Francois Hollande and France

Perhaps it was not easy for Francois Hollande in his early years of politics, being married to the charismatic and popular Segolene Royale, who rose up in the ranks of socialist politics in France only to lose the presidential election to Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007. He was always seen as the secondary partner in that political marriage until very recently, and that cannot feel so good for a Leo. Then things changed for the man who the French media viewed as Mr. Normal and rather boring. He separated from Segolene Royale in 2007 and forged his own way to become the socialist party candidate, winning the presidency against Sarkozy in May 2012.

Like most French politicians he was born into a privileged family receiving the best education in prestigious educational establishments. This was where he met Royale, with whom he subsequently had 4 children, though they never married. Perhaps this relationship and the privileged education can be seen in the most dominating aspect in Hollande’s horoscope – the Moon/Jupiter opposition.

 

The moon in Capricorn in the 9th house connecting with Jupiter shows a man very attached to his beliefs, and rather dogmatic about them. With his Ascendant ruler Mercury also square Saturn in Scorpio, this is obviously an ambitious person who plods persistently towards a long term goal. He is a man of principle and determination. His long-term partner Royale is probably reflected by 7th house ruler Jupiter exalted in Cancer, and the fact that they never married may be reflected by the conjunction of Uranus with Jupiter.

Hollande may hide it, but he really has sought a position of power all his life, and the Sun/Pluto conjunction in Leo trine Mars shows someone who is incredibly resilient and capable of looking after himself. When he finally did come to power, he was faced with the Eurozone crisis, zero economic growth, high unemployment, and an unprecedented pessimism which permeated the country. At this time his progressed Venus was in exact square to Pluto, he immediately became unpopular, and his insistence on economic changes based on strict socialist principles – for example creating a 75% income tax bracket for the very rich – alienated a lot of influential people.

Yet what squares Pluto in his horoscope trines Uranus, and despite the gloom, he electrified France and the world by rapidly responding to the crisis in Mali in January 2013, sending warplanes and troops to successfully force Islamic rebels to retreat, when they were threatening to take over this isolated African country. With his Mars at 26 Sagittarius (on the Galactic Center) he is a force to be reckoned with as far as foreign policy is concerned. In fact, prior to his birth, Mars had been in Capricorn sextile Saturn in Scorpio – you can’t get stronger than that – and had retrograded into Sagittarius going stationary direct trine Pluto. In this sense he carries a deep experience of Mars and an extraordinary resilience which cannot be underestimated.

Fortunately for the French public, Mr. Normal was not normal for long. Continuing a great tradition of French presidents, it turned out that he had been conducting a passionate affair with a journalist from Paris Match – Valerie Trierweiler – which became public in 2010 (when Hollande’s IC progressed to conjoin Venus). Trierweiler had been a close friend of Segolene Royale (she was invited to interview Royale on the birth of her fourth child in 1992), but they eventually and not surprisingly became bitter enemies, and the resulting scandal has been great media material for some time in France.

The susceptibility of Hollande to the allure of a beautiful journalist can probably be seen by the position of Venus, romantically placed in Libra and in the fifth house, nicely in trine to the Ascendant and Midheaven and sextile his Ascendant ruler Mercury. Venus sextile Mercury in a man does show a predisposition for younger women. This Venus position is good for children… and good for love affairs. Currently Trierweiler is his unofficial partner, and has an office in the Elysee Palace with several assistants, much to the irritation of the press.

 

Trierweiler is said to be a passionate woman. Her enmity with Royale came out into the open when Hollande endorsed Royale in a local election, and Trierweiler, furious, tweeted her support for Royale’s opponent. Basically her Moon in Virgo opposing Saturn in Pisces in the 8th makes her extremely emotionally vulnerable and needy. Furthermore, her Mars retrograde has travelled over the Uranus/Pluto conjunction in recent years, which could account for her demonstrably explosive behavior… and the secret and taboo love affair with a powerful man. Probably the Neptune transit over her Moon/Saturn opposition in 2014 is going to make her position untenable. As her progressed Ascendant conjoins Pluto at this time, changes will certainly arise.

Hollande will probably have a pretty good run as President of France. The indications are that his birth time as recorded on his birth certificate is completely accurate. When he was elected to the General Assembly in 1997 his progressed Ascendant conjoined Jupiter (and opposed the Moon), and when he separated from Segolene Royale in 2007 the progressed Ascendant conjoined Uranus. Here in 2013 his progressed Ascendant will come into Leo, which will probably do wonders for his presidential aura.

The main astrological influences will arise from 2016 – 2019 when first Pluto then Saturn conjoin his all-important Moon/Jupiter opposition. As the next presidential election will take place in 2017, there is a likelihood of change for him at this time, although it is conceivable that this could simply show some very heavy power battles in connection with the election. This is a time when Hollande’s progressed Mars exactly opposes Uranus, and with five conjunctions of Pluto to his Moon the 63-year old Hollande will be pretty exhausted. Bearing in mind that his progressed Mars squares Neptune during 2014 and 2015, there is a strong likelihood of some corruption scandal undermining him. All in all the chances of his getting re-elected in 2017 are rather remote.

When studying events in France, there are a lot of horoscopes that can be studied, not least the horoscope for the storming of the Bastille on July 14th 1789. Also the establishment of the First Republic on September 21st 1792 at 4 pm is a major horoscope especially because the revolutionary government had just established a new calendar which was based on the western zodiac, with a government starting on Day 1, Year 1. Trust the French to try and take all the glory for the calendar. France was already rattled by the fact that the meridian for 0 degrees longitude, from which time is measured, was already established in London. The French lobbied hard for it to be moved to Paris.

Today it seems that many astrologers prefer the horoscope for the 5th Republic, which actually harmonizes extraordinarily well with the Bastille Day chart.Bastille Day is celebrated as a public holiday in France, which is always a good sign when it comes to significant horoscopes. Taking a mid-morning time of 10.30 which give 0 Libra rising, this is a wonderfully descriptive horoscope for France. With Ascendant ruler Venus in Leo and conjoining Jupiter is this not proof that France is a superior country? Are the French nor the world’s greatest lovers? Do they not have the best food and wine, the greatest style and sophistication? Venus is also in conjunction with Uranus in this horoscope, which also shows the revolutionary fervor of the time, and France’s role as a revolutionary force in Europe.

The Ascendant of the 5th Republic conjoins Bastille Day Sun/Mercury conjunction, and in fact Hollande’s Uranus is within 6 minutes of arc from the Ascendant, which may well indicate radical change under his presidency. The Bastille Day Ascendant is also on Hollande’s Venus which almost exactly where the 5th Republic’s Venus is. Hollande’s Ascendant is also on Bastille Day Mars, which is another indication that warlike things tend to happen with Hollande at the helm. So generally Hollande has many significant connections with the horoscopes of France, which is always a good sign for winning political office.

Sarkozy, the previous president, had a Moon/Mars conjunction, pretty much conjoining the Bastille Day Moon at 10 Aries. This was why it was possible to predict that Sarkozy would lose the election in 2012… Uranus conjoined his Moon and Pluto squared it, a clear sign of relocation and change. Of course France itself will be experiencing the effects of the Pluto/Uranus transits, especially in 2013, when transits hit the 5th Republic’s Mercury/Sun conjunction at 10-11 degrees Libra. This is obviously going to be an extremely disruptive and unpredictable year for the presidency and democracy in France. Although at the time of writing Europe and the Euro seems to be stabilizing, more changes are due in Europe, and especially in France.

Adrian Ross Duncan – March 10, 2013