Astrology of King John and the Magna Carta

King John; John Chapman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

by Jude Cowell

From what I've read and heard of him, only King John I of England (1167--1216) carries the name 'John' within the long panoply of British monarchs because who wants to be named after the most reviled king that Britain has yet produced?

Now many folks alive today are direct descendants of King John, aka, John 'Lackland', and I must count myself among the throng. He did, after all, sire 5 children with wife Isabel of Angouleme and a number of illegitimate childen with a variety of paramours, according to geni dot com, my usual source for ancestral information. Follow the above link to view a natal horoscope for John set for Oxford at 5:20 pm LMT (C: accuracy in question), plus, other rectified times are listed for those who wish to experiment.

And you'll find historical details on the life and Death of King John if you wish a refresher. Suffering with gout since 1215, John's death from dysentery took place on the dark and stormy night of 19 October, 1216 (says HistoryToday) at Newark Castle in Nottinghamshire. However, the exact hour of his death is speculative with other sources giving around midnight on October 18th or 19th for his demise, so I'll guess my best guess for you. Adjust the timing of the horoscope as you wish:

As for John as an individual, he's said to have been brash, aggressive, vengeful, sadistic, and a killer of his nephew Arthur ('tis thought); one possible planetary implication in effect on John's day of birth is an emotionally touchy Moon-Mars opposition (violent emotions; quarrels; scandals) as the basis of a frustrating T-Square, plus, with natal Mars strong in its own sign of Scorpio, a brooding, cruel nature may have been the case, made worse by an egotistical 'big head' that many rulers tend to sport once power over others is assumed. Follow the above link to his C-rated natal horoscope to check it out.

Then for more details concerning the life and death of King John I, you may wish to check out the BBC website where a photograph of his impressive effigy at Worcester Cathedral may be viewed.

King John I Remains Famous

Of course, as everyone knows, the main claim to fame of King John I is being forced by 25 baronets to sign the Magna Carta on 15 June, 1215 at Windsor, the document which had the effect of rearranging feudal society by overriding the "divine right of kings" and which, through the centuries, has provided a basis for various legal structures. Very Saturnian with its Saturn in practical, fact-based Virgo, one of the two signs ruled by Mercury, ruler of documents and signings; Mercury itself is in mid-Cancer, sign of tribalism, patriotism, nationalism, and protection of self, family, and homeland. Also there's a Mars-Jupiter conjunction that won't accept 'no' for an answer, and its energy implies a zealous streak that pursues with determination what is deemed to be worthwhile.

So the bi-wheel hasmy study notes penned on, messily as susual, and I want to point out a karmic or fated factor: that the Prenatal Solar Eclipse Saros series in which the 1215 signing took place, the 10 South, conjoined by exact degree the natal North Node of King John I (17Aries). And since all eclipses are karmic (and disruptive, changing the course of earthly events as 'wild cards of the Universe' and 'cosmic blinks' = the Magna Carta!) the Eclipse-NN conjunction represents a double measure of fate for humankind:

Toad Poison in a Tankard of Cider?

Now at the risk of being overly familiar, my 25th-great-grandfather John I is said to have died of dysentery, as noted, after indulging in "fruit and cidar" at Newark-on-Trent but this particular descendant is not fully convinced. For when we consider how hated King John was by those around him (the victimized and the fed-up), a distinct possibility that he was poisoned springs to mind. Then for his death data, we have "at midnight October 18 to 19" 1216, so at least we have a reasonably accurate time for setting up a death horoscope which you see, below, surrounding the 5:20 pm LMT chart of his birth (OS: December 24, 1167; NS: December 31, 1167). Perhaps a later post will concern John's Death Horoscope. Until then, here are few potentials:

Because the reviled king passed at 48-49-yo suggests involvement by expansive Jupiter so overindulgence may indeed have been the case, but an abundance of anything as a cause of death, including a purposefully administered toxin, cannot be ruled out at this very late date. Plus, astrologically, his Chiron Return (around the age of 50) might have been a factor--except that I calculated his Chiron Return Horoscope and it wasn't exact until October 6, 1217 so he didn't make it to his Chiron Return. If he had, transit Jupiter @25Taurus would've hit his natal Moon which is the "feel good" transit. Does this suggest an intervention? Perhaps.

Meanwhile, in his natal chart, we find his undermining Neptune in secretive, covert Pisces - in the 8th house of Death. So did John consume too many overripe peaches with his sweet cidar and perhaps become ill while traveling? Or was he 'helped along'?

Well, my suspicion is that an angry John was behaving abrasively for a man who should have been kinder to those surrounding him during what must have been a very vulnerable time of weakness and dependency on others so his death may have involved more a lack of help for John "Lackland" rather than direct chicanery.