The Brighton bombing on 12 October 1984 by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), an attempt to assassinate Margaret Thatcher and other members of the British government, at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, is marked by a well-reviewed BBC documentary. In the event five people were killed and 30 injured. Thatcher was uninjured and decided to continue the Tory Party conference as normal, and was given a standing ovation by delegates as she entered the stage six and a half hours after the explosion. It was an act of revenge for the stance the British government had taken over the 1981 Irish hunger strike and became a key moment in the Northern Ireland Troubles, starting in the late 1960s which was eventually settled in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.
The bomb exploded at 2:54 am when most guests were in bed and came five days after Maggie’s 59th birthday. There was a yod of a Taurus Moon inconjunct Uranus sextile Vindemiatrix (the widow maker). Saturn in Scorpio opposing the apex Moon – known as the reaction point of the yod is highly sensitive. Pluto has just moved into Scorpio and tr Neptune was approaching the end of its stay in Sagittarius.
Transiting Saturn at 15 Scorpio is significant since it marked Maggie’s Second Saturn Return a few weeks earlier and was crossing her Ascendant. That hardly sounds explosive but Saturn always marked her career passage closely – rising above her Descendant when she joined the cabinet, then becoming prime minister when it reached her Midheaven. The Brighton bombing could be seen as the start of her trajectory downwards though she did not exit No 10 for another six years.
What was always slightly odd about Maggie Thatcher was how little her chart seemed to reflect danger of which Brighton was the most glaring example but there were others. On this occasion tr Neptune was trine her Moon; and tr Pluto was close to her Solar Arc Midheaven. As if she was so de-realized/ puffed up with hubris she sailed through assuming the dangers of the world would not touch her.
There were smatterings of pressures on her midpoints along with good luck. Tr Pluto was conjunct her Sun/Saturn midpoint which is discouraging, stuck, requiring immense effort to move ahead. Plus tr Neptune was just passed the trine to her high-risk Mars/Pluto midpoint but that was all. Tr Jupiter in Capricorn was conjunct her Sun/Uranus midpoint would give her a fortunate escape.
The UK chart most notably had tr Pluto just into Scorpio square the 10th house Jupiter which can bring super-charged confidence and displays of power as well as clashes with authority figures. The Irish problem does appear to be flagged up on two previous occasions of tr Pluto in hard aspect to the UK Jupiter. With Protestant Catholic riots in Southport in 1852 with Pluto just into Taurus; and the August 1939 Coventry bombing by an Irish Republican Army group with Pluto just into Leo.
But the most glaring example of tr Pluto in hard aspect to the UK Jupiter was from late 1938 on and off till mid 1940 which oversaw the whole tortuous process into World War 11 from Chamberlain’s meeting with Hitler on the first station of Pluto at 1 degrees Leo with his famous Peace for our Time speech peace to a declaration of war a year later in 1939 with Pluto just onto 2 degrees Leo. And retrograding back onto 1 degree in the early stages into 1940 and overseeing the Battle of Britain in June 1940.
Pluto in aspect to the UK Jupiter is clearly a phase to watch since there is a hard aspect running at the moment late February 2024 on and off till early December 2025. Though it is without the war-mongering Saturn square Pluto in place in 1939 so unlikely to have as destructive an effect.
There were other explosive influences on the UK chart’s midpoints over the Brighton bombing – tr Uranus square the Sun/Mars midpoint and tr Uranus opposition the Mars/MC midpoint which could have given cause for concern given the risk of IRA bombings ongoing.
On more minor aspects the transiting Moon in Taurus was exactly conjunct the UK’s 8th house Mars was a faint breath of wind in the circumstances but interesting. There was a transiting yod of tr Uranus inconjunct Mars sextile the UK midheaven and Solar Arc Sun – obscure but obviously a pivotal moment – adding fuel to the fire.
The spring eclipses of 1984 did have a Mars Saturn conjunction in Scorpio – Mars Saturn being the traditional astrology signature for assassination.
Vindemiatrix, the mischief making Fixed Star, being prominent in the bombing chart tied into a yod is also significant. Astrology King remarks that it ‘figures strongly and regularly in deaths that are in some way dramatic, newsworthy or are resented in much more than the usual degree by those left behind (assassinations, common criminal murders, executions, airline disasters etc.’
Given how prominent Vindemiatrix is conjunct the recent Libra Solar Eclipse and opposition the March 2025 Aries Solar Eclipse it is worth keeping an eye on. [While not panicking.]
Apologies for having overlooked Pluto square the UK Jupiter first time round. Makes more sense now.
Curiously, 14th October, 1066 is the date for the Battle of Hastings. Margaret Thatcher’s birthday and the date for the Brighton Bombing seem to connect with that? The Battle had Uranus 24 Sagittarius, Mars 12 Sagittarius. Pluto was then at 3 Pisces, aligning with the later UK Pluto, 1801.
Uranus was also in Sagittarius in the chart for the English Republic (Richard Cromwell), March 27, 1649 – 13 Sagittarius, with Neptune 14 degrees. Pluto 8 Gemini, Nodes 7 Gemini, Saturn 11 Gemini were in opposition. Interesting to see how that links to the 1984 Eclipse chart here, and also considering the grim history of Oliver Cromwell and Ireland.
Lord Mountbatten, murdered by the IRA in 1979, had his natal Uranus 9 Sagittarius, Nodes 9 Sagittarius, opposing Pluto 16 Gemini.
Looking at the parans for the bombing, there are some really interesting connections:
– Sun culminates with Altair: Altair is all about boldness and action, sometimes even reckless behaviour. It fits with the dramatic nature of the bombing, as it directly challenged Thatcher and the government.
– Mars culminates with Murzim: Mars, the planet of violence, paired with Murzim (the “announcer”) really highlights how this act was meant to send a message – loud and clear.
– Saturn culminates with Regulus: Saturn represents challenges, and with Regulus (linked to leadership), it perhaps underscores the direct threat to Thatcher’s power.
In Thatcher’s own chart, some of her key parans are also quite telling in terms of how she may have handled this crisis:
– Sun culminates with Facies: Facies has that intense, focused energy – she probably comes off as ruthlessly determined in moments like these, which fits with her reaction to the bombing.
– Moon culminates with Alcyone and Regulus: Alcyone reflects sorrow and tragedy, while Regulus again links to leadership. This shows her emotional resilience and ability to hold it together under serious pressure.
– Saturn culminates with Regulus: Regulus pops up again, and with Saturn (structure, authority), it shows how key moments of challenge tend to bring out Thatcher’s leadership qualities, even in really tough times. Saturn/Regulus culminating in both charts may have strengthened that image she had.
While Marjorie mentioned Vindemiatrix being involved in the yod, using parans lets us see if any of these stars were rising, culminating, or setting at the exact moment. When they are, it can really highlight why an event was so powerful and dangerous.
Also, Thatcher’s chart – especially with Facies and Regulus involved – shows her resilience and ability to stay composed, which perhaps explains why she didn’t crumble under the pressure of an assassination attempt. And in the bombing chart, the Mars-Murzim paran really captures the violent, public message of the event.
So in short, parans could maybe add an extra layer of meaning and give you more context about how the fixed stars were working in real-time at the moment of the bombing and in Thatcher’s life. It might help explain some of the things that weren’t so obvious at first glance.
Tara, I know nothing of parens but all of this is very interesting and looks like a way for me to get a handle on fixed stars so thanks for the extra information. I noticed yesterday that the extended chart choices at Astrodienst have an option for Bernadette Brady Parens; an astrologer I know of so I will research it further, I looked mine up and couldnt understand it at all!
Thank you Marie, I am also trying to get to grips with it again myself. I remember reading Brady’s book and quite a lot about it about 20 odd years ago, but lost the book somewhere along the way, as did all my time for hobbies *sigh*. Astrodienst makes things very accessible.
Looking at her progressions , 0 degree Scorpio was in progression on May 4th 1979 and Pluto was hovering on that degree for the Brighton bombings. When she wrote her book The Downing Street years, her Natal ascendant 15 Scorpio
had moved by progession to her Midheaven. Pluto 15 Scorpio much in evidence in 1989 1990. Re. The fixed stars, they are too miserable to assimilate into modern life I think Marjorie. Enough misery in the world already.
Ps. By progression my Mercury 10.00 RX Libra on the recent eclipse! On my birthday South node on 10 Libra with solar return moon on 11 Libra. The midpoint from my birthday to the eclipse is my very dutiful carer Jupiter 1 Virgo. Waiting for an offer of a better property because that Jupiter always moves me and sure enough told straight after eclipse that have been accepted. Not that I’m altogether thrilled dragging my ill older husband with me. I’m willing to bet that the property will become available on the next March eclipse. And I’ve got the water trine too , but no kite with my ascendant progressing to progressed MC. Just like good old Maggie.
The lack of Astrological connections to the UK chart and Thatcher’s concerning the Brighton bombing has always given me pause about Astrology and it’s reliability as it was of huge significance. I’m not really feeling a link to a fixed star is enough; something vital is missing, maybe a different National chart? or the IRA chart as the failure impacted them more than it did Thatcher ultimately.
I notice that Scheat, Vindemiatrix and Algol are being shown currently in the charts here, are they more ‘important’ as fixed stars go or are just linked to Astrological events lately?
The Moon was at 9 Gemini in the 10th House at about midday the 10 June 1983 which is when the Second Thatcher Government was sworn into office. The Solar Eclipse on 30 May 1984 also occurred at 9 Gemini in the 8th House. The South Node in the Eclipse chart was conjunct the Uranus in the Second Thatcher Government chart at 6 Sagittarius. At the time of the attack Margaret Thatcher’s Solar Arc Mars was at 8 Sagittarius opposing the Solar Eclipse.
The bomb was planted on 15 September 1984 over a month before it was exploded. On that date Uranus was at 9 Sagittarius conjunct fixed star Antares and exactly opposing the solar eclipse. On that date Mars was at 16 Sagittarius opposing the Thatcher government Mars at 17 Gemini. Mercury was also at 4 Virgo squaring the Thatcher government 4th House natal Jupiter at 4 Sagittarius. This was someone about to send a big message to the British administration in its home. The Uranus/Antares conjunction would indicate possible violence and offers the prospect to the protagonist of success at war. However, the counterweight is that situation is that fixed star Aldebaran sitting on the other side of the zodiac may offer protection and support to one’s opponent. In this instance the IRA was successful in carrying out the attack but the Solar Eclipse at 9 Gemini conjunct Aldebaran meant that it did not achieve its aims as most of the Cabinet was unharmed. It was a very close run thing.
Thanks for this Hugh, so helpful. I remember that the bomb was planted weeks before but never thought to look at the astrology for that day. Part of the problem I have with fixed stars other than not feeling that there is a good case for giving them equal importance to the planets when reading a chart is that the interpretations are so biblical, it’s all fire and brimstone. Modern astrology has updated and expanded interpretation for the planets considerably to give more depth, no one planet is all negative and I feel the same needs to happen with the fixed stars.
I did a check of my fixed star conjunctions once of which i have a fair amount and thought if i took this literally I would never get out of bed again, ha.
Thanks Hugh. I read these posts and wondered if anything could be around 9 Sag because it all seemed like Antares energy to me. Excellent description 🙂
Marie, The answer is always there if you look for it.
Another keword for the 7th Harmonic is “wildness”. a rebellion against the ordered,
rational world. The person or event is able to set its own rules rather than abiding
by the rules of society.
Ira Einhorn, Charles Starweather, and Ian Brady had strong 7H charts. In the 7r
chart for the Brighton Bombing planets are brought to gether to form a T-Square.
Sun conj Uranus,, rebellion, wildness, joins Mars-Saturn-Jupiter giving adventure-
seeking in a perverted way (Pluto apex). Click the link below and enlarge with magnifier.
https://ibb.co/tHbcPpp
@Marjorie, I’m again feeling a similar type of anxiety, tension and “jangled” nerves everyone I knew experienced over the summer before Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race. I’ve been attributing this to the unsettled state of the US election and its exceptionally significant stakes.
But could Vindemiatrix also be contributing to this tension and anxiety?
Thanks!
Hmm interesting question. I have never known a time when so many people are jangled, nervy and panicked – and all in different spheres of life, some of them privileged not all living in Gaza, but still in a meltdown state.
Depends whether you have anything in your chart close to Vindemiatrix. Though the USA is being assaulted with Trump’s two attempted shootings and these horror Hurricanes never mind a knife edge election. That will soak in via the media.
I fear we are in for a ‘bracing’ next year or so.
Thanks! I’m impacted emotionally by both the hurricanes, though I live on the opposite side of the country. My parents lived in devastated Asheville/Black Mountain in western North Carolina and in Sarasota in the Tampa Bay area, about to be hit hard — and also lived briefly in Beirut. Plus, of course, the prospect of another Trump assault on the US and the world is also devastating, especially since so much of the media continues to “normalize” his deranged, illegal behavior. I’m hoping his lies finally catch up with him.