Remember, Remember...
The Astrology & History of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot of 1605
Today is Guy Fawkes Day, anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot’s discovery. On November 5, 1605, Catholic conspirator Guy Fawkes was caught leaving a cellar beneath the House of Lords where 36 barrels of gunpowder had been stored in preparation of an attack.
Fawkes’ discovery uncovered the plot to blow up King James I, a Protestant, and the British Parliament, but why would anyone want to do that? Where did the plan go wrong? Let’s take a look at the astrology and history of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot of 1605!
From Spare to Heir
First, we need to wind the story back about 100 years. Tensions between Catholics and Protestants in Europe had been continuously high, with each group claiming religious, moral, and political supremacy. English monarchs had traditionally been Catholic, but here’s the catch - all Catholic monarchs ultimately answered to the Pope, a practice known as “papal supremacy”.
Then came Henry VIII - serial husband, known lothario, big spender, and insufferable asshole. You may know him from the infamy of having 6 wives, the first of whom was Catherine of Aragon. Catherine was a Spanish princess and youngest daughter of the powerful Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castille.
Catherine was originally married to Henry’s brother Arthur in 1501. Arthur was the intended heir to the throne, but died just a few weeks after his marriage to Catherine. The marriage was allegedly never consummated, a point that would become very important later. Henry was 10 years old at the time of Arthur’s death and immediately went from spare to heir.
After Arthur’s death, Catherine’s status was uncertain. Her father-in-law, Henry VII, did not want to return her dowry, only half of which had been paid. A marriage to Henry VIII had been proposed, but canon law prohibited a man from marrying his brother’s widow without a papal dispensation. That is basically a permission slip from the Pope that it’s okay to do the thing that allegedly should not be okay, but whatever.
This is where that “did they or didn’t they” question comes into play. Catherine, a devout Catholic, swore the marriage had not been consummated and if that were true, then the marriage was never really official. In that case, it could simply be dissolved, and no papal dispensation was needed.
This is what eventually happened and Catherine and Henry were married in 1509. As Queen, her primary job was to produce a healthy male heir who would inherit the throne. Despite 6 pregnancies, the only child to reach adulthood was a daughter who would eventually become Queen Mary I of England. After 16 years of marriage, Henry was looking elsewhere for his male-heir-bearing needs to be met.
The King’s Not-So-Great Matter
Enter Anne Boleyn. Young, vivacious, strong-willed, flirty, and still very capable of bearing the elusive male heir. Henry was captivated, but what to do with Catherine? He convinced himself that their marriage had been cursed and illegitimate from the start. Now he wanted an annulment from the pope, which would essentially erase his marriage to Catherine and delegitimize Mary as an heir in the royal line of succession.
Catherine refused. She was a Sagittarius, after all. There was no way she, as a devout Catholic, would allow her reputation to be besmirched by some middle-aged horn dog with the hots for her lady-in-waiting.
The whole affair became known as “The King’s Great Matter”. Wow, ever notice how pompous, selfish, spoiled, power-hungry man-babies love to use the word “great” to describe things that are anything but?
SHAMELESS PLUG: History is replaying itself in more ways than one with a number of parallels between Henry VIII and our current Not-So-Great Matter, which we will cover this month in Plutocracy - The Progression of Power. Make sure you are in a paid tier to access those posts!
Henry sent word to Pope Clement VII of this “great matter” and his desire for an annulment, bet there was a little problem: Pope Clement VII was currently being held prisoner by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V… who happened to be Catherine’s nephew. There was zero chance of Henry getting an annulment to the emperor’s aunt.
This is where the drama goes full Maury Povich. Henry banished Catherine from court and gave her rooms to Anne. Now everyone needed to choose a side: Team Henry or Team Catherine? Team Henry had a certain appeal, as he was the reigning monarch and could make life very good for those who supported him. Likewise, he could make life very bad - and very short - for those who opposed him. Many folks found that out the hard way.
However, Team Catherine had the entire freaking Catholic Church behind it and at the time, that was the only religious game in town. Persecutions of Muslims, Jews, and non-Catholic Christians persisted as the Crusades still had pop-up campaigns until the 1700s. Only those who accepted the Catholic faith were deemed worthy of salvation. Yeah, that religious extremist bullshit has been around for a LONG time!
The Catholic Church was extremely powerful. Remember that even royalty needed to answer to it! While Catherine herself may have lost favor, her faith still reigned supreme. For those who were equally devout - or those who realized monarchs come and go and it’s better to play the long game - the appeal here was also compelling.
And the King’s Not-So-Great Solution
Finally, Henry came up with a brilliant solution: If the Catholic Church would not grant his annulment, he would simply leave and start his own. That’s right - this motherfucker created a schism with the Catholic Church and started the Church of England just so he could leave his wife and get with the young hottie.
After cutting ties to Rome, Henry could declare his first marriage null-and-void and marry Anne, which he did in a secret ceremony on November 14, 1532. This kicked off the English Reformation and Henry was officially made the Head of the Church of England via the 1534 Act of Supremacy - because the idea of being king and pope is not as original as the Oompa Loompa Oligarch would have you believe.
Anne quickly became pregnant, giving birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I on September 7, 1533. It was not the desired male heir, but it was a healthy pregnancy and baby. Anne was young and could theoretically bear more children, but in the end, Elizabeth would be the only one to survive to adulthood.
Henry’s bedroom follies got even messier after this, and his marriages began to stack up like pancakes at a Sunday buffet. All the while, the growing animosity between the Catholic and Protestant camps intensified. There ain’t no love like Christian hate, amirite?
Bloody conflicts often broke out until Elizabeth I died without heir in 1603, and the crown was passed to James, son of Mary Queen of Scots. Mary, a Catholic, had been seen as the preferred monarch over the Protestant Elizabeth. Plans had been made to overthrow Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne, thus restoring England to the Catholic fold. It is still questionable whether Mary was party to this plot, but she was eventually executed for treason in 1587.
When Mary’s son King James I finally took the English throne in 1603, he was already King James VI of Scotland. Like his English predecessor Elizabeth I, James was Protestant, but saw himself as more moderate towards Catholics, since that was the faith of his late mother, Mary, Queen of Scots. He even commissioned the King James Bible. James held a bit of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy - so long as Catholics practiced quietly and accepted his rule, he’d let them live. Who could pass that up?
Old Wounds Die Hard
Well, apparently Guy Fawkes and his 7 alleged co-conspirators could because they crafted a plan to blow up Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder as it opened on November 5, 1605. They would then assassinate King James and install his 9-year-old daughter Princess Elizabeth as their new Catholic monarch. They nearly succeeded, too!
If Fawkes had not been seen as he left the gunpowder-laden room beneath Parliament just past midnight on the 5th, this story - and English history - would have ended quite differently. All the co-conspirators were executed, and the day continues to be celebrated with fireworks and bonfires, on which effigies of Fawkes or other despised political figures are burned.
Fawkes became an unintentional symbol for rebellion, anarchism, and systemic disruption. You may remember the main character “V” donned a Guy Fawkes mask and outfit in the 2005 film “V for Vendetta”, and the same image is used by the international hacker group Anonymous.
The day is also memorialized in the famous nursery rhyme:
Remember, remember, the 5th of November
Gunpowder, treason, and plot
I see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, ‘twas his intent
To blow up the King and Parliament
Three score barrels of powder below
Poor old England to overthrow
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match
Holler boys, holler boys, let the bells ring
Holler boys, holler boys
God save the King!
So, these Catholic conspirators came so close to changing the path of history, but why did the plan fail? Let’s take a closer look at the event’s astrology.
A Few Minutes Make All the Difference
From an astrological view, this chart is quite interesting. Remember how Fawkes was discovered just a few minutes after midnight? In this case, those few minutes make a very significant difference in the chart as well as history!
If Fawkes was discovered at 12:05 AM or 12:10 AM, the chart would have a Leo ASC, but if he were discovered at 12:15 AM, the chart would have a Virgo ASC. These are 2 very different energies. However, Leo is ruled by the Sun and Virgo is ruled by Mercury, both of which were in Scorpio at the time of the event. This makes sense as there was a secretive nature to the plot.
So, how does one decide which is correct? Well, the reality is that we don’t know for sure, BUT I have chosen to go with the 12:10 AM chart for a few reasons. First, Leo is a Fire sign and they were literally planning to blow up Parliament with 36 kegs of gunpowder. That’s some big Fire energy in my book!
Second, Leo is associated with royalty, as in the lion is the king of the jungle. Since this was an attack on the crown and an attempt to replace the ruling party, that energy also tracks. As mentioned, Leo is ruled by the Sun and in mundane astrology, the Sun represents the leader. In the case of the English monarchy, that would be the King.
Third, the 12:10 AM chart has a 29° ASC. This is an anaretic degree of decay and crisis, which the energy of the current sign falls apart before transitioning to the next. Their plan to blow up the king and parliament decayed and fell apart just before completion, so again the energy of this chart aligns with the known events.
The 12:15 AM chart with a 00° Virgo ASC would have a much different energy, as it would be more focused on details and the signal the start of something new. Virgo is a mutable Earth sign that dots the “Is” and crosses the “Ts”. It does not plan something out just to have it fail. Their back-ups have back-ups. They are very thorough and they make change happen.
Leo, on the other hand, is more impulsive, outspoken, and explosive. As a fixed sign, they can be harder to uproot. Had the plot succeeded, a Virgo ASC could make sense due to the success of the detailed planning and regime change.
For anyone who has wondered why your birth time matters, this is a prime example of how the energy can shift in just a few minutes, creating a completely different chart!
Passing Notes
The Leo ASC is also conjoined by the Moon at 24° Leo. The Moon represents the populace, and they literally celebrate Fawkes’ demise with bonfires to honor “the joyful day of deliverance” and the king’s escape from harm. Can’t get more Leo than that! The fact that Guy Fawkes Day is still celebrated lends further credit to the fixed nature of this event.
We have 3 placements in Scorpio - the Sun (12° Scorpio), Mercury (05° Scorpio), and Chiron (06° Scorpio). They are all in the 3rd House of communications. This event was certainly big news about the unhealed wounds of religious persecution and it’s interesting that we still talk about it today over 400 years later. Scorpio is another fixed sign, lending a deeper sense of permanency to this event.
One interesting point is that Fawkes was discovered because an anonymous note was sent to a Catholic member of Parliament, warning him to stay away from the building on November 5. Although Fawkes and the other conspirators were aware of the tip-off, they decided to proceed because the note was believed to be a hoax.
Lord Monteagle, the recipient, was not as convinced. He informed King James of the note, and a search was ordered of the building. It was at that point that Fawkes was seen exiting the cellar where the gunpowder kegs were hidden.
Another interesting point is that the start of Parliament was delayed due to an uptick in plague cases. Neptune, which rules illness, is in Virgo, the sign of its detriment, in the 1st House of identity. The details of this plot were interrupted by illness, which did indeed change the outcome. Had Parliament not been delayed, it would have come into session during late July… which is Leo season.
Could the plan have ultimately succeeded then? We’ll never know, but this is certainly a case where seemingly minor events - a resurgence of plague, an anonymous warning letter, a poorly timed exit from a cellar - made a big difference!
A Song of Fire and Earth
There are 2 Grand Trines in this chart - one in Fire and the other in Earth. A grand trine is when trine (120°) aspects form an equilateral triangle. The energy is said to flow easily and harmoniously and while trines are generally seen as positive, that doesn’t always mean plans go accordingly.
The grand trine in Earth is made from Mars (24° Virgo - 2H), Uranus Rx (24° Taurus - 10H), MC (19° Taurus), and Jupiter (21° Capricorn - 5H). Both Uranus, the planet of rebellion, upheaval, and sudden change, and Jupiter, the planet of expansion, are in the signs of their fall. While the details (Virgo) of the attack (Mars) were well planned, the execution of the plan was disrupted.
The grand trine in Fire is made from the Moon (24°) and ASC (29°) in Leo, Pluto Rx (27° Aries - 9H), and Saturn (23° Sagittarius - 4H). We’ve already discussed the Leo Moon and ASC.
Pluto is the planet of generational transformation - “a tsunami at the speed of a glacier”. It tears down what no longer serves and in Aries, it takes on a bold initiating flavor. In retrograde, Pluto refers to inner power struggles, such as we see between the Catholics and the Protestants. This was certainly a bold plan, but it failed due to carelessness.
Saturn is the planet of restrictions, structure, discipline, and boundaries. Sagittarius is anything but restrained! It is the sign of freedom, exploration, and long-distance travel, but can also lean to the fanatical side, especially in matters of religion. I mean… check, check, check.
Both of these grand trines are examples of how even the most harmonious aspects can be insufficient for success. We don’t have the chart for Fawkes, but he was likely an Aries based on estimated birth date. It would certainly be interesting to see how his chart aligned with this event, but some things are just meant to remain mysteries!
Introducing: The Spangler Aspect
Finally, there is one very interesting configuration in this chart that stood out to me and that is 3 quincunxes, all of which cross one another to form a triangle of sorts. However, this does not have the harmonious flow of a grand trine, If anything, it is the exact opposite, with energy in a constant state of friction and misdirection.
A quincunx is a 150° angle that has neither the ease of a trine (120°), nor the direct pull of an opposition (180°). It is awkward and irritating. I liken it to trying to walk out of the water and back to the beach as the tide pulls against your legs and sand slips from beneath your feet. There is no solid footing on which to brace yourself. As such, quincunxes are seen as challenging aspects.
When two quincunxes share a single point and have a sextile (60°) between the other points, they form a Yod, or Finger of Yod. This is an isosceles triangle of intensity, with that apex being “pointed at” by the base points. It is often found in the charts of major events and pivotal people.
However, I have also seen a number of crossed quincunxes as I review more and more historical events, especially those of a flammable nature, such as the Reichstag Fire and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. This has always reminded me of the 1984 film Ghostbusters, where Dr. Egon Spangler warns the team, “Don’t cross the streams!” But… what happens if you do cross the streams?
There is no official name for when that happens, but I think there should be. I’ve previously called them “Almost Yods” and “crossed quincunxes” and made clear they are Not A Real Astrological Aspect, but you know what? Fuck that noise. They are a real aspect and I’m naming them. Folks, meet the Spangler Aspect!
What, you don’t think I can revolutionize mundane astrology? Think again. I ask neither permission nor forgiveness. A trine was nothing until someone decided it was. The same goes for every other aspect out there. I have noticed a pattern, and I am making the whole thing official, but you are welcome to accept it or not. Moving on!
In this event, there are 3 quincunxes that cross one another. Quincunx 1 is between the Moon (24° Leo) and Jupiter (21° Capricorn). The will of the people was at odds with more traditional views of the Catholic conspirators. They wanted to change the structure of government by literally blowing it up.
Quincunx 2 is between Mars (24° Virgo) and Pluto Rx (27° Aries). This power struggle led to an attempted violent attack that was intended to massively transform the kingdom. It was well-planned, bold, and fiery in nature, but never achieved the desired change.
Finally, Quincunx 3 is between Uranus Rx (24° Taurus) and Saturn (23° Sagittarius). The attempt at shocking rebellion was meant to free Catholics from the restrictions they had faced since the Reformation. An attack on the monarchy was generally considered disruptive and against the values of the time, but their belief in Catholicism was so extreme that they followed through with the plan until it was foiled.
Notice how all of these placements are in Fire and Earth, just like the trines. Earth is a grounding and stable energy, giving us a strong foundation and the nurturing we need to survive. It is associated with slow growth, resources, and consistency.
Fire by its very nature is mutable. It cannot exist without destroying something else. It must be constantly fed with wood and Air in order to survive, but is easily doused by Water. Remember that regardless of whether this event has a Leo or Virgo ASC, it is still ruled by a Scorpio placement (Mercury or Sun). The Fire of this rebellion was always going to be extinguished.
So, there you have it! Yet another interesting installment from the history books. Thank you for reading along and I hope you learned something new today. Do you have an event - current or historical - that you would like us to look at? Send it along!