Tarot for our Times: Indy Ref 2 (?) and the New First Minister
There is a new First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, and his first order of business, he has announced, is to sever Scotland from its historically hard won Union with England; a union forged after neither the central governments of England or Scotland could put a stop to the outlaws known as the reivers or the Steel Bonnets, who since the fourteenth century, had for more than three hundred years, waged their own style of warfare both sides of the border.
Is the end of the Union really what the people of Scotland want? Outside of the cities too? And do we see the end of this historic Union on the watch of this new First Minister?
There is plenty of commentary. But what does the tarot show us?
The cards show that it is possible. But the signs are not strong.
Carry on scrolling for the analysis.
Top King of Cups-benchmark card. A key person/situation. Scorpio timing but may also refer to Cancer or Pisces. Element Water.
Left 10 Cups- The stakes/history of the Issue. Pisces. Element Water.
Bottom 3 Wands- Hopes/fears. Deciding factor/s. Aries timing. Element Fire.
Right 4 Swords- Near future/outcome/comment. Libra timing. Element Air.
Missing element: Earth. Manifestation. Measurable results. Economy. Agriculture.
Tweeted 29 and 27 March 2023
#Tarot Humza Yousaf. Cards re: detected consequences of this selection. King Cups (HY) deep, secretive but is he 'adrift at sea'? Lovers (the Party's choice) Scotland's choice? 10 Cups says Scotland prefers Union at least for now. Ending Union=4 Swords=retreat/tomb/stagnation
#Tarot #SNP What do cards show re new First Minister Humza Yousaf? King Cups, joy at selection but haunted by 'water=' Issues: Health, Overseas & Islands. The Lovers=Party's Choice. Union? 10 Cups=staying 'home'. Indy ref 2=4 Swords. Stalls. 3 Wands= Ferries=a key test.
The Cards in Close-Up
The King of Cups
The suit of Cups is about feelings, in this case, feelings of pleasure. This first card reflects the joy of being selected as First Minister astrologically correlates with a mature man belonging to the water signs of the zodiac, Pisces, Cancer or Scorpio. Astrologically, Humza Yousaf is an Aries sun sign, born in Glasgow 7 April 1985. His grandparents came to the UK from the Punjab in 1962.
Astrologically Mr Yousaf is not a water sign king, though his chart may reveal key water sign houses, transits and aspects. He is a second decan Aries sun sign native, an archetype known for drive and ambition. Leading is the thing. Teamwork, not so much. And the minor arcana card representing this decan astrologically is the ambitious, adventurous and restless Three of Wands, and coincidentally this card was also drawn in this reading. Ideas, not a problem. Starting things, not a problem. Seeing things through is the challenge for him.
So why has the King of Cups turned up in this benchmark position? Tarot does not limit itself to any one single meaning. We are all far more complex than the archetypal storyboard attached to our sun sign, while reading the cards astrologically is only one approach.
The King of Cups classically denotes a man of faith, a man of authority, a man of good intelligence who may give good advice. He may also be a good administrator at least on paper. But he is somewhat remote and not easy to approach. See him sitting on his throne in the middle of the sea? He has a good theoretical understanding, and he has ideals, but how to 'land' them? And he likes to give advice but not necessarily receive it. Hubris. Here is his challenge- or his Achilles heel.
There is usually kindness here, and charm, but there can be a certain selfishness or intransigence. 'I am the chosen one. I am the keeper of the faith. Who are you to question me?'
More specifically, the King of Cups is picking up on two arenas in which he has not yet won his crown. Health and Transport. The NHS in Scotland is still facing big problems with ambulance delays and the critical Caledonian MacBrayne ferry issue is still ongoing after years of delay on the state commissioned delivery of two new hulls. The sea is his challenge. More about that later.
But what this card is showing is that Humza Yousaf is a king who is 'all at sea.' Or who needs to go to sea, literally and metaphorically. He needs to widen his horizons. He is a popular choice in his Party and the vote was overwhelming. But still, the track record in office is not anything to show off. The King of Cups shows a lot going on inside, but without there anything of consequence being show for it, and this is the perception of his critics.
There is a greater Scotland beyond the mainland, and the cities. Perhaps Humza Yousaf feels that the economy and the welfare of Highlands and Islands need not be his priority, and that for his own objectives and purposes, his power base is reliably and numerically sufficient in the cities.
Readers must beware personal bias. Like many of the English- and I identify as English, though strictly speaking I am Anglo-Irish, I can understand and respect why Scotland might ultimately choose Independence. I have Scottish family too; close family ties with Scotland in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Brechin, Montrose and Helmsdale.
But I feel it would prove to be a very great loss for both countries. This Union began in 1603 with the coronation of the first king of a new kingdom called Great Britain, and this king was the rather dour and charmless James Stuart. He was James 1 of England and James 6 of Scotland, a Scottish king on the English throne.
The history here goes deep, and 'Braveheart'- with its several historical inaccuracies is only the tip of an iceberg in this epic story, not forgetting the later tragedies of Culloden, Glencoe and the Highland Clearances. Also not forgetting the horrors of the things William Wallace did to his own people, to those men he deemed were too slow to enlist, and to unarmed civilians in Guisborough and six other towns in the north. A capable and brave soldier, absolutely. A traitor, no, though he was betrayed by a fellow Scot. And his death was truly appalling and shameful. Edward 1 always was a cruel king and altogether ruthless; a hideous person.
But we need to beware hubris. The fixed stars in the second decan of Aries carry a warning for Humza Yousaf. They are in the constellation of Cetus the Whale. and these fixed stars absolutely reflect this card, the King of Cups, the man on his throne 'on the sea'.
Eta Cetus, Theta Cetus and Tau Cetus are stars in the constellation of Cetus the Whale or Sea Monster. Cetus shares a word root with Cetacean, the word for whales and dolphins. The Cetus of myth was more monster than whale, like the Kraken that was sent to devour Andromeda only to be turned to stone by Perseus who rode in on Pegasus to rescue Andromeda, brandishing the deadly severed head of the tragic Gorgon, the poor Medusa, hunted to death in her own sanctuary.
The constellation Cetus is the fourth largest in our visible skies and is said to have qualities of the planet Saturn. There is an authoritarian feel about this individual King of Cups in the wider world.
The Lovers
The SNP has made its choice of a new leader and perhaps it was more difficult behind the scenes than the final vote suggests. The Lovers does just what it says on the tin, and signifies lovers, friends, allies, but also difficult choices.
It may indicate critical developments to come in Gemini season, late May-late June.
10 of Cups
The question while shuffling was, do we see Indy Ref 2 or do we see the end of the Union during the leadership of Humza Yousaf?
The 10 of Cups is a stable card. It talks about home and family. It is the card of Home Sweet Home. But this is a card of completion. It is about being settled.
It is not a card of movement or change.
We could see it as a card of completion of a maritime project. 10 is the number of completion, Cups is the suit of water. Let’s hope so.
4 of Swords
This card is nicknamed 'the hospital card,' and it speaks of sickness, retreat and delay. This card may be reflected a personal health issue for Humza Yousaf, but is likely detecting his track record as Health Minister and ongoing issues in the NHS in Scotland during his time as First Minister. It seems likely that these issues will continue to dog or even overshadow his premiership.
This future card is not indicative of a change in the state of the Union. For this, I would be looking out for the appearance of any one of a number of other cards, including but not limited to, The 3 Swords, Judgement or The World.
3 of Wands
I have mentioned that this card is astrologically linked to Humza Yousaf in terms of his person horoscope.
Traditionally this card signifies foreign travel and trade; opportunity, growth and expansion. What is the vision and strategy of the SNP for this, beyond Independence?
It starts with Scotland's own islands.
"The ships, known as hulls 801 and 802, were ordered by the state ferry procurement agency CMAL in October 2015 at a cost of £97 million and set to sail in 2018.
The cost is now around £300m and the boats are due in late 2023 and 2024.
From the outset, the contract was burdened by disagreements between the shipyard and CMAL over design changes and money.
Ferguson Marine went bankrupt and was nationalized in late 2019.
For more than half the time between the award of the contract and the public ownership of Ferguson, Mr. Yousaf served as Minister for Transport and Islands."
The Highlands and the Islands of Scotland do not have anything like the population of the cities. They do not have the electoral clout. Perhaps Holyrood under the SNP thinks it can do what it likes with or without them. But the Scottish people are careful, prudent, and this card shows that they are looking for a bold, brave vision that goes far beyond identity politics, looking out on an international horizon, as shown by the international Three of Wands.
The Scots have a proud history of science, engineering and global exploration, to say the very least.
If the new First Minister still cannot deliver the first new ferry before the end of 2023, serving Scotland's own islands, what would this signify for Scotland's future on the world stage on his watch?
There's a greater England beyond London and Westminster and the cities. There's a greater Scotland beyond Edinburgh and Holyrood and the mighty Glasgow. England and Scotland have fought many cruel and terrible battles. We have also done great things together. Often we are literally, English and Scottish in the same family, as in my own family.
So who are we, any of us?
I am English, though technically I'm Anglo-Irish. My father's family came from County Kildare to London in the 1920's, and later my father came north, one of many poor boys who were in some ways actually saved by the War. He would never have gone to University had he not been evacuated out of Greater London to a family in Sevenoaks in Kent, and to a school, and in particular, one Head teacher, who encouraged my father with his education in a way his mother never did, neither with him nor her five other children. My father never set foot overseas until he was 18 when he went to Austria to do his year of National Service, working in the map room because he knew French and German- largely thanks to that same Head Teacher.
I also have direct family ties with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Montrose, and going back further, there is a close connection to Sutherland, and to the families who were moved out during the Highland clearances to the fishing village of Helmsdale. Such family stories are nothing unusual. I love England. And I love Scotland. I see no reason in principle why Scotland should be denied full autonomy if that is the democratic will of the people.
Former great enemies, former great Allies
The story of Scotland is still also England's story, whether north and south of the great fault line of the mighty Great Glen. Forever entwined. Our two nations have done great things together. On Sword Beach in northern France, there is a memorial to the Normandy landings on D- Day and to the Scots Commando Brigade under Lord Lovat who took heavy casualties, storming the beaches under fire on a mission to relieve the airborne troops holding the Germans at bay at the critical Pegasus Bridge
“The capture of the River Orne bridge at Ranville and the bridge across the Caen Canal at Bénouville is the most famous mission of the airborne division. 180 troops of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, commanded by Major John Howard, captured the bridges after landing in Horsa gliders only metres from their objectives.
In less than ten minutes both bridges had been captured intact. The sea borne reinforcements commanded by Brigadier Lord Lovat, preceded by his bagpiper Bill Millin, were able to cross the waterways to reinforce 6th Airborne Division on the eastern flank.”
(And what a beautiful spot it is, and here again, how curious is this, we have yet another connection to the legend of Perseus. Are we expecting some leviathan to rise from the deep in 2023 or what is this? Perhaps some great public relevation? Or an event at sea. Something that should stay deep rises to the surface. Drilling? An accident? An oil spill?)
It was once rather grimly said of Lovat that he was "the handsomest man to ever slit a throat."
Hitler offered 100,000 marks for his capture, alive or dead. Good luck with that. Lovat died in 1995 aged 83 and at his funeral, his son Kim played the bagpipes.
The memorial on Sword Beach says, "Leur histoire est notre histoire. Respectez les."
Their story is our story. You are to respect them.
Nothing worthwhile ever came easy. It always costs dear. We could say the same of the Union, ‘warts and all.’ It is an entity greater than any of us, greater the sum of its parts. And as such it deserves utmost care of handling no matter which way this goes.
The reivers are restless in their graves.
Enough stoking the flames.
Until next time :)