Pope Leo XIV

“Evil will not prevail: we are all in God’s hands….The world needs His light…help us build bridges, with dialogue, to always be at peace.”

~ Pope Leo XIV

I’m a bit late posting about Pope Leo XIV, but I felt there needed to be a gap between Popes in this blog!  Welcome to the new custodian of the Roman Catholic community.  His inauguration mass is being held today in St. Peter’s Square, and we have already seen his first outing in the Popemobile.

Birth Chart

We do not have a birth time for Pope Leo, but see that his planets are bunched up in the Leo (see what I did there) – Virgo – Libra segment of the zodiac. He doesn’t have a profusion of aspects to his personal planets, which may be an indication of his wider service.  He has the Sun in Virgo, which of course is the sign of Service.  His Sun is conjunct Venus, bringing Love as a central theme of his life and character.  This Sun in Virgo is exactly square to the Nodal Axis, again emphasizing service and Power surrendering to the greater good.  His Moon may be in Leo or Virgo.  At Noon on that day, the Moon was closely sextile Neptune (great emotional sensitivity) and exactly conjunct Pluto (extreme emotional depth).  He has Mercury sextile Jupiter, a breadth of learning and widespread travel (from Chicago to Peru to Rome).  This aspect is often found in the charts of poly-linguists (he knows English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, German and Latin.)  Venus is trine Chiron, which is about healing through Love.  Venus also squares the Nodal Axis, which may signify sacrificial love.  Mars is unaspected, a free expression of his will and force, but in Virgo, which is light handed when it comes to assertion, but economical in the use of energy.  Jupiter squares Saturn, indicating there are often situations where his hands are tied, for some reason or another.  Jupiter loosely conjuncts Pluto, which is a definite sign of Power.  Jupiter closely trine the North Node is an indication of his karmic mission being closely tied to a Religious path, but also likely to be a force for good.  His square between Uranus and Neptune means he will have worked his way through a ton of complexity in his life, some of it very difficult, and that will stand him in good stead for his new role.  It forms a T-square with Chiron, which means he will have faced crises when the outer planets transited these points: again, all grist to the mill of his character.  He needs that resilience, as being a comparatively young Pope he has much to offer in the future.  Last but not least, Pluto also trines the North Node, adding gravitas to his mission.  It may also be worth noting that his Neptune (spirituality) is exactly sextile the powerful point of the Galactic Centre.

Life and Career

He was born with the name Robert Prevost.  He went to school in Dolton, Illinois, where he sang in the choir and served as an altar boy.  According to his brothers, he was always heading for an ecclesiastical destiny, play-acting the role with them as a child.  He has always been close to his brothers and in constant communication, at least up to this point in his life: we don’t know what family constraints the papal role may bring.  He attended St. Augustine Seminary High School near Michigan. He earned a BSc degree in mathematics from Villanova University, then taught physics and maths. He then studied Canon Law in Rome, with a dissertation relating to St. Augustine.

He joined the Order of Saint Augustine as a novice on 1st September 1977, when the North Node was on his Sun ruler Mercury in Libra, an important marker in his life, stepping onto his true path.  His career trajectory is well-documented in exact dates.  He was ordained a priest in Rome on 19th June 1982.  Uranus was trine his natal Uranus (a successful step forward).

He re-located to Peru for two years in 1985-1986, for the Augustinian mission in that region, then returned to Illinois.  He then spent a decade in Peru, teaching canon law, and supporting Venezuelan refugees to Peru, and human rights against the Shining Path organization.  Both he and his predecessor Pope Francis had deep links with South America.  He became a naturalized Peruvian citizen.

Pope Francis had an eye for his successor for some time, and advanced his career in increments.  In 2023, he moved him to Rome, and made him a Cardinal.  In that role, he was especially concerned with climate change and human rights.  During Pope Francis’ period of ill-health in February of this year, he promoted him to Cardinal-Bishop.

Conclave

Although he was placed in a position to be elected Pope, he was still considered a dark horse.  We had been prepared for a long and complicated procedure, by the well-timed and award winning recent film “Conclave”, so it was a surprise that after only four rounds of voting, white smoke was seen billowing from the keenly scrutinized Sistine Chapel chimney.  Though his election had not been predicted, a unanimous decision was delivered swiftly.  Pope Francis will have been pleased for his protégé.

The dramatic moment occurred at 7 minutes past 6 pm, so we have an exact chart, showing Chiron exactly on the Descendant, possibly signifying a mass healing event.  Like his predecessor, Pope Leo XIV represented several “firsts”: being born in North America, one holding Peruvian citizenship, and the first from the Order of Saint Augustine.

He shares many values and aims with his predecessor and mentor, but seems more inclined to retain some of the more traditional trappings of office, whereas Pope Francis had stripped his practices and circumstances down to greater simplicity.  Pope Leo has been seen as a moderate centrist.  In a nod to his Sun/Venus in Virgo he had in the past been described as an “impeccable dresser” wearing “formal” vestments.

His transits at the time of his election were the South Node on his Venus (called to World Service), Jupiter on his South Node (continuing religious orders from past lives); and Neptune trine his natal Uranus, a culmination and reward for the 69 years’ experience of that square in his natal chart.

I am hoping he will be a spiritual counterpoint to his fellow American, President Donald Trump.

“At this decisive moment for our country, we hope for the continued moral and spiritual support of the Vatican in Ukraine’s efforts to restore justice and achieve a lasting peace.”

~ Vlodomyrr Zelenskyy

Aspects

Yesterday’s Sun/Uranus conjunction lived up to its hype as bringing surprises.  I collected quiet a few pleasant surprises among people I knew, but two more collective examples were the utterly down-to-the-wire voting in the Eurovision Song Contest, and the triumph of Crystal Palace over Manchester City in the FA Cup Final.

The early hours of this morning may have been a little fractious if you were trying to sleep, with a square between Mercury and Mars.  Be careful not to overdo things as you may be slightly incident-prone, partly through carelessness or complacency.  Another possible hazard of this square is argumentativeness and verbal conflict.  A careless word could have consequences.

However, a weighty benefit also comes today from a sextile between Jupiter and Chiron.  That brings the possibility of some real healing, or more good news about health.  You can bring out your own wishes for Jupiter sextile Chiron on any issue in your life.  It is a really positive force.  In a personal example, I have just learned that my diabetic blood sugars have reduced by 11 points, and can share that it was via the regime recommended by the Glucose Goddess (google her, if this is an issue important for you!).

Another Jupiterian aspect occurs later in the day, in the shape of the Nodal Axis squaring that planet.  This may be characterized by a great deal of interaction, and attempts at jollity.  For some there may be over-vigorous adventure, and possible insight into past life interaction with groups.  There is a chance for groups to be upwardly mobile in their evolution.

Moving on to Tuesday (20th) the Sun will be sextile Saturn in the morning.  This is a steadying influence, a practical and serious minded.  Duties and commitments are to the fore.  It makes for a good day with regard to laying foundations and establishing rules.  Creativity is firmed up, and decision-making may be easier.

That evening, the Sun enters Gemini. Earthy preoccupations of Taurus may give way to a need for Communication and lightness of heart.  ‘Tis the season of chatting to the neighbours over the garden fence.  In the month of Sun in Gemini any kind of communication goes, writing your book, dealing with your documentation.  It all aids the general connectivity and circulation, which enables society to flourish.

Thursday (22nd) brings a trine between Venus and Mars at breakfast-time.  You could undertake a walk in the park, forget any troubles and cares.  Other wars may be raging (we know where in the world), but the relations between the sexes may be harmonious, or the connectivity between your own inner male and female.  It would be a good opportunity for sharing and balancing roles, such as career and parenting.  And exercises of body awareness, such as qijong or pilates, may be helpful.

At lunchtime, the Sun sextiles Neptune, a sweet sextile, and as you go about your day, you may be in an equable spiritual state, especially if you have been able to take advantage of the Venus-Mars balancing.  This aspect gives you a better chance of creating beauty and inspiration in your life, conferring spiritual harmony.

Another trine awaits us in the evening of Saturday (24th), that of the Sun with Pluto.  Deep progress may be made.  There may be the sense of an ending, which clears the way for a new beginning or rebirth.  You may have to make a decision which brings about change.It is time to construct a new psychological mindset: one which is creative but also bears in mind the changes and cycles which are transforming our lives at this time. You may have felt that you haven’t got very far with a goal, but may receive an indication in this period that you have done better than you thought, your patience is rewarded, or that a pipe dream could become a going concern.  You may have cause to remember fondly the dearly departed.

A further aspect in the late evening may also bring change, a conjunction between Mercury and Uranus at 27 degrees Taurus.  Mentally it could be off the wall.  You’ll be thinking inventively and out of the box.  There may be some interesting synchronicities happening.  Welcome to the power of surprise!  It may not be as easy as the Sun/Uranus conjunction occurring yesterday (Saturday 17th), as it involves the mind, which can get fraught if overloaded with complex information coming in.

The week in bullet points:

  • Today – fractious start; healing avenues; karmic exaggerations
  • Tuesday – steadying influence; lighter communications
  • Thursday – male/female balancing; spiritual harmony
  • Saturday – deep and worthwhile research; mental stretching
Date: May 18th, 2025 · Comments RSS · Tags: News · Spirituality