Haiku: War’s Hollow Victory

losers and winners
Photo by Hasan Almasi

Haiku copyright Francis Barker 2020

Are there ever any real victors in conflict? When so many people die, who wins? The idea of war is even being projected into ‘space’ – a star war. War appears to be an endemic human condition. I dispute this. The lesson of war is to avoid it – period.

Rudyard Kipling Born Today 1865

www.reddit.com/r/FreeEBOOKS/comments/ehka7k/happy_birthday_rudyard_kipling/

He was a man of his time, born in India to British parents, into a culture which was to inspire his output: ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘Kim’ being two of his more famous works.

Astrology Musings – Brexit, 1066 and Hostile Takeover

blue and yellow round star print textile
Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

Unless you are a mole (no offence, moles), or have somehow managed to insulate yourself from the news over the last three years or so, you must have heard of Brexit – even in the USA.

Well, astrological charts can be cast for nations as well as people. It’s called Mundane Astrology and has a long history. Can it reveal anything?

Well, one method of prognostication is to cast a ‘birth’ chart for a nation (or can be an event) at an important juncture, such as the Norman Conquest of 1066, in England’s case. This, arguably, was the last time England was conquered by military force, so one would think it has to be very significant astrologically speaking, a time when the country was reborn, for good for ill, with a hostile takeover.

Coronation of the Conqueror

To do this, normally the date and time of William the First’s coronation on Christmas Day 1066 at 12 Noon, is taken, bearing in mind that the old Julian calendar was in operation at that time. Adjustments must be made.

Over many years it’s often been said that this chart still ‘resonates’, still represents the character of the nation even and its sensitivity to the movements of the planets today, their positions, including the three ‘outer planets’. These are called transits.

big ben bridge castle city
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

In this chart the sun is in Capricorn and Aries is rising, two signs which represent the tradition, business and enterprising, often belligerent and warlike nature of England over the past 950 years.

What I find most interesting however, is at the present time we have Uranus and Pluto in the earth signs of Taurus and Capricorn. Saturn is also in Capricorn, which it rules. So, with almost equal measure, you could say that the forces for change vie with the power of the establishment. Who will win?

Force for Change

Looking beyond England for a minute, even for the world as a whole the presence of these two forces for change, Uranus and Pluto, in two earth signs, represents political and financial intrigue, change and chaos, most particularly since Uranus’ entry into Taurus last year. Saturn in Capricorn, however, represents authority, the need to keep things established the way they are.

And right now transiting Pluto is in square (difficult, challenging) aspect from the 10th house to the Ascending (and thereby descending also) degree of the 1066 chart.

Intransigence

I think this represents the fundamental intransigence of the political situation right now. Pluto is stirring up the mud, perhaps slowly ‘draining the swamp’ in the political situation in England, bringing existential questions to the fore about the nation itself, about what it is, where it is going, how it relates to the world. Saturn in Capricorn however wants to resist any such change.

The intransigence is of course between the forces of those who wish to implement the referendum result right now, and those who do not, or if at all, symbolised by Saturn in Capricorn. It is not as straightforward as saying this is radicalism versus conservatism.

Either way, however, drastic, lasting political change is definite, I think. We may see a glimpse of what is to come today, Thursday May 23, when the EU (including the UK) votes in the new European elections.

Mars the driving force?

Pluto has been in Capricorn for some time but Uranus has been turning things over a bit in Aries (England’s rising sign), passing over England’s 1066 ascendant, and now in early Taurus, both sensitive areas of the 1066 chart.

Uranus moving into Taurus hints of sudden financial changes, which might well be to do with whatever deal the UK finally gets, if any.

What is more, when I cast the chart for the moment the polls open at 7 am on May 23 (set for Westminster, London, UK), astonishingly I found Mars closely conjunct a Cancer ascendant, exactly sextile Uranus. I also found the waning Moon just passing the Saturn Pluto conjunction in Capricorn.

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Pluto – now not even considered a true planet, might still have a strong generational effect.

What does this mean? One interpretation is that the forceful, emotionally patriotic stance of the people, who wish to embrace positive change (Mars conjunct Cancer ascendant in good aspect to Uranus) will be very evident in the character of the poll, its driving force if you will.

Fallout

The Moon conjunct Saturn Pluto in Capricorn in the 7th or 8th house (depending on which house system you use) in the electional chart, might indicate the triggering of the fundamental political change, the beginning of manifest constitutional change which will alter forever England’s and the United Kingdom’s stance in the world and how it relates to it.

These are musings only, but I shall be very interested to see what picture begins to emerge with the counting on Friday.

And we may not see the full fallout, that is, what kind of country England finally emerges as, until Pluto leaves Capricorn in 2023 and Uranus leaves Taurus in 2025.

Sir Edwin Lutyens – Ayscoughfee Hall No.2

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A hidden gem of Sir Edwin Lutyens in Spalding, Lincolnshire.

Sir Edwin Lutyens’ wonderful War Memorial to the local fallen of the Great War in the grounds of Ayscoughfee Hall, Spalding.

It may be one of his lesser known pieces of architecture, a ‘hidden gem’ that should be appreciated far more.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Lutyens