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“It is my conclusion that Chief Justice Roberts will write the majority opinion to uphold Obamacare in its entirety. However, Mercury retrograde quincunx Saturn in the oral argument chart, Saturn opposite Uranus in the Obamacare chart, as Saturn in Libra squares the USA Pluto and Uranus in Aries squares Pluto in Capricorn, could indicate the justices limit precedent to this unique situation.” – The last paragraph of my post on “Justice Ginsburg’s Persuasion Could Determine The Supreme Court’s Healthcare Ruling,” April 2, 2012

In my earlier post referenced above I noted that despite his conservative mindset, Chief Justice Roberts would “carve out his own reputation on the Court for his ability to ‘think different ‘now and then.”(1) Yet the one word I see and hear throughout the media is “surprise” that the Chief Justice would speak for the majority to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Even though Republicans have lost their war in the Courts on Obamacare, they had a huge ideological victory today. In writing for the majority, C. J. Roberts imposed two limits on the law:

1. (a)The Commerce Clause cannot be expanded to regulate activities before people are in engaged in them. The Chief Justice and the dissenters concurred with the Plaintiff’s argument that the ACA attempted to regulate inactivity.

1. (b)While the mandate might be “necessary” to implement the law, it was not deemed to be “proper” under the Commerce Clause. The Chief Justice and the dissenters concurred with the Plaintiff that it was an unconstitutional expansion of government power.

2. The Court deemed the Medicaid provision in the law to be coercive. The federal government cannot threaten to withhold the current level of Medicaid payments to states if the states are unwilling to expand Medicaid coverage; they can only withhold additional payments supporting its expansion under the ACA.

Although conservatives should be thrilled that the Medicaid opinion reinforces state’s rights, it is an example of to borrow their phrase “legislating from the bench,” since none of the lower courts ruled against the Medicaid provision!

Subsequently during the day conservative thinkers were concerned that the Chief Justice opened the floodgate for the federal government to expand its powers by simply penalizing activities as a tax. But there are limits to the government’s taxing power, such as the direct tax restrictions cited by C. J. Roberts. He opined that the “mandate” penalty is for the general welfare, so it is not a direct tax.

But as I explained in “The Illusion of Obamacare’s ‘Mandate,’” it really doesn’t matter whether you call it a penalty or a tax because it is virtually unenforceable anyway! In any case, the “mandate” is not even applicable to the majority of Americans who are insured through their employer, Medicare, Veterans, or Medicaid.

Libra is symbolized by a set of balanced scales which are displayed in Court rooms around the world to represent equal and fair justice. Libra seeks to balance the scales through cooperation and compromise.

Saturn in Libra describes the Court’s ruling to uphold the ACA but limit the government’s power. Saturn energy tends to be cautious and conservative, and its energy is strong now having stationed direct on June 25. The USA was born with the Sun in Cancer squaring Saturn in Libra, reflecting the Colonists’ desire to limit ceding their power to a central and distant authority.

The Moon represents public sentiment, and the Moon conjoining Saturn describes the phenomenal job the Republicans have done to incite fear about the law even among those individuals who would stand to benefit the most from it. Saturn describes separation and maintaining the status quo. Healthcare in America is divided between those who have insurance who fear opening up the system to all Americans could be to their detriment. At the other end of the spectrum are individuals who are struggling to make ends meet and worry they will suffer additional financial hardship to pay for coverage.

The Moon in Libra had been Void-of-Course (VOC) since its conjunction to Saturn at 4:22 AM this morning. The VOC Moon at the time of the Court’s ruling at 10:07 AM EDT today indicated the outcome turned out to be different than many people had anticipated. Since the Moon has separated from Saturn, public opinion about Obamacare could begin to change as the public has grown weary of the political discourse.

Libra is ruled by Venus. The energies of Venus are especially strong right now as Venus in Gemini stationed direct yesterday. Venus rules the sector of the chart that describes what the public thinks about the decision and the law. Venus also rules the sector representing President Obama. Venus conjoining Jupiter in Gemini in this sector indicates the public becomes more favorable towards the law as they learn more about its benefits and consumer protections which the media will likely begin to report more about.(2)

Thursdays are ruled by Jupiter which rules the Courts. Mars in Virgo the sign of healthcare, rules the sector of the chart representing the Court and is in a harmonious alignment to Jupiter. The VOC Moon and Jupiter’s square to Neptune in Pisces reflect that several media outlets had initially reported in error that the Court had struck down the “mandate.” (And the Jupiter/Neptune square aptly describes all the propaganda and how overblown the whole “mandate” issue had become.) 

The challenging alignment between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn indicates the surprise “reversal” that the Chief Justice was the deciding vote while Justice Kennedy swung to the extreme in siding with Justices Scalia, Thomas, and Alito that the entire law should have been struck down. The Sun is the ruler of the decision chart; its square to Uranus and Pluto can indicate that the President’s opponents will as long as the big money supports it, continue to battle healthcare reform. But since this chart is in the last degree of Leo rising, the heart of the healthcare law is a done deal and they are going to have to come to terms with the fact that it is not going to be undone. The late degree on the Ascendant indicates that the justices had reached their decision on the law quite some time ago.(3)

Saturn rules the skin, and those of you who read my post on “Obamacare Got Me Insured” know that I literally had my own skin in this game since I wouldn’t have health insurance now if it wasn’t for the law’s Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.

(1)In that post I mistakenly typed the wrong sign when I stated that Roberts (January 27, 1955 time unknown Buffalo, NY) was born with Uranus in Taurus when he was born with Uranus in Cancer. This does not change what I wrote.

(2)President Obama’s 12:15 PM short address to the nation on the Court’s decision sums up the law’s benefits and protections.

(3)The Ascendant (rising sign) is the sign rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of birth.