mundane astrology, Ireland: The Observer Observed pt 3-4

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The Observer Observed part 3, page 4

Table 2 (all orbs less than 1º except where noted.) Entries in red show transits to the 1801 UK chart which coincided with simultaneous transits to planets or points in the 1791 eclipse chart (shown in green). Stand-alone transits and progressions for the 1801 chart are shown in black in the right hand column.

Event	1801 transits (coupled)	1801 progs & transits (uncoupled)
Easter Rising April 24th 1916 Dublin 12:25 GMT	tPL squ UR (con 1791 AS/MC) tUR squ NE (con 1791 PL)	tUR 150 MO tSA con MC tSA opp SU SA sxt MA JU sxt VE
Irish Free State Dec 6th 1922 Dublin 5:00pm GMT	tNE squ NE (con 1791 UR & MA) tSA sqq PL (con 1791 eclipse axis)	tPL opp SU tPL con MC (1.20 orb) tMO opp SU tUR tri MC pMO con SU pMO con IC pSU con MA pMA con MC (1.16orb)
Republic of Ireland April 18th 1949 00:00am BST Dublin	none	tNE con S.Node tPL tri N.Node tMO squ UR

What stands out in Table 2 is that there was no structural coupling involving the 1791 eclipse chart and the 1801 UK chart activated when the Republic of Ireland came into being in 1949. While there were two extraordinary progressions happening within the 1791 eclipse chart (see Table 1, entry for 'Republic of Ireland begins'), activity in the 1801 UK chart was relatively silent, barring a couple of nevertheless interesting transits to the lunar nodal axis and a fleeting signature of consolidation of independence suggested by the transit Moon in Capricorn square 1801 Uranus. There is one obvious explanation for this. In 1949, the nation state which became the Republic of Ireland had formally and legally left the UK in 1922 when the Irish Free State came into being. So one would not expect the dynamics between the 1791 and 1801 UK horoscopes to have any bearing on this new situation.

The 1916 Vortex
On the other hand, the happened in Ireland, but within the United Kingdom. Thus it is not surprising to see transit Pluto square the Uranus at the same time as it lies conjunct the AS/MC midpoint. Or transit Uranus square the UK Neptune while at the same time lying conjunct 1791 eclipse Pluto, and so on. As regards uncoupled transits in the UK chart, the transit Uranus inconjunction to the UK Moon speaks of a rebellion among the people. Saturn sextile Mars, and Jupiter sextile Venus promise a UK victory, which indeed came to pass - the rebellion was put down in a matter of a few days. In a broader European context, the combined set of transits to the UK chart for this time (as shown by adding together those in both columns) was very challenging, as reflected in the huge difficulties being experienced in France against the German army on the Western Front.

The 1922 Vortex
When the began in 1922, a substantial lump fell off the United Kingdom formed in 1801. It's name changed from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is made up from 6 of the 32 counties on the island. This new UK (along with Northern Ireland as a legal entity) formally came into being the following day on . This rebirth and transformation is aptly described by the transit of Pluto opposite the Sun and conjunct its MC (see Table 2). We might also note the very appropriate progressed Moon conjunct the 1801 UK Sun. Perhaps the progressed Sun conjunct 1801 UK Mars hints at the conflict which was to consume Northern Ireland for 30 years at the end of the last century.

The structural coupling between the 1791 and 1801 charts activated in 1922 indicates two themes which were relevant at the foundation of the Irish Free State. First, the dissolution of the ideal (tNE squ NE) and curtailing of power (tSA sqq PL) in the chart for the UK. Secondly, the synchronous manifestation of a degree of Irish independence as aspired to in 1791, as symbolised by the structurally coupled Saturn transit conjunct the 1791 lunar eclipse axis.

A consequence of the settlement between Irish republican activists and the UK government that led to the setting up of the Irish Free State was the consolidation of the partition of the island. This settlement precipitated a civil war between those Republicans who accepted what was on offer (a 26 county Free State) and those who felt that Republican ideals had been betrayed. This latter group believed (and believe) that nothing short of a united 32 county Irish Republic would do. The Irish Free State was born in the middle of a civil war. The confusion among Republicans at this time is indicated by the transit of Neptune conjunct Mars and Uranus in the 1791. Those who had fought side by side in the War of Independence found themselves pointing guns at each other. Despite the new found relative autonomy, the 1791 vortex kept on spinning beyond 1922.

The 1949 Vortex
The 26 county emerged in 1949 at a time when there were two highly significant progressions to the 1791 eclipse chart, but little in the way of notable transits. On the one hand, the progressions indicate a clear historical lineage with the Republican aspirations born in 1791. One might see the progression Saturn and the MC's close alignment with the 1791 lunar eclipse axis as indicating a 'coming to fruition' in relation to the primary theme of that horoscope, which is certainly true in name at least. On the other hand, the lack of tight transit activity indicates that no structural coupling to speak of exists between the 1791 eclipse chart and the 1949 Republic's chart. This suggests that whatever the 1949 horoscope represents, it is not attached to the theme of militant republicanism, and is in a sense set free from that current in the collective Irish psyche. It is tempting to see this 1949 chart as being the primary national horoscope for the Republic of Ireland since its inception, but the situation is more complicated than that.

Northern Ireland
came into being on December 7th 1922, the day after the foundation of the Irish Free State. The horoscopes for both states are therefore very similar, and they describe two of the vortices running in the Anglo-Irish collective stream. Even though a Republic of Ireland existed as an independent political entity in the real world, there were still psychological reverberations linking it back to the unfinished business of the original republican agenda - that is, the pursuit of a wholly united Ireland.

In this respect, it is worth pointing out that the Irish Constitution of 1937, which is still in use today emerged before the Republic of Ireland began. It is a product of the Irish Free State, and notably was implemented when Uranus was conjunct the MC of the Free State chart. Articles 2 and 3 of this Constitution essentially laid claim to the 'ownership' to the 6 counties of Northern Ireland. Despite the astrological detachment of the Republic of Ireland horoscope from the 1791 eclipse chart and its militant republican goal of a united Ireland, the Republic as a real world political entity was still committed in spirit to that goal via its Constitution at least (not to mention a degree of public sentiment).

This suggests that the 1922 Free State horoscope continued to have relevance for the country after the birth of the Republic of Ireland in 1949.

The Troubles in Northern Ireland
The troubled political and social situation in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s to the present day has, astrologically speaking, been an expression of a number of spinning vortices in the collective stream of Anglo-Irish relations. It is impossible to map this out fully given the space available, so a couple of examples will have to do.

By 1969, the situation had deteriorated so much in Northern Ireland that on August 14th, British Army troops were deployed for action on the streets of Derry, an act which eventually drew the IRA out of hibernation. Prior to this event, the rioting and unrest which had started in 1968 tended to be associated with civil rights marches and blatant sectarian violence, but with no paramilitary activity. The local police force had being trying to maintain order.

Looking at the structural coupling between the 1791 and 1801 horoscopes for this day, we see the transit of Uranus (1º47' Libra) in conjunction with the radix Uranus in the 1801 UK chart (1º53' Libra), which accordingly picks up the 1791 eclipse chart AS/MC midpoint (1º21 Cancer). The awakening (Uranus) of militant republican activity directed at eradicating the influence of the British Crown on the island of Ireland ('Brits Out!') - essentially an Irish rebellion within the UK - is what followed, and is consistent with this symbolism. The 1791 eclipse chart was evidently still very much alive.