Maria Gorretti

Virgin Martyr, Maria Gorretti is many people’s introduction to the fact that a Catholic dying in defense of their chastity dies a martyr (oddly enough, it is the only martydom that no man has achieved….). This means that any Catholic woman who dies defending herself against a rape is in Heaven, whether she is formally beatified or not, in the same way someone who dies defending their faith is in Heaven. Maria Gorretti was 12 years old and died being stabbed to death by a 20 year-old trying to rape her (all accounts I’ve seen is that he didn’t get far in the rape).

Libra Sun. Scorpio Moon. Capricorn Ascendant. Exalted Mars and Rising.

Her chart is a Splay with both Pluto and Neptune being the isolated planet forming a trine with Mercury. This conjunction and trine is crucial and fateful for Maria. While the trine of the isolated planet is the primary trait of a Splay chart, these two planets are also making an opposition to Venus. We will look at this, too.

Mercury is at 5 Libra. Libra is ruled by Saturn. Here in the early degrees of Libra, is self-restraint (Saturn and Saturn Subruler); and vows (Saturn R1) of union and fidelity (Saturn R) and in the interest of marriage (Libra). While Mercury, by itself, is about communication, she has Neptune and Pluto trining it. Thus, when planets transit her Neptune/Pluto conjunct, they will also be trining her Mercury. This will be fatally important.

Her Sun is in a placement that not only communicates her chastity, but also her farm life. Sun is at 23 Libra. Saturn as Libra’s ruler shows, in the 15+ degrees, farm labor. But, with Uranus as the subruler in this half of Libra, it also shows restraint (Saturn) of Passion (Uranus, subruler of 15-30). At 23 degrees, it spells out “Virgin (Jupiter) Saint (Neptune) of Impassioned (Uranus) Martydom (Saturn).”

Mars is Rising andconjunct her Ascendant. Part of her story is that she was being slaved around by Alessandro (her killer) doing numerous chores and tasks for him. With such a strongly placed Mars, she was likely quite good at working.

Mars Rising is also an aggressive and angry person. It is also a person with a high libido. Benignly, Mars Rising is also a person who desires and needs alot of exercise. Maria Gorretti’s story is not only of Virgin Martyrdom, but also of forgiveness. She forgave her murderer and rapist. This does not sound like Mars Rising. She As she laid dying from fourteen stab wounds (including one in her throat) she forgave her killer. It is also said that she appeared to Allessandro after death offering him lilies and to be in Heaven with her. The saint of chastity and forgiveness is Mars Rising in Capricorn.

Or she’s Mars in 12 if we use any house system other than Whole Signs. Or we can be like Reinhold Ebertin, and my colleague, and ignore Houses. The conflicting house systems cause strong contradiction in the charts. My stance, as of now, is Whole Signs is preferred, but all provide perspective and are valid. Because, if you use another house system on her chart, she then becomes Jupiter Rising. Thus, someone living a lucky life. This does not sound right for someone stabbed to death at 12 years old defending herself from a rape. But, Mars Rising does not sound correct for someone who forgave her killer-rapist. I stand by the Mars Rising, because rather than having to explain away a Jupiter Rising, it is more consistent with astrology that she defeated a malefic than a Jupiter Rising failed so hard. Defeating powerful malefics is more consistent with what I see in the canonzed saints. They are people who beat their charts and use their malefics for good.

The only planetary aspect her Mars makes is a trine to Saturn. A standard interpretation of the aspect may be “limiting anger.” However, doing the aspect analysis, according to Johndro, we get this: Mars is the East planet of the trine and thus has Mercury and Martian attributes. Saturn is West and thus has Mercury and Uranian attributes. An interpretation consistent with this is, “Smothers (Saturn-Mercury) Harsh words (Mars-Mercury).” The Mercurian attributes of the trine is much more specific than just “limiting anger.” Maria likely controlled her anger, but she was more careful with her words.

Chiron in Leo shows she felt unappreciated and unnoticed. Chiron opposes Jupiter. The awards and attention she gets, and admiration, conflicts with her feelings of otherwise being unnoticed.

Her Juno makes a 0 degree square to Saturn. Her marriage is limited.

The Neptune/Pluto conjunct is crucial. It is the most important part of her chart. Ordinarily, I would not place so much significance on an outer planet conjunct as being uniquely important on a natal chart. This is because the farthest planets are slow moving and thus signal traits of a generation (everyone born in those years will have the same outer planets in the same signs). But, due to her chart being a Splay and the aspects and transits we will see, this conjunct of outer planets is important.

However, the Neptune/Pluto conjunct is a hard read. It is a conjunction between the heavenly and vile. Probably the most apt reads for Maria Gorretti are “Destitute (Pluto) Saint (Neptune)” or “Saintly (Neptune) Death (Pluto).”

This Neptune/Pluto conjunct opposes Venus at a 0 degree angle. At such an exact angle, an opposition takes on a Jupiter and Saturn blend. Venus is of Forgiveness. Thus, the aspect is easily read as “Saint (Neptune) of Forgiveness (Venus)” or “Forgives (Venus) Evil (Pluto).” We also have “Destitute (Pluto) Girl (Venus). To add specific Jupiter and Saturn tones we have “Chaste (Jupiter) Saint (Neptune) Forgives (Venus) Evil (Pluto) in Death (Saturn).” The trine with Mercury is a trine of Mercurian and Martian and Uranian tones. “Courage and Defense Against (Mars) Evil (Pluto) is Communicated (Mercury) to Catholic (Neptune) Authorities (Uranus).” Remember these interpretations for the transits.

The Vertex: Now, that we have looked at Neptune/Pluto opposse Venus aspect, we can look at the Vertex. The Vertex shows the role we are to live in life. Vertex is at 25 Leo. Second half of Leo is ruled by Venus. Observing the Lord of the House we look to where Venus is and what it’s doing on her chart. I have just described the opposition. It is a fate of forgiveness of evil in death. This is amplified by the subrulers in Vertex’s position: Venus (Forgivness), Jupiter (Chaste), Neptune (Heaven, Saint, Catholic). If our birth hour is off and Vertex is past 25 Leo, then the tertiary subruler becomes Pluto, rather than Neptune, showing evil and death.

I will also note that the Neptune/Pluto conjuct is in Gemini which is also ruled by Venus. About a month after Maria’s birth, we also get an eclipse happening over this opposition:

Eclipses shortly before or afer birth show where the fateful aspects are on a chart. This one is at 4 Gemini and Sagittarius conjuncting the Neptune/Pluto-Venus opposition.

THE ATTACK

The angles are close to exact, showing that we have a slightly off birth hour or attack time. People who desire to do so, may attempt to rectify the charts. But, for me, this is close enough. Angles meeting in transit show IMPORTANT THING HAPPENED. This attack happened on a New Moon. A New Moon signals the end.

The transit chart has a stellium in Gemini, including a Pluto/Mars conjunct. Mercury is also in the stellium and has just stationed seven hours ago. Transit Venus is conjunct her Neptune/Pluto conjunct thus opposing her Natal Venus. This activates this conjunct and aspect of Forgiveness of Evil in Death. It also shows Dead (Pluto) Girl (Venus).

The New Moon (Sun + Moon) oppose Maria’s Mars. This is an opposition between a Girl’s (Moon) Life (Sun) and Murder (Mars) as well as Rape (Mars). There is also a trine between her natal Sun and transit Mars, giving a similiar energy (as trines are of Mars and Mercury and Uranus). “Breathe(Mercury/Life(Sun) Casualty (Uranus) of Murder (Mars).”

Chiron transits over her Mars. Mars = murder. Chiron shows an altruistic, martyrdom aspect. This is the transit for the death of a martyr.

Saturn is conjunct her Ascendant (which also quincunxes transit Mars).

Tranist Medium Caeli is conjunct Natal Vertex in House 8 (Death). I already covered what the Vertex means via the rulers of these degrees. These degrees are showing how she dies via her Natal Venus placement. Transit Saturn is making a quincunx to her Vertex and this Medium Caeli, as well.

BEATIFICATION

Neptune represents Saints, Heaven, and Catholicism. Beatification is the Church placing a soul in Heaven. It is an infallible act of the Church where the Church literally uses their keys to Heaven. If a soul was due another million years in Purgatory it doesn’t matter. The Church has the authority to place that soul in Heaven. On this biwheel, Vertex axis is on her Neptune/Pluto-Venus opposition. Transit Neptune is on her Mercury and trining this Neptune-Venus opposition. So, Both Neptunes (Heaven) are activated and on this hotspot of her chart showing her martyrdom. She achieves Heaven through this instance of martyrdom. Jupiter is conjunct her Moon = Blessed (Jupiter) Female (Moon). This is what it looks like when a soul enters Heaven.