Mundane astrology

Mundane astrology is the application of astrology to world affairs and world events, taking its name from the Latin word Mundus, meaning "the World". Mundane astrology is a branch of Judicial astrology and is widely believed by astrological historians to be the most ancient branch of astrology. In the Middle Ages mundane astrology was more commonly known as the study of Revolutions - meaning the study of the revolutions of the planets in their apparent orbits around the Earth, as they were then believed to do.

Political astrology is a branch of mundane astrology dealing with politics, the government, and the politicians/laws governing a particular nation, state, or city. A wider definition of mundane astrology focuses also on natural and man-made disasters.

There are two major approaches to the study of mundane astrology. One is the focus on national horoscopes. It is held that certain countries have astrological charts (or horoscopes) just like a person is said to in astrology. For example, the modern state of India is widely considered to have come into being at midnight on August 15, 1947. This time gives rise to a national horoscope for this country, which can be analyzed in terms of the natal potential and the impacts of transiting planets in the horoscope at any given time. The other approach is the ancient practice of finding correlations that exist between geological phenomena (such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.) and astronomical phenomena (the movement of celestial bodies in the Solar System). This approach is based on the horoscope of the astronomical placements at any given time, without reference to a national horoscope.

Mundane Horoscopes

Just as a person has a horoscope cast for the moment of their birth, so too can states and nations have horoscopes cast for the moment of their beginning. Sometimes the choice of date appears to be obvious.

In many cases the correct date is not so clear, and in most cases a nation or country has multiple birth charts. For example, many astrologers take the date of England's horoscope as Christmas Day 1066 - the day when that William the Conqueror had the crown set upon his head. There is also a chart set for midnight on 1 May 1707 (Old Style), the time of the Union of England and Wales with Scotland creating Great Britain. The Union then grew again on 1 January 1801 with the Union of Great Britain and Ireland. A further change took place as the Republic of Ireland left the Union, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created.

Another example of a country/state that has multiple 'birthdays' is France, which regained its independence after the occupation of the Second World War as the Fourth Republic on 10 October 1946, while the present French system came into being as the Fifth Republic after a referendum held on 28 September 1958. Similarly in Germany the present state system came into effect with the enactment of the Basic Law in August 1949, yet it is also considered by most astrologers that a new state has come into being with German re-unification in October 1990.

Planetary Cycles

In contrast to Mundane horoscopes, which provide individual snapshots of moments of time and interpretations of the potential developmental possibilities of those snapshots, the study of planetary cycles provides an overview of real-time historical perspectives. Each planet has a tropical period (the time it takes to transit the complete tropical Zodiac) from 0 degrees Aries to 0 degrees Aries, and each of those periods of time reveals a complete cycle of expression on Earth, in keeping with the key astrological principles of that planet. A related field of study is the Aspect cycle, which combines the principles of two planets (or more) in aspect, from one conjunction to the next conjunction. The Aspect cycle provides much additional detail to a single planetary cycle, because of the "easy" and "difficult" expressions indicated by each aspect, as well as the relative positions of each aspect within Zodiacal signs, and retrograde motion applying during aspects. Sun/Moon eclipse cycles are also studied by some astrologers, together with examination of their Zodiacal positions later, at the Midheaven and Ascendant positions of actual event locations (usually disasters).

Horoscopes for the USA

There are many contending dates and times for a national horoscope for the United States of America, but the primary events considered are on the one hand when the states declared their independence from Great Britain and on the other when they formed a lasting union.

[edit]Declaration of Independence (1776)

Most astrologers view the birth of the USA as having occurred sometime during the day of July 4, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was adopted . Of the many charts proposed for that day, the most widely accepted continues to be the Sibly chart, set for 5.10pm on 4 July 1776 in Philadelphia. This chart was generated using medieval techniques which signified the event, rather than purporting to represent the actual time. (See Nick Campion's Book of World Horoscopes p417).

Other dates also configure in this event. The document, formally entitled The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America, explained the justifications for separation from the British crown, and was an expansion of Richard Henry Lee's Resolution (passed by Congress on July 2), which first proclaimed independence. An engrossed copy of the Declaration was signed by most of the delegates on August 2.

[edit]Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union (1777-1781)

In recent years, some astrologers and historians consider the formation of the country to have occurred with the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union when the country became legally a nation-state with its own constitution.

David Solte's chart is based on November 15, 1777, when the Articles were approved by the Continental Congress to be sent to the states for their ratification. Solte rectified the time as 12.46pm. It bears noting that the Articles had at this time not been ratified by the 13 still sovereign or independent states.

The SAMVA USA (Perpetual Union) chart is based on the event when Maryland became the 13th and final state to pass an Act ratifying the Articles on February 2, 1781. The Act provided the requisite unanimous consent for the formation of a perpetual union of the thirteen states. The chart was rectified using the techniques of ancient vedic astrology, notably the Systems' Approach, determining that the signing of the law took place at 5.00pm on that day.

Another chart is based on the formal ratification ceremony of the Articles on March 1, 1781, when the constitution of the new Confederation entered into force.