Saint Francis of Assisi in astrology. Astrological and astrogeographical analyses of
important places in the life of the saint.
Related articles: Libra and Leo – The Sanctuary of Fátima, The magic Spring of Lourdes, The Temple Mount at Jerusalem in Astrology, The Birth Place of Jesus in Pisces and Sagittarius, Zur Astrogeographie des Vatikans, A temple of light and ignition in a field of angels: Santuario de Chimayo
Saint Francis of Assisi in astrology
Francis of Assisi was one of the most famous and influential catholic mystics, saints, monks, preachers and spiritual teachers. His birth date is not clear and his natal chart traditionally subject to speculations.
The birth chart as reconstructed by Noel Tyl as presented on the astrodienst page is an example for that. St. Francis died on October 3. 1226 in the Porziuncola Chapel today located inside the large Papal Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli near Assissi. The Sun was conjunct Venus in Libra on that day – and the saint`s feast is therefore celebrated with the Sun in Libra since that day. Libra has also been traditionally assigned to Saint Francis as the Sun position in his birth chart – and the assumption of an ascendant in Sagittarius (shamanism, intensity of experience of stigmatism, healing and preaching), Libra (openness, angels, service), Aquarius (nudity, purification, self-liberation) and Pisces (spirituality, patience, compassion).
The Sun position at 10° in service orientated air sign Libra and an ascendant in the very center (15°) of spiritual water sign Pisces are important explanations of the personality of Saint Francis. The Moon-Uranus conjunction together with Jupiter in Taurus in house 2 work as an explanation for his aim and talent to found a church and congregation of his own fundamental (Uranus in house 2) approach to practical spirituality. The choice of a date with a Jupiter – Saturn square provides Noel Tyl`s interesting critical comment on the superficial tradition of the ornamentalism of the natal charts of assumed master teachers and gurus with Jupiter-Saturn conjunctions.
I`m personally not convinced that the position of Pluto in house 4 assumed in this chart calculation allows the pure character that I see in Saint Francis and one that would want to allow and endure the fullest of potentials of humans for himself or others.
The Church of Saint Francis in Assisi
The Church San Francesco in Assisi was built for the grave of Saint Francis. The place was a former execution site and is situated on a mountain slope. It was chosen by Saint Francis himself for his grave because he wanted to be buried just like Jesus: outside of town on a place of torture and execution. Construction of the basilica was begun in 1228. It was built into the side of a hill above the city and comprises two churches known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church. The remains of the saint are interred in a crypt below the basilica.
Astrogeographic position of the Church of Saint Francis for morphogenetic field level 3 which describes the atmosphere and energetical topics of the site of the church and monastery and how it is embedded in the land: The Church and monastery with the tomb are located in the combination of earth sign Virgo sign of reason, health, celibacy, monkhood, yoga culture, self-protection, conservation and mummification with service-orientated air sign Libra, the sign of the angels with the topic of being focused on relationship. Like no other sign Libra could make clearer the religious statement and Saint Francis` general attitude of openness: “to me everyone is welcome”. Libra represents the sign of openness, doors, the sensual organs, harmony, balance, beauty, justice, decoration, relationship, marriage, naive painting and the ideal of a higher and aristocratic culture.
As the sign of the angels Libra is a strong indication here for the religious purpose of the sense for a positive humanitarian thought, the idea of positive communism and the search for peace. The idea of selecting an execution site as a burial place for to find one`s peace in eternity indicates the motif of feeling at home with all the emotions of suffering, pain and injustice stored in the place.
The Porziuncola Chapel in astrogeography
Porziuncola (small piece of land) is the name for the small chapel Santa Maria degli Angeli about 3 km from Assisi. It was right next to the Porziuncola where Saint Francis founded his first monastery himself staying at a small hut right next to the church. On Palm Sunday 1211 St. Francis received Saint Clare of Assisi here and dedicated her to the Lord.
According to a legend the little chapel of Porziuncola was erected under Pope Liberius (352-366) by hermits from the Valley of Josaphat, who had brought relics from the grave of the Blessed Virgin. The Porziuncola was referred to as “Our Lady of the Valley of Josaphat” or “….of the Angels” – the latter title referring to the singing of angels which had been frequently heard at the chapel.
Astrogeographic position of the Porziuncola Chapel for morphogenetic field level 4 which describes the atmosphere and energetical topics of the small chapel itself: The Porziuncola has one coordinate exactly on the divide between highly alert defensive water sign Scorpio the sign of sculpting, imaging, photography and dynamic fire sign Sagittarius the sign of philosophy, thinking, shamanism, initiation, playgrounds, fire sacrifice and the healing and cleansing fires. The 2nd coordinate of the chapel lies in Sagittarius too. Sagittarius further emphasizes the topic of a local healing center for the treatment of the poor for which Saint Francis used the place.
For other temples located in Sagittarius compare: The Birth Place of Jesus in Pisces and Sagittarius. Massabielle Cave & Our Lady of Lourdes, Basilica St. Peter in Rome
Between 1569 and 1679 the large Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi was built above the small Porziuncola chapel.
The site of the chapel is directly under the dome making the chapel the main altar and center of the larger church building. The round shape of the dome is highly typical element of architectural design in Sagittarius.
ph: Radomil, GNU/FDL
Astrogeographic position of the Papal Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli for morphogenetic field level 3 which describes the atmosphere and energetical topics of the Basilica and how it is embedded in the land: the area has one coordinate in highly energetic, magnetic fire sign Leo sign of the sun and light. The second coordinate lies in solid. fixed water sign Scorpio the sign of sculpting, imaging, dogma, giants and indicator for the fortress character and the standard design (uniform) of the large church building.
La Verna Sanctuary – the site of the exploration of the stigmata
La Verna is a Franciscan sanctuary and pilgrimage site on Mount Penna, an isolated mountain of 1,283 m in the Tuscan Apennin. The La Verna retreat was a present to Saint Francis by the Count Orlando of Chiusi della Verna on 8 May 1213.
Astrogeographic position of the La Verna sanctuary for morphogenetic field level 3 which describes the atmosphere and energetical topics of the site and how it is embedded in the land: one coordinate lies in highly energetical fire sign Leo sign of the sun, light, self-centeredness, emotional self-expression with water sign Cancer sign of the moon, motherhood, fertility, the uterus, emotional individuality, feeling at home. The combination of the signs of the Sun and the Moon reflects the topics of the strongest physical astrological factors.
Following the topics of the place as given in the astrogeographical position in Cancer with Leo the stigmata represented in one way or another a – sublime or not – materialization of unexpressed personal emotionality, sexuality and fertility. A fascinating analogy for this aspect of the phenomenon are the Lactating mermaids of Neptune Fountain in Bologna located in the same constellation (Leo with Cancer).
There are of course more aspects to the materialization of the stigmata as the personal emotional level of experience not only because the stigmata have become an inheritance of mystical experience and deeper initiation in christian religion.
Saint Francis first received the stigmata during his meditations at the La Verna retreat during a fourty days fast on the morning of September 14, 1224. In Saint Francis` individual biograhy the moment of the reception of the stigmata came very late in his life at a moment when he is said to have been frustrated about the changes in the Order of Friars Minor – which was part of the wish of some monks for a more comfortable lifestyle.
” ……a six-winged angel allegedly appeared to Francis while he prayed. As the angel approached, Francis could see that the angel was crucified. He was humbled by the sight, and his heart was filled with elation joined by pain and suffering. When the angel departed, Francis was purportedly left with wounds in his hands, feet, and side as if caused by the same lance that pierced Christ’s side. The image of nails immediately appeared in his hands and feet, and the wound in his side often seeped blood.” (from the wiki article)
Saint Francis was the first catholic saint who received the stigmata. There are basically two dates discussed for that event: 14 or 17 September 1224. Astrologically there are several differences between the 2 dates.
The conjunction of Mars with Jupiter an aspect of intense activity on the material plane on 17 September saw Jupiter right on the divide between the signs of the mental sphere Scorpio the sign of trauma, projections and visualization and the underworld and Sagittarius the sign of the cleansing fires and earthly hell. Jupiter on that degree is a plausible aspect for an alchemical metamorphosis and the urge to manifest mental projections.
Jupiter`s position fell in exact square to Venus the planetary indicator for the physical body on 2°Virgo a degree known for habitual self-limitations in the sign of self-healing, self-protection, yoga and monk culture and the skin as the natural limitation of the physical body.
At the same time the Moon-Uranus conjunction the movable aspect of disgust with the physical body, effects from rape, abuse and castration, the craving for purification and strong relationship to obsessive-compulsive disorder marked the deeper emotional drives and wounds behind the desire to overcome the boundaries of human experience and self-identification.
The Lazar House at Rivotorto
Astrogeographic position of the old lazar house for morphogenetic field level 4 which describes the atmosphere and energetical topics of the house itself: the lazar house is located in the combination of self-protective earth sign Virgo the sign of health, herbal medicine, hospitals, medical treatment, doctors together with earth sign Taurus sign of the earth, grounding, growing roots and local energetical centers.
Saint Clare of Assisi
Saint Clare of Assisi was supposedly born on 16 July 1194. She became one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi when she left her home on 20 March 1212. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, a monastic religious order for women in the Franciscan tradition
The Moon – Uranus conjunction in Saint Claire´s natal chart is remarkable as this particular constellation of rebellion, self-liberation and resistance against forced sexuality was assumed to have been present in the chart of Saint Francis too.
Saint Clare was initiated into monkhood during the full moon night between 18 and 19 March 1212 by Saint Francis. Her hair was cut, and she exchanged her rich gown for a plain robe and veil.
The initiation was held shortly after Jupiters ingress into fire sign Sagittarius the sign of shamanism, fire sacrifice, initiation, healing, preaching and the priest castes bringing him in a stimulating trine aspect to Venus and the Sun. At the same time Jupiter was conjunct the North Node as the indicator for the aim of what was done. As the North Node had already regressed into Scorpio touching the degrees of highest wealth its position stood for the foundation of something stable, large and monumental. What followed was the foundation of the Order of Saint Clare or 2nd Order of Saint Francis which made the Franciscan congregation one of the most important in the catholic church until today.
San Damiano
The small ruined church of San Damiano outside of Assisi was an important place in the spiritual awakening of Saint Francis. During a meditation it happened that with the ears of his body he heard a voice descend to him from the cross and say three times: “Francis, go and repair my church which, as you see, is all in ruins!”
Saint Francis repaired the church which became a home to him and later housed the Order of the Saint Clare.
Astrogeographic position of the old church of San Damiano for morphogenetic field level 4 which describes the atmosphere and energetical topics of the house itself: the small church building is located right on the divide between solid earth sign Capricorn the sign of the cross and air sign Aquarius the sign of the sky, heaven, paradise and self-finding. The 2nd coordinate is in emotional water sign Cancer the sign of emotional independence, identity, fertility and coming home. The combination of Cancer with Capricorn is probably the most important and central sign constellation for the astrology of monasteries.
Important events in the life of Saint Francis
The foundation of the Order of Friars Minor
The first Franciscan monk congregation was the Order of Friars Minor founded on 24 February 1209 in the Portiuncula church in Assisi.
The opposition of the Sun on the degrees of purification, depression and letting go in spiritual sign Pisces with Uranus on the firs degrees of Virgo the sign of monkhood, celibacy, health, medical treatment and yoga culture may be understood as a trait of the contradiction between these two major issues at the basis of the foundation of the order.
The canonization of Saint Francis
For the canonization of Francis of Assisi on 16 July of 1228 (jul.) less than 2 years after his passing away a date was chosen that fell on the supposed birthday of Saint Clare. Astrologically this date is really interesting as it delivers solid, reliable information on the saints astrological topics in the form of his relationship to the catholic church..
The chart shows a T-square between the Venus-Mercury (profitability plus cleverness) on the royal degrees in Leo opposite Saturn on the crown chakra degree of Aquarius the sign of spiritual seekers and Uranus (inspiration) on the highest degree of Scorpio the sign of the robber and pirate castes. The full extent of the ambiguity of the relationship of the Saint with the profiteers from the papal institutions in Rome can be seen from this chart.
The North Node at 16°Capricorn saw the stabilization of the establishment as the central aim of the canonization of Saint Francis.
