As I write this Cancer Ingress for the United Kingdom, we have a Prime Minister who it appears, is one of the most disliked Prime Minister’s in modern history[1]. He refuses to go despite many calls over the past months for his resignation due to his seeming ineptitude at managing the country, the immigration crisis, the rising cost of living leading to job losses and many businesses closing as they are no longer afford able to afford to employ staff.  All material costs are rising, although this is global, there is no encouragement for the private sector to keep going[2]. We are now in a situation where the income from taxes is starting to fall behind the pension and employment costs in the government sector. The taxation burden is challenging for everyone and the country has stagnated with currently no light on the horizon.

The issue of digital ID will not go away and indeed Starmer seems determined to push this through at the behest of Tony Blair.  There is a feeling of unrest, and certainly discontent with the way this Labour government are handling the affairs of the people. Indeed this government appears to ride roughshod over the wishes and desires of the people of the country. There is still no completion to the Post Office Horizon scandal and the Grooming Gangs situation still has not actually got underway, despite the Government announcing they are making a £100 million investment in tackling this matter.  Parliament will recess on the 23^rd July until the 1^st September, so it would appear we may have a summer of discontent.

When we look at the Cancer ingress the first thing that strikes the eye is the presence of the two malefics, both of whom are damaged and bracket the MC degree.  However, on closer examination we can see the Moon, Venus and Mercury put their rays in front of Mars, with the rays of Moon and Mercury falling into the same bound as Mars.  Also, Jupiter and Mercury block the rays of Saturn, so these four planets successfully break the besiegement. The walls close around the executive power, but an escape hatch is kicked open. 

Mars is the most advancing and angular planet in this Ingress with a predominating square to the Ascendant. He is in detriment, but has dignity by being triplicity participator in Earth.  We can perhaps take this Mars to indicate the current PM. He is fixed and going nowhere in a hurry!  Of course, Mars does rule the opposition to the current government, but it shows they are weakened in some way being far from home.

With Saturn in fall in Aries, it can indicate problems with our foreign allies, troubles relating to ecclesiastical matters and even problems around issues pertaining to the Law. As Saturn rules the 6^th place of unions, health and the armed forces, as well as the 7^th of partners and war, we can see the country is still floundering around all these issues and it doesn’t appear there will be a swift resolution to any of these problems. For the time being, it seems not much will change as we move into the summer recess.

If we use a quadrant house system, we have Venus, Jupiter and Mercury in the 12^th of secrets, and institutions. With these three, it suggests deals being done behind closed doors, out of sight of the public that may involve the leader, their allies and matters around finances to do with communication matters such as those related to farming out data of the public, or the process of digital ID being put into Law.  Even though the Sun (Lord of the Year) falls in the quadrant 11^th he is still in aversion to the Ascendant, he cannot see to manage the affairs of the quarter.  There is a disconnect between the Sun (the Leader) and the people.

[1] According to YouGov’s political favourability tracking, Keir Starmer’s net favourability sits at -46 (with 69% of the British public viewing him unfavourably against just 23% favourably). While political commentators debate whether he is uniquely disliked compared to the lowest points of his immediate predecessors, a net rating approaching -50 places him firmly among the most unpopular sitting Prime Ministers in modern polling history. The narrative of “ineptitude” and widespread public dissatisfaction is statistically supported by these trackers.

[2] The cost of state pensions (the “Triple Lock” is forecast to cost £146 billion this year) alongside ballooning public sector wage settlements has effectively consumed the increased tax revenue. This leaves little to no fiscal room for public investment, giving rise to the “stagnation” and lack of private sector encouragement.

Looking for some light, we notice Venus, ruler of the 10^th, is not afflicted by either malefic.  She aspects within a degree the MC point by square, suggesting difficulties, but this we know already. She will quickly move to aspect Saturn by trine from the 12^th place. She is in the face or decan of Saturn, and when she moves to perfect the trine, she will then be in his terms, so she is cosying up to him from the 12^th place.  She then conjoins the Rising degree indicating the people, before moving to square debilitated Mars.  As Mars rules the IC, this indicates both the land and the opposition party to the Leader, could she be trying to do a deal?  We could conjecture this Venus represents a fiery female who really does want to shine and hold power, especially as she rules the MC point.

Time will certainly tell! 

The Moon is increasing in light, in the bounds of Mars whom she sees by trine aspect.  She also applies directly to Mercury and there is a mutual exchange of signs between the two. They support one another as best they can.  Mercury is in the 12^th place, and earlier I pointed out that Mercury’s ray helps break the siege of the MC, but we should note Mars puts his ray between Mercury and the exalted Jupiter, so preventing Mercury influencing Jupiter. Matters are not easy.

Mercury stations retrograde on the 29^th June at 26⁰ Cancer before stationing direct on the 22^nd July at 16⁰ Cancer. This station is just as Parliament goes into recess. There may be some news released about the economy at this time, perhaps in the hope that by the time Parliament is recalled, any “bad news” will be forgotten.

During this quarter there is a major planetary change with Jupiter moving from his exaltation sign of Cancer into Leo on 30 June. In this chart Jupiter rules the 5^th sign of pleasure, entertainment, matters connected with children and ambassadors. He also rules the 8^th sign of Pisces. The 8^th relates to the assets of our partners, inheritance and death rates. At the time of this ingress he can see the 8^th place to manage it, but cannot see the fifth. However once he changes signs he can see to manage the fifth, but not the eighth. Although Jupiter is moving from his sign of exaltation, he is moving into a place where he also has some authority being the nocturnal triplicity ruler of the fire signs. Furthermore he will be in his own bounds for the first 6° of Leo giving him added strength.

Last time Jupiter entered Leo was in July 2014. The UK experienced an intense heatwave as Jupiter changed signs, this was followed by severe flash floods across the South East. 2014 also marked the centenary of World War 1 with the dramatic installation of 888,246 ceramic poppies at the Tower of London to commemoration this event.

The Sun ingresses into Leo on the 22^nd July, the day before Parliament goes into recess. There are few trigger points with Venus opposing the Mars in the Aries Ingress from the 2^nd to the 8^th place. This suggests financial matters are under more strain that may be considered within the full Monetary Policy report that will be released on the 30^th July, but it is unlikely anything will be done until the Autumn. The raise in the cap on energy costs would have come into effect from the 1^st July and this will see households incur rising costs and therefore adding to the rise in inflation. 

Saturn will station retrograde on the 26^th July at 14⁰ Aries and move back to 7⁰ Aries before stationing direct on the 10^th December.  In the Aries Ingress Saturn falls in the 9^th sign and has authority over the 6^th and 7^th places with a share in the 3^rd. This could point to more restrictions over matters related to movement, communications and unions. Any further proposed laws may be under review, but with Saturn in fall, discord and strife may accompany any such proposals.

In August on the glorious 12^th, we will have the Solar Eclipse at 20⁰ Leo which will be visible in the UK. It is within a degree of the Ascendant of the Cancer Ingress.

As we know, eclipses were often seen as a portent of danger to the Leaders and falling in the Royal sign, it could indicate the removal of a leader during the latter part of the year due to the eclipse falling in the Western side of the chart. The eclipse trines the Moon in the Aries Ingress by degree. In addition, Jupiter in the Solar eclipse chart falls on the place of Venus in the Cancer Ingress. Mars in the eclipse chart has just entered Cancer and is on the degree of the Sun in the Cancer Ingress.  This does suggest the rise of a female figure, or, at the very least, a prominent female figure may be in the news for one reason or another.  Queen Camilla has her Saturn at 9⁰ Leo.

The Lunar eclipse follows on the 28^th August at 4⁰ Virgo/Pisces very close to King Charles III Saturn. Saturn is retrograde coming to trine Jupiter ruler of the 5^th and 8^th and dispositor of the Moon. There is also a mutually applying square between Mars and Saturn that perfects in real time a few days later. This again could potentially signal unrest or strife in matters related to the Law and the people just as Parliament resumes business.

In September (8^th) Venus moves into Scorpio and will dart back into Libra at the end of October, but this falls under the Libra Ingress.

The final lunation of this quarter falls on the 11^th September with a new Moon at 18⁰ Virgo with Mercury at 0⁰ Libra and Venus at 0⁰ Scorpio, so September may be the month where we will see shifts in Government and affairs related to the assets of the people.

If we look at the weather indications for the quarter, the IC falls in Scorpio ruled by Mars. Mars is in Taurus, a cold, dry sign, so the quarter is likely to be fairly dry, but with the Sun ruling the Ascendant and in Cancer, there will be some moisture. We then consider the Moon is in Virgo, so again, we have a cold dry sign emphasised.

For the UK overall, the Summer quarter may be cooler than expected but dry.

Whatever the weather, may your summer be enjoyable and peaceful.