Despite the drift away from institutionalised religion it continues to fascinate with Robert Harris’s spellbinding Conclave about the election of a new pope now out as a movie with Ralph Fiennes starring.
Reviews are good – “A self-contained and intricate story that uses God’s representatives on Earth to show us at our most human, filled with jealousy, betrayal, forever jostling for power.”
“What Conclave suggests – is that the church is a business now and the spirituality that will draw clergy in has been usurped by the more political traps of pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust and sloth.”
Pope Francis has attempted to duck those accusations but has seemingly made few inroads into the problems that have always tainted the Vatican.
Born 17 December 1936 9pm Buenos Aires, Argentina, he has a hope-for-a-better-society Neptune opposition Saturn square his optimistic Sagittarius Sun which in turn is conjunct an upbeat Jupiter. His innovative, reforming Uranus prompting him to make a break with the past is in his 10th house.
His election chart, 13 March 2013 7.06pm Rome, has a charmingly sympathetic and hard working 6th house Sun Venus in Pisces. Though a mutinous 4th house Pluto and a disruptive, explosive Mars Uranus on the Descendant suggested the road ahead would not be smooth for internal relationships.
There are also two yods on his Election chart – one onto Jupiter inconjunct Saturn sextile Pluto which does suggest a capacity for having a positive influence out in the society; the other onto Saturn inconjunct Uranus sextile Jupiter which hints at the need for a strong backbone.
Tr Neptune Saturn moving into Aries from just before mid year in 2025 will be undermining and problematic for his time as Pope.
His views on astrology stick close to the internal rule book, despite the Vatican itself being replete with astrological artefacts from days gone by when all Popes had their own astrologer. All forms of divination are to be rejected. With that torturous double think so beloved of those of fixed beliefs he suggests consulting a horoscope will cause you to sink whereas a strong faith in Jesus will allow you to walk on water like St Peter.
“Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers.”
Tertullian reminds us, “Nothing of God costs money.” Astrologers charge fees so are inherently immoral.
One Catholic website writes: “Imagine the kind of wishy-washy deity in which astrologists and their fans believe.”
Trying to unravel the above – starting at the end – “Nothing of God costs money.” Surely a bad joke given the churches rapacious appetite for such. Ditto the Vatican’s power hungry reach. One reason the priest classes so disliked astrology was that it took power away from them.
Walking on water is a weirder supernatural belief than anything put forward by astrology.
Since on their theory God created the universe what is wrong with the notion that he is OK with David Attenborough studying nature and astrologers studying the parallels between planetary movements and events on earth?
The Roman emperors used bread and circuses to placate the peasant/plebeian classes. Religious leaders use other inducements to subdue their congregations into submission and leave the entitled priest cohort in charge.
As a footnote:
Novelist Robert Harris, 7 March 1957, is also like the Pope a Sun, Venus in Pisces; with an inventive, inspired Uranus square Neptune. His Mars (Moon) South Node in Taurus square Pluto will draw him to explore the darker side of humanity across a range of novels focused on the Second World War and then Ancient Rome.
The post Conclave – money and power jostle for supremacy first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
