Scotland votes for its independence on Thursday, 18th September 2014, starting at 7:00a Scotland local time.  Here is a chart I drafted for the moment voting begins, using Glasgow as the location:

The Virgo Sun will be exactly conjunct the Virgo Ascendant at 7:00a, placing the start of the vote literally at dawn.  However, by just a touch, the Virgo Sun will favor the 1st House, ensuring that the people of Scotland will definitely vote in full alignment with how they see and know themselves to be – a very good influence under which to begin such a significant event.

The Sun-Ascendant conjunction being in the sign of Virgo indicates that the ultimate question is, “Can Scotland function on its own?”  Virgo is the sign of ‘making it work’ in practical and purposeful ways.  At the time the vote begins, the question of whether or not Scotland can function with healthy well-being and practical prosperity on its own merits is at the root of this all.

There are six things I’m looking at as this vote begins:

1) With Virgo as the Sun and Ascendant, I look to Virgo’s ruler – Chiron– for more reference.  Chiron is in retrograde motion in Pisces in the 6th House at the time the vote begins.  This indicates long-standing emotional-spiritual wounds around the day-to-day operations of Scotland that are ready to be healed.  What I love about this placement is that Chiron is in its natural house at the time of the vote…yet is traveling within its natural opposite sign of Pisces.  This indicates that Scotland cannot only consider its own long-held pain – it also must consider its place in the big picture and how its symbiotic connection to the long-held wounds of the rest of the world may be affected by this vote.  This concern is only made more prominent by the fact that Chiron is still in opposition with Venus in Virgo, which is in the 12th House as the vote begins.  This vote doesn’t only affect Scotland and England – it affects the world, and will create a domino effect in how the major powers-that-be in the world deal address and with their internal situations whether Scotland succeeds in gaining its independence or not.

This Chiron-Venus opposition also calls some attention to the partnerships Scotland has or doesn’t have with the rest of the world, and brings up the question of whether or not their partnerships (or their ability to form them) are strong enough for Scotland to practically fulfill on its intention to be independent of the United Kingdom.  Having Virgo in the 12th House at the time the vote begins brings the dream back to earth for a moment, allowing the Scots an opportunity to ask themselves if their independence is a truly workable solution for them.

2) Another astrological detail that strongly addresses Scotland’s need for partnership may be the turning point in this vote – a Yod configuration is in place.  At the time the vote begins.  Venus in Virgo in the 12th House (consideration of Scotland’s standing in the world and their ability to make needed healthy and balanced partnerships with the rest of the world to make their independence work ) is sextile Ceres in Scorpio in the 2nd House (people being asked to make decisive, value-based choices about their lifestyles and resources ), with both bodies quincunx (and focusing energy toward) Uranus Retrograde in Aries in the 7th House (Scotland’s independent streak leading them to rebel against their reluctant English partner, yet Scotland also being met with the question of who will actually step up and partner with them to help them become and sustain their viability as an independent nation in England’s absence).

3) And as if another major geometry configuration is needed on this day: a Nodal T-Square configuration.

The North Node is in Libra in the 2nd House conjunct Mercury at the time the vote begins.  The North Node represents the new experiences and lessons that need to be learned and mastered, and in this case, indicates a need for a balanced lifestyle that likely comes through equal partnerships.  Mercury is the intellect, thoughts, and communications behind this need, so it is important that the people speak out for the equality, fairness, and justice they need to feel stable, safe, and secure.

Of course, that means that the South Node is in Aries in the 8th House in opposition to the North Node and Mercury.  The South Node indicates the old experiences and lessons that have already been mastered and need to be moved on from, while.  However, this is not to say that the South Node should be forgotten – only that something new needs to come into play to challenge and balance the default behavior.  With the South Node in Aries in the 8th, the Scots know how to take action to fight & wield their power – they know how to assert themselves when faced with the control or oppression of others.  The position of the Nodal axis at the time the vote begins indicates a question of what is in the best lifestyle interests of the Scottish people, and it seems to favor moving in a direction of partnership. (NOTE:  I use 3° orbs.  At 4.3°, I consider this too wide an orb for the South Node and Uranus Retrograde to be conjunct.)

The Nodal Axis is squared by the Moon conjunct Juno in Cancer in the 10th House to form the Nodal T-Square.  The 10^th House is the house of public identity – this is what the world sees.  Therefore, the world sees Scotland operating from its emotion-based commitment to its origins and heritage.  This heartfelt emotion brings a challenging pivot point for assessment – how much do the Scots want to be independent because of their emotional past, and is honoring the past important enough to set a course for the future that requires resource partnership and support from others to successfully establish themselves?

4) Ceres is Scorpio in the 2nd House makes another important aspect – a trine with Chiron Retrograde in Pisces in the 6th House.   This shows that the  lifestyle values of the Scots will be made clear and decisively known, and will show what they truly feel will heal their long-standing emotional wounds and bring solutions to the challenges they experience in the everyday operations of their lives.  It is interesting that the water energies are in the earth houses, though – this indicates that the resource-based values and the perceptions of the practical aspects of everyday life in Scotland have a strong emotional undercurrent.  This brings forth an emotional intensity and sensitivity that gives this referendum its powerful influence and its impact on the rest of the world regardless which way it goes.  However, I will say it is this emotional energy that likely encourages the ‘yes’ votes.

5) The Moon-Juno conjunction is also in trine with Saturn in Scorpio in the 3rd House at the time the vote begins, so the world also sees and learns that Scotland wants to be recognized for its historical legacy and its role in strength and success of the United Kingdom.  Scotland wants to make its presence and contributions known to the world by transforming its support structure and therefore its state of existence in the world.  The fact that Scotland is willing to vote to transform if not dismantle its support structure ensures that the outcome of this vote will indeed affect others’ perceptions of what is possible for peoples who don’t believe they have a voice or that their voices can’t be heard.  This proves that even in this day and age, the voices of those perceived as lesser can be heard.

6)  That said, Jupiter is in Leo in the 11th House at the time the vote begins, indicating this event is capturing the attention of other regions/nations that can relate to Scotland’s plight.  They, too, seek independence from larger and/or more powerful entities.  They are looking to see what happens for Scotland, eager to implement Scotland’s example for themselves.  The Light this event shines out into the world is growing and expanding, and frankly, awakening a movement.  The good news is that the fact this vote is even happening awakens the potential for (peaceful) rebellions to be formally initiated around the world, thanks to Jupiter in Leo in the 11th’s trine with Uranus Retrograde in Aries in the 7th House at the time the voting starts.  The bad news is that Jupiter in Leo in the 11th is also square Ceres in Scorpio in the 2nd House at the time the vote begins, indicating that the lifestyle values that are driving this vote may be very different than those of the nations watching to follow Scotland’s lead.  Though Scotland has awakened the rebellious spirit in many regions around the world, the reality is that Scotland’s process may not easily translate to others’ situations or circumstances.

Despite the passion behind this effort, I’m not entirely convinced that Scotland will succeed in becoming independent through this vote.  The questions about its ability to partner successfully with other nations may be too strong for the ‘yes’ advocates to overcome.  I don’t question the work ethic of the Scots, but I don’t know if they’ll want to or be able work as hard as they will need to for as long as they will need to in order to make their independence truly successful.

However, I do think and feel that this vote is a very harsh wake-up call for England and the rest of the world’s major powers that the countries, peoples, and groups they try to influence or control want to be acknowledged for who they are and what they uniquely contribute to their “parent” or “captor” nations.  Scotland has been treated like a foregone stepchild in some very fundamental ways for decades if not centuries, and England would do well to not let Scotland’s upsets go unaddressed post-vote.  England needs to make some major changes to the constitution(s) of the regions/nations it oversees within the United Kingdom.  If anything, this vote is an undeniable indicator that is now the time for England to make some humble concessions to keep their precious union alive.

Whether or not the Scots are successful, Scotland’s vote for independence from the United Kingdom is making waves around the world.  Beyond England, the long-standing power players of the world would do well to not let these issues go unacknowledged and unaddressed.  If history has taught us anything, the powers-that-be will know that successful or not, this is only the beginning of a transformative shift in how power is wielded and applied in the modern world.

Thank you for reading and sharing Signs and Numbers.  Until next post…

~ Light, Love, and Blessings,

Grace