Systems' Approach to Mundane Vedic Astrology: The horoscope of the United Kingdom

Most astrologers are in agreement that the authentic horoscope for the United Kingdom is based on the Act of Union which took effect at midnight on January 1, 1801.

Below, the historical account of the 16° Virgo rising chart for the United Kingdom is presented. Based on this chart an accurate prediction was made on September 9, 2007 of many financial problems ahead, but especially during the Saturn sub-period from May 2008 to June 2009. This prediction has been realised.

Historical basis of the chart

“The Act of Union, passed in 1800, formed a new country ‘The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland’ by uniting England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. A new flag - the Union Jack - was created for it which had components from the flags of each member state. All regional parliaments were abolished, and instead the entire UK was to be ruled from a centralised London parliament. For most Irish, there wasn't a noticeable difference, but it meant the Irish government representatives could not pass laws on their own”[1].

Kingdom of Great Britain of 1707
The Act of Union of 1707 effected the union of England and Scotland into a single kingdom, called Great Britain, the "political term describing the political union of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland made on 1 May 1707 under Queen Anne of England - "the two kingdoms of Scotland and England shall...be united into one kingdom by the name of Great Britain"[2].

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
On January 1, 1801 in London, King George R issued following proclamation “as to the Royal Style and Titles and as to the Ensigns Armorial, Standard, and Union Jack.” In the act it was stated that “Whereas by the first article of the articles of Union of Great Britain and Ireland, ratified and confirmed by two Acts of Parliament, the one passed in the Parliament of Great Britain, and the other in the Parliament of Ireland, and respectively intituled, An Act for the Union of Great Britain and Ireland, it was declared, That the said Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland should upon this day, being the 1st day of January, in the year of our Lord 1801, for ever after be united in One Kingdom, by the name of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland…“ This act took effect at midnight on this day creating the entity still known as the United Kingdom (UK)[2]. Importantly, the formation of the UK replaced the union known as Great Britain. The time gives 16° Virgo rising in the sidereal zodiac.

Changes to the Union in 1927
Changes to the Union in the early 20th century did not alter the governing institutions or symbols of the country. In the early 20th century, the push for Irish independence accelerated. Following the 1916 rebellion, a separate parliamentary election in Ireland in 1918, elected the Sinn Fein party into majority with 66 seats[3]. On 21 January 1919, 27 of the parliamentarians (with 35 in British prison and 4 having been killed) gathered in the Mansion House in Dublin to establish an Irish Free State (Dáil Éireann). After the partition of Ireland into South and North Ireland on May 3, 1921, the UK agreed in principle on December 6, 1921 to the Anglo-Irish Treaty allowing the Irish Free State to secede from the Union. The Irish Free State created by the Treaty came into force on 6 December 1922 by royal proclamation after its constitution had been enacted by the Third Dáil and the British parliament[4]. The Dominion of Northern Ireland decided to remain in the UK. Due to this change, it was on 12th April 1927, over four years later, that King George R.I. issued the Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act, 1927, which provided “…for the alteration of the Royal Style and Titles and of the Style of Parliament.” In the act it was stated that “It shall be lawful for His Most Gracious Majesty, by His Royal Proclamation under the Great Seal of the Realm, issued within six months after the passing of this Act, to make such alteration in the style and titles at present appertaining to the Crown as to His Majesty may seem fit.[2]” Hence, this change in the Union was not seen by the Crown to herald the creation of a new union but simply to be an alteration of the existing one.

Natal Potential

According to the Systems' Approach, the sign Virgo in the ascendant would give the British an "attractive and charming" character. Virgo is a “negative, human, earthy and barren sign and rules the power of analysis and discrimination”. This sign brings the qualities of “thoroughness and critical thinking” to the fore. The sign also gives realism to the approach, with the ‘pros and cons’ of each situation weighed carefully. The British would be lovers of art and literature and be truthful. They would tend to be “appreciative of events liked by them” and have a characteristic of being “practical and composed.” The advice given to British gentlemen to 'keep a stiff upper lip’ is indicative of this sign. Being worrisome or uptight is another characteristic of Virgo’s owing to frequent transit afflictions by functional malefic planets in the chart. The Sun, Saturn and Mars are functional malefic planets in the chart in addition to the Moon’s nodes, Rahu and Ketu.

Mercury is the ruler of the horoscope. With the planet of communications placed in the 3rd house, the British put an emphasis on good communication and transport. It also gives the country an entrepreneurial and ruling disposition. The aspect of Rahu in the 7th house to Mercury can bring periodic problems to these fields. With 2nd lord Venus well placed in the 5th house of creativity, entertainment and speculation, it is not surprising to find many world famous artists coming from Britain, including the Beatles.

The placement of Venus is also consistent with a prominent financial management industry. The aspect from Ketu in the 1st house would imbue these areas with wit but also suggest sudden setbacks. The placement of Ketu in the 1st house also adds to the peculiar image of the British in the world, and seen in their dry and often surreal sense of humor, e.g. in the art of Peter Sellers and Monthy Python. The well placed Mercury and an exalted 4th lord Jupiter have given the British affluence and a high standard of living. The 11th lord Moon, while in old age, is well placed in the 10th house. Along with the placement of Mercury and Venus, this is consistent with the UK being one of the major financial centers in the world. The affliction of the 12th lord Sun on the 4th and 10th houses, bring setbacks to housing, automotive production and communal harmony, as well as the government administration. The weak and bad placement of 6th lord Saturn suggests the financial stability of the country is vulnerable to setbacks. Mars as 8th lord of easy gains but also obstacles and endings, is strong and well placed in the 8th house. This would give a strong military. However, the weak placement of the 6th lord Saturn in the 12th house, would suggest continual losses emanating from foreign countries. From there it afflicts the 11th house of income, the 2nd house of wealth and 3rd house of initiative, which explains not only the easy gains in these areas but also major setbacks to these indications throughout the history of the country.

The rise and fall of the British Empire

The dramatic rise and fall of the British Empire is seen in the chart. Combined, the placements of 12th lord Sun, 6th lord Saturn and 8th lord Mars explain the fall of the British Empire. After establishing an empire on which the 'sun did not set', the British saw their empire gradually lost during the 20th century. Following World War II, the Pax Americana replaced the earlier Pax Brittannica. Hitler and the Nazis had also turned London into rubble with an endless bombardment with the V-2 rockets and India, the jewel in the Empire's crown, was lost.
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Interestingly, the '50 year rule' states that for each 1° orb of seperation in a natal aspect the full impact of the aspect is felt 50 years from the nation's birth. As the natal 12th lord Sun is at 19° 06' Sagittarius and it is conjunct the most effective point (MEP) of the 4th house at 16° 00' Sagittarius , we would expect this natal affliction to the 4th and 10th hosues to become fully felt 150 years from the founding, or around 1955. Moreover, as the aspect is natally not that strong, the impact is less than it otherwise could be, making it easier for the country to recover from setbacks. By comparison, the relatively wide conjunction of 8th lord Mars at 20° 40' to the MEPs of the 11th, 2nd and 3rd houses at 16° Cancer, Libra and Scorpio, respectively, would only be marginally felt around the year 2135.

Great Irish Famine of 1840s

One of the most trying periods for many people in the United Kingdom was undoubtedly the famine that afflicted Ireland in the mid 19th century. The famie resulted in mass starvation and deaths, and a decline in the population of Ireland by 20% from 1841 to 1851. The dire situation resulted in the desperate Young Irelander Rebellion (sometimes called "Famine Rebellion"), which took place on July 29, 1848 in the village of Ballingarry, County Tipperary, Ireland. The revolt was crushed by the British forces[5].

Interestingly, “1848 was a year of revolutions throughout continental Europe. In February 1848, King Louis-Philippe of France was overthrown and the Second Republic was proclaimed in Paris. This revolution sent political shock waves across Europe, and revolutions broke out in Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Prague, and Budapest. At least temporarily, absolutist governments were replaced by liberal administrations, near universal suffrage was introduced and elections were held to constituent assemblies to draw up new national constitutions. It was sometimes described as the "springtime of the people." A conjunction of transit Saturn with the nodal axis took place.

In the UK chart, the Ketu major period and Saturn sub-period was operating making this energy strongly felt. At the time of the uprisings, transit Ketu at 0° 39' Pisces was conjunct transit 6th lord Saturn at 3° 07' Pisces and 7th house making for an explosive crisis and suffering among ordinary people.

Battle of Britain in 1940
Another dramatic event is the the Battle of Britain which was a sustained strategic effort by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) during the summer and autumn of 1940 to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF), especially Fighter Command. The name derives from a speech made on 18 June 1940 in the House of Commons by Prime Minister Winston Churchill. He said: "The Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin..."

The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces. It was the largest and most sustained bombing campaign attempted up until that date. The failure of Nazi Germany to reach its objectives - to destroy Britain's air defence or to force Britain out of the war by forcing an armistice or surrender - is considered both its first major defeat and a crucial turning point in the war. Had it been successful, the planned amphibious and airborne forces landings in Britain of Operation Sealion may have followed. As the Battle progressed, operations were extended to the strategic level: systematic destruction of aircraft production centres and ground infrastructure. Eventually the Luftwaffe and the RAF resorted to attacking areas of political significance and terror bombing tactics.

British historians date the battle from 10 July to 31 October 1940, which represented the most intense period of daylight bombing. German historians usually place the beginning of the battle in mid-August 1940 and end it in May 1941, on the withdrawal of the bomber units in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the Campaign against the USSR on 22 June 1941. The Battle can be roughly divided into four phases: 10 July–11 August: Kanalkampf, ("the Channel battles"). 12 August–23 August: Adlerangriff ("Eagle Attack"), the early assault against the coastal airfields. 24 August–6 September: the Luftwaffe targets the airfields. The critical phase of the battle. 7 September onwards: the day attacks switch to British towns and cities.

Bombing of London

On 7 September 1940 a massive series of raids involving nearly four hundred bombers and more than six hundred fighters targeted docks in the East End of London, day and night…On 13 October, Hitler again postponed the invasion until the spring of 1941; however, the invasion never happened, and October is regarded as the month in which regular bombing of Britain ended [6].

Saturn major period and Rahu sub-period. Transit Rahu at 18° 15' Virgo conjunct most effecitve point of 1st house and natal Ketu at 22° 59' Virgo. Transit Saturn at 21° 38' Aries and 8th house conjunct natal 8th lord Mars at 20° 40' Aries and transit 4th lord Jupiter at 22° 38'. Transit Mars at 18° 53' Leo conjunct MEP of 12th house and transit 12th lord Sun at 21° 32' Leo.

Present economic crisis
The UK economy has been struggling with intensifying difficulties in the financial sector. This was foreseen based on the horoscope for the country.

Message #14035 on Sun Sep 9, 2007 5:25 am
"If we look at the UK 16° Virgo rising chart we can see that there are many indications of problems with financial stability in the months ahead, and even in the next year or two [7]."

Northern Rock goes bankrupt
On 14 September 2007, the bank Northern Rock sought and received a liquidity support facility from the Bank of England, following problems in the credit markets. On 22 February 2008 the bank was taken into state ownership[8].

Message on SAMVA list on August 30, 2008
"The outlook for the UK economy is not particularily bright at the moment. In the 16° Virgo rising chart, Ma/Sa period is operating. Natally, 6th lord SATURN is badly placed and weak due to also infancy at 2° 17' Leo in the 12th house. Its dispositor, 12th lord SUN, is well placed at 19° Sagittarius, but its strength is zapped by its own afflicting aspect to the 4th house where it resides and the 10th house. So, the indications for financial stability are not very good in the UK chart…Not surprisingly, during a period of the lord of financial stability (a 6th house matter) placed in the house of losses is operating and when the transits turn quite bad, the Chancellor the Exchequer (equivalent to a Minister of Finance in most countries or Secretary of the Treasury in the USA), Alistair Darling, has admitted to the grave difficulty.

Darling warns of economic crisis
07:50 GMT, Saturday, 30 August 2008 08:50 UK
The UK is facing its worst economic crisis in 60 years, Chancellor Alistair Darling has admitted. He told the Guardian newspaper that the economic downturn would be more "profound and long-lasting" than most people had feared [9]. "

Message on SAMVA list on November 12, 2008

"We can estimate that the UK, a major world economy, will see financial trouble into the second quarter of next year, and then in the fourth quarter things will begin to improve. In the UK Chart, from the end of November, the axis will afflict within two degrees of all odd numbered houses (Rahu/Ketu are in the 5/11 houses). After the end of Feb 2009, it separates by 1 degree. The financial health (amongst other elements) of the country will be especially shaky during this period. From mid year 2009 the subperiod changes very positively, and in September the Lord of financial solvency moves from the house of losses."

Recession