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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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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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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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Turn business challenges into core values – like Zappos!

Feb 19

Posted by Ellen in Astro4Business Management Tips, Businesses in the news | No Comments

Hello, everyone.

Today I was packing up a box to return to Zappos, the online retail shoe store, when I noticed on the side of the box “Be Humble:  Core Value #10”.  This intrigued me so I went to their website where their 10 Core Values are listed.

Zappos Headquarters

Zappos Headquarters

I decided to do a little study of their business chart.  I thought I could pick up some good ideas for business terms that relate to various astrological aspects by comparing the text of their core value statements to their chart.

Turning obstacles into values

It was a very surprising study and the unexpected upshot is this:  their company core values, rather than reflecting the strengths in their business chart, seem to be designed to overcome multiple obstacles to success in the chart.

I’ll give you a few examples: 

  • Core Value #2 is “Embrace and Drive Change”.  This is a fairly common business value.  But Zappos has several aspects that resist change, even though the placement of their Moon in Cancer indicates constant change in the company.  But with the Sun in Capricorn and an influential Saturn, there is comfort in tradition and the status quo:  embracing constant change would be a struggle.  So they made it into a core value. 
  • Another core value is “Create Fun and a Little Weirdness”.  Now this is a great value and those of us with a lot of Fire or Air, or maybe a strong Uranus or Neptune influence, would love this.  But for Zappos, Venus, the planet of fun, is in Capricorn, very traditional and certainly not weird; the Sun is in Capricorn, so company leadership tends to be very serious and focused on success.  They add the caveat in the text, “We’re not looking for crazy or extreme weirdness though.”  Good qualification and one that expresses the Capricorn energy perfectly.  So again, very serious and traditional creates a core value of fun and weirdness. 
  • There are many, many examples like these.  I’ll just cite one more.  One of their core values is, “Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded.”  Their text says, “at Zappos, we think it’s important for people and the company as a whole to be bold and daring (but not reckless).”   You can feel them trying to address that conservatism that comes with the planets in Capricorn and the Moon in Cancer.  The chart also has Mars in Libra, in its weakest position for boldness, and Mars is opposed by Saturn in Aries, which can hold back and even put out the fire of adventurous spirit.  Again, they’ve taken an inherent weakness and turned it into a core value.

Good job, Zappos

As a whole, each one of Zappos core values addresses a very difficult configuration in their chart.  Now I’m not criticizing this at all.  They have created their core values around what they are striving to become. I think there is a very valuable lesson in this for all of us. 

I’m always looking for ways to advise clients around the obstacles in their natal or business chart.  No chart is free of challenges.  And I’ve been particularly concerned about my clients who are starting their businesses this year, under the Saturn/Pluto* square.  But what Zappos has done can be an inspiration to all of us.

If we can identify the challenges that can potentially halt our business success, with clarity and honesty, or with a little discriminating hindsight, we can craft business statements that address and will eventually overcome these difficulties.  Like affirmations, keeping these statements at the forefront of our minds and our business culture has the potential to completely transform them over time.

Who wouldn’t want to be as successful as Zappos?  Let’s take a lesson from them and craft some core values for ourselves.  Not about what we understand and do well, but addressing our honest challenges instead.

Thank you, Zappos!

*(For more on the current Saturn/Pluto Square, 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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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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Are you sleeping, Beauty?

Feb 16

Posted by Ellen in What to do now | No Comments

Hello everyone.

Did you know that right now seven out of our ten planets (including Sun and Moon) are in the last two signs of the zodiac?  Yes, Mercury, Neptune, the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, the Moon and Uranus are all in Aquarius and Pisces.  The only planets standing outside are Mars in Leo, Saturn in Libra, and Pluto in Capricorn.

What’s wrong with this picture?

This can be a good thing.  It mirrors our current networked society, the way technology has made it possible to form links with others throughout the world.  Both Aquarius and Pisces interact constantly with others; Aquarius wants to insure equality and share knowledge freely; Pisces wants to foster unity among us all.  This is all good, right?

Sleeping Beauty, by Edward Burne-Jones.

Sleeping Beauty, by Edward Burne-Jones.

When so many planets are in the same signs, it can foster particularly strong ties between people and a lot of cohesion in the group, maybe too much.  You can be lulled as people focus on the same things, talk about consistent themes, and recognize the same patterns.  The difficulty arises when something out of the ordinary occurs, a crisis of some kind.  And crises come with Mars, Saturn, and Pluto, the three not invited to the party, in difficult aspect as they are these days. 

It reminds me of Sleeping Beauty.  Remember the fairy who was not invited to the party?  With all the celebrating going on, no one recognized the impending disaster. 

Are you in the loop?

There is another issue with all of these planets in “collective” signs that is critical to you as the leader.  Aquarius and Pisces foster group communication, team interaction, and intuitive understanding across borders.  They favor a flat hierarchical structure, consensus management, and cohesion around projects rather than positions.  This atmosphere fosters beautiful, cross-borders information loops.  But something could be missing from those loops.  You!

In this hyper-social atmosphere, your employees are linked to many sources of information, both within your company and in the broader world.  They may pick up information critical to your business and that information may never reach you.  In a traditional hierarchical structure, information rolled up to you through your management structure.  With today’s flatter structure and many more avenues of information, you may have lost your place as the information hub. 

So what should you do? 

  1. First of all, with the Sun currently in Aquarius, and moving into Pisces later this week, it should be easier to insert yourself into groups, team meetings, and social media chats.  Take the time to join the conversation; become one of the players.  Immerse yourself in what your employees are talking about, both online and off.
  2. Second, make sure you design communication channels that bring information to you in this new environment.  You can’t use the old methods for gathering intelligence, especially if you have new hires or a younger workforce.  I spoke to a business owner in her early thirties who feels lost when it comes to the culture of communication used by her twenty-something employees.  So catch up and keep up with each emerging technology your employees are enjoying.
  3. And third, be sure someone in your organization is looking outside:  reading the news, keeping up with the trends, watching legislation in your industry and local area.  The current economic environment will be with us for a long time; you need to monitor how it can impact your business.   

Linked in

Businesses still need leadership.  Even in this flattened, networked environment, you hold the vision for where the organization is going.  The modes and nodes of interaction have changed; basic leadership has not.  Your company’s success depends on you, and in order to be effective, you’ve got to know what’s going on.  So insert yourself and make sure the network links back to you.  And keep an eye out for that angry fairy godmother!

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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Management Tip – Encourage use of social media at work

Feb 11

Posted by Ellen in Neptune in Aquarius, Saturn in Libra, The Planets | No Comments

Hello, everyone.

Segment of a social network

Segment of a social network

For some time now I’ve been receiving daily emails from the Harvard Business Review (HBR) with their “Management Tip of the Day”.  Occasionally I’d like to pass a tip on to you with an astrological perspective, especially if it highlights a planetary aspect we’ve been considering in these pages.

On February 3rd, the HBR Tip was “Encourage the use of Social Media at Work”.  The gist of the article was that reasonable employee use of social media has actually been shown to benefit companies.

Blame Neptune in Aquarius

Social media is here to stay for a long while.  Astrologically, with Neptune, which represents our desire to connect with each other, in Aquarius, which rules electronics, virtual space, airwaves, and innovation, these social media serve an essential role in the ongoing development of our world.  When Neptune’s involved, the actual productive outcome of all this interaction can be a little vague, but it’s still important to be participating in the trend.

On the other hand, we have Saturn travelling through Libra.  This planet of limitation in the sign of relationship may unfortunately signal a desire to limit social interaction.  As employers, we may feel that our employees are wasting time; we may even criticize ourselves for not being more productive when we check Twitter or Facebook or our email every time we hear that familiar ping.

It’s good for your business

Maintaining an attractive workplace helps us to retain the best employees, especially now when large raises or bonuses are probably not in the picture.  The HBR Tip notes that especially the younger generations see social media as a staple of work life and will seek out employers who acknowledge the critical role they play.  It also notes that research has shown that employees who take breaks to surf the net are ultimately more productive to the goals of the company.  Furthermore, you and your employees use these media to do business:  to connect with colleagues and customers, to improve communication, and to speed up decision making processes.

Develop some guidelines

So next time your hackles come up when you see someone “wasting time” on social media, even if that someone is you, take a minute to remember this tip.  And there is nothing to say you can’t establish some rules about it; better yet, ask a team of young people to come up with some guidelines for the whole group.  That will please Saturn in Libra, who likes rules of engagement, and Neptune in Aquarius, who loves collaborative problem-solving.

Leave a comment if you like:  do you engage in social media too much, too little, or just about 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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Your questions – making the most of the Monthly Forecast

Feb 10

Posted by Ellen in Astro4Business Month Ahead, Jupiter in Pisces, The Planets, Your Questions | 1 Comment

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

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


Hello everyone.

Today I received an email from a regular reader.  Her question gives me a chance to suggest ways you can use the Astro4Business Monthly Forecasts.  She writes:

I answered an ad for a position as a Research Coordinator at a major hospital in my city.  I am really excited, because it brings together both my careers – my first career as a Chem. Tech in Research and Development, as well as my nursing expertise.  The (hopefully first) interview is next week, Feb. 18.  I am looking at Astro4Bus for the monthly guide, but I am not really sure where I am going with it.  If you get a minute, can you try to guide me through this?  I would appreciate it.

Some guidelines

First, some guidelines for using the Monthly Forecast.  When a major life transition is happening, like applying for a new position, the outer planets are always the focus.  The way Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto interact with your natal chart or business chart indicates the major trends in your life.    If you have natal planets in the signs these planets are currently passing through, your life will be affected by their passage.  Even if you have natal planets in the opposite sign or the sign 90 degrees away, you will feel the passage of these planets in a big way. 

This knowledge may be beyond what some of you know about your charts, but everyone knows their Sun Sign, and many people know the sign of their Moon and Ascendant.  These three points and the houses they occupy are extremely important and just with this knowledge, there’s a lot you can tell from the Monthly Forecast.

Jupiter in Pisces spells opportunity

My reader’s Sun is in Pisces.  Looking at the monthly forecast we look for any outer planet that is passing through Pisces.  We see that Jupiter, the planet of opportunity, is passing through the sign of Pisces.  From the monthly forecast we read:

Jupiter entered Pisces, a water sign, in January.  Pisces is concerned with the emotional connections that bind people together.  This often expresses 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 good fortune.

Jupiter in 10th spells success

Jupiter, the planet of opportunity and expansion, is directly passing over my reader’s natal Sun.  From prior work with her, I know that her Sun is in the 10th house, the house of career and public position.  So, yes indeed, this is a time when she can expect opportunities (Jupiter) to expand her self-expression as an emotionally tuned, intuitive person (Pisces Sun) in the area of her career (10th house).

Now that we’ve discovered that Jupiter in Pisces is a major factor for her right now, we can look at the sidebar for any other posts about Jupiter in Pisces.  We see there is another post that describes this transit.  That post has a listing of Jupiter in Pisces going through each house.  Looking at the segment for the 10th house we see:

The sky’s the limit for you as long as you stay sensitive to the currents around you.  This time should be brimming with opportunities for success – if you grab them.  Get out in public with perceptive confidence and crowds will beat a path to your door.

Jupiter-warning

This segment gives a warning about Jupiter:  you must grab the opportunities that come.  Sometimes we feel so good under the influence of Jupiter we think we can rest on our laurels and that opportunities will always be there.  With Jupiter, you need to catch the golden ring when it comes by.

Both posts have advice for the interview:  stay sensitive to the currents and portray perceptive confidence.  Work on connection; show your prospective employer your heart.  Demonstrate that you can link people to organizations, perhaps by talking about how you will link your former research position and your nursing career to benefit your employer.

With Jupiter in Pisces in your 10th house, this may not be the only opportunity you will encounter and if you do get this position, you can expect continuing promotions or expanding work opportunities the entire time Jupiter is transiting your 10th house.

Anything else?

Looking back at the monthly forecast, is anything else in Pisces?  Yes, Uranus is finishing up its sojourn through Pisces.  Using the sidebar on Uranus in Pisces, you may be able to glean more insights about how to handle this time of change.  But just focusing on Jupiter in Pisces gives a lot to think about and work with.

Good luck in your interview and let us know what happens!

 

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 Jupiter in Pisces Opportunity

Feb 3

Posted by Ellen in Jupiter in Pisces, Long-term Planning, The Planets | 2 Comments

Beham, (Hans) Sebald (1500-1550): Jupiter, from The Seven Planets with the Signs of the Zodiac, 1539

Beham, (Hans) Sebald (1500-1550): Jupiter, from The Seven Planets with the Signs of the Zodiac, 1539

Hello everyone.

I’ve been thinking about Jupiter’s sojourn through Pisces, which it entered on January 18 and will remain most of the year.  Jupiter will spend from June 6 to September 8 in Aries, but due to retrograde motion it backtracks into Pisces after September 8 where it will finish the rest of the year.

Jupiter spends about one year in each sign; every twelve years it returns to its home point, the Jupiter return.  Less famous than the Saturn return, because it feels a lot better, the Jupiter return generally renews faith and optimism and brings opportunities for expansion.

This year Jupiter spends most of its time in Pisces, which it used to rule before Neptune was discovered in the 19th Century.  Some astrologers still consider Jupiter to be the ruler of Pisces as it has such an affinity with the sign.  So let’s visit Jupiter in Pisces and see what possibilities for expansion we can find.

Jupiter

As the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter is clearly visible and bright in the night sky, a large shining diamond.  Jupiter represents expansion, any activity aimed at extending or improving the mind, body, philosophy, or sphere of influence.  Jupiter represents our aspiration for wisdom and for a philosophy and moral code to live by. 

In the chart of a businessperson, Jupiter indicates the area of life where confidence and optimism brings luck and opportunities.  It shows the person’s judgment and discrimination, or lack thereof, and how practical they are in decision-making.  Jupiter indicates inspiration and the tendency toward expansion into new territories, and can indicate whether international business opportunities are a focus.

In a business chart, Jupiter describes the moral standards of the company and its advisors or board of directors.  It describes legal and international affairs.  It shows the company’s approach to goal-setting and strategic planning, and whether learning and experimentation are encouraged in the culture.  The general expectation for financial success can be seen from the placement of Jupiter.

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres

Some vocations associated with Jupiter include publishing, law, and philosophy.  Jupiter also is associated with all forms of higher education, both as professor and student.  The ministry falls under the rulership of Jupiter, as well as vocations associated with international travel.

Pisces

Pisces is a water sign, concerned with emotional connection.  The glyph for Pisces is two fish swimming in opposite directions but tied together, signifying the dual worlds we all inhabit:  our interior reality and our external experience. 

Pisces is the stage of development when we have become completely immersed in and identified with others.  Our individual spark of ego has become swallowed by the collective whole.  In the life cycle of a business, this is a key transition phase when the business either declines or finds a way to begin a new cycle of innovation.  The business may retreat from the public eye to retrench, restructure, or terminate. 

Pisces is constantly trying to unify; to merge the inner with the outer world.  Pisces oversees mysticism and art, as well as humanitarian pursuits.  Retreat experiences, such as a cruise or spiritual retreat, are favored by Pisces as well as hospitals, prisons, and other institutions in which individuals withdraw from daily life.

Jupiter in Pisces

Sometimes the wisdom of Pisces can be a little hard to access – its language is not the language of the exterior world but of images, synchronicities, and sensations.  But Jupiter is a great conduit for the wisdom of Pisces, as it translates the abstract whisperings into societal codes and philosophies.  Jupiter provides access to deep wells of wisdom inside each of us and encompassed by all of us.

Where should you look for business opportunity when Jupiter is in Pisces?  A general, and partial,  list includes:

  • Artistic or spiritual endeavors
  • Collectives and cooperatives
  • Forging connections between people and opportunities
  • “Crowd-sourcing”
  • Providing opportunities for artistic expression among employees
  • Collaboration, sharing, coordination, and cooperation
  • Emotional connectivity across borders
  • Publishing opportunities in the fields of art, yoga, mysticism, and collective efforts such as twelve-step programs and other grass-roots movements
  • The health care industry, the military, or other large institutions
  • Development and sales of liquids of all kinds, including perfumes, oils, and cosmetics

 

Jupiter in Pisces for you

In this section I’ll outline where you should look for business opportunities, depending on where Jupiter is transiting in your natal or business chart.  Wherever the sign of Pisces is in your natal chart will be an area of expansion and opportunity for you this year.  You’ll need to have a copy of your chart to see which house Jupiter will be transiting this year.  See the sidebar if you’d like me to send you your chart with the current transits.

1st house – with Jupiter passing through your first house, people will feel and resonate with your  sensitivity and generosity.  You will exude confidence and optimism and people will be drawn to your energy.  Overcome your tendency to retreat and the opportunities will come.

2nd house – with Jupiter passing through your second house, you will intuitively know how to build your material fortune.  If you use discrimination, you will make the wise gamble and it will pay handsomely.   

3rd house – your opportunities come through the field of education, especially in art, design, or fashion.  Find a way to pass on your knowledge or learn something new yourself.  Learning and teaching, as well as writing and/or publishing, brings business expansion now. 

4th house – your intuition is heightened about real estate or house wares, so if that’s a fit for you, go for it.  Just promise me you’ll read the fine print before you sign.

5th house – the arts, creativity or businesses focused on children are important for you to invest in now.  Take a gamble and try something risky.  You’ll have the charisma to carry it off.

6th house – your day-to-day life holds opportunities for you, especially if you find ways to serve others.  If you have the opportunity to mentor or advise others, go for it.

7th house – partnerships!  Get together and collaborate with someone else and your business will boom.  Don’t be naïve though.  Check references and background thoroughly and get all of your agreements in black and white.

8th house – this is a good time to attract other people’s money or resources into your business.  People trust you will handle their finances with sensitivity and discretion.  Invest wisely, and make sure all expectations are clearly stated and agreed to beforehand.

9th house– opportunities to do business overseas promise success.  Spread yourself over multiple projects and also look to contracts with learning institutions.  Extend yourself into publishing if that’s a fit for you.

10th house– The sky’s the limit for you as long as you stay sensitive to the currents around you.  This time should be brimming with opportunities for success – if you grab them.  Get out in public with perceptive confidence and crowds will beat a path to your door.

11th house– your opportunities lie in groups, societies, and associations.  Either find a way to collaborate with large numbers of people on creative projects, or advertise your products or services through a social network.

12th house– You may be inclined to retreat for a while and this is fine.  It’s time for some inner work and redefining of your goals.  But if you do seek opportunity, large institutions like the government or healthcare systems are perfect avenues for sharing your wisdom.

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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