As we know, not only the individuals but the countries too have a zodiacal sign. Everything born in a particular moment in time bears the quality of that moment. Thus, by knowing the date and time of birth of a country we can determine its natal chart - provided of course we can identify the country’s exact moment of birth! Because, contrary to a human being - the birth of which is evident to the people around it - the countries may have many and different kinds of “births”, some of which are not so evident. Take Greece for example. When was this ancient country really "born"? This turns to be a rather complicated issue!
First of all, Greece is not a country that was born in the last few centuries - as i.e. the U.S.A. It has been there for thousands of years! Thus, its birth is lost in the mist of time. How and when Greece was born turns to be a sort of a mystery. Did the geographical area that corresponds to Greece remain uninhabited for millennia till suddenly a day the "Greeks" jumped over its fences and poured over this southern "offshoot" of the Balkans? Had that - somehow hilarious - event happened, then yes, we could say that Greece was born into a particular moment in time (and our only concern would be then to identify that moment). In ancient times however there was not a single ethnic group called “Greeks”, but various kinshipped “tribes” who in successive periods descended to Greece (the Dorians, Ionians etc.). The gradual amalgamation of all these tribes eventually gave birth to ancient Greece, but that was done gradually over time and not at a unique, specific date. In addition ancient Greece had been mostly a conglomeration of independent city-states and was not a single nation-State, a country that is - as we would call it today.
Of course some very significant and prominent historical events had occurred in the Greek past, out of which we could draw some clues (such as the formation of the “Athenian League” - an almost national institution that came very close to be what we consider today a "country"). But we do not know when exactly the Delian league was officialy formed! And without a specific date we cannot cast a natal chart! We can only speculate and a plausible speculation would be that ancient Greece was much influenced by the sign of Sagittarius. The major ancient Greeks’ deity was Zeus - Jupiter, the archetypal figure that rules the sign of Sagittarius. Maybe that's a mere coincidence...On the other hand it might say a lot about ancient Greece's "geist"...
Zeus was the father of all Gods and of all the people. He was very liberated, playful and Jovial (as ancient Greeks themselves were). Moreover, the Greeks were considering the virtue of hospitality - a typically Sagittarian trait - as a supreme one, and people were normally expected to host any stranger they were meeting - as any one of them could be God Jupiter himself, in disguise! Additionally, a unique and unprecedented spirit of freedom and democracy was reigning in ancient Greece, a spirit that was quite rare to its epoch! Not to mention that this ancient country is the cradle of philosophy, a Sagittarian field!
But even if we knew with certainty the zodiacal sign of ancient Greece then a new question would arise: does the sign of a country remain the same as the millennia pass over? I think not! First of all, “everything is flux” as the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated. The correlation between a nation and the cosmic forces ever changes! On the other hand - if we follow the exact definition of what a “country” is - no "country" has ever managed to survive as an absolutely homogenous entity for thousands of years. Not to mention the fact that the the so called "country" or "nation-State" is actually a contemporary invention! Most of the nation-States, of the countries that we know today have been formed in the 19th or 20th century! There might be some exceptions - because some scholars consider Japan and China as two countries that were formed many centuries ago. But even in such a case a "country" cannot last eternally. Countries do dissolve and then reconstitute, incarnating each time under a different "state" form. What has to do for example today’s Egypt with the Pharaohs’ one? What has to do today’s Greece with the 5th century BC “Golden Century” Greece? Ancient and contemporary Greece are quite different in spirit and essence and consequently their charts should be different!
Modern period
When was contemporary Greece born? In order to find it out we have to wrap back the thread and find out when was the last time that Greece “died” as a free and separate country. Apart a small period in World War II (which was really brief, to alter the essence of Greece or its constitution) the last time that Greece ceased to exist was when the Turks military occupied the country in the 15th century and annexed it to the then forming Ottoman Empire! Subsequently, Greece was reborn - this time as "contemporary Greece" - when the Greeks massively revolt against the Turks and expelled them from their country, in the beginning of the 19th century! So, we know the time period but we still do not have a specific date in our hands.
First of all, we must set forth the necessary prerequisites for the formation of a new country - stepping a little bit onto onto the terrain of Political Sciences. The basic premise is that there must be a relative “roofless” nation, which has full «conscience of its entity». This nation must have explicitly expressed its will to become a constitutional country - usually in a geographical area historically related to it. Adverse conditions though (usually the fact that such a nation is subject to another country) might have hampered for a long time the materialization of such a will. Another important parameter to consider is that new countries do not come into being on historically insignificant moments but on the very climax of historical events, after a revolution, an overthrow of centuries old regimes etc. In Greece’s case all of the above features are strongly manifested around 1821, in the year when the Greeks revolted against the Turks, who for 4 whole centuries had militarily occupied Greece and the whole of South - Eastern
Europe!
The revolution was allegedly proclaimed (give or take a couple of days) on the 25 March 1821 Old Style (6th of April actual date). So, could this be the date of contemporary Greece’s birth? The answer is no! The revolution of 25 March mostly denotes a revolt of certain important Greek chieftains against the Turks (a revolt that was neither the first nor the unique) and not the very establishment of the Greek State. This is made clear by a document issued by certain delegates from all over Greece who met at Epidaurus, 9 months after the beginning of the revolution. Almost in an apologetic tone they write: «It should not seem strange that we have postponed till now the political “arrangement” of our fatherland, that we have not yet declared our independence and stand as equals in front of the other legitimate nations of the world. Because it was impossible to think about our political existence unless we first ascertained our physical one”! The authors of this declaration sound like they knew astrology! Because no situation can really exist and prosper in our physical dimensions unless it goes through the stabilizing phase of Taurus. And this phase cannot be obtained unless the generating phase of Aries has been completed first! So, the mystery remains. Which is Greece’s birth date?
Some 20 years ago it came to my attention the copy of an old document, that I felt very significant! It was entitled «Declaration of the Political Existence and Independence of the Greek Nation». Let us see what this document says:
«In the name of the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, the Greek Nation that in the last four centuries has been under the horrible Turkish rule, unable to bear any more the heavy and unprecedented tyranny, which with huge sacrifices we have finally thrown off, is proclaiming today - through its legitimate delegates here assembled - in front of God and humanity, its political existence and Independence! Epidaurus January 1st 1822».
There is no doubt that this declaration constitutes the birth certificate of contemporary Greece! It fulfils all the criteria we set up and unambiguously states the creation of the contemporary country of Greece. The birthday of Greece is on the 13th of January (on the Gregorian calendar. Contemporary Greece is a Capricornian country). You can see Greece's national horoscope (its natal chart) below:
There is a key expression in this historical declaration that we should emphasize: the one that goes "with huge sacrifices we have finally thrown off". This expression is telling us a lot about the mental state of the people who signed the Greek declaration of independence. Actually, this very expression reveals a "certainty" from the part of the authors of the declaration, the certainty that for the first time ever in almost 400 years of Turkish occupation the Greeks had begun to take the "upper hand" against their oppressors - the Turks - and they were feeling confident enough to establish a sovereign state! For the first time ever they had achieved that "critical mass" which we might call "a certainty that they could sustain their liberation and independence and establish a sovereign state". This is a crucial element that plays a key role in the choice of the date January 1, 1822 as the "birthday" of contemporary Greece. You see, a basic argument of those who reject the date January 1, 1822 as the birth date of contemporary Greece is the fact that Greece consisted then by just a fraction of its current territory. This element though I do not consider as crucial as the element of reaching that "critical mass" that triggers the permanent and irreversible "dynamics of liberation, independence and establishment of a state." To draw a parallel, the USA were annexing territories as far as 1912 (New Mexico and Arizona) and 1959 (Hawai and Alaska) their undisputed National Horoscope is considered the one of July 4th 1776!
If contemporary Greece looses or gains - out of a military conflict - some islet should we cast a new horoscope for Greece? Certainly not, because contemporary Greece was "born" as a nation-state in the historical 1822 National Assembly of Epidaurus (the Greeks reached then the "critical mass" for their liberation, independence and establishment of a nation-state) and not during any eventual loss or recovery of any partial territory. When the holy fathers of the USA signed the Declaration of Independence (4 July 1776), the USA consisted of just 13 eastern states, maybe of the 1/20 of its current territory. Still, the natal horoscope of the USA is considered the one of July 4, 1776 (because it was then when the Americans reached the "critical mass" for their liberation, independence and establishment of a state)!
Cultured astrology is not very much advanced in contemporary Greece and the vast majority of the Greek astrologers (who are surprisingly giving credit to the "highly scientific" methods of the "hearsay" and of the "everybody says so...") believe that their country was born on the 3rd of February 1830 - when by the 3rd London protocol the major forces of the time (England, France, Russia) RECOGNIZED the independence of contemporary Greece. Essentially, this 3rd London protocol established the "Kingdom of Greece" (imposing on the Greek throne a Geman king!). But a country is not born when some foreign powers decide it - under their own terms - but when its own people will it! Otherwise contemporary Greece should not be considered a sovereign country but a mere protectorate!
By no means the London protocol defines the birth date of Greece. It rather defines the (imposed by the foreign powers) "Greek Kingdom", a rather tributary state that is under the foreign powers suzerainty! Clearly, we are not talking here about a SOVEREIGN state! In addition, monarchy has been constitutionally abolished in Greece since 1974 - by a national referendum. Thus this 3 February 1830 horoscope is not applicable any more - in any way whatsoever. Obviously Nicholas Campion realized this fact because in his book "The Book of World Horoscopes" he states: "Regarding the significance of the international recognition of 3 February 1830, it should be remembered that Greece was already a fully functioning state with its own government, and had been for some years." Moreover - as you will read below - the political scientists argue that the mere diplomatic recognition of a country by foreign powers does not constitute its foundation act.
And in any case, if Greece was born as a nation-state when the major powers of the epoch decided it then we should apply the same method in the case of the United States. The founding date of this country should be the one in which the major powers of the period recognized the independence of the United States, on the 3rd of September 1783 by the Treaty of Versailles, France. The overwhelming majority of the astrologers world-wide though consider the 4th of July as the birth date of the United States. The September 3rd date is by now an obsolete one, a date that has been forgotten in the drawers of history, a date almost no astrologer ever mentions!
The same goes for all the countries who were liberated from a foreign power, like i.e. Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba etc. etc. Argentina's horoscope for example results from the date on which the Argentinian colonies unilaterally proclaimed their independence from Spain (on 9 July 1816 that is). Spain and the other powers of the time recognized the independence of Argentina much later (Great Britain in 1825). And yet, the universally accepted "birth" date of Argentina is the July 9, 1816, when the people of Argentina - by their representatives - unilaterally declared their independence!
Why should we then apply in Greece’s similar case not only different but quite opposite criteria? It makes no sense at all! And ultimately, this is a matter of political sciences too, thus let us hear what a Greek professor of Political Sciences (George Dimakopoulos) has to say. He argues: «the Declaration of the Political Existence and Independence of the Greek Nation is the constitutive act of the Greek State, whose foundation, legally and historically has to be regarded as from January 1st, 1822 (old calendar, meaning January 13 on the gregorian calendar). Certain points of view that appoint it to a different day - ultimately connecting it to the diplomatic recognition of the Greek State by foreign powers - not only are contrary to the applied Greek national law, but to the international law too. For the diplomatic recognition of a State by a foreign power cannot be conveyed into a constituent part of that State!»!
So, even the political scientists maintain that contemporary Greece was born on January 13th, 1822 (the correct date, on the Gregorian calendar.) Those astrologers who believe that contemporary Greece was "born" on February 3, 1830 instead of January 13, 1822 they are actually maintaining the thesis that a man/woman is not born when s/he comes out the womb of his/her mother but when s/he is baptized!
Greece is NOT an Aquarian country - as very many people believe in Greece - but a Capricornian one! And it has all the characteristics of a Capricornian country. It is an old country, which due to its glorious past it enjoys the respect of all the other countries. It is a conservative country and much materialistic but lacking the material and financial abundance of the other western European countries (should we blame this to Saturn, Greece's solar ruler - Saturn bringing deprivations and hardships)? It is a State whose public sector - associated with the sign of Capricorn - is over inflated. Out of a population of 11 million in Greece there are almost a million civil servants!
Greece is also a country where social status is extremely important! To realise what I mean just picture this: 2 cars mildly crashing in a Greek street. In several instances, the two Greek drivers would jump out of the car and most probably would yell to each other this line, as a kind of intimidation: «Do you know who I am?» - as if every single Greek were at least a tycoon! This is VERY Capricornian and personally I have never encountered it anywhere else in the world!
The fact is that neither any American, English etc. astrologer possessed a documented date for the birth date of Greece (since it was much harder for them to find the relevant sources). In 1994 I met the famous astrologer Nicholas Campion (at his summer astrology school, in the Greek island of Kos). Campion was writing then his very successful book "Book of World Horoscopes» but had no clear view on Greece's horoscope. I explained him my findings and he accepted the January 13, 1822 as the birth date of contemporary Greece (he included it in his book).
One more word on Greece's Ascendant: we know its birthday (13 January 1822) but not the exact time the declaration was pronounced - nor we have some specific information on it! And since we are seeking the Ascendant of Greece my very first thought was "what is the main characteristic that Greece is projecting to the people abroad?" The answers that came to my mind were these: "A maritime and somehow exotic country". " A mythological country"!
Well, these two characteristics resonate a lot with the sign of Pisces. And they are rather "projected" by contemporary Greece, as they are not constituting the entirety of its "body" (the people of mainland Greece for example have a different image of their country in their minds, as been a rather continental and mountainous - and that resonates a lot with Capricorn. Actually Greece - partially maritime, partially continental and mountainous country - something that is resonating a lot with Capricorn)! In any case, this hypothesis of a Pisces Ascendant worked well when I tried to rectify some major historical events in the history of Greece. The speculative birth time I am proposing would be around 9:25 AM. The village where the Independence of Greece was proclaimed - and where actually contemporary Greece's "birth" took place - is Nea Epidavros, close to the famous ancient Epidaurus theater!
Alternative charts
It is worth mentioning that some astrologers favour a more recent birthday for contemporary Greece (placing its birth in the period following the fall of the Greek military junta in 1974). These astrologers are claiming that contemporary Greece's national horoscope should stem out of the date its last Constitution was drafted (on the 11th June 1975 - after the collapse of the military dictatorship). But how proper is it to study astrologically a country not using its "foundation" horoscope but what actually is the horoscope of a posterior constitutional "amendment"? If somebody studies the 1st January 1822 Constitution s/he will realize that it is essentially as democratic and advanced as the Constitution of 1975. Thus, in 1975 we did not experience a major constitutional shift in regard to the VERY Greek constitution (the constitution upon which Greece was founded on). We just experienced a shift in regard to the imposed by the military junta regime - a regime that lasted just 7 years, not so many to alter the "soul" of Greece and its original constitution.
Some other astrologers (mostly English) are claiming that contemporary Greece's horoscope should stem out of the moment its first post-dictatorship Prime Minister was sworn in - on the 24th of July 1974. But as I explained before, the seven years military junta did not essentially change either the "soul" or the constitution of Greece. Why should we then consider the July 24, 1974 chart as the "national horoscope" of Greece and not the original January 13, 1822 one? By claiming that either the 1974 or the 1975 chart represents THE National Horoscope of Greece then we are automatically cutting off something like the 90% of contemporary Greek History - four major war periods and a civil war period, historical battles, some brilliant Greek politicians in office, major deeds (the first Olympic games of 1896 i.e.), military coups, almost everything! It's like claiming that a person is not actually born when s/he comes out of his/her mother's uterus but when s/he is about to draw his/her pension...
Thomas Gazis
Copyright:Thomas D. Gazis
