Declaration of War

The English Civil War had numerous causes but the character of Charles I must be considered as one of the chief reasons. He had what we might call today, delusions of grandeur. Of course in those times it was better known as the Divine Right of the Monarch.

Like his father, he felt Paliament was there to serve his needs. Being questioned about them was not cheerfully accepted. From 1625 to 1629 the King argued with Parliament over almost everything, but money and religion were at the top of the list. Charles subsequently suspended Parliament for eleven years. The period is now known as the Eleven Years Tyranny.

To add much fuel to the fire, Charles married Henrietta Maria, a devout French Catholic. This would heavily influence the court and to some extent the fate of Charles, particularly during the initial years of marriage. Charles liked to call her Maria, with the Catholic leaning English people calling her “Queen Mary.” The association with Charles’ Catholic grandmother could hardly be missed.

Fear and loathing of *popery* in the English seventeenth century should not be underestimated. Even so, it’s unlikely that most could have predicted that the civil war, started in 1642, would end with the public beheading of Charles. His arch nemesis is considered to be Oliver Cromwell who was among those signing the death warrant of  the King. Cromwell and his circle were vindictive, not only seeking the demise of the King but the brutal conquest of Ireland. Regicide was something most would have considered impossible and probably unforgivable, but not so Cromwell.

William Lilly had developed a great interest in the politics of revolutionary England. His first almanac, Merlinus Anglicus Junior, was published in April of 1644. It was immediately popular. In it he predicted the King’s humiliating defeat at the Battle of Naseby in June 1645.

As far as I know, there has been no astrological study published on the Declaration Chart with consideration given to Superior Conjunctions as well as the preceding lunar eclipse. I’ve also drawn a chart for  the Vernal Equinox to determine the Lord of the Year according to the rules of Bonatti. Here’s the chart for the equinox.

Vernal Equinox 1642

The Sun is in the Ninth House of his Joy, in Sect and Exalted in Aries. The Sun also disposits the Leo Ascendant. The Moon in Scorpio is separating from a square to the Ascendant, to trine the Sun as she enters Saggitarius.

This is one case where the Lord of the Year is very easy to find. It’s the Sun and the Sign of Royalty. This is the annual background chart, setting the tone for the year of the Declaration of War. Let’s now look at the chart for the declaration itself. The English Civil War between the English King & Parliament began at 6:15pm on 22 August 1642 when Charles I raised his standard at Nottingham, according to John Gadbury (Campion).

It seems clear that no astrologer was consulted. Although it isn’t a complete disaster it is far from ideal for something as important as the declaration of war. It’s as if he had turned a dagger on himself

The Ascendant in Aquarius is disposited by a  Peregrine Saturn in Pisces in Conjunction with a dignified, but retrograde  Jupiter in the same sign. Saturn is the undisputed Almuten Figura.

The Lord of the Geniture is Mercury in Virgo, opposed to his house of Joy and Under the Beams. The Moon at zero degrees Leo is peregrine. She is below the horizon in the sixth house, representative of the King’s subjects and servants. We can say the King and those closely associated with him were, in this respect, in essential harmony. He did have his supporters. This was to be a civil war after all. She is transiting into her domicile, but is still relatively weak and separating Mars in his detriment, Venus is in her fall.

If we consider the Sun as the Monarch, we find him out of Sect and in Anorectic degree, a polite term for *pretty much toast.* The Year and Epoch of the Sun only brings our attention to the monarch and indeed the monarchy itself.

Saturn-Jupiter Conjunction – 1623

There was a Superior Conjunction at 06 Leo 36 which began 05 July 1623. The next would occur 16 February 1643.  It’s the end of an epoch. The element changes to water. The sign changes to Pisces. If we were to reduce the nature of the crisis to Monarchy vs Religion we wouldn’t be far off the mark. A Solar epoch is giving way to the Jupiterian epoch of Pisces..

Lunar Eclipse

Prior to the Declaration there was a Lunar Eclipse @ 29 April 164 2 @ 09 Taurus 39 in partile conjunction with Mars in the Conjunctional Chart. The Moon is in Aquarius and Mars is now in the eighth house. Having Mars marking the same degree as the declaration chart doesn’t bode well.  But even in this chart we have an angular Leo Sun in the tenth

The declaration was very badly timed. Many factors were in his favour but his intransigence and rash behaviour changed it all. Ironically perhaps, it was the very strength of the solar forces that gave him a sense of invulnerability