Mundane Astrology : Astrology for the world !!

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Dear Group,

 

It's for u, hope, u w'd come up with more information and w'd have a

serious discussion.

 

regards,

Lalit.

 

Overview

 

Mundane Astrology had two purposes: one was to look back and explain

history <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History> , looking for patterns

and a sense of some greater purpose in apparently chaotic events such as

the rise and fall of empires <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire> or

religions <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion> . The other was to

predict the future <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future> . Some

philosophers <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophers> believed that

the world could be saved from disaster if future troubles could be

predicted – and subsequently averted.

 

Although it was originally developed in ancient Babylon

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon> there have been three subsequent

major periods of developments. In 120 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/120>

AD <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anno_Domini> the Greek

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_and_Byzantine_Greece> astrologer

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrologer> Claudius Ptolemy

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudius_Ptolemy> set down the

fundamentals of mundane astrology in his famous treatise on astrology,

the Tetrabiblos. In the ninth and tenth centuries the astrologers of the

Islamic world <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_world> added many

more techniques, particularly the use of the cycles of Jupiter

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_%28planet%29> and Saturn

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_%28planet%29> to identify the rise

and fall of states <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State> and religions.

The twentieth century <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twentieth_century>

saw a major proliferation of techniques mainly based on the use of

planetary cycles <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_period> rather

than, as had always been the case the interpretation of planetary

positions in horoscopes <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horoscope> or

natal charts <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natal_chart> .

Planets and areas of life

The noted British astrologer Charles Carter proposed that specific areas

of life and politics can be correlated to each of the planets. Carter's

scheme is as follows:

 

* Sun : Supreme authority in the State. Eclipses often signify the

death or displacement of the head of state.

* Moon : The population, the popular mood; also agriculture.

* Mercury : The Press, literature, education; the post office and

means of communication; political speeches.

* Venus : Art, high society, fashion; contributes to national

happiness. Victory in war.

* Mars : The armed forces; violent crime; when associated with Uranus

may cause explosions; with Neptune, treachery. Divisive elements in

society.

* Jupiter : Clergy and churches, judges, law; banking, insurance; the

'upper classes'; philanthropic institutions (especially in association

with Neptune).

* Saturn : Property

* Uranus : Administration; power in its physical sense - electrical

and nuclear.

* Neptune : Hospitals, charitable institutions; the navy. Under

affiction associated with muddle, crime, scandal; brewing and alcohol;

chemicals, oils, footwear; the arts.

* Pluto : Mines; criminal detection, but under affliction the

criminal underworld.

Houses and Signs

Carter also associated each of the houses and signs with different

aspects of politics and the state as follows:

 

* 1st House-Aries : The nation as a whole, its self image and how it

projects itself to the world.

* 2nd House-Taurus : The economy

* 3rd House-Gemini : Education; periodical publications; the post

office, radio and transport; communications in general; science.

* 4th House-Cancer : Land and housing; agriculture; the opposition in

parliament

* 5th House-Leo : All forms of national pleasure and entertainment;

sports, general amusements; Society, children

* 6th House-Virgo : The 'working classes'; left wing organisations;

public health. The armed forces and civil service.

* 7th House-Libra : Foreign affairs generally; war as well as

treaties.

* 8th House-Scorpio : Financial relations with foreign countries;

public safety and crime.

* 9th House-Sagittarius : The law; religion; philosophy; and science.

* 10th House-Capricorn : Heads of state; government; national

prestige.

* 11th House-Aquarius : Parliament, especially the lower house. Local

government.

* 12th House-Pisces : Prisons, hospitals, homes for the aged;

philanthropic societies; secret societies; monasteries and institutional

religion.

Mundane Horoscopes

Just as a person has a horoscope cast for the moment of their birth, so

too can states and nations have horoscopes cast for the moment of their

beginning. Sometimes the choice of date is obvious - for example the

United States of America first came into being on 4th July 1776 with the

Declaration of Independence. In other cases the correct date is not so

clear, and in most cases a nation or country has multiple birth charts.

 

For example, many astrologers take the date of England's horoscope as

Christmas Day 1066 - the day when that William the Conqueror had the

crown set upon his head. There is also a chart set for midnight on 1st

May 1707 (Old Style), the time of the Union of England and Wales with

Scotland creating Great Britain. The Union then grew again on 1st

January 1801 with the Union of Great Britain and Ireland. A further

change took place as the Republic of Ireland left the Union, and the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created.

 

Another example of a country/state that has multiple 'birthdays' is

France, which regained its independence after the occupation of the

Second World War as the Fourth Republic on 10th October 1946, while the

present French system came into being as the Fifth Republic after a

referendum held on 28th September 1958. Similarly in Germany the present

state system came into effect with the enactment of the Basic Law in

August 1949, yet it is also considered by most astrologers that a new

state has come into being with German re-unification in October 1990.

 

In principle, any organisation or object can have a chart cast for the

moment of its 'birth'. For example, the ship Titanic's horoscope is

generally cast for noon on 10th April 1910 when the ocean liner first

set sail. The ship's chart showed its ascendant in opposition to Uranus,

and Neptune (ruler of the sea) was squared to the Sun, both aspects

indicating the potential for danger.

Some historical predictions

Before reading this section it should be noted that in modern Mundane

Astrology it is a matter of considerable debate whether the purpose of

astrology is elucidation of meaning, or a tool to make predictions about

events. These 'noted' predictions are not particularly 'noted' at all;

many astrologers will not recognise them.

 

Throughout history many astrologers have made predictions about the

future course of world events, and these are often remarkable either for

their fulfilment, or for the ruin and confusion they brought upon their

authors.

 

A favourite topic of a minority of astrologers around the world has been

the immediate end of the world. As early as 1186

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1186> the Earth had escaped one

threatened cataclysm of the astrologers.

 

This did not prevent Stöffler

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St%C3%B6ffler> from predicting a

universal deluge for the year 1524 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1524>

- a year, as it turned out, distinguished for drought. His aspect of the

heavens told him that in that year three planets would meet in the

aqueous sign of Pisces

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisces_%28astrology%29> . The prediction

was believed far and wide, and President Aurial, at Toulouse, built

himself a Noah's ark <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah%27s_ark> - a

curious realization, in fact, of Chaucer

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaucer> 's merry invention in the

Miller's Tale.

 

The most famous predictions about European and world affairs were made

by the French astrologer Nostradamus

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nostradamus> (1503 - 66), however many

astrologers dispute whether many of his prophecies were based on

astrology. Nostradamus became famous after the publication in 1555 of

his work Centuries , which was a series of prophecies in cryptic verse.

So obscure are the predictions that they have been interpreted as

relating to a great variety of events since, including the French and

English Revolutions, and the Second World War. In 1556 Nostradamus was

summoned to the French court by Catherine de Medici and commissioned to

draw up the horoscope of the royal children.

 

According to Francis Bacon <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon>

in his essay Of Prophesies Nostradamus foretold the death of King Henry

II of France: " When I was in France, I heard from one Dr Pena, that the

queen mother, who was given to curious arts, caused the king, her

husband's, nativity to be calculated, under a false name; and the

astrologer (i.e. Nostradamus) gave a judgment, that he should be killed

in a duel; at which the queene laughed, thinking her husband to be above

challenges and duels; but he was slaine, upon a course at tilt, the

splinters of the staffe of Montgomery going in at his beaver. " Although

Nostradamus later fell out of favour with many in the court and was

accused of witchcraft, Catherine continued to support him and patronized

him until his death.

 

Tycho Brahe <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tycho_Brahe> was from his

fifteenth year devoted to astrology, and adjoining his observatory at

Uranienburg the astronomer-royal of Denmark had a laboratory built. We

may here notice one very remarkable prediction of this master of Kepler

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Kepler> from the appearance of a

comet in 1577 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1577> . It announced, he

tells us, that in the north, in Finland, there should be born a prince

who should lay waste Germany and vanish in 1632

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1632> . Gustavus Adolphus

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavus_Adolphus> , it is well known, was

born in Stockholm, Sweden, overran Germany, and died in 1632.

 

Brahe's prophecy did not accurately predict Gustavus Adolphus'

birthplace - Brahe predicted this would be Finland, not Sweden. But the

partial fulfillment of the details of this prophecy - namely, that a

prince born in the north would lay waste to Germany and vanish in 1632 -

suggests that Brahe possibly had some basis of reason for his

prediction.

 

Born in Denmark <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark> of a noble

Swedish family, a politician, as were all his contemporaries of

distinction, Tycho, though no conjuror, appeared to foresee the advent

of some great northern hero. Moreover, he was doubtless well acquainted

with a very ancient tradition, that heroes generally came from the

northern frontiers of their native land, where they are hardened and

tempered by the threefold struggle they wage with soil, climate and

barbarian neighbours.

 

The astronomer Kepler <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Kepler> ,

who in his youth made almanacs, and once prophesied a hard winter which

came to pass, made an astrological interpretation of the disappearance

of the brilliant star of 1572 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1572> ,

which Tycho had observed.

 

Theodore Beza <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Beza> thought that

this star, which in December 1573 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1573>

equalled Jupiter in brilliancy, predicted the second coming

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_coming> of Christ

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ> . Astronomers were only then

beginning to study variable and periodic stars, and disturbances in that

part of the heavens, which had till then, on the authority of Aristotle

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle> , been regarded as

incorruptible, combined with the troubles of the times, must have given

a new stimulus to belief in the signs in heaven.

 

Montaigne <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montaigne> (Essais, lib. i.

chap, x.) relates a singular episode in the history of astrology.

Charles V <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_V%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor>

and Francis I <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_I_of_france> , who

both bid for the friendship of the infamous Pietro Aretino

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietro_Aretino> , surnamed the divine,

both likewise engaged astrologers to fight their battles.

 

In Italy <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy> those who prophesied the

ruin of France <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France> were sure to be

listened to. These prophecies affected the public funds much as

telegrams used to in 1911. " At Rome, " Montaigne

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montaigne> tells us, " a large sum of

money was lost on the Change by this prognostication of our ruin. "

 

The marquis of Saluces, notwithstanding his gratitude to Francis I for

the many favours he had received, including his marquisate, of which the

brother was despoiled for his benefit, was led in 1536

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1536> to betray his country, being scared

by the glorious prophecies of the ultimate success of Charles V which

were then rife.

References

1. Charles E. O. Carter, An Introduction of Political Astrology, L.

N. Fowler, 1951

2. Derek and Julia Parker, The New Compleat Astrologer, pp184-5,

Crescent Books, New York, 1990

3. Derek and Julia Parker, Ibid, p184

4. Derek and Julia Parker, Ibid, pp201-2, Crescent Books, New York,

1990