Anyway, continuing on with the theme…
Eris in Gemini:
Eris last entered Gemini in March of 1605, and left Gemini in July of 1640 (though retrogrades might have had it going in and out). This is a shockingly short period of time, relatively speaking, compared to Eris in Aries or Taurus. A period of only 35 years spent in Gemini, doesn’t even finish the 17th century, but it’s a very interesting time period because it’s the beginning of anything that could remotely be labeled as US history.
Notable events:
1607 – Founding of Jamestown, the first successful permanent English colony in the Americas.
1611 – First publication of King James Bible.
1618 – Defenestration of Prague, leads to Thirty Years’ War which lasts throughout the rest of this period and beyond.
1620 – The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, England.
1633 – Japan closes itself to foreigners, and Galileo Galilei is tried by the Inquisition, for promoting that darn Heliocentric theory that discredited Christianity and astrology alike in the eyes of many.
1636 – Harvard University is founded in Massachusetts.
1639 – Wars of the Three Kingdoms begin with the Bishop’s Wars.
So, in summary, here’s how I see this period having a Gemini theme. When Eris was in Aries, the printing press was invented. When it was in Taurus, we got Tyndale’s partial translation of the Bible. Finally, in Gemini, we get the King James Bible, the finished product that spreads the word and creates controversy to this day. Same with Heliocentric theory. Copernicus wrote a preliminary work that wasn’t widely distributed when Eris was in Aries, published it in mature form when Eris was in Taurus, and finally Galileo created a lot of drama by actively evangelizing for the theory when it moved into Gemini. So while it may be associated with war, it also seems like it could be connected with new ideas that create strife and can thus lead to war over time… sort of like a Uranus/Mars combo in a way. When Eris was in Aries, Spain founded the first American colonies, when it was in Taurus, Spain was dividing the world with Portugal, and England was trying and failing to establish a colony in Roanoke. Finally, in Gemini, England pulls off an American colony with Jamestown, starts another one at Plymouth Rock, and even creates Harvard University all while Eris is in Gemini. I feel like I can see this slow-moving pioneer spirit along with the warlike attributes of Eris, which would indeed be very Aries if that’s the case. And yes, Martin Luther and his Ninety-Five Theses in particular really feel a lot like Eris throwing that apple somehow, looking back, given how much Protestant/Catholic conflict occurred as a result when Eris entered Taurus. And right before Eris changes sign… Wars of the Three Kingdoms begin. Seems so appropriate for Eris, too.
Eris in Cancer:
Eris entered Cancer in July of 1640, and left in June of 1661, staying in that sign for just over 20 years… Eris really does not like Cancer… we’re changing signs a lot in the 17th century, aren’t we?
Notable Events:
1642 – English Civil War breaks out, ends with the execution of King Charles I.
1648 – Thirty Years’ War ends with the Peace of Westphalia, leading to the concept of Westphalian sovereignty in international law.
1653 – Cromwellian reconquest of Ireland takes place, bringing Ireland back under English control.
1660 – Commonwealth of England ends, monarchy is brought back under Charles II, and the Royal Society is founded to promote science.
So overall, this is a very short list, but Eris in Cancer corresponds almost perfectly with the time Oliver Cromwell ruled over England, and the recognition of the concept of Westphalian sovereignty which pushed for states not to intervene in each other’s affairs, giving them a kind of “shell.” Prior to this, Europe still operated under the notion of the Pope having spiritual authority and the emperor having temporal authority, and there was no real respect for the concept of states as independent things with a right to self-determination at all. I have to wonder… does the US sun sign being in Cancer suggest that American independence and its ideals come from this period of English history, the arguments and justifications used during this time?
Eris in Leo:
Eris entered Leo in June of 1661, and left in August of 1676, staying in Leo for just 15 years. Well, I guess that makes Eris hard to interpret… it isn’t consistent at all with how long it stays in signs. What can you say about a planet that spends a century in one sign, but can go through others in 15 years?! There’s just no way to find a consistent mechanism of action here, everything about how it works is so chaotic.
Notable Events:
1665 – Robert Hooke discovers cells using a microscope.
1666 – The Great Fire of London broke out during this time.
1667 – War of Devolution takes place in the Netherlands, one of the first wars by Louis XIV (the Sun King) to expand French territory within Europe.
1672 – The Third Anglo-Dutch war breaks out, along with the Franco-Dutch war.
Hmm… so this period is hard to say much about. Discovering cells with a microscope does seem to suggest that life and vitality are “seen” and observed in a new way for the first time. And from what I hear, the Great Fire of London already has so much fire in the chart that Eris was just piling on being in Leo at the time. But the most notable thing is that the Netherlands is involved in multiple wars during this time, and that the Sun King was put on the map during this time, which seems appropriate given that Leo rules the sun.
Eris in Virgo:
Eris entered Virgo in August of 1676, and left in July of 1693, spending just 17 years in Virgo. At least the number seems to be going up again instead of down?
Notable Events:
1680 – The Pueblo Revolt drives the Spanish out of New Mexico until 1692.
1682 – French explorer Robert La Salle claims all land east of the Mississippi River.
1683 – The Great Turkish War halts the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Europe.
1685 – James II takes the throne, becoming the final Catholic monarch to rule over England.
1687 – Isaac Newton publishes the Principia, explaining the law of gravity for the first time.
1688 – Glorious Revolution occurs, William & Mary become Protestant rulers of England, James II is deposed.
1689 – English Bill of Rights receives Royal Assent, becomes a model for the Bill of Rights in the US Constitution much later. During the same year, John Locke publishes Two Treatises on Government and A Letter Concerning Toleration, major cornerstones of liberalism as a concept.
1693 – In February, the College of William & Mary is founded in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Overall, the theme of Eris in Virgo seems to be that of recent precedent being restored through violent conflict, and then reinforced somehow. England was never going to accept a Catholic monarch at this point in history, though it is interesting that instead of a Commonwealth, they dealt with the issue by swapping out their monarch rather than try what Cromwell did again, sticking with established precedent and minimizing disruption to the operation of government. There’s definitely a bit of an intellectual theme here. Issac Newton discovered gravity, John Locke basically described how government should work to avoid the stress of deciding how to replace an unpopular monarch, and another American college was founded. Might be a coincidence, but Harvard, the oldest private University, was built when Eris was in Gemini, and now the oldest public university, William & Mary, was built when Eris was in Virgo… both happened under Mercury-ruled Eris signs? It also makes me think of the old rumor that Washington DC was built under Virgo influences, and that this had something to do with the architecture. And quite possibly, Virgo influences in Eris here, at this point in English history, were the very starting point of the ideas they wanted upheld in government when they said they wanted Virgo influences on government…
I could be floundering in the dark looking for influences here, using this method rather than looking at Eris influence within individual charts, but since I’ve already started trying, I might as well keep going.
