43
How about a stimulus plan for Pluto?
Astrology wheel
To view this content, Javascript must be enabled and Adobe Flash Player must be installed.
TEXT OF STORY
Kai Ryssdal: Seeing as how none of the experts seem to have a real handle on the forces moving this economy, and no one is doing a particularly good job of predicting how it's all going to turn out next year, we figured why not try another prediction racket altogether?
We sent Mitchell Hartman from the Entrepreneurship Desk up at Oregon Public Broadcasting out to see what astrology has to say about our economic fates.
[See charts below on the United States, Barack Obama, the Federal Reserve and Timothy Geithner.]
Mitchell Hartman: So, what's going on in the heavens that's moving the economy?
Jonathan David: The big thing right now is Pluto.
That's Jonathan David, president of the Oregon Astrological Association. He says Pluto's a very disruptive force, and it's wreaking havoc everywhere -- from central banks to stock markets. As astrologer Susan Davis explains, what's happened is that Pluto has just entered the constellation Capricorn in the sky.
Susan Davis: Pluto is at 0 degrees Capricorn. The last time that happened was 1776, the American Revolution. The country has a big change coming.
Pluto's move into Capricorn happened during the fall, just around the time Fannie and Freddie and AIG were collapsing. And Pluto moves slowly, so it'll be causing upheaval in Capricorn until 2023. So, is planetary motion a plausible explanation for economic motion? I tested the theory with Jonathan David.
David: Pluto is going to be going significantly through the U.S. chart of the 8th house -- the house of mystery and death and rebirth.
Maybe not. But then I met Dena DeCastro, a very serious counseling astrologer who sees the heavenly bodies as indicators, rather than causes, of events down on earth.
Dena DeCastro: I don't believe that the planets actually make things happen, so much as they reflect a larger order to things.
So, back to Pluto. For 15 years, the powerful little planetoid has been slowly moving through the constellation Sagittarius.
DeCastro: Sagittarius has to do with expansion, with growth. The shadow side of Sagittarius is about overextension, over-optimism.
We know where that got us -- the delusion that home prices would go up forever and everyone getting subprime mortgages then buying Hummers on credit to put in the driveway. By contrast, Capricorn, where Pluto has now arrived . . .
DeCastro: . . . Is about looking at things coldly and starkly and with an awareness of what's real. And in fact, it can be kind of oppressively bleak. It's like the energy of a bubble bursting.
Which made me wonder, how's the astrology business faring in a looming Capricornian depression? Susan Davis sees walk-in customers at the back of a psychic accessories shop in Burbank, Calif. She says a lot of her colleagues are hurting, but she's booked solid. Her secret isn't in the stars -- she's quick and cheap.
Susan Davis: 'Cause I'm just basically a what's-going-to-happen-type person, not what your personality is, or what you're thinking or feeling -- I don't care. I just want to know what's coming in your life. And 15 minutes will do it.
At 20 bucks a pop. To be honest, all this has me feeling a bit guilty. I'm a Capricorn. But, DeCastro says, no, the world needs Capricorn's pay-as-you-go, get-real, stick-to-the-budget discipline right now. Sorry everyone. Party's over. Pluto's in our sign now.
Returning to earth, I'm Mitchell Hartman for Marketplace.
ASTROLOGICAL CHARTS
By Dena DeCastro
The United States
The United States' chart is cast for the time and date that many would consider to be the birth of our country, at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The country celebrates its official "birthday" on that date as well. See the United States' chart.
Transiting Pluto is moving into an opposition with the natal Venus in the United States chart. Venus associations are money, physical comfort, and resources. It is in the sign of Cancer, which is concerned with creating security and stability. With Pluto opposing this point currently, and moving into exact opposition with the U.S. Venus throughout 2009, the comfort, stability, and resource base of the country is challenged.
Additionally, transiting Saturn and Uranus are both squaring (making a tensional aspect) to the U.S. Mars in the 7th House in Gemini throughout 2009. This suggests a time in which the country is at a crossroads in terms of foreign relations, and there may be difficulties and tensions regarding the way in which our government applies its force of will (Mars).
There must be caution against sudden moves and impulsive decisions regarding foreign affairs, as the overall mood in this area is one of restlessness and frustration. But this crossroads is an opportunity to approach the global foreign relations scene with a more responsible, disciplined approach than in the past, ultimately gaining back some of the respect that the U.S. has recently lost.
President-Elect Barack Obama
President-Elect Obama's natal Sun, Uranus and Mercury all lie in the sign of Leo, showing an innate gift for taking on a leadership role, and allowing him to be comfortable in the spotlight. See Barack Obama's chart.
Leo also brings with it a passionate creativity that needs to be directed towards visible and measurable outcomes; he is literally energized by seeing his creative ideas come to fruition in ways that can be practically helpful to people.
His natal Mars in Virgo in the 7th House allows him to be careful but assertive in his dealings with others; his style of asserting his will (Mars) is fastidious, with great attention to laying a plan meticulously.
The main transit is currently Pluto opposing his own natal Venus: this echoes the exact transit happening in the United States chart, as Obama's Venus is just 2 degrees apart from the U.S. Venus. Obama's sense of security, comfort and resources are directly challenged at this time, alongside the same issues arising for the country. This transit lasts for him from 2008 to 2011. He will likely be asked to make great sacrifices to his personal comfort during this period, with the ultimate possibility that he can come away from the experience more empowered and stronger than before, having faced many personal fears.
The dark possibility of this time would be for him to cling to comfort and stability and resist the great need for change within the country. Another transit affecting him is the Saturn/Uranus opposition which will contact his Mars in Virgo in the 7th, echoing again a similar transit happening in the U.S. chart.
With Saturn conjunct his Mars in Virgo and Uranus opposing it, he is entering a time of developing discipline under the weight of large burdens, with the potential of achieving many of his goals through a balance of innovation and plain hard work.
The Federal Reserve
The Fed's natal chart, cast for Dec. 13, 1923, has the Sun at 1 degree Capricorn, and Pluto at 0 degrees Cancer. These are important points that are in the early cardinal signs (cardinal signs are Capricorn, Cancer, Aries and Libra). The early degrees of the cardinal signs are being activated by outer-planetary transits over the next several years, with a peak period during the summer of 2010. However, transiting Pluto is already at 0 degrees Capricorn, and by January will be conjunct with the Fed's Sun exactly during the first week of January 2009. See The Fed's chart.
Transiting Pluto is currently opposing the Fed's Pluto as well, and has been in range of both these points since the end of 2007; these transits will be in effect through 2010. The interpretation of Pluto to Sun and Pluto to Pluto contacts would be that the entity undergoing the transit (the Fed) is in a time of complete transformation.
Pluto's force strips away that which is no longer useful, and a time of elimination of the old way of doing things is at hand. In the place of that which is dying off, new structures and foundations can be born. But there is the caution that action must be taken now. The force of these transits should be channeled toward the ultimate betterment of the structure itself, and society. If not, there can be the unpleasant result of unintended and carelessly made arbitrary changes that serve neither the Fed nor the country.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Designate Timothy Geithner
While we do not have a reliable birth time for the nominee for U.S. Treasury secretary, we are able to cast a chart based on his birth date and place, which gives us much of his pertinent information. See Timothy Geithner's chart.
Like Obama, Geithner is a Leo, with his Uranus and Mercury also in Leo. Three planets in Leo indicate the ability to step into a leadership role with confidence. If he lives to his fullest potential, he can have an immense amount of creative energy at his disposal.
Uranus is conjunct to Geithner's Sun, indicating the potential to be an innovative personality in general, someone who can blaze new trails rather than sticking to the status quo. Uranus is also conjunct to Geithner's Mercury, showing that this inventive quality infuses his mental approach: he thinks in terms of what could be groundbreaking, pioneering, and revolutionary. These qualities will be very helpful in terms of the work to be done on the U.S. economy.
His chart also synchs up well with Obama's, indicating that they would have a basic understanding of each others' way of thinking. In terms of transiting planets for Geithner, he will have Pluto square his natal Mars from 2008 to 2011, which could indicate potential power struggles. He will have to work toward asserting himself, using his innate gift of tact and diplomacy, and his sense of inner authority.
Pages
I really must ask Ms. Eisenberg & Stifter, and Mr. J, have you ever
studied astronomy, or any science? I'm pretty sure of the answer, from
what you write. For centuries, astronomy and the other sciences have
been painstakingly developing methodologies to learn what is true and
what is not about the Universe, and to discern the MECHANISMS of the
interactions among the different forms of matter and energy. You appear
to be oblivious to any of this, as well as to any notion of statistics or
the distinction between coincidence and causality, or even to the meaning
of critical thought based on evidence. You don't even care whether there
could be a mechanism connecting the positions of planets with human events;
in fact, there is none, and that's the difference between science and magic.
To paraphrase the physicist Pauli, astrology is so bad it isn't even
wrong! That is, it is entirely unworthy of scientific attention. It IS
a proper field of study for philosophers, historians, psychologists,
sociologists, anthropologists, and many have. See the journal Skeptical
Inquirer for many studies and references. NO legitimate study has EVER
shown a statistically significant correlation, i.e. beyond pure chance,
between astrological or any other kind of magical predictions, contrary
to Mr. J's blithe statement sans references.
Mr. J goes on to proclaim, "we cannot know the world as it actually is,
but only as we are". Nothing could be further from the truth. Of
course, we always have to be aware that we must necessarily filter our
observations and interpretations through our consciousness, which entails
a risk of bias or misinterpretation; it is precisely to compensate for such
that many aspects of the scientific process have been developed.
Philosophers and historians of science sometimes help to discern
departures from this ideal. Religions and other magical systems such as
astrology, on the other hand, have no such process.
Now, consider some recent revelations of science about the world:
On February 23, 1987, billions of neutrinos from a supernova in the Large
Magellanic Cloud flew through each of our bodies at the speed of light.
Our science had predicted such an event in advance, and managed to detect
19 of them, in huge water tanks in Japan and the US! For even longer, we
have known that most of the atoms in our bodies were synthesized in
generations of stars and supernovae that existed before the Sun.
Comparable developments occur continually on a timescale of less than a decade,
e.g., the identification of cosmic gamma-ray bursts and the discovery of
re-acceleration of the expanding Universe. The other sciences produce
equally dramatic and significant discoveries, e.g. that all life on Earth is
based on the same 14 amino acids and right-handed sugars, and that the genes
of humans and chimpanzees are 99% identical. Currently the DNA of
Neanderthals is being decoded, and some day it may be possible to restore
them to existence. How can anyone say that we cannot learn about the
objective world (the existentialist postulate)? Only through ignorance, it
seems to me. Well, if one places his or her faith in astrology or other magic,
certainly nothing will be learned about the world; however, transferring
that sense of futility to science is a defense mechanism of ignorance.
To those who are so vehemently opposed to the possibility that astrology may indeed offer an enlarged perspective, I ask the question, have you studied astrology? Are you making your assessment based on knowledge of astrology or is your opinion pulled out of thin air?
Just as there is a science and art of medicine, there is a science and art of astrology, and both sciences are always true and correct in the sense that the laws relevant to their spheres of functioning and influence are always followed.
That of course doesn't mean individual practitioners of either can't be wrong or have limited understanding in interpreting a given set of symptoms or symbols.
Astrology is not for everyone and that is perfectly fine, but as a symbolic science it does correlate with world and individual events and developmental themes. Study proves this. How it works cannot be answered except through inner explorations and growth.
For those receptive, the understanding to explore is the subtle teaching that we cannot know the world as it actually is, but only as we are. The outer world as we experience it is a mirror of inner consciousness in other words.
Thanks for presenting this perspective to the public.
Congratulations to NPR for this story! After reading readers comments I'm shocked at the level of anger and controversy over astrology as a discipline. It has been clear to me for decades that nonbelievers never learn enough about the science to really discover if it works or not, not surprising as it take many, many years to become proficient! Just like anything else results do not come in a semester course or even after a couple of years.
Another point to consider is: Why did astrology survive for more than 2000 years? It began in Babylonian times-- if it had nothing to offer it would have disappeared due to 'lack of interest'. Bottom line is that it can be a useful tool if administered by a competent astrologer.
Several defenders of astrology have expressed puzzlement or dismay at the
passion of some detractors. Let me try to explain: this particular issue is
ultimately related to the general survival fitness of our species. False
beliefs are never harmless, because they frequently lead to wrong and dangerous
actions. It is truly disheartening to those of us involved in science and/or
education to see adult Americans, even NPR listeners, espousing the complete
and utter nonsense of astrology as if it were a respectable discipline.
On one level, it is an indictment of our educational systems, and on
another, of our progress and our potential as a species. Astrology is an
irrational religion, and since one of the defenders brought Jesus into
the discussion (evidently oblivious to the total incompatibility of the
two), let me say that I regard all religions equally. Since there is not
space here, those who may be interested can read more of my views on that
at another NPR-related site,
http://thisibelieve.org/dsp_ShowEssay.php?lastname=Walborn&uid=8421&start=0
. I heard that some decisions in the Reagan White House were influenced by
astrology. Allah told Bin Laden to attack the US, and God told Bush to attack
Iraq--they said so themselves. Are you reading the current news from the
Middle East? I'll make a prediction based purely on logic and on human
nature, history, and technology, with no need for planetary alignments or
tarot cards: some of the terrorized Palestinian children who survive will
grow up to perpetrate nuclear explosions in Israel and the US. And of
course, we all have the legitimate right to self-defense. There is a
fair chance that our species will not see the 22nd century, because we
have been unable to evolve substantially in our beliefs, attitudes, and
behaviors since we appeared 100,000 years ago, but our technology has
developed to a level capable of destroying our fragile environment and
ourselves. Perhaps the environment can eventually recover sufficiently to
give rise to a more competitive species. Or perhaps that has occurred or
will in some other stellar system; or perhaps not.
Whether or not one believes that the planets influence what happens here on earth is beside the point. Astrology is an ancient mythology. Like Greek or Roman mythology, it uses archetypes to explain phenomena. However, astrology's language of archetype has continued to develop and adapt to the industrial and post-industrial world.
It's a means of story-telling for goodness sake! Had NPR done a story about the financial meltdown in terms of a Greek tragedy, I doubt listeners would have felt the need post so many negative comments.
I very much enjoyed the piece.
Thank you NPR. It's about time that astrology be taken seriously. Just as quoted from above, "Dena DeCastro: I don't believe that the planets actually make things happen, so much as they reflect a larger order to things." This piece reflects a larger order. And to the naysayers, how is this hurting you? Why such anger?
I'd like to comment on the precession of the equinoxes...or the fact that the astrological signs no longer coincide with the constellations...Our culture is very much based on ancient Greece & Rome...this is the time frame that the horoscope was "fixed"...therefore the transits are relevant to us on a cultural basis...in other parts of the world, they use the progressed signs.
It should be noted that Pluto's transit through Sagittarius (the sign associated with higher education, religion & philosophy) illuminated the hidden sexual misconduct (Plutonian in and of itself) of the Church and much destruction was perpetuated by the excesses of religious fanatics. Pluto tears down walls and misperceptions. Capricorn is about structure, boundaries, laws and manifestation/realization. I found it very interesting that the formation of our laws came about in the last Capricornian Pluto.
Susan Hunt of Central Coast, CA, 01/02/2009 said:
"Astrology is real, useful and relevant. I commend NPR on the coverage, as well as for shining a light on the narrow-minded."
Ms. Hunt,
There is no evidence at all that astrology has any value or reality, outside of random chance. I have investigated it with an 'open' mind, to see if it had any value. Who would not want the chance to correctly predict the future?
The evidence shows that it does not work. Your definition of 'narrow minded' appears to include those who do not agree with you. So, where are your studies that show that astrology works?
Many investigations, by reputable investigators, have shown many times that astrology is useless in making predictions. It is vague, and makes general predictions that may apply to you. If that makes it of some value to you, then congratulations. I do not need the mutterings of charlatans pushing their cosmic debris (thanks Frank!) on me. I do not have respect or even pity for those who do. This story was useless, and could have been much more interesting, if the reporters had compared the actual predictions of the astrologers and soothsayers to what really happened in the year. I think that they probably had as much chance as anyone of being correct about it.
So here is my prediction for the next year: The market will go up, or down...or maybe stay the same!
JE
Pages
