‘Britain is not a broken society’ runs one viewpoint – in complete contrast to ‘ many of the preconditions for civil war exist in Britain today.’
The first stance says crime is way down from the 1990s, there are no blackouts, fewer strikes and an economy which is better than our close neighbours. “The country has serious problems but the right’s vision of it has become hysterical.”
The second complains that ‘the British state will now imprison locals over online bursts of purely rhetorical frustration, while giving rapists a rap on the wrist.’ Plus immigration that is wreaking demographic havoc, bringing in clashing traditions. Unfairness about a free water-taxi service, putting low-skilled, overwhelmingly male foreign citizens in four-star hotels. Ten million working-age inhabitants on benefits, over a million are foreign-born.’ (Lionel Shriver, now in Portugal).
David Betz, an in-vogue academic of the moment has looked at studies on social cohesion, civil war causation theory and social attitudes surveys. He argues that elite overreach ( most recently Boris Johnson’s turbo-charging of immigration against the wishes of the electorate), factional polarization (Muslim v white nationalism), a collapse in trust, economic pressures, and the perceived downgrading of the majority population in a previously homogeneous society, are all present in contemporary Britain.
Mercifully he concludes ‘Britain is unlikely to reach phase three: the offensive phase. This is when the insurgent groups are strong enough to challenge government forces.’
Two astro-influences are eye-catching on the UK chart. The first is tr Pluto in Aquarius trine the UK Uranus in Libra, through 2024/25.
Previous Pluto in an Air sign; In Libra in 1971 for a conjunction with the UK Uranus – introduction of decimal currency, the first postal workers’ strike, and the start of the Open University.
Pluto in Gemini in 1882 – the beginning of the Anglo-Egyptian War. Attempt to assassinate Queen Victoria. The Married Women’s Property Act passed, granting women the right to own property.
Nothing too outstanding. What is much more to the point is tr Uranus moving to square the UK Pluto at 2 degrees Pisces picking up from June 2026 and running to April 2027.
Looking back at previous Uranus hard aspects to that Pluto – and the record is replete with riots.
Uranus Pisces conjunct the UK Pluto: In 1919, significant social and political upheaval in the aftermath of World War I – race riots in major port cities, widespread industrial unrest, and the lingering effects of the Spanish Flu pandemic.
Uranus in Pisces 2003 – most notably just as Uranus moved into Pisces, 1.5 million turned out on the streets in London to indicate their opposition to Tony Blair’s involvement in Iraq; and there were other widespread anti-war protests.
Uranus in Gemini square the UK Pluto: In 1858 – riots in Belfast, sparked by a procession following a funeral. The clashes between Protestants and Catholics involved stone-throwing and continued for several days, leading to a strong police presence. Additionally, there were incidents of machine-breaking and wage-related unrest in Kent and Sussex during the same period.
In 1941 – intense bombing raids during the Blitz. Rationing was introduced, and conscription expanded.
Uranus Sagittarius square the UK Pluto: 1981 the Toxteth riots in inner-city Liverpool, which arose in part from long-standing tensions between the local police and the black community. They followed the Brixton riot earlier that year and were part of the 1981 England riots.
In 1897 – protests related to women’s rights and vaccinations. The Cambridge protest, fueled by opposition to women receiving university degrees, involved the public mutilation of a woman on a bicycle effigy and celebrations with confetti, fireworks, and other items.
Uranus in Virgo opposition the UK Pluto:In 1961 protests and racial tensions, but no large-scale riots. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) organized marches, including one from Wethersfield to London.
In 1878 – the Bury and Blackburn riots, cotton mill workers’ protests over low wages, and the Bristol riots, triggered by the House of Lords rejecting the Reform Bill. The Bristol riots involved looting and burning of buildings, while the Bury and Blackburn riots saw workers attacking factories and homes.
On the basis of past experience 2026 looks to be a year when there will be social unrest and widespread demonstrations and possibly riots.
The arrests after the Palestine Action demonstration, many of them over sixty, are a nonsense and an outrage. See previous post: Palestine Action – rights and wrongs 24th June 2025.
“A phrase that is circulating in various fraught debates at the moment – “when good people fail to act, bad men take over” – seems relevant. Anger over the plight of Palestinians is more than legitimate. But the mainstream frowns, winces and does nothing creating a vacuum into which the zealots leap, carrying on the fight in often anti-social ways.”
Other historic significant civil unrest in England,
Pilgrimage of Grace, 1536 – 1537. Pluto in early Aquarius (more or less same as now), sextile Neptune in early Aries (more or less same as now), opposition Uranus in Leo.
Peterloo, 1819 March 31, Pluto conjunct Saturn in Pisces square Neptune conjunct Uranus in Sagittarius.
Poll Tax riots, 1990 March 31, Pluto in Scorpio sextile Neptune conjunct Uranus in Capricorn.
It has to be said, it almost never goes well for the people.
Edit. Peterloo date should be August 16th.
I notice that there’s a new drama series, King and Conqueror, about Harold and William the Conqueror (to give him his polite name). It begins showing in the UK on 24 August. The recent announcement that the Bayeux Tapestry will be on show at the British Museum from autumn 2026, seen here for the first time in 900 years, is another cultural reminder of that pivotal period of upheaval in English history. The Battle of Hastings date is 14 October, 1066 – so what’s being flagged as a ‘once in a generation show’ opens at the appropriate time of year.
Looking at the December 1066 chart, this September’s Pisces Lunar Eclipse opposes 1066 Saturn (history), and is 5 degrees off the S Node in that chart, 20 Pisces. The Solar Eclipse in Virgo, plus tr Saturn and Neptune, impacts the 1066 29 Pisces Moon square 28 Sagittarius Uranus. The ‘Great Britain’ 1707 chart (Campion) also has a 28 Virgo Moon. Hmmn – more signs and portents?
This September’s Lunar Eclipse is in opposition to the UK’s natal Pluto.
The Solar Eclipse is conjunct her natal Uranus.
I don’t know enough about mundane astrology to make any predictions, but I’m guessing both will be significant one way or the other.
My mistake about the Lunar Eclipse, I got it muddled up with next week’s New Moon, not as serious I hope.
What worries me is the repeated occurrences of race riots/tensions for this particular astrological combination (1919, 1961, 1981).
Also, the 1961 riots influenced the considerable tightening of Commonwealth immigration to the UK in the following decade, by both the then-Conservative government and then the succeeding Labour government. I wonder if there would be such a direct co-relation between any possible riots and a major tightening of immigration in the UK again.
1981 is interesting to me because of all the fire and air. Uranus was moving between the end of Scorpio and entering Sagittarius. Saturn and Jupiter in Libra (they were conjunct that year), Neptune in later Sagittarius sextile Pluto in Libra, and Nodes Leo/Aquarius entering Cancer/Capricorn in August. Tr Nodes enter Aquarius next July.
Uranus in late Scorpio (opposing its current path now) would be trine the 1066 Pisces Moon, going on to square 1066 Pluto from Sagittarius. Neptune was a few degrees off a conjunction to 1066 Uranus in Sagittarius, and squaring the UK Pisces Moon. So a volatile population seems to show up on an older chart too. Recent times have seen Neptune conjunct that Moon, and squaring the old Uranus in Sagittarius – feelings about travel, foreigners, religion, knowledge? 1066 Pluto is 3 Pisces, so both UK Plutos are energised simultaneously by transits.
UK in 1981 also saw the glamorous (Neptune?) wedding of Charles and Diana, a major event. Conservative Margaret Thatcher was PM – the first woman to be PM in British history. Elsewhere in the world, Ronald Reagan became US President, IBM launched the first personal computer, and Pope John Paul II was shot at.
Marjorie’s comment about “good people failing to act” is particularly relevant to the Church of England. The last Archbishop of Canterbury, it’s head, resigned in rather shameful circumstances in January 2025 and due to a series of administrative muddles, a successor has yet to be elected by the seventeen people charged with the task. A leadership vacuum at the top of our national Church at a time of great uncertainty in world affairs and tensions in communities within the country is lamentable.
1878, a Jupiter hour….in natal Jupiter squares Uranus, another symbol for riots….in this case we
have the Bury and Blackburn riots.
1858, ruled by Mars, riots in Belfast.
Is late April/early May 2026 particularly risky? Am supposed to attend a conference in London next year, and between the pandemic and Snooper’s Charter, already have concerns.
Would give London a hard swerve for the foreseeable
Where is your conference based, Namtaro? London is huge, and if you’re worried about civil unrest of some kind, it is usually very easy to avoid areas involved. In fact, demonstrations and so on can take place with large areas of London completely uninvolved. What pandemic? The pandemic is over!
London is as safe as any other large city, and requires exactly the same sensible behaviour you’d choose when visiting, say, New York, Paris, or Sydney or wherever.
London is fine. I’d give Norfolk a bit of a swerve though.
How so? What’s happening in Norfolk?
Hahaha … Norfolk! (that’s funny … I have no idea why but I burst out laughing) Sorry Norfolk
United Kingdom was born during a Jupiter hour, 1801. So the Chaldean sequence of Jupiter hours is….0 yr old, Jupiter, 1801; 1808, Jupiter; 1815, Jupiter…..2018, Jupiter;
2025, Jupiter; 2026, Mars. Let each hour represent 1 year for UK.
Here are the years that were ruled by Mars in UK….Mars gives unrest, as
Mars rules the UK 7th, foreigners, and the UK Sun rules UK 11th, groups.
In UK chart, Mars sextiles MH, trines 4th-Sun, homeland, and Mars trines Venus, viiolence
vs women.
1920, Mars ruler; 1858, Mars ruled, Belfast riots; 1942 Mars, bombing raids
2025 is ruled by Jupiter, so the next year 2026, will be ruled by Mars, unrest.
Mars aspects the MC, trines IC, homeland and squares Venus….look for an increase
in violence towards women also in 2026. Mars trines Sun, ruler of 11th groups, in
4th, the homeland.