Leo XIV: a new Pope in a new era

Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the Roman Catholic Church’s pontiff and Bishop of Rome on 8th May 2025.  He becomes the 267th , Pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIV.  As the world celebrates his election, there are also questions and considerations as to what this papacy promises.  As this article is being written, there is no birth time available for the new pontiff so in order to examine the astrology of the man and the moment I have used the available data to hand.  This consists of the new pope’s birth data with no birth time and combined with the exact time when he appeared on the Vatican balcony and spoke his first words as pope, “Peace be with all of you!” [i]

What I have done is constructed a bi-wheel with the time of his speech on the Vatican balcony signifying his public ascension to the papacy and placed this in the inner wheel and his birth placements on the outer wheel.  Symbolically, one could say that this could be a portrait of how the man sits in the moment and perhaps what he brings to the papacy.

Inner wheel: Pope Leo XVI speaks from Vatican balcony. Outer wheel: New Popes planetary placements

The First house of the Ascension chart has 10 Scorpio rising [ii] with the stars Zuben Elgenubi and Zuben Eschemali.  Both these stars share a common theme of social reform or social justice and they are fixed stars in the constellation of Libra of which Zuben Elgenubi is the alpha star i.e. the brightest.  The constellation is known as the Scales and in today’s iconography represents justice, the law and courts.  This placement symbolises a hands-on approach to a cause associated with dedication and to some extent service.  The other fixed star associated with the degrees rising is Alphecca which is conjunct the Ascendant of 10 Scorpio.  It is the alpha star of the constellation Coronae Borealis, noted for conveying honour and dignity.  If we synthesise the meanings of these stars we can concur that these stars are descriptive of the moment where an individual becomes the personification of the Church’s universal concerns of social justice as well as the Pope’s role as both spiritual leader of the Catholic Church and temporal head of the Vatican City state.

Next, the Pope’s natal Saturn also sits in the First house, close to the stars Zuben Elgenubi and Zuben Eschemali reinforcing both the notions of justice as well as authority embodied by Saturn.  We could say that this human, selected by his peers, embodies both spiritual and temporal authority as a reflection of the heavens. 

We have heard much of the fact that Prevost is the first pope from the United States but astrologically he is also the first pope with Pluto in Leo, from the ‘baby-boomer’ generation.  His natal Jupiter-Pluto conjunction is also in Leo and sits on the Ascension chart’s MC at 19 Leo.  It is a fascinating then to hear that the new pope has chosen ‘Leo’ as his papal name.

Turning to the Tenth house of governance, prominence and position we see the Pope’s natal planets Jupiter, Pluto, Moon (although the Moon’s sign is not definite as there is no birth time, the movement can only be six degrees either side of its noon position hence it would still fall in the Tenth of the Ascension chart), Mars and the Sun suggesting that he could be someone who will use his prominence and position to advance the causes he stands for.  His natal Jupiter conjuncts the Ascension MC and squares his natal Saturn which falls in the Ascension First house.   His natal Mars, as well as the Ascension Mars, lord of the Ascension chart’s Scorpio Ascendant both form tight aspects to the angle; his natal Mars is sextile the Ascension and the Ascension Mars squares the Ascension’s Scorpio Ascendant.

The Pope’s Sun-Venus conjunction in Virgo sits on the Nodal axis of the Ascension chart suggesting that there is a fated connection of this individual to this moment.  It also sits in opposition to the Ascension chart’s Saturn in Pisces which also conjuncts the North Node, emphasising again the sense of connection and destiny of the individual and the moment.  This also presents a challenge to the Pope to set his own agenda on a world and a congregation that is looking for both leadership and continuity.  The Nodal statement is further emphasised by the Pope’s natal Nodal axis at 21 Sagittarius-Gemini conjunct the Ascension chart’s Jupiter in Gemini.  With Jupiter in the sign of its detriment, we should expect the unusual and the unexpected from the individual who now occupies the throne of St Peter.  

The Ascension chart features a Sun-Uranus conjunction in Taurus in the Ascension chart’s Seventh house and is square to the Pope’s natal Jupiter-Pluto conjunction.  What we may see is an individual who is determined, focused and aware of his power to be a force of good, facing challenges from those who may expect him to be more of a reformer or revolutionary.   Alternatively, there will be those who may rebel when his authority or power is exercised.  This is a very interesting point as many liberal Catholics look for further reforms within the Church while at the same time the conservatives are looking for a return to a more orthodox interpretation of catholic teaching.

Pope Leo brings to the papal office global experience having spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and most recently led a powerful Vatican office for the appointment of bishops. He has wielded authority at a local level as parish pastor, diocesan official, seminary teacher, and administrator.  He was elected Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine from 2001 to 2013, and later returned to Peru as Bishop of Chiclayo.[iii] 

What can we expect from this pope?  From the astrology, we can expect a strong figure who will want to lead by example but would also want to wield authority with an emphasis on stability and theocracy.  He is seen as moderate but has had experience with authoritarian regimes and was prominent in his criticism of the crimes committed by Peruvian ex-President Alberto Fujimori, during the Era of Terrorism in Peru, as well as of political corruption. He went so far as to lately demand that Fujimori (after being arrested) should apologize to the country: “Perhaps, on your part, it would be more effective to personally apologize for some of the great injustices that were committed.” [iv] 

Natal Mercury is in Libra reflecting his tendency to speak “with caution and great deliberation”, and with “steely determination and clarity”[v] according to Vatican correspondent, Richard White.  Natal Mercury also sextiles Jupiter in Leo conjunct the MC and in the Eleventh house suggesting that when he speaks, he does so with both authority and conviction.  Both Mercury and Jupiter are in Jupiter’s terms and in the public houses of the Ascension chart again highlighting the authority and to some extent certainty that he brings to the office.

In summary, Pope Leo’s papacy symbolised by the Ascension chart suggests stability with a Fixed cross of matter, facing challenges from those who may oppose it with the Sun-Uranus in the Seventh house.  This will be met by a fairly strong if not ruthless response with the ruler of the Scorpio Ascendant, Mars in Leo in a tight square to the Ascendant and in opposition to Pluto.  It is interesting to note that the Sun and Uranus are both disposited by a debilitated Venus in Aries conjunct Neptune which opposes the Moon in Libra.  I think we may see a papacy that although it may flex an iron fist in a velvet glove has more compassion for the opposition even in enmity.  On the other side of this is the message the Pope imparted at his first mass where he said he had been elected to be a “faithful administrator” of the Church and to steer it as a “beacon” to reach areas suffering a “lack of faith”.[vi]

Let us see what Pope Leo, embodying the energy of Jupiter-Pluto and the pragmatism of the Virgo Sun brings to this papacy and what effect it has on the current geo-politics.

Mari Garcia

10 May 2025

NOTES

[i] Transcript of speech sourced at NPR. Published May 8, 2025 at 4:55 PM ET.  Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/08/nx-s1-5392318/transcript-pope-leo-xiv-speech Accessed: 9/5/25

[ii] Time for the chart is when Pope Leo XIV started to speak as the 267th pontiff as reported by Rachel Raposas. People. Updated on May 8, 2025 04:51PM EDT. “Robert Francis Prevost has addressed the world for the first time as Pope Leo XIV. The new pope, 69, stepped onto the center balcony at St. Peter's Basilica just before 7:30 p.m. local time to deliver his first address as head of the Catholic Church”.  Source: https://people.com/pope-leo-xiv-honors-pope-francis-first-speech-declares-evil-will-not-prevail-11730969#:~:text=Robert%20Francis%20Prevost%20has%20addressed//,head%20of%20the%20Catholic%20Church Accessed: 9/05/25

[iii] Pope Leo XIV. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_XIV  Accessed 9/05/25.

[iv] Ibid.

[v] White, Christopher. The first American pope? This cardinal has the best chance of making history in this conclave". National Catholic Reporter. 30 April 2025.  Source: https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/papal-front-runner-interest-polyglot-us-cardinal-prevost-rises-italian Accessed: 9/05/25.

[vi] Frances Mao. Pope Leo XIV warns against lack of faith in first mass at Vatican. BBC news. 9/05/25. Sour ce: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g3dydj3e3o Accessed: 9/05/25.