Skip to content

Sonia Sotomayor

On May 26, 2009 President Obama introduced his choice for Supreme Court Justice. Sonia Sotomayor was born on June 25, 1954 in New York City. (1) Her birth time is unknown, but we can look at the noon chart for the day she was born, as well as her connections to the U.S. horoscope.

Sonia Sotomayor & U.S. Sibly

Like the U.S. Sibly horoscope, Sotomayor has the Sun conjunct Jupiter in Cancer. The South Node, Mercury and Uranus are also in Cancer in her natal horoscope.

On the day of her nomination Sotomayor said: “For as long as I can remember, I have been inspired by the achievement of our founding fathers. They set forth principles that have endured for more than two centuries. Those principles are as meaningful and relevant in each generation as the generation before.” (2) This strong connection to the founding fathers echoes Cancer’s respect for the past and tradition.

Sotomayor’s natal Mercury (18° Cancer) is conjunct Uranus (22° Cancer), which is also conjunct the Sibly Mercury (24° Cancer). Although most assessments of her record thus far indicate that she will be a moderate voice on the Court, perhaps she will surprise with a more radical view than her history suggests.

In her natal horoscope, Mercury is conjunct the South Node and had just stationed retrograde two days before she was born. (It went direct by progression when she was 21 or 22 years old.) The very slowly moving Mercury at birth shows a deliberate turn of mind. The Sibly chart also has Mercury retrograde in Cancer. Perhaps the judge’s Mercury retrograde with the South Node is echoed in her statement: “I chose to be a lawyer and ultimately a judge because I find endless challenge in the complexities of the law.” (3)

The Cancer stellium also speaks to her interest in supporting families and the much discussed “empathy” factor. If confirmed, she will be the third woman to serve on the Supreme Court, and the first Latina justice.

Sotomayor has an exact natal sextile between Saturn at 2° Scorpio and Mars at 2° Capricorn. This indication of success through hard work and focused effort gains even more strength due to the mutual reception between the two planets. They not only have the opportunity to act together (being in aspect), but the strong inclination to do so (mutual reception). (Born into a modest background, Sotomayor was the first person in her family to go to college; she graduated at the top of her class from Princeton. Her father died when she was nine — at the half-nodal return — and she was raised by her mother.)

Sotomayor’s prominence in the U.S. is also indicated by her natal Sun at 3° Cancer, a partile conjunction with the U.S. Venus at 3°06′ Cancer. The judge’s natal Venus is at 9° Leo, quite close to the U.S. North Node at 6°36′ Leo.

Confirmation of her nomination is expected within the next several months. Since transiting Pluto is conjunct her natal Mars and opposing her Sun, I think she is ready and willing to stand up to any potential derailments in the confirmation proceedings.

The upcoming lunar eclipse (July 7 at 14°32′ Capricorn) exactly conjuncts her nodal axis, showing an important moment in the unfolding of her life path (natal North Node is at 14° Capricorn.)

The asteroid Astraea, a goddess of justice, is at 17°53′ Virgo in Sotomayor’s natal horoscope. Transiting Saturn was at 15° on May 26. By mid-July, Saturn will make its third and final passage to her natal Astraea, surely a nice signature for her recognition as the Supreme Court’s newest member.

Notes:

(1) Wikipedia

(2) CNN

(3) CNN

9 Comments

  1. First of all, the Sibly chart is utter nonsense. The correct chart is the 7 Gemini rising chart. When the 7 Gemini chart is referenced, one will notice that the Moon is a scant 7 minutes from Obama’s ascendant.

    Second of all, where did you get the birth data for Judge Sotomayor? Is from a birth record, is it a rectification, or did you channel it.

  2. Hello Don,

    As I mentioned in the beginning of the article, I used a noon chart for the date of birth; it was not rectified or channeled.

    There are respectfully differences of opinion on the Sibly horoscope and I understand that you are not inclined to consider it.

    For readers who may be interested in the history of the Sibly chart, here’s an article you may enjoy:

    http://www.edkohout.com/mundane/sibly-1.html
    Edward Kohout

    Also, there is extensive discussion of the various proposed US charts in Nick Campion’s Book of World Horoscopes, as well as a fine chapter on the Sibly horoscope in the new edition (published by Wessex) of The Moment of Astrology by Geoffrey Cornelius.

    All the best to one and all..

  3. Hi, Mary,

    The lunar possibility in Sotomayor’s untimed chart seems to reflect the basic question all want answered at her confirmation hearing: Activist (Aries) or Moderate (Taurus)? The Moon range is 20 Aries – 5 Taurus.

    A Moon clue? Sotomayor is in the important, some say crucial ‘Meet & Greet’ period of her nomination, visiting the Senators prior to her confirmation hearing. Unfortunately, Sotomayor slipped and broke her ankle in transit to Capitol Hill on Monday, June 8, 2009. With T Mars at 5 Taurus – and possibly conjunct her natal Moon – opposing her N Saturn (2 Scorpio) and squared by T Node (1 Aquarius). An accident (Mars) presumably adding more difficulty (crutches!) to an already very demanding time (Saturn) for Sotomayor – plus quite a reminder of the critical nature of missteps, literally and figuratively.

    You note the July 7 eclipse and I would add that it starts a two-year period of eclipses in Capricorn-Cancer that will contact Sotomayor’s chart through July 2011. This is a very important axis in her chart with five planets, the Nodal axis, and Chiron. Potentially, something for astrologers to watch.

  4. Hi P.D,

    Great points here…

    The Mars transit and her broken ankle – your interpretation is so well stated..

    And yes to the upcoming series of Cancer/Capricorn eclipses..she’s bound to have the time of her life!

    Thanks for commenting

  5. You said you used a Noon chart for the judge, yet the chart says 12:57 pm. 12:57 pm is not Noon. I prefer solar equilibrium charts for unknown birthtimes.

  7. […] fear that she is a racist judge. Sonia Sotomayor was born time unknown on June 25, 1954 (says the Mountain Astrologer) in NY. The chart is the chart of her day of birth, at […]

  9. Judge’s Mars square Sun in what I believe is 12th house, [with my assumption of Capricorn ascendant] indicates confinement with conflicts. She has heretofore been confined by her prior government employment, and now she is in the occluded Supreme Ct. I am expecting some dissenting minority opinions from her, and she will politely aggravate the other judges to distraction on a repeat basis. This occurs as an outgrowth of the near-exact Saturn – Moon opposition, which invariably indicates really bad judgment for those significant decisions in life. I would NEVER have nominated this woman as a Supreme Ct. Justice based on her horoscope.

Comments are closed for this article!

STUDENT SECTION