Pope Benedict XVI

[Jim Eshelman]

Pope Benedict XVI was born April 16, 1927, 4:15 AM CET, Marktl, Germany. To my surprise, I don't seem to have posted his chart here before. Here it is.


The rising Jupiter is an eye-catcher! Mundanely and ecliptically, it is less than 2° from the Ascendant. What might not be so obvious is that the Mercury-Uranus conjunction (closeky squared by Mars) is also within about 5° of the horizon. (Mars, though seeming close to the IC in longitude, is actually 14° away in PV longitude: notice how it is roughly in the middle of the ecliptically-narrow Campanus 4th house.)

So his foregorund planets are especially the Jupiter and, only a little less, Mercury-Uranus (the latter squared by a middleground Mars).

His Sun is exalted in Aries, with the Moon in Virgo. Overall, in addition to the marks of royalty and dominion, the chart is very strong on intellect, scholarship, and even technology. One would have expected innovation and forward-movement from him. Interestingly, he has defined Christianity as a "religion of reason" (ironically, in an attack on secularism), and I think the church itself will regard him as a reformer.

[Jim Eshelman]

Today (February 11), the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict will resign on February 28.

His only transits today are the square of the Mercury-Mars conjunction to his Saturn. There is talk that his health is failing, and these aspects appear to be of the "unwelcome press release, etc." Ont he 28th, the Sun and Jupiter will be centering on his Saturn (a dignified reprieve and retirement) and, with less visible meaing, Mars will be exactly conjunct his Ascendant.

What's going on more deeply?

SECONDARY PROGRESSIONS: Exactly this week, progressed Moon conjoins his Saturn. This is also a trigger of a 0°00' progressed Mercury-Saturn trine (and the Moon-Saturn sesqi-squares the Sun-Pluto stradling ofr his progressed Ascendant: Pluto-Ascendant is particularly close). All of this shows a natural "coming to a conclusion," as if drawing a book to its close.

SOLAR RETURN: His current SSR could hardly be called a bad one. The main elements are his Moon exactly at the Midheaven, and his Jupiter square the Ascendant. Both are exalting, out-reaching, public. I suspect he has been feeling especially connected to the Church and the people of the world, alive within the subconscious web by which life is connected (phenomena of telepathy, empathy, etc.). - Though not foreground, t. Saturn is exactly opposite his Sun, so there probably has been a wearing on his vitality.

There are no transits to his SSR today. By the 28th, Neptune will be well within orb of the opposition to his s. Mars. - His Demi-SSR doesn't seem to add anything: It is a strongly Venus-themed chart.

SIDEREAL ANKUNAR RETURN: I don't usually find Anlunars very useful; but an SAR occurred today, so it's worth a peek. It does bring his natal Moon back to an angle like the SSR, and more widely puts the Sun-Saturn opposition in the foreground; so it is consistent with failing health.

SIDEREAL LUNAR RETURN: Right on target: t. Saturn in the immediate foreground, plus r. Sun on the EP: an executive decision to step down, and probably also an acceleration of whatever is straining his health. This (along with the progressed Moon's aspects) is the "health crisis" chart.

DEMI-SLR: In a few days, he will have a Demi-SLR that is full of dignity: t. Jupiter on the IC closely, t. Sun rising. To this, add t. Neptune on the EP, and t. Venus a bgit above the Ascendant. It touches elements of religion & spirituality, and especially elements, and princely presence. (But the Sun is exactly opposite his Neptune in the foreground, and his natal Saturn is exactly on the MC, so I think his health is failing in thiss. It's a remarkable chart to show the difference between the voice of the natal vs. transiting planets.)

NEXT SLR: Then, exactly on February 28, he has a new SLR. A Venus-Neptune conjunction sets. Also, natal Venus and Neptune are foreground. Some variety of "romantic thralldom" appropriate to his station seems to be the theme - or bittersweet feelings.

KINETIC LUNAR RETURN: His current Kinetic Lunar doesn't have much to say (r. Jupiter fore). But the Demi on February 18 has Pluto rising.

[Jim Eshelman]

Pope Benedict XVI (resigned) died early today at his retirement home in the Vatican.

Pluto had been squaring his Sun for some time. this morning, Venus (conjoining Pluto) moved within orb of square his Sun. - Neptune remains partile conjunct his Jupiter. - Both seem consistent with his been deeply attuned to his spiritual resources near the end. (His birth chart for the Vatican had Jupiter rising within a few minutes, so transiting Neptune had also been near his local Ascendant.)

Transiting Mars opposed his Saturn yesterday and remained in orb.

His final SLR had natal his natal Moon-Pluto square (0°12') closely angular, with other planets tagging into the mix including foreground aspects of transiting Mercury opposite natal Pluto (0°28') and transiting Pluto square natal Sun (0°45'). It was a Pluto chart all the way (plus the classic afflicted background Sun). - His Demi-SLR yesterday had transiting Saturn 3°11' from MC, natal Saturn 3°42' from Descendant. The one foreground aspect was transiting Mars opposite natal Saturn 0°59', a classic chart.

His tertiaries, which I am pointedly watching at the moment, what one wild aspect that we can't claim to understand yet: Transiting Eris opposed tert Sun 0°07'. The Sun, of course, moves faster than the transit but, nonetheless, the transit is the way to consider it. Other than that, the terts had nothing to offer.

The solar arcs were guaranteed to be interesting and hard to read since he died at age 95 with progressed Sun 92° ahead of natal Sun. That means everything was 2° the square to itself, but those had all crested. Sorting these out carefully, very little remaining partile:

d Mars op r Uranus 0°33' (r Eris 0°23')
d Mercury co r Mars 0°46', sq r Uranus 0°38'

[Jim Eshelman]

I just learned (and add here for the permanent record) that he died at 9:34 AM CET, soon after his Venus crossed the local IC.

Moon had just entered Aries and was not quite in orb of partile conjunction with his Sun. The Arilunar for the Vatican is quite appropriate, with a Venus-Pluto conjunction straddling Ascendant.