The Astrological Investor

Our December 13th feature "STRESS TEST" was eerily on the money as far as President Clinton was concerned (for complete text, see the December 13th listing at the end of this posting). From what we can now see in his horoscope, the President's concerns will far from abate in the months ahead. Whether or not Mr. Clinton will be dealing further with the recent allegations with which we are all so familiar, or fresh developments on other fronts, is not easy to determine at this moment. But suffice it to say that the months of March, April, and May look as though they will present feverish action for man and market alike.

For the President, an approaching flareup may emerge toward the end of April with Venus squaring his Uranus/Midheaven conjunction. Watch around the 26th and 27th of the month especially. This occurs against a roaring background of Neptune at 2 degrees Aquarius in direct opposition to Mr. Clinton's Saturn. With Neptune, the vagaries of illusion, subterfuge, and even possible perversity, threaten Authority while they meet the cold hard demands of The Law. Venus, as we all know, is a woman, and her prominence in this configuration brings to mind the possibility that a member of the fair sex will be a focus at this time. Perhaps the deliverer of a critical piece of the puzzle. Of course, another interpretation may be that gold is on the President's mind during this time window. We will get to related indications for the world's finances and the yellow metal in due course.

As for Mr. Clinton, we are homing in, ultimately, on the alignment of Mars with the President's Moon around May 8, 9, 10. Might be a "long weekend" for the Chief Executive. This happens against a potent background of Jupiter squaring his Uranus conjunct Midheaven, while directly opposing his Ascendant (The "Rising," or First degree of his personal Zodiac). A condition lasting 2 to 3 weeks. We think that Mars weekend might be the culprit touching this configuration off.

Jupiter does its thing from the cusp, or border, of the 7th House, the house of Marriage and Partnerships. Leaving the 6th House, the house of Health and Work, and entering the 7th, this may indicate an important involvement of Mrs. Clinton in the picture. Best case scenario might be a genuine strengthening of the marriage relationship by coming through adversity. Worst case can easily be imagined without the analysis of an astrologer. Celestially speaking, at the same time this is going on, Saturn makes a supporting trine (120 degree angle) to the President's Sun.

This may be the "good news" in the equation. Saturn often signifies The Law, and Authority. Perhaps in the end, as far as his more personal troubles are concerned, the Law will find no fault, technically speaking, with the President. But even if the current scandal does not backfire into something devastating to Mr. Clinton, the danger looms nevertheless of a feverish involvement in an international situation on the parts of any number of significant persons and institutions. We noted in our previous post regarding a number of national horoscopes how many countries evidence strong influences around April and May. Especially in Latin America. We are finding similar indications elsewhere.

One such place is in the birthchart of Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Mr. Greenspan's Sun is at 15 Pisces, and Jupiter arrives at that very degree promptly on April 9th. Fed watching from April 7th to 14th might offer an entertaining and educational week's study for careful observers. Jupiter continues on to conjunct the Chairman's Uranus at 24.51 Pisces at the end of May, early June. This is a major aspect that only repeats every 12 years. Against a broad personal horoscope backdrop of transiting Uranus conjunct Mr. Greenspan's natal Venus/Jupiter combination (only 2 degrees apart in Aquarius) which will run from March through June, we see the Chairman likely to be involved in an extended crisis of some kind.

Where the Fed Chairman is concerned, can other global "monetary" and "banking" authorities be far behind? Next to the U.S. Federal Reserve, perhaps the other important manipulator of currency and credit creation is the IMF. We see intense pressure this year in IMF Director Michel Camdessus' chart (May 1, 1933, Bayonne, France). First of all, for the first half of the year, transiting Uranus puts a nasty square on his Sun/Venus conjunction in Taurus (how fitting a natal combination for the head of the "International Monetary Fund"). This serves as a stressful background to that Saturn on top of his Mercury throughout February, which then goes on to conjunct his Uranus later in April. Seems like a powerful need for restructuring plans in crisis to us. "Discipline" will be the keyword here.

First week in April Mr. Camdessus gets a square to his Pluto from the transiting Mars/Saturn conjunction at 21 Aries, just after it takes out NYSE Moon and doubtless gives Silver a jolt. Then Mars frolics into Taurus where it catches Camdessus Sun on Monday, April 27. That whole week should be interesting for Camdessus watchers, especially by Friday, May 1, when Mars gets to his Venus. The cry "Mayday! Mayday!" comes to mind. As for the IMF itself, we're using the December 27, 1945 date of organization. That early April action for Camdessus is corroborated here by that Mars/Saturn conjunction that squares Camdessus Pluto at 21 Cancer ALSO squaring IMF Saturn, which happens to be just one Zodiac degree away at 22 Cancer. But in the process of squaring IMF Saturn, Mars/Saturn in the heavens oppose IMF Moon at 20 Libra, and IMF Jupiter at 24 Libra. Somehow we don't see early April as much fun for world monetary "authorities."

For the IMF, we would look for first hints in this unfolding situation around the second week of March when Mars squares IMF Sun. Notably Wednesday/Thursday, the 11th and 12th. Factor this with Saturn returning to conjunct NYSE Moon (Silver) EXACTLY on those days, we have serious indications for precious metals around that time. Last time this Saturn conjunct NYSE Moon aspect occurred in the 26 year Saturn cycle was in 1968, when Silver bulled mightily. In this cycle, due to retrograde action in '97, the contact was made last July, and Silver was knocked down into its last important bottom. This time around, as Saturn approaches for its final pass for another 26 years,

We can readily see the antipathy between precious metals and the IMF. The IMF represents the antithetical institution to the philosophy and integrity of true commodity money, Gold and Silver. These are elements of nature which are relatively rare, and can only be gleaned by intelligence, work, and investment of capital. Unlike paper money and instruments of credit, they cannot be created or printed at will. Early April may see a showdown at the World Finance Corral to see which money is the "real" thing. Besaddled and ready to ride.

OF OIL & OPEC...Some Crude Observations

Mid April is not without its influences on oil. That's when Jupiter at 17 Pisces opposes OPEC Sun which is fixed at 17 Virgo (actually 16.57, but let's round it off). The heart of that opposition is Saturday, April 18. By late May/early June Jupiter will have gone on to oppose OPEC Venus at 25 Virgo, while squaring itself at 24 Sagittarius in OPEC's birthchart.

We find it telling that by mid May Saturn is in FULL OPPOSITION to NYSE Neptune, our significator of Oil & Gas (also film, shipping and other industries related to fluids and illusions). We could be seeing heavy pressure on crude oil prices, and on OPEC, at this juncture. We tend to see a Saturn opposition like this a damper on oil prices for the rest of the year. Saturn relents a bit into August, but comes back to finish the job in late January/early February of '99. Even Jupiter returns in January '99 to 24 Pisces for a final opposition to OPEC Mercury and a square to itself.

Somehow we see oil bouncing in desultory fashion along a depressing, boring bottom for most of '98. Renewed life should come as Spring '99 rolls around. For those who think it odd that we see a possible kick to the precious metals this year while oil languishes, we point out that the last time the PM's staged a respectable rise off the floor, in '93 and '94, crude prices were still making ugly lows.

Proving that horoscopes, like price charts, can be interpreted several ways, our corporate natural resource compatriot, CEO, and fellow astrologer Chad Meek begs to differ with our gloomy view of oil. He sees Neptune's present position at the cusp of Aquarius as a powerful signal concerning oil prices. He also views Jupiter's entry into Pisces for the year (enters early February) as bullish as well.

We must admit that the last time in Jupiter's roughly 12 year cycle it afflicted OPEC Mercury and Jupiter as it will this year, was in February '87 when oil suffered only a month long setback in an otherwise bullish year. This year, however, Jupiter makes 3 contacts with 24 Pisces, and this looks like unrelenting pressure on OPEC Mercury and Jupiter to us. And of course there's that Saturn opposition to NYSE Neptune for oil bulls to contend with.

On the other hand, we remember how Chad's insightful view of Bill Clinton's chart in December of '97 forced us to the conclusion that the President would indeed figure powerfully in the astrological "STRESS TEST" of January 22/23. The transfixing of the nation, and the world, on the President's alleged escapades and the potentially dangerous legalities involved were well beyond mere chance. While we admit we were expecting some sort of market meltdown in that time frame, the major averages did little one way or the other. Perhaps, despite repeated mainstream financial commentary (CNBC for example) about "nervous investors," the circus was simply too outrageous to do anything other than make traders gape and gawk in amazement.

For sure, the powerful aspects to the horoscopes of OPEC and the NYSE are telling us SOMETHING about oil. Astrologers presume upon the Almighty when they try to determine what an aspect will mean. Clearly, we all see through a glass darkly while looking ahead in these matters. So we do acknowledge that Chad may be right in expecting an "oil spike," as he puts it, sometime this year. On one thing he and we are agreed: like the values in gold and silver claims in '97, this year will offer corporate investors some nice value packages in producing oil properties.

We hope we haven't been too astrologically dense, or detailed, for most civilians out there. Suffice it to say that too many readings of too many important horoscopes point to action ahead this Spring. Perhaps a single world crisis that permeates every market and mind, or possibly an unusual confluence of seemingly disparate and unrelated occurrences that conspire to set the world financial cauldron bubbling. Whatever it might be, it is already written and it is Kismet. We mortals have only to watch...and wait.

So here's your simplified "calendar" for the time windows mentioned into mid year. We hope it makes the watching part just a little easier, and more fun. We caution that aspects involving Mr. Camdessus and the IMF might make these two entities interchangeable as far as the news relating to them is concerned.

March 11, 12 - IMF, Silver (and quite possibly gold)

March through June extended crisis - Chairman Greenspan

First week in April - Michel Camdessus

April 7 thru 14th - especially around April 9 - Chairman Greenspan

Mid April - especially April 18 - OPEC

Late April - the 26th and 27th especially - President Clinton

Week of Monday April 27 thru Friday May 1 - Michel Camdessus

May 8, 9, 10 - and then the rest of May - President Clinton

Mid May thru early June - Crude Oil Market

Late May thru early June - OPEC

End of May/early June - Chairman Greenspan