Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, is profuse in his apologies about not nailing down child abusing barrister John Smyth when his offences became known a decade ago. His “horrific” and violent abuse of more than 100 children and young men was covered up within the Church of England for decades, according to the conclusion of a damning report.
Smyth QC, who died aged 77 in Cape Town in 2018, was accused of attacking boys at his Winchester home who he had met at a Christian summer camp in Dorset during the 1970s and 1980s. Welby said Smyth had “manipulated Christian truth to justify his evil acts”. Smyth had also worked as a barrister representing morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse whilst he ran the camps for young evangelical Christians.
Welby, 6 January 1956, himself the product of a ‘messy’ childhood really should have known better. His own chart describes a ‘cruel treatment’ childhood with Saturn Mars in Scorpio square Pluto in Leo conjunct Jupiter in Virgo. He also has a vague, indecisive, spiritual Mercury opposition Uranus square Neptune (Moon) in Scorpio. He looks devastated exactly now with tr Pluto square his focal point Neptune and a shocking tr Uranus opposition his Mars also now with more eruptions and setbacks through 2025.
The Anglican Church, 3 November 1534 JC, is also at the moment facing both its Pluto Return and its Neptune Return – for which this wretched business is hardly likely to be a trigger event but it does suggest far reaching changes taking place.
Smyth, 27 June 1941, Calgary, Canada, was a Sun Cancer with a Half Grand Sextile of Mars in Pisces conjunct the South Node opposition Neptune sextile/trine Venus in Cancer and sextile/trine Saturn, Algol, Uranus in Taurus. Probably charismatic with Mars Neptune and Venus with a brutal streak from that Taurus collection. A likely Moon conjunct Pluto also would not help. Mother issues writ large with a Cancer Sun, Moon Pluto and the Black Moon hooked into Saturn, Algol, Uranus. Intriguing that the destructive segment of his chart with Algol, BML etc hooked into Welby’s Mars Saturn in Scorpio.
Across the water, the USA Roman Catholic churches abuse have paid out an estimated $4 billion in compensation to those abused by priests with 28 Catholic dioceses and three religious orders or thereabout so far filing for bankruptcy.
The Vatican chart, 7 June 1929 11 am Rome, Italy, is not showing as obvious signs as the Anglican Church for a complete renewal. But its 8th house Uranus in Aries is catching the recent October and next March’s Solar Eclipses – which would suggest financial and a psychological pressure for change. Tr Saturn Neptune in Aries is also poised to move into the Vatican 8th house of finances from 2026 for several years thereafter, to be joint soon by the SA Saturn which won’t help the money flow.
The Vatican out-of-element Grand Trine of Saturn trine Neptune trine Venus is also under stress with the outer three planets poised to change sign tugging on all three legs – tr Uranus square the Neptune, tr Neptune conjunct the Saturn and tr Pluto square the Venus in 2025. With tr Uranus conjunct the Midheaven in 2025/26 and square the SA MC also in 2025/26.
A change of direction will be on the cards, wished for or not, with financial disillusionment part of the package. Which may not all be about a bankrupt North American wing but it surely won’t help.
Religious institutions will be no less buffeted by the upcoming celestial changes than any other.
Though I am still puzzled about what it is that links religious beliefs (Neptune?) and sexual offences, especially involving children, and an underlying dislike of women.
The post Anglican Church & Vatican – unholy mess first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
