The Birth Chart of Pope Leo XIV and the Grace of Secret Shame
On Sunday 8 June, we held our monthly AstroliJam for patrons in the Grow Your Business tier and above. This month’s subject was Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, newly elected leader of the Catholic Church following the passing of Pope Francis.
As many of us come from Eastern traditions and are more familiar with Vedic astrology deities, we started our Jam by sharing our brushes with Catholicism (one trained with nuns, another went to convent school, and yet another was baptized Catholic!) We previously examined the Astrology birth chart of Pope Francis during his July 2023 visit to Lisbon (my home town!), so it felt natural to turn our attention to Robert Francis Prevost, born 14 September 1955 in Chicago, IL—but with no known birth time. This opened up a great opportunity to experiment with birth time rectification.
Choosing the Name, Choosing the Lagna
Without a recorded time of birth, we used life events and personality traits to hypothesize a possible rising sign for natal chart interpretation. Some life events that we examined from his Wikipedia page included that:
He speaks many languages (Mercury?)
He has lived and worked far from his birthplace (12th House, 9th House?)
He gained citizenship in another country (11th House?)
He has two older brothers (11th House?)
His mother’s ancestry is international (Rahu?)
I proposed a Libra Ascendant, corresponding roughly to a birth time between 7:20am and 9:50am CST. With Libra rising:
Mercury sits right on the Ascendant—correlating with his multilingualism and communication style.
Venus, the Ascendant ruler, falls in the 12th House, a classical placement for spiritual contemplation, service, and life abroad.
Jupiter (and the Moon if the birth time is before 9:30am) falls in Leo, suggesting spiritual leadership. Fittingly, the name "Leo" echoes this placement. When we looked at the chart in Sidereal, the Sun is placed in Leo!
Kaal Sarpa Yoga and a Life of Surrender
Whether or not the time is precise, the chart offers striking features:
Kaal Sarpa Yoga – All of Pope Leo XIV’s planets fall between the lunar nodes Ketu and Rahu, forming Kaal Sarpa Yoga. This could indicate intense karmic lessons, spiritual potential, or a life of extremes. While interpretations vary, many Vedic Astrologers consider Kaal Sarpa yoga can lead to an “all or nothing” approach to spiritual and personal growth.
Jupiter in Leo (Great Friend Dignity) – Jupiter in Leo is in a friend’s sign (Sun), giving it strength to express its wisdom, generosity, and leadership. Jupiter in Leo often shows a confident teacher, one who leads with ideals and personal magnetism.
Venus + Mars in Virgo – This conjunction is always worth examining. Venus is debilitated in Virgo, while Mars is neutral. In many charts, this pairing leans toward passionate or romantic drives. But in spiritual contexts, we speculated whether Venus’s debility might actually encourage self-sacrifice or the transformation of desire into bhakti (devotion). We compared this to the chart of Amma we examined in last month’s AstroliJam.
Mercury-ruled Signs and Secret Shame – Here’s where it got especially fascinating. With Sun, Mars, Venus, and Ketu falling in Mercury-ruled signs (Virgo and Gemini), we explored the possibility of a Lajjit Avastha caused when one planet "shames" another. It’s called secret shame because it’s not a literal interpretation of the Lajjit Avastha. This is typically created when a planet is conjoined with a malefic in the 5th house, or when a similar configuration involving a node in any house. In secret shame the set up of a planet, a malefic and a node can be spread across the field owned by a sign i.e. Gemini and Mercury. If you’re new to Lajjitaadi Avasthas or are interested in Astrology for beginners, check out my article on How to become an Astrologer). In this chart, the secret shame dynamics could potentially manifest as:
Venus shamed by Mars and Sun
Mars shamed by the Sun / Sun shamed by Mars
These can lead to internal struggles with self-worth, authenticity, and personal will. Yet when these avasthas occur in spiritual houses like the 12th, we also see the potential for deep surrender and healing.
The 12th House Hypothesis
Assuming Libra rising, all of these dynamics would be playing out in the 12th House - one of the most spiritually potent astrology houses, tied to:
Retreat, ashrams, monasteries
Self-sacrifice
Spiritual service and suffering
Secrets and hidden attachments
The presence of a lajjit avastha in secular charts could manifest as abusive relationships or power struggles. But in the context of spiritual leadership, it could also point to deep personal growth through renunciation and compassion. This is the kind that invites profound surrender—to the Divine, to one’s own truth, to grace itself. We explored how Venus, when shamed, might struggle to see its own worth, seeking love in difficult places. And yet, when reframed spiritually, this might become a holy longing—a quest to become love.
Sun shaming Venus can feel like sacrificing the self for authority. Mars shamed by the Sun can dissolve personal will into divine will. Together in a spiritual house, this may create a soul ripe for compassionate leadership—one that embodies humility, acceptance, and a deep reverence for each individual's unique path.
Given the history of the catholic church we speculated on potential astrological predictions for Pope Leo XIV’s papacy. Maybe this avastha pattern could also reflect collective issues facing the Church, such as secrecy and institutional shadow? This is pure speculation ESPECIALLY because we don’t know the birth time and therefore we do not know if this is happening in the 12th House of secret bed pleasures.
Personal Takeaway
For me, the key inspiration was the possibility that Pope Leo XIV has done the inner work of this chart—that he has processed the wounding and shame shown in the lajjit avastha and come out the other side transformed by Divine Love. If so, he may be poised to lead with authentic compassion, born not of doctrine, but of personal experience.
Too much to share in one blog!
There was so much more to our discussion. For example we …
Used the Cards of Truth to help us narrow down a pre vs post dawn birth time.
Looked at the chart in Sidereal to see what placements remained consistent and what bhava lord combinations repeated themselves.
Examined the timing of the election of Pope Leo XIV by the conclave and Pope Leo’s first speech to see what transits were impacting the chart at the time.
and more!
Next Steps and Next Jams
If you enjoyed this kind of in-depth analysis, I invite you to:
Join our Redemption Arc Detective Tier
Our next meeting is on Saturday 5 July to explore complex charts and identify spiritual pathways through planetary shame, debilitation, and avasthas. This group is all about healing, insight, and hopeful evolution. We don’t just diagnose hard avasthas - we stare them down and seek healing paths with love and clarity.
Come to the next AstroliJam
It’s happening Sunday 13 July, and I’m brainstorming topics that are both relevant and astrologically juicy. Tell me in the comments below any ideas you have for our next AstroliJam case study!
