Posts Tagged Pisces

Pisces Leadership – Albert Einstein, in his own words

Hello everyone.

I hope you’ll enjoy this post as much as I enjoyed putting it together.  It’s a continuation of our Leadership through the Signs series featuring Piscean Albert Einstein.  From our past posts we’ve gleaned some essential qualities of the Piscean temperament which I’ve listed below.  For each of these Piscean qualities I’ve included a quote by or about Albert Einstein which elucidates the keywords.

Albert Einstein in 1931. (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

Most of the Einstein quotes I found in Wikiquotes and are sourced there.  There are a couple of other sources I’ve cited as well.  Have fun with this look at this fascinating Piscean.

1.  Pisceans operate from an instinctual, connected space, tapped right in to the wisdom of all.

I was sitting in a chair in the patent office at Bern when all of sudden a thought occurred to me: If a person falls freely he will not feel his own weight. I was startled. This simple thought made a deep impression on me. It impelled me toward a theory of gravitation.

2.  Pisceans find freedom through spiritual orientation.

Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible concatenations, there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion. To that extent I am, in point of fact, religious.

A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “Universe”, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

3.  Pisces is the most sensitive sign of the zodiac, emotional and introspective.

I was particularly won over by his sweet disposition, by his general kindness, by his simplicity, and by his friendliness. Occasionally, gaiety would gain the upper hand and he would strike a more personal note and even disclose some detail of his day-to-day life. Then again, reverting to his characteristic mood of reflection and meditation, he would launch into a profound and original discussion of a variety of scientific and other problems. I shall always remember the enchantment of all those meetings, from which I carried away an indelible impression of Einstein’s great human qualities. Louis de Broglie, New Perspectives in Physics.

Einstein in 1921. (Source:Wikipedia)

4.  Pisceans need to retreat from contact with the world in order to retain their equilibrium.

Bear in mind that those who are finer and nobler are always alone — and necessarily so — and that because of this they can enjoy the purity of their own atmosphere.

My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities.

Although I am a typical loner in daily life, my consciousness of belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty, and justice has preserved me from feeling isolated.

I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.

… apartness became a practical  necessity to him, in order to  protect his cherished privacy  from a world hungry for legend  and charisma. Abraham Pais, Subtle is the Lord: the Science and Life of Albert Einstein.

5.  Like all mutable signs, Pisceans display a desire to find knowledge and with their flexible and adaptable approach, they are not only able to find new knowledge but also have the ability to use it.

I want to know how God created this world. I’m not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts, the rest are details.

6.  Pisces can empathize and understand, blending their energy with all things.

The state of mind which enables a man to do work of this kind is akin to that of the religious worshiper or the lover; the daily effort comes from no deliberate intention or program, but straight from the heart.

7.  In their highest state, Pisceans operate without limitations, distinctions, or judgments.

I am by heritage a Jew, by citizenship a Swiss, and by makeup a human being, and only a human being, without any special attachment to any state or national entity whatsoever.

People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.

I have only two rules which I regard as principles of conduct. The first is: Have no rules. The second is: Be independent of the opinion of others.

Special Relativity. (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

8.  The glyph for Pisces signifies the world of duality and the Piscean constant intention to find unity.

All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.

Even though the realms of religion and science in themselves are clearly marked off from each other, nevertheless there exist between the two strong reciprocal relationships and dependencies.

I have found no better expression than “religious” for confidence in the rational nature of reality, insofar as it is accessible to human reason. Whenever this feeling is absent, science degenerates into uninspired empiricism.

His analysis of [the] fluctuations in blackbody radiation led him to become the first to state, in 1909, long before the discovery of  quantum mechanics, that the theory of the future ought to be  based on a dual description in  terms of particles and waves. Abraham Pais, Subtle is the Lord: the Science and Life of Albert Einstein.

9.  With their ability to look in two directions, Pisceans build bridges from the past to the future.

…nearly a decade before the discovery of modern quantum mechanics, he had been the first to understand that the nineteenth century ideal of causality was about to become a grave issue in quantum physics. Abraham Pais, Subtle is the Lord: the Science and Life of Albert Einstein.

10.  Pisces are consistently humble and sometimes self-deprecating.

Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.

Since the mathematicians have invaded the theory of relativity, I do not understand it myself anymore.

I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one. I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being.

I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.

11.  Pisceans understand that power is not personal, and it comes from the seat given by the public.

Einstein’s company was comfortable and comforting to those who knew him. Of course, he well knew that he was a legendary figure in the eyes of the world. He accepted this as a fact of life. There was nothing in his personality to promote his mythical stature; nor did he relish it. Abraham Pais, Subtle is the Lord: the Science and Life of Albert Einstein.

Einstein in 1904. (Source:Wikipedia)

12.  Pisces has a reputation as the dreamer, the artist, someone who hears distant chimes from the ethereal world.

I believe in intuition and inspiration. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research.

When I examine myself and my methods of thought I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.

There comes a time when the mind takes a higher plane of knowledge but can never prove how it got there. All great discoveries have involved such a leap.

The supreme task of the physicist is to arrive at those universal elementary laws from which the cosmos can be built up by pure deduction. There is no logical path to these laws; only intuition, resting on sympathetic understanding of experience, can reach them.

If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music… I do know that I get most joy in life out of my violin.

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

13.  Pisces, the synthesizer:   In the words of Piscean Steve Jobs, “Creativity is just connecting things.”

A new idea comes suddenly and in a rather intuitive way. But intuition is nothing but the outcome of earlier intellectual experience.

14.  Many Pisceans exhibit an intoxicating charisma.

Genius.  Absent-minded professor.  The father of relativity.  The mythical figure of Albert Einstein – hair flaming in the wind, sockless, wearing an oversized sweatshirt, puffing on his pipe, oblivious to his surroundings – is etched indelibly on our minds. Michio Kaku, Einstein’s Cosmos, How Albert Einstein’s Vision Transformed Our Understanding of Space and Time.

15.  Pisceans have a natural aversion to hierarchies.

Through the reading of popular scientific books I soon reached the conviction that much in the stories of the Bible could not be true. …Mistrust of every kind of authority grew out of this experience, a skeptical attitude toward the convictions that were alive in any specific social environment — an attitude that has never again left me, even though, later on, it has been tempered by a better insight into the causal connections.

However, in his personal and scientific conduct, he was not a rebel, one who resists authority, nor … a revolutionary, one who aims to overthrow authority. Rather, he was so free that any form of authority but the one of reason seemed irresistibly funny to him. Abraham Pais, Subtle is the Lord: the Science and Life of Albert Einstein.

16.  Pisceans have the gift of recognizing the simplicity which undergirds the apparent complexity in the world.  They can often see right into the heart of a matter.

It can scarcely be denied that the supreme goal of all theory is to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience.

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity.

17.  Pisceans have faith in human ingenuity.

The important thing is not to stop questioning; curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when contemplating the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of the mystery every day. The important thing is not to stop questioning; never lose a holy curiosity.

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

Beautiful, right?  He exemplifies these Piscean qualities so well.  And that last quote puts into words the reason for this series – finding the authentic qualities of each sign so each of us can bring our best to leadership.

So now it’s your turn.  What would you tell a Pisces just stepping into a position of leadership?  And remember, leadership can be from the team captain on the softball field to the CEO.  What do you think is the one essential point a Pisces needs to remember to be true to their most authentic leadership style?

If you missed the prior posts for Pisces leadership, here are the links:

Pisces Leadership – Dipping our Toes in the Water

Pisces Leadership – George Washington

Pisces Leadership – Steve Jobs

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For an Intro to Sun Signs and Leadership see this link to my other blog!

Have you seen my new blog? Discussing all things astrological, for anyone interested in real-life astrology, check out Ellen Longo’s Astrology Blog.

Do you have a question for Ellen? See the “Work with Ellen” tab at the top of this site for my Straight to the Point Response service.

For an overview of the month, see Astro4Business Month Ahead – March 2011

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

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Pisces Leadership – Steve Jobs

Hello, everyone.

Steve Jobs with iPhone, 2010. (Source:Wikipedia)

Part savvy businessman, part artist, Steve Jobs is an excellent example of the Pisces attributes in a leadership role.  An iconic figure, we’ll look at his leadership style in our evolving study of the zodiac signs for leadership.

In this series, as we progress through each month’s zodiac sign, we’re exploring the essential leadership qualities for that sign.  We’re doing this by looking at real life examples of established leaders whose birthdays fall into each particular sign.  We’re testing the principles of textbook astrology and adding a few guidelines of our own as we discover them.  The purpose of the project is to recognize the leadership qualities we naturally possess and to recognize those qualities in other leaders.

This month we’re exploring Pisces.  If you missed the earlier entries on Pisces Leadership, view them here: Pisces Leadership – Dipping our Toes in the Water;   Pisces Leadership – George Washington. These posts outline the essential qualities of Pisces and what we’ve learned so far.  And don’t miss the comments.  Readers have made astute observations of the Pisces style at work.

There are so many signs and signals of Pisces in Steve Jobs’ career, it’s hard to narrow them down to just a few.  We’ll focus on these:

  1. Pisces, the artisan
  2. Pisces, the synthesizer
  3. Pisces, the collaborator
  4. Pisces, from complexity to simplicity

Note:  Many of the points in this piece I have gleaned from the excellent Inside Steve’s Brain, by Leander Kahney.  Other sources will be noted at the end.

Pisces, the artisan

Pisces has a reputation as the dreamer, the artist, someone who hears distant chimes from the ethereal world.  Jobs, born “in San Francisco, California, USA, planet Earth, February 24, 1955” (1) puts his artistic qualities to work with an obsessive love for design, keen attention to advertising, and an unparalleled focus on the customer experience.  Yet obviously, his deep artistic nature is balanced by his ability to capitalize on his creative inspiration.

He brings his artistic touch to each product Apple produces.  He is minutely involved in every aspect of the product, paying attention to all of the details such as the color, the feel, and the function. (2)

And yet it is not the product which is the primary focus, it is the user’s experience of the product.  Jobs is uncannily perceptive about the needs of the customer.  He doesn’t sell a product; he sells a fantasy lifestyle, augmented by a cool technological gadget.  He even involves himself with the design of the packaging materials, believing that the feeling a customer has as he opens the box to set up the new machine is a vital part of the overall experience.

The Piscean love for theater and drama show up in Jobs product introductions:  savvy, much awaited theatrical events, full of fever, anticipation, and Jobs’ stage presence which easily eclipses any of his competitors’ product introductions.

Pisces: two fish swimming in opposite directions. (Source: Wikipedia)

Pisces, the Synthesizer

Along with the other mutable signs, Pisces has the reputation for being scattered and far-flung, lacking focus, accountability, and direction.  Jobs’ leadership style demonstrates the advantages which come from this variety of experience.

“Creativity is just connecting things,” Jobs told Wired magazine. “When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people. . . . Unfortunately, that’s too rare a commodity. A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.” (3)

Like the Pisces symbol of two fish forever connected, Jobs thinks technological creativity and artistic creativity are two sides of the same coin.  When asked by Time magazine about the difference between art and technology, Jobs said, “I’ve never believed that they’re separate.  Leonardo da Vinci was a great artist and a great scientist.  Michelangelo knew a tremendous amount about how to cut stone at the quarry. The finest dozen computer scientists I know are all musicians.” (4)

Pisces the Collaborator

Jobs’ business processes are highly collaborative.  At Pixar, which Jobs bought from George Lucas in 1986 and served as CEO until 2006 when it was sold to Disney, there are no cubicles or offices.  The studio is a large open space with communal design areas.  Adverse to hierarchies, if a script isn’t working, the whole team works together to fix it.  In fact, the Latin inscription of the crest of Pixar University says, Alienus Non Diutius, Alone No Longer.  Could there be a better statement to reflect the unity awareness so common with Pisces?

One of Jobs’ most outstanding traits as a leader is his ability to pick the best people to work with him. The dean of Pixar University says, “[With Jobs leadership] we’ve made the leap from an idea-centered business to a people-centered business.  Instead of developing ideas, we develop people.  Instead of investing in ideas, we invest in people.”  Jobs has an uncanny ability to recognize who are the primary contributors in an organization, no matter what their place is on the hierarchical ladder.

His legendary charisma has allowed him to collaborate with Disney, the record labels, and AT&T to push inventive solutions out to the public domain.  John Sculley, the former CEO of Apple Computer, says Jobs is capable of persuading people to do almost anything.  Jobs sounds like Pisces’ ruling planet, Neptune, when people say that he emits a “reality distortion field,” a ring of charisma so strong it bends reality for anyone under its influence.

Steve Jobs holding a MacBook Air, 2008. (Source:Wikipedia)

Pisces, from Complexity to Simplicity

The interests and abilities of a Pisces spread far and wide but in the best case scenario Pisceans have the gift of recognizing the simplicity which undergirds the apparent complexity in the world.  They can often see right into the heart of a matter.  Jobs begins each new product exploration with many, many brainstorming sessions, gathering reams of ideas and inspiration.  Then the winnowing process begins, basically reaching a more and more simplified state as an idea evolves.  He pares the products down to the essential so they are as simple and easy to use as possible.  They are designed to please the customer rather than to impress with technology, bells, or whistles.

Jobs is not an engineer or a programmer himself, nor does he have a business degree or any college degree.  His talent is to truly understand and think like an average customer.  He guides the company to create products which are instantly usable by anyone, which he achieves by meticulous attention to design.

When Jobs was a child he would take complex pieces of machinery, like televisions, and break them down into their simplest components.  He says, “These things were not mysteries anymore.  It became much more clear that they were the results of human creation, not these magical things.” (1)  Jobs has the knack for turning mysteries and magic into beautiful, simple, and overwhelmingly popular products.

What do you see?

As I said, this is a brief overview of the Piscean qualities Steve Jobs brings to the business world.  I think he’s an excellent example to anyone who thinks that the Pisces emotional and spiritual nature precludes business accomplishment.  Like each sign, authentic leadership seems to spring from adhering to the essence of the Sun sign:  to imbibe the qualities more and more rather than reach for those which are more natural to other signs.

Have you seen these qualities in Pisces leaders around your workplace?  If you’re a Pisces, do you identify with these traits of Steve Jobs?  Share your experiences and comments with all of us in the comments section.  You’ll help us gather a complete profile of the Pisces style of leadership.

To see the other posts in this series, see:

Pisces Leadership – Dipping our Toes in the Water

Pisces Leadership – George Washington

Aquarius Leadership – Yoko Ono

Aquarius Leadership – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Aquarius Leadership – Sarah Palin

Sources:

(1)Smithsonian Institution Oral and Video Histories:  “Steve Jobs,” by David Morrow.

(2) Inside Steve’s Brain, by Leander Kahney.

(3) “The Wired Interview:  Steve Jobs,” by Gary Wolf, Wired Magazine.

(4) “Steve Jobs at 44,” by Michael Krantz, Time Magazine.

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For an Intro to Sun Signs and Leadership see this link to my other blog!

To get an overview of the year, check out these posts:

Pluto’s Journey through 2011

Neptune Swimming through 2011

Uranus Flashes through 2011

Have you seen my new blog? Discussing all things astrological, for anyone interested in real-life astrology, check out Ellen Longo’s Astrology Blog.

Do you have a question for Ellen? See the “Work with Ellen” tab at the top of this site for my Straight to the Point Response service.

For an overview of the month, see the Neptune

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Pisces Leadership – George Washington

Hello, everyone.

We’re continuing our series on Leadership through the Signs with Piscean George Washington.

According to Wikipedia, George Washington:

This 1772 painting by Peale of Washington as colonel of the Virginia Regiment, is the earliest known portrait. (Source: Wikipedia)

… was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775–1783, and he presided over the writing of the Constitution in 1787. As the unanimous choice to serve as the first President of the United States (1789–1797), he developed the forms and rituals of government that have been used ever since, such as using a cabinet system and delivering an inaugural address. As President, he built a strong, well-financed national government that avoided war, suppressed rebellion and won acceptance among Americans of all types, and Washington is now known as the “Father of his country”.

Pisces Attributes

George Washington is a fascinating study in Piscean leadership.  This is a list of the textbook attributes of Pisces we are using as our springboard for our learning and discovery.

  • Each sign has its keyword, a phrase which captures the essence of the sign.  The keyword for Pisces is “I believe.”    At the highest level, Pisceans operate from an instinctual, connected space, tapped right in to the wisdom of all.
  • “The only true freedom for Pisces comes through spiritual orientation.  When they are true to their real nature Pisceans have a high and holy destiny and are the true saviors and servants of mankind.” (Isabel Hickey, Astrology A Cosmic Science)
  • “Pisces is the most sensitive sign of the zodiac and emotions are strong and deep in this sign.  They are moody and introspective and hard to understand.” (Ibid.)
  • “Pisceans need to be alone and …retreat from contact with the world in order to retain their equilibrium.” (Ibid.)
  • “[Pisceans] never feel that they do enough so they often overwork, putting stress and strain on the physical body.” (Ibid.)
  • “The mutable signs (Pisces is the mutable water sign) express themselves as a desire to find knowledge; and with their flexible and adaptable approach, they are not only able to find new knowledge but also have the ability to use it. They bring new ideas, new facts and new ways of seeing things into the world view of the tribe.” (Bernadette Brady, The Zodiac:  Urban Tribes)
  • “Pisces is a water sign, thus [they are] empathic, [they feel] the emotions of others or of patterns. They can empathize and understand, blending their energy with all things. To them the world and its events are a feast of omens and signs.” (Ibid.)
  • Mutable water indicates the quality of…nourishment – flowing everywhere, without limitations, distinctions, or judgments. (Eric Meyers, Elements and Evolution)

(The sources cited in this post are listed at the bottom of this article.)

Depiction by John Trumbull of Washington resigning his commission as commander-in-chief. (Source: Wikipedia)

“Every post is honorable in which a man can serve his country”

The first two points on our list above were certainly true for Washington.  Washington’s life was devoted to service, much of it in opposition to his personal desire for the life of a planter and farmer.   He believed that, “There is a destiny which controls our actions, not to be resisted.”  (1)  He forever characterizes the Pisces willingness to subordinate narrow, personal interests to a larger cause.

He also expected the same of his countrymen.   In his Farewell Address announcing he would not seek a third term of presidency, he pled for a politics of consensus and warned against single-issue political movements and against the separation of America into racial, ethnic, or gender-based constituencies. (2)

“I had rather be in my grave than in my present situation”

Washington also had his share of the third point, the point about being moody, introspective, and hard to understand.  He was a sensitive, complex figure, full of pent-up passion. (3) He was also consistently self-deprecating.  When he accepted formal command of the Army in 1775, he said, “I beg it may be remembered … that I this day declare with the utmost sincerity, I do not think myself equal to the command I am honored with.” (1)  In his final two years after retiring from the presidency he lived with the fear that his vision for the country for which he had sacrificed his life would be undone by sectional interests and the union would fail. (2)

He was known for his rare, but unassailable, temper and for depression during command of the army. (4)  You can hear his weariness as well as a measure of self-pity while addressing his officers, “Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for, I have grown not only gray, but almost blind in the service of my country.” (1)

Biographer Joseph J. Ellis says that Washington was “an inherently stiff and formal man who cultivated aloofness and possessed distancing mechanism second to none.” (2)  And Biographer Ron Chernow adds, “From boyhood, Washington had struggled to master and conceal his deep emotions. When the wife of the Brit­ish ambassador later told him that his face showed pleasure at his forthcoming departure from the presidency, Washington grew indignant: ‘You are wrong. My countenance never yet betrayed my feelings!’” (3) This is a common face of the Pisces character:  the ultra-sensitivity masked by aloofness and practicality.

“To quit a peaceful abode”

The fourth point about the need to retire periodically was a very strong feature of Washington’s life.  He retired to his farm several times after accomplishing a duty for his country’s cause, and he regularly swore not to return to public life.  His fellow countrymen constantly drafted him back to service.  He finally retired only two years before his death.

Portrait by Gilbert Stuart. (Source: Wikipedia)

As he was about to assume the office of President for the first time, he commented to General Henry Knox, “My movements to the chair of Government will be accompanied by feelings not unlike those of a culprit who is going to the place of his execution: so unwilling am I, in the evening of a life nearly consumed in public cares, to quit a peaceful abode for an Ocean of difficulties.” (1)

“To compare the opinions of those in whom I confide”

The last three bullet points above are illustrated by Washington’s reliance on collaboration.  From his earliest days in the Army he developed a methodology of gathering contributions from his advisers as a means to decision-making.  The Cabinet still used today in the U.S. Presidency was established by Washington to pursue his familiar method of information gathering and decision-making.  He said, “I am anxious, always, to compare the opinions of those in whom I confide with one another and these again with my own, that I may extract all the good I can.” (2)

And this reliance on collaboration formed the bedrock of his belief in the ability of thirteen separate states to operate as a union.  He wanted Americans to think of themselves as a collective unit with a common destiny.  In Piscean fashion, he could see that the nation’s “essential interests are the same…its diversities arising from climate and from soil will naturally form a mutual relation of parts” and serve as the formulation for “an affectionate and permanent Union.” (2)

“The external trappings of elevated office”

Now we’ll start to develop some other attributes which are clear from Washington’s leadership style and test them against the subsequent Piscean leaders we will study.

One of the most interesting aspects about Washington was his deep understanding of himself as a symbol for the country.  In his day, he was the most popular and familiar face in the country.  His image was everywhere, in paintings, prints, lockets; on coins, silverware, and plates. (2)  He “clothed the revolutionary rhapsodies in flesh and blood, American’s one and only indispensable character,” and he knew it.  He drove around Philadelphia in an ornate carriage drawn by six cream-colored horses. (1)

He completely understood though that his power belonged to the office the people had given him and not to him personally.  Because of his periodic retirement from public life, he was a “leader who could be trusted with power because he was so ready to give it up.” (2)  In his own words he demonstrates his understanding that his life is a symbol for the collective consciousness of the people when he says, “All see, and most admire, the glare which hovers round the external trappings of elevated office. To me there is nothing in it, beyond the luster which may be reflected from its connection with a power of promoting human felicity.” (1)

He did not use the power of the office to seize personal power as he could have.  As Scott Simon of NPR says, “George Washington could have been a king. He decided to be a citizen. No crowds massed. No bands played.” (5)

Thank you, George

A life like George Washington’s cannot be summed up in a few bullet points.  But I think we can begin to see Piscean leadership in action:  spiritual orientation becomes the willingness to operate within an institution to serve the whole; sensitivity and need for retreat becomes the need to harness emotions and retire often to places of refuge; the flexibility inherent in all of the mutable signs becomes collaboration; the ability to blend with everyone and everything becomes the ability to carry a position of authority without personal interest.

Please leave your comments, questions, and further points on Pisces leadership.  I’d especially love to hear from Pisces people as to whether you resonate with the qualities above.

Readers made excellent points in the introductory piece of this series.  If you missed them, be sure to check them out.  Here’s the link to that post.  Piscean Leadership – Dipping our Toes in the Water

Sources:

(1)   Wikipedia, “George Washington”

(2)   Founding Brothers, The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis

(3)   Washington, A Life, by Ron Chernow

(4)   “’Washington: A Life’: The Person, Not The Persona” by Glenn C. Altschuler, NPR

(5)   “George Washington:  Strong Man, but No Strongman” by Scott Simon, NPR

To see the other posts in this series, see these links:

Pisces Leadership – Dipping our Toes in the Water

Aquarius Leadership – Yoko Ono

Aquarius Leadership – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Aquarius Leadership – Sarah Palin

***********************************************************************

For an Intro to Sun Signs and Leadership see this link to my other blog!

Have you seen my new blog? Discussing all things astrological, for anyone interested in real-life astrology, check out Ellen Longo’s Astrology Blog.

Do you have a question for Ellen? See the “Work with Ellen” tab at the top of this site for my Straight to the Point Response service.

For an overview of the month, see the Astro4Business Month Ahead – February 2011

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Tags:

Pisces Leadership – Dipping our Toes in the Water

Hello, everyone.

Pisces: two fish swimming in opposite directions. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Sun has moved into Pisces and we move on in our Leadership through the Signs series.  In this series, as we progress through each month’s zodiac sign, we’ll explore and uncover the essential leadership qualities for each sign.  We’ll do this by looking at real life examples of established leaders whose birthdays fall into each particular sign.  We’ll test the principles of textbook astrology and add a few guidelines of our own as we discover them.  The purpose of the project is to recognize the leadership qualities we naturally possess and to recognize those qualities in other leaders.

First let’s define what we mean by a leader.  The American Heritage Dictionary defines a leader as 1) a person who leads others along a way; a guide, and 2) one in charge of or in command of others.  For our purposes, we’ll take both definitions and apply them to business life.  In this series we’ll look at thought leaders, political leaders, business leaders, sports figures, and a few of us regular people too.

This month:  Pisces

I had an interesting experience searching for leaders born under the sign of the fish, Pisces.  Don’t worry; I found plenty.  But it wasn’t easy.  First I looked in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list.  Out of all the birthdays I could find, only one was a Pisces, Michael Dell.  Then I checked The New York Times website for their Corner Office series, in which they interview CEOs and other business leaders each week.  Out of all the interviews there, I found 25 birthdates.  Not one was a Pisces.  I searched my astrology program, Solar Fire, for famous people with Piscean birthdays.  I found lots of politicians, very few business people.

What is this saying?  Stereotypically, Pisces are supposed to be more interested in the realm of spirit and vision than mundane achievement and business.  But I’m sure there are many, many people in leadership positions born under the sign, Pisces.  Perhaps they don’t aspire to the upper echelons of power that would position them for a New York Times or Time Magazine article.  Or perhaps their leadership style doesn’t make them good candidates for interviews.  I’m not sure.

But there are still plenty of examples to work with.  Here are a few Pisces leaders:  Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Edward Kennedy, Andrew Jackson, Albert Einstein, Michelangelo, Alexander Graham Bell.  I’m sure we can mine some gold from this cast.  I’m sorry they are all white males so far, but I will keep looking.  If you know of anyone who would be a good candidate, let me know.

We’ll start with George Washington, the first president of the United States.   But first, let’s list some primary traits of the Pisces nature.  (*See the excerpt at the bottom of this post for more discussion of the sign Pisces.)

What the experts tell us

  • Each sign has its keyword, a phrase which captures the essence of the sign.  The keyword for Pisces is “I believe.”    At the highest level, Pisceans operate from an instinctual, connected space, tapped right in to the wisdom of all.
  • (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

  • “The only true freedom for Pisces comes through spiritual orientation.  When they are true to their real nature Pisceans have a high and holy destiny and are the true saviors and servants of mankind.” (Isabel Hickey, Astrology A Cosmic Science)
  • “Pisces is the most sensitive sign of the zodiac and emotions are strong and deep in this sign.  They are moody and introspective and hard to understand.” (Ibid.)
  • “Pisceans need to be alone and …retreat from contact with the world in order to retain their equilibrium.” (Ibid.)
  • “[Pisceans] never feel that they do enough so they often overwork, putting stress and strain on the physical body.” (Ibid.)
  • “The mutable signs (Pisces is the mutable water sign) express themselves as a desire to find knowledge; and with their flexible and adaptable approach, they are not only able to find new knowledge but also have the ability to use it. They bring new ideas, new facts and new ways of seeing things into the world view of the tribe.” (Bernadette Brady, The Zodiac:  Urban Tribes)
  • “Pisces is a water sign, thus [they are] empathic, [they feel] the emotions of others or of patterns. They can empathize and understand, blending their energy with all things. To them the world and its events are a feast of omens and signs.” (Ibid.)
  • Mutable water indicates the quality of…nourishment – flowing everywhere, without limitations, distinctions, or judgments. (Eric Meyers, Elements and Evolution)

Before we get into specific examples of Piscean leadership, think about the list above and look at the symbols.  What would you say is authentic leadership for a Pisces?  Have you known leaders who embodied these attributes?  What was their management style?  How did they accomplish their goals?

Are you a Pisces?  How well do the above traits represent your essence?  Do you overwork?  Are you sensitive to patterns around you?  Do you bring new ways of looking at the world to your team?

This will be a really interesting sign to explore for business, don’t you think?  Remember to leave your comments as we start our discussion of Pisces Leadership.

For the posts on Aquarius Leadership see:

Aquarius Leadership – Yoko Ono

Aquarius Leadership – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Aquarius Leadership – Sarah Palin

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For an Intro to Sun Signs and Leadership see this link to my other blog!

Have you seen my new blog? Discussing all things astrological, for anyone interested in real-life astrology, check out Ellen Longo’s Astrology Blog.

Do you have a question for Ellen? See the “Work with Ellen” tab at the top of this site for my Straight to the Point Response service.

For an overview of the month, see the Astro4Business Month Ahead – February 2011

*More on 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 in which 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.

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

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Moon in Pisces – Have You Ever Seen the Rain?

Good Day!

With the Moon and Jupiter in psychedelic Pisces joining the Sun in the caverns of Scorpio – it’s just not a day to write!  Too much water, not that I mind a break from all this rationality I usually live in.

So here’s my offering for today, on my mind when I woke up this morning.

Enjoy!

Do you have a question about your business for Ellen? See the “Work with Ellen” tab at the top of this site for my Straight to the Point Response service.

For an overview of the week, see the Weekly Forecast – November 15 – 21

For an overview of the month, see the Astro4Business Month Ahead – November 2010

For more info on the business descriptions of the planets mentioned today, see

The Sun

The Moon

Jupiter

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A4B Today – August 25, Integration

Source:Wikimedia Commons

Good Day!

I’m always fascinated how the business blogs mirror the current planetary configurations.  Today was a great example.  With the Sun in Virgo and the Moon in Pisces, I read an article by Peter Bregman of Bregman Partners, Inc., a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review blog.  The article was titled, “Why Not Having a Plan Can Be the Best Plan of All.”  Even the title is a perfect reflection of this Virgo/Pisces Full Moon.

The Virgo energy generally lives by the motto, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  Pisces can tend more to “if you know what you’re looking for, you look for only what you know.”  This Full Moon can bring this dichotomy to the surface; shine a light on it so we can see where we stand.  And the Full Moon always asks us to balance two opposing viewpoints, to find the still point at which two seeming dualities merge into unity.

Do you tend more to Virgo or more to Pisces?  If Virgo, you would be more inclined to plan every step of your day, your year, and your life.  You feel productive and safe when every penny is accounted for and every task scheduled.  You probably knew what you wanted to be when you grew up, whether or not your life unfolded that way.

If you’re more of a Piscean type, you may tend to dream your way through life, following your inner urgings and watching for signs and signals for what to do next.  Perhaps you’re more like Mark Zuckerberg who had no plan when he started Facebook or Larry Page and Sergey Brin who had no idea in 1996 where Google would eventually go.  A Piscean business approach sees experimentation and meandering as a valid and often successful strategy.

The Full Moon urges us to recognize that each of these approaches works best in service to the other.  Dreaming in service to planning.  Planning in service to dreaming.  Thinking in service to intuition.  Intuition in service to thinking.  Scheduling in service to spontaneity.  Spontaneity in service to scheduling.  If you’re over-weighted in one or the other, can you see a way to bring these into a more constructive alliance?

Here are some quotes that seem to perfectly balance the Virgo/Pisces dichotomy from inspirational writer Napoleon Hill (1883-1970).  Hill was a Scorpio with a Virgo Moon heavily influenced by Neptune, the ruler of Pisces.

  • A goal is a dream with a deadline.
  • Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.
  • First comes thought; then organization of that thought into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.
  • Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true.
  • Reduce your plan to writing. The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire.

Work on integration today!

P.S. Even David Allen, the guru of productive living, sent out his newsletter today with the title, “Let the Lists Fall Where They May!” Seems like he’s under the influence of this Virgo/Pisces Full Moon himself!

Do you have a question for Ellen? See the “Work with Ellen” tab at the top of this site for my Straight to the Point Response service.

For an overview of the week, see the Astro4Business Weekly Forecast – Aug 23 – 29

For an overview of the month, see the Astro4Business Month Ahead – August 2010

For more info on the business descriptions of the planets mentioned today, see

The Sun

The Moon

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Your questions – making the most of the Monthly Forecast

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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Astro4Business Week – February 8

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 gathers together different gods:  Neptune is strong and Mercury active in the skies; the great Lord Shiva from the Hindu tradition and his sacred night, Maha Shivaratri; and Saint Valentine’s Day, a Christian overlay of the earlier festival Lupercalia, which celebrated Juno, the goddess of marriage and fertility.  We have Venus and Cupid decorating the various greeting cards, plus two planets changing signs, and the New Moon!  A packed week, all easy except for a Mercury/Mars opposition, but there’s always something to keep us awake, right?

Monday

Advertisement for Prang's greeting cards, 1883. (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

Advertisement for Prang's greeting cards, 1883. (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

On Monday, Venus conjoins Neptune which tunes you into the subtle wavelengths affecting you and others, particularly your customers.  If you tune in, you’ll sense exactly what the situation requires.  Inspiration becomes tangible today.

Wednesday

Mercury enters Aquarius today, where it will travel until March 1.  Mercury is exalted in Aquarius; expect innovative thinking from yourself and those around you during this time.  This transit particularly favors creative use of technology.  Writing and speaking to large groups is also beneficial, so look for or create those opportunities.

Thursday

Today Venus enters Pisces, the sign ruled by Neptune.  Until March 7 you’ll have unusual access to creativity and inspiration so, as I said in the Monthly Forecast, carry some recording device around with you.  A year’s worth of good ideas could come in the next month, starting today.

Friday

Maha Shiva (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

Maha Shiva (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

Tonight is the annual celebration of Maha Shivaratri, the most auspicious night in the Hindu year.  It is said that one repetition of the great Lord’s name on this night is worth one thousand repetitions at any other time.  Millions of people chant Shiva’s name all night, accompanied by mystical rituals designed to open the path to the innermost Soul.  Whether you celebrate this holy night or not, this vibration will pervade our world. 

This year it will be easier than ever to tune in, as Mercury is forming a harmonious aspect to Saturn.  Mercury represents our thinking and desire to communicate and when it meets Saturn it becomes concentrated and focused.  The mind yearns for solitude during this transit, so you may want to spend time alone.  Great things are born from a quiet mind, especially on Maha Shivaratri!

Saturday

On Saturday, we run into some opposition from others.  Remember, Mars is still retrograde, so if someone is pushing you to take action, your best response is to calmly listen but continue to wait.  Their point may be totally valid, but the timing isn’t right yet.

Later in the day is the New Moon, which will further support non-action.  The day of the New Moon is a time to withdraw and rest in order to prepare for the upsurge of energy coming in the next few days.

Sunday

Victorian Valentine's Card (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

Victorian Valentine's Card (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

Sunday is Valentine’s Day and the Sun conjoins Neptune that day.  I was thinking about how Valentine’s Day always falls in the month of Aquarius.  Aquarius is an air sign so it is concerned with relationships, but it is more about friendships and business associates than intimate partnerships.  When I was a child we gave Valentines to all of our friends and this seems more in keeping with the sign of Aquarius. 

The Sun/Neptune conjunction, as well as Venus in Pisces, will bring sweetness to the day and a desire to enjoy the arts or to spend the day serving others.  Friendship, sweetness, love, art, and service – that’s what I call a good day!

Enjoy the week!

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

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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Signs of our Times: Energyville

Wind PowerHello, everyone.

Today I’m starting a new feature in Astro4Business Intersections.  I haven’t found the perfect name for it yet, but something like, Signs of our Times.  I frequently hear or see things that are perfect examples of some current astrological configuration.  If there is a compelling and long-term transit in the sky we should see it reflected in every part of society, and we do.  In advertising, theater, music, politics, education and every other aspect of life there are numerous examples that express the present time.  Rather than rely on wisdom from Chaldean or Medieval times, we can learn from current astrological examples.

I think this will have important business applications, too.  If we can recognize and really understand the times we live in, we can take advantage of this knowledge to gear our products and services toward these times.  It will also be interesting to begin to sight a major change in the sky in advance through the changes we observe in society around us.  I hope you enjoy this feature and that it helps you think about the current times and how we can best interact with them.

Energyville, from Chevron

Have you seen the ad on “Energyville, from Chevron?”  Billed as “An energy game developed by The Economist Group”, Energyville is an online game that stimulates and educates about how to meet the energy demands of a hypothetical city.  I usually cast a pretty cynical eye at advertising; I especially notice which heartstrings the company is attempting to pull.  But this advertisement and online game is an interesting example of the current Uranus transit through Pisces.

A tagline in the ad is “put your ideas to work”.  This is the realm of Uranus, the realm of ideas, innovation, and inventiveness.  This ad is full of text with no supporting photos of humans, animals, or other emotional content.  This is Uranus, too, the cold, rational process that searches for Truth rather than emotional connection.

Pisces is also apparent.  First of all, Pisces rules liquids such as oil and it generally rules the common needs of society as a whole, such as the need for a source of energy.  Pisces also rules the mature and transitional stage of the business life cycle, which is the stage all of the established energy companies are experiencing now.  In the mature stage of the business life cycle, the peak has passed and the company or industry has two choices:  innovate or terminate.

Uranus in Pisces Innovation

In a prior post we reviewed how Cisco Systems was using Uranus in Pisces type innovation through diversification, committee leadership, global connection, and terminating their internal hierarchies.  Now we’ve got Chevron using another type of Uranus in Pisces type innovation:  inviting all of us to help solve the energy problem through an online game.  In other words, they are attempting to make their mature stage business problem into our problem.  Of course, energy is our problem so I think it’s a brilliant marketing strategy that they are at least attempting to look like they are involving all of us in the solution.

And fundamentally, the approach is valid.  If everyone’s involved, if everyone’s thinking, who knows where the most brilliant solution will come from.  Uranus works in the group mind, often building a spectacular breakthrough simultaneously through many minds at once.  And perhaps making a game of it helps to bring the freshness and spontaneity that provides the ground for true breakthrough in a way that fear of scarcity and guilt about overuse do not.

Rational Uranus.  We’re all in this global village together Pisces.  If you go to the site willyoujoinus.com you can play the game yourself.  There is a feature at the top of the game that shows how many barrels of oil are being consumed in the time you are playing the game.  Now that’s something that does pull at the heartstrings.

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