Weekly Column: Vladimir Putin needs to find a harbor, drop anchor

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U.S. job growth slowed for a second consecutive month in September but hiring remained solid despite growing headwinds from higher interest rates, scorching-hot inflation and mounting recession fears. Employers added 263,000 jobs in September, the Labor Department said, slightly topping the 250,000 jobs forecast. It marks a deceleration from the 315,000 job gain recorded in August and matches the lowest monthly gain since April 2021. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, unexpectedly dropped to 3.5. – Megan Henney, “US Job Growth Slows In September With Just 263,000 Positions Added,” October 7, 2022.

“I was able to bring gasoline down well over $1.60, but it’s inching up because of what the Russians and the Saudis just did,” Biden told the audience. ­– Timothy Nerozzi, “Biden Blames Russia and Saudi Arabia for Raising Gas Prices, Takes Credit for Recent Dip,” October 7, 2022.

It was the biggest geocosmic confluence of the year, and it lived up to its promise. We are referring to the Jupiter double semi-square to the final passage of the 45-year Saturn/Uranus square of September 21-28, 2022, combined with the end of the six planets in retrograde (including the Trickster, Mercury retrograde) of last weekend, October 2.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average bottomed on September 30 and the stock indices futures markets bottomed with the pre-market of Sunday, October 2. These were the lows of the year for many world stock markets (so far), and multi-year lows in Treasuries and currencies against the U.S. Dollar.

A sharp spike rally began the new week for equities, but they topped out with the Moon in Aquarius on Wednesday, October 5. The DJIA, for example, rallied 1739 points in those 3 days. That’s huge. Highs in stock indices with the Sun and Moon both in air signs, plus Venus in its ruling sign of Libra, fits well. But then a sharp pullback commenced into the Pisces Moon of Thursday and Friday, which also fits. But in both cases, the rally exceeded daily resistance and the decline exceeded daily support, which demonstrates that the Mercury retrograde phenomena of fake outs, even five days after its direct motion, is a force usually to be reckoned with. Still, one has to be impressed with the fact that the recent decline from the high of September 13 to the low of October 3, was almost an exact match to the time Mercury was in retrograde. One also has to be impressed that the new yearly lows occurred so close to the fourth and final 45-year Saturn/Uranus waning square aspects that took place with Jupiter making a double semi-square from the midpoint of each. Now the question is: will those lows hold?

Last week was notable in Crude Oil too, which soared to 93.26 on Friday. This is a 22.3% gain in less than two weeks following its primary cycle low of 76.25 on September 26, the exact day of the Sun/Jupiter opposition, and within the time band when this column called for a major reversal as both the Sun and Venus opposed Jupiter and Neptune, the co-rulers of Crude Oil, September 16-October 1. The correlation of geocosmic signatures to reversals in financial markets never ceases to amaze.

Back to the rise in crude oil prices. This also coincides with OPEC’s decision to sharply cut back production, despite pleas from President Biden not to do so. The powers within OPEC do not want the U.S. making deals with Iran without their consent and involvement. Given that U.S. oil reserves have been greatly depleted by the administration in an effort to bring down prices, this OPEC decision will have serious financial consequences for the U.S. consumer. Instead of refilling its reserves as expected at lower prices, the U.S. will now have to do so at higher prices, and their need to buy will only drive prices higher. This won’t help in the fight against inflation, in which President Biden was in the process of taking credit for bringing down oil prices. Now he must deal with the fact that his policies with regard to Iran, and his need to replenish the depleted supplies at higher prices, are going to sharply escalate energy prices as we head into the midterm elections. He is proving not to be a very talented market timer.

This brings us to another Jupiter and Neptune subject: cannabis. This week, Biden pardoned all those who are incarcerated for simple marijuana possession. It is a popular decision, long overdue, and supported by 2/3 of the nation. But one has to ask: why now? If this is really an act of compassion, why was this pardon not done earlier in his term? In any event, it was wonderful to see that fairness and unity were on display in the U.S. last week, as the President and his wife visited the hurricane-wrecked state of Florida and got along well with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and his wife. Together, they projected unity amid the devastation. That’s how it should be. Not political. Not calculating. But authentic concern. That is the higher and most desirable expression of Neptune, which will be highlighted this week.

Short-term geocosmics and longer-term thoughts 

The police claimed that Ms. Amini had collapsed suddenly from a heart attack during mandatory training on the hijab rules while in custody. But when a video and photo of her in the hospital in a coma, bruises on her face and blood dripping from her ear, were shared online, they quickly went viral — and provoked fury. After she died a few days later, the protests exploded into the largest mass demonstrations Iran has seen for years… But this was much more than anger over a tragic, scandalous death. The protests, led by women, have galvanized a broad swath of Iranian society to rise up in one of the most significant political movements that the Islamic Republic has seen since its founding in 1979. – Amanda Taub, “Unveiled and Rising Up: How Protests in Iran Cut to the Heart of National Identity,” The New York Times, October 5, 2022. 

This is the season of Libra, a time when agreements and compromises are to be highlighted, especially given that Venus (ruler of Libra) is also in its home sign. Normally this is bullish for stocks (but not always for stocks) and bearish for Silver. That is, we usually observe a crest in stocks and a trough in Silver during this period of Venus in Libra. It remains to be seen if that will be the case this year, but there are a number of other geocosmic factors that could alter this pattern.

For one, Pluto (in Capricorn) changes direction this weekend, October 8. Things are seldom lighthearted when Pluto is highlighted. In fact, there are more often closer to being morbid. A few days later, October 19-20, the Sun and Venus will form a hard square aspect to Pluto. On October 23, the Sun and Venus will ingress into Scorpio, the sign ruled by Pluto. More heaviness. On the same day, Saturn will turn direct, which doesn’t usually bring levity to the situation. We are going to need more humor. We know that Pluto and Scorpio pertain to the 4 D’s – downgrades, deficits, debt, and default – and attention to those topics will not be make life  more jovial headed into the November 8 mid-term elections, which just happens to take place under a lunar eclipse in Scorpio-Taurus. But Pluto and Scorpio also pertain to protests and demands for reforms (still not a joyful combination). With Pluto highlighted in Capricorn, law and traditions are vulnerable to upheavals if they are seen as repressive or threatening to the will of the people. This is occurring in Iran now, and with the heavy emphasis on Pluto, Scorpio, and backed by attention also on Saturn and its ruling sign of Capricorn, these protests have turned violent and have the possibility of leading to a coup, a revolution. Iran is not stable right now.

There is another astrological correlation to what is happening in Iran and why these events are so timely. On Wednesday, October 12, Mars will square Neptune at 23° Gemini-Pisces. This will touch off the Mars square Neptune in both Iran’s and the U.S. charts, which are also posited between 20° and 25° of mutable signs, forming a grand square that is being activated by the transit of the same two planets. This is big in the study of astrology. This does not bode well for these two nations coming to any kind of permanent agreement, especially when you consider that on October 30, Mars will turn retrograde, still within these degrees, and where it will cross back and forth in square to Neptune into March. Instead, it speaks to the possibility of confusion, misdirection, perhaps deception. Insults can be hurled against one another with no basis in fact, undermined by the intent to arouse resentment and blame.

So how can we make something positive out of such conflicting cosmic arrangements? First, stand aside and mind one’s own business. Do not get involved in something you cannot understand under the false belief that you do. You don’t. This is a hysteria aspect and one in which it is best advised not to meddle, despite the demands to do so from others. You cannot win. Do not make promises, and do not offer incentives that you cannot deliver. Be there to listen, but not to interfere, for whoever gets involved gets lost as if in a house of mirrors at the carnival. Everything gets distorted, especially if one side gets angry. And in this case, both sides are angry and apt to say things that offend the other. And since everything is taken personally, everything is seen as an offense. This is not a positive, but it may help to avoid an escalation of the negative.

In terms of financial markets, these aspects are likely to keep attention on Crude Oil, probably driving prices higher and higher int October 28-December 20, when Jupiter returns to Pisces. This is yet another indicator of rising inflation because energy prices are rising.

Interestingly enough, October 13 (one day after the Mars/Neptune square), the CPI report comes out, a major indicator of inflation. With Neptune highlighted, it may not be an accurate assessment of the real condition. The report will be based on prices before the recent surge in oil prices. More important to the broader market may be the events and reports that come out October 19-23 when the Sun and Venus square Pluto and Saturn changes directions.

By the way, October 7 (today) is Vladimir Putin’s birthday. For some, that may be a cause for celebration. He is 70 years old. That’s probably a greater point for many to celebrate. He’s getting old and acting like someone about to discover that the end of life can be like a shipwreck (Mars square Neptune). He needs to find a harbor, drop anchor. and try to find peace before he drowns (and causes still others to drown) in the rising tide of his resentments and misjudgments, which is also symbolic of Mars/Neptune losing control at the helm.