What The Planets Portend: Fall of 2009
If you've been visiting this site you know of my fondness for Jupiter, the planet of big picture thinking, and its usefulness in trend spotting. Taking almost exactly 12 years to orbit the sun, Jupiter spends one year in a zodiacal sign before moving on to spend a year in the next sign. Thus, in a manner reminiscent of the Chinese animal zodiac, Jupiter is useful in establishing a year's overarching theme, a theme that is reiterated (like clockwork) exactly every 12 years.
Now if you will kindly accept the notion that every one of the 360 degrees of the zodiac is imbued with special significance, then you can appreciate how one might drill down further into this 12 year cycle. Although there are enough 'irregularities' in astronomical motion, particularly periods of retrograde motion in which planets appear to be moving backwards in the sky, the mathematical average of Jupiter's stay in any one degree of the zodiac is approximately 12 days. So hypothetically at least, one can match Jupiter transits through specific degrees of the zodiac to ascertain common themes in very precise periods (less than two weeks) separated by 12 year increments.
Why I'm belaboring all this has to do with an astronomical condition called a planetary station. Basically, a station is created by a planet when it begins or ends a retrograde period. For a while, the planet appears to be neither moving forward nor backwards in the sky rendering it "stationary." Thus, it is sometimes Jupiter's lot to hang out at a single degree of the zodiac for a month and a half.
We have such a condition this fall, when Jupiter will occupy the 18th degree of Aquarius between September 21 and November 3rd. Such factors as the autumn equinox and the recent participation of this degree in eclipses adds a lot of juju to the energy of this placement. Mostly though, as trend watchers, we want to know what happened the last time Jupiter transited through the 18th degree of Aquarius...and we shall be aware that the tone of the earlier events will not quickly dissipate this time around.
Interestingly, although Jupiter's last visit to the 18th degree of Aquarius was short (seven days), it timed events of considerable cultural energy and significance. Kyoto, the avian flu, El Nino and the film Titanic were all part of the mix. Capitalism, as indicated below, was hitting on all cylinders (a hopeful sign this time around? or the exact opposite?).
Perhaps most useful from an astrological perspective is an awareness of the metaphysical significance of the 18th degree of Aquarius. It is a degree that is associated with the public unmasking of secret personal motives. So even if the economy has no real intention of improving over the next few months, at least it sounds like we are going to be royally entertained.
ADVERTISING
Something called the Internet was about to come on strong, but marketers managing the Christmas shopping season of 1997 had an entirely different ace up their electronic sleeves. Enthusiastic AD AGE coverage sanctified the moment as the apotheosis of the Infomercial, a splendid match of entrepreneurial chutzpah, cable television and modest ad budgets. There were charlatans and shoddy merchandise, of course, but some companies...such as Bowflex...seized the moment and have ever since hung on strong.
AUTOMOTIVE
In early December of 1997 big news was the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement that acknowledged the seriousness of global climate change and pledged the world's industrial nations to a significant reduction in green house gas emissions. Shown here is the 1997 GM EV1, the first electric car put into production by a major automobile manufacturer...an emissions-free car whose moment had clearly come...sort of. Actually, while the EV1's intentions were pure, its battery was nowhere up to the performance requirements of the American road. It was eventually cited by TIME magazine as one of the worst 50 cars ever built, and a widely distributed film documentary cited the EV1 as the vehicle that "killed the electric car." And yet, one exact Jupiter cycle later, GM is back with the Chevrolet Volt. Interesting timing, indeed.
FASHION
Business Week's early December '97 issue explained to the world why Levi-Strauss was singing the blues. Although 1996 had been a record sales year for the company (mostly thanks to its Dockers brand), the numbers headed south in 1997 thanks in large part to the fact that its core jeans brand was being labeled as tragically un-hip by the core jeans buying youth demographic. The answer, decided the Levi's brain trust, was an emphasis on the brand's SilverTab line that featured baggier cuts in more colors and fabrics than the classic denim product. So has "mom jeans" pinup president Barack Obama already refreshed the debate? By all means, stay tuned.
FOOD
The first case of a human death from the Hong Kong avian flu was actually reported in May of 1997. While the world held its breath for more bad news, the disease seemed to go into a sort of remission in that there were no new human cases of the flu reported between June and mid-November. But December changed all that as 18 more cases were revealed and, subsequently, more than a million birds were culled in Hong Kong's live poultry markets. A skittish America that had suffered through fruit parasite infestations and a tragic e-coli event earlier in the year was clearly shaken. Politicians, drug companies and media all started beating the panic drum(sticks). Chicken Little may well be coming around again this fall.
INSIGHT
Famed British businessman Richard Branson is certainly one of the world's most admired men. In addition to his legendary business achievements, he has always managed to be a popular hero, a ribald adventurer with a lust for life that clearly goes far beyond the building of a bank account. Early December 1997 brought a strange setback for Sir Richard, however, as the balloon he was preparing for what he had hoped to be the first non-stop circumnavigation of the planet simply...well, it just blew away in the wind without anyone on it. His comment upon the occasion was along the lines that balloons don't like to be tethered, they like to fly. Man (even a great one) plans, God laughs.
MANAGEMENT
The lead article in the December 1997 Harvard Business Review questioned the value of the team concept when applied to senior management. Well-known consultant and author Jon Katzenbach paddled against the tide of voguish HR theory when he posited that the notion of senior management working as a team was frequently a myth and often counter-productive. He made a strong case that the team notion in the ranks was often a touchy-feely sort of thing, and senior management had to be focused on sterner realities. While most of the analysis here is focused on the Jupiter cycle, any decent astrologer would tell you that Pluto has just entered Capricorn where it will transit for the next 14 years. Simply suffice it to say that the strong-man autocrat is likely back with a vengeance...and the group hug is going to find itself in mothballs for a while.
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
It was just a few weeks before the national launch of James Cameron's Titanic, and the buzz was that the movie itself was a disaster of epic proportions. A lengthy article in TIME magazine pointed to deep cost overruns and a delayed release as sure signs the project was sinking. The magazine's influential film critic Richard Corliss attended an advance screening and wrote "the film fails utterly as compelling romantic fiction," and regretfully pronounced the project "dead in the water." The 11 Academy Awards and the eventual status of the film as the highest grossing movie in worldwide film history (no other film is is even close), must have come as a surprise to Mr. Corliss. How shall we be similarly astonished this time around?
RESTAURANTS
Restaurants, as a whole, were doing well in December of 1997, the result of a robust economy and a whole lot of optimism about what lay ahead on the enterprise highway. Away from home dining was most vibrant on the high and low ends of the scale, and there was a clearly progressive consumer bias towards menu and concept innovation. In the midst of such a go-go period, it might have been easy to overlook the news from American Restaurant Group Holdings. The parent company of such middle-of-the-road and old-timey chains as Stewart Anderson's Black Angus and Grandy's, found itself placed on S&P credit watch as its cash flow signaled (accurately) crippling debt repayment problems ahead. Industry insiders know that the debt issue is a flaming sword hanging over the industry right now, and the fear is palpable. And this time the general economy is hardly likely to help...
RETAIL
The stores were crowded and catalog sales were brisk during the first two weeks of the December '97 holiday shopping season. But this was also a moment when a new commerce channel clearly cut through the consciousness of the American consumer. According to a mid-month report released by AOL, the Christmas '97 shopping season generated online sales at a pace twice that of the previous year. Even more encouraging to the future of the medium was the recognition that for the first time ever non-computer categories were dominating the online sales mix. Gourmet goodies from companies such as Godiva, Starbucks and Omaha Steaks topped the charts. Collectively the number one online merchandise category was apparel, and 1-800-Flowers experienced a breakthrough year. Also, the majority of sales were taking place during the late night/early morning hours during which most retailers are closed. It's hard to imagine that the upcoming period will see a lessening of the trend.
TECHNOLOGY
Whatever was transpiring in December of 1997, including everything else referenced here, it is very easy to argue that one extremely diminutive device was the dominant factor in the zeitgeist. For this was the moment of the microchip, the anointed driver of all economic and technological hope for the future. Thanks to this miniature marvel the information was flowing, the stock market was soaring, tech startups were skyrocketing, the unemployment percentage hit a 25 year low, and it looked like capitalism had permanently vanquished all contenders. By month's end TIME would name the chip's greatest champion, Intel's Andrew Grove, its Man of the Year. The key here is that sometimes a planetary cycle, even when it involves generally fortunate Jupiter, may manifest the opposite qualities of a previous iteration. Or maybe, since we're talking Jupiter, you get lucky once more...
TOYS
Tamagotchi, a virtual electronic pet on a key chain, came on the heels of the Tickle Me Elmo year and nothing kidcentric was likely to create as much fuss. Nevertheless, Tamagotchi was the "it" kid swag in December of 1997 and it has some obvious relevancy as Jupiter cycles around. The salient fact about Tamagotchi...the factor that irritated adults everywhere and quickly led to its being banned from schools...is that the survival of the pet was pegged to constant attention. Imagine, a little hand held electronic device with a constant trivial data stream and a host of banal demands presented as a matter of life or death. If text messaging and Twitter surprise you, then you haven't been paying (constant) attention.
TRAVEL
Texas needs rain. We are coming into an El Nino climate event that is sure to produce some. A lot, perhaps. More than a lot. It was in early December '97 that the 1997-98 El Nino event started leading off nightly newscasts. Over the next eight months in floods and droughts across the globe thousands died, billions of dollars were lost, and planetary climate patterns were permanently altered. Perhaps the good news is that El Nino tends to suppress Atlantic hurricanes. Tends to.
For more information, please contact Steve at smw@stevenmarkweiss.com
Now if you will kindly accept the notion that every one of the 360 degrees of the zodiac is imbued with special significance, then you can appreciate how one might drill down further into this 12 year cycle. Although there are enough 'irregularities' in astronomical motion, particularly periods of retrograde motion in which planets appear to be moving backwards in the sky, the mathematical average of Jupiter's stay in any one degree of the zodiac is approximately 12 days. So hypothetically at least, one can match Jupiter transits through specific degrees of the zodiac to ascertain common themes in very precise periods (less than two weeks) separated by 12 year increments.
Why I'm belaboring all this has to do with an astronomical condition called a planetary station. Basically, a station is created by a planet when it begins or ends a retrograde period. For a while, the planet appears to be neither moving forward nor backwards in the sky rendering it "stationary." Thus, it is sometimes Jupiter's lot to hang out at a single degree of the zodiac for a month and a half.
We have such a condition this fall, when Jupiter will occupy the 18th degree of Aquarius between September 21 and November 3rd. Such factors as the autumn equinox and the recent participation of this degree in eclipses adds a lot of juju to the energy of this placement. Mostly though, as trend watchers, we want to know what happened the last time Jupiter transited through the 18th degree of Aquarius...and we shall be aware that the tone of the earlier events will not quickly dissipate this time around.
Interestingly, although Jupiter's last visit to the 18th degree of Aquarius was short (seven days), it timed events of considerable cultural energy and significance. Kyoto, the avian flu, El Nino and the film Titanic were all part of the mix. Capitalism, as indicated below, was hitting on all cylinders (a hopeful sign this time around? or the exact opposite?).
Perhaps most useful from an astrological perspective is an awareness of the metaphysical significance of the 18th degree of Aquarius. It is a degree that is associated with the public unmasking of secret personal motives. So even if the economy has no real intention of improving over the next few months, at least it sounds like we are going to be royally entertained.
ADVERTISING
Something called the Internet was about to come on strong, but marketers managing the Christmas shopping season of 1997 had an entirely different ace up their electronic sleeves. Enthusiastic AD AGE coverage sanctified the moment as the apotheosis of the Infomercial, a splendid match of entrepreneurial chutzpah, cable television and modest ad budgets. There were charlatans and shoddy merchandise, of course, but some companies...such as Bowflex...seized the moment and have ever since hung on strong.
AUTOMOTIVE
In early December of 1997 big news was the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement that acknowledged the seriousness of global climate change and pledged the world's industrial nations to a significant reduction in green house gas emissions. Shown here is the 1997 GM EV1, the first electric car put into production by a major automobile manufacturer...an emissions-free car whose moment had clearly come...sort of. Actually, while the EV1's intentions were pure, its battery was nowhere up to the performance requirements of the American road. It was eventually cited by TIME magazine as one of the worst 50 cars ever built, and a widely distributed film documentary cited the EV1 as the vehicle that "killed the electric car." And yet, one exact Jupiter cycle later, GM is back with the Chevrolet Volt. Interesting timing, indeed.
FASHION
Business Week's early December '97 issue explained to the world why Levi-Strauss was singing the blues. Although 1996 had been a record sales year for the company (mostly thanks to its Dockers brand), the numbers headed south in 1997 thanks in large part to the fact that its core jeans brand was being labeled as tragically un-hip by the core jeans buying youth demographic. The answer, decided the Levi's brain trust, was an emphasis on the brand's SilverTab line that featured baggier cuts in more colors and fabrics than the classic denim product. So has "mom jeans" pinup president Barack Obama already refreshed the debate? By all means, stay tuned.
FOOD
INSIGHT
Famed British businessman Richard Branson is certainly one of the world's most admired men. In addition to his legendary business achievements, he has always managed to be a popular hero, a ribald adventurer with a lust for life that clearly goes far beyond the building of a bank account. Early December 1997 brought a strange setback for Sir Richard, however, as the balloon he was preparing for what he had hoped to be the first non-stop circumnavigation of the planet simply...well, it just blew away in the wind without anyone on it. His comment upon the occasion was along the lines that balloons don't like to be tethered, they like to fly. Man (even a great one) plans, God laughs.
MANAGEMENT
The lead article in the December 1997 Harvard Business Review questioned the value of the team concept when applied to senior management. Well-known consultant and author Jon Katzenbach paddled against the tide of voguish HR theory when he posited that the notion of senior management working as a team was frequently a myth and often counter-productive. He made a strong case that the team notion in the ranks was often a touchy-feely sort of thing, and senior management had to be focused on sterner realities. While most of the analysis here is focused on the Jupiter cycle, any decent astrologer would tell you that Pluto has just entered Capricorn where it will transit for the next 14 years. Simply suffice it to say that the strong-man autocrat is likely back with a vengeance...and the group hug is going to find itself in mothballs for a while.
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
It was just a few weeks before the national launch of James Cameron's Titanic, and the buzz was that the movie itself was a disaster of epic proportions. A lengthy article in TIME magazine pointed to deep cost overruns and a delayed release as sure signs the project was sinking. The magazine's influential film critic Richard Corliss attended an advance screening and wrote "the film fails utterly as compelling romantic fiction," and regretfully pronounced the project "dead in the water." The 11 Academy Awards and the eventual status of the film as the highest grossing movie in worldwide film history (no other film is is even close), must have come as a surprise to Mr. Corliss. How shall we be similarly astonished this time around?
RESTAURANTS
Restaurants, as a whole, were doing well in December of 1997, the result of a robust economy and a whole lot of optimism about what lay ahead on the enterprise highway. Away from home dining was most vibrant on the high and low ends of the scale, and there was a clearly progressive consumer bias towards menu and concept innovation. In the midst of such a go-go period, it might have been easy to overlook the news from American Restaurant Group Holdings. The parent company of such middle-of-the-road and old-timey chains as Stewart Anderson's Black Angus and Grandy's, found itself placed on S&P credit watch as its cash flow signaled (accurately) crippling debt repayment problems ahead. Industry insiders know that the debt issue is a flaming sword hanging over the industry right now, and the fear is palpable. And this time the general economy is hardly likely to help...
RETAIL
The stores were crowded and catalog sales were brisk during the first two weeks of the December '97 holiday shopping season. But this was also a moment when a new commerce channel clearly cut through the consciousness of the American consumer. According to a mid-month report released by AOL, the Christmas '97 shopping season generated online sales at a pace twice that of the previous year. Even more encouraging to the future of the medium was the recognition that for the first time ever non-computer categories were dominating the online sales mix. Gourmet goodies from companies such as Godiva, Starbucks and Omaha Steaks topped the charts. Collectively the number one online merchandise category was apparel, and 1-800-Flowers experienced a breakthrough year. Also, the majority of sales were taking place during the late night/early morning hours during which most retailers are closed. It's hard to imagine that the upcoming period will see a lessening of the trend.
TECHNOLOGY
Whatever was transpiring in December of 1997, including everything else referenced here, it is very easy to argue that one extremely diminutive device was the dominant factor in the zeitgeist. For this was the moment of the microchip, the anointed driver of all economic and technological hope for the future. Thanks to this miniature marvel the information was flowing, the stock market was soaring, tech startups were skyrocketing, the unemployment percentage hit a 25 year low, and it looked like capitalism had permanently vanquished all contenders. By month's end TIME would name the chip's greatest champion, Intel's Andrew Grove, its Man of the Year. The key here is that sometimes a planetary cycle, even when it involves generally fortunate Jupiter, may manifest the opposite qualities of a previous iteration. Or maybe, since we're talking Jupiter, you get lucky once more...
TOYS
Tamagotchi, a virtual electronic pet on a key chain, came on the heels of the Tickle Me Elmo year and nothing kidcentric was likely to create as much fuss. Nevertheless, Tamagotchi was the "it" kid swag in December of 1997 and it has some obvious relevancy as Jupiter cycles around. The salient fact about Tamagotchi...the factor that irritated adults everywhere and quickly led to its being banned from schools...is that the survival of the pet was pegged to constant attention. Imagine, a little hand held electronic device with a constant trivial data stream and a host of banal demands presented as a matter of life or death. If text messaging and Twitter surprise you, then you haven't been paying (constant) attention.
Texas needs rain. We are coming into an El Nino climate event that is sure to produce some. A lot, perhaps. More than a lot. It was in early December '97 that the 1997-98 El Nino event started leading off nightly newscasts. Over the next eight months in floods and droughts across the globe thousands died, billions of dollars were lost, and planetary climate patterns were permanently altered. Perhaps the good news is that El Nino tends to suppress Atlantic hurricanes. Tends to.
For more information, please contact Steve at smw@stevenmarkweiss.com
Posted by Steve at 8/4/2009 12:27 PM 
Categories: Echo Trends
Tags: trends Signs of Weiss Steven Mark Weiss fall 2009 business trends astrology Signs of Success 2009
Categories: Echo Trends
Tags: trends Signs of Weiss Steven Mark Weiss fall 2009 business trends astrology Signs of Success 2009
keep up your good work thanks dvs
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