Ever since Pope Francis has held the Papacy (position of Pontiff) in March 2013 he has remain less formal than that of his immediate predecessors. He has been more concern for reaching out to the poor and have himself lived his life with great austerity. Pope Francis has chosen not to live in the official Papal resident, which is a big palace, but to remain in the Vatican guest house so that he can easily receive the visitors. This has made him easily accessible to the common people. He has repeatedly urged the world leaders to fight social inequality and increasing poverty caused by neoliberalism. Pope Francis is having an interesting role in the international diplomacy. In year 2014-15 he played a key role in restoring diplomatic relations between USA and Cuba. In May 2014 his visit to the state of Israel was heavily publicized. In February 2019 recently he visited Abu Dhabi, in UAE, on the invitation of Mohammad Bin Zayed the crown prince of Emirate. Pope Francis is the first Pope ever to visit any Arabian country. He hold a Papal mass with more than 1.2 Lakh (more than one million) attendees in Zayed sports stadium there.

{Note- This article of mine was written in 2019 and was published in the July 2020 issue of Express Star Teller Magazine. The same has been reproduce here for the readers of this blog}

Horoscope of Pope Francis

17 December 1936, 21:00 hours at Buenos Aires, Argentina

Longitude: 58 W 40’ and Latitude: 34 S 35’

Day Time Saving: 01:00 hours.

Source: https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Pope_Francis_I.

Balance of Dasha in Vimshottari: Moon 2 years 9 months 28 days

The Gemini (Mithuna) lagna horoscope of Pope Francis is cast on the basis of his birth details given at his birth certificate (Reference link : https://www.astro.com/astro-databank/Pope_Francis_I. )  Pope Francis was born as Jorge Mario Bergogilo in Buenos Aires the capital of Argentina in a middle class family. He was eldest among 5 children which is astrologically clear as his 11^th lord is in own Nakshatra. The 11^th house lord or 3^rd house lord in own Nakshatra can make a native eldest or youngest among siblings or brother/sisters. The Rahu in the 3^rd or 11^th house also does the same. {Refer to my article- Drekkana chart and astrological combinations for brothers-sisters}

In case of Pope Francis the 11^th lord Mars is in own Nakshatra Chitra making him the eldest among co-born. A strong 9^th lord Saturn in own house shows a religious career. The 7^th lord Jupiter is combust by Sun and is under double affliction from malefic planets. An afflicted  7^th lord shows his lack of interest in materialist matters since early years of his life.

Early education and health problems

Now notice the Moon which is in the 8^th house of ‘Sadhana’ along with 5^th lord Venus which made him study religious texts. The conjunction of Moon-Venus is also a combination for the study of chemistry. He graduated from secondary school as chemistry technician. It was the maha dasha of Rahu (from 1946 to 1964) that made him study technical subject initially. In year 1957 at the age of 21 he suffered from a life threatening phenomena when dasha of Rahu-Ketu in Vimshottari was in operation. See the affliction on the lagna lord Mercury which is in Rahu-Ketu axis and under the aspect of Mars from the 4^th house of lungs. Moon the karaka for lungs is in the 8^th house. In Navamsha the Rahu-Ketu covers the 2/8 axis which has to give him a dangerous disease during their dasha. The Chara dasha was of Pisces which get the aspects of Atamakaraka Mars, Darakaraka Sun, Ganatikaraka Jupiter and Rahu. But the aspects of Mercury and Jupiter, which are natural benefic planets,  on this Rashi dasha saved his life. A part of his lung was removed. Thus he is practically living with one functional lung since then.

Joining the Jesuit to become Priest 

In 1958 Bergogilo entered the Society of Jesus during the Rahu-Ketu dasha in Vimshottari in the month of March. For next 3 years during his Rahu-Venus dasha from May 1958 to May 1961 he studied humanities and philosophy. See the lordship of Venus here which is the 5^th lord. He also said that “as a young seminarian, he had a crush on a girl he met and briefly doubted about continuing a religious career”. Astrologically one can easily understand this important event in the life of Bergogilo, who is now Pope Francis, as he was then under the Rahu-Venus dasha in Vimshottari which is well known to bring an intense attraction towards opposite sex. However since Bergogilo having a strong Saturn in the 9^th house was destined for a great religious career so he has to march towards the path of divinity.

Ordained to the Priesthood

The maha dasha of Jupiter started in 1964 which gave him intense religious studies.  In 1967 he finished his theological studies and was ordained to the priesthood on 13 December 1969 during Jupiter-Mercury dasha in Vimshottari. Jupiter, the planet of Dharma, is with Sun making a ‘Raja Lakshan Yoga’. In Chandra Kundali Jupiter is the lord of 12^th house in own Rashi with 9^th lord Mercury in a great yoga for religious career. In Navamsha Jupiter as the lord of Navamsha is giving aspect to the 9^th house from its sign of exaltation. Notice here the 4 planets aspect to the 9^th house of Navamsha chart which make it extraordinary strong. In Dashamsha Jupiter as the 5^th lord is in own house along with 9^th lord Moon in mutual aspect with Saturn showing a religious career. See the strong 9^th house in Dashamsha again here an exalted Mars, Venus and Jupiter all give aspect to the 9^th house. In Vimshamsha chart, which is important for spiritual or religious life, Jupiter is in the 9^th house along with Saturn the Karaka for Vairagya.

Progress in religious career during Saturn maha dasha

The maha dasha of 9^th lord Saturn ( 1980 to 1999) in own house in birth chart gave him immense progress in his religious career and his work for the welfare of poor was highly appreciated in Argentina. He became Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos  Aires  on 27 June 1992 during his Saturn-Moon dasha in Vimshottari. The transiting Saturn was in Makar Rashi over his natal Moon so it was a ‘Sadhe-Sati’ in 1992 for Bergogilo giving him a new responsibility. Moon is with the 5^th lord in Rashi chart and in Dashamsha chart both. Any planet in association with 5^th and/or 9^th lord can give Raja Yoga as per Bhriat Parashra Hora Shastra. In Vimshamsha Moon is the lord of lagna and is exalted in the 11^th house of gains.

On 21^st of February 2001 he became cardinal when he was pasting by Mercury-Mercury in Vimshottari.

Elected as Pope

It was in Mercury-Jupiter in Vimshottari on 13 March 2013 when cardinal Bergogilo was elected as a Pope. He chooses Francis as his papal name in the honour of Saint Francis of Assisi. Throughout his public life Pope Francis has been noted for his humility and concern for poor. A strong Jupiter in own Rashi and in exalted in Navamsha explains his humanitarian approach. An unafflicted  Saturn in Rashi and Navamsha gives him concern for the poor.

Sadhe-Sati of Pope Francis

The Pope Francis is now under his fourth ‘Sadhe-Sati’ of his life. Saturn is transiting in the Sagittarius at present which is the 12^th house of his natal Moon in Capricorn Rashi. On the 25^th of December Saturn will ingress into Capricorn. In the next 2.5 years Saturn would then  be transiting over his natal Moon and in Vimshottari he is passing through the maha dasha of malefic Ketu (October 2016 to October 2023) which is clearly showing some concern for his health at serious level. The maha dasha of Ketu is the 7^th dasha of his life which for a ‘Poorna Aayu’ Kundali can become Maraka (fatal for life).

In Jaimini Chara dasha it is the period of Gemini from December 2019 to December 2025. Gemini sign having Ketu is getting the Jaimini aspects of Mars (Atamakaraka), Rahu , Jupiter (Ganatikaraka), Sun (Darakaraka) and Mercury (Matrikaraka). Except Mercury and to some extent Jupiter all these planets giving aspect to Dasha Rashi Gemini are very sensitive for his health. Ganatikaraka is disease giving planet while Darakaraka can be fatal for life when other Maraka Dashas are running.

In transit the Rahu-Ketu axis are at their natal position in the horoscope of Pope Francis. A Lunar and then a Solar Eclipse will fall over his lagna and 7^th houses in the months of June-July next year which can give him bad health. Ketu-Rahu dasha in Vimshottari would be running from September 2019 to October 2020. This can give some kind of infection which could be related with lungs also considering his weak 4^th house and natal Moon in the 8^th house. The subsequent dasha of Ketu-Jupiter (October 2020 to September 2021) is also not very favourable for the health of Pope Francis. He may have to retire due to serious health issues during 2020-2022. The Ketu-Rahu period in 2020 and Ketu-Jupiter in year 2021 will aggravate his health problems and can end his religious career. Pope Francis will be remember as a great progressive reformer of catholic church for a long time.

The conjunction of Sun-Mercury gives ‘Budha Aditya yoga’ or ‘Nipuna Yoga’ which is very common as Mercury remains close to Sun most of the time. But for this yoga to fructify Mercury must be very strong being placed in its own sign or in its own Navamsha. The horoscope of Dalai Lama is a classical example of a wonderful ‘Budha Aditya Yoga’ and ‘Sanyasa Yoga’. In the Gemini lagna horoscope of Dalai Lama Sun and Mercury are strongly placed in the Janma lagna under the benefic aspect of Jupiter from the 5th house. The Mercury is the lord of lagna and Sun is the ‘Chandra Rashi Pati’ i.e. Moon sign lord making a beautiful ‘Sanyasa Yoga’. I have discuss this yoga for spirituality in my article posted in this blog last year with title ‘Astrological Yogas For Spirituality’.  The lord of Janma lagna and Chandra lagna if get connected by P.A.C. (position, aspect or conjunction) then they give a person high level of awareness provided some other spiritual combinations are present in a horoscope.

Dalai Lama’s horoscope has great yogas for spirituality beside the above mention ‘Sanyasa Yoga’. The Dalai Lama’s are believed by Tibetan Buddhist  to be the manifestation of ‘Bodhisattva’ of compassion and the patron saint of Tibet. The Tibetan people have faith in the philosophy of reincarnation and they believe that Dalai Lama’s are realized beings who take rebirths in the world to spread the message of peace and help spiritual seekers to attain enlightenment.

In the horoscope of Dalai Lama the strong connection between the 5th house and 8th house lords shows the spiritual legacy of past births. In the Gemini lagna chart the 5th lord Venus is in mutual aspect with 8th and 9th lord Saturn astrologically explains the spiritual bliss he has got from previous births. Mercury in his own sign in the lagna makes ‘Bhadra Mahapurush’ Yoga in the horoscope of Dalai Lama.  Currently Dalai Lama is running with Vimshottari Dasha of Saturn-Mars from April 2019 to May 2020 that shows a server danger to his health and longevity. Saturn and Mars are both functional malefic for Gemini lagna showing a danger to his longevity in next one year.

Horoscope of 14th Dalai Lama

6 July 1935, 04:38 hours at China, Xizang, Taklakhar ( previously Tibet) 

Longitude : 101E 40′ and Latitude 36N 20′ 

Time Zone: 06:00 hours 

Balance of Dasha in Vimshottari: Venus 14 years 3 months 3 days

In the horoscope of 14th Dalai Lama the lagna Gemini (Mithuna) is Vargottama with Ketu placed in it. The ‘Kevalya-Karaka’ or ‘Moksha-Karaka’ Ketu is also Vargottama. The lagan lord Mercury is getting the auspicious aspect of Jupiter in both Rashi and Navamsha charts. The 9th lord Saturn is in own house in the sign Aquarius under the aspect of Jupiter. A strong Saturn in the 9th house makes one a great ‘Tapasvi’ or Monk. The retrograde Jupiter in the 5th house and a retrograde Saturn in the 9th house are making yogas for learning ‘Tantra’ or secret techniques of meditation. The retrograde planets in the trine (1st, 5th and 9th) houses gives one an inclination to go towards deep meditation or Tantrik practices as per the nature of the horoscope indicating. Similarly the malefic planets in the 5th and 9th houses from Karakamsha lagna also gives one inclination to learn ‘Tantrik’ practices as per Jaimini Sutras. But these combinations should not be used as per their literal meanings. One should analysis the divisional horoscopes and also study if other supporting yogas for spiritual practices are present in a horoscope or not ?

Dalai Lama’s Atamakaraka Mars is in Leo (Simha) in the Navamsha chart so his Karakamsha lagna is Leo. The Moon and Venus in Karakamsha lagna makes him an eloquent speaker and wonderful writer. Jupiter give its Jaimini aspect to the Karakamsha lagna making it more strong. It is rare to find a horoscope where Jupiter gives aspect to Janma lagna, Karakamsha lagan , Janama lagna lord and Navamsha lagna lord. Dalai Lama’s horoscope is very unique and amazing.

Why Dalai Lama had to fled from Tibet ? 

Now notice the affliction to the 4th house from Janma lagna and Chandra lagna in the horoscope of Dalai Lama. Mars is placed in the 4th house from his Janma lagna. The 4th house from the Moon is getting the aspect of Saturn. In Navamsha Saturn aspect the 4th house where Moon is placed. So the 4th house of motherland is getting afflicted everywhere. In year 1959 , during the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese atrocities , Dalai Lama fled from Tibet  and took political asylum in India. Dalai Lama came to India on 30^th of March 1959 in Tezpur Assam and later setup ‘Government  of Tibet in Exile’ at Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. Since then Dalai Lama lives in McLeod Ganj in a suburb of Dharamshala in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. He had given this Gemini lagna horoscope to late Pandit Hardeo Sharma Shastri Trivedi of Solan Himacahl Pradesh few decades ago. Pandit Hardeo Sharma ji passed the horoscope of Dalai Lama to my teacher Shri K.N.Rao from whom i have got the same.

When Dalai Lama had fled from Tibet he was under the Vimshottari dasha of Moon-Jupiter. In the Mithuna lagna kundali of Dalai Lama Moon is the 2nd lord and Jupiter is the 7th lord both ‘Maraka’ planets showing threat to his life then. The Chinese army wanted to capture Dalai Lama and it is said that he fled from Tibet to India with the help of CIA. Now see the Dashamsha horoscope to understand why Dalai Lama is a ‘king without his kingdom’. In Dashamsha chart of Dalai Lama the lagna lord Saturn falls in the 6th house of enemies. The 6th lord is in the 12th house with 10th lord Mars showing troubles and losses from enemies. The 4th lord Venus is in the 8th house in Dashamsha chart is with Rahu and they are getting the bad aspect of Saturn showing the loss of kingdom. This is the tragedy of Dalai Lama’s life that he has to live away from his motherland and his own people. Almost his whole life has been spend in foreign land.

Interestingly China has Capricorn lagna and Moon also in the lagna. The Dalai Lama’s Janma lagna Gemini is the 6th house from the Janma lagna and Moon of China showing enmity. Dalai Lama’s Moon is in Leo which is the 8th house of the foundation chart of China. This astrologically explain why China drove away this Tibetan head of the state from his own kingdom.

Dalai Lama’s foreign travels 

Dalai Lama has traveled more than 62 countries spreading the message of peace and non-violence. He had given innumerable lectures on Buddhism, science, economics, women rights, environment, reproductive health, astronomy etc. all over the world. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 when he was under Rahu-Moon dasha in Vimshottari. Rahu is Vargottama in the 7th house showing his popularity in foreign countries. Moon is with 5th lord Venus and in mutual aspect with 9th lord Saturn in the Rashi chart.

The strong 9th lord in own house in the horoscope of Dalai Lama is under the aspect of Jupiter and Venus two benefic planets is a great combination for  long foreign tours as per ‘Jataka Tattvam’ a classical text of astrology.

Now see the Vimshamsha (D-20) chart of Dalai Lama. Here the 8th house of his Janma lagna is rising and Jupiter aspect it showing mysterious spiritual linage. The lagna lord of Vimshamsha is Saturn which is with Moon and they are in mutual aspect with Jupiter the Karaka of ‘Dharma’. The 5th lord Venus and 9th lord Mercury both are exalted here. The 5th lord and 9th lords are in mutual aspect with each other at 3/9 axis of religious preaching. In the Rashi chart also this yoga is present where the 5th lord is Venus which is in the 3rd house in mutual aspect with 9th lord Saturn in the 9th house.

It is a cardinal principal of Hindu astrology that ‘if a yoga in Rashi chart repeats in the concerned divisional horoscope’ then it gives its full possible result. Notice the position of 5th lord and 9th lords in Rashi and Vimshamsha of Dalai Lama how they are connected with each other at the 3/9 axis making him an unparalleled religious preacher who got respect all over the world. He is a great philosopher of humanity and self-awareness.

Health and Longevity concern for Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama is at the age of 84 now under the ‘Maraka’ Dasha’s of Saturn-Mars ( from April 2019 to May 2020) in Vimshottari to be followed by another fatal period of Saturn-Rahu. Saturn is in mutual aspect with 2nd lord Venus so it become a ‘Maraka’ for Mithuna lagna horoscope of Dalai Lama. Mars the functional malefic for being 6th and 11th lord is giving aspect to the 7th house, a Maraka house, in Rashi chart. Saturn is in the 7th house from Moon and Mars is in the 2nd house from Moon so both becomes ‘Maraka’ from Chandra lagna also. If Dalai Lama somehow survive this fatal Saturn-Mars dasha, which ends in May 2020, then the  Saturn-Rahu can also become dangerous  for his health. Rahu is in the 7th house under the bad aspect of Mars.

Saturn-Mars dasha in the horoscope of Dalai Lama is running from April 2019 to May 2020. There are three important eclipses to come across the Gemini-Sagittarius axis. One is on the 26th of December 2019 a solar eclipse in Sagittarius and other two will be in June 2020 across the same axis. This is why this dasha of Saturn-Mars could be fatal for him. Saturn-Mars are in 6/8 position in both Rashi and Navamsha. In Trimshamsha Saturn and Mars are in 2/8 position which is also not good. Then Rahu sub period to follow which is in the 7th house of Rashi, Navamsha and Trimshamsha ( Read Rahu in the 7th from Ketu in Trimshamsha). So next 2 years are very dangerous for the health and longevity of Dalai Lama. The periods around December 2019 and June 2020 will be the most difficult for him.

After the demise of Dalai Lama there will be a controversy over his successor between India and China. Dalai Lama has already indicated this that he will take rebirth in India only. So Tibetan high lama’s are going to search for  his reincarnation in India while China has been continuously warning that only he will decide who is going to be the next successor of Dalai Lama. It is an irony that a communist nation who do not believe in rebirth and is completely atheist from its core will do a search for reincarnation of Dalai Lama in future! So in next few years we will witness two Dalai Lama’s;  one the Dalai Lama of the Tibetan heart, and one that is officially appointed by China.