Eclipses represent major astrological events which have the potential to shift situations in our individual and collective lives. In my book “The Cosmic Journey: Astrology beyond the Self” I dedicated a whole chapter to pre-natal eclipses, explaining how further studies on them could uncover precious wisdom for the future generations.
During the last week of 2022 an unusual number of notorious people have passed. This was probably not a coincidence, since we have just had another activation of 20 to 24 degrees of Capricorn, the very seat of the 2020 crisis. Somehow, this late part of Capricorn still relates to the “outgoing” guard, it is an epicenter of the “old world”. In fact, for the next 3 to 4 decades, the early 20s of Capricorn will be seen as the origin of the current Saturn-Pluto cycle. This synod rules some of the deepest harmonics in our collective life. In late Capricorn, we can still get a glimpse of what the world used to be, versus what it promises to become.
These early days of 2023 have been marked by those moving images which came from the Neptunian enclave of Vatican City. The passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI comes with an unusual flavor. Both controversy and compassion were raised by the reemergence of his deeply Piscean image (as suggested by his very interesting natal chart). As the former representative of a Roman Church which has been plagued by widespread scandal, his passing may be quite symbolic. In fact, as I have written over the last couple of years, the Vatican is reaching a major, perhaps truly historical turning point. Saturn’s upcoming arrival in Pisces may precipitate further developments related to the Roman Church, not excluding some new reformation.
During these hours of deep reflection and hopefully respect, because anybody’s death brings our consciousness closer to the mysterious and silent realm of the 8th House, I would like to conclude this post by making an important astrological consideration.
It has been noted in the past that in 2004/05, before John Paul II passed away, the Vatican chart’s Venus (Jun 7th 1929, 11 am) had been eclipsed several times. 18 years have passed, and we see the same image in the news: an old man dressed in Papal robes lying in state in front of Bernini’s altar, within the magnificent St Peter’s Basilica. Two months ago, in my article Solar Eclipse in Scorpio, I dedicated a paragraph to the Papal State. The latest Solar Eclipse of October 2022 fell at 2 Scorpio, in close opposition to the Vatican’s Venus and surprisingly angular over Rome. We may wonder if more developments are around the corner, considering the important transits affecting both Francis and the Vatican.