Cruise - Blog Posts
𝒯𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑒𝒹𝓎 𝒯𝒽𝓊𝓇𝓈𝒹𝒶𝓎
𝒯𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑒𝒹𝓎
The Death of His Majesty King George V
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𝒟𝑒𝒸𝓁𝒾𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝐻𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓉𝒽
George V had developed a lot of health problems after the First World War & it took a toll on him. George was injured on Thursday, October 28th, 1915 when he was thrown from a horse & he also developed Chronic Bronchitis from his heavy smoking addiction. 10 years later in 1925, he was sent on a cruise to the Mediterranean which was used to help him recuperate.
3 years later in 1929, he developed an illness called Sepsis, which is a life-threatening condition for when the body’s response to an infection causes injuries to both the tissues & the organs. The King’s body never recovered from years of illness & injury, so in last year of life, he was administered oxygen.
6 years later, when George’s sister Her Royal Highness The Princess Victoria died, it sent the King into a deep state of depression. 1 year after his sister’s death on January 15th, 1936, George went to his bedroom at Sandringham House, complaining of a cold. The cold turned the King’s body for the worst, as he became weaker & would drift in & out of consciousness. George’s nurse Catherine Black & physician Lord Dawson of Penn, gave him a sedative the night of his death which consisted of 3/4 gram of morphine & 1 gram of cocaine. The family did not approve of the injection but also did not want the King’s death to be painful & slow.
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𝒟𝒶𝓎 𝑜𝒻 𝒟𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽
Monday, January 20th, 1936 at Sandringham House in Norfolk at 70 Years Old
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𝒞𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝒟𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽
Declining Health & Lethal Injection
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𝐹𝓊𝓃𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓁
As the King’s health declined, multiple close sources of the King’s came forward with updates on his decline.
The first source was Prime Minister Baldwin who wrote, “Each time he became conscious it was some kind inquiry or kind observation of someone, some words of gratitude for kindness shown. But he did say to his secretary when he sent for him: "How is the Empire?" An unusual phrase in that form, and the secretary said: "All is well, sir, with the Empire", and the King gave him a smile and relapsed once more into unconsciousness.”
The second source was Lord Dawson of Penn (The King’s Physician) who issued a bulletin that had “The King's life is moving peacefully towards its close,” written on it. Lord Dawson also kept updates in journals with the King’s last words written in it which were “God Damn You,” which was said to his nurse Catherine Black. He also said he wanted the injection to happen at night, so that the death of the King could make the morning edition of British Newspaper The Times.
British Pathé News announced the King’s death, the next morning & described the King as “More than a King, a father of a great family.” BBC Studios was next for the broadcast, as German composer Paul Hindemith & English Conductor Adrian Boult along with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, performed a Mourning Music that evening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6y1KYItRzQ (British Pathé News Broadcast)
The night before the funeral, the King’s sons’ His Royal Highness Edward The Duke of Windsor, His Majesty King George (Albert) VI, & His Royal Highness Henry The Duke of Gloucester, mounted the Vigil of the Princes guard at the Catafalque. The sons did this in respect to their father who was now gone. The King was lied in state at Westminster Hall but was interred at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, January 28th, 1936.
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𝒮𝓊𝒸𝑒𝓈𝓈𝑜𝓇
1. His Royal Highness Edward The Duke of Windsor (Abdicated)
2. His Majesty King George (Albert) VI (Took the Throne after Edward Abdicated)
The Russian Fleet is the pride of Peter 1.
Pirates and Astrology
🧭 1. Navigation as Proto-Astrology
Example: Using the North Star (Polaris) and constellations such as Ursa Major (The Big Dipper) to chart position at sea.
Details: Though strictly astronomical, pirates used the stars not just to know where they were, but when to move, and how to read the mood of the sea. To many, these movements weren’t just physics—they were omens.
If a particular constellation rose bright and sharp, it was seen as a sign of clear skies.
If the stars were dim or flickering, they might interpret this as an upcoming storm—an astrological forecast of sorts.
Many pirates would also sail under particular moon phases, believing a full moon offered better luck, visibility, and even heightened intuition.
🌒 2. Lunar Superstitions and Astrology
Example: Planning a raid according to the Moon’s phase—especially avoiding New Moons for fear of misfortune.
Details:
Waxing Moon (growing): considered a time of gain and success—raids were often launched in this phase.
Full Moon: excellent for visibility at night and thought to be blessed by Selene, the ancient Moon goddess in European lore. Pirates believed the full moon brought clarity and truth, so betrayals were often uncovered under her light.
Waning Moon (shrinking): a time of loss, retreat, or banishment. Bad time to begin new ventures.
Some pirates would carve moon symbols into their ships or keep silver coins under their bunks to honor the Moon’s power (silver being the Moon’s metal in traditional astrology).
🔥 3. Zodiacal Beliefs and Personality
Example: Some captains kept crew logs where they noted birthdays (or baptism dates) of their crew—not for celebration, but for interpreting temperament.
Details:
A crewman born under Aries might be prized for bravery but watched for recklessness.
A Pisces might be considered a good lookout due to intuition, but perhaps too soft for hand-to-hand combat.
A Leo captain was believed to have natural command—some would even be referred to by their sign, like “Leo Jack” or “Scorpio Jim.”
This personalization mimicked what we today know as sun-sign astrology. It wasn't formalized but rooted in folk understanding.
🪐 4. Planetary Days and Hours
Example: Choosing days for launching voyages based on planetary influences—Tuesdays (Mars) for attack, Fridays (Venus) for negotiation or division of spoils.
Details:
Monday (Moon): moody, not ideal for business.
Tuesday (Mars): aggression, war, great for raids.
Wednesday (Mercury): speed and trickery; ideal for escaping or deceptive maneuvers.
Friday (Venus): gifts, wealth, pleasure—some pirates used this day to share treasure or engage in carousing.
Saturday (Saturn): many avoided sailing on this day due to its association with misfortune and restriction.
This system mirrored planetary hour magic found in grimoires like Picatrix or the Key of Solomon, which pirates could have encountered through contact with Moors, Spanish monks, or Arabic manuscripts.
💀 5. Tattoos and Talismans as Astral Wards
Example: Star tattoos, crescent moons, and astrological glyphs etched on skin and tools.
Details:
Tattoos of stars weren’t always decorative—they were often meant to ward off drowning. Sailors believed the stars would "guide them home" even in death.
Some pirates wore pendants engraved with zodiac signs, or planetary sigils (like Jupiter’s glyph for luck).
Charms and talismans blessed under certain skies were worn to invoke planetary aid—a nod to astrological talismanic magic.
Certain captains were rumored to possess amulets enchanted under rare conjunctions (like Mars-Jupiter) to ensure victory or dominance.
👻 6. Jinn, Spirits, and Celestial Entities
Example: In regions influenced by Islam (like the Barbary Coast), pirates often invoked jinn or star-spirits through whispered prayers and rituals.
Details:
The Barbary Corsairs, based in North Africa, often followed Islamic astrology (ilm al-nujūm). They may have timed attacks based on astrological signs, particularly Leo or Scorpio for war.
Some pirate captains consulted astrologers in Tunis, Algiers, or Tripoli before embarking on long campaigns.
Spirit invocations were carried out during specific celestial alignments. A pirate might even bury treasure on a day when Saturn (the planet of delay and secrecy) was in the 12th house—believing it would remain hidden for centuries.
🧙♀️ 7. Witches, Sea-Wives, and Star-Seers
Example: Caribbean pirates often visited local seer women—called “mothers of the moon” or Obeah women—to get astrological blessings.
Details:
These women combined folk astrology, African spirituality, and European grimoires.
A captain might request a reading of the stars before battle, or a charm made while Venus was rising, to win over rival crews.
Some pirates swore by their seers more than any map—believing the stars whispered fates only women with “the second sight” could interpret.
⚓ Conclusion: Pirates and the Astrology of the Sea
Though they sailed with rum in one hand and cutlasses in the other, pirates often leaned on celestial intuition and cosmic signs to steady their course. Their superstitions were not childish—they were a system of belief, a salty astrology born from life-and-death choices made beneath the moon and stars.
The pirate, after all, lived between worlds: land and sea, life and death, chance and fate. Astrology, in all its mystical forms, gave them a language to understand that liminal space—and to dare the waves with the stars in their favor.
⚔️ 1. Barbarossa Brothers (Oruç and Hayreddin) — The Corsairs of the Maghreb
Region: Ottoman Algeria / Mediterranean
Era: Early 1500s
Astrological Influence: Operated under the Ottoman Empire, which deeply respected astrology. They were known to consult court astrologers in Algiers and Istanbul for timing sea raids and negotiations.
Example: Oruç Reis allegedly waited for favorable lunar phases before launching attacks on European ships. Ottoman naval campaigns often coordinated with astrologers, and as naval commanders under Ottoman rule, the Barbarossa brothers likely used astrological calendars.
Mystical Additions: The brothers also relied on North African marabouts (holy men) who used astrology, dream interpretation, and geomancy to advise warlords and pirates alike.
🌙 2. Sayyida al-Hurra — The Pirate Queen of Morocco
Region: Tetouan, Morocco / Western Mediterranean
Era: 16th century
Astrological Influence: As an educated noblewoman and ally of Barbarossa, she was steeped in Islamic scholarship, including ilm al-nujūm (science of the stars).
Example: Sayyida al-Hurra was said to consult Sufi mystics and court sages before engaging in battle or negotiation. It’s believed her title “al-Hurra” (the free one) was given during a favorable celestial alignment.
Cultural Context: Her court in Tetouan preserved Arabic astrological manuscripts from Andalusia. Her identity as both a leader and spiritual woman suggests she moved through astrological circles as both a patron and believer.
🌊 3. Al-Mustafa bin Jafar — Corsair of Tripoli
Region: Libya (Tripolitania)
Era: Late 17th century
Astrological Influence: A commander in the Barbary States, he allegedly used star signs and planetary hours to time ambushes against Venetian and Spanish galleons.
Example: Oral tradition in Tripoli recounts that bin Jafar would delay voyages based on the Moon’s position, and his personal flag bore a star and crescent—symbolic not just of Islam, but of lunar magic and celestial favor.
🔥 4. Henry the Slave-King (Henri Caesar) — Haitian Pirate with African Roots
Region: Caribbean (Haiti) / African diaspora
Era: Early 1800s
Astrological Influence: Though more of a mythic figure, stories say he blended West African vodun, astrology, and Caribbean obeah to summon protection and curse his enemies.
Example: Legends describe Caesar timing his attacks with eclipses and comets, claiming they were signs from his ancestors. He carried talismans blessed under Jupiter and Mars.
🐍 5. African Mystic Pirates of the Swahili Coast
Region: Zanzibar, Mombasa, Comoros
Era: 15th–18th centuries
Astrological Influence: The Swahili coast was rich with Islamic mysticism, blending Arabic astrology, African animism, and Indian Ocean trading lore.
Example: Pirate dhows in this region often featured celestial symbols etched into the wood, and some captains hired Swahili astrologer-priests who timed sea raids based on planetary hours and rising stars—particularly Sirius and Canopus, stars sacred in East African and Arab star lore.
🌌 The Common Thread
These pirates, though diverse in culture and era, were bound by a shared worldview where the heavens were not far-off mysteries, but maps of fate, just waiting to be interpreted.
Cultural Bridges:
Arabic astrology, descended from Babylonian and Hellenistic traditions, was deeply entrenched in courts, trade routes, and religious life.
African cosmologies, especially in Mali, Yoruba, and Berber traditions, viewed stars and planets as divine beings with personalities—guides or warnings.
When the sword was raised, the stars had already whispered their omen.
