need to make sure that it is mutual pleasure rather than one-sided. Scorpio in the ninth house can also indicate the danger of over-valuing sex or sensuality. Vesta is often a key to sexual problems though these can take many different forms. I was amused to find natal Freud conjunct Pluto and Asmodeus (the demon of lust) in Leo in the seventh house opposite the Aquarian Moon. The close Sun-Venus conjunction also fits strong sensuality but they are also closely octile Saturn to indicate tension in relationships. The role of Aquarius in the fixed cross tends to indicate some kind of non-conformist behavior in handling possessions or sensuality or power. Uranus in the fifth house (the Leo principle) in opposition to Jupiter in the natural house of Uranus is another suggestion of unconventional sexuality; sometimes promiscuity.

Note that of the rulers of the first house, Mars, the natural ruler, is in the Scorpio house but in Virgo which is apt to be less comfortable with sex. Saturn is in Leo. Uranus, ruling the Aquarius in the first house, is in the Leo house. Neptune is in the Scorpio house. Jupiter is in the Aquarius house. They are all connected to the fixed dilemma. Even Aries, the sign of identity, holds Juno (which is like Pluto) in the Taurus house. Other fixed factors include Venus (ruler of Taurus) and Sun (ruler of Leo) closely square Juno (similar to Pluto) and trioctile Chiron in Scorpio as well as his local MC in Washington, DC. I would not find it hard to believe that Thomas could be obsessed with sex when confronted with a very pretty, young assistant. Of course, astrology does not give us details.

The principles in Thomas’ chart just keep emphasizing the fixed dilemma, and this could involve power and pleasure issues in many forms. The Pluto in Leo square to the Scorpio south node in the house of law courts and religious principles is an appropriate pattern for someone who will judge the legality of abortion. I was fascinated to find Medea (who killed her children) exactly on Thomas’ natal Ascendant and Lilith (also mythically associated with killing children) on Thomas’ triple conjunction of Sun-Mercury-Venus and octile Saturn. Progressed (P) Sun was on Pluto when Thomas was nominated for and sworn into his new office, again connecting procreation (Sun-Leo-fifth house) with death (one of Pluto’s many associations). Two sun gods, Aten and Amun, are currently progressing over natal Saturn as further support for his power to put limits on the handling of procreation. As is common in the charts of people who attain positions of power, Thomas also has the nodes of Saturn in prominent positions. South Saturn is on his natal Ascendant and P North Saturn is on his Descendant along with P Lilith. Despite the Aquarius Moon, East Point, and Antivertex in the first house, the overall impression of Thomas’ chart is of a conservative person who is likely to be involved in power struggles somewhere in his life. But P Saturn holds a very long quincunx to the natal Ascendant which it rules, so it is at least possible that Thomas might do some changing and move in new directions.

The dramatic change of position when Thomas became a Supreme Court Judge is suggested in his chart by his local (Washington, DC) angles forming a T-square to P Uranus and trioctiles to Pluto and P Sun. P MC from his birthplace opposes Ceres, another key to his power to affect procreation and motherhood. The local angles will move into new signs in the fall of 1992, pointing to additional changes in his life. Other current aspects include P Venus trioctile the local MC and quincunx natal Moon, additional aspects which fit the power for Thomas’ career to change motherhood practices. P Mercury is square the P (mean) lunar nodes and opposite the natal East Point, providing a temporary fixed cross which is joined by P America moving slowly over the P north Node. P Icarus (overreach) is on Jupiter and octile or trioctile the P Nodes and P Mercury and natal East Point. P Vesta (work) is on the eighth house cusp (so Thomas’ job can influence health and death policies) and P Moon will conjoin P Vesta in the first two months of 1992. P Moon’s sextile to P Venus and quincunx to natal Moon when he was approved and sworn in as judge provided a yod to mark the major change in his life situation and its potential impact on women and children. At the same time, P eighth house cusp was square natal Moon.

While the early part of 1992 may mark one stage in the abortion struggle, there will be other important times of challenge. P Moon will be trioctile both the natal and local Ascendants in the early summer of 1992, which would fit the time table of Pennsylvania. But the fall also looks important when P Moon crosses natal Mars and is octile P eighth house cusp and trioctile natal Moon. At the same time, P Moon will be quincunx the Sun/Moon midpoint and natal America in Aries in the third house. The pattern may simply point to the media free-for-all during the last stages of the campaign for the Presidency. It is fascinating that Thomas, who owes his elevated position to George Herbert, has natal Herbert on natal Mars within one minute of longitude, and natal George on natal north lunar node within four minutes of longitude. P Iphigenia (the teenager sacrificed by her father in the Trojan War) is also slowly moving over Mars and Herbert. P Herbert at 29 Virgo is square Thomas’ local P MC and opposite his local P East Point and Antivertex. P George is on the cusp of his fifth house and on Uranus in our Declaration of Independence chart.

So the show goes on, as sincere people struggle over conflicting ethics. Since I believe in reincarnation, I think that an early abortion just delays the entry of the soul into a new body, and the blocked individual might have a change to learn a little more on the next level and later come into a family where he or she was wanted and could be more adequately cared for. Character creates destiny, so if we want an improved destiny, we have to grow. It seems ironic to me that the same people who oppose abortion are the people who rail against welfare babies of unmarried mothers and often even oppose instruction in contraception. It does seem that life on earth involves a lot of learning the hard way. It will be interesting to watch our latest Supreme Court Judge, to see whether the ruthless Pluto-Vesta-Saturn triumphs over the softer Cancer group; whether the conservative Capricorn and Virgo dominate over the radical Aquarius. Thomas is a very complex person and he just might eventually surprise the conservatives who put him where he is.

The chart for Thomas’ swearing in fits a career with major power issues. The tenth house Sun is exactly square the first house Saturn for most of the first two years of his service on the Supreme Court, and it starts a two-year conjunction with Icarus in late December, 1991. Before ending the Saturn square, P Sun starts an opposition to the Moon in the fourth house (the public, especially women and children) and three months after that ends, P Sun moves to conjunct Mars and then Pallas. P Mars will be conjunct Pallas for most of these years while P Pallas squares the Antivertex. Remember, Pallas is often involved in politics and social causes. The first house Neptune in Capricorn stays conjunct the East Point (personal action) for over 50 years, reminding us of Thomas’ conservative Catholic upbringing. Thomas is going to be a storm center for years!

Copyright © 1991 Los Angeles Community Church of Religious Science, Inc.

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