I wish I could say that Alito’s planets are telling me that justice will be done and he will not be confirmed. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

As I wrote earlier, Alito is a cautious warrior with an Aries Sun and Mercury, ruled by the god of War, combined with cautious and detailed Mars in Virgo. A look at planetary cycles affecting him right now (including harmonious aspects to the North and South Nodes of the Moon which represent our future and past respectively) show someone whose future destiny is being harmoniously affected. In addition, transiting Jupiter (opportunity) makes a harmonious aspect to Alito’s Saturn (hard work and insecurity) through September, giving him a confidence that he often lacks (see the earlier article) and opening doors of opportunity for increased success. And Pluto (god of transformation) makes a harmonious transit to Alito’s Venus (relationships, creative ventures) throughout the year, fostering camaraderie with others and facilitating the support of his colleagues and others. Pluto/Venus transits tend to make us more attractive to others than we otherwise would be and gives us a magnetic attraction that we may otherwise lack.

He does have some challenging transits going on that could affect the process: Transiting Jupiter squares his natal Pluto beginning this week. Challenging aspects between Jupiter and Pluto bring out the worst of both, and we tend to see a reckless overconfidence and aggrandized (Jupiter) sense of one’s own power (Pluto) during these transits. However, throughout February Alito’s transits from Mars, which are faster moving and often predict events for short time periods, are harmonious and I don’t see him making any serious missteps that could impact the nomination.

If the hearings drag on into March Alito begins to have some challenging Mars transits that could bring out a great deal of confrontation and have a negative impact on the process. However, the overall picture for him is pretty rosy and I’m afraid that could indicate his likely confirmation.

Forewarned is forearmed, and the progressive community would do well to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best, and plan alternative strategies to deal with a Supreme Court that shifts dramatically to the right.