Alex's Asteroid Astrology

On June 30^th, 2023, the last day of the term, the US Supreme Court issued a bizarre ruling regarding free speech and the ongoing culture wars over gay marriage, siding with a Colorado website designer who balked at having to design wedding websites for same-sex couples.  But here’s the thing – in 2016, when the suit was filed, Lorie Smith wasn’t designing wedding webizes at all, for couples of any sexual persuasion; she claimed to have been approached by a gay couple whom she refused the services she wasn’t offering to anyone, based on her religious objections to same-sex unions.  So, Lorie Smith’s suit against Colorado’s antidiscrimination law was hypothetical or, shall we say, prophylactic?

Normally, to file a suit, one needs to prove standing in the case, to show harm has been done.  How Smith achieved the level of the Supreme Court on such a weird hypothetical remains a mystery, as does the fact pattern underlying it.  Because, after the SCOTUS verdict came down, it was revealed that the supposed gay man inquiring for the service, identified only as “Stewart” in public filings to protect his anonymity, is actually straight, married for 15 years to a woman, with a child, and is himself a web designer, with no need for help from another in his profession.  Stewart has affirmed to the Press that he at no time approached Smith for any services, let alone a website advertising a bigamist same-sex union.

Curiouser and curiouser.   But the six conservative members of the SCOTUS confirmed Ms. Smith’s innate right to hypothetical free speech in proactively refusing to promote nonexistent ceremonies which she in theory would not endorse, via nonexistent services.  The case, 303 Creative LLC v Elenis (named for Lorie Smith’s company and Aubrey Elenis, Director of the Colorado Civil Rights Division) has broad implications, potentially allowing other similar business owners to evade punishment under laws in 29 states that protect LGBTQ rights in public accommodations in some form, relegating gay couples to second-class citizen status.

Valid or not, of course the ruling is reflected in celestial patterns of the day.  When the verdict was released at 10 AM EDT in Washington DC, the 29 Leo Ascendant was conjoined by asteroid Sappho 80 at 4 Virgo, named for an ancient Greek lesbian poet, and a cosmic stand-in for LGBTQ issues in general; and asteroid Fantasia 1224 at 26 Leo, representing the hypothetical, fantasy-based case, with a fake client engendering the nonexistent injury that motivated the frivolous suit.  Opposing on the 29 Aquarius Descendant is a cluster of asteroid Eros 433 at 1 Pisces and Damocles 5335 at 2 Pisces, with Saturn at 7 Pisces.  Eros represents erotic passion generally, but was also the acknowledged patron of homosexual relationships in Hellenistic Greece; Damocles represents the doom hanging overhead, about to descend at any moment, while Saturn governs the law as well as the business community.

The Sun at 8 Cancer is highlighting asteroid Juno 3 at 4 Cancer, named for the Roman goddess of marriage, with Mercury also here at 7 Cancer, putting the wedding website into the news.  A square to a Libran stellium fills in the gaps of the story, with asteroid Ganymed 1036 at 4 Libra, named for Zeus’ underage cupbearer and boy-toy lover; asteroid Stewart 26712 at 5 Libra, for the fake potential client; asteroid America 916 at 9 Libra, identifying the national implications of the ruling; and asteroid Christian 192158 at 15 Libra, the source of Smith’s religious-based objections.

Lorie Smith is herself represented by asteroids Lorre 5438 and Smith 3351, which are conjoined at 12 and 8 Taurus respectively, and bound up with asteroid Antinous 1863 at 3 Taurus, named for the male lover of Roman Emperor Hadrian (thus another LGBTQ marker) and Jupiter at 9 Taurus, ruling the judiciary generally and the SCOTUS in particular.  At the outer edge of this conglomeration, we find asteroids Justitia 269 and Themis 24 at 15 and 18 Taurus, named respectively for the Roman and Greek goddesses of justice, further nods to the SCOTUS and judicial system; and Uranus at 21 Taurus reflecting the controversial ruling.

Antinous, Smith, Jupiter and Lorre also square asteroid Fanatica 1589 at 5 Leo, suggesting Smith’s radical views and agenda, in a T-Square with asteroid Hera 103 at 3 Aquarius, named for the Roman goddess of marriage, once again linking the themes of homosexuality (Antinous), weddings (Hera), court rulings (Jupiter) and fanaticism (Fanatica) with the designer who brought the case (Lorre/Smith).

As well, a T-Square is formed from the Sappho-Eros/Damocles/Saturn polarity, with asteroids Ellis 11980, Lie 26955 and Union 1585 on its fulcrum, at 7,10 and 13 Gemini.  Ellis represents Aubrey Elenis, named as defendant in the original case, Lie suggests the fabricated nature of the suit, and Union is another nod to the concept of marriage.  Another T-Square emerges from the Lorre/Justitia/Themis/Uranus combination at its fulcrum (also cojoining the 23 Taurus MC, the focus of all eyes, guaranteeing maximum visibility), squared asteroid Stuart 3874 (alternate spelling of Stewart) at 15 Leo and Chretien 341958 (French for “Christian”) at 17 Aquarius, again binding key elements of the story.

Just one more example of an activist, newly revitalized conservative SCOTUS majority, hell-bent on rolling back rights and freedoms for Americans with views with which they disagree on moral or religious grounds.  Expect more to come.