The opposition from Saturn to Neptune was expected to decrease the supply of oil (Saturn is “dry” and Neptune is “wet”) causing oil prices to rise, but the addition of Jupiter’s expansive properties (in a square to Neptune) has boosted confidence in the world’s oil supply and prices have dropped. There has been some speculation that the Bush administration has been complicit in the lowering of gas prices in advance of the election, but most analysts believe that the combination of a quiet hurricane season, the end of the war in Lebanon and a softening of rhetoric on Iran has led to increased oil supplies and softening prices.

In September and October we are seeing the conclusion of two planetary cycles involving Jupiter. Jupiter’s influence is expansive: it increases confidence and optimism but can be unrealistic and reckless. Jupiter’s square to Neptune which began in January can bring a powerful “irrational exuberance” as it taps into Neptune’s more reckless qualities: illusion, delusion and fantasy. A Jupiter/Neptune square led us into the dot-com boom in 2000 as the “new economy” sold businesses that had no money and didn’t even really exist except as a concept.

The square from Jupiter to Saturn which began last December has served to apply limits (Saturn) to that “irrational exuberance” which was fostered by Neptune, but many financial analysts feel that the current upward trend in the stock markets is once again fueled more by consumer confidence (that Jupiter influence) rather than real strength in the underlying economics. Consumer confidence in Germany is at its highest level since 2001. In New Zealand, Asia, Latin America and virtually everywhere, stocks are rising in response to increased optimism in the United States.

The basing of financial markets strictly on optimism without any basis in fundamental value is not a recipe for long-term financial health. This may be a good time for short-term trading, but the final hit of the Jupiter/Saturn square in mid-October is likely to bring a dose of reality into the mix. However, the transition into a more realistic market should be facilitated by the introduction of Pluto in a harmonious aspect to Saturn, blending the transformative qualities of Pluto with the discipline and leadership of Saturn.

Any time Jupiter is in a challenging aspect (a square of opposition) it’s useful to try to avoid reckless behavior and the current financial market situation is no exception.