The Astrological Investor

It can't be denied we were quite gratified to see Jupiter's predicted effect upon silver for mid-December come to pass. The big sextile to NYSE Moon at 19 Aries from 19 Aquarius was a textbook short-term astrological play. While this may well be the kickoff of a resumption of silver's climb from the cyclical abyss, our attention is diverted for a moment to another aspect Jupiter is about to make. On January 22nd, the "great benefic" will square the 27 degree Taurus Sun position in the horoscope of the New York Stock Exchange. Visitors may recall that a "square," or 90 degree angle, usually denotes stress of some kind. Now Jupiter has been thought by most casual astrologers to bring lovely things to us mortals. And often it does. In corporate astrology, one would think that a Jupiter conjunction or trine with a company's Sun or Moon would bring riches flowing into our laps. Well, guess again. Jupiter can be treacherously unpredictable with stocks.

In square aspect, we would have to go with the "astrological no-brainer" and stereotypically warn of trouble ahead. Especially so when we observe that on the very day Jupiter puts the square on NYSE Sun, Mars aligns with Jupiter and lends its muscle, and anger, as well. A Mars/Jupiter conjunction squaring the Sun! Need we say more? You don't even have to know anything about astrology to get the picture from the way THAT sounds.

This will be, if nothing else, a "stress test" of sorts for the stock market. We know that the stock market can go in one of three directions - up, down, or sideways. We think we can safely eliminate that latter possibility here. If the direction is up, then stress will come as a result of an over-extended market refusing to give up. The bears will of course growl loudest, but bulls could become nervous at some kind of roaring new high. The other, more likely possibility is that this astrological aspect is signaling an upcoming left hook to the kidney that will drop the market to one knee. The bear will step dutifully back to the furthest neutral corner, while the referee starts counting. Everyone will be watching those glazed eyes for clues as to whether the Dow and S&P will once again beat the count. Obviously if the anticipated clout unfolds on schedule, the big question will be "is this just another dip, or the start of something big?" May we suggest you make your reservation at Sardi's.

We more strongly suggest watching for some sort of topping action to start breaking down in the next few weeks. Jupiter molests NYSE Mercury at 23 degrees Taurus all the week of January 5th before Mars joins in and they gang up on the Sun, so if weakness manifests at that juncture, odds are that a slide has begun and a potential panic is near. This kind of roughing up of Mercury does not bode well for communication or transportation stocks, either. Watch them for giveaway weakness. While January 22nd looks to be the astrological height of the storm, things can certainly rumble before and after that date. Jupiter is big, and relatively slow, and when he comes by he likes to stay for a while. We suggest making him feel at home.

At the same time we were elucidating our Mars/Jupiter effect scenario, our friend, corporate compatriot, and fellow astrologer, Chad C. Meek cornered us with a hypothesis of his own. Since his is pegged for the 29th of December, it may be wise to unravel his warning first. In any event, it is a negative one as well. Chad is hot on out-of-the-money puts for this one. Perhaps a one-two punch for the market is on the way. As he sees it, between his calculations and our Jupiterian observations, stocks don't have a chance.

Now Chad can get very technical, and even gives us a headache on occasion. His work is often subtle, and sometimes too complicated for shade-tree astrologers like us. But his analytical instincts are awesome. Translating for the layman, Chad is telling us that the New Moon position for December 29, at 8 Capricorn, puts tangential pressure on a number of horoscope points related to the January 22nd aspect. These horoscope degrees, Chad points out, are especially notable in the charts of not only the NYSE, but the President and the nation as well. He sees astrological activity that may even be symbolic of illness or weakness for the Commander in Chief.

As Chad himself says, "This upcoming aspect might even be associated with the President's mental health. Pluto in the USA's chart is at 27 Capricorn. Neptune, the planet of illusion, has been conjuncting it for the past several years. This has allowed the government to deceptively devalue and play games with the financial resources of the American people. As Neptune moves away, and enters Aquarius, the sign of society, government fraud will be revealed to the population. Neptune has, in all this time, been trining the NYSE Sun. As it departs, this illusory support and deception will be taken away. In this departing trine, all the illusions and props of easy money and financial tricks are over, and all we are left with is a fiat currency dealt by an afflicted President. The public is about to find out about government money creation and what real inflation looks like."

Meek likens a strong public opinion about a President and a nation's rulers to faith in the government's "money." Under such conditions, gold is ignored. When there is weak public opinion and little faith in government and its rulers, the "king's scrip" dwindles in favor. Interest in gold and silver return. In any event, Chad looks to December 29th as a key point along this chain of cause and effect relationships. "As everyone will be coming out of a happy Christmas feast," he says, "they will be welcomed by a very hungry bear that hasn't eaten in a very long time!"

Chad reminded us that Clinton's Sun is placed at 26 Leo (August 19, 1946). The Mars/Jupiter conjunction at 27 Aquarius that will square NYSE Sun will at the same time OPPOSE the President's Sun from directly across the Zodiac! An "opposition" can be as stressful as a square. Just the sound of that word gets the message across. After Chad dragged Clinton into the picture, we went back to the President's chart and found some further cause for concern. With the transiting Uranus opposing Mr. Clinton's natal Mercury/Pluto conjunction in his 11th house (now through May) there may indeed be danger of shocking revelations and destabilizing secrets coming out. There may also be some form of opposition by business interests here. Society (11th house) may even find itself shaken (but at the very least stirred) by events. Uranus afflicts the President from the 5th house, which may also symbolize troubles from speculation.

After Chad opened Pandora's box for us, we just couldn't help going on to the horoscope of perhaps the other most powerful figurehead in the world, Alan Greenspan. We figured if anything hit the fan, he would certainly be nearby wiping it off his lapels along with everyone else. While perhaps an undignified image for the Chairman, we were not disappointed. Sure enough, that Mars/Jupiter conjunction will square his Saturn at 26 Scorpio. Greenspan's Saturn is in the Solar 9th house, and this affliction to it might signify a philosophical dilemma of grave proportions.

But the cherry on the Sundae here is that the conjunction falls into the Chairman's Solar 12th house, a definitely "behind the scenes" position which is often called the house of "confinement," "martyrdom," or "prison." Not that we see the Chairman going off to the clink anytime soon. It's just clear to us that circumstances may put him in a philosophically stressful situation as he finds himself perhaps forced to support a tenuous political position. In the end, when it comes to that 12th house, we are all prisoners of the chains of our own making. We recommend the Chairman "shrug"now, or forever hold his peace.

Finally, we scurried about through this horoscope and that (in the Dickensian Christmas spirit, no doubt) and came up with the following correspondences: T-BOND FUTURES First Trade Chart (August 22, 1977) Sun 29 degrees Leo, conjuncting President Clinton's sun by 3 degrees, and will be opposed by Mars/Jupiter around January 22 - Feb 4; JAPANESE YEN FUTURES First Trade Chart (May 16, 1972) Sun is 25 degrees Taurus, conjuncting NYSE Sun within 2 degrees, will be squared by the Mars/Jupiter conjunction; OPEC (September 9, 1960) Uranus at 23 Leo, also receiving an opposition from the Mars/Jupiter conjunction. And just as a "wild card" here, we would also point out that ISRAEL's Sun is 23 Taurus (same degree as NYSE Mercury - watch week of January 5th!) and her Mars is 28 Leo (right on top of Clinton's Sun, being opposed by Mars/Jupiter on January 22nd). January may be very interesting for Israel as well.

But perhaps most eerily ominous of all is that Mars/Jupiter at 27 Aquarius on January 22nd will make an unusually supportive, benign trine (120 degree angle) to the natal Neptune/Jupiter conjunction in the horoscope of the U.S. CURRENCY (April 2, 1792). Could this mean that events triggered around this time will benefit the U.S. dollar? As in increasing its purchasing power? Why not, if everything ELSE around us is crashing down? Including our stocks! Or will it portend an easy opening for a salutary burst of domestic inflation (that Neptune/Jupiter conjunction is in the 4th house) and hence the Greenspan dilemma?

We suggest the party is getting real late, and you'd better dip your last chip and get out the door before the somewhat inebriated, irrationally exuberant crowd wakes up, and runs right over you.

The Astrological Investor wishes Season's Blessings, and a fabulous year ahead, to supporters and scoffers alike. Happy Holidays.