Another article of André Barbault
in English on his site:
Planetary Cycles and their interferences© André Barbault
Article published in the "Cahiers Astrologiques juillet-août 1946"
translation Beatrice Boucher
There is a basic notion in Mundane Astrology, which at the present time (1946 ed.) has almost been forgotten and whose true value needs to be fully reinstated: the Planetary Cycles. It determines the rhythm of history, and as such is the real key to Astro Mundane (1).
We are familiar with the theory of Planetary Cycles: it is the circuit that established itself between two planets, from the quickest to the slowest, within the time span of two successive conjunctions.
All aspects settle into an evolutive waxing series followed by an involutive one; each of them expressing a particular quality of the current in the cycle.
The conjunction actually expresses the birth and the creation of the current, according to the nature of the conjuncting planets and the place of the conjunction. The sextile translates the evolution of the current; a passage from a virtual, latent condition into an affective and manifest one. The square introduces a dissonance, an imbalance within the current; it also brings a deviation, a dissidence, a conflict. The trine gives expansion to the current and confirms its full development The current’s expansion reaches its apogee at the opposition which then brings a major conflict leading towards the dissociation of the current. From evolutive, it becomes involutive. It goes again through a trine which causes a recovery of the current. A new imbalance is introduced at the second square. A last re-establishment is done with the sextile preceding the conjunction. This one expresses either the end or the renewal of the cycle, bringing forth the end or the transformation of the current.
Our civilisation is an expression of the component of all planetary cycles, from the quickest to the slowest one. Each cycle can be taken apart and considered separately, because it modulates in itself a specifically autonomous current: it determines the creation and the evolution of all sorts of movements. However, at the same time, we need to consider the interference of the cycles and their assemblage within each others, in order to judge their interactions. Every cycle resembles a piece of the clockwork, with its own function, but which is tributary as well of the whole. Therefore we need to try to bring every cycle within the synthesis of our solar system.
We will demonstrate the above by applying it to a great cycle of slow planets showing that they are related to events of first importance, and thus verification is immediate. We will see, indeed, that the great pages of our modern history correspond with the interference of the cycles of Jupiter-Saturn, those of the political order, with the cycle of Uranus-Neptune, of the capitalistic society.
The first conjunction of Uranus-Neptune - fully effective because Uranus had just been discovered and Neptune almost - happens in 1821. It is at this specific moment, during the first half of the 19th century, that the great capitalistic revolution occurs, changing the face of the world. The steam machine brings about economical upheaval which transforms civilisation in a fundamental way. Up to then Napoleon travelled at the same speed as Caesar or Alexander; but the railways and the steam boats modify man’s essential idea of time and space, which had remained stable since antiquity. This is the Industrial Revolution with its mechanisation and technical development, creating new modes of production, leading towards standardisation, and bringing forth new social classes. With the appearance of factories, the higher class of employers and the working-class, the proletariats, are born. The two poles of society, represented by Jupiter (economy) and Saturn (labour) during the (astrological) Septenary become with Uranus the huge enterprises, the economical experiments, the industry, the trusts; and with Neptune (the masses) the collectivities with their trade unions and revolutionary ideologies. Within a decade the whole face of the earth changes.
While this revolution is taking place, the first convulsion occurs in 1830-31 when - for the first time - Jupiter passes the conjunction going from Neptune to Uranus. And then we have the revolutionary movement of 1830 which spreads throughout France, Belgium, Germany and Poland, shaking the Old World and preparing the ground for new turmoil.
But, a reaction occurs against these national and constitutional movements when Saturn passes Uranus in 1851-52, and the revolutions fail. In France, between the first and the second conjunction, we see a transition from the Second Republic to the Second Empire.
Let’s forget the sextile of Uranus-Neptune which occurs around 1854- 58, a phase routing nationalities towards their constitutions and installing capitalistic progress.
The evolutionary trine of Uranus-Neptune occurs in 1879-1884. We see the forces of society coming together, unified, working in a united way toward a common goal. Nations unite: it is 1883, the creation of the Triple Alliance (translator’s note: military alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungry and Italy). Common interests concentrate; we witness the gathering of economical groups, the creation of big enterprises, incorporated companies, agreements, cartels and trusts. This is the harmonious beginning of Capital and Labour. The Jupiter-Saturn cycle of 1881 (in Taurus) starts on this trine with Neptune (in Taurus) at its root. Social Law becomes more organized, improving the life of the working-classes. This constructive and expansive phase evolves until the opposition, which is the culminating point of the cycle and corresponds with the apogee of the Liberal and Capitalistic world (1910-1913).
Previously, the semi-square Uranus-Neptune of 1887-1889, translates the Boulangisme crisis (translator’s note: Boulanger was a French general and reactionary politician).
The Uranus-Neptune opposition of 1905-1912 generates the great division and brings the already antagonistic society forces into conflict. The conflict is general. This is the period where social class struggle is at its highest with the increase in power of the working class , the strikes, bloody May Days, in France the separation of Church from State, the creation of the Duma in Russia....
This affects all the imperialistic interests. Furthermore, the great crisis of the World War unfolds during the crossing of Jupiter, from one pole to the other, that is, from Uranus to Neptune. Its last aspect is with Neptune in 1919, the time of the conclusion of the war and of the Allied victory, considered the victory of the democracies.
The second sesqui-square of Uranus-Neptune occurs in 1933 and marks the starting point of the new crisis: the failure of the conference of disarmament: Hitler reaching power, leaves the SDN, and the weapon-run restarts.
The involutive trine of Uranus-Neptune unfolds in two phases. Between 1939 and 1941, from Taurus to Virgo, and between 1942-1945, from Gemini to Libra. Under its first form, it brings us the German-Soviet Pact forecasted by many astrologers, and, under its second form, validates the Anglo-American-Soviet accordance. In both case, in fact, it brings together antagonistic powers; the overthrowing of alliances can only be explained by the changes of signs and rulers: Indeed, under the first trine, Venus is the dispositor of Uranus, and Mercury of Neptune, while under the second Trine, at the contrary, Mercury rules Uranus and Venus Neptune. With this overthrowing, Neptune remains the agent of Communistic Russia, but a substitution of forms occurs when Uranus ceases to personify the Hitler dictatorship, in order to represent the Anglo-Saxon capitalism.
And so we see the great landmarks of Modern History of Western European civilisation happen during the phases of the Neptune-Uranus cycle, orchestrated by moments of time where Jupiter and Saturn cross the aspects of this cycle. The political life of our history oscillates from right to left wing, depending on whether the planets Jupiter and Saturn, representing the political order, are moving towards either Uranus or Neptune, which are the components of the capitalistic society.
In 1848, it is the semi-square of Uranus-Neptune. Saturn passes from Neptune to Uranus and we see the revolutionary upheaval tamed by a reaction.
In 1870, it is the square of Uranus-Neptune. From 1866 to 1872, Jupiter goes from Neptune to Uranus. We see that the Austro-Prussian and Franco-German Wars lead to the victory of “Prussian militarism”.
In 1914, the opposition of Uranus-Neptune starts separating. From 1914 to 1919, Jupiter goes from Uranus to Neptune at the time of the unfolding of the Great War launched by the imperialists and won by the Democratic Allies.
1939-1945: this time it is the trine of Uranus-Neptune. In 1940-41, Jupiter and Saturn together joined with Uranus: Europe, in the hands of dictators, becomes fascist. But, from the moment that Jupiter passes from Uranus to Neptune in 1945, the democratic powers make an end to dictatorships.
However if we want to push our curiosity a bit further and pursue this global investigation for experimental purposes rather than prophetic, we could say that two rhythms need to be considered for actual planetary evolution. Jupiter and Saturn met each other on Uranus, bringing the fascism order of the Hitler era. Then, Jupiter crossed Neptune and democracies replaced dictatorships. But then - in 1952-1953 - Saturn rejoins Neptune so that both planets, Jupiter and Saturn, after having left Uranus, successively rejoin Neptune. Can’t we see here a kind of double expiry and consider that after Jupiter’s crossing on Neptune, which brings the democratic success at the end of the war, Saturn’s crossing on Neptune emphasizes the Neptunian political evolution? As Neptune represents the communistic element, wouldn’t we have to envisage a communistic evolution in Europe for the coming years? [was written in 1946]
Of course our interpretation, which is backed up by past history, has such a rigorous objectivity that we cannot be accused of wanting to satisfy any personal opinion here.
It seems that at any case, a major turn presents itself for the period of 1952-55.
Let us now consider the successive cycles of these conjunctions.
For the Saturn-Neptune cycle, we see the conjunction of 1848 provoking the first revolutionary movement; the conjunction of 1881 establishing the proletarian conquests and the first socialist parties in Russia, France and England; the one of 1917 marking the Bolshevik revolution and installing Communism in Russia, a territory as big as 1/6th of the world. For the Jupiter-Uranus cycle, we see that the conjunction of 1872 establishing the German Empire; the conjunction of 1914 seting the Great War in motion; the one of 1927 inaugurating the era of dictatorships; finally the one of 1941 makes the war global and places Europe in dictatorial hands. Through all these cycles we witness the progressive evolution of a tendency which achieves maturity step by step.
It seems that under the involutionary square of Uranus-Neptune, the two antagonistic forces of capitalistic society would possibly reach their final degree of maturity. Wouldn’t we then have to fear seeing both continents, Europe and America (USA), rising up against each other, with unyieldingly determination, and in an ultimate strife?...
It was logical to draw a view of the future out of this historical study of cycles; but our work essentially remains a research on passed events in relation to the cyclic interfering of the cycles of Uranus-Neptune and of Jupiter-Saturn. The prophetic conclusion is only meant as a kind of supplement detached from the work. We are not formulating any forecast here, just putting the problem before you, my dear colleague astrologers.
Meanwhile, we hope that in an exact and precise way we have given you proof of the influence of the interferences of planetary cycles, thanks to this direct correlation between configurations and important events.
André Barbault - all rights reserved
Translation: Beatrice Boucher with the kind permission of André Barbault for edition on this site.
(1) In a work we are working on, ‘Astrologie Mondiale, Synthese Astrologique de l’Histoire Contemporaine’, we will give the meaning of almost 15 cycles over 100 years.
