It's a funny old world, as Someone once observed.
Scotland has her first Parliament in almost 300 years, delivered by a Labour government. But really we should thank the Tories: demand for greater control over our own affairs accelerated in recent years because Thatcher and her policies were so, um, disliked up here.

If the number of Scottish MPs at Westminster is reduced, Labour runs the risk of never holding government again in the UK. Likewise, the Tories could rule almost forever, yet they don't wish to see Scotland leave or even devolve slightly from the United Kingdom. Gosh, they must all care so much about us...

Labour can afford to run this risk now, because of the overwhelming majority it currently has at Westminster, delivered on a minority of the 1997 General Election vote.

The Tories mostly (or publicly, at any rate) said they didn't want to see the Scottish Parliament re-established, yet it has become the only institution in which they could achieve any national representation. They also didn't want an electoral system which involved any form of Proportional Representation, although without such they would have no seats whatsoever.

Donald Dewar has become a Local Hero, despite his party's policies being greeted with favour by only a minority of the electorate. While Labour says that it is maintaining Scottish values, the issue of tuition fees for students, surely a genetically-modified Tory policy, is against Scottish traditions.

Some of the chattering classes in London complain that Britain is now ruled almost exclusively by Scots Labour MPs, yet quite recently half a Tory Cabinet had been born in Scotland.

And, by the way Tony Blair isn't considered to be a Scot in these parts, and the school he attended is Scottish only in its geographic co-ordinates.

The new Parliament building is being designed by a Catalan architect, who may consider himself to be a different nationality from his Castilian neighbours. (One MSP took his oath in English and Catalan, his wife's mother tongue.) The new building, next to The Palace of Holyroodhouse, is being built on the site of a former brewery, in whose offices Ian Richardson worked, long before he played Francis Urquhart in House of Cards, etc. Meanwhile the Parliament will sit in the Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland, a building which originally belonged to the Free Church, a denomination formed in 1843 in protest over patronage enforced by Westminster, in breach of the Treaty of Union.

We Scots are accused of whingeing, and yet I now hear a few English (not Welsh or Irish!) MPs and former MPs doing exactly that. (And before any annoyed letters arrive though The Editor's letterbox, I will say that while I might consider the likes of Theresa Gorman and Phillip Oppenheim to be caricatures of certain types of ill-informed Englishness, I certainly don't consider their views or attitudes to be representative of the majority.)

As I write, all manner of power-broking and policy-wrangling is in progress to establish which coalition can form a government, since no one party holds a majority of seats. Isn't political co-operation one of the aims of proportional representation? Aren't laws relating to elections entitled The Representation of the People Acts and not How To Maximise A Minority Vote And Sod Everyone Else Acts?

All this before parliament even opens...
So what next? What I'd really like to do is explain The Whole Thing from the beginning, showing at least 15 charts, but maybe I won't get away with that! Here's the chart of Scotland [click here], as researched by Violet Milne and others some years back It's the inauguration of Malcolm II as King, at Scone palace.

Lots and lots of Aries. Are we rather head-strong? Yep. Do we have a pioneering tradition in several fields? It's been said. Do we like to kick balls around? Definitely. Do we have a strong military tradition? Yes, Sir!

Leo rising: the Royal Standard of Scotland is the Lion Rampant, and there are times when you would not accuse us of modesty.

Mars in Aries, the MC ruler, square Saturn in Cancer. Are we, ah, careless with monarchs? And how! They get executed; they die in battle; they get murdered by the nobles; they fall off cliffs; they get blown up by their own ordnance; they die of melancholy; they die at sea; they occasionally die of old age, but that's setting a bad example.

Moon in Virgo in 2nd House: we have to be prudent with money as our fortunes wax and wane, but with that trine to Neptune, ask any national Charity how generous we are to those in need.

Jupiter in Gemini in 11th, the parliamentary house, on the Asc/MC midpoint: I hope the new Parliament will accommodate all political viewpoints The members, or Commissioners, of the Old Parliament, on 'Downsitting’ day, used to dress in extravagant finery for a "Riding of the Parliament" up the Royal Mile, the main thoroughfare from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to Parliament House. The good citizenry of Edinburgh were supposed to treat this occasion with all the solemnity due: we know this from all the legislation issued with instructions on how to behave…

One of the features of this chart which I like best is that Uranus in Pisces in 9th: we believe in further education for all, in legal representation for all in a system based on principle, and in religion free of State control. In other words we believe that 9th house matters are a universal democratic entitlement. And, of course, it was Scots who invented the postage stamp (no, not Rowland Hill, he just implemented the system), the telephone and the television, and opened up world communications to everyone.

But Uranus is only fine if it is allowed to get on with being individualistic, innovative, Promethean and all that. Put on the damps, and Houston (Renfrewshire), we have a problem.

England’s 1066 chart. [click here]
Now, if I saw a person's chart with that Moon and Pluto in Pisces in 12th, and the Pluto opposed by Jupiter, I'd hope that this was a psycho-drama-therapist or a writer of detective or horror thriller paperbacks or some such, or I'd be concerned that this was A Very Paranoid Person. (Apologies to anyone out there with Moon in Pisces in 12th - but you can't have Pluto there too!)

Scotland's Uranus is conjunct England's Moon. Does our insistence on our own values challenge England's emotional certitudes – or lack thereof? Given Pisces' problems with recognising boundaries and Virgo's penchant for counting details, is this why those south of the Border often have difficulty distinguishing between "English" and "British", while those north of said Border know when they're Scottish, British or European - and/or Asian etc?

England also has Uranus in 9th, but the two Uranuses (Urani?) square each other. England's 12th House Pluto (not forgetting that Jupiter) is opposite Scotland's Moon: would it be an overstatement (still not forgetting that Jupiter) to say that England's power hang-ups are exacerbated by and then try to stamp out Scotland's ideas of what is Good For Us? And, in turn, we're inclined to over-react?

My feeling is that problems (sorry, challenges) posed by group/composite/representative charts are harder to work through, since the constituent parts (i.e. the people involved) are constantly changing and since it's all at a remove from individual experiences, and thus maturity is a far slower process. So, the emotional clashes of these two countries could take a long time to be even recognised, let alone resolved.

And we haven't looked at the other clashes between the two charts.

You say potato, I say tattie: must we call the whole thing off?

On Wednesday 12th May 1999, shortly after 9.30 a.m. (BST), the 129 newly-elected Members of the Scottish Parliament were sworn in, starting with Winnie Ewing, Madame Ecosse - using the excuse that she was the eldest MSP - followed by the leaders of the 7 political parties represented. At 11.52 a.m., Winnie Ewing thanked the Clerks for their work that first morning, then spoke the words which she'd always hoped to hear one day:

"The Scottish Parliament, adjourned on the twenty-fifth day of March Seventeen Hundred and Seven, is hereby re-convened"

Now there are several charts of events in 1707 which could be looked at, and which relate in turn to the events of 1999 - and I don't intend to look at all of them! But here is one of my "favourites" [click here]. On 16th January (OS) 1707, the Scottish Parliament met at 10 a.m. (LT), had prayers (they needed them...) and the Commissioners got on with passing the Act of Union - while the population rioted outside. The reasons which led to the Union were many, and are still debated with passion: some were definitely England's fault, some were definitely Scotland's fault, and some were sheer bad luck. However, Scotland was virtually bankrupt, and given England's intransigent attitude, probably the only way to survive was to concede to the demands for Union. A "federal system" had been proposed, but had been vehemently opposed by the Westminster Parliament. Scotland's secondary progressed Ascendant had not long passed over the (true) South Node and was now exactly trine Pluto: it seems fairly obvious symbolism that re-defining identity was essential for survival.

Once you've recovered from looking at that hefty 5-planet fixed T-square (who would want to be born with that configuration?), you'll notice (perhaps!) Neptune conjunct Ascendant: there were allegations - of course - of bribery, which have been neither confirmed nor negated. Uranus lately has been making his 4th opposition to the 1707 position (and in all the other relevant 1707 charts too), aided and abetted by this year's eclipses.

It seems to me that the best way to read this chart is not as an action taken by the Scottish Parliament, but as a "proposal" by the Westminster Government which was accepted by that in Edinburgh, and then examine the states of the planets by traditional dignities etc. So, the English (& Welsh) Parliament is represented by the Ascendant, and Scotland's by the Descendant. Mars, the Ascendant ruler, in the first house, stubborn in Taurus, separating from Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto, has won the day. Venus, the Descendant ruler is combust, retrograde, and feeling distinctly poorly. Jupiter, Scotland's finances, is in a dreadful condition, and, yes, there had been a "venture" which went horribly wrong, resulting in huge losses of both capital and lives. Mercury, England's finances and Scotland's 9th house ruler, is sitting fine - except for that future square to Neptune, on Westminster's Ascendant. Did England keep her word, especially with regard to money and Scotland's 9th house, supposedly sacrosanct? Of course she did! For at least ten minutes, anyway...

If you enjoy midpoints, you could have hours of innocent fun with this chart, and notice that it picks up on the Suns in both Scotland's and England's charts, the eclipse in February this year and the Uranus/Neptune conjunctions of 1993.

The Act of Union came into legal effect on 1st May (OS) l707, and this chart can be found in The Book of World Horoscopes. I expect it will still be included in the forthcoming Third Edition! While the church bells in London played jubilant tunes, the first played in Edinburgh was the lament, Why should I be so sad on my wedding day?

It is, I expect, feasible to look at the 1801 and 1922 UK charts also, but the 1707 Union chart relates specifically to Scotland and England (& Wales), whereas the others include Irish factors. To attempt to examine transits, progressions etc to the 1801 and 1922 charts as regards Scotland, may I suspect, lead to confusion.

The House of Commons chart, which I described in The Astrology Quarterly (Vol.66, No.3) is currently awash with progressed and transitory activity.

But it seems to me that the two important contemporary charts are that of the 1997 Referendum, which I discussed briefly in Transit, (Vol.2 No.5, Sept 1997), and that of the legal transfer of power. Again, the Referendum chart represents a proposal by the Westminster Parliament, this time to the Electorate in Scotland (not all of whom are Scottish by birth!), of the nature, "Do you wart this? If so, you've got it."

The legal transfer of powers and responsibilities takes place on 1st July 1999. HM the Queen will open the Parliament officially - I believe at 10.30 a.m. (BST). This is the chart I propose to consider as the "certified" birth chart [click here].

The Ascendant and MC ruler are one and the same: Mercury in Leo in 11th, the parliamentary house. This whole Devolution business has been described as one of re-establishing Scottish Identity and more popularly of ensuring that "we have our own say in our own affairs". Well, Mercury is approaching conjunction with the North Node, although a period of retrogradation will precede perfection. The Head of State is also symbolised by the Mercury, and, suitably for Leo, this remains the Monarch. The main difference between this new Parliament's business and Scottish Parliamentary business previously carried out at Westminster, apart from the tax-varying option, is that this Parliament is answerable directly to The Queen (Her Heirs, Successors, etc), and most legislation passed will not require scrutiny or ratification by Westminster or by a Second Chamber.

The Moon is in Aquarius, which I take to symbolise the representation of the people by a somewhat more democratic voting system. (Perhaps I ought to point out that we Aquarians are well aware that democracy is only a theory - we invented it, after all!) The applying sextile to Pluto in Sagittarius (the wider empowerment/ enfranchisement/ representation of the population) and the two quincunxes to the Sun seem to indicate that the actual matter of government (Sun) is dependent upon "adjustments" made as a result of this system, viz. the necessity of co-operation by the political parties. We are unlikely ever to experience nonsensical majorities such as those in Westminster after the 1983 and 1997 General Elections. It should be borne in mind also that the Moon is the Sun's Dispositor - the government exists courtesy of the will of the people. Pluto as the Greater Enfranchiser (but do you know what you're doing?) doesn't operate purely through the better electoral system: peers and ministers of religion are represented in and may stand for election to this parliament, as there is no equivalent of me House of Lords.

However, Mercury and the Moon are caught up in a fixed T-square, current or applying, with Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. The optimistic interpretation is that this signifies the attempt to break away from old-style confrontational and centralist politics - and some of the fun along the way. If a week is a long time in politics, then 292 years is certainly a whole bundle of bad habits.

Sadly, I don't think Scotland's 9th house matters will fare too well. Mars, the 9th house ruler in this chart, trying to be fair and even-handed and all those "nice" Libran things, will eventually receive a trine from the democratically-minded Moon, but he's in detriment and unlikely to win. Mars is opposite Jupiter in the 9th house, and the issue of tuition fees will not be resolved in a hurry. Before Labour and the Liberal Democrats could work out a coalition deal, this issue had to be addressed: in effect, however, it has merely been deferred. And the Electorate is Not Pleased. Should this chart be operational for centuries to come, then these themes are certain to be replayed in various guises.

Mercury represents the finances and Jupiter possibly represents UK finances (if we take the 7th house to represent Westminster as one aspect of opposition, which I'd rather not...) Mercury, by retrograde and direct-again motion, will square Jupiter twice, then square Saturn. Both of these are entrenched in Taurus. No imagination whatsoever required to foresee protracted arguments with Westminster about money and I refuse to discuss the pros and cons of the Barnet Formula here. Can’t they find something interesting to discuss? As a mitigating factor, the Sun will apply to the sextile of Saturn, so that the care and welfare of the people may interact with common sense.

Certain powers and responsibilities are "reserved" by Westminster, such as Defence, Foreign Policy and immigration. Jupiter, the 7th house ruler, is intercepted in 9th: decisions about these matters will be made "in another place".

For all the hype and excitement, the powers and responsibilities devolved to Edinburgh are largely those which were always dealt with separately at Westminster anyway. Some of these are wrapped up in the Sun's aspects and placement in Cancer in 10th: Health and Social Work services (Sun as 12th house ruler, or maybe the sextile to Saturn as 6th house ruler); Sport and the Arts (Saturn again, as 5th house ruler, but note the Moon and Neptune in 5th!); Transport (which I’m not sure about - is it the Mercury or is it the Venus, 3rd house ruler, which is disposed by the Sun?).

Some relate directly to the 9th house. Education and Law & Order. Again we run into problems with the poor Mars in Libra and the Jupiter and Saturn in Taurus - or will the T-square manifest as hoped in a breakdown of an old system? However, much of our legal system has already been undermined by outside factors.

Mercury's trine to Pluto in 4th comes into its own as regards Housing, Environment, Farming, Fishery & Forestry - all those resources which can prove difficult to move around to new "business parks" - not forgetting the service industries and research & development already existing in Scotland as products of people's minds.

One part of the chart so far not discussed is the opposition made by Mercury to Neptune by retrograde and direct-again motion. This could be interpreted as some disappointment in the new Parliament, but that was sure to occur anyway. Politicians may promise the Moon and the Stars, but all they can deliver in reality is a handful of asteroids, most of which won't conjoin anything in your chart. However...

It recently came to light that Scotland had to re-define her sea boundaries, and "hand over" to England a substantial area of the North Sea from Berwick to Montrose. (No, we didn't vote for this in the Referendum, which preceded the White Paper, and it is not mentioned in Donald Dewar's bestseller Scotland’s Parliament.) For the matter of fishing rights this hardly matters, as quotas etc are determined by the European Union. As regards jurisdiction it certainly does, since crews of vessels found to be up to no good can no longer be tried under Scots Law but English - and if the crew in question makes it to shore, what then? But what else is going on in that part of the North Sea? Oil exploration... The links between information, oil, sea, concealment, confusion and the "dissolution of boundaries" are a little too obvious. Can this matter be resolved one way or t'other? Possibly, eventually, since both Mercury and Neptune connect with Pluto.

The question many people ask is, will Devolution lead to Independence? Glibly. I'm inclined to reply: Why should it? And so what if it does? If the English (not Welsh or Irish, who are better about this) can remember that they're also European Citizens, then we'll still let 'em over the Border!

I've taken a look at secondary progressions to the charts of Scotland, 1st May 1707, 1801 and the Official Opening of the Scottish Parliament, and the years of hot activity seem to be 2025-28. The first three of these charts are all directly affected by this August's Solar Eclipse at 18 Leo 21 - and obviously I'd like to believe that we've already done something constructive with the power issues involved, i.e. the re-establishment of the Scottish Parliament (and the setting up of the Welsh Assembly - I hope someone else has been writing about this!). Interestingly, in 2026 and 2027 there will be further Solar eclipses at 20 Leo 02 and 09 Leo 55, which affect the 1707 Union chart particularly strongly. I've not had time to examine progressions etc. through a thousand years of history, and it would bore the Arabic Parts off everyone to do so on these pages (this is, of course, astrologer-speak for cowardice as regards making a prediction), but if Independence is to come again, this seems the most likely period in which it could happen.

The second question I keep hearing is, am I compiling a data list of the MSPs? Well, yes... How was I ever going to get out of that one?

Data:

Scotland 25 March (OS) 1005, Noon LT Scone, Perthshire 03W26, 56N25'30" [click here for chart]
England: 25 December (OS) 1066, Noon LT, Westminster, 00W08, 51N30 [click here for chart]
Scottish Parliament passes Act of Union:
16 January (OS) 1707, 10 a.m. LT Edinburgh 03W12, 55N57 [click here for chart]
Scottish Parliament Officially Opens 1 July 1999, 10.30 a.m. (BST), Edinburgh 03W12, 55N57 [click here for chart]

This article was first published in The Astrological Journal, volume 41 number 4, the journal of the Astrological Association.