One of the best ways of learning astrology is through the study of events. There is rarely any doubt about the exact time of the event, and usually it is quite easy to see how an event reflects the astrology of the moment. However, it is also equally fascinating when the horoscope for a dramatic and powerful event does not seem powerful enough in relation to the event. It’s the same when you have a client with a powerful configuration, who cannot relate to the astrological interpretation of the configuration. At such times you know that there is a discovery to be made… you are about to learn something. I actually enjoy it when clients go blank. For example someone with a Moon square Saturn/Pluto who says, “Not at all, my relationship with my mother was just perfect”. (After a bit of probing you may then get…”Well yes, mother did lock me into the cellar for days at a time, but it was for my own good, you know.”)

Iconic Events

There are events and events. The crash of the Concorde represented much more than its actual demise. The event was iconic. It symbolised the end of a dream. The end of an era of privilege perhaps, and a vast setback to public supersonic travel. In a way it was an event waiting to happen. In one blow it turned the Concorde from a plane with a supposedly good safety record, to a plane with a safety record many times worse than any other plane. The myth of Concorde safety could only be maintained because comparatively few flights had been flown.

Concorde Crash Horoscope

You might expect such an iconic event to be shown by the conjunction of malefics with the angles – take for example the crash of the Israeli cargo jet into a Dutch apartment block when Mars in Cancer (opposing the Uranus/Neptune conjunction) conjoined the IC… cleaving the apartment block into two. Such indications are not apparent in the Concorde horoscope.

See chart for Concorde crash

It’s true that the chart looks dangerous enough. With Algol on the Descendant in reasonably close conjunction with Saturn, and Scorpio rising, there is an atmosphere of grief and death. The semisquare from Saturn to Mercury promises bad news. Also with Mars co-ruling the Ascendant and in fall in the 8th, this message is reinforced. Evidently the conjunction of Mars with the North Node does not bode well, as the Node “earths” Mars. It’s curious that this Mars exactly trines the Ascendant, and this brings to mind the Paddington rail crash. In that case Mars in Sagittarius conjoined the 3rd house cusp exactly sextiling the Ascendant. In both cases the apparent benefic aspects of Mars only served to channel its ferocious destructive power. In both cases hidden aspects to Mars concealed another agenda. It’s only when you look at the 4th Harmonic or midpoint patterns of the Concorde crash that it becomes clear that it configures with the Pluto/Chiron conjunction (Mars is sesquiquadrate Pluto with 29 minutes of arc) and the Moon/Venus/Uranus T-square, making a tight pattern of extreme danger to people.

An Extraordinary Coincidence

Nevertheless, there is a deeper significance to the crash of Concorde over and above the tragic loss of the lives of 113 people. By a most extraordinary coincidence, Jacques Chirac had just landed at Charles de Gaulle airport at that very moment! As his plane taxied in, he was able to see the Concorde take off with flames trailing from the wing, to crash minutes later. Concorde symbolised for France perhaps more than it did for England… it was proof of the superiority of French technology and leadership. This symbol crashed to the earth in flames, as the very leader of France looked on. The significance of the crash is that it links in to the fate of France and its leader.

Links with France

See chart of 1st republic of France

This is when the astrology of the crash gets very interesting indeed. Why for example is the Ascendant at 25.47 Scorpio, and not at 28 degrees, conjoining Saturn? Looking at the chart for the 1st Republic of France it is stunning to see that Mars is at this very spot… 25.47 Scorpio. This clearly shows the link with the fate of France. In the 1st Republic chart, there is an exact Pluto/Uranus opposition at 21 Aquarius/Leo, which this Mars squares. France as a republic was born then with the most powerful T-square, amidst a reign of terror culminating with the execution of Louis XVI a few months later, as a Jupiter/Moon opposition formed a grand cross with Uranus/Pluto. When activated, this pattern is often reflected by crises in France, and it is extremely dangerous for heads of state.

The President

See chart of Jaques Chirac

This prompts the astrologer detective to take a look at the chart of Jacques Chirac. It’s a difficult chart to get enthusiastic about… it’s not easy to warm to a Sun in Sagittarius exactly square Mars, which in turn conjoins Neptune and the node. It’s not difficult to imagine a man deluded by power. And so it has proved to be: he started his period in office with a catastrophic decision to resume nuclear testing in the Pacific – a real man, this guy – and has always been concerned with the military, reforming the French army and getting very actively involved in former Yugoslavia. Rumour has it that he was advised by astrologer Elizabeth Teissier to hold early elections in 1997 to consolidate his already considerable power, only for his Prime Minister, Juppé, to lose catastrophically in the following elections. There may be some truth in this rumour, as I actually met Teissier in Prague that year – she expressed her strong dislike of the socialist Jospin – and she had certainly written that Chirac could avail himself of the Jupiter transit over his Ascendant in December 1997. The resulting debacle saw Jospin coming to power, and Chirac losing his control over the French assembly, effectively halving his power. Such can be the affect of a Pluto transit over the Sun.

The Presidents

French presidents hold more power than any other elected officials in Europe because of emergency powers handed to De Gaulle in the early sixties to enable him to deal with assassination threats. These powers had never been revoked, but Chirac was the first president to also control the elected assembly. Perhaps one conclusion that can be drawn from the Concorde crash – witnessed by one president at the airport named after another – is that there will be a major transformation of the power of the French presidency. In fact a new law is planned later in 2000, shortening the present seven year tenure of the president to a period of five years. In theory this should not affect Chirac – he still has two years to run, and the legislation is unlikely to be retroactive. It is worth noting however that Pluto transits his MC three times this year, and this can signal the end of a period of power. From this it would seem logical to deduce both that the new legislation limiting the president’s power will be enacted, and that Chirac will be heavily involved in constitutional crisis. Whether he will go down in flames is another matter.

Adrian Ross Duncan 1.09.2000