Pardonpalooza
Monday, 20 January 2025 must have seen some sort of record for presidential pardons. That morning, as among his last official acts, outgoing President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons to a spate of family members, former government officials, the entire staff of the January 6th Committee, and Capitol Police officers who had given testimony in that investigation. I was unable to obtain the exact number, but it must have been in the hundreds, a prophylactic measure to ensure against future prosecution or harassment for people who had committed no crimes, but were likely to be targeted by the incoming administration for their political stance or connection to Biden.
Hours later, fresh from his indoor inaugural parade, Donald Trump pardoned more than 1500 rioters from the January 6th insurrection, convicted felons who were serving up to 22 years for violent acts committed that day. The contrast between the two subsets couldn’t be more stark, and speaks volumes for the differences in character and morals between the two men.
The underpinning celestial structure of this plethora pf pardons can be seen in the close conjunction of Saturn, ruling punishments and the presidency itself, and Venus, offering forgiveness, at 16 and 17 Pisces. A sesquiquadrate from asteroid Whitehouse 4036 at 2 Scorpio to this pairing underscores the “presidential” theme, while a square from Jupiter at 11 Gemini explains the large numbers and “over the top” nature of the pardons, as well as being the planet responsible for judicial processes generally, and mercy specifically. An opposition to asteroid Themis 24 at 13 Virgo, named for the Greek goddess of justice, creates a T-Square and reiterates Justice Department theme.
The presidents involved are seen as asteroid Donn 4689 at 17 Pisces, exact with Venus, for Donald Trump; and asteroid Josephina 303 at 10 Sagittarius (feminine form of Joseph). The Sun at 0 Aquarius conjoins Pluto at 1 Aquarius, ruling criminality, and opposes asteroid Justitia 269 at 5 Leo, again throwing a spotlight (Sun) on the issue of justice (Justitia).
Also of note is asteroid Pardina 4914, closest to “pardon,” which at 5 Sagittarius conjoins Josephina and opposes asteroid Bida 32014 at 7 Gemini, our celestial referent for Joe Biden. Pardina is also exactly trine Justitia and sextile Sun/Pluto.
While Biden’s pardons were preemptive, preserving the status quo freedom of those selected, Trump’s overturned guilty verdict and allowed convicted, incarcerated individuals to go free. This is expressed in asteroid NOT 2857 at 27 Sagittarius (a general disqualifier or symbol of negation) exactly squared Neptune at 27 Pisces (ruling prisons), aligned with asteroid America at 23 Pisces. Indeed, US (America) prisons (Neptune) were lightened of the load of 1500 inmates by trump’s reversal of verdicts (NOT).
Pardons have been on the lips of everyone over the course of the past few months, with Trump making his pardon of the J6 rioters a key campaign pledge, and Biden reversing himself to offer clemency to his son Hunter. That pardons should become a US focus latterly is no surprise, given a Solar Eclipse at 10 Libra on October 2nd, exactly square the US natal Pardina at 10 Cancer, with a follow-up Solar Eclipse coming on April 29th at 9 Aries, also in square, guaranteeing that the issue remains top-of-mind for some time to come.
Biden’s and Trump’s munificence can be seen in Jupiter’s connections to both men’s natal Pardina asteroids. At 11 Gemini, transit Jupiter conjoins Trump’s natal Pardina at 12 Gemini, also squaring Biden’s natal Pardina at 9 Virgo, for the multitudinous acts of clemency that many saw as excessive (Jupiter).
While Donald Trump was the undisputed leader in Inauguration Day pardons by a wide margin, overall Joe Biden is the most-pardoning president in US history, with some 8000 issued in a single term (even eclipsing Andrew Johnson, who granted 7500+ to Confederates after the Civil War). The vast majority of these went to non-violent drug offenders, convicted on federal marijuana charges, as reflected in Biden’s natal Pardina squared asteroid Herba 880 at 7 Sagittarius, with “herb” a common euphemism for marijuana.
