Astro4Business Intersections

Business success through Astrology

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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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Astro4Business Week – February 8

Feb 7

Posted by Ellen in Astro4Business Week | 1 Comment

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

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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Signs of our Times: Energyville

Dec 9

Posted by Ellen in Businesses in the news, Current Events, Signs of our Times | No Comments

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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Uranus in Pisces – Cisco Systems

Sep 23

Posted by Ellen in Businesses in the news, Uranus in Pisces | 1 Comment

Cisco_logo_svg

AUDIO VERSION:  Uranus in Pisces – Cisco Systems Audio File

Cisco Systems is a name we all know, but few of us know exactly what they do.   During the dotcom boom Cisco was the supplier of most of the gear that guides data through the internet, like switches and routers.  In March 2000 it was considered the most valuable company in the world. Then during the dotcom bust in 2001 much of its stock market value was lost.  In the last seven years, it has responded not only by diversifying its businesses but also reworking its organizational model to meet the new realities of today.

Branching out

A company in the Mature Stage of the business life cycle,  by 2001 Cisco’s core business had already peaked and would never again reach the annual average growth rates it once had.  So the company has developed a strategy to move quickly into new businesses, businesses that can capture the higher rates of growth that are expected at an earlier point in the business life cycle.  This branching out has become institutionalized in the company culture in the last seven years.

The company calls new areas of growth “market adjacencies”.  The CEO of Cisco, John Chambers, gives an interesting clue for this kind of diversification.  Of the thirty or more market adjacencies the company is exploring and investing in, he says he hopes that at least half will be successful.  (Clue #1 for small businesses:  don’t expect everything you try to pay off.)

Cisco’s biggest current bet is on video communication, which it believes will increase tenfold by 2013.  (I believe so too, with Neptune moving into Pisces in 2011, but that’s a different post.)  And Cisco’s not waiting passively by for someone else to develop the technology.  It is planning to push its own video communication tool, TelePresence, into homes, and give “match-day experience” in people’s living rooms. 

Cisco’s TelePresence utilizes high-definition screens, spatially sensitive microphones, custom video-processing technology and networking equipment.  Cisco already uses the TelePresence technology at an impressive rate in its own business, turning videoconferences into approximate face-to-face meetings, 5,500 times a week.  These updated, upgraded videoconferences offer the nuances of body language and tone of voice, allowing coordination and cultivation of relationships among employees across the globe.

“Welcome to the human network”

In addition to and really more fundamentally innovative than diversification into adjacent business lines is Cisco’s restructure of its management process.  Cisco has continually restructured internally, first operating in divisions according to lines of business, then changing to a functional structure.  (The company has a Sun/Uranus conjunction in its chart which indicates its leaders, symbolized by the Sun, are engaged constantly with change, Uranus.) 

Now Cisco has developed an elaborate system of cross-functional committees to bring new products to new markets.  Some of these committees function without a formal leader although there is documented “replicable processes” for how groups are set up and how decisions are made.  Jay Galbraith, a noted management consultant, calls Cisco’s system a “culture of collaboration”. 

There have been drawbacks to this though.  Some people can flourish in a structure like this; lone wolves, as talented as they may be, cannot thrive, and loss of talent ensues.  A fifth of Cisco’s leadership has left the company. 

But Uranus in Aries is coming!

So what do we see here, from an astrological point of view?  This is an excellent example of a company using innovation (Uranus) during the mature and transitional stage of the business cycle (Pisces).  Natural Pisces attributes abound in the story:  diversification to deal with new market forces, committee leadership, and collaboration, as well as global connection, dissolution of structures, termination of hierarchies.

And the risks to this strategy?  If I were their astrologer I would tell them, good job!  You used the Uranus in Pisces time well, taking the last seven years to restructure your business innovatively, both in products and internal culture.  But Uranus in Aries is coming!  The innovation during the next seven years will come through the start-up phase of the business cycle, from the efforts of the entrepreneur, the lone wolf that you just forced out.  The committee/matrix structure will not lead to ongoing innovation.  And the diversification strategy which worked so well with Uranus in Pisces will need to find a single overriding focus as Uranus moves into Aries during the next year.

Over the next two years, we’ll watch Cisco as we go through the transition between Uranus in Pisces to Uranus in Aries.  My hunch is that the current management will not be able to be weather the shift in focus under the weight of all those committees.  They will be forced to segment the company into smaller units to retain innovation and competitive edge.

We’ll wait and see…

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Learning from the Behemoths

Sep 22

Posted by Ellen in Businesses in the news, Introduction to Astrology for Business, Long-term Planning | No Comments

Cover Image, The Economist, August 29, 2009.

Cover Image, The Economist, August 29, 2009.

The August 29th issue of The Economist featured a cover story called “Big is Back:  The Return of the Corporate Giant”.  The magazine cover pictured a huge whale with a tiny person bouncing around on the jet issuing from the whale’s spout – I guess that’s you and me, small business owners.  I was in the airport when I saw it and I had to grab the magazine:  the whale is a key symbol of the sign Pisces. 

With Uranus in Pisces and moving into Aries soon, I’ve been thinking a lot about innovation (Uranus) in companies at the end of their life cycle (Pisces).  What did they do to embrace the energies of Uranus in Pisces?  And how will they transition themselves into the kind of entrepreneurial companies that will survive the transition to Aries?  What innovations are they bringing in now that will carry them over the cusp into the new part of the cycle?

The end or the beginning?

During the Pisces stage of the business life cycle, the business has gotten so big it has begun to come apart at the seams.  At this stage of the cycle, there are so many “hands in the pot” so to speak that the company runs the risk of dispersing in all directions.  The company needs to focus on how to transition from the dissolution stage (Pisces) into the next stage of the cycle, the entrepreneurial stage (Aries).

But The Economist is saying these businesses are not nearing their end but staging a comeback! 

With Uranus having been in Pisces the last seven years, there has been innovation in this part of the cycle that has allowed certain companies to thrive while others have collapsed.  So what innovations have these large companies made that earns them an “end of cycle” feature on the cover of The Economist and an exhaustive study in a major new business book, SuperCorp: How Vangaurd Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth, and Social Good ?  How have they been able to survive?  What will become of them as we move into Uranus in Aries?  And most important, are there lessons we can learn that will help us make the transition as well?

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Professor at Harvard Business School, sums it up this way in SuperCorp:

The best of this breed aspire to be big but human, efficient but innovative, global but concerned about local communities.

Sounds a lot like Pisces to me.

What can the behemoths teach us?

Uranus will be in Pisces only a few more months.  During 2010 it progresses into Aries for five months and in 2011 it leaves Pisces permanently (well, about 80 years) and enters Aries where it will stay for the next seven years.  If we can anticipate the movement into Aries and how it will differ from the last seven years in Pisces, we’ll have a leg-up on the changes and innovations we’ll need to bring to our business in order to stay in touch with the current times.

And since, as The Economist states, “the most successful economic ecosystems contain a variety of big and small companies”, let’s see if there is some synergy we can develop between our small businesses and the behemoths.

Happy whale. (Source:Wikipedia)

Happy whale. (Source:Wikipedia)

In coming posts we’ll look at some of these behemoths and how they have managed to stay viable through innovation.   A thorough look at this phenomena will yield insight into the coming times, beginning next year.  And let’s keep in mind the innovations we have brought to our businesses in the last seven years and how we may need a paradigm shift as Uranus enters Aries.

We’ve all been through this phase, either in our businesses or in other areas of our lives.  The Pisces to Aries transition is marked by dissolution of something that has gotten large and unwieldy and eventually finding that spark of your own individual self that allows you to start over with only your own resources to guide you – your inner pioneer.

So what have we seen in the last seven years with Uranus in Pisces and what is coming when Uranus moves into Aries?

To be continued…

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The Zodiac and the Business Life Cycle – Maturity & Transition

Sep 11

Posted by Ellen in Astro4Business Basics, The Zodiac Signs for Business | 2 Comments

Business Life Cycle

Business Life Cycle

We’ve been looking at the stages in the business life cycle, Start-up, Growth, and Expansion, and correlating them to the developmental cycle of the Zodiac.  In this post we look at the final two phases, maturity and transition. 

In Reframing Organizations. Artistry, Choice, and Leadership , the authors Bolman and Deal perfectly describe the last signs of the zodiac cycle, stating, [with my additions]:

The proliferation of complex organizations has made almost every human activity a collective one.  We are born, raised, and educated in organizations.  We work in them and rely on them for goods and services. [Capricorn]  We learn in schools and universities. [Sagittarius] We play sports in teams. [Aquarius] We join clubs and associations. [Aquarius]  Many of us will grow old and die in hospitals or nursing homes. [Pisces]  We build organizations because of what they can do for us.  They produce consumer goods, bring entertainment into our homes, provide education and health care, and deliver the mail.

Capricorn

Capricorn signifies the beginning of the phase when the business becomes a complex, collective organism or institution. This phase is another major transition for the business, with great rewards.  However the risks are very real.  At this point the business is known in the marketplace and the community.  There is prestige, honor, and success before the public.  There are loyal customers and a significant volume of repeat business. 

Yet, now that the business is so integrated into the overall economy, economic changes due to societal or market conditions can impact sales and profits.  The bureaucracy which has allowed the institution to reach the mature stage has become imbedded in the organizational culture.  This bogs down the entrepreneurial spirit needed to respond to market changes with new products and innovative services.

The business is beholden to and may become run by stockholders, and employees may wield control with collective bargaining.  The business is less and less able to compete with smaller, more responsive competitors.  Capricorn qualities of strength, dependability, persistence, efficiency and practical response to internal and external threats are needed at this stage.

 

Aquarius

In the Aquarian phase the entrepreneur’s original goals of individual self-expression and gain have been left long behind.  By this phase, not only has the bureaucracy made innovation highly cumbersome and unlikely, but the company has become an arena for union activity, employee ownership, and pension obligations.  The social has overtaken the individual.  Costs are high and productivity may stagnate.  If the company attempts to reduce costs, it must fight against entrenched attitudes and the status quo. 

When a company is in the aging side of the lifecycle, it is less likely to be able to call upon traits such as adaptability and flexibility.  These are the “too big to fail” companies and government intervention may shore them up but at a high price in terms of reputation and control.

In order for innovation to be created, it must come from the bottom up, and management must provide the means for employee team contribution.  Or the business may look to collaboration with outside partners and open innovation for new ideas and invention.  Yet this carries risks if outsourced suppliers deliver inferior goods, as was the case with toy company contracts in China.  The Aquarian traits of mental pioneering, and independent, imaginative, creative, thinking are critical to see the company through this phase. 

 

Pisces

The Pisces stage is the transition stage, either to decline or to a new cycle of innovation.  Retiring staff and owners are interested in management succession and exit strategies.  Key employees may break off from the behemoth institution to begin their own start-up activities, taking talented resources with them.    The company may be broken up into smaller divisions in an attempt to reinvigorate the entrepreneurial spirit. 

This is the phase when high costs and declining sales can lead to dissolution.  The company may falter, leaving it open to attack by corporate raiders.  The business retreats from the public eye to retrench, restructure, or terminate.  A successful retrenching will allow the giant company to retain the competitive advantages of its size while discovering and harnessing the entrepreneurial talents of individual contributors.

This leads the business to the start-up phase again, as our Zodiac wheel turns to Aries.

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