Olympic Dreams

Post by Jane Lewis

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896.  They were founded by French aristocrat Baron Pierre de Coubertin who was an educator and keen promoter of sports in schools, holding firmly the virgoan belief that exercise is good for health.  Born in Paris on 1^stJanuary 1863 at 5pm, his birth chart describes a dynamic and practical man (strong earth and cardinality) driven by a pioneering vision to re-introduce the games (Neptune in early Aries elevated close to MC).  The 6^th house, naturally linked with Virgo, is strongly tenanted by Sun, Mercury, Venus in Capricorn and Dragon’s Head in the international sign Sagittarius.  Chart ruler Moon in Gemini reflects his interest in education, with Dragon’s Tail conjunct Uranus also in Gemini perhaps hinting at past endeavours to reform the teaching of physical education.

A bi-wheel showing Coubertin’s horoscope on the outside of the 2024 Paris Olympics chart reveals some interesting inter-aspects:  Coubertin’s Sun-Venus-Mercury are on the Games’ ascendant; the occasion marks Coubertin’s Neptune return; his Mars conjoins the Games’ Chiron; his Moon the Game’s Mars; his Saturn the Games’ Dragon’s tail.  All these imply that these Olympics came subtly but strongly under his continuing influence, or legacy.

In 2024 the Games were hosted by France for the third time, and from the outset the organising committee set their intention to revolutionise the way they would be held.  As with most countries, France has a number of different horoscopes which mark the passage of time with new national ‘incarnations’.  In ‘The Book of World Horoscopes’ Nicholas Campion casts a noon chart for the French Revolution and the First Republic based on the decisive event when the ‘commoners’, or third estate, declared themselves to be the National Assembly on 17th June 1789.  Cast for noon, the chart has Virgo rising and Chiron-Sun on the midheaven, forming a grand air trine with Neptune and Pluto.  Chart ruler Mercury forms a second grand trine in water with Saturn and Dragon’s Head. Revolutionary Uranus closely conjunct Jupiter in Leo are on the 11^th cusp.  This, together with Aries Moon, show the people’s defiant break from the old monarchical order and points at the modern origin of French parliamentary, republican government.

Although the Olympics transcend national and political differences, the spirit of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity shone through the 2024 Paris Games.  Much greater emphasis was placed than ever before on gender equality, sustainability and innovation, shown not least in the way the opening ceremony innovatively used the River Seine to dramatic effect.  The sporting events were hosted around many French cities and within the capital itself its many iconic sites and monuments were transformed into spectacular arenas. 

A bi-wheel chart for the French National Assembly and the 2024 Olympics reveal some curious co-incidences: the Olympic Sun conjoins National Assembly Uranus, there is an exact alignment of Moons, and Olympic Uranus conjoins the Dragon’s Tail of the National Assembly. Some of the fixed star zodiacal aspects in the French Revolution chart are interesting with the Sun-MC conjunct path-finding Polaris and the unblocked success of Betelgeuse.  Neptune, part of that grand air trine, was conjunct both Arcturus, which takes a different approach to things, and brilliant Spica.

Liberty, equality and fraternity are very Aquarian values, and in recent centuries revolutions have swept the world prepare for the building of the new world we are still in the process of creating, foretold as being a great new golden age.  It has also been foretold that Sport is to play an important role in bringing about far greater friendship, goodwill and mutual respect between all people regardless of their nationality or any other boundary-defining factor such as race, gender, religion, social culture.  The Games are meant to bring people together on a level playing field and so promote world peace and greater love one for another.