The Astrology of the Post Office January 2024
The astrology of the UK Post office scandal January 2024
Although there is a great deal of unrest in the wider World at the moment, I have chosen to look at something closer to home. The Post Office Scandal.
We are fortunate, as astrologers, that the history of the GB Post Office is well documented.
Founded on 31 July 1635 (os), it was then subject to an Acts with the re-establishment of the Monarchy in 1660. It was one of many that were given Royal Assent on 29 December 1660(os)
Although this Act was repealed as part of updating Acts in the 19th century that was an administrative change rather than a substantive one so for astrology purposes the original can still stand.
More recently, the GPO became the Post Office on 1 October 1969.
A company, initially named Post Office counters, was created on 13 August 1987
The Post Office Act of 2000 led to the Company becoming Post Office Limited on 1 October 2001 with the original Post Office then being Royal Mail.
The Royal Mail Group ( ready for privatization) was formed after a 2011 Act on 1 April 2012 ( Even an amateur will note the Sun opposition signifying the separation of the two between 1 October and 1 April).
Then of course we have the history of the Horizon software itself. First tendered for in 1994 it was eventually implemented in 1998-9.
Troubles started from 2000 onwards but escalated as it was rolled out and the sad and shocking tale of what happened is all over the news.
We don’t have the time to look at all these charts here, so I’ve just picked a few dates for consideration. The story merits a much longer consideration at some point so this is just a taster.
I am using the 1660 chart, the 1969 chart and the 2001 one.
Starting with the 1660 chart we can see where we are today almost 365 years ( one progressed Sun Cycle) from the start.
The thing that stands out the most though is the conjunction of Pluto with the chart Uranus. There is no better description of the dirt about technology being pulled to the surface. But Uranus is also about wilful disregard for the worth of others in pursuit of one’s own group goals and Pluto will get his man (or men or women) in the end.
Even though the chart was set for midday, we still see it playing out with Jupiter as the media bringing things to light via the progressed Ascendant while progressed Jupiter hovers around the natal descendant in the traditional astrological double whammy.
It is a week since the ITV drama shone its light on the scandal and we see that Mars was conjunct the natal Mars as the media outrage escalated given the situation the trigger it needed to unravel.
With the Uranus Jupiter conjunction opposite the natal Saturn soon, I suspect the Post Office will cease to exist in the form we know it.
Although it is interesting to see how a 360+ year old chart can still play out accurately, I am a little more interested in the October 1ST Ones – because there is a hint of a story with that.
That means starting in 1969. I’m choosing a midnight chart for that as that’s when the legal change would have occurred.
The comparison transit chart is for the broadcast of the ITV drama at 9pm on 1 Jan 2024.
The fact that the natal chart contains a conjunction of Uranus and retrograde Mercury did not bode well for it really and we can see how by 2024 the progressed Uranus has reached the natal Sun, showing how the promise of tech issues in the chart has very slowly and inexorably led to the humiliation of the organisation and all its leadership.
Transiting Pluto doesn’t seem so prominent here ( though there is a trine between it and the Public showing (MC) of the programme. There is an inconjunct with the progressed Ascendant but it is the Pluto Neptune story that shines here.
Transiting Pluto is sextile the chart’s Neptune and trine its Pluto but Neptune is opposing the natal Pluto. With Mars at 27 degrees creating the trigger we see how the problems of deception and delusion have finally being uncovered.
Jupiter ( sextile transiting Saturn) conjunct the natal Saturn and sextile the progressed Moon and trine the Programme Ascendant brings justice to the little people and the attention of the public both partially signified by the Moon.
It is also interesting to go back to the story of the Horizon project and see if it plays out in this chart.
In 1994 Pluto was exactly conjunct the natal Neptune. See how right at the start, before any software is written the interplay of Pluto and Neptune are important. Here it suggests the political pressures that led to a poor tendering process which set the whole messy business in motion. Uranus is conjunct the Descendant indicating the technology partner (sometimes astrology astounds me) but it is also conjunct Neptune and the progressed Mars. Suggesting weak processes, lack of competitive tendering and general hopelessness all round.
We don’t know when the process started but that year the Moon was conjunct the natal Saturn – not a good omen for the employees or the general public.
The next date I thought I’d consider was October 1 2001. We’ll come back to that chart later, here we are using it as a transit to the 1969 chart.
Here we can see the problem starting to manifest more clearly. The transiting Sun conjunct the 1969 Sun is closer to Uranus and square the natal Mars, as well as quincunx natal Saturn. The sheer stubborn wilfulness of management is more embedded. But it is Neptune we are following, and we see it has reached 6 Aquarius where it is enabling the management to avoid responsibility or keep their heads in the sand.
We note the quincunx between the progressed Sun and natal Moon, the two won’t be able to see each other’s point of view.
The progressed Moon as reached 5 Leo as is now square the natal Saturn and opposite transiting Neptune suggesting the first problems created in 1994 are emerging for the local post masters ( and in the long run all of us taxpayers). The new environment is further indicated by progressed Mercury moving into Scorpio emphasising the financial issues).
Neptune continues to play its part as the progressed MC quincunxes the natal Neptune and Pluto. It isn’t pretty.
The progressed Moon then spent the decade moving over the natal Pluto the Uranus conjunction and finally Neptune. None of which we know brought good outcomes for the post-masters. We won’t dwell on the tragedies.
So our next insight is at 1 April 2012.
Obviously we know that the Sun is opposing the natal Sun, that isn’t the story, we are looking for other players.
Retrograde Mercury is on the chart MC opposing the natal Pluto and square the progressed Moon and opposing the transiting MC.
Uranus is opposite natal Uranus and natal retrograde Mercury . This both indicates the split of the companies but also the challenges of the technology reaching a peak. Progressed Mars, which keeps popping up in these charts is sextile the Uranus position but square the natal Saturn and progressed MC. Transiting Mars is at 4 degrees Virgo also activating the Uranus, Mercury, Mars, Saturn configuration. Definitely not a happy combination
The emphasis on MC positions in this chart shows that the problems are no longer internal but are now the matter of public interest.
Perhaps the biggest clue of all though is that the transiting Ascendant is conjunct the natal/progressed Neptune. The unravelling is beginning.
So what about the 2001 chart compared to 2024. That is the last one we are looking at today.
Because the 2001 chart was created at midnight on Oct 1 just like the 1969 one, the angles are the same. Neptune is conjunct the MC.
But this time we also have natal Neptune conjunct the progressed Descendant and activated by the square by transiting Jupiter.
There are also a number of challenging aspects in the 2001 chart itself. Pluto is opposite Saturn ( we all recall the events of autumn 2001 that were characterised by that configuration). In this chart it is also square Venus and quincunx Jupiter and Mars. Frankly I would have picked any other day….
Uranus is not prominent in this natal chart ( though it is quincunx the Ascendant), by then the damage of the technology was in place, it is the story of the organisational internal processes and decisions that is shown in the difficult aspects of this chart.
Returning to 2024 though we can see that the technology once again has prominence. Transiting Uranus at 19 Taurus is square the natal Uranus and quincunx transiting retrograde Mercury. Uranus us trine the progressed Moon. By the time that Moon reaches the Descendant, Uranus will be joined By Jupiter.
Another telling aspect is the square between Pluto and the progressed Sun. In this case Pluto is relevant – the management and others represented by that Sun are about to face the consequences of their actions. The fact that the progressed Sun will move from Libra into Scorpio along with Pluto moving into Aquarius shows that by the summer the situation will look very different. An eclipse close to the progressed MC in the same month as the Uranus-Jupiter conjunction seems to confirm that the Post Office is set for a very big change because of what has happened.
OPTIMESIA
