Disclaimer:  I am not a financial expert, nor do I have any training in stock picking.  I am just a watcher of cultural trends that mirror planetary cycles.

Back in May of this year I wrote about the return of optimism with Pluto’s retrograde back into Sagittarius, which some financial analysts were calling a “sucker’s rally.”  Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, and Jupiter brings optimism and faith.  In that earlier article I wrote, “As long as the belief persists, the markets will do well. But a breath of pessimism will cause the markets to falter and if the underlying market conditions are poor an adjustment will be necessary. “

We saw this breath of pessimism last week when oil prices soared, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac threatened insolvency and a major US bank failed, causing the US markets to drop significantly.  All of these events were tied to the excesses of the Pluto in Sagittarius era which saw a continuous and relentless belief (Sag) that housing and stocks would continue to rise without end.  Pluto is the god of death and transformation, and in this last swing through Sagittarius he is clearing out the debris of the Sagittarius party and preparing for the serious work of Capricorn.

Jupiter has been particularly strong over the past couple of months and will be retrograding back through Capricorn until September 1 when it will form a trine (harmonious aspect) to Saturn, the Lord of Discipline.  Planetary configurations don’t always bring what we expect, particularly when Jupiter is involved, because what we think of as “good” isn’t always good for us.  The Saturn/Jupiter trine will balance the markets as Saturn brings a breath of reality into Jupiter’s optimistic view of things. And let’s not forget that Saturn is traveling through Virgo now where it tends to favor conservative and cautious (Virgo) approaches to all things.

So what’s an investor to do now?  Astrologically, this is a time for conservative planning and practical choices.  It seems to me that it’s the perfect time to buy stocks that have strong and solid fundamentals but which have been beaten down by the rest of the market.  Stocks that pay dividends that will offer long-term security, mutual funds with solid track records.  This is no time for following fads or for getting swept up in a fervor of excitement over a new and unproven gimmick, unless it’s for the short term (until September 1). 

Astrologers can predict overall trends, but it is impossible to pick stocks using astrology.  If it were, we would all be rich!  But understanding the nature of the astrological climate can help us to make smarter choices.