Re-examining My Divination On The Scottish Independence Vote

In my divination on the referendum on Scottish independence, I had predicted that the “Yes” vote will win and that there is impending Scottish independence from the UK.

The results were contrary to my prediction that the “Yes” vote will win. The “No” vote won with 55.3% and the “Yes” vote lost with 44.7%.

Did I misinterpret the symbols manifested in the divination?

The astrological symbolism in the divination on the Scottish vote was:

Taurus rising with Mercury in the 10th house in Aquarius

I had acknowledged that the symbolism of Taurus showed the strength of the forces of conservation of Scotland’s position within the UK:

“Taurus is a fixed sign indicating that the present status of Scotland is “fixed” or stable, i.e., this symbolism points to its present and past entrenched condition in the United Kingdom.

Taurus also indicates the earth element and this symbolizes the strength of the forces of conservation of its present status of entrenchment in the UK, of the status quo.”

But I also said that “…in Vedic astrology,  Taurus is a prsthodaya sign, or a sign which rises with its hind parts first, indicating “success in matters of destructive, separative, or disintegrating nature“. Independence from the UK is a matter of separation.”

Here I made a mistake in thinking that the symbolism of the prsthodaya sign, or a sign which rises with its hind parts first, which indicates success in matters of separation, is strong enough to override the symbolic indications of the earth element, e.g., conservation of status, and the fixed nature of Taurus, implying success of the “No” vote or a vote against any radical change in Scotland’s present political status.

It also turns out that in Vedic astrological texts the symbolism of the prsthodaya sign, or a sign which rises with its hind parts first, is ambiguous.

For instance, in Daivajna Vallabha, a Sanskrit text on Vedic horary astrology, there is the view that if the ascendant or rising sign (signifying Scotland in this divination) is a prsthodaya sign, it indicates a negative answer to the question at hand, and implying, in this context, that the negative answer to the referendum question “Should Scotland be an independent country?” will prevail or take lead.

On the other hand, there is the interpretation I adopted, that a prsthodaya sign indicates success in matters of separation, destruction, termination, etc.

I also made a mistake in the interpretation of the crucial symbolism of the 10th house (signifying matters of state, including statehood) falling in the sign Aquarius, another fixed or immutable sign indicating the success of the “No” vote or a vote against any radical change from the present political status of Scotland.

I underestimated the significance of the fact that both the ascendant or the first house (signifying the status of Scotland) and the 10th house (signifying its political status) fall in fixed or immutable signs, Taurus and Aquarius respectively, and that this joint symbolism not only shows the strength of the forces of conservation of Scotland’s status within the UK, but their superior strength.

The twentieth century Russian-born French astrologer Alexandre Volguine was probably influenced by Vedic astrology in his emphasis on the significance of sign rulership, or the planets ruling the relevant signs. According to Volguine, a planet’s significations are modified, strengthened, or weakened by the status of its dispositor, i.e., the ruler of the sign in which the planet in question is located or “housed”.

In my divination, I overlooked the significations of the planetary rulers of the two critical signs, the ascendant or 1st house sign Taurus and the 10th house sign Aquarius.

Venus is the ruler of Taurus. Venus signifies union rather than separation.

Remains of the Temple of Venus in the Forum of Caesar, Rome.

Saturn is the ruler of Aquarius. Saturn signifies a cautious and conservative approach. It also signifies subordination rather than independence.

Ruins of the Temple of Saturn (eight columns to the far right), Rome

On the symbolism of Mercury in Aquarius, I overlooked the significance of the conservative character of the sign ruler or dispositor, Saturn, and its constraining influence on Mercurial indications. I ought to have noticed that this conservative constraint of Saturn, the sign ruler of Aquarius, on Mercury implies that the “No” vote to a radical change in Scotland’s status will prevail over the “Yes”.

Further, the deity associated with Mercury in the Hindu pantheon is Vishnu, whose function is to preserve and protect, rather than to undermine or destroy, the order of things.

What about the symbolism of sage Kapila, the founder of the dualistic Samkhya system of metaphysics, in the divination?

I think that this symbolism was on the “right track” and corresponded to the fact that independence was the topic and issue of the divination and that there is a significant % of Scots aspiring for independence from the UK. I don’t think the recent vote has extirpated the independence movement in Scotland.

I will conclude by pointing out the synchronicity of the Scottish vote results with the numerological symbolism of Mercury and Saturn.

A sculpture of Mercury

Mercury signifies the number 5.

There were a total of 32 local government areas involved in the voting.  In numerology, the number 32 can be reduced to 5 (3 + 2), the number signified by Mercury.

The “No” vote was 55.3 %. There are two 5’s in this figure!

That’s a dual occurrence of number 5, the number signified by the dualistic planet Mercury!

The “Yes” vote was 44.7%.

The number 44 can be reduced to 8 (4 + 4), the number of Saturn, the dispositor or ruler of the sign occupied by Mercury!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Divination On The Scottish Independence Vote

My attempt at divining the outcome of the vote on Scottish independence next week, Thursday, September 18, 2014, yielded the following astrological symbolism:

Mercury in Aquarius in the 10th House

This symbolism implies that the ascendant or “rising sign” is Taurus since Aquarius is the tenth sign from Taurus.

Thus, the astrological symbolism we need to interpret to divine the outcome of the vote on Scottish independence is:

Taurus rising with Mercury in the 10th house in Aquarius

Taurus: Zodiac Symbol Bull; Zodiac Element Earth; Zodiac Quality Fixed; Sign Ruler Venus

Flying Mercury (late 16th-century) by Giambologna

Aquarius: Zodiac Symbol Water-Bearer; Zodiac Element Air; Zodiac Quality Fixed; Sign Ruler Saturn

My recourse to the symbolism of deities or divine beings in the Hindu pantheon yielded the sacred figure of sage Kapila, the founder of the great  Sāṃkhya (500 – 200 BCE) system of metaphysics in Indian philosophy, a system whose keynote is the liberation or independence of the Puruṣa,  or soul, or individual consciousness, from its “bondage” to prakriti  or nature, a “bondage” which is the function of the soul’s erroneous identification with prakriti or nature, including its identification with the physical body.

Watercolor painting on paper of sage Kapila, the founder of the Sāṃkhya (500 – 200 BCE) school of Indian philosophy

We must first consider the astrological symbolism of the rising sign Taurus and the 10th house Aquarius.

Taurus is a fixed sign indicating that the present status of Scotland is “fixed” or stable, i.e., this symbolism points to its present and past entrenched condition in the United Kingdom.

Taurus also indicates the earth element and this symbolizes the strength of the forces of conservation of its present status of entrenchment in the UK, of the status quo.

This is accurate because there is significant opposition to independence from the UK. The latest ICM poll for the Guardian newspaper shows 42 % opposed to independence from the UK , 40 % in favor of independence, and 17 % undecided.

However, it is interesting to note that in Vedic astrology,  Taurus is a prsthodaya sign, or a sign which rises with its hind parts first, indicating “success in matters of destructive, separative, or disintegrating nature“. Independence from the UK is a matter of separation.

Aquarius is also a fixed sign, but it indicates the element of air symbolizing the forces of change from Scotland’s present entrenchment in the UK.

It is remarkable that the astrological symbolism of Aquarius has manifested in this divination on the vote on Scottish independence because the great English astrologer William Lilly (1602 – 1681) writes in his work Introduction to Astrology (1647) that:

“this sign (Aquarius) has rule over affairs of state in England...”

Portrait of Lilly, aged 45, now housed in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford

The upcoming vote on Scottish independence is clearly an “affair of state” in England!

In Babylonian mythology, Aquarius was associated with the god Ea (corresponding in Sumerian mythology to the god Enki who is depicted with waters flowing from his shoulders) who was often depicted with a vase overflowing with water.

It is astonishing to note that the god Enki was also associated with the planet Mercury in Sumerian astrology. In this divination, Mercury occupies the 10th house in Aquarius!

Enki (the god Ea in Babylonian mythology) one of the four primal Gods in Sumerian mythology

The main symbolism of Aquarius in Vedic or Indian astrology is “a water pot emptied on the shoulder of a man”. This pervasive Aquarius symbolism of the emptying of water from a container suggests escape or liberation from confinement or containment. The water escapes from the confines of the pot or pitcher and achieves its freedom of movement and flow.

I am inclined to interpret this symbolism of Aquarius as a sign of impending Scottish independence from the UK.

The fact that, in this divination, the 10th house falls in Aquarius (in astrology the 10th is the astrological “house” or sector governing status, including political status, and issues of state and statehood) only lends further support to this interpretation in favor of impending Scottish independence.

The Indian astrologer K. S. Krishnamurti (1902 – 1978) had an interesting view on the nature of the 10th house in the context of issues of marriage, partnership, alliances, unions, etc.

He argued that the 12th from any given astrological “house” (there are 12 astrological houses or domains corresponding to the 12 signs, but the location of each house in a sign is determined by the ascendant or the rising sign) undermines the significations of that house.

Indian astrologer K. S. Krishnamurti (1902 – 1978)

Thus, the 3rd house is the 12th from the 4th house. Hence, the 3rd house undermines the affairs signified by the 4th house. For instance, the 4th house signifies one’s home or residence. Since the 3rd house undermines the affairs of the 4th house, the 3rd house signifies change of residence or loss of residence.

The 10th house signifies employment. The 9th house is the 12th from the 10th house. So, the 9th house undermines the affairs of the 10th house and signifies, among other things, loss of employment.

In terms of K.S. Krishnamurti’s astrological analysis, the 10th house is the 12th from the 11th house. The 11th house signifies unions, alliances, partnerships, friendships, associations, inclusion or incorporation of an entity into a larger group, and so forth. Since the 10th house is the 12th from the 11th house, it undermines alliance, partnership, inclusion or incorporation, etc., and signifies separation and severance of an existing relationship. 

Hence, the key symbolism of the 10th house in this divination also lends support to my astrological interpretation in favor of impending Scottish independence from the UK.

The remaining critical astrological symbolism to interpret is that of Mercury in the 10th house.

Mercury is a rapidly moving planet. This suggests that matters are in flux and rapid change in relation to the upcoming vote on independence. Since Mercury is also an elusive planet and signifies inconstancy and uncertainty, we may expect to see some fluctuations in the percentages of “Yes” and “No” votes, and uncertainty due to the percentage of undecided voters,  right up to the day of the vote on independence.

Mercury is also the “owner” of the dual signs of Gemini and Virgo. Gemini, of course, is symbolized by twins, duality, rather than a single entity. This suggests that the outcome of the independence vote will be “twins” or two entities, Scotland and England, rather than one entity, the UK.

Mercury is the chief astrological signifier of communication, including propaganda. Hence, the nature of the communication, inclusive of propaganda, directed at the “Yes” and “No” camps will play a decisive role in shaping the outcome. The current propaganda against a “Yes” vote is likely to backfire because of its fear tactics and emphasis on the threat of economic woes facing Scotland if it votes in favor of independence from the UK.

Mercury also signifies commerce and business undertakings and controversies pertaining to them. It is not surprising that issues of commerce and controversies pertaining to the actions of business groups have taken center stage in the debates on Scottish independence.

I think that Mercury, a signifier of the element of air, in Aquarius, a sign also representing the element of air,  accentuates the symbolism of air in this divination. This indicates that the winds of change and instability, in the form of Scottish independence, are about to strike “affairs of state in England”, to use William Lilly’s description of one of the significations of the sign Aquarius. 

It is also interesting to note that in terms of the astrological transit of planets through signs, according to Vedic or Indian astrology, on Thursday, September 18, 2014, the Sun will be in Virgo, the sign of Mercury, and the Moon will be in Gemini, also a sign of Mercury!

I think that this is a strong portent of the realization of the symbolic significations of Mercury, all pointing to Scottish independence,  I have delineated.

Let us consider, in closing, the symbolism of sage Kapila in this divination.

As I observed at the beginning of this piece, in the Hindu pantheon, the sage  Kapila holds the status of the creator of the Sāṃkhya (500 – 200 BCE) system of metaphysics in Indian philosophy. The central goal of this system of metaphysics is liberation or independence of the Puruṣa  or soul from its subjection or “bondage” to prakriti or nature.

At the beginning of the Sāṁkhyakārikā (400 – 500 CE), the central text of this school of metaphysical philosophy, there is an incisive discussion and defense, against powerful objections, of the possibility and feasibility of attaining liberation or independence.

Further, the Sāṃkhya system of metaphysics is dualist in that it countenances two eternal “categories” or “principles”, Puruṣa or soul and prakriti or nature.

I think that the symbolism of dualism in this context also shows that the outcome of the vote on Scottish independence next week is the existence of two nations, Scotland and England, rather than one United Kingdom.

Thus, the symbolism of sage Kapila shows that independence or liberation is not only the topic of this divination, but also that it is the impending outcome of the vote on Scottish independence next Thursday, September 18, 2014.

Stone Circle, Calanais, Scotland