Stigmata of St. Francis
St. Francis is reportedly the first stigmatist in history.1 He is certainly the first one we have a date that he received the stigmata. If there were no earlier cases of stigmata, then we have an important astrological shift in history with St. Francis’ stigmata. It may be that before St. Francis the primary path to perfection was to die as Christ, to be a martyr. With stigmatists the new primary path is shown as to live suffering as Christ. The stigmatists are called “victim souls,” but, in fact, all Christians are to be “victim souls.” All are to live suffering, seeking suffering, and lives of deprivation.
St. Francis of Assissi we unfortunatly do not have a birth date for.2 He was formerly a knight before he sought to live the path of self-imposed poverty and started the Franciscan monks, and later their third order. He is recognizable today as the nature saint. He preached to birds, animals, and fish who would patiently listen to his sermons on serving God.
ST. FRANCIS SPEAKS TO BIRDS ABOUT GOD’S LOVE
One day, St. Francis was preaching at Savurniano. The birds were chirping and singing loudly, such as to interrupt St. Francis’ preaching. So, he told the birds to keep quiet while he preached. They stopped their chirping. Francis proceeded to preach powerfully and the town people listening were compelled to follow him and become monks with him. Francis would not allow them to do so, and said “Be not hasty to depart. I will ordain that which it behooves you to do for the salvation of your souls." This is when St. Francis formed the Third Order of the Fransicans which allows people to follow the Rule of St. Francis for monks, while living daily, work-a-day lives in the World. Thus, he also prevented the town from possible depopulation, were all to become monks.
Moving on, St. Francis saw a multitude of birds. He told his companions, “Wait here. I must preach to my sisters, the birds.” He went to a field, and began to preach to the birds on the ground. As he preached birds of all kinds and colors flew onto the ground and attentively listened to him. St. Francis walked among the still crowd of birds, as he preached. His mantle brushed the birds as he walked and they stood still listening to him. “My sisters the birds, much are you beholden unto God your creator, and always and in every place ought you to praise Him, because He has given you liberty to fly wheresoever you will, and has clothed you on with twofold and threefold raiment. Moreover, He preserved your seed in the ark of Noah that your race might not be destroyed. Again, you are beholden to Him for the element of the air which He has appointed for you; furthermore, you sow not neither do you reap. Yet God feeds you and gives you rivers and fountains where from to drink; He gives you mountains and valleys for your refuge, and high trees wherein to build your nests; and, in that you know not how to sew nor spin, God clothes you and your little ones. Wherefore doth your Creator love you seeing that He gives you so many benefits. Guard yourselves, therefore, my sisters the birds, from the sin of ingratitude and be ever mindful to give praise to God." And, as St. Francis spake these words unto them, all those birds began to open their beaks, and to stretch out their necks, and to open their wings, and reverently to bow their heads even unto the ground, and to show by their motions and by their songs that the holy father gave them very great delight.
When St. Francis ended his sermon, the birds stood waiting for him to give them his blessing for them to depart. St. Francis made the Sign of the Cross over them and gave words of blessing. The birds then flew into the air singing cheerfully and made the cross as they flew away in the form of the cross before seperating into the Four Directions.
One of the most dramatic instances is regarding him and a man eating wolf:
WOLF OF GUBBIO
When St. Francis was living in Gubbio the town was found to be terrorize by a large wolf. At first, the wolf was attacking livestock, but it then became bolder and starting attacking and killing the residents. The townspeople now had to arm themselves when they went out to protect them selves from the wolf. The wolf held the town captive, and no one could leave without encountering the wolf. It killed anyone who encountered it.
St. Francis then decided to meet the wolf to see what can be done about it. The townspeople tried to stop him, but Francis went forward and signed himself with the cross and went forward. When Francis neared the wolf’s lair, it came charging out with mouth open to maul Francis. Francis made the sign of the cross at the wolf and it stopped in its tracks and closed its mouth. Francis said: "Come here, Brother Wolf. I command you in Christ's name to not harm me nor any other." The wolf walked to Francis with lowered head, and prostrated itself at Francis’ feet. "Brother Wolf, you have done much damage in these parts, and have committed great crimes, destroying and slaying the creatures of God without His license: And not only have you slain and devoured beasts, but you have also dared to slay men, made in the image of God; for this you deserve the gallows as a thief and murderer; and all men cry out against you and complain, and all this city is your enemy. But I desire, Brother Wolf, to make peace between you and them; to the end that you may no more offend them and that they may forgive you of all past offences and neither men nor dogs may pursue you any more." The wolf bowed its head and lowered its eyes to show assent. "Brother Wolf, inasmuch as it seems good for you to make and keep this peace, I promise you that, so long as you live, I will cause your food to be given to you continually by the men of this city, so that you will never suffer hunger. For I know whatever evil you did, you did because of hunger. Because I beg this grace of you, I ask that you promise to never injure any man or animal. Will you promise me this?" The wolf bowed his head in assent, again. "Brother Wolf, I ask that you swear me loyalty touching this promise, that I may trust you entirely.” Francis held out his hand to the wolf, and the wolf placed his paw in Francis’ hand to shake. "Brother Wolf, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come with me, and let us go and establish this peace in the name of God.” The wolf then got up and followed Francis. Everyone was shocked and got out to see Francis walking with the wolf, as if it was his pet dog.
As the crowd gathered around, to see Francis and the wolf, Francis spoke to them saying how, by reason of sin, God permits such pestilences; and far more perilous is the fire of hell, the which must for ever torment the damned, than is the fury of a wolf which can only kill the body. How much then are the jaws of hell to be feared when the jaws of a little beast can hold so many in fear! "Turn then, most dear ones, turn to God, and do penance for your sins, and God will save you from the wolf in this present world and from the fire of hell in that which is to come.”
St. Francis then returned their attention to the wolf beside him. "Listen, my brethren, Brother wolf, who is here before you, has promised and sworn fealty to me, that he will make peace with you and never more offend you in anything. Dpromise to give him, everyday, whatever he needs and I promise he will faithfully observe this covenant of peace." The townsfolk then promised to always provide him food. St. Francis turned to the wolf, saying: "And you, brother wolf, do you promise to observe the covenant of peace which you made with this folk, that you will offend neither man nor beast nor any creature?" The wolf kneeled down and bowed his head, and, with gentle movements of his body and tail and ears, showed as far as he was able his determination to keep the covenant. Said St. Francis: "Brother wolf, as you promised me loyalty, outside the gate, I now want you to show me this loyalty, before all the people, touching your promise, that you will not deceive me concerning my promise and surety which I have given for you." The wolf lifted up its right forepaw and put it in Francis’ hand. Everyone then cheered and praised God.
And thereafter, the wolf lived peacefully with the residents. He would go to houses and be given food, sometimes even entering homes as a familiar pet, never hurting anyone nor animals ever again. Finally, after two years, brother wolf died of old age; whereat the citizens lamented much, because as long as they saw him going so gently through their city, they recalled the better the virtue and sanctity of St. Francis.
According to tradition, Gubbio gave the wolf an honorable burial and later built the Church of Saint Francis of the Peace at the site. During renovations in 1872, the skeleton of a large wolf, apparently several centuries old, was found under a slab near the church wall and reburied inside. Legend holds that the church of the Vittorina was built on the spot where Francis met the wolf.
St. Francis had a deep devotion to St. Michael the Archangel. So, in preperation for St. Michael’s feast day, September 29, Francis was performing a 40 day fast. In the middle of this fast, on the 14th, Francis was having doubts about his vocation. This was the third time he had such doubts. He did as always: He opened the gospels. And as always, it opened to Christ’s passion. Francis read the passage and closed his Bible. He then saw an angel, a six-winged seraph, hanging crucified on a cross in agony. Francis was transfixed, horrified and enraptured by this vision of beautiful crucified angel. When the vision was over he wondered what it meant, and just as soon suddenly felt killing pain in his hands, feet, and heart.
After Francis’ death, and the discovery of the stigmata on his body, St. Francis’ closest brothers were no longer bond by silence as to Francis’ stigmata. Br. Thomas wrote: His hands and feet seemed to be pierced by nails, with the heads of the nails appearing in the palms and on the upper sides of his feet, the points appearing on the other side. The marks were round on the palm of each hand but elongated on the other side, and small pieces of flesh jutting out from the rest took on the appearance ofthe nail-ends, bent and driven back. In the same wat the marks of nails were impressed on his feet and projected beyond the flesh. His right side had a large wound as if it had been pierced with a spear, and it often bled so that his tunic and trousers were soaked with his sacred blood.
After receiving the wounds, St. Francis became more sickly. The pain hindered his travels and teachings, but he would not allow it to and pressed on offering his sufferings for the sins of the world.
We do not have an hour for the stigmata, but we got a date. And there was an eclipse that night. So, the chart is timed for the eclipse. Other stigmatists received the stigmata at night during an eclipse, so, I am going with the eclipse time. Regardless, the eclipse is the major player in this event. This was a total solar eclipse. A solar eclipse interupts the Sun’s energy and thus interfere’s with the normal workings of the electromagnetism of the earth and those hitting us. Such a disruption is often what is required to create such a bizarre event.
The eclipse is also anaretic, being in late Virgo. 24 hours later, exactly, both Sun, Moon, and Venus ingress. Sun and Moon into Libra (moon moves in a few hours after the eclipse), Venus into Virgo. Thus, it is a Jupitarian and Plutonic event. Day (Sun) Religious (Jupiter) Abnormal (Pluto) Mystical (Pluto) Appear (Moon). Pluto is also of oozing wounds.
Mars at 24 Scorpio is “Miraculous (Uranus) Crucifixion (Mars).” This is also a Plutonic degree to get us “mystical” or “mystery” as well as the Plutonic associations of “oozing” and other gross things.
Jupiter ingress into Sagitarrius for “Religious (Jupiter) Miracle (Uranus).”
Venus is anaretic placing it in semisextile with the eclipse, and square to Jupiter. Johndro associates “blood” with Venus, so it is appropriate and workable, here. He also associates “man” with Venus which works, too. The typical association of “beauty” with Venus may be workable to describe the crucified angel.
The takeaway, here, is that unknown to everyone except me, St. Francis received the stigmata during a total solar eclipse. However, I cannot do a deep dive into the transits without a birth chart for St. Francis. But, having this date, as well as his death date may help me discover his chart soon.
St. Paul I argue is the first, but without a strong historical backing nor a tradition of him being a stigmatist we do not know that he was. There is also the case of St Ansbert of Rousen who may have been a stigmatist.
Until I find it through chart validation techniques, that is.