Identity of a Queen

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, more commonly known as Queen Elizabeth II, was born on April 21st, 1926 at 2:40 a.m. in London, England.  Let’s have a look at her ascendant, the house placements of the ascendant, and planets conjunct the ascendant to get a brief sketch of the identity of Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth’s ascendant is in the sign of Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter.  The ascendant represents the basic truth of who we are, our appearance and our individuality.  Both Sagittarius and Jupiter are sattvic in nature, which shows she had a basic motivation towards doing good in the world.  It was well known she had a deep sense of religious and civic duty, both of which are Sagittarian traits.  Sagittarius has to do with rules made by the world such as religion (she was the official leader of the Church of England) and government (she was the official Head of State of the United Kingdom)  Also, in Elizabeth’s case, this would be the royal family she was born into and the rules of succession which eventually brought her to the throne.   

A main principle having to do with her ruling planet Jupiter is growth and expansion.  In Elizabeth, this is shown through her four children as well as the material wealth she had access to all through her life.  Her Jupiter ascendant falls in the nakshatra of Uttarashada, which translates into “the invincible.”  This nakshatra shows how she possessed the ability to pull from a variety of resources to make them work for a common purpose.  Even though some countries eventually left the Commonwealth during her reign, for the most part, she was able to keep these states together under her rule.  The Deities presiding over this nakshatra empowers humans to give 110% to their tasks, pouring it into each of their endeavors. Elizabeth was known to be a hard worker, even continuing to fulfill her duties as Queen up until a few days before her death.  

Her ascendant Lord, Jupiter goes to the 2nd house where it is debilitated in Capricorn, thus a core part of her identity is coming through her family and the institution of the monarchy.  Her ability to grow (Jupiter) was confined within very specific rules (Capricorn).  She had no choice but to follow the path laid before her, and had to carve out her own personhood from a defined set of boundaries.  

Despite this, a key component in what made her such an effective leader was Mars also being in the 2nd house where it is exalted in Capricorn.  She was not alone in having to follow the rules of the monarchy, as her entire family were a part of the same set of rules.  This exalted Mars allowed her to easily detach herself from any emotions having to do with her situation, so she was able to make decisions based on the greater good, not solely on her preferences.  Capricorn brings out the best in Mars, and Elizabeth showed this by taking her duties very seriously and always acting in a measured, practical way befitting a monarch with so many responsibilities.  She always knew she was representing something larger than herself.  There were times when the reputation of the entire royal family and the monarchy landed squarely on her shoulders.  An example of this is in 1997 when Diana died and there was pressure for her to make a public statement about it.  She put aside her own feelings and tapped into her strong Mars which utilized the wisdom of Capricorn’s Saturn.  She saw this as a defining moment for the monarchy, not only in the moment, but her silence could hurt the reputation of the institution of the royal family for years to come.  Through difficult times she was always able to maintain her composure and respectability.  

  

Jupiter also rules Elizabeth’s 4th house in Pisces.  The 4th house has to do with where we find peace and comfort, and having the grace of Jupiter there, she was successful in finding solace from the pressures her title brought upon her.  The Mother is indicated in the 4th house.  Elizabeth was fortunate to have her mother, known as the “Queen Mum,” live an extraordinarily long life, passing away at 101, and they were close their entire lives.  Pisces is also indicative of animals.  Elizabeth’s passion for horses and her dedication to her beloved Corgi dogs was well known.  Even though these two parts of her life were public, the specific details of how she lived her day to day life were not something she spoke about often.  Her debilitated Mercury in Pisces showed she kept those parts of her pretty much entirely to herself.  

Ketu is also in her first house, uncovering the natural skills she brought into this life.  Ketu indicates the coping skills she learned in childhood.  She knew nothing else but what it was to be born into a royal family, and operated her entire life within this framework, so in one sense she could never separate herself from what it was to be a monarch.  But Ketu also  shows where we may find detachment, dispassion, solitude and anonymity.  She could carry out her role as Queen and everything that came with it, yet Ketu helped her maintain a sense of self separate from that identity.  She understood her place in life came simply by being born, it didn’t matter how she felt about it.  Therefore, her “true” self was always hidden.  Ketu is well placed in Sagittarius, and it shows another way she was able to rule well for as long as she did. 

In conclusion, her Sagittarius ascendant and ruling planet Jupiter, shows how she was an inspiration to others, and what the public saw was the optimism, duty and faith she chose to display.