On March 13, 2013 at 7:06 pm, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected Pope and took the name Francis but this was no ordinary conclave. Pope Benedict XVI was still alive. Even seven years later, there are still two living popes. This extraordinary circumstance was about spiritual investiture. Pope Francis has a stellium of planets in his personal 6th house. Apprenticeship can be one of the meanings of a strong 6th house.
The ruler of the conclave chart is 19° Pisces Venus also in the 6th house. The sabian symbol for 19° Pisces is “a master instructing his disciple”. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s personal Ascendant is 19° Pisces. There is another dual signature though, Pope Francis’ Saturn (mastery) lies at 16° Pisces quite close to the Venus and his Virgo Neptune directly opposes it. This makes for a compelling clue that continuity from previous papacies as well as spiritual duality would be preeminent although mostly hidden to the outside world as it occurs below the horizon. This would flow in both directions. The Pisces constellation is two fish swimming in opposite directions but tied together with a cord. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI resigned and continues to reside in Vatican City. The 6th house is dominated by the zodiac sign of Pisces and this sign concerns itself with seclusion and contemplation and this is most certainly why each Pope resides at the Domus Sanctae Marthae or the Mater Ecclesiae.
Benedict’s papacy had new initiatory energy (Aries Mercury, Sun, Venus). Aries energy is well known for starting things quickly but it is not known for finishing what is started. The chart had little earth to continue when the fire had weakened. Pope Benedict XVI is also personally weak in the earth element. The investigation and alleged dossier that purports to have detailed information on a large sex, blackmail and financial scandal was a moment when earth would have been very useful. Benedict and Francis are linked by a cord, the transfer of information from Benedict to Francis. This may have started with the dossier but as time has advanced there is likely some degree of continued transfers of knowledge back and forth.
The Conclave of Pope Francis
The papal conclave horoscope for Francis reveals this papacy would be focused on internal church matters. The highest expression (Sun) would occur as spiritual (Pisces) service to regular people (6th house). Not all produce has to come about easily and some of the best teachers in life are those that make it difficult on you. The produce of this work would be recognized in small measure in the public expression of the pope’s duties (Leo in the 10th house) but largely this produce would be seen among organized groups (Leo on the cusp of the 11th). Later I will go into more detail, but these organized groups are likely strengthening not because Pope Francis supports them, and he does personally, but because he denies them. This chart set up really reminds me of the scene in Star Wars – The Phantom Menace when Supreme Chancellor Valorum is in the middle of the Senate and is about to help Queen Amidala break the blockade of Naboo. A blockade he opposes. Then some bureaucratic flunkies sitting behind him stop him and remind him of something and he droops and is defeated that fast. Pope Francis seems to be a Supreme Chancellor Valorum figure.
The closest aspects of the chart strengthen the power brokers of the Vatican. Francis does not exercise direct control of Vatican resources instead he verbally directs or makes deals (personal Capricorn Mercury in 7th house) with the power brokers located in the Vatican (papal Capricorn Pluto in the 4th house) who are directly in charge of almost all of the resources. These power brokers (Capricorn Pluto) do not support or hinder the Pisces Sun of the papacy but they do hinder progress and reform efforts directly.
This Pisces (spiritual, victims, seclusion) Sun (expression, children, play) can have several meanings it could have a high spiritual expression or it could be very bad. Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac and it reflects what has been put in. Treasure in, treasure out, garbage in, garbage out. It is hard to see how this Sun would not illuminate (Sun) the past crimes (Pisces) against children (Sun) of regular working Catholics (6th house) who were victimized (Pisces) by the church. The controlled, secret and restricted (Scorpio Saturn) resources in the Vatican storehouses (2nd house) will be available to the Pisces Sun. This relationship is governed by a sesquiquadrate and Sue Tompkins says of this aspect that it will “precipitate events”. The Pope can either act or the Scorpio (secretive, powerful, transformative, sexual) Saturn (restriction, government, duty, older persons, father) will precipitate events to make these resources available.
Jorge Bergoglio
Dispensing and simplifying the regalia, choosing to live among other people in simpler surroundings, choosing to make Castel Gandolfo into a museum are all expressions of the tastes of Jorge Bergoglio. None of these indicate that Pope Francis would break with or reform the Vatican.
There seems to be an idea that Pope Francis is a reformer. His personal chart has a Taurus Uranus (reform) in the 10th house (career, public) but his drive for reform has the assistance of his Aquarian Moon and Aquarian Venus in the 7th. He needs a partner to complete his reform efforts. Allying (papal 7th house) with reformers (Uranus) fighting (Aries) for justice (7th house) would activate his personal Aquarian Venus allowing him to make reforms but this connection is not as easy as his alliance and unity with the power brokers (personal Capricorn Mercury conjunct papal Capricorn Pluto) of the Vatican. This planetary conjunction also loosely squares the Aries Uranus blocking progress and causing conflicts. Why reform something that suits you just fine?
Pope Francis personally depends heavily on relationships with others. He is the Pope but sometimes makes statements that seem to indicate he believes he is powerless. Just this month, he asked Catholics to pray to God to let more women hold positions in the church. Is he expecting an angel to stop by? How do men get into positions of leadership? This should not be impossible and require the entirety of faithful Catholics exhorting God to accomplish when you are the Pope. Start with one promotion, give a prayer thank you shout out to God if it works, and keep going until you are satisfied. Is he God’s servant or is God his? His personal 7th house placements (his Mercury, Venus and Moon) and his Mars in Libra create a need for others. Recognizing this and how individuals can use this trait to magnify their own power would allow him to reverse the dynamic and use it to influence them.
There is one avenue in the interplay between his personal and papal chart that works quickly to change the teachings of the church. If the community of the Vatican moves culturally for good or ill (papal Sagittarius on the 3rd house cusp holding his personal Sagittarius Sun, Capricorn Jupiter), he very quickly changes papal teaching (papal Gemini Jupiter in the 9th) to match the Vatican community’s conclusions and tastes. Although the first South American pope, he fits in very well in the Vatican community and is probably personally very popular. Under Pope Francis, the universality of the Catholic Church is very much defined by the tiny confines of Vatican City and its community.