An extract from a Spring 2007 article on the Astrology for the 21st Century website that gives some historical facts about the UK's experiences when it last had a major transit of Pluto to the nation's Sun.
The UK as an entity in itself has never before experienced a Pluto conjunction of the Sun. It has, however, experienced an opposition and two squares (besides other aspects). Below are the years of exactitude, so please remember several years either side would need to be examined for the more-than-cursory at the past that we are conducting here:-
- From 1829 to 1833 Pluto was square the UK's Sun and also the MC/IC axis - George IV died and was succeeded by his brother, William IV. George had been forced against his will (very Pluto-Sun!) to agree to Catholic emancipation. In 1831 riots broke out over the parliamentary Reform Bill - Parliament was dissolved and the General Election was fought on the single issue of the Reform Act - this was unprecedented in the history of the UK.
- From 1920 to 1924 Pluto was conjunct the UK's MC and opposite the UK's Sun. There was the first and only general strike in the UK's history, which echoed again in the 1970s (see below). Women at Oxford were allowed to receive degrees. Ramsay Macdonald became the first Labour prime minister. Irish Civil War broke out. John Logie Baird gave the first public demonstration of television. Winston Churchill - then Chancellor of the Exchequer - returned the UK to the Gold Standard - gold is the metal associated with the Sun. In 1927, the BBC was formed.
- From 1975 to 1976 Pluto was square the UK's Sun and square its MC/IC axis. The UK joined the EEC, forerunner of the EU. The pound was severely devalued. There was the shortest Parliament since 1681. There was a 'hung parliament' which resulted from the question of 'Who governs Britain, the trades unions, or the elected parliamentary representatives?'. There were the beginnings of the 'Winter of Discontent'. The world's first test tube baby was born in the UK.
