From a Culture of Selfishness to Mutual Support: Venus Retrograde in Aries

March 3, 2009

We can see it in stock market traders, Wall Street bankers, and partisan politicians, but it exists in all of us somewhere: We all have our selfish interests. It is particularly stark in investors who whine about the restrictions they’ll have to endure under Obama’s economic plan and new regulations. They claim that they won’t be able to live without the world the way it used to be, where they could play the stock market like a casino. Poor little babies.

Now, it’s certainly true that there is some real anguish among people who invested their hard-earned wages in a 401(k) and have seen its value vanish. But it is notable how (some of) those who live off the wage-earners are now shedding crocodile tears and threatening to take their football and go home because the game is changing so that now they have to play by some rules. Last week, financial reporter Rick Santelli’s rant against helping out homeowners in need failed to recognize the negative impact these homes had on their neighborhoods and overall economy — or himself — even before we get to community mindedness. Instead he was caught up in the arrogance of his own selfish interests, because he is all that matters to him. The deepest irony of this situation is the fact that traders and bankers have already had their bailout (and are set to get more), and it seems they are eager to deny one to the people beyond Wall Street.

Venus to the Rescue!
This petulance is worthy of lower life forms, and while some might argue that traders fit into this category, even they are capable of rising above such toxic beliefs. So, here comes Venus to the rescue, in the form of its retrograde in Aries, which starts March 6. When Venus is retrograde, we get a chance to go deeper into a human weakness that blocks true interconnectedness between us. As this is occurring, the pattern that needs to be changed comes out in emphasized form. This is what we have been seeing over the past few weeks, especially the past week.

In the US chart, Venus will trigger three important planets — those that are largely associated with the US’s largesse: Sun, Venus, and Jupiter. There is no doubt that this will bring out moodiness and self-centeredness in the American public (as well as Congress), and this will be reflected in the stock market. As the stock market continues to go down, some are blaming Obama instead of observing the psychology behind the behavior. It’s like daddy has imposed some new rules on the kids, and they are pouting and throwing a temper tantrum. If daddy holds firm on the rules, they’ll eventually calm down and abide, even benefit, by them.

Selfishness Comes from Fear.
Underneath all the rhetoric is fear. No matter where it’s coming from, selfishness is based on the fear of not getting enough. There’s plenty of fear to go around, and I am sympathetic to those who are experiencing fear during this economic downturn, and this is all of us. During Venus’s retrograde, if we set aside our fears and instead reach out to others in community, we will be rewarded and help to push the world of human experience into the new economy of mutual support.

Are We There Yet?
We can expect the shift from selfishness to play out in several arenas over the coming three months as the retrograde cycle unfolds. Perhaps unwittingly, the Whiners of Wall Street will try to take the stock market down with them in an effort to extort concessions from the new administration. We will certainly see the stock market reach a new bottom during this time, and it may be an absolute bottom for this cycle. In the meantime, the stimulus package is going to begin to work. By the time the Venus retrograde ends on April 17, we’ll be entering our new economy and an 18-month transition. Let the recovery begin!

© Terry Lamb