THE STORMING OF THE BASTILLE
Special for the New Times Holler! © Amir Bey, 2025
|
July 14, 2025
From The Bureau Of Exceptional Events And Unitentional Inceptions That Led To Republican France
The time for the eruptive and consquential storming of the Bastille can be used along with official documents that declared indepence. Forutnately we do have a fairly precise time for the fall of the dreaded prison.
|
Prise de la Bastille The storming of the Bastille: The arrest of the Marquis de Launay. Anonymous, Wiki Commons
The storming occurred on July 14, 1789, 5:30 PM, Paris, France. This event, a birth in effect, can be representative of a natal Chart for the French Republic and subsequent phases of Modern France. 5:30 PM is when the Bastille’s commandant, the Marquis de Launay surrendered. Why should this event be relevant as a “natal chart” for Republican France? It was a spontaneous act, a defining pivotal event, a fatally conclusive departure from the authority of the throne, the church, and nobility. Upon hearing about it, King Louis XVI asked if it was a revolt, and was told no, it was a “Revolution.”
There are several dates to consider for the French Republic’s birth: (see note 1) the formation of the National Assembly on June 17, 1789, just short of one Lunar cycle before the storming, or the presentation of The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen on July 11, 1789, 3 days before the storming. However, those and following events do not provide a precise time of day, with all of them calculated for the generalized time of 12 noon, a generalized time derived from the processes of the legislatures, collective bodies’ procedural actions, and not singular birth moments such as what the storming provides.
|
Storming of the Bastille, 5:30 PM July14, 1789, Paris, France
Important features for the storming’s chart: the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction of June 29, 1789, 4:25 PM at 3º Leo 29’, the sign of royalty, which was in opposition to the Part of Union, significator of the Sun/True N.Node phase (see note 2), at 2º Aquarius 39’. Jupiter/Uranus is a combination that can usher in new social and scientific developments. While mainly beneficial, humanistic, even liberating, this combination can be shocking and stressful, it can be associated with upheaval and advances. The Storming chart has Venus in Leo-the society ofkings is conjunct Uranus within 2’.
With the Moon at 14º Aries 08’, the last quarter was approaching, a breakdown or disassembling of structures was in process. The Moon had left the concretizing 4th house and entered the 3rd house of communication and the circulation of information and ideas. The Moon was in an applying opposition to an elevated Neptune, at 20º Libra 34’. Neptune’s position and Lunar aspect, and its square to the Sun at 22º Cancer 32’ describes the broad unrelenting social impulses that were chaotic, even virulent: De Launay was beheaded with his severed head paraded through the streets. The Tri-square of Neptune’s and the Moon’s square to the Sun–authority, colors the complex and confusing character of the storming.
The storming’s 17º Sagittarius 38’ Ascendant figures in France’s current challenges: with the December 4, 2024, collapse of the government, retrograde Mercury was at 17º Sagittarius 08’, opposite the chart’s ruler, Jupiter, 16º Gemini 46’ also retrograde. President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly on June 9, 2024, when the Sun had crossed the storming’s Descendant. What could we expect around April 11, 2025, when Jupiter made a final pass across the
descendant, or earlier, when Jupiter goes Stationary-Direct on February 4, 2025? The April date marked diplomatic conflicts with Algeria, where that country demanded the removal of French diplomats. Certainly there are important changes in France's relationships with African countries this year.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
We can consider transformative Pluto, transiting in 1789 as now, in Aquarius, the sign of social and scientific innovations, at 18º 35’. Pluto, currently retrograde (July 14, 2025) 2º Aquarius 50’, was in Aquarius throughout the US Revolutionary War, Washington’s Inauguration, The French Revolution,
the development of the Haitian Revolution, transiting the sign between 1778-98. France will have its Pluto return beginning in 2034 through 2035 according to this date.
Can the storming be a guide to our understanding of the US and other nations’ horoscopes? There is not such a singular event with a recorded time on or near the July 4, 1776, signing of Declaration of Independence, as the storming was to the National Assembly, or the Assembly’s Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, all occurring within one Lunar cycle.
Each nation has its unique moments and character, and for a nation’s inception, there is often more than one date and event to consider. Just look at the controversies surrounding the US Chart! With no recorded birth time, astrologers have invested considerable astro-artistry towards studying, promoting, and using what they view as the most likely or pertinent chart for the US. A rectification often feature astral insights that are not based on a confirmed time, yet offer perspectives that yield interesting, intriguing insightful assumptions by astrologers.
The storming offers an additional natal chart for France; its symbolism and precise time adds a unique perspective of a critical event in French history. This definitive moment shaped and propelled an ancient society to the modern era of social transformation and new scientific advances, such as the metric system, and the creation of Egyptology. However, even after the Revolution, France remained a colonial empire, and a major part of the European juggernaut that expanded into Africa, and South-East Asia, after leaving most of its colonies in the Americas.
The storming’s 1st Pluto Returns at 18º Aquarius 35’ are on March 3rd, 2035, which has a conjunction with Mercury in the same degree, sextile Jupiter and Neptune, and semi-square Mars; that configuration is anything but contained, with planets suggesting expansions beyond established limits. Its effects can be far-reaching! Of the three returns, it is the most notable by aspects between planets. August 13, 2035, the retrograde return, opposes the Sun at 20º Leo 52’; will there be challenges to the executive branch? and January12th, the 3rd and final Return that is Direct, opposes Saturn at 17º Leo 38’; will this leave the government in a conclusive juncture after the previous Pluto returns’ challenges?
Another period of challenges are suggested by the time of the 2030 Solar Return, which comes on the aftermath of transiting Uranus conjoining the Descendant, its 3rd pass over the angle, which occurs on May 23rd, and began on August 9, 2029, and made its second pass, retrograde, November 11, 2029. It seems that will be a time of important changes between allies and adveraries for France. The Solar Return will have Neptune, which was in a gradual opposition to the Storming's Moon, will be conjoining the Storming's Moon. It shoud be remembered that the Storming's Moon might manifest in broad social currents that could be disruptive and eruptive in nature. But this is not new for France!
Thus, we see how symbolic national events such as the storming of the Bastille are born from the context of their planetary cyclic and seasonal environments. They are not separate incidents or detached episodes that happen without meaning or connection to a nation’s destiny. And when we have a time for their occurrence, we may use it as a stand-alone chart, progress it, apply transits to it, as is done with a natal chart. Indeed, July 14 is the date celebrated, declared as France’s Independence Day, not any of the other days most astrologers tend to use for France.
TRANSITING, PROGRESSED ASPECTS AND CONSIDERATIONS
3/14/25 Full Moon Total Lunar Eclipse Sun 23º Pisces 56’, Moon 23º Virgo 56’, N. Node Rx 27º Pisces 23’, conjunct Natal Saturn, trine natal Sun/Mercury, square natal Chiron
3/21/25 Saturn Return 4:28’56” AM @ 23º Pisces 10’ -Natal Saturn Rx
3/28/25 Mars T co Sun Natal
4/5/25 Jupiter co Natal Dec (17º Gemini 41’)began; 4/11/25 Exact; 4/16/25 Leaves
4/21/25 Uranus T co Natal S. Node (26º Taurus 47’) Began; 5/9/ Exact; 5/26 Ends
5/20/25 Venus T co Natal Moon, 14º Aries 08’
May 23 2030 Uranus conjunct Desendant, opposite Ascendant
3/3/35 Pluto Return begins (18º Aquarius 35’ Rx); 8/13/35 Rx; 1/12/36 Ends
SOURCES AND NOTES
*1 Nicholas Campion The Book of World Horoscopes Pgs. 118-127
*2 Amir Bey, Blending Relationship Charts and Introducing the Part of Union, The Career Astrologer Pt. 1; Sept. 2022 Pg 46-49, and The Evolving Astrologer Pt. 2; March 2023 Pg 80-84
|
| |
