Protests in France

“There is no place for violence in the [French] Republic.” ~ Emmanuel Macron

French citizens have had enough this week of footing the bill over fuel, and keeping Emmanuel Macron in the luxurious style of a would be Napoleon IV.  Even acknowledging the justification of their cause, and knowing the propensity of the French for revolution, it was still shocking to see the Champs Elysees ablaze last night.  It was also startling to see the water cannon employed for crowd control.  [A fun fact about water cannon is that Boris Johnson bought £85,022 worth of water cannon for London a few years ago, and it has just been sold off at £11,025 possibly to  be placed in a museum.]

Emmanuel Macron

I devoted a blog to Emmanuel Macron in April last year, and analyzed his birth chart to an extent:

“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.”

This was at a time when he was seen as the most centrist candidate for the French election, and an acceptable swerve from the right wing Marine Le Pen.  Much has been made since of his presidential style and penchant for pomp, and he gave an interesting interview with Andrew Marr in January, describing himself as a Jupiterian (whatever he meant by it).  Certainly, his Sun is exactly conjunct Mercury in Jupiter’s sign of Sagittarius and opposes Jupiter closely.  That makes him Jupiterian by any astrological standards.  But his popularity ratings have been consistently low and plummeting during his “reign” (recently standing at 21% in September), and his public are not amused.

Current Protests

The “yellow vests” (gilets jaunes) protests have been raging for two weekends in a row in Paris, and other parts of France.  The name is descriptive of the yellow jackets which French motorists are required to keep in their cars, by law, in case of emergency.  The protesters are calling Macron a “thief”.  Last year, Macron introduced taxes on fuel (designed to encourage more environmental awareness and usage of transport).  It is interesting that this conflict is occurring during a period of Mercury (transport) retrograde, and the Full Moon at 0 degrees Gemini (transport issues).  The protests have a wide support throughout the population, at almost 80% approval.

Transits

Emmanuel Macron’s current transits are:-

Uranus trine his Sun/Mercury in Sagittarius in his 12th House – surprise, surprise!; Chiron square his Sun/Mercury – crisis; Neptune sextile his Moon in Taurus in 4th House – he serenely stands by his policies. Uranus square his Ascendant on 4th House cusp, close to natal Chiron – shock and awe, with more shock to come when Uranus transits Chiron next March (2019). The South Node is on his Ascendant, very karmically, as a direct consequences of his policies!  And Chiron sextiles his Ascendant on the 3rd House cusp, which I think points to his stated aim being ecological (however that doesn’t necessarily wash with the population who are cynical about that stated aim).

The transits for the chart of France shows Jupiter on its Moon, high emotion, even if not constructive – the fire and enthusiasm of Jupiter can sometimes manifest in anger; Uranus opposes the French natal Neptune, which is a chaotic mix.  Uranus, as in Macron’s chart, squares the Ascendant (bringing disruption and shock) and in the same position on the 4th House cusp (shock) because they both have 28 degrees rising (amazingly), with Uranus transiting the natal Saturn also next March, which seems to be an important time for Macron and France.

Last word

The last word goes to a Parisian student (Joel Mouillesceaux), quoted in the Observer this morning:

“We’re here because we’ve had enough.  It’s always the same people who have to pay for the madness of others.  We have to work to pay, work some more to pay some more and it’s been like that for years.  It’s been like it since I was born [Age: 24], president after president, and now we’re saying that’s enough”.

Aspects

In the early hours of this morning Neptune was stationary, prior to going direct, at 13 degrees 42 minutes Pisces.  Neptune stays at 13 degrees 42 until 1st December, so though you may feel some spiritual comfort immediately, after 1st December you may detect greater flow and movement on your spiritual path.

One of the highlights of the astrological year takes place tomorrow (Monday 26th), that bright conjunction of the Sun and Jupiter (in Sagittarius this year, which gives it extra oomph).  Hallelujahs may be heard ringing through the land, although as the conjunction takes place at 6.33 a.m. in the U.K. it may coincide with the dawn chorus.  Apparently, the dawn chorus is quieter in the winter and in recent years the birds have been adjusting their chorus to an earlier time because of human noise pollution, e.g. much earlier near airports.  I digress, but it is a good day to sing or express thanks and joy, and an extra helping of luck may come your way.  A good day to meditate on what makes you happy, and put your enthusiasms into practice.

A more fractious thread may run through the day (that of Mercury square Mars) although that should not diminish your enjoyment of the Sun conjunct Jupiter.  You may have to guard against minor cuts and bruises, so it would pay to go through health and safety features before the abseil, or whatever you chose as your fun activity courtesy of Sun/Jupiter.  Words may also be cutting under this square, and people may sound their criticisms more freely.  In terms of travel, long distance travel (Sun/Jupiter in Sagittarius) will fare better than short distance travel (Mercury/Mars), but of course in order to go the distance you have to take shorter forays in between…That’s a bit of a conundrum.

Tuesday (27th) brings another conjunction, that of the Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius, which is much more straightforward in terms of transport and clearer in ideas.  This favours travel plans, such as in the booking of foreign holidays, and philosophical conjectures, as well as sporting interests.  It also supports global vision and interests.

Tuesday is a supportive day altogether, as it brings two more helpful aspects: Mars sextile Saturn, and Mercury conjunct Jupiter.  Mars sextile Saturn occurs in the evening, and helps to stabilize and firm up any plans, foundations or active projects you are currently undertaking.

Even later in the day, Mercury conjoins Jupiter at 4 degrees Sagittarius, which is mentally stimulating, good for business, and good news for communications (though Mercury is still retrograde, which takes away some of the shine).  Nevertheless if your transport issues have taken a battering recently, there may be light at the end of the tunnel.  Hopefully that will translate into some gains for the people in their fuel crisis in France.

Wednesday (28th) brings a focus on relationship karma, in the shape of Venus squaring the Nodal Axis.  This may present itself especially in the search for harmony within groups of people, and that can include families.  You may be seeking answers to questions regarding ethical behaviour, and the consequences arising from past actions, and balancing the needs of various people.

Saturday (1st December) may be challenging on the social front, with Venus opposing Uranus.  Be clear from your heart, to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, as cross currents and crossed purposes can occur.

Mercury Retrograde also enters Scorpio that day, from Sagittarius.  A lackadaisical attitude may give way to a more suspicious outlook, or a desire to get to the nitty gritty of an issue.  You may have left a stone unturned since 30th October, when Mercury was last in Scorpio, which a closer investigation can reveal.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – returning on your spiritual path
  • Monday – luck and hope, but also minor incidents and irritations
  • Tuesday – concentrate your mind, firm up your plans and sell your ideas
  • Wednesday – relationship karma
  • Saturday – relationship disruptions, the need to examine loopholes
Date: Nov 25th, 2018 · Comments RSS · Tags: News