The Anima Loci: Reading the Stars of Wales
There is a distinct psychological weight to the landscape of Wales. It is a country where myth and earth are so tightly interwoven that separating the two feels like unravelling an ancient tapestry. At the Wilfred Hazelwood Clinic, we often explore how our internal psychological architecture mirrors the external universe. Yet, when we apply this lens to an entire nation, a practice known as mundane astrology, Wales reveals a star chart that is as complex, fierce, and deeply rooted as its own mythology.
Our lead therapist, Martyn J. Shrewsbury, first began to trace the threads between human culture and ancient mythos during his time at Swansea University. Earning degrees in Social Anthropology and Classics, Martyn studied the deeply ingrained narratives that shape collective human behaviour. In Wales, those narratives are not just whispered in the Mabinogion; they are carved into the mountains themselves.
Recent topographical and astronomical research by author Hugh Evans suggests that the region of Gwynedd might hold one of the world's oldest terrestrial star maps. By overlaying astronomical software with land surveys of Cadair Idris, researchers have identified massive ground-to-sky correlations, suggesting our Neolithic ancestors used the physical Welsh landscape as a mirror for the zodiac. To a psychological astrologer, this is profoundly significant. It implies that the collective unconscious of the Welsh people has been actively participating in an astrological dialogue with the earth for millennia.
Ptolemy’s Aries and the Celtic Spirit
When classical astrologers sought to categorise the nations of the known world, they looked at the archetypal behaviours of the populations and aligned them with the planets and signs. Writing in the second century CE, the Alexandrian scholar Claudius Ptolemy laid out the astrological geography of the world in his seminal text, the Tetrabiblos.
Ptolemy placed the region of Britannia, and specifically the fiercely independent Celtic fringes like Wales, firmly under the rulership of Aries and its ruling planet, Mars. He noted that the inhabitants of these north-western regions were headstrong, fiercely protective of their autonomy, and filled with a martial, spirited energy.
From a Hellenistic astrological perspective, a tradition in which Martyn completed comprehensive training at The Astrology School of Chris Brennan, the assignment of Aries to Wales is remarkably fitting. Aries is the cardinal fire sign, representing the spark of life, the warrior archetype, and an unbreakable will to exist. Throughout history, the Welsh have fiercely defended their language, their borders, and their cultural identity against overwhelming odds. The Red Dragon (Y Ddraig Goch) of Wales is itself a perfect martial and Arian symbol: fiery, untamed, and deeply connected to the vital life force of the land.
The Modern Chart: The 1999 Devolution
While ancient mundane astrology assigns broad rulerships to landmasses, modern mundane astrologers also look at the birth charts of specific political entities. For contemporary Wales, the most significant astrological rebirth occurred with the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales (now the Senedd).
Elections were held on the 6th of May, 1999, but powers were formally transferred, and the Assembly officially opened, in May of that year. A chart cast for the May 1999 devolution places the Sun in the sign of Taurus. This is a fascinating psychological shift from the ancient martial energy of Aries to the grounded, Venus-ruled energy of Taurus. Taurus governs the earth, agriculture, song, and enduring beauty.
We see this Taurean energy expressed beautifully in modern Wales. It is a nation famous worldwide for its male voice choirs, its deep agricultural roots, and its commitment to preserving the natural environment. The combination of ancient Aries fire and modern Taurus grounding creates a national psyche that is both fiercely protective of its heritage and deeply committed to the cultivation of its culture and arts.
Integrating the Heavens and the Psyche
How does the astrological chart of a nation affect the individual? In Jungian psychology, the environment we are born into shapes our experience of the collective unconscious. Having undergone extensive training in Jungian and Post-Jungian Clinical Concepts with The Centre for Applied Jungian Studies, Martyn J. Shrewsbury approaches mundane astrology not as a deterministic trap, but as a rich psychological substrate.
If you live in or were born in Wales, your personal natal chart interacts dynamically with the mundane chart of the nation. A psychological astrologer looks at these intersections to answer vital questions:
- How does the Aries-Mars heritage of the land interact with your personal natal Mars? Does it provoke conflict, or does it lend you resilience?
- Does the Taurean foundation of modern Wales support your need for material and emotional security?
- How do the ancient, mythic archetypes of the landscape influence your personal dream life and unconscious drives?
Astrology, when stripped of its depth, is often reduced to mere fortune-telling. But when approached with the academic rigour of Hellenistic techniques and the profound empathy of psychological astrology, skills Martyn continues to refine with the Mercury School of John Green and his foundational studies under Steve Judd, it becomes a mirror for the soul.
At the Wilfred Hazelwood Clinic, we believe that understanding the soil you stand on is the first step toward understanding yourself. The astrology of Wales is a testament to survival, song, and the enduring power of myth. We invite you to explore how your own inner universe aligns with the ancient wisdom of the stars, helping you navigate your personal challenges with the same resilience that has defined this landscape for thousands of years.
