Papal resignation and star Formalhaut

Originally published on March 4th, 2013.

Author: Smiljana Gavrančić

Recently, on February 11th, 2013., the entire world was surprised by the decision of Pope Benedict XVI to resign from his position. Vatican insiders called this a precedent, due to the fact that nothing similar has happened in the last 600 years. On the other hand, Vatican was shaken up by numerous affairs lately – child abuse and pedophilia, leaking of secret documents, corruption... And some consider that one of the reason of papal resignation, even though Benedict XVI claims his advancing age and inability to fulfill his role as Pope are the reasons...

Venus in Pisces 2013.

Pope Benedict XVI oficcially abdicated on February 28th, 2013., at 8pm, in a retrograde Mercury period, in ultimate silence. It’s quite interesting that this world changing event happened only two days after Venus entered Pisces, a zodiac sign we connect to Christianity. Seen from the angle of mundane astrology, the most important thing about the moment when Venus entered the sign of Pisces (in Greenwich Mean Time because it’s important for the whole world) is the Ascendant (general circumstances) on 8º Saggitarius!

It’s hard not to remember December 21st, 2012. the day of the winter solstice and the beginning of 2013. (Sun on 0º Capricorn). Exactly that moment had a Boomerang configuration which offered a solution for the Yod configuration.

Retrograde Mercury conjunct Ascendant

Considered to be a brilliant theologian, Pope Benedict XVI managed the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a conservative institution previously known as the middle age Holy inquisition, infamous by herecy trials and burning at the stake. Free minded Catholics criticised him, pointing that since he had started managing the Congregation, there was no end to his bans... He was opposed to women having the right to become priests, preached about celibacy, condemned homosexuality, and communism. His right oriented views often created political crises...  He even stood against Turkey joining the Europian Union in 2004., calling it a gigantic mistake and a decision against history. He was also a strong supporter of the most radical Catholic organisations and movements.

According to everything, this period of Venus in Pisces 2013. could be important from the angle of mundane astrology, because exactly in this time (from February 26th to March 22nd) Pope Benedict XVI abdicated, signifying a new age for the Roman Catholic church.

The new Pope has to be elected before Easter (March 31st) according to Vatican rules, and March 19th is mentioned as a possibility. At that time, Mercury (decision) will be direct (ending the retrograde period on March 17th), but still in shadow... 

Ascendant of Benedict XVI (April 16th, 1927., 4:15am, Marktl, Germany) is very interesting. It’s on 19º Pisces, exacly the degree Mercury was on when it started its retrograde period on February 23rd...

South America

Speculation about who is going to be elected as the new Pope started right way, many names are mentioned, and many claim that it’s time for the Roman Catholic church to elect its first non-European leader, originating from the biggest religious region – South America. This continent is the home of 42% of total 1,2 billion Catholics in the world, more than any other, including Europe with 25%.

If we take a look at the chart for the moment Venus (love) in Pisces (Christianity), we can see that the first aspect of Venus in Pisces is conjuction to Neptune, exactly on February 28th, the day when Pope officially resignated. This Venus – Neptune conjuction, in the sign of Pisces, where Venus (love) is exalted, happy, and Neptune (faith) is the ruler of Pisces – is a sign of great, unconditional love, even fascination by faith... The moment couldn’t be better, because this is a perfect representation of true, silent, divine, unconditional love... In the chart of papal abdication, Venus is the ruler of Ascendant in Libra, its last aspect being a conjuction with Neptune which happened earlier that day.

“Watcher of the South”

Anyway, what’s interesting about this conjuction is its close proximity to one of the great four royal stars. This time it’s star Formalhaut from constellation Piscis Australis, also known as “Watcher” or “Guardian of the South”. The star’s position is currently on 4º Pisces, and the before mentioned Venus – Neptune conjuction will be on 3º Pisces, very close to the star, and also to the Ascendant of the moment when Sun entered Capricorn on December 21st, 2012. So, even the beginning of New year was a hint of the importance of axis Aldebaran – Antares (Watcher of the East – Watcher of the West) and also the star we call “Watcher of the South”!

As this star has the nature of Venus – Mercury – Neptune, we can be sure it’s important to this story, because it’s about faith and religion. This place in the Zodiac is very good for spiritual growth, mediums, forming a great channel between the Sky (Mind) and Earth (Body). This is also the place of salvation and protection... Kind and light words are to be expected here, because it’s a star inside the mouth (speech, words) of South Pisces constellation. As this star is known as Watcher of the South, this could be a hint that the new Pope could really be coming from the south, which helped me during this research by narrowing the list of possible candidates originating from all over the world – Europe, United States, Canada...

The chart of papal resignation is definitely a significant moment in time, and because it represents a precedent, it holds significance for a longer period of time ahead of us when it comes to Roman Catholic church.

Will the new Pope be black?

So, I’ve focused on the candidates coming from the south. One of them is a cardilan from Ghana, Peter Turskon, also a president of Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Although, many complain about his attack on the believers of Islam in a public speech, which is not what faith, Church, should be.

The second Uranus – Pluto square and South America

Since we’re living in the period of 7 historic Uranus – Pluto squares (from 2012. to 2015.) and still under the influence of the 2nd square that happened on September 19th, 2012., which awoke the second, Venus chakra which, on the level of the planet, is located in the area of South America – I came to the conclusion that this part of the world could be very important until May 21st, 2013., when the third Uranus – Pluto square will happen, awakening the third chakra we link to Sun (light). If Africa is linked to the Mars chakra which was activated with the 1st Uranus – Pluto square in 2012., I’ve concluded that in this crucial time of deciding who should be the next Pope, South America will have a better candidate in this time of the 2nd Uranus – Pluto square.

However, South America is offering two possible candidates. One comes from Brazil, and the other from Argentina, the southernmost country in the world.

Odilo Pedro Scherer comes from Brazil, and is the strongest candidate of Latin America, according to many.

Still, let’s go back to the chart of papal resignation and see what’s happening to the dispositor of the Venus – Neptune conjuction on star Formalhaut. We see that it ends up on another one of 4 royal stars, Aldebaran, Watcher of the East, and the first applying aspect will be an opposition to the Moon on 8º Saggitarius, where on December 21st, 2012. we had a Boomerang configuration which announced a possibility of resolving all tense situations, but also in a very close conjuction with another royal star, Antares (Watcher of the West) on 9º Saggitarius!

Leonardo Sandri

The candidate coming from Argentina is Leonardo Sandri. Born in Buenos Aires, with Italian roots (which could calm down Europeans, especially Rome which thinks the archbishop of Milan, Angelo Scola, should be the next Pope). Sandri’s rank in Vatican is 3rd, as chief of staff of the Secretariat of State. He’s a good diplomat, a good theological knowledge, and is politically modest, a man of principal compromise in good relations to Washington, and currently head of Congregation for the Oriental Churches, being the man in Pope’s ‘shadow’. This could lead to a conclusion that the new Pope is  coming from this country, the southernmost country in the world.

Now, let’s remember the moment when the 2nd Uranus – Pluto square happened. The square was on 6º Aries – Capricorn, and Chiron on 6º Pisces offered healing of this hard aspect with a sextile/semisextile. The 6º is analogue to the sign of  Virgo which we link to serving, so the square in mention could be a hint of events related to “serving God” in the period of the 2nd Uranus – Pluto square, somewhere in South America (Venus chakra). Argentina is a country with symbolism of Capricorn, but we know that Capricorn is – half goat, half fish, and that lower part (related to south, and spirituality) is the Pisces energy...

The southernmost country in the world

Further, if we take the look at the chart of Argentina, which can we call Watcher of the South, we find Moon on 4º Pisces, exactly on the star Formalhaut, Watcher of the South, it’s the ruler of 12th house (faith), and the axis Aldebaran – Antares is also active.

Mars, which carries within itself Uranus on the degree of exaltation (11º Scorpio) which is the representation of great liberation, true freedom – on Aldebaran in 10th house – reputation of the country, and Neptune (faith) on the Boomerang point (8º Saggitarius) which offers a way out of tense situations. According to everything, Argentina was called out on December 21st, 2012. and could really have a key role in the future of Roman Catholic church and resolve tense situations Vatican is dealing with. We can’t help but notice that Moon is on Watcher of the South – the central planet of a T-square, and therefore the most important in the chart of Argentina. As this is a spiritual star, we see that it’s disposited by Jupiter in the 9th house (religion) in the sign of its exaltation (Taurus), in an applying aspect with Pluto (deep transformation) on Achernar, also a star with a rather spiritual nature, which carries within itself exalted Uranus in Scorpio (liberation, freedom, change). Argentina could really be the most important country for the future of the Holy See, and an initiator of newer, and better events. There is definitely an opportunity for deep change.

First things first, the policy of Vatican itself could be much nicer, filled with more acceptance and love (Venus – Neptune conjuction in Pisces), exactly as words coming from such a holy place should be... Venus is exalted in Pisces, where Jupiter and Neptune rule, and this could be an announcement of the next great period when it comes to faith... 

The star Formalhaut is in the Saturn decadent, but Mercury pentade (from 0º to 5º Pisces), the last pentade before the beginning of the Age of Aquarius (2378.) which dawn we are already feeling... This pentade is ruled by Mercury, which is benefitial to spirituality, religion, because true faith requires unconditional love before anything, but also a much needed silence, which Mercury in Pisces represents... This is an opportunity to pray and believe in silence, and miraculous things will come our way...

Note: This article was originally published on March 4th, 2013. before the election of the new Pope. The only known candidate from Argentina at the time was Leonardo Sandri, which I believed will become the next Pope, but didn’t. It  turned out, however, that the new elected Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio) also comes from Argentina, which confirmed the conclusions in this article about Argentina having a crucial role in the future of Roman Catholic church and the Holy See.