Elizabethan Astrology

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Elizabeth's transits to her natal chart at the time of the coronation included Jupiter sextile Jupiter, which became exact on the day of her coronation along with Venus trine her Sun, making it a very pleasant occasion. Venus opposed Saturn and, Mars was conjunct her Mars ruled Mc showing that she would not be a weak and feeble monarch but one who would rule with great fortitude. What Dee would not have known is that Uranus was on her Mc and Mars was trine Uranus. This would bring dynamic leadership and great self-determination to her rule. She would not be constrained by what others had done before her and would create her own style of rule. Pluto was sextile both her ascendant and Moon bringing with it great responsibility of authority over the people she was to rule. An eclipse of the Sun had made a very close conjunction to her natal Moon a few months previously. Elizabeth took her responsibilities very seriously and saw that the first of those was always to the people she ruled. She promised that she would always put them first and it was often cited as one of the reasons for choosing never to marry.

One of Elizabeth's most well known speeches came after Parliament had refused to allow her any more funds unless she married. The House of Commons had drafted a formal petition requesting that Elizabeth marry as soon as possible. If she remained unmarried and a vestal virgin such things would be contrary to public respects. This was a bad move on the part of the Parliament as no on told the Queen what to do. She responded that she would marry when she was ready and not before and thanked Parliament to stay out of what was a personal matter. "In the end, this shall be for me sufficient that a marble stone shall declare that a queen having reigned such a time, lived and died a virgin."[9] Thus was born the legend of the Virgin Queen. Elizabeth capitalized on this to her full advantage, and it was to achieve cult status in years to come. Virgo is a barren sign and there were rumours that Elizabeth knew she was unable to have children and hid it by refusing to marry. Taking the symbolism of her Sun sign literally, Elizabeth is reputed to have remained a virgin her entire life.

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In the five years that Mary occupied the throne, over 300 Protestants were burned at the stake, their crime being that they were heretics. When she came to the throne, Elizabeth, who had known no other religion but Protestantism, set about to restore the Protestant faith in England. However, she was not nearly as concerned with religious dogmatism as were her siblings. While she reestablished the Protestant faith as the official religion of England, she was more reluctant to punish those who chose another way. Elizabeth has often been accused throughout history of having no strong beliefs either way. This is not strictly true. She had strong spiritual beliefs, which may be seen in the sextile between Mercury in the 9th and Jupiter in the 12th. In 1559 a religious settlement was reached that consisted of a series of complicated Acts. It was to be considered a middle path that suited all but the most radical members of either side. The Queen became the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The majority of the people accepted this but there were still some fairly harsh penalties for being a practicing Catholic. Most of Elizabeth's distaste for religious diversity came only when it threatened her rule or when she was confronted by fundamentalism from either side. The agreement was an extraordinary achievement that prevented the religious wars that were dominating Europe throughout that time whereby thousands of people would be killed.[10] Elizabeth's ability to see religion as a personal choice saved her country from the pain and suffering that had plagued England both before and after her reign. This is not to say that there were not religious difficulties but it is this sort of achievement that makes her one of the most remarkable women in the history of Great Britain and one that saw people of all religions stand to defend their Queen when the Spanish attempted to dethrone Elizabeth and put the Catholic King Philip of Spain in her place.

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The compromise that saw England free from religious strife did not prevent Elizabeth's own life from being in danger. She was excommunicated by Pius V, who forbade her Catholic subjects to obey her and acted as a standing invitation to European Catholic powers to depose her. The most serious attempt came in 1588 when Pope Sixtus V issued a Papal Bull in which he concluded that she was unworthy to live. He officially extended a full Plenary Indulgence from sin for any Catholic who removed or killed the Queen. This was one of the reasons behind the attempted invasion of the Spanish Armada into England.

As 1588 approached, it became very clear that Spain was preparing to invade England. Earlier, astrologers had predicted that extraordinary accidents would take place in 1588. The public became quite fearful of these predictions. However, Elizabeth had consulted her astrologer, John Dee, who was far more optimistic.[11] While the Queen attempted to negotiate with Spain, preparations were taking place on a practical level. Elizabeth hated war. It wasn't in her nature to seek military glory and she was appalled at the expense, both with money and lives. But Elizabeth finally gave up on her attempts at peaceful negotiations. During this time, transiting Mars was conjunct both Saturn and Uranus in the 7th house of open enemies and would soon go on to oppose Pluto. These aspects were stressful but they gave her the resolve to see it through. No one was going to take advantage of her or her country. The Spanish fleet set sail in an attempt to wrestle England by force from what they saw as heretical damnation. During this time, the squabbling between religious factions in England stopped and all went to defend their Queen and country. Due largely to some bad weather but also the resolve of the English navy, the Armada was destroyed and the incident became the crowning glory on what was a hugely successful reign.

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Celebrations of this victory went on for months. In November one of the biggest parades ever seen took place and Elizabeth rode in triumph to Westminster Abbey, her popularity never being higher. On this day, Venus was sextile Jupiter, Jupiter was sextile both Uranus and the Mc and Uranus was trine her Mc. She was enjoying immense popularity and from some very unexpected sources. Pope Sixtus V, the Pope who's Papal Bull instigated the whole affair, had this to say:



'She certainly is a great queen, and were she only a Catholic, she would be our dearly beloved

daughter. Just look how well she governs! She is only a woman, only a mistress of half an island,

and yet she makes herself feared by Spain, by France, by the Empire, by all!' [12]



Elizabeth reigned another fifteen years after this triumph. It was not all good and there were some difficult times. By most accounts she struggled continually with a sense of melancholy that was essentially a part of her character. However, she dealt with it in the way that she dealt with everything else. She confronted it and found a way to live with it. It is not surprising that she should suffer bouts of melancholy when we consider that Saturn and Mercury, predominant planets in her chart, are both melancholic planets. The earth signs are melancholic in nature and, in Elizabeth's chart, the earth element predominates with the ascendant, Sun and Moon all in earth signs.

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On March 24 1603, somewhere around 2:30am, Elizabeth died in her sleep. Capricorn was ascending, just as it was at her birth. Transiting Sun and Mars were conjunct in Aries in the 2nd house and square the Moon, which was in Capricorn in the 12th house conjunct the ascendant. The Sun/Mars conjunction made several aspects to her natal chart including a square to Uranus, opposition to Mercury and a sextile to Mars. Jupiter was culminating at the time of her death, ensuring that Elizabeth’s reign would become legendary and would always be remembered for her larger than life character. Transiting Uranus was at almost 12 degrees Taurus, making a conjunction to her natal IC. The reign that began with the conjunction of Uranus to Elizabeth’s 10th house cusp of public acclaim, ended when it was conjunct her natal 4th house cusp of the end of the matter. Her reign was over. For forty-five years Elizabeth had given England peace and stable government. The religious compromise had worked bringing unity to the nation in a way that had not been seen for some time. But most of all, what she brought the people was self-assurance and a conviction that they were a chosen nation protected by Divine Providence.[13] In the years following the defeat of the Spanish Armada, this confidence helped to bring about the advancement of the English Renaissance, a time of unsurpassed vision for a great nation.

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                                               “To be a King and wear a crown,

                is a thing more glorious to them that see it, than it is pleasant to them that bear it” -



                Elizabeth I


   

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Notes & References:





  1] All dates are in Old Style. However, they follow the modern convention of beginning the year on January 1st rather than the old date of March 25th.
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  2] Manilius, Astronomica, translated by G.P. Goold, (Loeb ed) 1976, Harvard University Press, 4: 189-202
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  3] R. Ebertin, The Combination of Stellar Influences, AFA, USA, 1972, p.56
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  4] Firmicus Maternus, Matheseos Libri VIII, translated by Jean Rhys Bram, Astrology Classics, USA, 1975, p.161
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  5] John Gadbury, The Doctrine of Nativities, Facsimile edition, Spica Publications, Queensland, p.57
Although Gadbury agreed with the 8th house location of Elizabeth's sun he stood against the historical record of Elizabeth's birth and argued for an earlier birth time (2:36 pm) to give the ascendant at the end of the fiery sign Sagittarius rather than the beginning of Capricorn. He felt that this more accurately described her high lofty spirit. See Gadbury's Collection of Nativities, p.12.
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  6] Bernadette Brady, Fixed Stars, Samuel Weiser, Maine, 1998, p.175
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  7] Manilius, loc cit
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  8] See John Frawley, The Real Astrologer, Apprentice Books, UK. 2000, pp.109-111 for an interesting discussion on John Dee's coronation chart.
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  9] Alison Weir, Elizabeth the Queen, Pimlico, Great Britain, 1999, p.44.
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  10] One of the worst examples is the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre where about 6,000 Protestants were murdered.
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  11] Alison Weir, Elizabeth the Queen, p.388.
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  12] Ibid., p.399.
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  13] Ibid., p.487
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Sue Toohey



is an Australian astrologer with a degree in history and philosophy.

She is currently enrolled in a Masters degree, researching the history of astrology and religious
thought. Sue also has a Homoeopathy degree, using awareness of all these areas to further her understanding of astrology.

Her main areas of interest lie in traditional astrology and philosophy, seeking to understand how
they contribute to our current appreciation of these disciplines.


Email Sue






© Sue Toohey, August 2004


http://www.skyscript.co.uk

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                                                      F R A N C I S   B A C O N






Francis Bacon,
1st Viscount St Alban KC QC

(22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626)

was an English philosopher, statesman, and author. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor
of England.

He is also known as a catalyst of the scientific revolution.

His most celebrated works included his The New Atlantis.

Bacon was knighted in 1603, created Baron Verulam in 1618, and created Viscount St Alban in 1621; without heirs, both peerages became extinct upon his death.

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TRINITY COLLEGE

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Francis Bacon was born at York House on the Strand in London on 22 January 1561.

He was the youngest of five sons of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal under
Elizabeth I. His mother, Ann Cooke, was Sir Nicholas's second wife - a daughter of Sir Anthony
Cooke and a member of the Reformed Puritan Church. His maternal aunt married William Cecil
(Lord Burghley), the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I.

 
Biographers believe that Bacon was educated at home in his early years owing to poor health (which plagued him throughout his life), receiving tuition from John Walsall, a graduate of Oxford with a strong leaning towards Puritanism.

He entered Trinity College, Cambridge, on 5 April 1573 at the age of twelve, living for three years
there together with his older brother Anthony under the personal tutelage of Dr John Whitgift, future Archbishop of Canterbury. Bacon's education was conducted largely in Latin and followed the medieval curriculum. He was also educated at the University of Poitiers. It was at Cambridge that he first met the Queen, who was impressed by his precocious intellect, and was accustomed to calling him "the young Lord Keeper".

His studies brought him to the belief that the methods and results of science as then practiced were erroneous. His reverence for Aristotle conflicted with his loathing of Aristotelian philosophy, which seemed to him barren, disputatious, and wrong in its objectives.

On 27 June 1576, he and Anthony entered de societate magistrorum at Gray's Inn. A few months later, they went abroad with Sir Amias Paulet, the English ambassador at Paris. The state of government and society in France under Henry III afforded him valuable political instruction. For the next three years he visited Blois, Poitiers, Tours, Italy, and Spain. During his travels, Bacon studied language, statecraft, and civil law while performing routine diplomatic tasks. On at least one occasion he delivered diplomatic letters to England for Walsingham, Burghley, and Leicester, as well as for the queen.

The sudden death of his father in February 1579 prompted Bacon to return to England. Sir Nicholas
had laid up a considerable sum of money to purchase an estate for his youngest son, but he died before doing so, and Francis was left with only a fifth of that money. Having borrowed money, Bacon got into debt.

To support himself, he took up his residence in law at Gray's Inn in 1579. He made rapid progress.
He was admitted to the bar in 1582, he became Bencher in 1586, and he was elected a reader in
1587, delivering his first set of lectures in Lent the following year.

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Bacon's threefold goals were to discover truth, to serve his country, and to serve his church. Seeking a prestigious post would aid him toward these ends. In 1580, through his uncle, Lord Burghley, he applied for a post at court, which might enable him to pursue a life of learning. His application failed. For two years he worked quietly at Gray's Inn studying law, until admitted as an outer barrister in 1582.

 
He took his seat in parliament for Melcombe in Dorset, and subsequently for Taunton (1586).

At this time, he began to write on the condition of parties in the church, as well as philosophical reform in the lost tract, Temporis Partus Maximus. Yet, he failed to gain a position he thought would lead him to success. He showed signs of sympathy to Puritanism, attending the sermons of the Puritan chaplain of Gray's Inn and accompanying his mother to the Temple chapel to hear Walter Travers. This led to the publication of his earliest surviving tract, which criticised the English church's suppression of the Puritan clergy.

In the Parliament of 1586, openly, he urged execution for Mary Queen of Scots.

About this time, he again approached his powerful uncle for help, the result of which may be traced
in his rapid progress at the bar. In 1589, he received the valuable appointment of reversion to the Clerkship of the Star Chamber, although he did not formally take office until 1608 - a post which was worth £16,000 per annum.[2]

In 1592, he was commissioned to write a response to the Jesuit Robert Parson's anti-government tract entitled 'Certain observations made upon a libel' identifying England with the ideals of Republican Athens against the belligerence of Spain.

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                              Memorial to Francis Bacon,

                              in the chapel of Trinity College,
                              CambridgeIn

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Bacon soon became acquainted with Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1567–1601), Queen Elizabeth's favourite. By 1591, he acted as the earl's confidential adviser. Bacon took his seat for Middlesex when in February 1593 Elizabeth called a Parliament to investigate a Roman Catholic plot against her. Bacon's opposition to a bill that would levy triple subsidies in half the usual time offended many people. Opponents accused him of seeking popularity. For a time, the royal court excluded him.

When the Attorney-Generalship fell vacant in 1594, Lord Essex's influence was not enough still to secure Bacon's candidacy into the office. Likewise, Bacon failed to become solicitor in 1595. To
console him for these disappointments, Essex presented him with a property at Twickenham, which
he sold subsequently for £1,800, the equivalent of around £240,000 in 2006.

 
In 1596, Bacon became Queen's Counsel, but missed the appointment of Master of the Rolls.
During the next few years, his financial situation remained bad. His friends could find no public office
for him, and a scheme for retrieving his position by a marriage with the wealthy and young widow
Lady Elizabeth Hatton failed after she broke off their relationship upon accepting marriage to a wealthier man. Years later, Bacon still wrote of his regret that the marriage to Elizabeth had never taken place. In 1598 Bacon was arrested because of his debts. Afterwards however, his standing in
the queen's eyes improved. Gradually, Bacon earned
the standing of one of the learned counsels, though he had no commission or warrant and received
no salary. His relationship with the queen further improved when he severed ties with Essex, a
shrewd move because Essex was executed for treason in 1601.

With others, Bacon was appointed to investigate the charges against Essex, his former friend and benefactor. Bacon pressed the case hard against Essex. To justify himself, Bacon wrote A Declaration of the Practices and Treasons, etc., of ... the Earl of Essex. He received a gift of a fine of £1200 on one of Essex's accomplices.

The accession of James I brought Bacon into greater favour. He was knighted in 1603. In another shrewd move, Bacon wrote Apologie (defence) about his proceedings in the case of Essex, as Essex had favoured James to ascend to throne. The following year, during the course of the uneventful
first parliament session, Bacon married Alice Barnham. In 1608, Bacon began working as the Clerkship
of the Star Chamber. In spite of a generous income, old debts and spendthrift ways kept him indebted. He sought further promotion and wealth by supporting King James and his arbitrary policy.

Bacon gained reward with the office of Solicitor in June 1607. In 1610 the famous fourth parliament
of James met. Despite Bacon's advice to him, James and the Commons found themselves at odds
over royal prerogatives and the king's embarrassing extravagance. The House dissolved in February 1611. Through this, Bacon managed to stay in favor of the king while retaining the confidence of
the Commons.

In 1613, Bacon became attorney general, after advising the king to shuffle judicial appointments.
As attorney general, Bacon prosecuted Somerset in 1616. The parliament of April 1614 objected to Bacon's presence in the seat for Cambridge and to the various royal plans which Bacon had supported. Although he was allowed to stay, parliament passed a law that forbade the attorney-general to sit in parliament. His influence over the king inspired resentment or apprehension in many of his peers.
Bacon continued to receive the King's favour.

In 1618, King James appointed Bacon to the position of Lord Chancellor.