Saturday, July 25, 2009

Astrological Predictions coming true

I predicted at the beginning of this year that Obama’s popularity would start to wane some time around the end of July and into August. Only today, I read in the press that an opinion poll suggests that his popularity is beginning to diminish.

I predicted that the economic crisis was only at the beginning in March when world stock markets hit record lows. However, I did say that there would be considerable volatility and that there would be money to be made for those who are risk-takers and who really understand the markets. There have been several rallies over the last three to four months and stock markets have risen considerably.

Much of this volatility and false optimism is due to the Jupiter/Neptune retrograde conjunction period. The second of its three passes of this 13 year cycle was completed on July 10th. Indeed most of the world equity markets bottomed between July 8th and 13th, coinciding exactly with the powerful geocosmic cycle.

In other sectors, Gold and Silver continued their rallies as I predicted. However, we have yet to see the substantial increases that I see for Gold. This is more likely to happen towards the end of 2009 when the waning square of Saturn and Pluto takes effect.

The problem with the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction is that is can be incredibly optimistic and altruistic without any evidence of reality to support such faith. It seems like the “irrational exuberance” that Alan Greenspan referred to some years back is coming back to the fore. The problem with Saturn in opposition to Uranus is that it can be very harsh and cynical and makes people very fearful so it is difficult for them to maintain a sense of hope and optimism about the future.

There are two polarities taking place: on the one hand, you have the Jupiter/Neptune people who are in their own little world thinking that everything is going to be just fine. All we have to do is “think it” and “believe it” and it will be so.

On the other hand, you have the Saturn/Uranus crowd who are more sceptical and negative thinking. Where is the middle ground? At the moment, there doesn’t seem to be one as both sides are becoming increasingly polarised.

This is evident in the financial markets right now. The equities crowd sees signs of economic recovery. Some companies are reporting profits again, the rate of unemployment is reducing and many economic reports show the economy is beginning to turn around.

However, the precious metals group shows deep concerns about the possibility of inflation returning, as well as the prospect of another economic shock to the world financial system. To them, this economic recovery is nothing more than a “dead cat bounce” in a longer-term economic contraction. Just because the rate of decline is supposedly not as steep as it was a few months ago, jobs are still being lost, businesses are still going bankrupt, homes are still being foreclosed.

In conclusion, I would advise that despite the cautious optimism of Jupiter and Neptune, and the assurances of various heads of state and financial institutions, this is not a time to be very speculative with your money. It is a time to consider ways of hedging your current investments and protecting your assets.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Waning square of Pluto and Saturn - what does it mean?

We are coming into the waning square of Saturn and Pluto. What does this mean?

Let’s take a look at what has happened historically.
From the conjunction to the opposition of the Saturn / Pluto cycle, a period that lasts for 16-20 years, the trend is for government debts to decrease, interest rates to decrease, taxes to decrease, economies to prosper and stock markets to rise. Most recently this happened in 1947-1966 and then from 1982-2001.

We are currently experiencing the 16-20 year period of the waning phase (from opposition to conjunction) which sees the opposite fundamentals occur. That is when the government debts increase, interest rates increase, taxes increase, economies suffer from recessions or depressions and stock markets decrease substantially in value. Recent and current example would be 1966-1982 and 2001-2020. Starting around September, we will be right in the middle of the down phase of this waning square of Saturn to Pluto.

Any intelligent person can see that the source of economic recovery is not going to happen through raising taxes or increasing government spending. Yet this is exactly what governments are doing around the world. This is the history of the waning phase of Saturn and Pluto, and it takes money out of the private sector that is needed to grow businesses and create jobs. Economic growth happens with raising of revenues and/or the decrease of spending which occurs when more people are in work. The key is getting people back into the workforce and having them pay taxes.

In the USA, Congress proposed yet another tax increase of 8% on small businesses whose payrolls exceed $400,000. Small businesses in the USA already pay one of the highest tax rates of any country in the world. This is going to cause companies to lay more people off or go outside of the US to produce goods and carry out business. The most successful US companies are those that do business with other countries because the tax rate is lower outside the USA. If this is happening in the USA, be prepared for this to happen in other countries who hold large deficits e.g. UK, New Zealand, Australia, Europe……

You don’t grow the economy by raising taxes on small businesses or by offering them new and special loans. This is the old conservative way of Saturn and Pluto – policies that have failed time and again. With these policies, fewer people end up working and thus pay less and not more taxes to the government. Unemployment grows as more businesses cut back, leave the country or go bankrupt. This is a recipe for a prolonged period of economic stagnation and depression. This is however, what is astrologically suggested by this waning square of Saturn to Pluto. On top of that, there is a chance of rising inflation – and if that happens, I suggest that you have plenty of physical gold in your possession.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Financial Astrology - the future of our money systems

I mentioned last week that we were at the height of the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction on July 10th. Jupiter and Neptune are supposed to be euphoric and optimistic at best, but the investment community is anything but euphoric and optimistic right now. Instead, it continues to act like it is lost, confused, and uncertain, which are the lower states of mind associated with Neptune. Volume is low, and the daily trading ranges are small. As Saturn is going to make a waning square with Pluto, I think we will see more downward spirals in the stock markets worldwide.

Since Uranus turned retrograde on July 1, the value of nearly all stock indices have continued to shrink. The high of the season occurred between June 11th-12th, which is close to the midway point of the first two passes of Jupiter and Neptune (May 27th and July 10th.) I predicted that most stock indices could make significant highs in between these two passes and since those highes equity indices have declined almost 10%.

The commodities markets have been very disappointing, but there has been a surge in investment in US Treasuries. To me, this is amazing when the entire central bank of the USA is under questioning, and when that very central bank is probably one of the largest buyers of those Treasuries. It may be that the Federal Reserve may be leveraging its future in the political games that may start to unfold this autumn when Saturn and Pluto come into square aspect. This creates a powerful T square with the Sun/Pluto opposition in the Federal Reserve’s chart.

Mars enters Gemini this week for the next six weeks, which may provide some stimulating discussions, but also may result in confrontational and heated exchanges. Mars in Gemini wants facts and knowledge, but it can also be argumentative and changeable.

A power struggle is in progress between the Federal Reserve Board who wants to retain its independence and many in Congress, who want to take away that power and independence. All this is happening as Pluto is crossing the Federal Reserve’s natal Sun, in opposition to its natal Pluto. At the same time the chart of the Federal Reserve Board is being deeply affected by Pluto, so too are the charts of the United States and Barack Obama. Both have their natal Venus in Cancer which is right on the Federal Reserve’s Pluto, and in opposition to the current transit of Pluto in early Capricorn. Pluto represents power struggles, and the threat of an ending. There is a fight going on about who will control the money. In January 2010, Bernanke’s position is up for re-appointment by Obama, who so far has suggested that he supports Bernanke. But will he continue to do so?

Obama has the ultimate power over the peoples’ money through his choice this January. The question he has to determine is: who will best handle that money? The Federal Reserve, Congress or White House? Be prepared for some very serious power struggles to ensue over the next few months. It could get quite murky unpleasant out there.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Optimism or Pessimism??

We are still experiencing the second passage of the 13-year Jupiter Neptune conjunction. It is coming up to its peak on 10th July 2009. This means that investors are in a fog, waiting for something to either confirm their greatest hopes that the economic recovery is unfolding, or their greatest fears that the improving markets and economic conditions of the past four months have been nothing but an illusion. Right now it appears that the hopes (Jupiter/Neptune) and fears (Saturn/Uranus) are about equally balanced.

By the time we reach mid-September, or at the latest, November 2009, we will once again have to face the hard realities are Saturn is in opposition to Uranus and coming up to square Pluto. This doesn’t mean failure and disappointment are inevitable. But it does mean that people around the world will expect to see real signs of economic progress, instead of just hot air. They will expect numbers – and not just words – to have some substance. The USA reported almost half a million job losses in June – and remember, that is the reported figure which always ends up being much lower than the actual one. Unemployment is at 9.5% in the USA and this trend is consistent with transiting Saturn (loss) in Virgo (work) an astrological condition in effect from September 2nd 2007 until October 29th 2009. The good news is that we are approaching the end of that transit of Saturn through Virgo. The less good news is that Saturn will then move into a waning square hard aspect with Pluto from November 2009 until August 2010. The jobs picture may start to bottom, but the debt problem indicated by Pluto is likely to worsen.

In January 2010, Obama is due to announce his decision about whether to re-appoint Ben Bernanke as the head of the Federal Reserve or to choose someone else. It is at that point when we will see who has the real power in the USA. With Mercury in opposition to Pluto in the USA’s solar return, and the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction being squared by Moon in Scorpio, I think we will see a power struggle like we have not seen in a very long time. Expect a lot of leaks in the press that portray certain leaders in a negative light. It may be a dangerous time for people in top positions, especially those who are controlling public and private monies.