Astrology

Sun:  Just as the sun is the center of our solar system, the astrological Sun is the central symbol in a person’s natal chart.   It describes our vitality and our conscious orientation to life.  It is our life force. Henry VIII’s Sun, for example, is in Cancer, so his main concern is Family, I.e. the Tudor family, and his need for a son becomes paramount in his life.  He also treated all his “friends” like family, establishing close personal relationships.  His need to marry for love is also reflected in the Cancer Sun, as emotional connection becomes the most important thing.   

Moon:  The moon gets its reflection from the sun and similarly, the astrological moon is the receptacle of our history, our family our feelings about everything our mother and our home.  The astrological moon is very deep and contains our repressed experiences.  Its placement in the natal chart shows how we feel, where we are most comfortable, and where we feel “at home.” and how we feel emotionally good. 

Mercury:  The planet closest to the Sun, Mercury is our cognitive abilities, our mental faculties, the way we learn and express our ideas.  Mercury will always be within 28 degrees of the Sun.  The closer one has the planet Mercury to their Sun in their chart, the more that person identifies with the mental arena and with language.  Sir Thomas More is a good example of someone with a close Mercury to his Sun, they are only 8 degrees apart.  He engaged mentally with the world at large: writing, thinking, discussing, having opinions, educating his daughter, etc. and with both his Sun and Mercury in the “fixed” sign of Aquarius, he was very set in his notions. 

Venus:  The second planet from the Sun, Venus is our ability to establish rapport and relationships.  Venus is about comfort and pleasure, the arts, music and dancing.  In the court of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I there was a lot of Venus going on.  In the courts of Henry VII, Edward and Mary, not so much.  The latter three monarchs all had Venus in close aspect to Saturn, a definite wet blanket.  

Mars:  The red planet shows our ability to spring into action, how we fight and how we feel about sex.  Mars is our drive and get up and go.  Mars is passion and Mars is also violence.  There is plenty of Mars activity in the Tudor Era. Beheadings , for example, are Mars business. 

Jupiter:  Bigger is better says Jupiter.  It is the planet of expansion.  If Jupiter is in aspect to another planet in your chart, it will “expand” that quality. King of the gods, Jupiter also is the archetype for The Monarch, royalty, abundance and greatness.  Jupiter is also higher learning and organized Religion, and is evident throughout the charts for Tudor events and prominent people as Religion was the main topic of the day. 

Saturn: As the last planet that the eye could see in the sky, Saturn became the archetype for restriction, endings, Death (in the Grim Reaper sense) the structure of society, bones, tradition, responsibility, obligations.  Saturn is always in a “dance” with Jupiter, as too much Jupiter will make you fat and too much Saturn will bring you down.  Where Saturn lies in the natal chart, that is where one’s “great work” lies with all its difficulty and frustration.  Henry VIII notably has Saturn in the Fifth House of Children and we know what that was like for him. 

Uranus:  Discovered in 1781, the Tudors did not factor in the planet Uranus in any of their astrology.  But that does not mean it was not actively “influencing” events, or pushing those with a prominent Uranian signature in their charts in new directions.  Associated with the revolutionary spirit, Uranus is evident in breaks from tradition (such as the break from Rome) and with new ideas especially in religion.  Sudden changes and upheavals are also a Uranian marker as the planet is an electrifying and disruptive force. 

Neptune:  Discovered in 1846, Neptune was also unavailable to the astrologers of the Tudor era. On a high level Neptune represents an elevation of consciousness and enlightenment, for example, we can think of the Dalai Llama as an example of someone with a high Neptunian frequency. Neptune is creativity, imagination, inspiration, religious fervor, but on a lower level, Neptune is delusion, lies, deceptions, gossip and scandal.  The lower frequency of Neptune moves through the Tudor era like T.S. Eliot’s “yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window panes.”  

Pluto:  Discovered in 1930, Pluto was unavailable to contemporary astrologers in this highly “Plutonian” Era.  Pluto is the force for death and regeneration, transformation and the unconscious.   Most of all, Pluto is about Power.  The taking of it and the keeping of it.  In Tudor times Pluto is about the relation of Power to keeping ones’ head. Pluto is Hades, which is not the same as the Christian “Hell,” but rather the Underworld and all its implications.  Jupiter is Hampton Court, but Pluto is “Wolf Hall.”