This is part of a memoir we are translating by Madame Cochelet, Hortense’s dear friend and her official role was that of Reader (Lectrice). This book is called Napoleon and Queen Hortense and it is from a larger collection of memoirs about the entire court.
I’m sharing all these books to show that from any angle, Napoleon and Hortense are always Napoleon and Hortense. I’m operating from the belief that there was something between them which was - while not sexual - I believe there was something else very deep and spiritual happening there. My intention is to see how successful we can be in understanding this mysterious relationship. This knowledge has come to me gradually and every clue I ever get only strengthens my conviction that this is absolutely true. Hopefully I can make my case well enough to convince some readers.
In the mid 1790s, Napoleon fell madly in lust with Josephine and found himself married to a lying woman who devastated him with cheating and left him with a humiliating morass of debts. Then Josephine’s daughter blossomed into a woman who was graced with Josephine’s fantastic qualities - charm, sociability, taste - yet Hortense had the depth, intelligence and passionate sincerity of Napoleon. I’m pretty sure that Napoleon was horrified and fascinated to find his ideal woman in his own stepdaughter. A lot of this saga flows from these bizarre circumstances.
When we last left off, Hortense was running all over New Year’s Day to satisfy Napoleon’s requirements of her along with her mother’s. This account begins January 1, 1813.
- [the] destinies of each depended [on the Emperor]. Even in the smallest things, it was the Emperor's opinion that we aspired to, that we feared: Charbonier was therefore excusable. Informed of the sorrow of her valet, the Queen laughed and sometimes said to him: "Charbonier, since you style all the pretty ladies of Paris, you can maintain your reputation by making all the charming proofs of your skill on their heads. I only want promptness; I do not want to arrive later than the time indicated, and be scolded by the Emperor.
So she was leaving to go to dinner at the Tuileries at six o'clock precisely, after kissing her children who always followed her back to her carriage, wearing her gloves, her shawl, or even the tail of her coat, when she was dressed for court; and at nine o'clock she returned to bed, exhausted from the day, which was so tiring for her poor health.
The first days of the year were not without fatigue for me either. As the Queen instructed me to make all her little gifts, I had to think about it in advance: it was a study to send Mme. Campan and a crowd of other people something that they might like. I also had to go to Mme. Fanny de Beauharnais's, and to bring her a nice souvenir from the Queen.
When I arrived at her house, I always woke up the whole house, although I reserved this visit for the last. But Mme. Fanny de Beauharnais kept the habits of the time of Louis XV. That of going to bed by day and getting up at night: "It is on the part of my heavenly goddaughter," she said;
This is how, in her poetic language, Mme. de Beauharnais always referred to the Queen, whom she had held on the baptismal font; and I was pampered, kissed, questioned; I could no longer escape.
The Emperor ordered that the events and balls should start again like the other years. The Queen resumed her duties; her health was no better, for it wasted away visibly. But at that time you never had time to think about yourself; we were so used to it that a desire of the Emperor was everything! And, in good or bad health, we had to fulfill the duties of his palace; the Queen was to do the honors of Paris. She would never have had the idea to complain and find the natural excuse of her health to avoid this duty.
The Emperor wants it, the Emperor said it, that was enough for everybody around him. The chamberlain who proposed the invitations pointed out that on the list of those invited, there were two or three with wooden legs, missing arms, or some even in a sling (following the Russian campaign of 1812):
“Your Majesty's ball,” the chamberlain said, “will look like a hospital; at least the Emperor will perhaps make the remark. And as he wants to make Paris dance to distract the capital from so many sad thoughts, it will be the way, on the contrary, to recall such painful memories as to show with their infirmities the unfortunate debris of our disasters. You may be right, said the Queen; I will certainly not seek among the wounded those who have never come to my house to invite them to the ball now; but I think it would be an indi-
To be continued.
Ceci fait partie d'un mémoire que nous traduisons par Madame Cochelet, la chère amie d'Hortense et son rôle officiel était celui de lectrice. Ce livre s'appelle Napoléon et la reine Hortense et provient d'une plus grande collection de mémoires sur toute la cour. Je partage tous ces livres pour montrer que sous tous les angles, Napoléon et Hortense sont toujours Napoléon et Hortense. J'opère à partir de la conviction qu'il y avait quelque chose entre eux qui était - bien que non sexuel - je crois qu'il y avait quelque chose d'autre très profond et spirituel qui s'y passait. Mon intention est de voir à quel point nous pouvons réussir à comprendre cette mystérieuse relation. Cette connaissance m'est venue progressivement et chaque indice que j'obtiens ne fait que renforcer ma conviction que c'est absolument vrai. J'espère que je pourrai faire valoir mes arguments suffisamment pour convaincre certains lecteurs.
Au milieu des années 1790, Napoléon tomba follement dans la luxure de Joséphine et se retrouva marié à une femme menteuse qui le dévasta de tricherie et lui laissa un bourbier de dettes humiliant. Ensuite, la fille de Joséphine est devenue une femme dotée des qualités fantastiques de Joséphine - charme, sociabilité, goût - mais Hortense avait la profondeur, l'intelligence et la sincérité passionnée de Napoléon. Je suis presque sûr que Napoléon était horrifié et fasciné de trouver sa femme idéale dans sa propre belle-fille. Une grande partie de cette saga découle de ces circonstances étranges. Quand nous nous sommes arrêtés pour la dernière fois, Hortense courait partout le jour de l'An pour satisfaire les exigences de Napoléon à son égard ainsi qu'à celles de sa mère. Ce compte commence le 1er janvier 1813.
Let’s look at the planets on the day of the marriage of Napoleon and Josephine in the natal charts of Napoleon, Josephine and Hortense.
Regardons les planètes le jour du mariage de Napoléon et Joséphine dans les thèmes nataux de Napoléon, Joséphine et Hortense.
Uranus (odd behavior) is transiting Napoleon’s midheaven. Napoleon wrote his brother that he might be crazy enough to get married if he stayed in Paris. Saturn (limitation) is transiting Napoleon’s 7th house of partnership. Fiery Mars is transiting fire sign Sagittarius (near sexy Scorpio) in Napoleon’s first house of identity.
Uranus (comportement étrange) traverse le milieu du ciel de Napoléon. Napoléon a écrit à son frère qu'il pourrait être assez fou pour se marier s'il restait à Paris. Saturne (limitation) traverse la 7e maison de partenariat de Napoléon. Ardent Mars transite le signe du feu Sagittaire (près du Scorpion sexy) dans la première maison d'identité de Napoléon.
What was written about Napoleon’s chart also applies to Josephine’s chart. Except Josephine has a famous warrior (Sun conjunct Mars) in her place of partnership. Josephine was married to not one but two famous warriors. Before, Napoleon, she had been married to General Alexandre de Beauharnais who had been leader of revolutionary France for a time.
Marie Louise also has Mars in her house of partnership and she also married 2 warriors.
Marie Louise a également Mars dans sa maison de partenariat et elle a également épousé 2 guerriers.
Ce qui a été écrit sur la carte de Napoléon s'applique également à la carte de Joséphine. Sauf que Joséphine a un guerrier célèbre (Soleil conjoint à Mars) dans son lieu de partenariat. Joséphine était mariée non pas à un mais à deux guerriers célèbres. Avant, Napoléon, elle avait été mariée au général Alexandre de Beauharnais qui avait été pendant un temps le leader de la France révolutionnaire.
Hortense was almost 13 at the time of this wedding which she was not invited to and which she did not want to take place. Napoleon had sent Josephine’s 2 children off to schools. Without this marriage, Hortense was on her way to becoming, perhaps, a poor seamstress. Venus (money) is transiting the Sun (fame) in her 8th house of Pluto (transformation) in the warlike sign of new beginnings, Aries. Just like in Josephine’s chart, Hortense’s Sun (fame) is also close to her house of partnership - my Sun is in it. Both Hortense and I have warlike constellations in that area as well. Aries in her case and Scorpio in mine. Hortense and I both have Mercury (communications) in the 7th house as well. These sure are a lot of coincidences.
Hortense avait presque 13 ans au moment de ce mariage auquel elle n'était pas invitée et à laquelle elle ne voulait pas avoir lieu. Napoléon a envoyé les 2 enfants de Joséphine dans les écoles. Sans ce mariage, Hortense était en passe de devenir, peut-être, une pauvre couturière. Vénus (argent) transite par le Soleil (renommée) dans sa 8e maison de Pluton (transformation) sous le signe belliqueux de nouveaux commencements, le Bélier.
