Emmanuel Macron

Emmanuel Macron

France goes to the polls today, in the first round of their national elections. Following on from my blog two weeks ago about Marine Le Pen, I would like to concentrate on the other front runner, centrist Emmanuel Macron.  Since that blog, the other two candidates have come up in the ratings, and now there is only 4% in the polls between the top four candidates.  However, there is a chance that Emmanuel Macron may be the next French President.

“A victory for Macron would be the best outcome for the French and the least worst option for us too.” – Martin Kettle, writing in the Guardian.

Emmanuel Macron is only 39 years of age, which is very young for a French candidate for the presidency.  He has had a meteoric rise in politics over the last few years, and while he worked within the socialist sphere (he was a former adviser to President Hollande) he now declares that what France needs is for someone to bring the country together in the centre.

Martin Kettle goes on to say:

“There is a Macron-shaped hole in the centre of British party politics.  Corbyn doesn’t want to fill it.  May probably can’t.  Tim Farron isn’t strong enough.  yes somehow, some time, someone will have to fill it.  At least a Macron victory would prove it can be done.”

Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front National is an extreme right politician, Francois Fillon is also to the right, and Jean-Luc Melenchon is to the far left (the Corbyn and Bernie Sanders territory).  Needless to say, the choice of French President will be crucial for the EU, the Brexit process and globally.

Birth Chart

Mercifully for the Astrologer, all four French candidates have available birth times, so you can see the full picture of their chart.  Emmanuel Macron has an extremely strongly integrated chart in my view, with 10 exact aspects between planets and with angles.  The Sun is conjunct exactly with Mercury, giving him the capacity for concentrated thought, at the end of Sagittarius in his 12th House of Inner Vision. He studied Philosophy (Sagittarius) at University, and in debate has a considerable mental agility.  The capacity for application and hard work is further accentuated by the Sun/Mercury trine Saturn.  His Ascendant is in Capricorn, the sign of Politics.  Mercury trines exactly Chiron, making him a good problem solver (codebreaker Alan Turing had this).  He has plenty of electrical energy, with Mars square Uranus, and Mars is exactly sextile the North Node, strengthening the leadership and warriorship within his karmic mission. Jupiter sextile exactly Saturn, gives him the capacity for good balanced judgement, and together with the North Node/Pluto in the sign of Libra, characterizes his tone of centrism or “the third way”.  There is a constructive exact trine between Saturn and Chiron, with Jupiter at its centre point, adding the potential for healing to that balance of hope and realism.  Not that his chart doesn’t contain challenges: Saturn from 8th House squares exactly the Midheaven/I.C. Axis, and Pluto conjuncts the North Node, so there are constraints in his life and the inner drive for what he does to be meaningful.  He is standing for his own party “En Marche!”  He was endorsed this week by Barack Obama.

His transits for the first round today are:-

Mars square his natal Saturn in Virgo in 8th House, Jupiter sextile his natal Neptune in Sagittarius in 11th House and Jupiter on his Pluto in Libra in 9th House, which is promising.  His transits for the second round on 7th May are not so striking, with Mars sextile his Mars (mildly strengthening) and Mars trine his North Node (a renewal of karmic purpose), plus the more weighty Neptune sextile his Moon (spiritual and emotional satisfaction).

Marine Le Pen

For a more in-depth analysis of the Le Pen dynasty and Marine Le Pen’s chart, please read my full blog of 9th April: “it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that the far right could take over the government of France.  This would be a huge game-changer, cementing the populist attitude on immigration in the world, and sounding a death knell to the E.U… The Sun strengthens her Ascendant and personality with a sextile, and the Sun also sextiles her North Node exactly, so leadership is part of her karmic mission and she has a strong sense of destiny as being born to lead.”

“… On 23rd April Mars is sextile Marine’s Mars and Chiron, giving her plenty of fighting spirit.  Jupiter will be on her Ascendant, giving her a good share of luck.  Saturn squares her Uranus and Uranus conjuncts her Saturn, so there may be some shock too.  Uranus trines her Venus, bringing an upbeat personal confidence.  However, Pluto shakes her foundations with a transit to her I.C., so while influences are mixed that may be the deciding factor.  If she wins, there may be public riots.”

Her hand may have been strengthened this week by the killing of a policeman in Paris, and her subsequent denouncement of the lack of border controls which she links with terrorist attacks.  In the second round, Mars sextiles her natal Mercury (she’ll be buzzing!), Uranus trine her natal Venus (on a personal high), but Uranus will still be on her Saturn (still the capacity for a shock), Saturn still square her Uranus (not all going the way of her will), but Jupiter on her Ascendant may provide the luck she needs.

Francois Fillon

Right wing (or more accurately centre right) candidate Francois Fillon had a setback in January, a scandal relating to using public finances within the family, but has experienced a very recent upsurge in popularity.  In his chart, he has 6 Water planets, suggesting great emotionality, 0 Earth planets (possibly ungrounded), and 6 Mutable planets (highly adaptable).  He was born on a New Moon in Pisces, so is able to start afresh from time to time.  The Sun square Mars gives him some warriorship, and highly charged energy in a T-square with Jupiter, and Mercury square Mars could make him quite irritable and quick to react verbally.  His Mars in 3rd House reinforces this.  He may have a predisposition to scandal, with Neptune square his Nodal Axis.  He does have considerable political experience, having acted as prime minister under Nicolas Sarkozy’s premiership.

As a complete aside, there is a fascinating symbolism in his chart in relation to his birth place, Le Mans, and his brother.  The 3rd House in a chart represents short distance travel and Mars represents cars, and he has Mars in 3rd House representing the location of Le Mans as a sportscar racing venue.  The 3rd House also represents siblings, and he has a brother (Mars in 3rd House).  The brother himself, Pierre, is represented well in the chart in the 3rd House, for he is an Opthalmologist (Mars also represents the eyes) and is President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest in Le Mans (where Mars = cars).  Coincidence, or divine symbolism, you decide!

Sorry about the digression…getting back on track, in the first round his transit are:- Neptune on his Sun in Pisces in 6th House (confusion), Jupiter trine his Jupiter in Gemini in 9th House (some success) and Pluto opposite his Uranus in Cancer in 10th House (some chaos in his affairs).  In the second round, should he reach it which seems unlikely: Neptune still on his Sun in Pisces in 6th House, Pluto still opposite his Uranus in Cancer in 10th House (a possible reversal of fortune), Uranus opposite his natal Neptune in the1st House in Libra (more uncertainty), and Mars trine his Ascendant on cusp of 9th House (he may need to put his energies into a holiday).

Jean-Luc Melenchon

The left wing candidate, under the platform “Unsubmissive France”, who has also come up in the rankings in the last fortnight, is Jean-Luc Melenchon.  With Sun conjunct Pluto in Leo in 11th House, he wants power but he also wants some form of revolution.  His is not a wishy washy agenda.  With the Moon in Pisces at the end of the 6th House, close to the Descendant, he is all for the people and the workers in a highly idealistic way.  He has an original and keen mind (Mercury sextile Uranus), and a strong Teacher Archetype from past lives (Mercury conjunct South Node).  Leadership potential is shown in his chart by the Sun trine Midheaven, Uranus trine North Node, and Mars sextile the Ascendant.  He is also an opportunist, with Jupiter square Uranus.  He also has some difficult squares in his chart, including Chiron square his Ascendant and conjunct his I.C. so he would be used to battling his way through life.  He is a strong supporter of the underdog, and critic of socio-economic inequalities.  Like Le Pen, he is also a critic of the European Union.

His transits for the first round of elections shows Uranus trine his Sun, surprising support, Mars sextile his Mars (encouragement), Mars trine his Saturn (again mildly supportive), but Saturn square his Ascendant (personal difficulties) and Chiron opposite his Ascendant (more headaches, like where to go from here).  Transits for the 2nd round, in the unlikely event he would reach that, are: Uranus still trine his Sun (favours a regrouping of his life and aims), and Saturn still square his Ascendant (more struggle).

France Chart

With the chart of the French Republic (1792), its Venus conjuncts Emmanuel Macron’s North Node, indicating a karmic tie.  His Jupiter sextiles its Saturn, which is a good balancing act; their Saturns trine, again bringing stability.  There are other very positive aspects, plus a more difficult conjunction between Macron’s Chiron (the problem solver) and France’s Saturn (its blocks) which provide scope for resolution.

Marine Le Pen has Mars sextile France’s Sun, and would act as a warrior queen in putting barriers against the rest of the world.  Her Pluto conjuncts the French Mercury, so she could also bring new headaches to the nation.  Her South Node conjuncts its Venus, so there is a past life tie, but perhaps not entirely comfortable.  Her Moon sextiles its Jupiter, so she has a genuine love for the country.

Francois Fillon has an exact tie between his Ascendant and France’s Venus, and indeed he has already served in a top capacity; whether or not he has already fulfilled his karmic brief is a moot point.  His North Node trines the French Mercury, another sign of his service.  His Chiron trines its Mars, so he had a useful role, but that does not necessarily mean he can make a comeback.

Jean-Luc Melenchon has a more fraught relationship with his country, and indeed was born in Tangier so may not be as in tune as the others.  His Uranus squares its Venus, which is not such a comfortable match.  His Sun squares its Mars, which points to some conflict, e.g. he may have faced some opposition.  His Mars squares its Saturn, again some abrasiveness.  The most positive interaspect is his Moon trine its Mars, indicating a genuine caring.

Election Dates

How are the imminent changes reflected in the chart transits for France?  For the first round, today,  the North Node trines its Saturn, indicating this is an important turning point for France.  Saturn sextiles its Neptune, so this period may usher in more realism, and the letting go of illusions.  For the second round, Chiron sextiles its Ascendant from the 2nd/3rd House cusp, which could bring some healing and a totally new change of direction, the end of one economic direction and a new mindset.