Brexit: the Next Episode

What’s the likely outcome of Mercury’s next plot twist in the Brexit saga?

A lot has happened in British politics since my last blog post just a week or two ago. Not only has Libran, Theresa May, backed down from her rather hardline stance at the beginning of last week, to be replaced by a series of indicative votes in Parliament on the way forward ; but the EU 27 have given her – and the British government – a reprieve until 12 April to get their house in order.

It would therefore not be an exaggeration to say that the March Mercury retrograde has brought with it more than its fair share of political drama, intrigue (and confusion) over the last few weeks. Not only have we seen the trickster side of this planet come out,but we’ve also seen it’s ability to command interest and generate a buzz!

Thanks to Mercury’s many aspects to the outer planets (including the confusion generated by its detrimented location in disorganised Pisces), Brexit now resembles something akin to a soap opera – one that has people completely hooked! In fact some media outlets are likening it to Game of Thrones (or House of Cards for those who are a bit older) – amidst reports that it has many foreign viewers on the edge of their seats.

Astrology and current political developments

Astrology was originally developed to aid political advisers in giving sound counsel to the king during a tumultuous period in Mesopotamian history. This branch of astrology is known as mundane astrology, and I find it incredibly interesting, perhaps because of my background in journalism.

But with so much happening astrologically – and another pivotal Parliamentary vote set for 10pm GMT – I thought it was time to once take the astrological temperature on the Brexit situation.

Indicative Vote

Mercury & the House of Commons

Unlike the previous votes, which took place at 7pm GMT, this one takes place three hours later. This means we have different house cusps and so, different planetary significators to last time.

Rather fittingly, it is Mercury that now rules BOTH the Midheaven AND the 11th house, which have Virgo on their cusps. So, in effect, it is likely to be Mercury that decides what happens next in the Brexit process.

This could suggest a unification of the divisions we’ve seen so far between May government and the rest of the House of Commons…Or, more worrying for Remainers, it may hint at what many already suspect: that, despite appearing to be on opposite sides of the argument, the Government and the Labour Party are really on the same side – and that in reality, there really isn’t any real or formidable opposition to May with regards to Brexit at all.

House Position, Sign and Dignity

In the Indicative Vote chart (above) Mercury is retrograde and detrimented in Pisces – in other words, in a bit of a sorry state – which is why it scores -7 in the table of dignities found in the top right hand corner. One couldn’t describe the state of affairs in parliament any better  – shambolic is a much-loved British phrase and in this instance, it fits.

Mercury in Pisces can create confusion, disjointed communications and pie-in-the-sky thinking  – and let’s be honest, we’ve seen a lot of that in the last few weeks! A lack of clarity, even dishonesty is also possible when Mercury is in poor condition, as it is here (let’s not forget that it is the sign of thieves and confidence tricksters, after all!) which does not bode well, especially if the EU, investors and the public are hoping that some clarity will arise from tonight’s vote.

Mercury is located in the 4th house of the chart. Now in mundane astrology, the 4th house can signify the official opposition party to the government in political terms ie the Labour Party. It could also refer to the electorate (ie the British public), which are also seen to be opposite to the MC = country leaders/ruling class/government of the day.

Mercury’s Last Aspect: Context

Mercury is also coming off a conjunction to Neptune, ruler of the 4th house. This further reinforces the connection to 4th house matters. But it also amplifies Piscean/Neptunian confusion – Neptune is oceanic by nature and is not easily contained. Like mists and water, it is subversive, flowing around obstacles and is therefore difficult to pin down and control.

In mundane astrology, the fourth house rules:

Land, the owners of it and the workers on it. The crops and produce of the land. Mines, buildings. The people as contrasted with the monarch; the democracy as contrasted with the aristocracy; the opposition in Parliament. A planet close to the cusp of this house may influence the weather according to its nature. A malefic in this house may afflict the government through its opposition to the 10th House.

The best way to decide the signification of this symbolism is to consider context. We are talking about a political vote and it could be argued that popular sentiment could equally be represented by the Moon. So, more than likely, Mercury represents members of the Labour Party, while Neptune signifies those MPs from other parties who oppose the government position, including the DUP, the SNP, the Liberal Democrats and the Independent Group.

The fact that Mercury is separating from a conjunct to Neptune may suggest some consultation between various parliamentary tribes over the weekend and perhaps a decision to work together to vote tactically. Let’s see…Neptune is anything but straightforward, so we can’t rule out some smoke and mirrors, as well as betrayals in this scenario.

Fixed Stars

Mercury is conjunct the fixed star Achernar, which is associated with rapid endings (image of a river mouth) and is found in the natal charts of several famous psychics, including Edgar Cayce, as well as visionary leaders like Abraham Lincoln. Interestingly, it is also found in the chart of the newspaper baron, Rupert Murdoch!

According to Jamie Partridge, (who quotes Ted George and Barbara Parker, Mercury conjunct this particular star is associated with ‘an expansion of the psychic through the subconscious’. When asking for answers from the spirit realm, ‘there is no waiting…the answers are given immediately’. This could suggest that the outcome of the votes will be quick and clear – which stand sin sharp contrast to what we see from Mercury retrograde in Pisces.

I suspect this means that there will be a clear majority for the Letwin amendment calling for a series of indicative votes to sound out support for other options besides of the PM’s deal ina bid to see where consensus might be reached.

Sabian Symbol

Can the symbolism associated with the degree of Mercury provide any clarity?

The Sabian Symbol for the 17th Degree of Pisces is: An easter promenade.

This points to the rites of spring, a religious celebration as well as the act of ‘dressing up’ and promenading. Hill points out that:

Often, the actual meaning behind the celebration is completely ignored. New traditions can build on old traditions until, sometimes, the origins can seem lost, blurred or forgotten.

Hmmm…so will this vote bring about a renewal of optimism and uniting of the entire political community under a shared purpose, or will it all be ‘for show’ – political grandstanding and another opportunity for politicians to lobby colleagues to support for their version of Brexit? I rather suspect the latter, if Mercury’s applying aspects are anything to go by.

A number of amendments were proposed for this evenings vote, but the Commons Speaker, John Bercow has selected only three:

• Sir Oliver Letwin’s amendment calling for indicative votes – where MPs vote on a series of options designed to test the will of Parliament to see what, if anything, commands a majority
• A call by Labour for the government to “provide sufficient parliamentary time this week” for indicative votes
• A call by Labour MP Dame Margaret Beckett for the government to allow MPs a vote on whether to leave without a deal or request an extension “to give time for Parliament to determine a different approach”

So which way is the wind blowing with regards to Mercury and Neptune?

Applying aspects of Mercury 

Usually the deciding factor in such matters is to look at the next aspects made by Mercury.

Mercury is applying to a trine to the Ascendant, which could suggest, on the face of it, some progress – signs of a unified position or way forward for the British government and the country emerging as a result of this vote = support for an indicative vote.

Mercury-Neptune conjunction 2.0

All well and good – EXCEPT that Mercury will station on Thursday and then retrace its steps BACK to NEPTUNE, reaching a second conjunction on 2 April! This could mean more muddles, backpeddling and shambolic behaviour. Oh, dear – I can imagine the eyes rolling!…Neptune does tend to undo knots and make things more fluid, which means the situation after tonight will probably change again. As one person put it in response to questions about the mood amongst politicians tonight: the situation remains ‘as fluid as a “set of amoebas”‘.

Hmmm…the soap opera (or national humiliation, as many Britons are beginning to call it) is clearly set to continue…

Summary

So, what’s the upshot? The voting is likely to be quick and decisive with regards to the motions and amendments put forward. I suspect there will be consensus over the need for indicative votes, and we can’t rule out a further undermining of the PM’s position as Neptune continues to erode the foundations of the whole chart.

One thing is for certain: Mercury’s plot twists and turns aren’t over yet – we still have its sextile to Saturn (7 April) and square to Jupiter on April 12 to look forward to!

Watch this space…

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