by Marilyn Muir, LPMAFA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
How to Ferret Out Chart Information
There is so much material out there relative to the life and death of Pope Francis the 1st, that I hesitated to write another repetitive article. What I developed instead was a worksheet of two pertinent events in his life to share them with interested students of astrology. I will focus on (1) his election to the papacy and (2) his recent death and burial. As I write this, we are still awaiting the convocation of the cardinals to elect his successor, which can be a lengthy process. Be advised, I am NOT going to read these charts in detail. My purpose is to show you what charts to consider and why, in what order, the inter-relationships, and what to look for and use to develop your story.
Papal Election of Francis I , connections to natal
- Pope Francis I was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on Dec 17, 1936, 9:00 AM ADT in Buenos Aries, Argentina.
- He was elected to the papacy on Mar 13, 2013, at 7:05 PM CET, Vatican City, Italy.
- The worksheet shows the election as a stand-alone event, plus has the progression of his natal chart to that event, and his event diurnal (personal transits). These four charts reveal both the public (event) and personal (progressed and diurnal).
- Know that the event chart will be quite similar, but not necessarily exact, to his personal diurnal. Why? And why use both? Diurnal charts use the birth coordinates (natal time and place) and change only the date for the event. That provides a personal chart offering that single day’s transits directly pertinent to the individual, plus a Midheaven and Ascendant (which are not usually available for ephemeris transits).
- The event chart is the non-personal impact, how it affects the overall environment.
- The diurnal Midheaven, Ascendant and full set of accompanying houses personalizes it, and makes the day specific and individual.
- Between the event and personal charts, three positions show specific differences: the Midheavens, the Ascendants, and the Moon (which travels close to a half a sign each day). Because we generate angles, we can also develop reliable house positions for those planets. The other positions are very close between the charts.
- Depending on your application for the event, you can choose which rendition serves your best purpose. If you are looking for an overall effect on everything and everybody, just use the event chart. If you are looking for the individualized or personalized effect, use the diurnal. Since the other planetary positions will be nearly identical, read the chosen chart and don’t repeat unnecessarily.
- Progressions to the natal chart reveal the developing person. You do not forever remain a newborn infant uttering its first cry (natal). Life has caused you to grow up, and it has developed or changed you. The progressions reveal the emerging you, constantly changing, sometimes for the good (as in spiritual elevation to the papacy), sometimes not so good (some of us are brats).
- To aspect, remember each natal is the most important of the chart grouping and sets the basis for all activations as they “trigger” the natal potential. Personal progressions develop, culminate, then move on to other developments. Sometimes we develop good qualities that we want to keep, and other times we must repair or undo what we learned. They are constantly moving, therefore not as permanent as the natal positions. Progressions are temporarily reliable as actuators. (Note: If you want to study your astrological maturing, progressions are where to spend your time and effort.)
- Sometimes students get confused as to what is activating and what is being activated. All moving positions activate the natal promise. The progression and the transits (think: diurnal) are the activators, and the natal is what is usually being acted upon. One important exception – transits (think: diurnal) can and do activate progressed positions as well. Color me surprised the day I learned that lesson!
- The event chart can give you more overall information, how general circumstances are factored in, and how the environment impacts or is impacted.
- We are literally using four charts to create a storyboard. Don’t be surprised if it takes you a little while to knit them together into a realistic explanation.
Election: Where do you begin to develop the storyline the charts are picturing? You have four viewing portals. That is why I use a spreadsheet when I have that much repetitive aspecting to do. Once is enough (spreadsheet provided). Do NOT attempt to read the entire chart, that is natal work. Stay selective and read what is pertinent to the question.
- Since we are looking specifically at a vocational pinnacle of achievement, the Papacy, this should be a 10th house issue. It is what we are attempting to achieve in this lifetime! Look to the cusp, its ruler, and any planets in the 10th.
- The other “work” house is the 6th, our work-a-day world, also known as the service house! Look to the house cusp, its ruler, and any planets within the house in question.
- In Pope Francis’s natal chart, his 10th house pinnacle of achievement cusp is 00 Taurus 04 (Venus-ruled at 07 Aquarius 36), with Uranus in the 10th at 05 Taurus 46 Rx.
- His 6th house working environment cusp is 17 Sagittarius 45 on the cusp, ruler Jupiter in the 6th at 03 Capricorn 32. His Sun is in the 6th at 25 Sagittarius 54 conjunct the N Node at 24 Sagittarius 17 Rx. This is a very strong service house.
- A back up to that service emphasis is that most of his natal planets are on the “others” side of his chart (houses 4 thru 9) showing that much of his energy will be spent on “others”. Even though he is the head of a religious movement, he is in service to his people.
Aspects: As far as aspects are concerned, use all major aspects, remembering that “hard” aspects can make things happen, and “soft” aspects oil the gears and can add the cheers, bells and whistles. Tight aspects are most effective. I prefer to look at ALL the possibilities and then eliminate those that I see as questionable. Stay with accuracy.
The elevation event chart (provided) starts with 04 Cancer 48 on the Midheaven and 04 Libra 06 on the Ascendant, square in cardinal (action-oriented) signs. Add Uranus at 07 Aries 37 and Mars at 01 Aries 09 (both wide) and you have a lovely T-square activating his natal Jupiter at 03 Capricorn 32. That’s all four cardinal signs in a tightly activated *grand cross”. There are other nearby cardinal placements that can be included, but stay tight for the moment. Examine those that are questionable once you have set your stage. This tight, cardinal pattern is “acute”, “impactive”, “initiating”. Does that sound like the beginning of something as important as a papacy?
You can also see the activation of the natal (the man).
You can further develop the personal side of his story by using his progression (that specific moment in his personal development) and diurnal for that event, (charts provided). Remember diurnals (transits) can activate both his natal and hi9s progressed charts.
You can see the beginning of his impact on the world stage and the huge Catholic world (over 1.2 billion people in 2013) by looking at the event chart.
Pope Francis I death chart:
- For the personal death of Pope Francis I, we use the above procedure, limiting ourselves to his natal, DOD progression and DOD diurnal. Read it similarly to the election, one cross reference at a time: the Pope’s natal chart, DOD progressions, and DOD personal diurnal, which can activate both his natal and DOD progressions. Again, your job is not to read the whole chart. Stay selective to the event. For a death chart we look to the natal Ascendant cusp (body), ruler and any planets in the 1st house, plus the death house (8th), cusp, ruler, any planets in the 8th. You can always add information that is pertinent. For Pope Francis I the specifics would be:
- Natal death house 8th: 18 AQ 15 on cusp
- Old ruler: Sat 16 Pis 30 in 8th opposed Nep18 VI 36 in 2nd
- New ruler: Uranus 05 TA 56 Rx in 10th
- Ascendant: 10 CA 01
- Chart ruler Moon: 12 AQ 33 in 7th widely conjunct Ven 7 AQ 36
We can also read the DOD Event chart which describes the impact on the world at large, the overall atmosphere of that moment. Remember the DOD Event chart and the DOD personal diurnal will be similar except for the angles and the Moon. Don’t do unnecessary repetitive aspecting; too much can be confusing.
A Freebee! Just when you thought you were done…
If you really want to stretch your research to learn, you can do a similar workup for the elevation natal, progressed to the Pope’s DOD, plus the event DOD diurnal for that date (termination of that elevation) which can be read to see how the world is impacted by the ending of this specific elevation. As I write this, the current conclave is under assembly to select the new Pope. This material is suggested to extend your learning but is not provided with this article.
Please also refer to my Predictive Astrology workbook (http://www.marilynmuir.net/books/), Chapter 6, Primary and Converse Directions, for a discussion of using directions to pinpoint events.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.