Astrological Forecasts

Chairman Levin, Ranking Member Coburn and Members of the Subcommittee:

Thank you for the invitation to appear before you today as you examine some of the causes and consequences of the financial crisis.

Today, the financial system is still fragile but it is largely stable. This stability is a result of decisive and necessary government action during the fall of 2008. Like other financial institutions, Goldman Sachs received an investment from the government as a part of its various efforts to fortify our markets and the economy during a very difficult time.

(continue reading…)

While most everybody in the media has been down playing the problems at Goldman Sachs, recently, big changes are coming up in their future. Why, one of the ways in which we look into the future of any given companies stock by a method known to astrologers as directing. After all just as people grow, so do charts. Companies have their ups and downs, and directing is one of the easiest way to see those fluctuations in fortune.

There are several different kinds of directions, the one most utilized in the western tradition is called ‘secondary progression.’ When we direct This method takes the planets and luminaries and projects them forward in the sign they are in symbolically. In general, this moves the planets forward (or backwards) in general by ‘ephemeris’ time, which is approximately one day in the ephemeris is equal to one year in the life of the company.

In the situation we have with Goldman Sachs, we have a company that has had vigorous growth since the stock went public in 1999. Moving the Goldman’s stock (GS) forward by secondary direction, we see that the Moon has just come to the same degree as the Sun. Whenever the Moon and the Sun are one in real life, we call a ‘new Moon.’ The reason we call it a ‘new’ Moon is because it is the start of the lunar month. If you watch what takes place at this time, all the old business from last month comes to an end, and brand new focus takes place. The first sighting of the New Moon was so important to the ancients that 1st century CE astrologer, Al-Biruni tells us that the ancient Jews who would send forth their swiftest warriors to the mountain peaks, where they were instructed to build a fire at the very first second that they saw the tiny crescent of the New Moon. This is because our script changes, every time that the Sun and Moon are one, every month.

Because the directed Moon moves so slowly, the coming together of the Sun and Moon is a rare event in a stock’s life, taking place but once every 27 years. When this happens, as it with GS, sweeping changes take place, which set the stage for almost the next decade.  Goldman is going to see heads roll because the coming together of Sun and Moon took place on the dreaded fixed star, Algol, who represents the severed head of the Medusa. It is an indication that it will be hard for GS to get away with the ABACUS scandal as easily as it was able to cover its bad bets back in 2008.

This coming together of the Moon and the Sun is all the more poignant because the sign Cancer is rising on the eastern horizon. This makes the Moon the landlord, so to speak, of the chart. We see the Moon in the main or natal chart is in the devil may care sign of Sagittarius. This sign has a great deal to do with gambling and taking risks of all kinds. This is not surprising given the nature of this company, which is known to create and bet on all kinds of financial instruments. There is nothing controversial about an investment bank taking risks. However, legal problems arise because in the case of GS, it appears that the government, bailed this company out, using taxpayer money to cover for bets that appear that the risk was not fully disclosed to the potential investor.

The investor is the person that the company sells the stock to. This would be the 7th house. Notice when the Moon is in the 6th house, it subverts the customer, because it stands behind the customer, like a predator in the house of self undoing to the potential investor.

With Capricorn on setting in the west, the people who are sold financial instruments will be represented by Saturn. Now, a real problem arises for any potential investor because when we look at the condition of their representative, we see that potential customers are at a great disadvantage because they are not getting the full picture about the risks that they are about to take on because their rep is only 6 degrees shy of the Sun. When the symbolic client is too close to the Sun, they become blinded in the Sun’s glare. They are not given all the facts necessary to make a wise purchase. Even Lilly, made a misinformed decision when he went ahead and bought property, when his own symbolic ruler was in this state. In essence, when we see ruler of the 7th combust, clients get burned. In this case, they also get ‘taken to the cleaners’ given Mars opposition.

Management is full of hot air, promising one thing, and delivering another given Jupiter’s conjunction with Mercury in Aries. Most the money to be made on this stock go to the upper echelon. However, big changes are coming up at GS. Even though reporting huge profits for this quarter, the stock went down. Allegations of fraud are being played down by a complacent media. However, one cannot fool Mother Nature. Given Venus’ placement by direction, this is not GS’s death knell by any means.   Even if the SEC suit turns out to be a slap on the wrist, by Summer, we may see some top heads roll. Will one of those heads be CEO Lloyd Blankfein (born September 20 1954 NYC)?

Stay tuned ….

On Friday, we learned that found out that the all time winner in the ‘get away with financial murder’ department, Goldman Sachs has been sued for fraud by the SEC. You may remember that it was those captains of the universe at GS that created the toxic debt instrument, the Collateral Debt Obligation, better known as CDOs, that nearly wiped out the financial institutions.  GS has a lot of chutzpah, because not only are they said to have helped to create the toxicity, but they also managed to get billions of dollars in  TARP  bailout money.

By Joshua Gallu and Christine Harper

April 16 (Bloomberg) — Goldman Sachs Group Inc. was sued by U.S. regulators for fraud tied to collateralized debt obligations that contributed to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The firm’s shares tumbled as much as 16 percent and financial stocks slumped.

Goldman Sachs created and sold CDOs tied to subprime mortgages in early 2007, as the U.S. housing market faltered, without disclosing that hedge fund Paulson & Co. helped pick the underlying securities and bet against them, the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a statement today. Billionaire John Paulson’s firm earned $1 billion on the trade and wasn’t accused of wrongdoing. The SEC also sued Fabrice Tourre, a Goldman Sachs vice president who helped created the CDOs.

‘ “The product was new and complex but the deception and conflicts are old and simple,” SEC Enforcement Director Robert Khuzami said. “Goldman wrongly permitted a client that was betting against the mortgage market to heavily influence which mortgage securities to include in an investment portfolio, while telling other investors that the securities were selected by an independent, objective third party.”

“Goldman Sachs became emblematic of public outrage at the banking industry after posting a record $13.4 billion profit in 2009, a year after receiving $10 billion in taxpayer aid during the financial crisis.”   More from Bloomberg

Like yours truly, back in 2006 (see Llewellyn’s 2006 Moon Sign Book), Paulson warned investors that the building boom was about to go bust. However, unlike yours truly, Paulson put his money where his mouth was and made a fortune by creating a financial instrument (collateral debt obligation or CDO)  of real estate mortgage based securities (RMBS) that he was betting against.   At first, he lost money, then in 2007, he hit pay dirt – big time. It is estimated in 2007, alone, Paulson & Co. made $15 billion dollars. This transaction, is said to have netted Paulson close to $4 billion dollars.

So where is the fraud?

Not on John Paulson’s part, he has been absolved off all liability in this situation. We need to roll back the clock to 2007. In a nutshell, John Paulson went to Goldman Sachs (as well as other investment banks)  and asked them to ‘create’ (structure) a type of RMBS (special emphasis on the last two letters) that some say was designed to fail. Gary Zuckerman’s book, ‘The Greatest Trade,’ tells us that Paulson shopped around to various banks. Not all of them took the bait.  According to Zuckerman, thinking that Paulson would want especially ‘ugly mortgages,’ Bear Stearns turned him down. There has been the analogy raised that this was like benching your best player, while betting on the opposing team.  While there might be of questionable ethics to create a CDO to fail and then bet against it,  there is hardly anything illegal about that. Investment banks come up with (structure) financial instruments of all types, all the time.

What was the SEC alleges to be fraudulent is that Goldman Sachs,  as well as, their Vice President Fabrice Tourre  not only created the financial instrument, but also prepared the marketing materials, and sold them directly to customers. In addition, and perhaps worst of all, the SEC alleges that Goldman Sachs did not disclose the risk, specifically that hedge fund, Paulson & Co. had a significant bet (short) against this particular financial instrument.

Will this be the end of Goldman Sachs?  Given the heavily restricted resources of the Securities and Exchange Commission and what seems to be the vast resources of Goldman Sachs, I tend to doubt it. However,  given the allegations, it might not be a bad time to check out Goldman Sachs initial public offering. Goldman Sachs went public, that is offered shares in their company stock on May 4th 1999. We use 9:30 a.m., New York, because this is the time that the New York Stock Exchange opened.

Looking at the chart, we see that Cancer rises, making the Moon very important in this chart.  We see that the Moon is in the gambling sign of Sagittarius, placed in the 6th sector of service. In a sense, what G.S. does is to serve the investment community with a host of financial services. The Moon will represent the company, and all who work there.  I have to admit, I was surprised to see a movable sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) rising. The movable signs are so named because they are very changeable. And as such, when we see one of them rise, because of the speed involved, there is a sense of hyper speed up. Companies with movable signs on the rise, see a lot of action, but there is less stability than I would like to see in a company that has this kind of influence on the markets.

The next thing I look for is what planet or luminary has power over the sign rising coming up in the east. In the case of GS, the company and all who work, therein, and because we are talking about an stock,  not a corporation (which has different rules) and all who own a piece of it, (stockholders) instead of something stable, to bring balance, instead, we see the fluctuating Moon.  Aptly, the Moon is in speculative sign, Sagittarius, in the service sector, indeed that is what Goldman purports to do, serve the banking and investment community. The Moon is in a wonderful relationship with its ruler, Mr. Moneybags, Jupiter.  Luck is always important in the realm of big time finance, or else it wouldn’t have gotten this big to begin with. In addition to owning the company, Jupiter has a lot to say about the upper echelon of the company. We might say that Goldman Sachs has friends in high places, as can be clearly seen by Jupiter’s position in the tail end of the 10th house. The revolving door between GS and government is well known. We have several C.E.Os who left GS to become Secretary of the Treasury.  Jupiter will represent management.

The deal in question went on April 26, 2007. What is intriguing to me is that it looks like management (the 10th) was very anxious for this deal to proceed.  I do not know the particulars, but with Mars, the North Node and Uranus sitting in the house of bigwigs, on that fateful day, while the diminishing Saturn sat in the

As this suit comes about,  Jupiter just happens to be cresting at the 10th house of the stock. In traditional astrology, the 10th house is what we pay for things. Since the 10th house is the top of the chart, the noon position, it might suggest that the stock price is peaking.  It is interesting to note that the deal itself,  went down on April 26 2007. If we look at the transiting planets on that day,  it looks like management might have been a bit too anxious for push this deal through with anxious Mars, and Uranus all right up at the top on that day.  In addition, the planet of  bear markets and diminishing returns, Saturn was not only in their money house (2nd) but also square their money ruler… It looks, at least from an astrological point of view that Goldman Sachs was ‘hot to trot’ for this deal. We have to wonder what kind of other deals GS had made back in 2007.  Were they anxious about some other trades, or where they just greedy or was this just business as usual? We will probably never know. What we do know is that in 2007, Goldman was trading upwards of $250, but in March had dropped quite a bit, and what we also know is that Goldman dropped 13% on Friday. There are now probes taking place in both Great Britain and Germany.  Don’t forget that Goldman is a huge player  in China.

To be continued…..

April 1st may be April Fool’s Day, but astrologically, there is no fooling around.

The month starts on Thursday (Jupiter’s day) with the Moon in Scorpio. Scorpio does

not know how to fool around. We have the Moon trine Jupiter, though, so the world

does not have to be deadly serious. And, Venus changes signs and enters Taurus (a

sign it rules). Life may not instantly become better, but at least it can look

better.

Fri Apr 02 Mercury changes signs and enters Taurus, too. This lightens things up,

although perhaps slowing down the pace. The Moon enters Sagittarius, making

impatience even more of an issue. Why rush? Everything is not a race.

Sat Apr 03 the Moon is in Sagittarius when Venus squares Mars. Look at the bigger

picture, and don’t fiercely cling to your opinion.

Sun Apr 04 is Easter Sunday. The Moon enters Capricorn in the evening, and is there

when Venus trines Pluto. Necessary changes can still have some beauty about them.

An hour later, Mercury squares Mars. Resist pointless criticism, especially

self-criticism.

Mon Apr 05 the Moon conjuncts Pluto in Capricorn. A mild Heads Up. Work on

something radically transformative, if only in private and for a few moments.

Tue Apr 06 the Moon is in Capricorn when Mercury trines Pluto. Those necessary

changes may start to make a little sense. That evening, Pluto goes stationary

retrograde. That slight feeling of more security is an illusion, but it’s still

nice.

Wed Apr 07 the Moon enters Aquarius early in the morning. We can look forward to a

month of Wednesdays with the Moon in fixed signs. Think persistence, rather than

stubbornness. Engage in something, and stick with it. Midday, Saturn retrogrades

back into the sign of Virgo. Heads Up. Fear no rewriting or editing task. Nor is

there any fear of being rushed. Good work cannot be rushed.

Fri Apr 09 the Moon conjuncts Neptune in Aquarius. Dream something good for the

mass market. Four hours later, the Moon moves into Pisces. Some of your personal

feelings will resonate with others.

Sat Apr 10 the Moon is in Pisces for a day of sextiles. The Moon sextiles Pluto in

the early morning. This can take away the worst of the sting from some unwelcomed

change. Mid-afternoon, the Moon sextiles Mercury. It becomes easier to present a

difficult idea to even difficult people. Evening, the Moon sextiles Venus.

Regardless of how the day went, it now has the warm inner glow of a glass of wine.

Take gentle assistance where you find it.

Sun Apr 11 the Moon conjuncts Jupiter in Pisces. Swim with the big fish today.

Mon Apr 12 the Moon conjuncts Uranus in Pisces. Be careful that you don’t offend

unintentionally. About three hours later, the Moon opposes Saturn retrograde. Any

serious misstep earlier in the day may come back to haunt you. Don’t be knocked off

balance.

Tue Apr 13 the Moon is in Aries all day. Limit feverish activity to your work.

It’s the day before the New Moon. Heads Up. Don’t do anything rash that isn’t

absolutely necessary.

Wed Apr 14 is the New Moon at 24Ari. Begin something that’s expressly for you.

Your passion for it will carry you through to completion.

Thu Apr 15 the Moon is in Taurus all day, conjuncting Mercury in the midafternoon.

It’s Tax Day in the U.S. It’s also, I believe, the 98th anniversary of the sinking

of the Titanic. Way too late for a heads up on that one.

Fri Apr 16 the Moon conjuncts Venus in Taurus. Sit still and savor something you

love. Late that night, the Moon enters Gemini. Look forward to a weekend of

productivity, mental cross-fertilization, and brainstorming. Wait, there’s more.

Heads Up!! Mercury is grinding to a halt in the sky, to go stationary retrograde

tomorrow. Think computer backups, cell phones and all things with batteries well

charged, all the usual electronic, mechanical, transportational, and communicational

things safeguarded. Or maybe it’s as simple as knowing where your checkbook, keys,

Ipod, and notebooks are. Heads Up!

Sat Apr 17 the Moon is in Gemini when Venus sextiles Jupiter. Communicate

gracefully, but with restraint, because eight hours later comes the Mercury

stationary retrograde at 12Tau. Prepare to feel like your brain is slipping into a

deep freeze. Stay calm. Everyone else feels like it, too. Drive carefully. Heads

Up!

Mon Apr 19 the Moon enters Cancer in the early morning. Cravings for home space

fill the mind and heart. That night, the Sun changes signs and enters Taurus. The

need to manically live the life of Aries is over and we can settle deep into

something more substantial and hopefully more comfortable.

Wed Apr 21 the Moon enters Leo. Write with brilliance, willing to take risks with

words and themes.

Thu Apr 22 the Moon conjuncts Mars in Leo. This can be a high energy day. And,

it’s Earth Day. Some of us feel that each day is Earth Day. I mean, where do you

live?

Fri Apr 23 the Moon enters Virgo midday, and about an hour and half later, Venus

squares Neptune. Share criticism and edit with a light hand. That evening, Venus

sextiles Uranus. It’s not too late in the day to be adventuresome.

Sat Apr 24 the Moon is in Virgo when Venus trines Saturn retrograde. Doubts about

earlier efforts will vaporize. Late that night, Venus changes signs and moves into

Gemini. Suddenly there aren’t enough people with whom to share all these luscious

new observations and opinions. Thank goodness for email.

Sun Apr 25 Mercury squares Mars in the very early hours. You can be polite and

still not agree. Later that morning, the Sun trines Pluto. Enjoy the power of your

convictions, especially concerning the upbeat. The Moon conjuncts Saturn

retrograde, then enters the sign of Libra. Tomorrow can be a very satisfying day.

Mon Apr 26 the Moon is in Libra when Saturn retrograde opposes Uranus. Major Heads

Up. If your work needs some major innovation, stop putting it off and just do it.

In the world at large, this aspect suggests that if a big change needs to be done,

there may be less resistance than normal. Be happy about that Saturn retrograde.

Wed Apr 28 we have the Full Moon at 08Sco. This is the stuff of deep-seated

passion. Another Heads Up. Tackle that crucial climax scene with confidence.

Thirty minutes later the Moon opposes Mercury. Let no one interrupt you or talk you

out of it. Four hours later, the Sun conjuncts Mercury retrograde. Take a

well-deserved break from all that mental exercise.

Thu Apr 29 the Moon enters Sagittarius, where it remains through the end of the

month. End on a high note and write big. Feel good about it.

April has a few heavy-duty days in it, but nothing we haven’t weathered before.

Persist in your pursuits. It’s surprising how, long after the fact, you learn that

people not only like what you did but they admire you just for doing it. Don’t lean

on that, though. Don’t lean on anything. Dig in, churn away, and work your way

through to the end. No one can stop you. Be brave, inventive, and even brilliant,

like the flowers of spring. Some of them are perennials, you know. Heads Up!

 

Everything is coming up with green bounty on this St. Patrick’s Day, at least for the banks.

Financial pundits tell us that the market has now managed to climb up and over the wall of worry, better known as the ‘resistance’ level. They tell us, statistically, it is now close to impossible for us to have any sort of a ‘crash’ after 13 months of an up cycle. The  the ‘resistance level’ can be likened to the line of scrimmage in sports. It is created by taking a daily average of whichever index you are studying,  for any given period of time. Whenever the market gets closer to this line of demarcation, it is not unusual to see the bears come out in force,  and the market then tends to pull back. This can happen several times, until finally after a matter of weeks or months, like a football player climbing over bodies, the market rushes in for the touch down.  In bear markets, the resistance level can remain in place for months, years or,  as in the case of post crash of 1929,  even decades.  About a week or so ago, we managed to cross the resistance level on the Standard and Poors 500 (SPX). Now that the resistance level has finally been crossed, investors can breathe a sigh of relief.  According to the math, the odds for another crash of the magnitude of 2008, are now quite minimal.  While this recovery is still very tenuous, the pundits tell us that the odds of having a crash from this point (i.e., one year after  the last down day of the 2008-9 bear market)  are pretty much nil.

As Cramer would say, ‘Boo Rah!

Is it time to ‘go all in?’ Before you get out your savings and cast your fortune to the fates,  I would still be very careful This recovery is a little different than others.

In a rather eerie and solemn warning, money continues to pour out of the US even with the recovery triumphet call getting shriller and shriller by day.

In 2010, investors around the globe have pulled $15.3 billion out of U.S. stock funds, according to data from EPFR Global, which tracks money flows. Meanwhile, roughly $2 billion has gone into emerging-market stocks — after inflows of $65 billion last year — and $20 billion into U.S. bond funds.

Especially notable is the aversion that individual, presumably longer-term, U.S. investors have had to their own stock market.

This year, $4.6 billion has been pulled out of U.S. stock mutual funds, according to the Investment Company Institute, whose data doesn’t include exchange-traded funds. At the same time, world equity funds have taken in nearly $14 billion and bond funds more than $56 billion. This comes after investors pulled more than $53 billion out of U.S. stock funds in 2009. .

This is a far different pattern than in the wake of other recent bear markets, where investors had viewed market declines as a chance to buy cheap stocks that would inevitably rise.”   -The Investing Contrarian… MORE

However, everything is not just coming up roses.  As we have seen the American investor is not investing in the stocks of good old USof A. In addition, there is a growing concern about the rise of ‘naked’ trading.  Naked” access, a controversial trading practice whereby the big traders, like Goldman Sachs, are executing their trades with high-speed ‘super computers.’ It is estimated that more than 40% of U.S. stock trading volume comes ‘naked’ access. Now that term may sound very sexy, but it should be a wake up call to the small investor.  This is like playing black jack in Las Vegas, you are betting against the house. Ever seen the great chess masters try to beat the computer? How fair and robust can markets be when such an enormous chunk of it is being performed by robot computers programmed to move in milliseconds, while the little guy is left to wait?  We might say there are now two sets of rules, one for the big boys and another for everybody else. From all this, it would appear that the recovery is in full swing., for the banks, that is. Bottom line, if you do not have access to high frequency computers to trade for you, be careful out there!

Another thing we should not forget is that we are still enjoying the affects of last year’s positive annual charts.  Depending on which annual chart you prefer,  we either have 9 days left in that cycle, or 4.  Let’s start with the closest, which begins next Monday Pacific Time.

Most western astrologers,  set the beginning of their year at the Vernal Equinox, which takes place the millisecond that the Sun hits tropical Aries.  Also known as the Spring Ingress Chart, it has been looked upon as a major indicator of the upcoming year by astrologers from ancient times. It can tell us everything from how the weather may be in any given season to the financial ups and downs. As great an indicator as the Ingress charts are, Ptolemy also mentions another predictive chart to determine the fates of the coming year.

” I refer to events that happen yearly in connection with the seasons. In the investigation of this subject it would be appropriate first to define the so called new Moon of the year.”

This is a chart which is drawn up for the moment that Moon is one with the Sun. Interestingly enough, while too many westerners have forgotten Ptolemy’s recommendation, astrologers in India, following 5th century astrologer, Varahamihira, still use this chart to determine what is in store for the year ahead.

Since history is a great teacher, let’s take a quick look at last year’s New Moon of the year, to how that chart came to past.

The recovery of the banks  was  clearly indicated by the presence of the very positive Jupiter in the 8th house of banks. In addition,  the very magnetic and very materially positive North Node joins Jupiter in the house of banks. These are two strong indicators of the regeneration of banking.  Notice also that President Obama, as depicted by ruler of the 10th, is ‘in the pocket’ of the bankers as indicated by his emplacement in therein. And as we saw, Obama pretty much allowed the banks to do as they please.

While banks flourished, the buying power of the average citizen diminished.  When Tim Geitner says, ‘we saved the economy, but we kind of lost the public’ he’s not kidding.  So far, the little guy Obama pledged to save, is barely treading water. Notice, the draining South Node in the house of the citizen’s money, the 2nd. Real estate prices remain flat to decreasing, as evidenced by Saturn in the 4th house.  Notice the Moon ruler of the people in any mundane or financial chart, is obscured in the Sun’s rays, and prohibited from contact with money.  It was good for the market because co ruler of the speculative 5th, is trine the Parsfortuna, which resulted in a 70% recovery.

What’s in store for 2010? Stay tuned……

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March 2010

Welcome to March, the month that comes in like a lion. We start on a Monday, with the Moon still in Virgo when Mercury changes signs and enters Pisces. Expect a little indecision when dealing with people. Before today is over, the Moon enters Libra and conjuncts Saturn retrograde. Tomorrow may be more pleasant if more formal.

Wed Mar 03 is a day of finding, and maybe dealing with loose ends. Don’t tackle anything too heavy, unless you work nights, because that’s when the Moon enters Scorpio. Two hours later Venus conjuncts Uranus. Even the quirky may require serious attention. This could bleed over into tomorrow.

Sun Mar 07 the Moon is in Sagittarius when Venus changes signs and starts the zodiac all over again, entering Aries. The world may look fresh and vibrant in a whole new way. Later, Mercury conjuncts Jupiter in Pisces. Eavesdrop discriminately. People are being generous with their good ideas, however ungrounded those ideas may be. (continue reading…)

I don’t have much time, so this has to be brief, but for all my friends, clients and readers, but especially my dear trading buddies, who may be a bit overweight in equities, or ‘long’ etfs; the tide has turned.

Since I so want you all to keep your money, so I am asking each of you to please consider reallocating into more secure positions. If your portfolio is under the guidance of somebody else, please make them aware that market forces are changing. For those who have been trading long, if you have been beaten up, waiting for the recovery to return, try not to be sad. Remember the market goes up, and the market goes down. If you try to go long when you should be going short you lose money. We don’t want to lose money, now do we? Of course not, so if you are long, close your positions into any positive news.

For those who are having trouble understanding this, or who have just parked their money elsewhere. Here is your mantra:

70% of market moves with market

70% of the market moves with the market

70% of the market moves with the market.

Say that over and over again until you get it in your head. We have moved into bear country. You don’t go into bear country without proper precautions, so if you are long equities, then its time to think about the much maligned US Dollar. If you are a trader, get your puts in place. Above all, don’t be afraid to stick with them.

And here is your mantra:

Sell on the good news

Sell on the good news

Sell on the good news

Why? Well several reasons first,  all we have to do is take one look at the Spring Ingess Chart set for 2009. What say you, “2009? That’s long gone, its 2010?”

Modern times mean fast times, so fast we  think, ‘here to day, gone tomorrow.’  Ours is is the study of beginnings. Following Hermes/Thoth, astrologers know that what was written above, will be lived out down here on earth.  We must remember that the first day of spring, is just like the first breath a baby takes. And just as the baby’s destiny is marked out by that breath of prana, so too are the 365 days following the Spring Equinox, marked in that all important chart. It is this nano second that the Western Astrological Tradition is based upon.

The first thing we notice is that there are cardinal cusps on all the angles (the 4 corners of the chart). Cardinal signs have the ability to act, and it promises a fast market because of it. The next thing we notice is that the ruler of the chart, is Mars, and he is in a watery house. This may not look very bullish, and indeed, it is not. The first house shows the condition of the people and how the citizenry feel. In this case, and with Aries rising, the grumpy Mars tells us how the people are. Mars in Pisces is a sign of worry. The 12th is a house of loss. This is a sign that the natives are restless, but quiet about it. Since the 12th is a cadent or falling house, they feel helpless. The condition of the people in any chart is important, and might be bad, if we were not looking at the spring chart for hints concerning money. Here we leave the house of the people and look to the money houses, the first, our moveable assets, the 11th, the profits from our businesses, the 8th our debts, and the 5th the stock market, but with this caveat, the stock market is the stock market if you are only in it for fun and games. (continue reading…)

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by Kathy Watts

Tue Feb 23 the Moon is still in Gemini when the Sun sextiles Pluto. There are some changes that just need to be made, and there are gracious ways of making them.  Then the Moon enters Cancer. Everything seems to hit closer to home.  You do not have to spill coffee on your desk. Wed

Feb 24 the Moon is in Cancer, but, as always, it reaches out and touches someone, lots of someones.  Today the Moon trines the Sun (self-confidence improves), then the Moon trines Jupiter (give if not also get some good luck), then the Moon trines Venus (adds a touch of charm to everything—-so appreciate it). That’s a lot of gentle touches.  Stay concentrated on your work, but Heads Up in a good way.

Thu Feb 25 the Moon conjuncts Mars retrograde in Leo.  Heads Up. Channel this away from anger and into being a little nobler in the daily routine.  Be willing to cheerfully do something that someone else won’t.  Worse case, hole up and write like a demon.

Sat Feb 27 the Moon is still in Leo when Mercury conjuncts Neptune. Magic can happen today.  Make it beneficent magic, because before midnight, the Moon opposes Neptune, then Mercury, and all plots and scheming may be revealed. (This might be a useful scenario in the writing of a fantasy novel.)

Sun Feb 28 the Sun conjuncts Jupiter.  Contemplate general good luck. About five hours later, the Moon opposes Jupiter.  Consider that something lucky may have happened but you’ve overlooked it.  Let the Moon shine its light on whatever good is available to you.  Eighteen whole minutes later comes the Full Moon at 09Vir.  Patiently perfect the many small things that are nonetheless important to you.  This is heady stuff on which to end the month.  Heads Up for sure. The month ending on a Full Moon is quite a gift.  It’s a brilliance to be taken into the coming month.  Be brilliant, too, full of plans and projects for the future, and full of energy for the present.  Be a light that shines for everyone.  Writers work hard with passion and deserve to be heard and read.  This means you!  Have a stunning month. Heads Up! *********

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A devastating 7.0 earthquake has rocked the city of Port Au Prince. This little island nation seems to be a magnet for disaster. It has not been that long since it suffered the ravages of not one but two hurricanes. The mind boggles to think of the pain and suffering that the people of Haiti endure on a daily basis. And now, this.  No building in Port Au Prince has been spared. Experts guess half a million souls have perished.

Sitting in the comfort of my home, it is almost impossible to understand the terror that comes with earthquakes. Looking at the video reminds me of how much I take for granted. I cannot begin to understand the shock and awe that survivors feel.

” I’m going to share my whole experience because I’m hoping it will be therapeutic. In any case I think I’m going to have nightmares for a long time…. When the tremors ceased, a large dust cloud was rising from the building a few doors down. A 3 story school full of teenage girls had collapsed. I stood around looking stupid for longer than I’d like to admit. I looked at the truck from Toyota, tried to call my wife (the service was out) and looked around me at people’s reactions. Virtually everyone reacted in strange ways.  Eventually, I went to the school and started working to pull trapped students from the wreckage.”    More from Chris Rollings

We like to think the ground beneath our feet is always stable as a rock. In a sense, the great strides we have made in science, have fooled us into thinking that we are in control. And that is just how it is – most of the time. Every so often, our great Mother Earth, reminds she is alive and breathing fire. We are forced to face the facts. We are not in charge here, Mother Nature is.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey the earthquake struck at 4:53pm local time. Looking at the chart below several factors of death and destruction jump out at us.

The Writer’s Astrological Almanac by Kathy Watts Week of January 24, 2010 Happy New Year !! Click here for larger image Sun Jan 24 the Moon is in Taurus when the Sun trines Saturn retrograde.  Do things at your own pace.  It’s a day where authority and respect are there if you call on them. Mon Jan 25 the Moon enters Gemini.  Now we can really get some writing done, get some of that stale correspondence taken care of, get those phone calls returned.  Watch that coffee consumption, though. (continue reading…)