I suppose today’s Moon in Leo got in my bones! I’ve always found monarchy to be interesting, however. I am very interested in the astrology of Queen Elizabeth II, in particular. No, I don’t think Queen Elizabeth is a lizard person. We all have a lizard brain, that is for certain- maybe that theory is some kind of projection? However, that’s a topic for another day. My personal opinion (and I am full of them, being a Sag Rising with a T-square to a third house Jupiter) is that monarchy can be incredible if you have a good leader at the helm, but it can be an absolutely horrendous thing if the other is the case. Unfortunately, monarchy being what it is- you hardly get a choice! But what can be more inspiring for the population than a well-loved leader who works their arse off for their people, charges into battle, looks fabulous and engages in all kinds of amazing pageantry?
Astrology of Queen Elizabeth II and Louis XVI- why these examples?
I chose these two examples because I wanted to look at opposing examples of a “good monarch” and a “bad monarch”. Or, at least a strong one versus an ineffective one. Of course, one has to take into consideration the times into which they were born and also the context of their power. A constitutional monarch in the 20th and 21st centuries is much different from an absolute monarch of the 18th century. However, you can see those elements in their charts as well. Whether or not you’re interested in monarchy you might at least find this a useful comparative study that may help your own chart reading. So follow along!
Let’s look at them side by side:
Side by side, visually you can see the strong difference between the two already. A T-Square in Elizabeth’s chart (to Saturn on the MC, no less) provides a stern, solid, taut block of energy that roots this person’s chart to the ground (and also the midheaven)! I cannot help but think of the picture of a very elderly, very powerful person on the world stage. This is exactly what she is (she hasn’t always been elderly, but if she lives as long as her mother did she will live to a tremendous age indeed). T-Squares are no joke to have, especially in fixed signs. With the square from both Mars and Jupiter and also Neptune she is religiously and stubbornly certain. Here I stand, here I stay- many people are coming at me and the monarchy both (Mars in Aquarius attacking her Saturn)- but I have a sense of duty, painful as it is. And I will not move!
Yet Louis’ chart has no coherent pattern to it. You could argue that that’s something of a bowl. The man may have had some coherence to his nature but there was nothing terribly striking about his character. I am not saying all patternless charts are like that! However, it’s hard to say too much about this man’s chart shape. You can have a look at those angles and tell me about what I’ve noted; the tremendous presence of Pluto smack dab on the IC square to Uranus. This man carried a lot of trauma in his bloodline and he was, I dare say, very conscious of it. Being born who he was was an infinite source of pain to him.
But let’s have a look at their Suns! Both charts belong to monarchs, and Leo/the Sun is the sign and the planet connected to royalty.
And as you see… both are at critical degrees. One is at the very end of Leo, the other is at the very beginning of Taurus. One in the 12th house, the other in the 3rd. Both are cadent; not ideal placements for the Sun in any case. However, in a ruler this might help the individual to be more intellectually present (Elizabeth) or more spiritually inclined and gentle (Louis). With the Sun in the 12th at a critical degree conjunct Jupiter and Mercury opposite Uranus- what is more indicative of a confused and easily-influenced mindset that is slowly allowing its own light to fade away? The poor man likely suffered from intense anxiety and just wanted to stay in bed, away from everyone. Moving from Leo into Virgo the monarch becomes a peasant- moving deeper into Taurus the monarch soldifies and intensifies her power, while gaining the whys and the hows from her discussions with people. Could one monarch be losing his crown and the other be stabilising it for future generations?
Emotionally, both are troubled and distant. Louis with his Moon in the third trine Uranus, sextile Saturn and square to Neptune often thinks about past hurts. He’s not a fool, but he has no idea what to think and keeps changing his mind. It’s hard to get this man to look on the brighter side of anything. He has a sense a catastrophe is about to happen in his life- all his life! Elizabeth with her Moon in the seventh conjunct Neptune trine Mercury and opposite Mars and Jupiter (both in the first) can be intensely sensitive to criticism, even though she hides it well. She needs others to love and admire her and when this is not forthcoming, she can get grumpy. Her sense of responsibility will not allow her to be open about it. However, I’m sure she’s got many choice words to say about some people and their attitudes- when she is in private! Her ideas of right and wrong are quite rigid. She is caught between a need to enforce them and a need to enjoy peace and affection from others.
Both display the monarch’s love of ease, wealth and comfort. Louis, poor man, with his Venus in exalation on his north node square to Saturn, sextile Neptune and sextile Pluto was not likely to have ever felt comfortable in his marraige. The North Node is a development zone but it is not a peachy easy place to be. There are high ideals about love and marriage here but he doesn’t find it easy to open up to his loved ones, he is both controlling and easily fooled.
Indeed, Marie Antoinette did have love affairs. His wife was strongly instrumental in his downfall; her advice ruined them both. Elizabeth has Venus in dreamy Pisces trine to Pluto and it’s in the first house; she decided she wanted Philip right from the very beginning and indeed theirs was a soulmate union. But Venus touched by Neptune or Pisces can indicate illusions in love and wealth; whispers abound in regards to Phillip’s affairs!
Both have a first house Mars! These are active, vigorous people with a strong appetite for life and for loving. Yet here we have two other opposing factors. Elizabeth has her Mars well and truly under bearing with a storm of aspects grounding her physicality and embuing her character with an innate tension. This is someone who truly wants to escape from it all and have a blast at the party, but whose sense of duty and responsibility will never allow her to. She’s immensely strong, perhaps a little given to overindulgence and forcefulness. Louis on the other hand has a completely unaspected Mars- he does not seem anchored to much except his own self-criticism and there may be some poor health affecting his masculinity.
Intellectually, both are very different as well. Elizabeth with her Mercury in the second house in Aries conjunct Uranus, square Pluto and trine the Moon worries a lot about her family, her country and her loved ones. She might feel concerned that she is not kind enough at times. But she is very intellectual- if not flashy about it. She can certainly be very intuitive.
Louis with his Mercury in retrograde in the twelfth house conjunct the Sun and Jupiter opposite Uranus can be almost too reticent. It’s in Virgo and he’s no slouch brains-wise and indeed will be anxious to assert that fact. However, he is not grounded and can often believe what he wants to hear.
As for generational aspects, I’m not seeing any strong ones in the case of Elizabeth. However, look at at that ominous Uranus of revolution square to that Pluto on Louis’ IC. That to me truly speaks of thunder, chaos- chaos from the heart of the common people! With the square in Jupiterian signs you can see a philosophical, almsot religious aspect to this change. Monarchy was truly being challenged at this time and the belief of a king sent to rule over his people by God was being supplanted- this was earth shattering in ways we could never imagine. And it went on for a long time, this challenging of absolutism.
With Elizabeth I see a trine to Saturn on her MC from Uranus (also in Pisces). The trine is a supportive aspect, although Saturn is retrograde. Here there’s a question: in some regards her power is being strengthened by its connexion to winds of change- but in another sense she is stubborn and not okay with reforming. We don’t have the end of an era here and she’s definitely ending her life in a much stronger place than where she started it- but this will not be the case for future generations. All social orders come to an end; even dynasties founded by Charlemagne and William the Conqueror- but humanity outlasts them all! So says Uranus š
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