Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon: Astrological Article and Chart

Horoscope and chart of Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon

^* A planet less than 1° from the next House cusp is considered to be posited in the said House. 2° when the AS and the MC are involved

Astrological portrait of Madame de Maintenon (excerpt)

Disclaimer: these short excerpts of astrological charts are computer processed. They are, by no means, of a personal nature. This principle is valid for the celebrities included in our database. These texts provide the meanings of planets, or combination of planets, in signs and in houses, as well as the interpretations of planetary dominants in line with modern Western astrology rules. Moreover, since Astrotheme is not a polemic website, no negative aspect which may damage the good reputation of a celebrity is posted here, unlike in the comprehensive astrological portrait.

Introduction

Here are some character traits from Madame de Maintenon's birth chart. This description is far from being comprehensive but it can shed light on his/her personality, which is still interesting for professional astrologers or astrology lovers.

The dominant planets of Madame de Maintenon

When interpreting a natal chart, the best method is to start gradually from general features to specific ones. Thus, there is usually a plan to be followed, from the overall analysis of the chart and its structure, to the description of its different character traits.

In the first part, an overall analysis of the chart enables us to figure out the personality's main features and to emphasize several points that are confirmed or not in the detailed analysis: in any case, those general traits are taken into account. Human personality is an infinitely intricate entity and describing it is a complex task. Claiming to rapidly summarize it is illusory, although it does not mean that it is an impossible challenge. It is essential to read a natal chart several times in order to absorb all its different meanings and to grasp all this complexity. But the exercise is worthwhile.

In brief, a natal chart is composed of ten planets: two luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, three fast-moving or individual planets, Mercury, Venus and Mars, two slow-moving planets, Jupiter and Saturn, and three very slow-moving planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Additional secondary elements are: the Lunar Nodes, the Dark Moon or Lilith, Chiron and other minor objects. They are all posited on the Zodiac wheel consisting of twelve signs, from Aries to Pisces, and divided into twelve astrological houses.

The first step is to evaluate the importance of each planet. This is what we call identifying the dominant planets. This process obeys rules that depend on the astrologer's sensitivity and experience but it also has precise and steady bases: thus, we can take into account the parameters of a planet's activity (the number of active aspects a planet forms, the importance of each aspect according to its nature and its exactness), angularity parameters; (proximity to the four angles, Ascendant, Midheaven, Descendant and Imum Coeli or Nadir, all of them being evaluated numerically, according to the kind of angle and the planet-angle distance) and quality parameters (rulership, exaltation, exile and fall). Finally, other criteria such as the rulership of the Ascendant and the Midheaven etc. are important.

These different criteria allow a planet to be highlighted and lead to useful conclusions when interpreting the chart.

The overall chart analysis begins with the observation of three sorts of planetary distributions in the chart: Eastern or Western hemisphere, Northern or Southern hemisphere, and quadrants (North-eastern, North-western, South-eastern and South-western). These three distributions give a general tone in terms of introversion and extraversion, willpower, sociability, and behavioural predispositions.

Then, there are three additional distributions: elements (called triplicity since there are three groups of signs for each one) - Fire, Air, Earth and Water - corresponding to a character typology, modality (or quadruplicity with four groups of signs for each one) - Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable - and polarity (Yin and Yang).

There are three types of dominants: dominant planets, dominant signs and dominant houses. The novice thinks astrology means only "to be Aries" or sometimes, for example, "to be Aries Ascendant Virgo". It is actually far more complex. Although the Sun and the Ascendant alone may reveal a large part of the character - approximately a third or a half of your psychological signature, a person is neither "just the Sun" (called the sign) nor just "the first house" (the Ascendant). Thus, a particular planet's influence may be significantly increased; a particular sign or house may contain a group of planets that will bring nuances and sometimes weaken the role of the Ascendant, of the Sun sign etc.

Lastly, there are two other criteria: accentuations (angular, succedent and cadent) which are a classification of astrological houses and types of decanates that are occupied (each sign is divided into three decanates of ten degrees each). They provide some additional informations.

These general character traits must not be taken literally; they are, somehow, preparing for the chart reading. They allow to understand the second part of the analysis, which is more detailed and precise. It focuses on every area of the personality and provides a synthesis of all the above-mentioned parameters according to sound hierarchical rules.

Astrological Quadrants for Madame de Maintenon

Each quadrant is a combination of the four hemispheres of your birth chart and relates to a character typology. The Southern hemisphere – the top of your chart, around the Midheaven – is associated with extraversion, action, and public life, whereas the Northern hemisphere prompts to introversion, reflexion, and private life. The Eastern hemisphere – the left part, around the Ascendant – is linked to your ego and your willpower, whereas the Western hemisphere indicates how other people influence you, and how flexible you are when you make a decision.

Madame de Maintenon, the nocturnal North-eastern quadrant, consisting of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd houses, prevails in your chart: this sector favours self-assertion and material security to the detriment of your perception of others. You consider self-transformation to be a hazardous adventure. You are inclined to seek stability and you tend to protect yourself with your actions. Possession, acquisition but also communication, without opening up too much, are part of your deep motivations. You are rather autonomous and constant, however it is important that you pay more attention to others, so that you can improve your outcomes.

Elements, Modes and House Accentuations for Madame de Maintenon

Madame de Maintenon, here are the graphs of your Elements and Modes, based on planets' position and angles in the twelve signs:

Like the majority of Earth signs, Madame de Maintenon, you are efficient, concrete and not too emotional. What matters to you is what you see: you judge the tree by its fruits. Your ideas keep changing, words disappear, but actions and their consequences are visible and remain. Express your sensitivity, even if it means revealing your vulnerability. Emotions, energy and communication must not be neglected; concrete action is meaningless if it is not justified by your heart, your intellect or your enthusiasm.

Madame de Maintenon, Fire is dominant in your natal chart and endows you with intuition, energy, courage, self-confidence, and enthusiasm! You are inclined to be passionate, you assert your willpower, you move forward, and come hell or high water, you achieve your dreams and your goals. The relative weakness of this element is the difficulty to step back or a kind of boldness that may prompt you to do foolish things.

Air is under-represented in your natal chart, with only 9.38% instead of the average 25%. Air symbolizes the values of communication, exchanges with others, but also adaptability and flexibility abilities: if you don't get out of your cocoon to talk, to show interest in others, and to socialize, you may have problems understanding others. Because of your lack of flexibility or of your refusal to adapt yourself, you may be suddenly overwhelmed by events. You should get into the habit of talking, of phoning, and of thinking in terms of "mobility, flexibility, adaptability, change" in every circumstance. It will spare you so many troubles!

The twelve zodiacal signs are split up into three groups or modes, called quadruplicities, a learned word meaning only that these three groups include four signs. The Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable modes are more or less represented in your natal chart, depending on planets' positions and importance, and on angles in the twelve signs.

The Mutable mode is the most emphasized one in your natal chart, Madame de Maintenon, which indicates a mobile character that is curious and thirsty for new experiences and evolution. You are lively and flexible, and you like to react quickly to solicitations, but don't confuse mobility with agitation, since this is the danger with this configuration - and with you, stagnation is out of the question. Security doesn't matter as long as you are not bored. You optimize, you change things, you change yourself... all this in a speedy way.

Houses are split up into three groups: angular, succedent and cadent.

The first ones are the most important ones, the most "noticeable" and energetic houses. They are the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses. Their cuspides correspond to four famous angles: Ascendant for the 1st house, Imum Coeli for the 4th house, Descendant, opposite the Ascendant, for the 7th house and Midheaven for the 10th house, opposite the Imum Coeli.

Planets are evaluated according to a whole set of criteria that includes comprehensive Western astrology rules. At their turn, planets emphasize specific types of houses, signs, repartitions etc., as previously explained.

Your angular houses, namely, the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th houses, are very emphasized in your chart, Madame de Maintenon: according to the Tradition, they are the strongest and most dynamic houses. Should the rest of your chart concur, angular houses suggest that you are an enterprising, energetic and assertive woman. Indeed, angular houses are said to generate impulsions and to give a powerful and domineering personality.

Unusual fates are often linked to a predominance of angular houses, but this is only a partial indication...

N.B.: this dominant is a minor one.

Dominants: Planets, Signs and Houses for Madame de Maintenon

The issue of dominant planets has existed since the mists of time in astrology: how nice it would be if a person could be described with a few words and one or several planets that would represent their character, without having to analyse such elements as rulerships, angularities, houses, etc!

The ten planets - the Sun throughout Pluto - are a bit like ten characters in a role-play, each one has its own personality, its own way of acting, its own strengths and weaknesses. They actually represent a classification into ten distinct personalities, and astrologers have always tried to associate one or several dominant planets to a natal chart as well as dominant signs and houses.

Indeed, it is quite the same situation with signs and houses. If planets symbolize characters, signs represent hues - the mental, emotional and physical structures of an individual. The sign in which a planet is posited is like a character whose features are modified according to the place where he lives. In a chart, there are usually one, two or three highlighted signs that allow to rapidly describe its owner.

Regarding astrological houses, the principle is even simpler: the twelve houses correspond to twelve fields of life, and planets tenanting any given house increase that house's importance and highlight all relevant life departments: it may be marriage, work, friendship etc.

In your natal chart, Madame de Maintenon, the ten main planets are distributed as follows:

The three most important planets in your chart are Mercury, Mars and Saturn.

With Mercury among your dominant planets, you are certainly cerebral, nervous, swift, curious, quick-witted, and you love to communicate. Your psychological pattern is intellectual, all the more so since Mercury is important, with its whole set of assets but also of weaknesses, obviously.

Your sensitivity, emotions, and heart's impulses give precedence to thinking, which can lead people to believe that you are a playful and witty but heartless person, intellectualizing situations and juggling with words and numbers whilst ignoring human aspects of things. Of course, it is said that cats always land on their feet - this is your Mercurian strength and your trump card!

Your weakness lies in your nervousness, and you may miss your goal because of your "over-intellectualization" that may be detrimental to other kind of energies such as instinct, spontaneity, heart, sensitivity, etc.

Mars is one of your dominant planets and provides you with its efficient energy and enthusiasm: with a powerful Mars in your chart, action - but also will and ability to undertake - is not an empty word for you. You are active, dynamic, willing to fight, courageous, and you are never afraid to move mountains, even though risks are part of the adventures that you start with determination.

However, your patience is not always up to your boldness and a kind of feverishness, or even anger, can tarnish the quality of your achievements. That would be a pity since the Marsian is a champion in matters of efficiency! Mars symbolizes display of action, conquering spirit that favours discipline and order - beware of not being fussy - and lies at the frontier between action and brutality, between conquest and potential aggressiveness.

Saturn is part of your dominant planets: among the facets of your character, you have a grave and serious side, wise and somewhat severe, since your concentration can be powerful to the detriment of carelessness and friendliness.

You often look austere, but it is only an appearance, a kind of modesty or reserve; however, it is true that the Saturnian, who is fond of time, effort, asceticism, rigour and sobriety, may have popularity issues. Nevertheless, honesty and straightforwardness, reliability, as well as slow, wise and deep mental process, although not very popular and visible qualities, eventually become noticed and appreciated. Saturnians' second part of life is usually easier and more fulfilling.

Like the Jupiterian, your Saturnian facet prompts you to seek the essential, security, and longevity. However, the difference with the former is that you will never give priority to wealth or "the bigger, the better" philosophy for the sake of power. Saturn, like Jupiter, symbolizes social integration, and it is usually considered positive to have a harmonic Jupiter and Saturn in one's chart because of their social adaptation capacities.

Your vulnerability lies in your too serious and austere side, which may lead to unwanted loneliness and affective frustration. This generally does not last because Saturnians often hide deep down a golden heart that ends up revealing itself...

In your natal chart, the three most important signs - according to criteria mentioned above - are in decreasing order of strength Virgo, Sagittarius and Cancer. In general, these signs are important because your Ascendant or your Sun is located there. But this is not always the case: there may be a cluster of planets, or a planet may be near an angle other than the Midheaven or Ascendant. It may also be because two or three planets are considered to be very active because they form numerous aspects from these signs.

Thus, you display some of the three signs' characteristics, a bit like a superposition of features on the rest of your chart, and it is all the more so if the sign is emphasized.

Virgo, associated with perfectionism, numbers and reason, is among your dominant signs: you inherit its sense of responsibility and tidiness, a clear mind, an unfailing logic, as well as a need to be useful and to fulfil your task to the best of your abilities. Obviously, people may think that you are too modest or reserved, suspicious or pessimistic because of your exceedingly critical mind, but aren't logic and wisdom great qualities? Of course, they are. Moreover, you keep your feet on the ground, you never behave irrationally and you are helpful and hardworking - what more can you ask for?!

Sagittarius, an adventurous and conquering fire sign, is dominant in your chart: you are enthusiastic, enterprising, optimistic, very sociable, and mobile - you have itchy feet both physically and mentally. Nobody gets bored with you because you are always planning things and suggesting excursions, at least... when you are around and not already gone on a trip! Obviously, so many movements for one woman may scare people off, and some of them may even criticize your brutality or your tendency to loose your temper, but you are so warm and genuine, so expansive, isn't this a good thing? And all the more so, since your sense of humour is overwhelming...

Cancer is one of your dominant signs and endows you with imagination and exceptionally shrewd sensitivity. Although suspicious at first sight - and even at second...- as soon as you get familiar with people and let them win your confidence, your golden heart eventually shows up, despite your discretion and your desire for security that makes you return into your shell at the slightest alert! Actually, you are a poetess and if you are sometimes blamed for your nostalgia and your laziness, it is because your intense inner life is at full throttle...

The 4th, 1st and 3rd houses are the most prominent ones in your birth chart. From the analysis of the most tenanted houses, the astrologer identifies your most significant fields or spheres of activity. They deal with what you are experiencing - or what you will be brought to experience one day - or they deal with your inner motivations.

With an important 4th house in your chart, your private life, your intimacy, as well as your family and home, play a fundamental role. Your security and your family unit, the one you come from, but also the one you set up when you get married and start a family - or even as a girl bachelor living alone in your sweet home - are necessary for you to blossom. According to the Tradition, your father may play an important role in your life.

With a dominant 1st house, your magnetism is powerful, and your individuality as well as your willpower are out of the ordinary. You are a determined, strong-willed, and assertive person, with this relative criterion at least.

It is likely that you never go unnoticed when you are in a crowd or a in reunion: an important 1st house suggests that you are a charismatic person with above average vital energy, especially if the Sun is present in this sector.

Your personal interests are always important and you never forget them, which doesn't mean that you are self-centered, but only that you behave according to what is in harmony with your deep nature!

As the 3rd house is one of the most important houses in your chart, communication plays a major role in your life or in your deep motivations: frequent short trips, open-mindedness - which may offset a lack of mutable signs for instance - listening, discussion, interest in learning, knowledge accumulation or long-term studies, etc., are all areas that greatly appeal to you and are part of your daily life.

After this paragraph about dominant planets, of Madame de Maintenon, here are the character traits that you must read more carefully than the previous texts since they are very specific: the texts about dominant planets only give background information about the personality and remain quite general: they emphasize or, on the contrary, mitigate different particularities or facets of a personality. A human being is a complex whole and only bodies of texts can attempt to successfully figure out all the finer points.

The Moon in Cancer and in House 10: her sensitivity

Affectivité et intuition étant chez vous très développées, vous êtes Madame de Maintenon, très sensible à votre environnement. Vous "ressentez" les ambiances, les humeurs et les sentiments d'autrui et lorsque vous captez des influences négatives vous en éprouvez une sorte de malaise qui affecte immédiatement tout votre être, d'autant plus facilement que votre vive imagination risque de vous déstabiliser encore plus en amplifiant votre réceptivité. De nature anxieuse, vous vous inquiétez facilement pour votre entourage et vous efforcez de créer pour eux une atmosphère familiale rassurante, une sorte de bulle où vous trouverez aussi le réconfort chaleureux qui vous est si nécessaire et où vous pourrez paresser à loisir. Mais à trop vous préoccuper du bien-être de vos proches, il se peut que l'on vous reproche d'être trop envahissante et de tenter parfois, par un subtil chantage affectif, de régenter leur vie. Faites-leur confiance... et apprenez vous aussi à vous faire davantage confiance !

Votre carrière ou votre accomplissement professionnel, Madame de Maintenon, sont les domaines où vos émotions vont pouvoir être abondamment canalisées. Souvent populaire, notamment auprès des femmes, vous avez en vous l'instinct de plaire au public et à la foule. Cette popularité est souvent due à votre côté changeant, léger,... (excerpt)

Mercury in Sagittarius and in House 4: her intellect and social life

Votre soif d'apprendre est considérable Madame de Maintenon et vous pouvez passer votre vie à étudier, notamment les langues, la géographie, la philosophie ou le droit. D'une grande ouverture d'esprit, vous souhaitez abolir les frontières quelles qu'elles soient et l'humaniste qui sommeille en vous pourra alors devenir une "grande voyageuse" allant au-devant des autres pour apprendre à les connaître et communiquer avec eux. Vous exprimez avec franchise et clarté vos opinions et croyances et accueillez celles d'autrui avec enthousiasme. Du fait de vos nombreux centres d'intérêts, vous pourrez parfois être perçue comme quelqu'un de superficiel, insouciant et excessivement optimiste. Mais si vous parvenez à maîtriser cette tendance à la dispersion, toutes les rencontres et découvertes que vous aurez pu faire influeront positivement sur votre attitude et votre conception philosophique de la vie.

C'est en général dans la sphère privée que vous arrivez à communiquer et réfléchir au mieux de vos intérêts, Madame de Maintenon. Votre famille est sacrément importante pour vous, et vos intérêts intellectuels vous portent fréquemment à vous occuper des affaires immobilières, gestion de patrimoine, exploitation des biens... (excerpt)

Venus in Sagittarius and in House 3, and the Sun in Sagittarius: her affectivity and seductiveness

Dans votre thème, le Soleil et Vénus sont tous deux en Sagittaire. Sagittaire jusqu'au bout des ongles, vous pensez avant tout indépendance, exaltation sentimentale, esprit de découverte. Adepte des amours sans frontière, vous vous sentez en harmonie avec ceux ou celles qui échappent à vos sens, à votre entendement. Votre partenaire n'a de prime abord rien de commun avec vous ? Qu'importe ! Un couple n'est-il pas le plus merveilleux des creusets pour s'enrichir dans le respect mutuel des différences ? On aurait tort, cependant, de vous croire sens tabou ni référence sociale. Certes, votre ouverture d'esprit et votre spontanéité vous font accepter beaucoup, aimer et cultiver les différences. Mais vous savez mieux que quiconque dépasser les conventions sans les briser, surprendre sans heurter... Paradoxe : vous jouez avec le sens moral sans être amoral. En amour, vous êtes une sorte de gangster policée, un gentleman-cambrioleur au féminin des cœurs ou… une adorable vamp. Reste le point fort d'une telle configuration : une faculté d'évoluer, de donner un élan neuf à votre couple lorsqu'il le faut. Car l'amour est une aventure, et ne saurait devenir autre chose. Rien avec vous n'est figé ou définitif. Et il y a fort à parier que vous ne laissiez pas s'éteindre les passions. Qu'on se le dise, et gare à qui montrera un esprit trop casanier !

Affectivement, vous êtes Madame de Maintenon, ouverte, franche et spontanée et vous vous liez facilement tant votre enthousiasme peut s'exprimer avec jovialité, sans détours et avec un respect des valeurs morales bien établies. Dans certains cas vous pouvez être en opposition avec votre milieu d'origine ou votre famille en raison de votre goût pour la liberté, le dépaysement ou toute forme d'indépendance et d'émancipation. Vos sentiments sont ardents et vous vous emballez assez rapidement mais par contre, cette facilité à vous lier vous prédispose en conséquence à une certaine instabilité ; en d'autres mots, la fidélité n'est pas votre priorité essentielle tant que vous n'avez pas encore rencontré l'âme soeur. Les conditions idéales pour vivre au mieux vos sentiments amoureux sont de vivre en couple avec une certaine mobilité, faire des voyages, profiter du grand air, ressentir à l'intérieur de votre relation amoureuse cette liberté et cette indépendance dont vous avez absolument besoin depuis votre enfance et à ce prix, l'harmonie et la fidélité seront au rendez-vous.

Avec une telle configuration, Madame de Maintenon, vous êtes encline à la dispersion dans vos manifestations sentimentales qui peuvent particulièrement s'exalter lors d'échanges relationnels multiples ou au sein d'un entourage de personnes qui vous sont proches; souvent, le support de cette manière d'exprimer vos sentiments peut être... (excerpt)

The Ascendant is in Virgo and the ruler of the Ascendant is Mercury, in Sagittarius: her behaviour

The ruler of the Ascendant, also referred to as the chart ruler, brings a few interesting nuances to the meanings provided by the Sun and the Ascendant. The sign in which the ruler of the Ascendant is posited fine-tunes the style of personality described by the Sun and the Ascendant. It may strengthen it if the sign is identical to either of them.

The ruler of your Ascendant is in the same sign as your Sun. This specific feature means that the Sun's characteristics in sign previously delineated are strengthened.

The Sun in Sagittarius and in House 3: her will and inner motivations

Vous êtes d'une mobilité intellectuelle et d'une curiosité remarquables, Madame de Maintenon. Toute votre volonté est au service de votre soif inépuisable de connaissances et de contacts. Vous êtes attirée par la communication et les métiers dans lesquels vous avez l'impression de bouger et d'exprimer vos idées comme... (excerpt)

Mars in Virgo and in House 1: her ability to take action

Madame de Maintenon, vous savez à merveille utiliser votre énergie telle une flèche qui atteint sa cible avec précision : vous avez un oeil de lynx et l'acuité de votre esprit vous porte à agir avec méticulosité et efficacité. Comme une chirurgienne avec son scalpel, vous savez exactement ce que vous souhaitez faire et vous faites évidemment partie des spécialistes et non des généralistes. Critique, pointilleuse, extrêmement organisée, vous aimez prévoir et analyser, préférez maîtriser trop votre sujet que pas assez, même si vous devez y mettre le prix d'un effort soutenu et durable. Sexuellement, vous gardez un certain souci maniaque de la propreté et êtes souvent prédisposée à certains fantasmes de type fétichiste. Votre vie amoureuse se passe généralement très bien si vous évitez les imprévus dont vous avez horreur.

Vous êtes une personne active par nature, Madame de Maintenon. C'est la seule position de Mars qui finalement ne vous oriente pas en particulier vers tel ou tel domaine de la vie mais c'est aussi peut-être la plus forte, puisque votre personnalité est justement par cette caractéristique combative,... (excerpt)

Conclusion

This text is only an excerpt from the portrait of of Madame de Maintenon, which we hope will inspire you to deepen your knowledge of astrology.

Regarding the sources of the birth data in our possession, kindly note that the pages we publish constitute a starting point for more detailed research, even though they seem useful to us. When the sources are contradictory, which occurs rarely, after having analysed them, we choose the most reliable one. Sometimes, we publish a birth date just because it is made available, but we do not claim that is it the best one, by no means.