Power Animals
The Pope And Social Revolution
by Nancy Bahlman

The Sun Sign of Taurus is known to be loyal, committed, persevering, steadfast and, yes, sometimes stubborn. This is the sign under which Karol Wojtyla was born on May 18th, 1920, at 5:30 pm in Wadowice, Poland. What other sign could sustain a career the height of which began at 58-years-old and lasted another 26 years. And what other personality could remain as devout and true to his faith through the loss of his mother at 9, his beloved older brother at 12 and his father at 21 and living through World War II in Poland. And who else could stay at his duties in spite of debilitating illness for the past 10 years.

The planet Saturn represents the father in one’s chart and figures very prominently in the Pope’s. His father was a retired Army officer who became a tailor. After his mother died, his father was devoted to his care and upbringing. This is the highest of expression of Saturn – loving discipline. His father was a devout Catholic and taught him to pray and read scripture. What better training for one who would be the Holy Father of millions of Catholics as well as a spiritual symbol for the world.

Saturn’s cycle is the cycle of Karma. It travels around the 12 signs of the Zodiac in 29 years. The Pope’s age of almost 85 years when he died comprised almost three Saturn cycles. The first 29 years of life are the preparation to begin maturity. The second 29 years are the years of accumulation and career building. For most people the years beyond 58 are the years to develop spirituality and creativity because there is more time available (we hope). John Paul II began his Papacy when most people are winding down their careers and was one of the longest reigning popes in history. Saturn also figured prominently in his chart when he was elected as well as when he died.

According to the time given for his birth the Pope had Libra as his rising sign. Libra likes to contact others face to face. And no other Pope logged as many miles as John Paul II to meet as many of the faithful as possible. Another Libra function is to connect people with one another. Throughout his 26-year papacy he tried to re-establish broken ties between various religions and peoples. He loved being right in the crowd, shaking hands and hugging babies.

The Pope was known as being very charismatic. His Sun in Taurus and Libra ascendant are both ruled by Venus – double charming. He also has a planetary combination which delivers his words very favorably – Mercury (communication) conjunct Venus (likeable.) These two planets also straddle the South Node in Taurus, meaning that he brought this ability into this lifetime as experience from a previous one.

Venus in Taurus alone can confer a beautiful voice because Taurus rules the throat in the physical body. Many singers have Venus in Taurus. After the Pope’s father died and he was working in a factory, someone heard him singing and told him he should become a priest. Then his life would be set. His father wanted him to be a priest and he knew he had a “calling” to the priesthood. He had started school which was interrupted when the Nazis closed the university. The combination of Mercury, South Node and Venus in his partnership house also brought helpful people who would hide him in their seminary during the Nazi occupation and continue his education “underground” during the war.

When he was born his mother said that he would be a great man some day. The Moon in one’s chart represents the mother. His Moon was in the sign of Gemini, the sign of writing, speaking, teaching, communication and sales. His mother was a school teacher. She would have stressed communication, reading and learning. As Pope he was a prolific writer and spoke eight languages. As a young student he took drama and performed in plays. This is expressed by his Sun in Scorpio’s house (expressing through a role) and two planets in Leo (performing.)

Before I was given a birth time for him, 5:30 pm, I thought that the correct time might be 6:30 pm because it would give him Scorpio as his ascendant. I could see the Scorpionic intensity in his eyes. Even with the Libra ascendant, most of his first house (personal projection to the public) is the sign of Scorpio. It also contains the North Node in Scorpio which is his destiny path in this lifetime. The sign of Scorpio rules passion, motivation and commitment.

When a person has the North Node in Scorpio, the most important thing to happen in their lives is to find out what motivates them. Then they will put all of their time, talent and resources behind that pursuit. There are three levels of Scorpio – the criminal who is committed to control of money and people in the basest functions, the average person’s commitment to their activities, relationships and spiritual growth and the risen Phoenix – the highest spiritual expression of commitment. This was the Pope’s aspiration.

On a separate note: The Pope’s North Node conjuncts the midpoint between Prince Charles’ Sun and Mercury. His death pre-empted the wedding which was postponed a day.

There is the potential for greatness when a person has the planets beyond Mars in the zodiac elevated in their chart (houses 9, 10 and 11.) The Pope had four of the five outer planets in these houses. Pluto was in the 9th house indicating his ability to facilitate change in foreign lands. He is the most traveled Pope in history and is seen as being instrumental in the fall of the Iron Curtain in Europe. The power to teach, motivate and transform others is strong in the 9th house. He was seen by more people than Billy Graham.

He has the conjunction of Jupiter (teacher/judge/ruler) and Neptune (priest/spiritual leader) in Leo, the sign of leadership and royalty, in his 10th house of career. From his ordination in 1946 when Pluto conjuncted his Leo planets, he began a steady rise through the hierarchy from Bishop to Cardinal to Pope. His Saturn is at the cusp of the 10th house (career) and the 11th house, the career environment and group of people with whom you work. Saturn is the teacher, taskmaster, manager and disciplinarian. In the sign of Virgo, Saturn goes by the rules, is orderly, takes care of everyday business, has a step-by-step routine and is very organized. The Pope began every day with up to three hours of prayer.

Mars in his chart was in the sign of Libra. He put his energy into connecting with the outside world and helping to make connections between people, religions and societies. He did not stay isolated in the Vatican as many other Popes had done in the past. His Mars was in the 12th house which is the house belonging to the sign of Pisces. So his mission was to connect with other through caring, service, spirituality and love. Any time he visited another country he would kneel on the ground and kiss the earth, a symbol of brining the Church to the faithful. Even when he was too ill to kneel, he would have some earth brought to him. What a humble but powerful gesture!

The day he died the South Node was transiting his Mars. This is an indication that his Karma was complete. Although his physicians wanted him to go to the hospital, he refused and asked to stay at home. He must have been very much in touch that his end was near. His Mars was conjucted by Pluto (a violence aspect) on the day of the assassination attempt in 1981.

The only outer planet which is not in the career area of his chart is Uranus. It is in the 5th house which is the house of talents and abilities. In the sign of Pisces it reiterates the theme of service, sensitivity, dedication and religion. However, Uranus indicates a rebel or someone who is non-traditional. His Uranus in Pisces opposes Saturn in Virgo in his chart. This can be political maneuvering. Most of the current Cardinals who will be voting on the new Pope were appointed by him. So some of his legacy is expected to continue into the next Papacy.

The opposition of Uranus to Saturn also sets up a T-square (stress aspect) with the Moon in Gemini. This describes his drive to travel, write, meet people and “break the mold.” He canonized more saints during his tenure than all other popes put together. This setup, though, also describes the push/pull effect of innovation vs. tradition. I suspect that he gave his father a few headaches. This T-square can also indicate the sudden loss of his mother, brother and father.

The year in which Karol Wojtyla was born was a year of social revolution. In the United Status Congress passed a law allowing women to vote for the first time in history. Astrologically that year, Uranus (planet of revolution) entered the sign of Pisces (service, sensitivity.) The cycle of Uranus into each sign is 84 years. Since the Pope died at 84 years old, his death occurred while Uranus is in Pisces for the first time since he was very young.

Look at the progress which has been made in 84 years from the time when women could not only not vote but could not own property or inherit the family’s wealth to a time when a woman can be a Governor, Senator, Chief of Police, one of the richest people in the world from her own career (Oprah Winfrey) and possibly a future President of the Unites States. The issue of women’s place in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church is one which John Paul II left to his successor. In typical Taurus fashion, when the subject of women becoming priests was brought up, he ignored it.

It is likely that since he lost his mother very early in life and he was surrounded by his father and male friends, students, seminarians and priests that he might not be as in touch with women’s needs. He had female friends as a student and in the ecumenical arena. His Moon in Gemini is intellectual and social, but in Scorpio’s house it could be emotionally apart.

The Pope’s steadfast faith and teaching that every life only needs to be dedicated to Christ to make it work sounds simple. But does this mean that only heterosexuals who are dedicated to Christ count? Most gays and lesbians will tell you that they did not choose their sexuality any more than heterosexuals do. They just became aware of it at some point in their lives. So can an entire percentage of the population be left out of being embraced by the Catholic church and our world’s future? Having a loving, spiritual and dedicated Holy Father is very comforting and makes you feel very secure. John Paul II was so loved that there has never been a crowd at the Vatican like the one gathered when he died and during his viewing. But when you are outside the inner circle of the family, it can be very isolating and feel insecure.

This is just one of the intense social issues facing the world which did not even exist at the time he was born and for most of his life. AIDS was not even identified until 1983. How do you balance the attitude of never using birth control with millions of people dying when contraceptives could at least help in slowing down the death rate as well as the birth rate.

And since the cycle of Uranus in Pisces seems very tied with the rights of women, this is another of the pressing issues within the Church and its future. Since women have risen in education, freedom, independence and earning power in other segments of society, when will the Church address their being promoted into higher status within its hierarchy.

The current cycle of Uranus in Pisces began in March of 2003 and spans seven years. The new Pope still has five of these years to address the innovative energy of Uranus in the sign of the fishes, which is the symbol of Catholicism. Who knows what we will see in 2087 – the next cycle of Uranus in Pisces. Historically John Paul II will be remembered as one of the most important people in the 20th Century.

Nancy Bahlman is a professional astrologer with special interests in relating persons to locations using Astro*Cartography and Local Space Charts. Classes now forming. (248) 546-5407, email: ChartMates@aol.com.