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Letter to Mars – Welcome Back

Mar 10

Posted by Ellen in Introduction to Astrology for Business, Mars in Leo, Retrograde Motion, The Planets | 4 Comments

Dear Mars, 

I sat down 10 minutes ago to write you this letter and was interrupted once again!  I’ve been trying to write this post all morning.   You are turning direct in exactly three minutes, and I’m waiting, counting down the seconds. 

Fireworks 4Everything is on hold!  I can’t even write my blog post welcoming you back because there is no activity:  no brain wave activity, no ideas, no momentum.  This isn’t like me.  I miss your razzmatazz.  Are you sleeping, like my friend who said they slept all night last night and then continued to sleep all day today? 

I wanted to let people know you are moving into direct motion a couple of hours before you turned so they could be prepared.  I wanted to help them be ready.  And although I awoke this morning with a great idea about comparing the moment to just before a race flag is lowered, it fizzled out when I couldn’t find any good photos to go with the post. 

I thought it was a good analogy:  engines revved, the flag comes down, the initiating force of acceleration and gear-shifting, the gathering of momentum until we reach full speed in the next few weeks.  Good, right?  Then full-stop.  There I was, wheels spinning, rubber burning, but no traction. 

Fireworks 2So I thought, I’ll check the Harvard Business Review Management Tips and find one related to Mars to clarify this moment with a good case study.  But there were no Mars related entries, only “Retaining Talent” and “Enduring the Trials of Entrepreneurship”.  Good for a Venus day, or maybe a Saturn day, but not for you, Mars. 

I successfully ran a project meeting this morning, your province, but that’s not to say things are moving along in the project.  Yes, it was a lovely meeting, but outcomes? 

And it’s not only me.  My clients have reported stalled real estate deals, job offers going nowhere, tax information blocked, project plans averted, publishers dragging their feet, and general feelings of overwhelm and overload, with no energy to make any progress.  We need you back! 

Okay, it’s 12:20 PM EST.  You resumed direct motion 11 minutes ago.  Welcome back.  These fireworks are for you.  I’ll try to be patient while you come up to speed, but sooner rather than later would work for me.  I’ve got a lot to get done! 

Yours always,

Ellen

For other posts on the current Mars in Leo cycle, see these links:

Mars in Leo

Let Your Light Shine

The Creativity of Business

Don’t forget. If you have an astrology-related business question (or a business-related astrology question) send it to me at ellen@astro4business.com. I’ll answer it in these posts, anonymously of course, and we can all learn from each other’s experiences. I look forward to it! Have a question now? Email it and let’s get started!

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Your Questions – Investing in Real Estate

Mar 8

Posted by Ellen in Introduction to Astrology for Business, Your Questions | No Comments

Anonymous Flammarion woodcut (1888). (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

Anonymous Flammarion woodcut (1888). (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

Hello, everyone.

After reading the Astro4Business Monthly Forecast for March, a reader asked:

How ’bout buying and selling real estate? Does that work this month?

This question addresses so many levels of business and astrology that I could write about it for an entire week!   I’ll try to do the questioner some justice in this post, but it may need further clarification over time.

The Macro Level

Let’s start at the macro level.  We’re all aware that a slow recovery has begun in the real estate markets.  At least that’s the opinion of most economic experts.  The speculation bubble coincident with Pluto in Sagittarius burst completely when Pluto entered Capricorn. 

Capricorn is an earth sign and rules the structural components of our society, including real estate.  Pluto rules shared resources, debt, and the crises that are sometimes necessary to bring us back into alignment with our fundamental values and principles.  These crises are not over yet; Pluto will remain in Capricorn until 2024, although I do believe that during the first few years of the cycle there are more major upheavals than in the later years.  In the later years, people are more used to the energy and the surprise element is gone  We respond more rationally, make better decisions, and learn to take advantage of the situation.

You could say we may be at the point where the major quakes in the market have already happened, but the aftershocks will be with us for some time.

Add to this the stressful square aspect that Pluto is making to Saturn, and soon unpredictable Uranus will join the fray.  At least during 2010, I expect a lot of volatility throughout the economic system and the different markets that comprise the system.

Back to Basics

All of this brings me back to the fundamentals:  the answer depends on what is the motive for purchasing real estate at this time.  Real Estate has advantages and disadvantages, just like all investment vehicles.  Home ownership, particularly, has potential tax advantages and the fact that the investment is tangible has distinct psychological advantages.  Historically real estate has been an excellent hedge against inflation, and you can leverage its value as security for loans.

The major disadvantage to real estate investment is the illiquidity of the investment.  Because there is no organized market like there is for stocks and commodities, it is difficult to convert it to cash quickly if you need it.  It takes a relatively large initial investment and there are extra costs related to the purchase or sale.  It is immobile, obviously, and as we have all learned, its future value can be completely unpredictable.

I know my reader was not asking me the question as a financial planner; the question related to the astrological advisability.  But since I am a professional CPA and CFP I can’t help but list some of the pros and cons.

Suggestions

Now to the astrology.  Like I noted in a previous post, life doesn’t just stand still.  There are always many different energies converging on any single moment or month.  The best use of astrology is to recognize these influences and then come up with a strategy that incorporates the best and mitigates the most challenging of these energies.

I would say, in direct answer to the question of whether real estate buying and selling works this month, the best strategies include:

  1. Check, double-check, and recheck again all of the paperwork and deals.  With the major squares and oppositions this month, expect to be at cross-purposes with everyone you transact business with.  This is not to say you can’t make a great deal.  It’s just to be extra-vigilant about the heightened competition and aggression of this time.
  2. Be sure you have all the legal advice you need.  With Saturn in Libra, a wise legal advisor is your best ally.  Talk over the deal and have them review any paperwork.  Money spent at this stage will pay off in the end.
  3. Continuing with Saturn in Libra, a good solid partnership will give you an edge, especially if each of you balances the excesses of the other.  And be sure the partnership paperwork protects each of you in case the other can no longer participate.  That legal advisor in #2 comes into this aspect as well.
  4. Wait until after Mars turns direct on March 10, and also until after the New Moon on March 15, to complete the deal.  Research and negotiations are fine now, but if you want your investment to grow, it should begin between the New and Full Moon.
  5. Keep in mind that in this economy and astrological environment, your investment should be seen as long-term.  The market is too volatile this year to invest in real estate for short-term gains.
  6. Be patient.  With Saturn retrograde until the end of May, bureaucratic snafus may hold up the transaction.

Do any readers have anything to add?  Let us know in the Comments.

Don’t forget. If you have an astrology-related business question (or a business-related astrology question) send it to me at ellen@astro4business.com. I’ll answer it in these posts, anonymously of course, and we can all learn from each other’s experiences. I look forward to it! Have a question now? Email it and let’s get started!

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Astro4Business Week – March 8

Mar 7

Posted by Ellen in Astro4Business Week, Introduction to Astrology for Business | No Comments

Phases of the Moon, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The Southern hemisphere will see a mirror image of this phase. (Source:Wikipedia)

Phases of the Moon, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The Southern hemisphere will see a mirror image of this phase. (Source:Wikipedia)

Hello, everyone.

This week is active, hot, and combustible until the weekend when things calm down.  Venus gets involved in the Saturn/Pluto square and she can be a fierce fighter herself.  Adding Venus to the mix of these two battling titans, plus Mars turning direct, will make for a volatile few days.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, the stand-off begins as Venus opposes Saturn.  We’re used to thinking of feminine Venus as a mediator and negotiator, but when she’s in Aries, she can put her dukes up with the best of them.  Saturn counsels restraint and caution but Venus is ready to act.  Don’t be too heavy handed, especially with your creative staff, or you might get a rebellion you didn’t bargain for. 

By Andrea Mantegna, 1502

By Andrea Mantegna, 1502

 

Wednesday

This is the day we’ve all been waiting for, when Mars returns to direct motion.  It may take a few days to really get going, but projects will begin to move forward again.  Your energy will return and your competitive nature will flare.

Thursday

As if it wasn’t enough for Venus to take on Saturn, today she engages Pluto with the same fighter instinct.  The foe may be more intractable this time though, as Pluto represents the powers that be:  government, banks, the economy, and taxes.   It may feel like everyone has their hand in your pocket and they may.  You’re fighting against the odds, but you may as well go for it.  Think “Athena, Goddess of War” and unsheathe your sword.

Sunday

Sunday is a softer, more lenient day and is focused on communication, with the Sun and Mercury joining in Pisces.  You can let off a little steam from the pressure of the week and relax.  A short trip would be great, perhaps to water, or enter a fantasy world with movies and entertainment.  Enjoy the day – you deserve it!

Let me know how your week unfolds.

For an overview of the month of March, see the Astro4Business Month Ahead

For more information on Mars turning direct and how to use it for your business, see:

Mars in Leo

Let Your Light Shine

The Creativity of Business

Don’t forget. If you have an astrology-related business question (or a business-related astrology question) send it to me at ellen@astro4business.com. I’ll answer it in these posts, anonymously of course, and we can all learn from each other’s experiences. I look forward to it! Have a question now? Email it and let’s get started! 

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It’s Time to Find the Jewel

Mar 3

Posted by Ellen in Introduction to Astrology for Business, Mars in Leo, Retrograde Motion, What to do now | No Comments

Hello, everyone.

Next week, on March 10, Mars resumes direct motion.  Let’s review where we are so we can take full advantage of these last few days of retrograde motion.  Many people feel they are standing still right now, and it’s true.  When a planet is coming close to changing direction it does move very, very slowly through the zodiac in the days just before its reversal.

Was that gold?

Gold on Quartz “The Dragon” (Wikimedia Commons)

Gold on Quartz “The Dragon” (Wikimedia Commons)

We’ve conceptualized retrograde motion as a hiker who has covered a certain portion of a trail, but then stops, turns around, and walks back to a certain point.  Then she stops again, turns around, and moves forward again.  Why did she stop and turn around in the first place?  What was it she missed the first time that made her want to retrace her steps? 

Perhaps she saw something shiny and intriguing but then dismissed the thought:  oh, it was probably just some Fool’s Gold.  But as she walks on it starts to bother her.  What if it was real gold, or a diamond shining in the soil? So she goes back for a closer inspection.

Right now, a few days before Mars turns direct, is like our hiker just reaching the point she headed back to.  She is slowing down because she is nearing her destination.  She’s looking for that shiny object.  Can she find it again?  If she does, what will she discover?

A Second Chance

In the days before a planet turns direct, it’s important to ask these questions.  Mars has returned to the very beginning of the sign of Leo.  It’s like we’re being given a second chance, a chance to start over on some creative project we had in mind last October.  This project may have been stalled since December, but soon the energy will move.  Have we learned what we needed to learn?  Have we uncovered the missing clue?  Have we gained wisdom?  Are we more ready to face the challenges of self-expression that are the mission of Mars in Leo?

In these last few days of stillness, look around, listen, observe your instinctual responses and what is drawing your interest naturally.  These few days are loaded with opportunities for insight.  They are packed with possibilities if we can uncover them.  Whether you notice something bright and shiny or something more subtle, we have come back here to this point for a reason.  Now is the time of discovery.  Now is the fertile opening, the pause filled with potential.

When Mars resumes direct motion, our business lives will gradually become more and more busy and we will forget the stillness of this time.  So in these last few days, let’s find the jewel, the gift of this waiting period so it’s in our backpack when we move forward again.

Here are some earlier posts about Mars in Leo.  Reading them may reveal what you are looking for, or where you should be looking.  As you find the gems, share them in the comments with all of us.

Mars in Leo

Let Your Light Shine

The Creativity of Business

4 Ways to Benefit from Mars Retrograde

Life doesn’t stand still – how to work with Retrograde Mars

Retracing Your Steps – Retrograde Motion

Are You Stalled?

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Astro4Business Month Ahead – March

Mar 2

Posted by Ellen in Astro4Business Month Ahead, Introduction to Astrology for Business | 2 Comments

 Solar_systemHello, everyone.

Let’s look at March 2010 to see what the planetary influences are and how we can work with them.  We’ll start with the most long-range and overarching influences, the planets Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus, which you will notice do not change from month to month but stay in the same sector of the sky for many years.  Then we will look at the mid-range influences, Jupiter and Saturn, which stay in the same sign for 1 – 2.5 years.  Last we’ll look at the personal planets, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and the Sun which stay in their respective signs for much shorter periods and primarily influence our day-to-day lives. 

Pluto in Capricorn

We’ve spoken at length about Pluto in Capricorn (see category at right), where it will remain until 2024.  In a nutshell, this long transit will bring fundamental change to many of the structures we have come to rely upon:  government, religion, the economy, industry, and transport systems, to name a few.  The transit carries the energy of revolution and evolution and can be dramatic and at times overwhelming.  Pluto exposes what is hidden, for better or for worse and usually now, at the beginning of the cycle, we become more aware of the worse rather than the better.

Pluto hastens and intensifies the processes of endings and new beginnings, and in Capricorn will bring about the ending of our business pursuits that are no longer suited to our growth and personal evolution.  Whatever has been slowly leaking vitality will go ahead and die, including old business models, practices, and products. 

This is formidable energy, and your best strategy is to tune in and work with it.  Find an area in your business life in need of renewal and begin the process before Pluto reaches planets in your chart and forces the issue.  Everyone with planets in the first seven degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn are already dealing with this energy.

 Neptune in Aquarius

With Neptune in Aquarius (see category at right) from 1998 to 2011, there has been a global consensus regarding the equality of the common man, shared responsibility to the group, ascendancy of people and nations based on the power of knowledge, the right of all nations to progress technologically, and the right of each person to contribute to and further the base of common knowledge.  

The best way to work with this energy is to allow your rational mind to open to waves of inspiration from the collective whole, from your community to the global community.  Expect to be inspired by your neighbors and friends. 

Uranus in Pisces

The Uranus in Pisces (see category at right) transit from 2003 – May, 2010 engendered innovation and invention in business.  It flattened hierarchies and enhanced global transactions and interactions.  With many variables in play simultaneously, we’ve been working with moving parts which connected and disconnected frequently, including projects, alliances, and workforces. 

How can we continue to work with Uranus in Pisces?  Product diversification, committee leadership, and collaboration, as well as global connection, and dissolution of hierarchical structures – any of these is good for the end of the cycle.

Saturn in Libra

Saturn is transiting the sign of Libra, where it is exalted.  When a planet is exalted in a sign, it has a special affinity to the sign and if you’re willing to do the work, there is a promised payoff.  See the category to the right on this important transit, but in a nutshell:  what is the work of Saturn in Libra?  To develop patience, persistence, responsibility, and humility in relationships.  What is the payoff?  Cooperation and mutual support.

Until October 2010, Saturn is in square aspect to Pluto in Capricorn (see above).  The stress of this square aspect will bring the end to structures that are no longer working in our businesses (and in our world) as the Saturn energy attempts to install the Libra values of equity, parity, diplomacy, collaboration, and cooperation.

Saturn made its station and turned retrograde on January 14.  Retrograde motion in the five outer planets is not felt as immediately as in the inner planets.  You may notice outside regulators backtracking or bureaucratic snafus that affect your business.  Or one of your trusted advisors may resign.  Remember those business plans you wrote last quarter?  Just proceed according to plan, and course correct if necessary.

Jupiter in Pisces

Jupiter entered Pisces, a water sign, in January.  Pisces is concerned with the emotional connections that bind people together.  This can express itself as devotion to an ideal, often mystical or artistic, and the desire to lose oneself in the shared feeling of the group.

Jupiter, the planet of opportunity and expansion, is the ancient ruler of Pisces.  This brings a very positive influence to all endeavors that attempt to unite people based on a shared intention for the future.  How should you work with this energy?  Work on connection.  Set up links between people and organizations.  Make venues available for your employees to express their ideas creatively.  Be willing to lead with your intuition and feelings; show your employees, customers, and business associates your heart.  These activities will bring business expansion and profits.

Mars in Leo

When Mars is in Leo our will power becomes focused and controlled.  Mars in Leo loves to lead and gives faithfully and generously to those who follow.  When Mars is in Leo we are honest, direct, and fully dependable.  The sign Leo is also creative and artistic, so at this time we love performance and display. 

The best use of Mars in Leo?  Make your light shine with dignity and strength.  Lead with steadiness and authority.  Throw yourself into creative activities.  Secure and enjoy the limelight. 

Mars resumes direct motion on March 10.  During its retrograde motion since December 20, Mars retraced its steps all the way back to the very beginning of Leo.  We have a chance to start over now on all of the creative projects we envisioned since October, but with a lot more information this time!  Take advantage of this period of heightened creativity and expect high performance from your employees too. 

(This is a good time to reread the Mars in Leo category to the right.)

Venus in Pisces/Aries

The first few days of the month Venus is in Pisces, where she is exalted.  Catch your best creative ideas of the year before she enters Aries on March 7.  Be sure to carry a recording device with you at all times because, while truly inspired, Venus’ gifts are subtle and can be elusive when she’s in Pisces. 

When Venus enters Aries on March 7 and Mars turns direct on March 10 expect fireworks of display and creativity.  These two planets in fire signs will ignite sales, interactions, motivation, and competition.  Are you ready?  The time has come to ACT!

Mercury in Pisces/Aries

Mercury begins the month in the sign of the fish, the sea, Pisces.  The sharp focused intellect of Mercury in Aquarius gives way to a softer approach.  Images communicate better than words when Mercury is in Pisces; be sure your writing and speaking include symbols and color.  Your thoughts flow more easily and your best ideas come from dreaming, day-dreaming, and fantasy, so include time for all of these.

On March 17, Mercury enters Aries, joining the bonfire with Venus and Mars.  By this point there may be so many ideas and so much enthusiasm you’ll need extra help just to keep track of it all.  Watch for overload; headaches will be a sign to relax, cool your jets, and pace yourself.

Sun in Pisces/Aries

The Sun in Pisces is a transitional time of year, a time of completion and preparation for the new start indicated at the end of Pisces, the time of the Equinox.  Use the heightened intuition of the Pisces Sun to sense how your direction will adjust to the coming season.

On March 20 is the Equinox; vernal for us northerners; autumnal for you southerners.  (That’s north and south of the equator.)  Half way between the longest and shortest day of the year, it’s time to take stock.  How far have you come since the Solstice?  Have you accomplished your goals so far this year?  The Sun in Aries is a time of heightened energy and new beginnings.  Take advantage of this fire to get yourself on track.  You are ready; go for it!

Phases of the Moon

The new Moon is in Pisces on March 15, waxing to full in Libra on March 29.

Monthly Recap

Against the backdrop of massive global changes to the structures in our lives, we are inspired by and engaged with the global community as never before.  With Saturn in Libra, we find our footing in committed, responsible relationships. Jupiter enhances our emotional connection to one another, which we’ll need this month since Venus, Mars, Mercury, and the Sun are all in fire signs by the end of the month.  Passion, inspiration, motivation, and healthy competition will ignite a new beginning with the new season.

 Let me know how your month plays out!

Don’t forget. If you have an astrology-related business question (or a business-related astrology question) send it to me at ellen@astro4business.com. I’ll answer it in these posts, anonymously of course, and we can all learn from each other’s experiences. I look forward to it! Have a question now? Email it and let’s get started!

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Eat the Sweets

Feb 25

Posted by Ellen in Client case studies, The Planets | 8 Comments

Hello, everyone.

The other day a client told me this story.

She had recently taken a new position in management at a large local institution.  This company has been battered by recent changes in government funding and the managers are scrambling to make ends meet.  In fact, my client was hired to bring her considerable expertise into bringing financial stability to the company again.  

"Venus, Amor die Flügel beschneidend" von Theodor Heinrich Bäumer, 1886

"Venus, Amor die Flügel beschneidend" von Theodor Heinrich Bäumer, 1886

When she went to her first few management meetings, the mood was sour and dour; there was no cross-talking, no cutting up, no spark.  She noticed that even in a three-hour meeting, there was no water, no treats, and no bathroom breaks. 

This is no fun at all, she thought.  So when the next meeting was scheduled she brought in a big bowl of chocolates.  Even though the meeting was directly after lunch, not one person acknowledged the sweets, let alone reached for any.  The entire meeting passed in the manner of the others, subdued, discouraged, and unengaged.  No one could receive the gift she brought to the meeting.

What’s missing here?

When she told me this story I thought, this is a Venus issue.  Venus rules love, sweetness, happiness, pleasure, giving and receiving, and MONEY.  I’m not saying that a company’s financial difficulties can be mended by eating a few chocolates.  But I am saying that when the energy of Venus, of pleasure, of enjoyment, of camaraderie is missing, then it’s likely that MONEY will be missing too.

There is an alchemy among happiness, giving and receiving, and money.  The flow of giving and receiving underpins all of our interactions, and that same flow fuels the economy as a whole.  I wouldn’t be so concerned if just one of the managers passed up the sweets, due to a diet, or Lent, or sugar intolerance.  But when the entire team cannot receive, then there is a barrier to inflowing energy, which leads to barriers to sales, which leads to barriers to profits.

Receiving equals profits

Every salesperson knows that relationships must be developed before sales can be realized.  Relationships, sweets, money, success:  it’s all the same river, the river Venus.  If your managers can’t even look at each other in a meeting, then this is going to be reflected in your bottom line.  If there’s no laughter, no fun, no interrelationships, there’s no fuel for problem-solving or creativity.

If you are the only person in your business, this applies to you as well.  When I was first in business and struggling to make ends meet, my mentor told me to give myself a gift every day.  It could be a small thing, some post-its, a nice eraser, a piece of pie, but I had to report to her every day what I had done.  She was teaching me to receive, to open the door to the incoming flow.

Singing, playing, celebrating

The manager that told me this story has a very strong placement of Venus and is a natural at bringing people together.  I asked her for some tips on how she is going to overcome this problem.  She’s going to bring songs to the meeting for everyone to sing together.  She’s going to start a softball league so people can build relationships outside of work.  She’s going to make sure birthdays are celebrated and that there’s good coffee in the cafeteria.  In these ways, she’s going to break down the barriers to the incoming flow.

If your business is not as profitable as you wish, try appeasing the Venus energy.  If you respect and honor her, she will shower her treasures.  The next time someone offers a gift, receive it, eat the sweet.  And encourage your managers to open the receiving door, so that all sorts of goodies can flow in.

Are you good at receiving?  Or are you “receiving challenged”?  Tell us about it in the comments section and if you know what sign your Venus is in, let us know that, too.

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Birthing a revolution – Pluto in Capricorn

Feb 23

Posted by Ellen in Philosophy, Pluto in Capricorn | 7 Comments

Hello, everyone.

This is the second part of a series examining the current position of Pluto in Capricorn and comparing it to the time of the American Revolution, the last time Pluto was in Capricorn.

We’re not to the point of revolution yet.  If we compare the actual position of Pluto now to that historical period it is related to the years 1762 to 1765.  During those years Pluto was transiting back and forth from about 0 degrees Capricorn to 5 degrees Capricorn, just like it is now.  When the actual Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, Pluto was at 27 degrees of Capricorn, which it will reach again in 2022.

 

Political cartoon by Benjamin Franklin

Political cartoon by Benjamin Franklin

Birthing a revolution

 

 

 

The years between 1762 and 1765 were called by John Adams, an American statesman, when “American independence was then and there born.”  Great Britain had just concluded what American historians refer to as The French and Indian War.  While Great Britain did not expect the American colonists to pay for all of the costs of the war, it did begin to require them to pay for ongoing colonial defense.  It also began to enforce certain mercantile laws that were in place already but had not been enforced strictly until this time.

These laws with their additional taxes were met with great resistance in Americans who believed that monarchs could tax people only with their consent.  The resistance to this tax created a loose coalition among the various colonies in the region, colonies with fundamental differences and mistrust of each other, but a common goal to resist what they deemed as unfair practices by the British government. 

Civic and religious duty

During the years leading up to the Revolution there was a fervor developing for “Republicanism.”  In those days, Republicanism meant that men were required to put civic duty ahead of personal desires – that people should develop “a positive passion for the public good”, in the words of John Adams.  And as Thomas Payne expounded in “Common Sense”, a very popular pamphlet that circulated just before the Revolution, it was also a part of every man’s religious duty to fight tyranny.  He based this on the Bible’s exposition that men are equal to each other at creation; therefore there is no distinction between kings and subjects.

Revolution today

What are the correspondences to the Pluto in Capricorn of today?

I’ll name three that I see and I hope you’ll add to the list:

  1. We are at the very beginning of this Pluto in Capricorn cycle.  The American Revolution occurred at the end of the prior one.  Already we are witnessing the stirrings of a global overthrow of governmental and business structures.  The Tea Party movement is an example of a similar sentiment to the colonists prior to the Revolution.
  2. Coalitions of people are forming who are historically distrustful of each other, yet united in their fervor to fundamentally restructure some aspect of society.  This can be seen in some of the unlikely alliances in the Republican Party today.
  3. The religious duty to overthrow tyranny forms the basis of some of the most important global movements in our time.

Will this be BIG?

Are you wondering whether there will be an enormous societal change with this passage of Pluto in Capricorn like there was in the last?  Yes, I think so.  Capricorn as a cardinal sign wants to initiate something big and concrete, and Pluto is always birthing the evolution we need to progress as a whole. 

What will it be?  I’m not sure yet.  John Adams didn’t recognize the birth point of the revolution until many years later.  And this is a feature of Pluto, whether it is operating in a birth chart, a business chart, or the times as a whole.  Pluto’s transformations are so massive it takes many years before we can look at what happened and say, yes, I understand it.  Right now we’re deeply immersed in the throes of its activity – like the American colonists about twelve years before declaring independence.

If you see other correspondences between those times and now, let us know in the Comments section.

For more posts on Pluto in Capricorn, see the category at the right.

Don’t forget. If you have an astrology-related business question (or a business-related astrology question) send it to me at ellen@astro4business.com. I’ll answer it in these posts, anonymously of course, and we can all learn from each other’s experiences. I look forward to it! Have a question now? Email it and let’s get started! 

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Happy Anniversary, Pluto

Feb 22

Posted by Ellen in Pluto in Capricorn, The Planets | 1 Comment

Hello, everyone.

Happy 80th Anniversary, Pluto, a few days late.  Pluto was discovered on February 18, 1930.   I don’t say Happy Birthday, because of course he existed long before.  But astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh first sighted him in 1930.

Pluto’s been on my mind a lot lately, as it has been for many astrologers, because of its prominence this year.  For much of the year there will be a square between Pluto and Saturn, and when Uranus moves into Aries in June, a pattern begins to develop called a Cardinal T-Square.  This pattern has Saturn opposing Uranus, and Pluto forms a square aspect to both of them. 

Reorientation

Computer-generated map of Pluto from Hubble images

Computer-generated map of Pluto from Hubble images

But for today I want to just talk about Pluto.  Pluto is not a personal planet like Venus or Mars; it doesn’t concern individual business success or your leadership style.  It is not about your relationship with your employees or coworkers.  Because Pluto is so far from the Sun and its orbit is very long, many, many people are born under the same placement of Pluto and its sign defines a whole generation.  

In the same way, Pluto reflects the broad impersonal movements in society and the reorienting of our global compass.  In its current sign Capricorn, it is reorganizing the fundamental power structures of our lives:  government, business, religion, and the global resources it takes to keep these structures in place.  Pluto overthrows whatever is old, stagnant and decaying in these realms to make room for something more vital to take its place.

In the Course of human events

The American Revolution was born when Pluto was in Capricorn.  The U. S. Declaration of Independence, written under Pluto in Capricorn and addressing its challenges, is still one of the most influential documents ever written.  Even in the opening line in the Declaration of Independence, “When in the Course of human events”, you can sense the author’s intuitive grasp that this was not about one country versus another but something larger that transcended the current time. 

The writer, Thomas Jefferson, goes on to state that the new country would “assume among the powers of the earth” its separate and equal station and that “Governments are instituted among men, and that they derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.”  This is the radical viewpoint of Pluto in Capricorn, that men have power that they grant to their creations, such as governments, churches, and corporations.  If the particular system men have created is not working for their safety and happiness, then they can abolish it.  And in conservative Capricornian fashion, he says that men should structure a new government with a new foundation based on the principles and powers they believe in.

Current events

Do you see any correspondences between the Revolutionary time and now?  Remember, in those times, corporations had not yet emerged as a competitor to government and church as a form of manmade power. 

If you see correspondences to today, please add them to the comments section.  The Tea Party Movement comes to my mind.  Tomorrow I’ll cite several others I’ve been thinking about.

For more posts on Pluto in Capricorn, see the category at the right.

For an excellent analysis of the impact of Pluto in Capricorn on our economy today see this post from Wall Street Weather.

Don’t forget. If you have an astrology-related business question (or a business-related astrology question) send it to me at ellen@astro4business.com. I’ll answer it in these posts, anonymously of course, and we can all learn from each other’s experiences. I look forward to it! Have a question now? Email it and let’s get started!

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Are you stalled?

Feb 18

Posted by Ellen in Retrograde Motion, The Planets, What to do now | 1 Comment

Hello, everyone.

There are several astrology blogs I follow all the time.  I was reading a post by Frederick Woodruff yesterday and it reminded me of something I wanted to remind you about:  retrograde motion.

Retrograde Motion, revisited

Both Saturn and Mars are in retrograde motion now.  Not only that, but they are forming a very supportive aspect to each other, each reinforcing the other’s retreat.  It’s like Mars, our competitive spirit, and Saturn, representing our ambitions in the world, are on vacation together.  Here’s an excerpt of what Frederick has to say about this:

 

Stopped by Time. Le Temps, Charles Van der Stappen (Source:Wikipedia)

Stopped by Time. Le Temps, Charles Van der Stappen (Source:Wikipedia)

“With both Saturn (the prime mover) and Mars (the feisty shaker) in retrograde motion, our direction, our sense of time, our desire (Mars) for a forward momentum (Saturn) — all of our leaning toward and lunging for is, well, suspended — left dangling. So when someone asks you, “What are you up to?” You can say, in all honesty, “Just hanging around.” Or if you’re a more melodramatic type: “Man, I’m going down.” 

Mars and Saturn move backwards and there’s a universal stall. To have both timekeepers in retrograde disrupts the mechanical/animal routine of our lives. The dynamism of time takes on a different sense. The impersonal glide of time (Saturn), as we experience it within the collective, feels enclosing and stock still. And personal time (Mars) — as we experience it within the rhythm and robustness of our instincts — feels thwarted; forced to lean towards introspection, reevaluation and psychic excavation.

Cosmic stalling hints at a kind of mystical cessation, and … we notice a different quality of attention available to us, an opportunity to use this new ‘down time’ to reassess our place within time.”

The Cosmic Stall

Have you noticed this sense of time being stalled?  Several of my clients have.  One woman bought new clothes and went to a promising interview, only to have the key players absent due to illness.  Another client is anxious to file her tax returns so she can submit her daughter’s financial aid application for college, but cannot get the information she needs.  One client is hampered in her work by pain in her shoulder cuff, but can’t find the right practitioner to address it.  I could go on and on, but you get the picture – they are all experiencing a cosmic stall.

Reassessing our place within time

When I see people struggling to make progress in their business lives I tend to think in terms of sidestepping or waiting out the trend so they can move forward again.  That’s why I was so interested in Frederick’s post.  He points out that there may be a mystical reason behind our lack of forward motion – that we can take the opportunity to “reassess our place within time”.

Do you have too much ‘down time’?  Can you redefine it as a precious space with something to learn – something that you cannot perceive when you are continually busy accomplishing something?  It takes a lot of faith to be within the cycles of time, to rest and to trust that once again the time for forward motion will come.  If we take the opportunity to gather energy and resources when Mars and Saturn are retrograde, we will be fully rejuvenated and ready to apply what we’ve learned.  Then when Mars resumes direct motion on March 10, the vacation will be over and it will be full speed ahead!

Are you experiencing a cosmic stall in your business life?  Let us know in the comments section.

 For more discussion on retrograde motion, see the category “Retrograde Motion” under Astro4Business Basics to the right.

Don’t forget. If you have an astrology-related business question (or a business-related astrology question) send it to me at ellen@astro4business.com. I’ll answer it in these posts, anonymously of course, and we can all learn from each other’s experiences. I look forward to it! Have a question now? Email it and let’s get started! 

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The Tiger – good for business!

Feb 17

Posted by Ellen in Philosophy | No Comments

Hello everyone.

I’m sure you know that the Chinese New Year began on February 14, and this year is the Year of the Tiger.  I’m not an expert, nor even an amateur, at Chinese astrology, but I ran into some interesting information that applies to our business lives related to the Year of the Tiger.  Rather than trying to convey the essence of the information to you, I thought I would pass it along directly. 

Lynn Hayes is an astrologer that I read regularly.  She writes about many subjects – you may enjoy her work too.  In this entry, she quotes another astrologer, Marvin Artley.  I am less familiar with his work but will definitely return to his website again.

From Lynn’s post, “Happy Chinese New Year!”

As if Valentine’s Day, the Aquarian New Moon, a Venus/Jupiter conjunction and the conjunction of Chiron and Neptune weren’t enough, we also have the Chinese New Year! 

 

Source:Wikimedia Commons

Source:Wikimedia Commons

This is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese astrological pantheon; it is the year of Metal Tiger, which is great for wealth, but it is also the year of the White Tiger because of the association of the color white to the element of metal.  The White or Metal Tiger has the potential for power, but also for destruction and social disorder and change.

 

It’s an interesting synchronicity that Uranus (revolution and change) will enter the sign of Aries (war and agression) this year, bringing about a similar tendency towards chaotic social disorder and change that Chinese astrologers are predicting with the Year of the Tiger.   

Astrologer Marvin Artley writes:  

It is said that when the Emperor rules with absolute virtue, the White Tiger will appear. The White Tiger is one of the four sacred animals in Chinese astrology. It rules over the western direction and is symbolic of strength, daring, commercial prowess, the competitive spirit and willingness to fight for beliefs. Of course, the White Tiger referred to here is not the sacred, or heraldic, animal but the same principles apply to the Tiger as one of the twelve zodiacal signs.

 
The year of 2010, starting from Valentines’ Day, will be marked by revolutionary tendencies, advances and accidents in transport, attempts at imposing draconian legislation, advances in media and a resurgence of the working classes. Metal (White) Tiger years typically see antitrust legislation and insurrections in the political arena. The sudden reversals and consequent engendered insecurity that we saw in the Rat and Ox years just passed (2008, 2009) have set the stage for overhauls of political and economic systems that are oppressive or do not work, with a consequent reactionary front from those who would rather keep those systems in place. The so-called War on Terror will take a decisive turn in 2010, with expected military action against recalcitrant regimes. Iran and North Korea come to mind. The Korean War started in the White Tiger year of 1950.  

On the social front the explorer’s instinct and entrepreneurial spirit will be to the fore. New products come out in White Tiger years that tend to become ‘old standards’ later, such as peanut butter, Pepsi Cola, the sewing machine, corrugated boxes, hamburgers and beloved comic strips (’Peanuts’ and Beetle Bailey’), so put on your thinking caps and see what you can come up with.  

The Tiger in Chinese astrology represents majesty, dignity and sternness, daring, power and passion and anyone who has those qualities in their nature will fare well in 2010. For those who are more sedate then those same Tiger qualities may just be awakened this year. It is said that the Tiger has no special magical properties. Tigers work best ‘in the trenches’ and in motivating others to get things done. It will be a great year to start an enterprise, work at self-improvement, prevail upon the boss for that raise you so richly deserve, do something daring and completely out-of-character, push your own and others’ boundaries, get over that fear of public speaking or just generally make a bold statement about your life. In all, find whatever stirs your passion this year and the Tiger in you is sure to come out!  

Some Chinese astrologers warn that the year is good for business, but there is danger in becoming too greedy (the same can be said of the conjunction of Jupiter to Uranus in Pisces coming up in March through May of 2010).   

Thanks Lynn and Marvin!

Don’t forget. If you have an astrology-related business question (or a business-related astrology question) send it to me at ellen@astro4business.com. I’ll answer it in these posts, anonymously of course, and we can all learn from each other’s experiences. I look forward to it! Have a question now? Email it and let’s get started!

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