Post-Election Economic Paralysis? A Peek at the Planets Shows It’s Not as Bad as You Think

Take a moment and breeeaathe. The election was the climax of a long story, and the good guys finally won, if by that we mean that the people had their say without too much vote tampering. Now we’re left as if we’ve woken from a wonderful dream, with our same old personal problems, and the economy set on self-destruct with the same old madmen at the helm of the ship.

Aside from the question of how we each keep our own pecker up, how can we gauge the mood of the public in general? One of the ways to do that is to observe the progressed Moon in the US chart, and another is to observe what’s happening in the 4th house, both in the US chart and in the ingress chart for Washington DC (this is the chart cast for the time that the Sun enters one of the cardinal signs — Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), a proven technique.

Because the US chart is so disputed, I’m going to look at the ingresses for Libra and Capricorn, which cover the period from September 22 – March 19.

The Libra Ingress Chart
In the Libra chart, Uranus is in the 4th house. This is the planet of shock and surprise, accidents and miracles. As this chart came into effect, people felt as if the earth was quaking under them. Following the economic crises of the first half of September (when Saturn and Uranus were strongly triggered), this was the week that the initial Paulson bail-out plan was rejected by Congress. As they scrambled to come up with a plan that would pass (if not work), Mercury reached its retrograde standstill two days later (September 24).

The long and short of it is that the public will have that deer-in-the-headlights feeling until late December, but there is the bright spot of the “unpredictable” outcome of the election, and the fact that Uranus has some very harmonious contacts. First, the Moon in Cancer trines Uranus from the 8th house of community wealth. This tells us that many people and businesses have stored wealth to rely on for a short period. Jupiter in the 2nd house of liquid resources is sextile Uranus. This tells us that there is opportunity out there in the realms of “real money”. Some people and businesses still have cash. While the Moon in Cancer also suggests a tight credit market (what Cancer do you know that is eager to give up his/her money?), it is not a bad thing to think of alternatives to borrowing to get along in life. This promises to be a blessing in disguise.

The Capricorn Ingress
On December 21, we get a big shift in energy. Uranus is removed from the public equation, and a speedy, even indiscreet, Mars in Sagittarius rules the public mood. We can expect some impulse buying right before Christmas as prices are cut deeply so retailers don’t take a total loss for the season. And, oh those after-Christmas sales! Watch for a huge onslaught of buyers for goods that probably aren’t any better priced than right before Christmas, but the buyers will have gift money in their pockets. There’ll be plenty of optimism to go around, and not a small dose of holiday joy in spite of some emptier pockets.

Although Saturn is nearly stationary at the time of the ingress, it will be felt more just after the New Year, when there will be belt-tightening mixed with heady optimism as we begin to feel the shift of Jupiter into Aquarius. It will feel like the end of the Bush Era and the beginning of Obama’s time at the helm of the great US engine of destiny, but the planets are aiding and abetting the mood.

This Is Not the Second Great Depression — Yet.
Many people are alive who lived through the Great Depression, and many more have heard stories, both personal family tales and those in historical and documentary reports. Some of us have seen our parents (or grandparents) stockpile food as a security buffer against the shadow of that threat. We’re not there yet. We have many more safeguards than were in place at that time. There are some mind-boggling conundrums in the way that financial products have been managed in the past 30 years, but the unemployment rate is a long way (6.5% at last report) compared to 27% during the Depression in the US.

“The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself.”
The best news is that it’s not as bad as it seems. Our fear of the unknown is triggered by the news reports of how bad the economy is. But if we localize our experience to the current moment, how bad off are we? I recognize that for some people, the suffering is acute in the current moment. However, for many of us, we are projecting way into the future our worst fears of lack and deprivation. The news triggers all our childhood (etc.) issues about powerlessness and victimization.

While it is not wise to ignore the warning signals and spend recklessly, neither is it wise to project ourselves forward into a future we cannot possibly control because it has not arrived yet. Living in the moment but being aware of the trends and responding to them calmly is far better.

It’s going to take time. We can’t pin anything on Obama yet because he’s not in charge, and it’s not up to him until he takes office, and then he is a helpmate, not an all-powerful god. We can’t underestimate the power of a leader for his/her ability to set a tone and strike out in particular direction. This we can count on Obama to do wisely.

It’s Up to Us.
It is still up to us. The same old lobbying interests will try to keep things the way they are. The same old win-at-any-cost (usually Republican) “conservatives” will still be sniping from the tall grass and doing anything they can to undercut progressive efforts because they’re afraid.

We can’t just sit back and let the good guys run the country, because they are us. If we drop out, the impetus to change can move in the wrong direction. You know what’s going on right now — King Henry (Paulson) changing the tax code with a wave of his magical pen; camouflage parachutes for top execs replacing the golden ones; banks using OUR rescue money to buy up each other instead of lending to business and people like us; foreclosures continuing apace without relief in sight; legalized usury in the credit card industry.

This will continue unless we speak up and keep speaking up. We did it for 8 years, but without being heard. The difference is now — WE WILL BE HEARD. There are people listening. Obama is a good, a great listener. And even if he can’t listen to all of us individually, he will hire people who will do it faithfully for him.

Much needs to change, and we can participate in changing it! If we do, we will be rewarded with a more active, vital, and supportive democracy where we can live that American Dream to be free to follow our chosen destiny.

In the meantime, remember to breathe.