mundane astrology, Ireland: The Observer Observed pt 3-3

home consultations courses ideas irish astrology Bill Sheeran

[Note: If you see next to any link in the text, clicking on the link will bring up the relevant horoscope in a separate small window.]

The Observer Observed part 3, page 3

It is important to point out that 'robust' vortices and the entities they are associated with do have a life of their own, despite any coupling between them. Obviously the experience of the United Kingdom is not solely determined by 'the Irish Question', just as the unfolding of Irish republicanism is not tied 100% to the dynamics of the UK.

So, based on the above discussion, we initially have the following astrological scenarios relevant to the dynamics of Irish republicanism:

Transits unique to the 1791 eclipse chart
Transits unique to the UK chart
Transits relevant for both charts due to structural coupling
Progressions to the UK chart
Progressions to the 1791 eclipse chart

A word about progressions and structural coupling
Progressions due to their nature are unique and internal to individual horoscopes, so they are not involved in structural coupling. One horoscope's progressions can't be shared with another's except in extremely unusual circumstances. In the simplest scenario, both charts would have to have the same planet in exactly identical positions to start with, and also planets or points the same distance away from these identical positions.

Instead, progressions reveal something about the internal state of the process represented by the horoscope. There is a certain ripeness in the realm of potential when fruits, whether bitter or sweet, drop to the ground. An example would be the progression of Mars to the Ascendant (23Le32) in the 1791 eclipse horoscope in 1798, when the republican movement was 'ripe' for taking a military path. Another example is the progression of the Ascendant and the Midheaven to the Sun and Moon of the 1791 eclipse axis in 1949, when the Republic of Ireland as it now stands came into being. This is a remarkable piece of astrological timing which saw the beginning of a resilient political entity.

Three Charts
The quest for an independent Irish Republic moved through many key events and turning points. While not denying the significance of Catholic emancipation, the Great Famine, the War of Independence, and so on, three dates stand out. These can be listed as the ; the foundation of the in 1922; and the beginning of the in 1949. Each of these events generated their own robust vortex, symbolized by the appropriate horoscopes. They have all astrologically 'emerged' from the primary vortex of the , as the next table below shows.

The inclusion of the 1916 Easter Rising chart requires some elaboration. This uprising was a military failure. So why not use the chart for the War of Independence in 1919, which was a success? Why, indeed, was the 1916 horoscope used as the sole national chart for several decades? If there is any logic to the analytical attribution of historical significance, on the surface this does not make sense.

Ireland does not celebrate the War of Independence. On the other hand, every Easter Republicans gather for commemorative speeches at various cemeteries containing the remains of martyred patriots, the most important being held at the graveside of Wolfe Tone, who wrote the proposals voted on in October 1791. Another major venue is the resting place of those who signed the Proclamation of Independence, the reading of which marked the start of the 1916 Rising. That Proclamation was effectively written in blood. With one or two exceptions, all those who signed it were executed for treason after their surrender. The psychological and emotional impact of these executions dissolved the general indifference of the majority of the Irish public to republican goals for good, and set a new 'vortex' spinning off, adding to the 1791 eclipse 'vortex family'. The significance of this event is confirmed astrologically by considering the strong transits and progressions to the 1791 eclipse chart with which the Rising coincided.

Table 1 (all orbs less than 1º except where noted)

Event	1791 eclipse chart progs / transits
Easter Rising April 24th 1916 Dublin 12:25 GMT	pSA con radix SA** pAS squ UR tUR con PL tUR opp MA tUR opp UR (1.11 orb) tPL con AS/MC tNE squ VE tAS opp PL
Irish Free State Dec 6th 1922 Dublin 5:00pm GMT	tNE con UR tNE con MA (1.02 orb) tSA con eclipse axis (1.02 orb)
Republic of Ireland April 18th 1949 00:00am BST Dublin	pSA con eclipse axis pMC con eclipse axis

Transits and progressions to the 1791 eclipse chart at the time of three key events in Ireland's journey towards independent Statehood

*Saturn was retrograde at 15Ar10 during the 1791 eclipse. As it moved back within 20' of its radix position in 1913, the Irish Volunteers were formed. This body became the IRA prior to the Easter Rising in 1916, which started when progressed Saturn was within 1' of its 1791 position. By the time progressed Saturn had moved beyond 20' of its radix position, the War of Independence had started in 1919. The build up of republican militancy, its unsuccessful but psychologically powerful expression in 1916, and the subsequently fruitful War of Independence define a process which laid the foundations for achieving the republican ambitions set in motion as an aspiration in 1791. The fact that this process should be mirrored within the time frame of the 'progressed Saturn Return' phase is astrologically very interesting and most appropriate. That an actual Republic, albeit comprising 26 of the 32 counties of Ireland, should emerge when progressed Saturn was exactly aligned with the 1791 horoscope's eclipse axis (orb 8') can be considered a major validation of the use of that chart.

Historically, this was a time of great upheaval in Europe, an indication of 'increased pressure' within the broader environmental context. In my analogy, this creates conditions for acceleration of the vortex representing the unfolding potential associated with the aspiration towards Irish independence, and the possible emergence of novelty.

1801 UK Chart Structural Coupling
It is instructive to look at the transits and progressions operating in relation to the for these three events. I have mentioned that there is significant structural coupling between the 1791 and 1801 horoscopes, and that the UK chart also operates separately - i.e. has its own robust vortex. Thus one can look at transits to the 1801 UK chart which are linked through structural coupling with the , but also at the uncoupled transits and progressions unique to the 1801 chart itself.

To reiterate, structural coupling occurs when two horoscopes contain planets or points at a particular degree (+ or - 1º). These planets or points do not have to be the same - it may be Pluto at 23 Aries in one chart, and Saturn at 23 Aries in the other. When Uranus, for example, reaches 23 Aries, both charts experience the Uranian transit in their own way. If the charts belong to entities which have some kind of relationship with each other - e.g. the Irish desire to break free from English political influence (1791 chart), and the maintenance of English influence in Ireland (UK chart) - then transits activating structural coupling between those charts indicate times when major shifts in the relationship dynamics can occur.