Pope Leo XIV (Robert Francis Prevost), born September 14, 1955 in Chicago, IL is the new head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. He was elected Pope in the 2025 Vatican City conclave on May 8, 2025.

Probably every astrologer in the world who uses the sidereal zodiac will proudly point out the new Pope's stellium of planets in Leo which includes the Sun and Moon. Jupiter and Pluto are in Leo with a stellium of planets in Virgo in the tropical chart. Solar Fire tells us that in Chicago the year the Pope was born births were recorded in standard time. We don't have a birth time yet, but here are the noon tropical and sidereal charts:

The new Pope has the SU in the midpoint SA/NE which fits well for such a burdensome mission related to healing, spirituality and service.

I also note that he was born during a waning square JU-SA, symbolically a 'return to source', indicating a need to let go of tradition-perpetuating traditions in order to meet experiences and solutions in a workable way to face present problems in the world.
And being elected during a JU-SA waxing square, a resonance aspect in his chart.
We don't have his birth time but the Profected SU is somewhere in Gemini (Tropical) with JU transiting this sign.

Thanks for posting these noon charts for Pope Leo XIV Jane. I think your point is well-made about the preponderance of planets in Leo for the new Pope. As a tropical astrologer my eye is drawn to the Moon's position at noon in the second degree of Virgo. This position is tantilisingly close to the highly auspicious fixed star Regulus which would have been in very late Leo at the time of Leo's birth. This, combined with Ouranus' perceptive comment about the solar Gemini profection year, set me thinking about possible birth times for Leo. Regular forum users will know that I am always partial to a rectification project.

I should state that unless a confirmed, high quality source, comes forward with a time for Leo, we will never know when he was born. Rectifications do not have a good track record generally. However, setting aside James' scepticism, I do believe it is still a worthwhile use of time. The question for me in working with rectification is two fold: does the process and outcome of rectification help us learn about astrology in general, and, secondly, does the rectified time help us to understand the individual in more depth, in so far as we can based on media reports and given we will never meet the person in question. I'm less fussed about whether the time is right or wrong, although it would obviously be best to settle on the 'correct' time!

If Leo XIV is to have a Leo moon he must have been born before noon. We need to shift the time backwards some hours to bring the Moon to the cusp of Leo. At the same time, using Ouranus' insight, I am looking to bring Gemini to the MC. At most latitudes in the northern hemisphere, the pairing of Virgo ascendant and Gemini MC is quite a common combination of angles. With Virgo rising, the Moon lands in 28 degrees of Leo. Regulus, at the time of Leo's birth, was at 29 Leo 13. This puts the Moon about a degree from Regulus and close to conjunct Pluto. In fact, the Moon would be at the midpoint of Pluto and Regulus, certainly a powerful placement.

A time of 5.09AM, just before sunrise, gives 16 VI 05 rising and an MC of 13 GE 38. Sun and Mars straddle the ascendant. Whatever time of day Leo was born, he has some challenging synastry with Trump. The lunar position of 28 LE 02 only adds to the mix, this degree being close to his Mars and ascendant and opposite his part of fortune. Leo's nodal axis is aligned with Trump's axis, but Leo, being born 9 years after Trump, has his south node in Gemini and his north node in Sagittarius. This shows that the two men are polar opposites in their orientation.

The chart is shown below for this time, tropical, Porphyry houses. I will add some further thoughts during the coming days, to further explore my thinking behind this possible time of birth.


Best wishes. Ed

Cont'd: Temperament analysis

Based on this 5.09AM rectification, we can look at Leo's temperament analysis. The Moon in Leo is going to alter the balance significantly, the sign being hot and dry. A Virgo Moon would potentially amplify any melancholic (cold/dry) characteristics that he has.

Overall, based on this time of birth, Leo XIV has a dry temperament. Hot and cold are about equal in measure. There is very little moisture to his make up. This gives him a choleric and melancholic temperament. Based on what we know about him, which is very little, it is difficult to judge the accuracy of this analysis. Greenbaum says of individuals with a predominantly dry temperament (choleric/melancholic and melancholic/choleric) "Thus there will be a lack of moisture in the temperament, which will have an effect on its expression; someone in whom these temperaments predominate will be more structured or more rigid; will tend toward the analytical rather than the synthesizing, the discrete rather than the encompassing." (p.103)

Apparently Leo XIV has a degree in mathematics from Villanova University. He also holds degrees in theology and canon law. He has also taught canon law. These achievements would fit with a melancholic, studious temperament. However he is also described as a unifier and bridge builder, as a centrist and progressive. These are not particularly hot, dry qualities and do suggest that the absence of moisture in this analysis might indicate the rectified time of birth needs adjustment. However, with Moon in either Leo or Virgo, there is no way of using the lunar position to increase the moist component in the analysis, except by aspect to the Moon or the Moon's ruler.

I have seen Leo described as "serious and cheerful". If this is a fair summary of his outlook, it gives an indication that he may have a significant degree of the sanguine (hot, moist) temperament, alongside his scholarly melancholic temperament. In this case, it is likely that he was born slightly later in the morning, with Moon in very early Virgo (bringing Moon ruler Mercury in Libra into the picture). The Moon entered Virgo on Leo's birthday at 8.33AM, around 2.5 hours later. This takes Gemini from the MC and puts very early Leo on the meridian. Late Libra comes to the ascendant. A Venus ruled sign his fits well with the observation that he is a unifier and bridge builder.

I am going to reserve this later time for further consideration in due course. However, for the time being I present the temperament analysis for the 5.09AM option below.


Thanks for reading. Ed

The ascertainment of the temperament was a difficult matter always and the methods are many. I myself was not satisfied with Dorian Greenbaum’s method and try to develop my own adaption.
For a birth time of 5:09 CST I get a melancholic/choleric temperament without any sanguine but a little bit of phlegm. The dominance of the choleric of my delineation results from the season of the Sun, the sign of the Moon and the almuten of the Moon. Would be good to know more about the new pope to verify his temperament. So I see, Ed, we are very close.

By the way the almuten of the geniture is Venus according to the method of Ibn Ezra.

Thanks Georgius - it's useful to have your confirmation. The method of temperament analysis used above is my own too. I wasn't entirely convinced by Greenbaum's method either. Some of the traditional methods are also very complex so I took inspiration from Dorian, but worked on a slightly different approach. I felt the use of almutens of the Moon and ascendant were very important, plus closest aspects to the points and the sign and sign ruler.

You can see the algorithm in the screenshots above.

I will continue adding to the discussion over the next couple of days.

Best wishes. Ed

Solar return based on 5:09AM birth

Here is Leo's 2024 SR based on the possible birth time of 5:09AM.


At the solar return, the natal MC in Gemini is brought close to the ascendant of the solar return. This is promising - an angular contact between the return and natal chart can symbolise a significant year ahead for the individual. Another promising symbol is Jupiter rising in Gemini. This picks up the point about the significance of Jupiter transiting Leo's profected solar tenth house made by Ouranus above. Natal Jupiter also plays a role by being conjunct the IC (4th house cusp) of the return. A double Jupiter contact to the angles such as this seems particularly auspicious in a solar return.

Return Saturn comes to a close square to the horizon from the tenth house. Intriguingly this placement falls on the horizon of the 5:09AM birth chart. Saturn is very closely conjunct the 7th house cusp and opposite the 5:09AM ascendant. This also highlights the other interesting point made by Ouranus. Leo, irrespective of his time of birth, was elected under a waxing JU-SA square. This becomes closely aligned with the angles of both the natal and return charts for the birth time of 5:09AM. As Ouranus notes Leo was born under a waning JU-SA square. Intriguingly this becomes aligned with the return meridian, natal Jupiter being conjunct the return IC.

There are many other interesting features of Leo's 2024 SR based on this birth time. The bi-wheel chart is presented below.