Three Queens and the Sign of the Bull: Part 3
During the late 16th Century England, Scotland and France were all ruled by women: Elizabeth I, Catherine de Medici and Mary, Queen of Scots. These three women were connected by either blood or marriage and they shared the challenge of ruling in a time when only men were supposed to hold positions of authority. They also shared some astrological connections; in particular, all three were born with Taurus prominent in their horoscopes.
Mary, Queen of Scots was the youngest of these three queens, born Dec. 8, 1542 (New Style) with Taurus as her Rising sign. (Click here to see the horoscope of Mary, Queen of Scots.)
The Rising sign has much to do with one’s appearance and, with Venus ruled Taurus on the Ascendant, Mary was celebrated for her beauty. She also stubbornly intent on enjoying all the pleasures life had to offer her.
Marriage was the overarching theme of Mary Queen of Scots’ career. Like her cousin, Elizabeth I, Mary had Saturn in the 7th House. Marriage was serious business for her and needed to be entered upon with great caution and consideration. Unfortunately, Mary was an impulsive Sagittarius by Sun sign and her choices were not always so well thought out.
Mary’s first marriage was arranged when she was just a child. Her mother was from the Guise family of France and her prospective husband was to become Francis II, King of France. This made the imposing Catherine de Medici her mother-in-law and placed young Mary at the center of major power struggle within the French court.
When Francis died, Mary returned to Scotland. After spending her childhood amid the glory of the French court, life in rough and ready Scotland must have seemed bleak. Of course, it didn’t help that Calvinist preachers in Scotland, like John Knox, were constantly criticizing her Catholic religion and her frivolous lifestyle.
Mary’s lifestyle was what one might expect of Sagittarian royal. She liked happy music and dancing. She was athletic and a fine horsewoman. And she enjoyed to company of clever, handsome men. One of those men, Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, particularly caught her eye.
Darnley was tall and good-looking. More importantly, he had dynastic connections to the Tudor family. Mary also had a connection to the Tudor line of succession. Some people even thought that her claim to the English throne was stronger than that of Queen Elizabeth I. So Mary’s sudden decision to marry Darnley was not just a matter of Sagittarian impulse. The ambition of her Moon in Capricorn also played a part.
Unfortunately, neither ambition nor love was enough to make up for Darnley’s many failings as a husband. Shortly after their first child was conceived, Darnley and Mary were living apart. Then Darnley was murdered. Though he was an odious character with many enemies, Mary was considered a prime suspect.
Mary’s Sun is in the 8th House, which is associated with power, sex, death and subterfuge. It is unlikely that Mary had anything to do with Darnley’s death but it was all too easy for people, particularly people who didn’t like her, to assume she had plotted to kill her husband.
Frightened and feel very much alone, Mary turned to the Earl of Bothwell for support. Bothwell was a ruffian who was another suspect in Darnley’s murder and he had his own plans for the Queen of Scots. When sufficient physical intimidation was applied, Mary agreed to marry him, making Bothwell the new King of Scotland.
Unfortunately for both Mary and Bothwell, almost no one in Scotland thought this was a good idea. Bothwell fled and Mary was imprisoned and forced to abdicate her throne. Her infant son was taken away and she never saw him again.
Like both her cousin Elizabeth and her mother-in-law Catherine de Medici, Mary had a problematic placement of Mercury in her horoscope. Her Mercury was in the 10th House square illusive Neptune. It is an aspect that makes clear thinking and good decision-making difficult.
Ever the daring Sagittarian, Mary managed to escape from her prison but, instead of fleeing to a Catholic country were her position as a possible heir to the English throne would have given her political standing, she rode across the border to England where that fact made her a threat to the queen and a possible criminal.
Mary spent the last 20 years of her life in genteel confinement until the various Catholic conspiracies that swirled around the Scottish queen’s name forced Elizabeth to have her tried for treason. Again, her Taurus Ascendant served Mary well, allowing her to face her fate with firm resolution. Meanwhile, her years in seclusion allowed the world to continue to see Mary as the beautiful and vivacious young Queen of Scots. After she died that beauty became part of her legend.
