From my Postbag:

“So Lana, tell us about this seemingly gentle man, Pope Francis I. His qi seems very resolute, balanced and deeply spiritual, I hope that is truly who he is. He’s also a Jesuit, first ever, how interesting.

Looking forward to any insight you have to share. Best wishes to the Pope Emeritus, may he enjoy his contemplative life out of the public eye.

Congratulations to all our Catholic friends –

Love,
Dia”

Pope Francis I

I remember clearly at the age of eight, when Pope John XXIII was chosen, being wide-eyed in wonder hearing about the black smoke giving rise to the white smoke above the Vatican.  The event of a new Pope doesn’t come often in one lifetime, and this current choice seems to come with some hope, after the disappointment of the last tenancy.

He is not much younger in years than Pope Benedict, but seems to have more energy and be more present in the world.  Ideologically there is much to indicate that he may not stray far from Benedict’s brief, but there are many who are now giving him the benefit of that doubt and hoping he may make a dent in the entrenched problems of Roman Catholic society, such as its attitude towards women.

“It seems the conclave went to the other side of the world to find a new Pope” were almost his first words as Pope.  Very fitting for a Sagittarian (covering long distances) coming from South America (whose vast spaces are associated with Sagittarius) naming himself after St. Francis of Assisi (also Sagittarian, born 26/11/1182).  St. Francis had North Node conjunct Chiron and Pluto (deep healing), and was especially associated with the animal kingdom (a province of Sagittarius).  He also displayed a touch of Sagittarian humour; there was immediately a contrast in personality from the previous Pope, and indeed all other Popes from living memory.

I have many New Age/Catholic friends…the combination seems to go well, though the fundamentalists wouldn’t approve.  Their minds, hearts and imaginations are often open to other realities in a way which blends well with the teachings of the New Age, acquired through some leanings  of the religion itself.  One of those Roman Catholic friends even shares a birthday with the new Pope, and “thanks God” for the new appointment.  It goes without saying that God and the Goddess love us all, whatever religion we were born into.

In taking a first look at the chart of the new Pope, we are hampered by the lack of a birth time which would yield the Ascendant, so emphasis must go for the time being to the Sun and Moon positions.  Sun in Sagittarius is traditionally the sign for conventional religion, and pontification.  His Sun is close to the galactic centre, so he may be aligned with spiritual realities, and it is conjunct the North Node (karmic mission) which confirms that his path is a true one (for him at least).  He is comfortable with religious power.  There is a down-to-earth quality about him, and if he is of a certain evolutionary level it may be significant in his life and works that Earth is the esoteric ruler of Sagittarius.

His Moon is conjunct Venus (which confirms the gentleness seen by Dia, above).  At Noon this is an exact conjunction, and will diverge if he was born at another time of the day.  The Moon sign is Aquarius, so giving him a social focus and an interest in a fair society, a championship of the underdog.  He has been reported as making statements which maintain the downtrodden status of women in the Papal view, and that may be because Uranus squares his Venus/Moon conjunction, so there is a sense of alienation in his mind towards women at the same time as the fairer qualities.  There is scope here that he may change his mind suddenly (Uranus).

He has a difficult T-square between Chiron in Gemini and Neptune opposing Saturn, and will have learned to balance that to a certain extent by his age of 76.  He does have a much warmer timbre of voice than his predecessor, and Chiron in Gemini could be considered to have healing qualities through the use of the voice.  Fortunately, an exact trine from Mars lifts the Chiron a little from its tension in the T-square, and confers some good healing energy too.

Jupiter is trine Uranus in his chart, so miracles may be ascribed to him; not necessarily high-flown miracles, but placed in earth signs they may be practical miracles, such as shifting some of the poverty in corners of the world.  He has an unusual relationship with money and materiality, as in addition to this aspect his Part of Fortune is in the 2nd House of Money.  He thinks outside the box in this sphere.

He has been called “divisive” already for various reasons, such as his alienation from his fellow Jesuits.  But he may be able to bring people together, by virtue of his Mars in Libra (the “Peacemaker Archetype”) trine his Chiron (“Inner Healer”) which understands suffering through its position in his T-square.  His election may have been a mental shock (transiting Pluto conjunct his Mercury) but at the same time he understood his responsibility (transiting Saturn sextile his natal Mercury) and the dove of divinity definitely came to settle on his shoulders, with transiting Neptune sextile his natal Jupiter.  He has a huge task ahead of him, and I wish him all the luck of the Sagittarian ruler, Jupiter.

Date: Mar 17th, 2013 · Comments RSS · Tags: News · Postbag