Alex's Asteroid Astrology

There were a lot of bad and flawed decisions that came out of 2016, like the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. With Uranus and TNO Eris locked in embrace and opposing Jupiter, populations across the globe that considered themselves disrespected, marginalized, or disadvantaged (all Eris) rose up in revolt, seeking change (both Uranus), with responses which were overblown and expressed in the political realm (both Jupiter). At least in the US we can say that only a minority of the electorate supported this ill-considered change.

Not so in the UK, where voters narrowly approved the British exit, or Brexit, from the European Union. In a sterling example of why we don’t generally submit complex policy decisions to the whims and prejudices of the uninformed masses, Britain now faces that most dreaded of possible outcomes from the vote: a Hard Brexit, with no deal achieved to replace Britain’s about-to-be-severed continental connections.

UK PM Theresa May has had almost three years to craft an exit plan favorable, or at least tolerable, to British interests, and she did. Twice. And was twice defeated. The plan she proposed in January received the greatest legislative smack-down in British parliamentary history, and a revote on March 13^th was also rejected, leaving the UK with few options when its legal separation from the EU becomes effective at 11 PM GMT on March 29^th, 2019.

Theresa May has already survived one no-confidence vote, after her crushing legislative defeat in January; if Britain’s economy craters with Brexit, can she survive another?

With borders closing and new trade deals not yet in effect, Britain faces the likelihood of food and medicine shortages, ports sealed, airlines grounded, and general chaos. Total havoc is expected at the country’s only land border, between Northern Ireland and the breakaway Republic of Ireland, which may see a return to the sectarian violence of “the Troubles”.

As always, astrology to the rescue! Well, this seems beyond rescue – how about, “astrology to the explanation!”? A chart cast in London for the termination of the UK’s EU membership vividly portrays the players and the challenge, and suggests there is in fact no easy way out of this.

Brexit passed in 2016 by a narrow margin, and the time has come to enact that decision, for good or ill

A remarkable Grand Cross is formed of the Horizontal Axis at 27 Scorpio and Taurus, exactly squared an opposition of Damocles at 27 Aquarius and asteroid Osiris at 27 Leo. Osiris, named for the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, and the Scorpio Ascendant point to endings or terminations, with Scorpio also concerned with taxes, tariffs, and shared resources. Taurus is also money-and-resources minded, and relates as well to land, cash and valuation (the British pound has swung erratically in the last year in anticipation of the change). Damocles represents the doom hanging overhead, which is unseen until it’s too late to avoid it, an energy which certainly applies to this situation. Mars is caught up in this pattern as well; at 29 Taurus it conjoins the Descendant, portraying the conflict and struggle of the “divorce” as this relationship (Descendant) falls apart. Also known as “the Lesser Malefic”, Mars here signals the resentment and agitation which fueled Brexit in the first place, as well as the contention and strife that it now evokes.

In cutting itself off from the rest of the European community, Britain may find itself more isolated than it bargained for, if there is no deal in place to soften the break

Clustered on the 21 Pisces IC is a celestial stellium which tells much of the story: asteroid Europa, Mercury and Neptune at 12, 16 and 17 Pisces, which is astrological shorthand for the decision (Mercury) to dissolve (Neptune) the union (also Neptune) with Europe (Europa). Neptune also mirrors the disillusionment and confusion setting in as the deadline nears with no deal in place. These square asteroid Nemesis, that point of self-undoing and ruin, at 19 Gemini, and form a loose T-Square with Jupiter and asteroid Rip at 24 and 22 Sagittarius. This returns us to the realms of politics and international relations (Jupiter) as well as providing another indicator of pending mortality for the deal (in the form of Rip, a symbol for change as the acronym “RIP”, “Rest In Peace”, a common tombstone inscription).

Britain, the UK, is represented by the homonym asteroid Britten, which at 9 Capricorn forms a Grand Cross with asteroids Theresia and Teresa, both placeholders for PM Theresa May, at 14 Libra and 7 Cancer respectively, and the Sun of the day at 8 Aries. Theresia also squares Saturn at 19 Capricorn (too wide to include in the Grand Cross overall), establishing Theresa May as the Chief Executive of her country, and the responsible authority in this scenario.

Head down, Brit PM Theresa May departs the stage at the European Council; a Hard Brexit is also a personal defeat for the embattled leader

The Prime Minister is also cosmically deputized by asteroid May, which at 21 Aquarius is caught up in a celestial gob-smacking with Icarus, Achilles and Karma, and which includes that Damocles. Icarus signals rash, reckless actions taken heedless of the consequences, like the “leave” vote which prompted Brexit (not to mention the decision to call a referendum in the first place); Achilles exactly conjunct May shows the PM’s extreme vulnerability, and exposes her weak position; Karma represents the results of our prior actions, in this case, the fallout from the ill-advised “leave” vote. And May is threatened by Damocles’ suspended sword as well as the country she helms; she has survived one recent no-confidence vote, in the aftermath of that crushing legislative defeat, but might not weather another, should this Hard Brexit go horribly wrong.

TNO Albion is a latecomer to the solar system’s celestial party, having been named as recently as 2018, but wastes no time in weighing in as well. Albion is an ancient name for Britain, and its placement at 6 Taurus, conjoined both Uranus and asteroid Arachne at 1 Taurus, shows yet another iteration of the story: the sudden, disruptive, shattering separation (all Uranus) from the intricately entangled and enmeshed (Arachne) legal provisions of the EU, and the shock to the system (Uranus again) which will result for the UK (Albion). These oppose asteroid Requiem, named for the funeral mass for the dead, at 2 Scorpio, yet another representation of endings.

Venus is exactly conjoined by asteroid Atropos at 3 Pisces, witness to the death (Atropos, named for the Fate who severs the thread of life) of the complex financial relations (Venus) between Britain and the EU. These T-Square asteroids Kassandra at 5 Sagittarius and Lachesis at 5 Gemini, an image of the UK’s damaged credibility and trustworthiness (Kassandra), linked with another point of termination (Lachesis is named for the Fate who determines the span of life). The Moon at 28 Capricorn is still within orb of Pluto at 22, underscoring the potentially devastating and transformative effects (both Pluto) of this change for the UK population (Moon).

You take the high road, and I’ll take the low road, and I’ll be insolvent afore ye; Brexit threatens not only Britain’s fiscal stability, but the EU’s as well

Even Theresa May’s chief political opponent, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, gets in on the act, with asteroids Jeremias and Corbin both showing angular force and power, a player in the moment. Jeremias at 0 Sagittarius conjoins the Ascendant, while Corbin at 21 Pisces is exactly on the IC; if anyone benefits from May’s Brexit discomfiture, it’s him.

So there we have it again, terrestrial drama written in the stars. The cast of characters and the plot twists are plain to see – all we’re missing is the ending.