Aspects for the week beginning 3 May 2026

Simone de Beauvoir (1908 – 1986)

It’s been a few months since my last Philosophy blog, which was about the Sagittarian Philosopher Spinoza.  In reviewing the series, I was astonished to find that I started it in January 2020, in the first year of my philosophical studies, with Rene Descartes for Aries.  For those of you who find the subject tedious, you’ll be glad to know I only have two more on the agenda (Aquarius and Pisces).  But this one belongs to the Existentialist Simone de Beauvoir.

Birth Chart

Simone was born under a Sun in Capricorn.  We have her birth time, and therefore we know she had Moon in Pisces and Ascendant in Sagittarius.  Her Ascendant is at the first degree of that sign, which is the Philosopher’s sign.  The Sun conjunct Mercury in her chart conveys an ability for strong mental focus.  This conjunction is part of a triple conjunction with Uranus, indicating the development of the Higher Mind.  More complexity is added to her mental functioning by an opposition of Neptune to this triple conjunction.  Another factor in the mix is the Sun’s conjunction with the South Node in Capricorn, suggesting she may have had a political career in a previous life.  The Sun in her chart trines the Midheaven, emphasizing a creative career.  The Sun closely trines her Ascendant, from the 4^th House side, echoes of the title of her memoir titled Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter.

Going on to the Moon, she closely conjuncts Mars, giving Simone quick emotional reactions.  But at the same time, paradoxically, it forms a conjunction with Saturn, which I call the Ivory Tower Archetype.  Mercury closely conjunct Uranus of itself indicates a brilliant mind, and Mercury’s exact opposition with Neptune indicates a vulnerable mind prone to exhaustion at times.  Mercury’s appearance at the South Node brings up the Teacher Archetype from past lives.

Venus is in Aquarius, an avant garde approach to relationships, and with an opposition from Jupiter accentuates the tendency that she does not always conform to social norms.  Furthermore, an exact conjunction of Chiron with her Venus accentuates the wounds of love.  This was compounded by Pluto in her 7^th House of Close Relationships.  She had very specific views on close relationships, and was capable of wounding as much as being wounded.  However in her directness she might have argued that she was healing and being healed.  Truth can hurt, but also ultimately heal.

Her Mars was in Pisces and conjunct Saturn, which shows some restraint but also great deliberateness in relation to her use of energy.  Mars was in her 4^th House of Home and Family, and in her memoir she describes how she deliberately set out in early life to attract and garner attention from her father in particular.  Mars was conjunct the South Node in the 4^th House, a great driving force coming from home background, and closely conjunct the Moon, very much focussed on the parents.

The pain in her life is shown by Saturn exactly square Pluto, and Saturn’s close conjunction with the I.C. (Security Point) points to constraints as a child  (echoes of the title of “Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter”).  Uranus exactly conjunct South Node invites the possibility that she may have been a Scientist in Atlantis.  Neptune exactly conjunct the North Node portrays someone who would become an influential spiritual leader, as a main function of her karmic mission.  She certainly led the feminist movement.  Pluto closely squaring the Midheaven describes a stormy path in career – she certainly had her fair share of controversy.

Life and Career

Simone de Beauvoir was born into a bourgeois Parisian family.  Her father was a lawyer, and her mother was a wealthy banker’s daughter.  She was largely raised by a nanny called Louise.  Her father was very proud of her emerging intellect.  He used to say: “Simone has a man’s brain; she thinks like a man; she is a man.”  Remarkably, this is the first female philosopher in my series – the profession has been such a man’s world.  She was redressing the balance.

She wrote of the influence of her parents:

“…my father’s individualism and pagan ethical standards were in complete contrast to the rigidly moral conventionalism  of my mother’s teaching. This disequilibrium, which made my life a kind of endless disputation, is the main reason why I became an intellectual”

When Simone was 14 she began to question the faith in which she had been brought up (Catholicism), with her Progressed Sun entering Aquarius (going from convention to non-convention).  She became an atheist:

“Faith allows an evasion of those difficulties which the atheist confronts honestly. And to crown all, the believer derives a sense of great superiority from this very cowardice itself.”

She passed her baccalaureate exams in mathematics and philosophy at the age of 17, and then studied mathematics and languages at Institutes in Paris.  In her postgraduate phase, she studied for a prestigious examination called the Aggregation, and it was during that time that she met Jean-Paul Sartre, a soul mate and founder of the philosophical movement of Existentialism.  He won first place in the exam, and she won second place.  In studying at the Sorbonne, her thesis was on the philosopher Leibniz. Simone came second in “General Philosophy and Logic” to Simone Weil.  [I have just had an “Oh my gosh!” moment: Simone Weil, who I did study in my philosophy course, is Aquarian, which means I know who will be the next in this series, and we will have another woman philosopher!]

The groundbreaking work that defined her came in 1949, “The Second Sex”.  In it she discussed the condition and oppression of womanhood historically and in the society of her day.   It became influential in the feminist movement, but was banned by the Vatican.  Astrologically, it was published in the year of her Uranus Opposition (the mid-life rebellion).  Her Progressed Sun at this point was trine her natal Sun, indicating a creative triumph.

In 1958 she published her “Mémoires d’une jeune fille rangée “ – Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter.  This is an extremely well-written memoir.  I was especially struck, in her recollections of early childhood, how self-aware she was and articulate and honest about her own processes.  Astrologically, it was written in the year of her Chiron Return, an homage to her psychological wound and healing.

Jean-Paul Sartre

The pair differed in their view at the outset of what their relationship should be.  He saw it as a romantic relationship (his possessive Venus in Taurus). With her Venus in Aquarius, she felt that marriage was too confining, favouring more of an open relationship. She wrote on the subject of marriage:

“I think marriage is a very alienating institution, for men as well as for women. I think it’s a very dangerous institution—dangerous for men, who find themselves trapped, saddled with a wife and children to support; dangerous for women, who aren’t financially independent and end up by depending on men”

They acknowledged that theirs was unique bond, and their lives and (philosophical) thoughts were bound throughout their lives.

Their synastry included:

Her Moon square his Sun (her femininity pitted against his masculinity in some ways)

Her Mercury trine his Venus (amazing intellectual relationship and rapport)

Their Venuses in square to each other (as described above, but directly interacting, not just by sign, possibly explaining the preclusion of romance)

Her North Node sextile his Venus (a karmic relationship; incarnated together and destined to meet and interact closely)

She chose not to have children, saying:

“Motherhood should be a choice, and not a result of conditioning”.

Simone’s writings were unquestionably influenced by Sartre’s thought and existential framework, but she did also rate Hegel as well as Leibniz as influential.  She also became active politically (one way in which her Capricorn Archetype was dominant), especially in relation to the women’s liberation movement.  She helped, for instance, the legalization of abortion in France, which took place in 1974.

Jean-Paul, like Simone, had the philosopher’s sign Sagittarius rising, another affinity between them.  They were both low in Fire signs: she had only 1 planet in that element, and he had none.  I don’t know if maybe that made them more intellectually dispassionate.

Existentialism

Existentialism, of which Simone de Beauvoir’s philosophy formed a part, was primarily created by Jean-Paul Sartre, whose Sun was at the very end of Gemini (a supremely logical and intellectual sign).  As mentioned, they both had Sagittarius rising.  As a Capricorn, Simone would have contributed an extra layer of realism.

According to the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, existentialism was a product of the horrors of the Second World War, the atomic bomb and the holocaust.  It was a raw attempt to confront the human condition, and the perceived meaningless of life and randomness of suffering.  Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir are cited as its leading lights, but Albert Camus (subject of the Gemini piece in this series) also contributed, plus other writers such as Andre Gide.

Freedom is one of the watchwords for existentialism. As Stanford puts it: “what distinguishes our existence from that of other beings is that we are self-conscious and exist for ourselves, which means we are free and responsible for who we are and what we do.”

On a personal note, on our first trip to Paris together hubby and I specifically searched out the café that the pair of them used to hang out in, the Café de Flore in Saint-Germain-des-Pres!  It was all rather underwhelming, with a packed 21^st Century clientele, a rude waiter, and an inability on our part to tune in to the vibrations of the iconic venue, the existential ambience and the legendary pair of philosophers!

Aspects

In the early hours of this morning, Mercury entered Taurus.  This can make the quality of the mental energy become steadier and calmer than the fieriness of Mercury in Aries.  This placing is better for negotiation, which is something much needed at the moment in this climate of war.  The U.S. and Iran have got to “want it badly” (a lasting peace), in the wording style of Donald Trump. It’s a very short stay, a short window, though, until 17^th May,  Practical ideas will be the order of the day.  This could be a productive day and period, mentally.

Moving on to Tuesday (5^th), Mars will be square Jupiter, again in the early hours of the morning in the U.K.  This is high energy, and could keep you awake, for whatever reason (for me these days it is often mentally writing the third volume of my trilogy).  It is sheer over-the-top enthusiasm allied with energy. This aspect can bring spirited exchanges or sporting achievements, but there is a possible hint of damage through lack of control.  The Astrologer Adam Elenbaas equates it with a passion for moral justice.

Late in the evening of the same day, Mercury squares Pluto, and that may pick up in consequences some of the excesses of the early morning aspect.  Mentally you need to be on top of your game.  It is a square which requires you, among other things, to rise above negative thinking, or to get to the root of it.  There may be a setback or a reversal (even if a fragile ceasefire is still under way), so make sure your actions in the morning are solid if you have a conflict to resolve in your own life – despite the efforts of Mercury’s placement in Taurus.  Perhaps there is a twist in the plot.  You may encounter awkward communications or travel.  You may need extra ‘me time’ in order to separate yourself from worried pronouncements about the state of the world.  If you do engage in chatter, choose a worthwhile subject.

Wednesday (6^th) holds the last two of the week’s astrological features, the first being a karmic sextile between Mercury and the North Node, which can help to establish a good start to the second half of the week.  Mercury sextile the North Node brings karmic information to light.  Communication is highly significant and imbued with meaning, though subject to differing interpretations according to belief.  It is a good day for writing, teaching, tutoring and revising for forthcoming exams if you are a student, and possibly for health checks.

Lastly, mid-afternoon on Wednesday Pluto will be Stationary, prior to turning Retrograde.  This could be tricky, and pull back to a little extent the benefits of the previous sextile.  Put your psychological house in order, e.g. with a spot of re-aligning meditation, ready for the challenges of this retrograde period.  There may be practical inconveniences, or contentious subjects arising.  The challenges may be more wearying than acute, but you need to keep up your vitality and reserves.  Alternatively, if you find yourself in overwhelm, surrender is equally effective as a spiritual strategy towards a sense of peace and acceptance, and new insight to inform your next steps.

The week in bullet points:

• Today – mentally calm
• Tuesday – high jinks; later negative thinking
• Wednesday – useful karmic information; psychological reflection