The Celestial Wheel   An In-depth Forecast   December 21, 2008     The Celestial Wheel Home

#77

Global Economic Trends For 2009

Introduction

     This global economic forecast forms the core for all 2009 predictions.  This results because the economic decline trumps all other influences-- including efforts from individual leaders and nations, and even economic alliances, like the EU.  The deepening recession is so far reaching and impactive, it will be determinative in all areas.  For example, how the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, or end, will be driven in large part by cost and affordability.

    Transits is the logical and simple analytical tool applied in this forecast.  As transits are the passages of the planets in today's skies, they give a kind of global weather report.  Here's how.  This astrologer's taciturn German father once revealed a rare personal observation from his youth, When it rained on my house, I thought it rained all over the world.  When a transit impacts for storms, it obviously doesn't signal global rain, but it does indicate destructive weather in at least one location that has global reach -- like the recent terrorist bombing in Mumbai reverberated over the globe.  The 9/11 attacks had a similar global effect.

     Also, while the general public isn't well acquainted with astrology, and certainly not technical Vedic Astrology, transits are so simple, anyone can understand them with just a little effort.

To use transits for global predictions, the planets are shown in the natural zodiac chart, beginning at the first sign of Aries.  This transit chart thereby describes the global weather.  The Celestial Wheel calls these World Transit Charts.      Here's that chart for February 1, 2009.  Don't let the square Vedic chart format confuse.  It's actually easier to read than a round Western Astrology chart.       The houses begin with #1 and continue clockwise to end at #12.  The houses are the domains of action, where the planets act.  #1 is the self, 2 is income, 3 is desires, 4 the home, 5 is government and investments... 12 is loss.      The signs -- Aries, Taurus, Gemini... -- are not key, for Vedic Astrology is about planets in houses.  Signs influence only in how well or badly the planets operate.

World Transit Chart February 1, 2009

     For example, Jupiter is now in its fallen (weakest) sign of Capricorn; and we then judge this weak Jupiter in terms of its placement in the 10th house.

Timelines

     Timelines graphically illustrate major planetary transits, furthering empowering readers' understanding in a simple visual.  By using timelines together with World Transit Charts, straightforward interpretations and predictions can be made.

     Below are three timelines covering all of 2009:  Fall-Winter 2008 - 09, Spring -- Summer 2009 and Fall 2009.

Fall -- Winter 2008 - 09Timeline  (The Big Blizzard Of 2009)

Spring -- Summer 2009Timeline

Fall 2009 Timeline

Interpretation -- Saturn & Jupiter

    The Fall-Winter 2008-2009 Timeline displays challenging transits from mid November 2008 through March 2009.  This timeline was was first published and analyzed in the November 19, 2008 In-depth Economic Forecast: Mid November 2008 -- March, 2009.  Short-subject Celestial Wheel Commentaries later analyzed on November 24 and 29 early results of the challenging November/December Sun/Mars/Mercury conjunction.  (Note: if you haven't read these forecasts, or memory of them has faded, doing so will add depth and meaning to this forecast.)

     All three timelines include the transit positions of Jupiter and Saturn.  These are the two big planets, and as they enclose the solar system's other planets, Jupiter and Saturn steer the celestial voyage.  They are aptly named the planets of social evolution.  Jupiter's expansion and Saturn's contraction are opposing planetary energies of great power.  Whether considered in a World Transit Chart, or in the birth chart of a person or nation, Jupiter and Saturn are fundamental.  Think of them as the parents and the other planets as their children following their guidance.

    Again, as shown in all three timelines (as well as the above February 1, World Transit Chart), Saturn is in Leo, the 5th house.  Saturn doesn't do well in Leo, and thereby its worst harms of losses, debts and poverty are pronounced there.  Saturn entered the 5th house in mid July 2007 and has been causing problems with 5th house significations for investments and governments ever since.  (See the July 28, 2007 Celestial Wheel Commentary.)   In fact, the current economic decline began just a month later, in August of 2007, when the financial markets first froze and real estate tumbled.  Governments, weakened and held back by Saturn, have not been effective in turning economies around.  As the planet of reality, Saturn requires the speculative real estate and accompanying stocks price bubble be completely burst.

     Saturn acts slowly but cannot be denied  --   It's like a glacier, unstoppable and destroying everything in its path.  Saturn is the destroyer and the creator -- he removes that which is no longer needed to make room for the new.     Further, Saturn withholds his greatest harms until the end of his transit, making its last few weeks in Leo in August and September 2009 dangerously destructive. 

     Expansive and wealthy Jupiter is the only planet that can equalize Saturn's contractive harms.  Jupiter spends a year transiting each sign/house, and until December 19 of this year, Jupiter was traveling through Sagittarius, the 9th house in the natural zodiac.  Jupiter likes Sagittarius, and naturally does well in the good 9th house of wealth and fortune.  So, from November 2007 through November 2008, Jupiter counterbalanced Saturn's harms.  That is, the economic slide would have been much worse but for this excellent Jupiter sign/house transit position. 

     Jupiter shifted into its fallen (weak) sign of Capricorn* in early December, which is the 10th house of career.**  In the World Transit Chart, the 10th house indicates business and financial success, especially for the public, but Jupiter is so weak there, he cannot bring abundance.  In fact, this weakness makes Jupiter demand wealth -- like the CEO's believe they are entitled to huge bonuses.  Also, however, the public feels they (we) are owed wealth, but unfortunately, Jupiter doesn't deliver.  There will be increasing popular protests against Second Gilded Age greed for all of 2009.

     Another weakened Jupiter influence is unwarranted optimism and even greed, which is further stimulated by Rahu (the head-of-the-dragon eclipse point.)  This is doubly dangerous, for Rahu is illusion.  Expect some periods in 2009 when economies globally appear to respond to government stimulus, only to be trounced when Saturn saddled government is impotent.  (Note: It was transit Rahu's influence in the U.S. chart's 4th house of the home in 2005-6 that brought the peak of the illusionary real estate bubble.)  

     As shown in the timelines, Jupiter will continue this disadvantageous disposition until very late in 2009.

     Considering just transit Saturn and Jupiter, the global economy will suffer and shrink during all of 2009.

(* Jupiter will make a side trip into Aquarius in May, but it retrogrades back into Capricorn August 1.  However, this won't strengthen Jupiter, as it will be hovering weakly around the edges of these signs during this three month interval.)

(**For readers familiar with Vedic Astrology, the 5th house of kingship and the 10th house of authority figures are both significators of government.  This is one of those confusing Vedic dualities.  However, since restrictive Saturn rules the 10th and is transiting the Sun ruled 5th, the analysis here should be valid.)

Interpretation -- The Interior Planets 

    Destructive transit combinations add to Saturn/Jupiter energies, and are also timing indicators.  The aforementioned Economic Forecast: Mid November 2008 -- March, 2009  included discussion of the difficult summer transits that precipitated economic woes.  (If you are interested in a comprehensive discussion on this topic, read the August 18, 2008 In-depth, The Challenging Summer Of 2008.) 

    There's a train wreck coming up soon in three challenging transits that overlap from late January through early March -- all in the 10th house/Capricorn.  This will be The Big Blizzard Of 2009.

Here again is the February 1 World Transit Chart, which shows thrice afflicted planetary placements.      First is the the conjunction of destructive warrior Mars and toxic serpent Rahu with already weak Jupiter.  To give readers a feeling for how harmful this combination can be, the last time Jupiter was injured by these malefic planets was 9-11.  Sensitive dates are from February 8 through 16.      There's no call now for another tremendous terrorist attack, but certainly wealth will be destroyed in some way, and including violence.  That this period coincides with corporate fourth quarter 2008, and calendar 2008, reports is unfortunate, for certainly doleful corporate reporting at this difficult time can only depress markets.    Second is that Mercury goes retrograde at the same time, right in the midst of the Jupiter/Rahu/Mars conjunction.  These ills will ruin Mercury's business, debts and communications significations, worsening economic losses and blocking their resolution.

World Transit Chart February 1, 2009

     Mercury's retrograde runs January 12 to 31.

     Third is the solar and lunar eclipses.  (Note in the above World Transit Chart, the Sun is with eclipse point Rahu.)  The January 26 solar eclipse will occur in the 10th house/Capricorn at 12 1/2 degrees and the February 9 lunar eclipse at 27 degrees in the 10th house/Cancer.  Eclipses do what the word means -- block. 

     While specific predictions haven't been made for this challenging interval, the Economic Forecast: Mid November 2008 -- March, 2009 suggested oil will peak again, this time from a supply contraction.  This results because the Mars/Rahu/Jupiter combination aspects (glances upon) Ketu, the significator of gas and oil.  The aforementioned possibility of violence suggests in oil/gas producing area(s).  

     At this time, the Spring -- Summer 2009 Timeline -- April through August -- appears generally calm, although this only means that no major economic disasters signaled by transits are seen, yet.  The downward trajectory of the global economy will continue, however.

     The Fall 2009 Timeline -- September through December-- however, will be very rough.  From late August to early September, Saturn will finish its destruction in the 5th house/Leo.  As explained above, Saturn holds back his worst harms until the end.  Also, Mars will conjoin Ketu -- the tail-of-the-dragon eclipse point -- the next month, again harming property for occurring in the 4th house/Cancer.  As Saturn aspects the 4th house of the home, real estate prices will dive to their low then, which signals the recession becoming a depression.