Astrology - Grand Cross & Great Depressions, from 2006

[TiKi]

Interesting read if you could get past all the astrology jargon.


http://www.marketforum.com/?id=87780...Cfont%20color=

Jake Frey - Sat Nov 4 2006 at 11:05 AM

The 76.6-Year Cycle

What appears most likely is that the overall economy will not be brought down by one dramatic stock market crash as happened in 1929, but rather that a series of stock market crashes will lead into the next great depression. These stock market crashes will most likely begin in late 2006 and become increasingly severe by the summer and autumn of 2008 when a Saturn-Uranus opposition will hit the US Mars-Neptune square, throwing financial markets into crisis and impacting the world's monetary system.

Ancient Maya astrologers discovered a 76.6-year economic cycle. Calculations depend on what tops or bottoms are used to measure. Measured from 1930 when the economy last began sinking into a great depression, the next great depression is due to begin in the summer of 2006, seventy-six and a half years later. We might, however, measure from 1931 or 1932 or 1933 when the overall economy was bottoming. But cycles are often distorted by the irrational optimism of speculative bubbles, and/or the irrational pessimism of cyclical lows.

It is because the next Uranus-Pluto square is due to come within orb around mid-2008 that I predict the coming great depression will be evident by then. It will begin with trouble in the stock markets and financial system and spread to impact the whole economy. Stock markets can crash without taking down the whole economy--if they recover reasonably soon after a crash. What I look for, based on astrological markers coinciding with past crashes, is a series of crashes beginning in late 2006 and climaxing in the summer and autumn of 2008. This series of crashes is likely to trigger a transformation of the world's monetary system. It is shaky now, with the dollar poised to be replaced by the euro as the world's currency of choice.

Exactly when the resulting economic contraction will be declared a great depression is hard to guess. Panic is likely to have some declaring a great depression before the downturn has bottomed and extended enough to qualify. Die-hard boosters, on the other hand, are likely to cling to unrealistic optimism. The coming hard years may not be officially designated a great depression till after the fact.

Aristotle on Money

We humans have been dealing with economic problems for millennia, of course, and it was Aristotle's words about money that have been most enlightening down through time. Aristotle said, "Money exists not by nature but by law." (Ethics). Of usury, he said, "The most hated sort of (wealth getting), and with the greatest reason, is usury, which makes a gain out of money itself and not from the natural object of it. For money was intended to be used in exchange but not to increase at interest. And this term interest (tokos), which means the birth of money from money, is applied to the breeding of money because the offspring resembles the parent. Wherefore of all modes of getting wealth, this is the most unnatural." (Politics)

"Aristotle is saying that money in principle is sterile. It does not beget more money the way cows beget more cows, or fields grow grain. He says that usury on money is contrary to the purpose of money, created by society as a measure and medium of exchange. He also attacks usurers based on his observations of their bad behavior and character." ( The Lost Science of Money by Stephen Zarlenga, American Monetary Institute, 2002)

What weighed upon Aristotle is that the purpose of money can be so easily perverted. Two trillion dollars a day are now traded in the foreign exchange market--money giving birth to more money. The top 100 corporations now make more from currency trades than from the products they produce. Never before in known history has usury been so glorified and profitable. Historical evidence proclaims that a monetary system that does not benefit all sectors of society is doomed.

I will sidestep the issue of the Winter Solstice 2012, the day the Maya Calendar ends, signifying to some an "end of the world." Since the Spanish priests of the 1500s destroyed as many Mayan records as they could get their hands on, it's possible that the Maya Calendar does not really end at dawn of the Winter Solstice 2012--only their known records end. There have been previous end-of-world predictions but we humans are still very much here. In any case, the Maya were arguably the best astrologers and mathematicians humanity ever produced, and their cyclical economic forecasts have proven accurate beyond the 1500s into the present day. Therefore, we must assume that the Solstice of December 2012 will mark a major turning point in human history. (For more about ancient Mayan economic astrology, see "Maya Time and Money" by Robert Gover at www.stariq.com .)

Uranus-Pluto Squares Past

Uranus-Pluto cyclical conjunctions occur approximately every 127 years. They then move from 0 degrees conjunct into 90-degree waxing squares, 180-degree oppositions, and 270-degree waning squares. When these aspects do not directly impact sensitive points in the USA's natal chart, they've had less impact on American history. But when they have hit sensitive points---either the Sun-Saturn square or the Mars-Neptune square--Uranus-Pluto hard angles have had major impacts, even before the USA was "born". What follows are some examples.

The last conjunction was exact in 1964-65. It was within orb most of the 1960s into the early 1970s, and was conjunct the US Neptune (thus also square the US Mars). During the mid-1960s, Saturn moved opposite this Uranus-Pluto conjunction, square the US Mars. We now refer to this period simply as "The Sixties," meaning social uprisings and burning cities, the civil rights and antiwar movements, the alternative culture movement, women's liberation, Black Panthers, and an amazing rash of assassinations: President John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Robert Kennedy as he ran for President, and a long list of less famous people. Although these years can by no means be called a great depression, the long-range effects of the social upheavals are still with us, and will acquire new life as the upcoming Uranus-Pluto square tightens.

The previous Uranus-Pluto conjunction in the first decade of the 1900s was followed by the waning square coinciding with the 1930s great depression. Pluto was in Cancer conjunct the US Sun and then Mercury, roughly opposite where it will be during the 2000-teens. Uranus was where it will be again, in Aries opposite the US Saturn.

The square of the 1750s, coincided with the French and Indian War in the American Colonies and the Seven Years War worldwide. Most Indian nations sided with the French and used "terrorist" tactics. For the two colonizing monarchies, this was another in a series of armed conflicts, with England acquiring most of North America from the French, establishing British language and culture in what became the USA. For native-born Americans of the 1750s, it was a much more devastating time, as it was followed by more British immigrants who drove Indians from their tribal territories. Some historians cite this war as the beginning of the colonists' movement for independence, which culminated with the American Revolutionary War 20 years later. Pluto was in Sagittarius opposite where the US Mars would be when the USA was "born" two decades later. Uranus was in Pisces, opposite where the US Neptune would be.

In 1676, Uranus was in Aries and Pluto in Cancer afflicting points where the US Sun-Saturn square would be a hundred years later. This coincided with an uprising called Bacon's Rebellion in the Virginia Colony. The essence of this uprising--to summarize a complex series of events--was the uniting of African slaves and English indentured servants under the leadership of a planter named Nathaniel Bacon. The aristocracy of Jamestown fled to what is now the Delmarva Peninsula as Bacon's militia burned Jamestown to the ground. The outcome was the seeding of American racism by color-coding of the working class into White and Black. Indentured servants were upgraded while African slaves were scapegoated: "Divide and conquer."

Mixed Effects

What this brief review suggests is that the upcoming period from 2008 to 2019 can be expected to be more tempestuous than any previous--because this Uranus-Pluto square will form a grand cross with the US Sun-Saturn square. Also, this grand cross will be within a degree of exact during the mid-2000-teens. By March 2015, Uranus will be at 15 Aries (opposition the US Saturn at 15 Libra) while Pluto will oppose the US Sun from 15 Capricorn. Its exactness will resemble the Uranus-Pluto square of the French and Indian War, and also the square of the 1930s great depression years. Because it will follow the conjunction of The Sixties, it can be expected to dredge up leftover issues from that decade.

As authors of financial newsletters like to point out, past performance is no guarantee of future performance. And, as scientists like to point out, astrology has a shabby reputation and cannot be scientifically verified--there is no known cause-effect medium. As for correlations, it takes 30 duplications to satisfy science but every repeating planetary cycle occurs in an ever-changing celestial environment. Since every moment in cosmic time is unique, duplication is not possible. The ancient belief is that the planetary influences work invisibly from the causal plane outward, manifesting as ever-changing conditions. This invisible, causal realm is sometimes called "domain of the gods and goddesses." What we have figured out about this realm has been passed down to us in mythologies. Pluto the planet is named for the god of Hades. The most widely known myth about him is the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. The planet Pluto "is ruler of all hidden things, including karma, occult knowledge, depth psychology, magic, sex and the procreative urge, healing, kundalini, transformation, and death...it is the energy that fuels all those hidden primordial drives and desires of our human nature, the natural urge to survive...it was discovered in 1930 around the same time we discovered plutonium. This volcanic atomic energy is symbolic of the force that Pluto contains." ( The Saturn Pluto Phenomenon by Jay Michaud and Karen Hilverson, Weiser Books, Inc., 1993.)

Uranus demands freedom. In African Yoruba myth, Uranus is the rebellious son of the Sun god, rejecting convention and tradition, seeking the new, original, untried. When negatively aspected, Uranus foments eccentricity, fanaticism, anarchy. He rebels against any authority that would restrict and oppress. When positively aspected, he seeks freedom from ignorance. Uranus is sometimes seen as amoral, breaking ties to the past anyway possible in order to bring progress, improvement. He is said to rule electricity and his name is a synonym for surprise. He brings the unpredictable, unprecedented. The intensity and ingenuity of the antiwar movement of The Sixties astounded and baffled authorities, and dethroned two Presidents, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. From an astrological perspective, this was the result of Uranus and Pluto conjunct, combining energies, working together.

Upcoming Uranus-Pluto Square
By April 2014, the grand cross will be formed by Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars, all afflicting the US Sun-Saturn square. Most amazing is that this upcoming Uranus-Pluto square is going to be within orb for most of the 11 years from 2008 to 2019. It isn't due to separate till early 2019. This will be the longest lasting Uranus-Pluto square going back to at least year 1.

What does it mean that Saturn will not be part of the grand cross affliction to the US Sun-Saturn square in 2014? Saturn will have done its damage from the summer of 2008 when it moves opposite Uranus in Pisces, with both afflicting the US Mars-Neptune square, bringing down the stock market and financial system, thus preparing the way for the collapse of the overall economy. Saturn's routines and systems will be in conflict with Uranus' demands for freedom, innovation.

The last time Pluto moved through this area of the heavens was during the years leading up to the American Revolution. It was opposite the US Uranus and square transiting Uranus during the French and Indian War. It came exactly opposite the US Sun in Cancer in 1768, as the British Government was oppressing American colonists and favoring global corporations. Now, the American government oppresses working class citizens and favors global corporations. News travels in seconds now, whereas it took months back in the 1760s and 1770s.

During the early 1930s, the grand cross created by Saturn square Uranus square Pluto was most exact in 1931 at the pit of that great depression, and then dissipated as Saturn moved more swiftly through Capricorn. The damage had been done and sustained economic recovery would not come till the 1940s and World War II. Some historical accounts emphasize that Roosevelt's social programs saved the country from a major rebellion. From another ideological perspective, Roosevelt's programs prolonged the great depression. Police and national guard troops were busy during this decade, putting down rebellious demonstrations and protecting property. According to some, the capitalistic system was saved by the enactment of unemployment insurance, social security, and following World War II the GI Bill of Rights, among many other programs to benefit the disadvantaged.

2010

By 2010 , Pluto and Uranus will form a T-square pattern with Saturn , heralding a collapse of the overall economy. Combined with the USA's natal chart, this T-square creates a grand cross with the US Venus and Jupiter , a prelude to the grand cross that will soon hit the US Sun-Saturn square. By this point, we may or may not describe the situation as another great depression, but the overall economy will definitely be in big trouble.

Pluto, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter and Mercury will all be retrograde at this time, indicating an indecisive interlude. Retrograde means these planets will appear, from our perspective here on Earth, to be moving backwards around the Sun. Of course the planets don't really move backwards--it just looks that way from our point of view. Based on both these planetary configurations and what is building up in the international realm of trade--especially the buying and selling of oil--is big changes in the world's monetary system, which in turn will impact overall economies.

2012

The Winter Solstice of 2012 (and thus the famous Maya "end of the world") will feature the New Moon opposition the US Mars and thus also square the US Neptune. But the more long-range impact will be formed by:

Pluto at 8 Capricorn opposition the US Sun

Uranus square Pluto at 4 Aries, applying to an opposition to the US Saturn.

Saturn at 7 Scorpio casting a helpful 120-degree trine to the US Sun, but

Mar s at 20 Sagittarius opposition a point between the US Sun and Mercury, boosting the Pluto opposition US Sun effects.

Jupiter at 9 Gemini will be conjunct the US Uranus, trine the US Saturn. But given the stress that is likely by this time, Jupiter's expansive effects are liable to be more detrimental than helpful.

2014

By 2014 Pluto at 13 Capricorn square Uranus at 14 Aries will tighten the great depression grand cross with the US Sun-Saturn square to nearly exact. Jupiter and Mars are participating in this grand cross, Jupiter being found at 14 Cancer conjunct Sam's Sun, and Mars at 11 Libra conjunct Sam's Saturn.

2015

By December 2015, Saturn will be moving opposite the US Uranus, and square transiting Neptune, as the grand cross pattern formed by transiting Uranus and Pluto continues to hold the US Sun-Saturn square in its grip, indicating a prolonging of economic troubles and the distinct possibility of a second revolution and/or civil strife. Since the influence of the US "corporatized" government now spans the Earth--and because news travels so much faster now--a second revolution would be worldwide as well as national.

2019

By January 2019, when Saturn and Mars form a grand cross to the US Sun-Saturn square, the Uranus-Pluto square will be moving out of orb. Since Mars moves more swiftly around the Zodiac, this Saturn-Mars square will not last long. Mars will move into Taurus by mid February. By this time, the economy will be poised for recovery, and the very long Uranus-Pluto square will probably have revolutionized some economic assumptions. But there is no guarantee that 2019 will mark the end of this time of troubles. There is the danger that the needed practical changes will be thwarted by ideology, or--with Neptune in Pisces --by religious fanaticism. My optimism that we will emerge better than before is based on a belief in the good-natured practicality of the American people. The nation's ruling elite can be counted on to resist changes, but "events will conspire" to create the needed new balance.

Minimizing the Pain

What can be done to minimize the pain of the upcoming decade?

First, I believe it's important to know that astrology can save us from being totally surprised and "sandbagged." When Uranus brings unprecedented events, knowledge of astrology helps us adjust and cope.

Second, it's important to know that great depressions are the outcome of economic imbalance. Every great depression in US history had been preceded by a new record gap between richest and poorest (concurrent with a speculative bubble). Usury (excessive interest charges or making money from money) is now promoted as a kind of holy grail, ignoring its long history as a destroyer of societies. So the sooner we collectively right the current imbalance, the better. If we don't do this voluntarily, "events will conspire" and conditions will force it.

Unfettered capitalism dramatically expands the economy but creates unsustainable imbalance between Haves and Have-nots. Bureaucratized socialism pulls the impoverished up and narrows the unsustainable gap, but frustrates venture capital and economic expansion. Thus, the question hanging is, what will create a system that enables dynamic capitalism without the imbalance between Haves and Have-nots? A successful resolution of this dilemma would not end cycles of good economic times and bad, but by coordinating with those cycles it would minimize the suffering that has come to be associated with great depressions.

By 2019 , as Saturn moves opposite the US Sun and also square the US Saturn, Uranus and Pluto form a T-square with the US Pluto opposite the US Mercury. One way to read this T-square is that the role of American plutocrats will be surprised and revolutionized.

What wealth buys is status. Like other primates, we humans are status-seekers. We cannot change our instinctive nature, but we can change what we perceive status to be. Looking back through history, it is not those who were the wealthiest who are the most revered, but rather those whose personal contributions proved the most beneficial to future generations. During the 20 th Century, foundations were created by the wealthy to enable gifted individuals, but bureaucratic heads of foundations in search of their own status often foiled this goal. During the 21 st Century, perhaps foundations will be redesigned to dethrone self-serving bureaucrats and find gifted individuals throughout all sectors of society, thus fulfilling the original purpose of this form of wealth distribution.

An Individual Example

Each of us will experience the coming hard years differently, depending on our unique relationship to the cosmos, how we are positioned in society, and our ingrained beliefs. In past great depressions, some individuals prospered and a few founded new family dynasties. I would like to end with an individual example: President George W. Bush. If he survives his presidency and lives through the 2008-2019 years, they will be extremely difficult for him personally.

President Bush was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, CT. This date puts his Sun conjunct the USA's natal Sun. Square that Sun position, Bush has a conjunction in Libra of Neptune, Chiron, Moon and Jupiter. This square will be heavily afflicted by 2014 as shown on the biwheel chart above. His natal Mars-Uranus square will also be caught in a T-square formed by Venus, Chiron and Neptune transiting though Pisces. And his natal Venus will be squared by Mars moving through Scorpio. Thus Bush will be hit by Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, and very exactly by the Uranus-Pluto square.

Ironically, much of the economic mess we will be dealing with by 2014 will have been exacerbated by the Bush Administration's policies, which dramatically increased the rich-poor imbalance. As a devotee of the so-called free-market, Bush merely did what his indoctrination had taught him to do. Unfortunately for him--and for the USA and world--his type of capitalism was out of step with the times.

The wealth spread throughout any society is sometimes depicted as pyramid shaped. When the bottom 80 percent base of the pyramid crumbles, the top 20 percent goes down with it. Bush's tax breaks for the richest, corporate welfare programs, curtailment of social services and plundering of the national treasure to make unnecessary wars crumbled the economic base of America. This presented Uranus and Pluto with a red-carpet welcome. That Bush personally stands to be impacted so fiercely by their upcoming square seems a kind of cosmic justice.