Emmanuel Macron, newly elected president of France, is rapidly gaining a reputation for hubris. His team have developed a “Jupiterian” concept to illustrate his vision of the presidency – Jupiter being the supreme god of Roman mythology, god of the sky, thunder and lightning. This Monday he has insisted MPs traipse out to Louis XIV’s sumptuous Palace of Versailles to hear him present his state of the nation address. He has issued a symbol-laden official portrait in boss-like posture, attracting a torrent of parody on social media. His aim is to return to the monarchical presidency of Charles de Gaulle in 1958. He has given no domestic interviews and appeared only in stage-managed photo opportunities. Then he cancelled a traditional Bastille Day TV appearance, because his aides said that the presidential thoughts were “too complex for journalists”. That had Le Monde spluttering into its coffee.
Born 21 December 1977 10.40am Amines, France, he does have four planets in Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter – and his Sun and Mercury oppose Jupiter in patriotic Cancer. So he’s certainly not short of grandiose ideas, soaring confidence or wild optimism.
He’s also got a focal point Taurus Moon on the point of a Yod to Neptune sextile Pluto, which latter pair often have a connection to megalomania when emphasised in a chart. Taurus like Cancer (his Jupiter) has a strong attachment to the past and tradition. His Moon also opposes Uranus and squares onto a flamboyant Mars in Leo, so he’ll revel, like Trump in glitter, pomp and pageantry. This year’s Bastille Day celebrations marking the French Revolution will also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the USA’s entry into World War 1, so US troops will join French soldiers in the annual display of military might on the Champs Elysées. At the moment his Solar Arc Jupiter is conjunct his Mars, which spurred him to his unexpected electoral wins and it will certain inflate all his love of display.
In Greek mythology the punishment for hubris was nemesis – shame or a correspondingly dramatic fall from grace, like Icarus who flew too near the sun.
His presidency chart does have a panicky-failure tr Neptune square the 11th house Mars through 2018/19, perhaps when he discovers that his ideas for labour reform (much needed but almost impossible to implement given the French temperament) runs into a barricade of pitchforks. He looks fairly deflated by this December, if not before, as tr Saturn, always a great pruner back of over-confidence, is conjunct his Sun and Mercury. And his relationship chart with France does run into bitter aggravation and jolting setbacks from January 2018. So that will tarnish his glitter somewhat. He’s certainly not De Gaulle, who was a stalwart Sun Scorpio opposition Neptune Pluto, with Mars Jupiter in Aquarius.
Marjorie – why is the composite chart (3rd chart) centered on Aukland, NZ?
Larry, Composite charts have no location since they are literally the midpoints of the two individual charts, located to their respective birth locations. It’s just the way the charts are printed out.
Ah!
Macron is nothing remotely like Trump. France is a very fixed country, resisting nearly all attempts to come into the 20th century. Mind you, I wrote “20th” century. Otherwise, it’s a lovely country.
Macron is certainly much classier than Trump, and hugely better educated, having come up through the rigorous French system as most other politicians do, so very much of the elite. But he’s clearly got delusions of grandeur – that Mars in Leo again and a bucketload of Fire in his chart plus Jupiterian excess.
larryc, maybe The American Version of The 20th Century? 😉 France, as The UK, is a former colonial power. French language is still an official national language in 29 sovreign countries. Their invented philosophical schools of thought have inspired others since the 17th century. Much of the philosophy that shaped the European 20th Century was written in
French. This does tend to give French people a sense of not only being allowed to do things in a different way from the others, but that their way is better. For instance, I speak 5 languages fluently, but since none of them is French, I always felt like a “cheat” going to University. So much of the original theoretic framework was in French. For some reason, I never felt this bad about my subpar German, even if I’m rather Kantian.
And here’s a thougt: French have never truly turned their backs on any politician for being grandious. This thought that a politician should be humble, yet firm, is very Anglo-American / North European. Look at Mitterand, who built memorials which would be more at place in a former communist dictatorship if not for general architectoral merit, and most French cheered. So, while certain kind of a hubris would definitely be bad for a politician in, let’s say, The UK or Germany, it really isn’t that in Southern Europe, including France. “Le Monde” going after Macron is something to be expected, too. They are close to Socialist Party, which has suffered two major electoral embarrashments due to En Marche this year. So yes, while difficult, these transits do not have to mean the reaction to difficulties is what Liberal English speaking press would expect it to be (for instance, as much as I love “Politico”, their analysis on European politics is generally speaking out of touch).
Solaia, The French are certainly arrogant, have never quite got over their days of colonial glory and have a much stronger sense of national identity than many countries, certainly the UK. What is likely to trip Macron up is – a) reforming the labour laws which has defeated numerous politicians elected on precisely that ticket; and b) his desire for closer EU integration, especially on taxation/finance. The French don’t on the whole warm to the EU, certainly dislike the euro and would go back to their beloved franc in a heartbeat. Macron’s push to harmonise taxes across the EU is raising hackles in various countries, Ireland especially – and I can’t see how it would work, since the French have exceptionally high taxes to subsidise an expensive health service (admittedly excellent), bloated public sector and exceptionally generous welfare and unemployment benefits. It may make sense in terms of economic theory but it rides roughshod over the differing temperaments, systems and expectations of the other countries. There’s always a trade-off between high taxes and a nanny state, which the French accept but other countries won’t.
Trump 2.0