La France

Recently, the authentic horoscope for France has been identifed, after considerable effort. It is based on the time when the citizens of France approved in a referendum the creation of the 5th French Republic. The referendum closed at 10:00 pm on 28 September 1958 in Paris, giving 1° 13‘ Gemini rising. Below is a description of the horoscope with some historical anecdotes and musings.

Astrology of the chart

The first house represents the self of any entity and Gemini is an airy sign owned by Mercury. This brings out a pleasing communicative ability in French national life. This is more so as 4th lord Mercury at 6° 35‘ Virgo and 3rd lord Sun at 11° 56‘ Virgo are fairly strong in the 4th house. Mercury is combust but gains additional strength from being in own MT sign. Moreover, although Sun‘s strength depends on that of Mercury, it also gains additional strength by ruling a sun-like house. This dual placement gives an interest in communication, which could be of an analytical, verbal or intellectual nature.

The lode star of the French horoscope is the powerful, unafflicted and well placed 2nd lord Moon at 22° 30‘ Pisces and 10th house. This placement of a lord of a sun-like house gives France its good international status, adds regality to its leader and an importance for the state in the affairs of the people. The placement also contributes to an overall satisfaction of the French with their way of life.

There are two other planets in Virgo and the 4th house, Venus and Rahu. As a result, there is a pretty extensive focus in the natural psychology on the “masses, nation's natural resources, agriculture, mines, minerals, landed properties, peace, general and political stability, natural calamities, educational institutions, law and order, housing and communal harmony.“ Indeed, the French have an abiding interest in democracy, with an emphasis on fairness (fr. egalité) and a strong bond (fr. fraternité) among the masses. Agriculture has an elevated stature in French live, seen in its celebrate culinary products such as cheeses and wines.

Although the French seek peace and political stability, they often find themselves dealing with the opposite conditions. This is explained by the other two planets in the 4th house. Fifth lord Venus is weak in debilitation and infancy at 1° Virgo. However, it is well and influentially placed in the most effective point (MEP) of the 4th house, giving some amount of creativity to the indications of the 4th house as well as the 10th house which rules the “executive, parliament, administration, foreign trade, law and order.“ However, it is Rahu at 28° 58‘ Virgo and 4th house but which is also conjunct the MEP of the the 5th house. The orb of affliction is 2° 15‘, which is quite prounounced as Venus, the lord of the 5th house is so weak. This tends to introduce some amount of confusion into 5th house matters, such as “intellectuals, emotional stability, communal harmony, speculative nature of the people, investments, stock exchange, children, population, universities, morals and values of the people“. Indeed, there is a certain amount of emotional volatility to French life, which quickly affects the communal harmony (Venus‘ influence in 4th house) and government (Venus‘ influence on 10th house).

Jupiter, which rules the 7th house of „pleasure and amusement resorts, tourism, bond of relationships amongst masses and business establishments, foreign affairs and agreements“, is placed at 10° Libra and 5th house. This explains the popularity of the France as one of the worlds leading tourist destinations. With Venus on the 4th house MEP, France is know for its art and beautiful houses. Indeed, Paris is considered by many the most beautiful city in the world, although it‘s beauty is circumscribed by such things as congestion, traffic jams and air pollution.

Rahu also afflicts the 9th house of “judicial system, morality, religion, diplomats, foreign missions, progress and development“, the 11th house of income, gains, friends and future plans, and the 1st house of “general conditions of the country as a whole, people and their general outlook, state of law and order, public health, government, reputation, valor and its position in the world“, causing confusion and manipulation to involve these indications. This is especially harmful regarding the 11th and 9th houses. Indeed, Mars as 11th lord is weak and badly placed at 8° 18‘ Taurus and the 12th house. France does not easily gain from its foreign alliances and would tends to experience a loss of income and friends and upsets to its future plans from its involvement in wars. Saturn, as 9th lord, is weak and badly placed and in old age at 26° 50‘ Scorpio and the 6th house of conflict where it receives an afflicting aspect by Ketu, with an orb of just over 2° making its indication subject to sudden, explosive setbacks linked to conflict.

Germany invades France

Significant events prior to the founding event are commonly seen in mundane horoscopes. Indeed, it was in the Saturn major period that France was attacked, subjugated and briefly ruled by Germamy in World War II. The invasion started on May 10, 1940 during the Saturn-Venus period with transit stationary Ketu at 26° 42' Pisces conjunct natal Ketu in Pisces and 10th house in exact aspect to natal Saturn at 26° 50' Scorpio and 6th house. This not only is consistent with the horoscope, but also the insight by Indian astrologer & author, V. K. Choudhry, that the stationary nodal return is the most painful aspect known. In the case of France it was especially difficult as it also involved the transit and natal affliction by Ketu of 9th lord Saturn in the 6th house.

Labour relations in France
Saturn is a general indicator of people working hard for low wages, is a feature of the emotional tenderness of French national life, not least the delicate balance on the labour market. French labour unions in the transportation sector play a critical role for the rest of the labour market, by suddenly calling strikes that paralyse national transportation, resulting in negotiations and a settlement for all union. The emotional nature of such strikes is prominent, reflecting the difficult 5th house influences. Indeed, the drawn out and inconvenient strikes are also showing the influence of the nodes to reduce the pleasure of life in France, ruled by Venus.

Student uprising of 1968

The student uprising in May 1968 is also a testament to the strength of this chart. The Ketu major period began on April 30, 1968. On May 2, 1968, the authorities closed the univiersities in Paris in an effort to maintain calm. This had the opposite effect and a full blown student uprising ensued that threatened to turn into a bloody revolution. Rahu and Ketu afflict the 5th house ruling young people and universities. At the time, transit stationary Ketu and transit 9th lord Saturn were conjunct at 25° Pisces and the 10th house. They were also conjunct natal Ketu at 29° Pisces.

The affliction of the 9th house and its ruler, Saturn in the 6th house of conflict, may also explain the secular and materialistic side to French culture. Indeed, French philosophers have a long pedigree of questioning the religious ideas of their Catholic Church. Indeed, the ideas of the French philosophers have driven the enlightenment no less than those of British philosphers. The religious influences in France are also indicated by Jupiter and Sun, which are both well placed and where the Sun is of moderate strength while Jupiter is weak.

The rise of mass immigration from former colonies took place in the 1950s, during civil wars in some of the colonies. Many immigrants are beholden to their native muslim faith. This situation has had a major influence on French national life, challening the secular phiolsophy that all people and all faiths can co-exist peacefully. The events of recent days have shown that the immigrants need to be better integrated into French culture if this idea is to survive as nationalist parties are on the rise to curtail the openess of the country and protect the security of ordinary French citizens.

The terrorist massace of 17 people in France from January 7-9, 2015, happened during the Mars-Mercury period, where transit stationary 7th lord Jupiter at 28°Cancer and 2nd house (and in 3H MEP) has been under the close affliction of natal Ketu at 29° Pisces and 10H (and in  11H MEP). As the events unfolded transit 2nd lord Moon passed over transit Jupiter and into the 3rd house MEP. Meanwhile, transit Ketu has been moving in retrograde motion of natal 2nd lord Moon at 22° 28‘ Pisces and 10th house. Meanwhile, transit 4th lord Mercury and transit 5th lord Venus were in Capricorn and 8th house of obstacles and endings and transit 11th lord Mars was in early Aquarius and 9th house under aspect of natal Rahu while transit 9th lord Saturn was in Scorpio and 6th house. Indeed, with Jupiter as 7th lord in the Gemini rising chart, the event created considerable strain to the foreign relations of France with regard to its openeness.

The 11th house is further harmed by the affliction of Ketu at 28° 58‘ Pisces and 10th house, in the MEP of the 11th house. From there is also afflicts the 3rd house of communication and transportation, 5th house and 7th house of foreign agreements. Hence, while the French national life has a pleasing national character, it is made more difficult due to the nodal affliction to six house, two of which, the 9th and 11th, are so evidently weak and vulnerable to setbacks, as the recent events attest to.

French cars

The revered Citroen DS debuted in 1955

As the 3rd lord Sun is placed in the 4th house, along with Mercury and Venus, there is an emphasis on automaking in France, but it is not free of problems. There is a certain elegance in French cars, but electrical problems are rarely far off, given the affliction of Ketu to the 3rd house.

Venus as the planet of art

George Brassens, the legendary singer

Venus is the planet of art. It goes to some way to explain the artistic influences in France, which are somewhat different from art in the USA or the UK. The best French music often reaches audiences in the non-French speaking world by way substantial reformulation. Likely this is because of the greater emphasis the French place on verbal interpretation, with 3rd lord Sun in Virgo and 4th house, along with 4th lord Mercury and 5th lord Venus conjunct the MEP of this house. Certainly, the French adore their language and take pride in speaking it in an expressive manner. However, in the English speaking world, the music is  not always appreciated as performed in France. Nevertheless, several French songs have become hits for English speaking artists. However, the anglozised versions usually bring the melody, previously in the background, to center stage. Early examples of this are the French song Je t‘appartiense by Gilbert Bécaud, which became the hit Let it be me by the American duo Everly Brothers in 1960, and La Mer by Charles Trenet in 1954, which became popular for Bobby Darin in the USA in 1959 as Beyond the Sea.

Outlook

Early 2015 does not look quite as challenging for the France as it does for Germany or the EU. Indeed, the affliction of natal Ketu to transit Jupiter is separating and the Mars-Mercury period influences are fairly positive. That said, the aspect of transit Ketu to transit Saturn in the autumn of 2015, will nevertheless likely be difficult for France, as Saturn is in the 6th house, and given the hurtful natal influence of Ketu on Saturn. Likely, the luck of the French, or labour relations, will experience a sudden setback and strain at that time.  The period influences turn more adverse from October 28, when Mars-Ketu period begins, however this aspect of Ketu to Saturn will be separating at that time, reducing the maleficience. The onset of the Rahu major period in May 2018 looks more difficult.

References

V.K. Choudhry. Mundane Astrology.

http://www.yournetastrologer.com/mundane_astrology.htm