Beware Late August
2009
Robert Gover (born November 2, 1929)
grew up in an endowed orphanage (Girard
College in Philadelphia), received a B.A. in
Economics from the University of Pittsburgh,
worked as a journalist, became a best-selling
novelist at age 30, lived most of his life in
California, and now lives in Rehoboth
Beach, Delaware. On the Run with Dick and
Jane is his ninth novel. His previous book,
Time and Money, explores economic and
planetary cyclical correlations. His first
novel, One Hundred Dollar
Misunderstanding, a satire on American
racism, remains a cult classic that helped
break down America's fear of four-letter
words and sexually explicit scenes, as well as
sensitizing Americans to sanctimonious
hypocrisy. He can be contacted at
gocylces@aol.com or www.robertgover.com
70 USA’s Mars-Neptune pair, as shown on
By
Robert Gover, USA
Although the stock markets in most
countries around the world are quiet as I
write this in late May 2009, watch out for a
crash in late August of this year. It could
begin in the middle of August, or it could be
delayed till the second week of September,
but around this time, a stock market crash—
especially in the USA—is very likely.
The reason for this prediction is mainly the
transits of Saturn. It will come exactly
conjunct the USA’s natal Neptune on
August 27, 2009, signaling the distinct
possibility of the kind of crash we saw
during the late summer and early autumn of
2008.
I have studied the astrology of stock market
crashes in the USA going back to 1857.
What emerges from this study is that
crashes are most likely when one of the
outermost planets—especially Saturn—
conjuncts either the USA’s Neptune or the
USA’s Mars. The Moon and transiting
Mars have often triggered crashes. In the
natal chart for the USA, born on July 4,
1776, every time there has been a serious,
sudden, breathtaking crash, the USA’s natal
Mars-square-Neptune has been “hit” by
transiting planets.
On September 29, 2008, when the Dow-
Jones plunged 778 points (the biggest point
drop in history but not the biggest
percentage loss) a grand cross pattern was
formed by transiting Saturn, Uranus and
Pluto, conjunct, opposite and square the
 Chart #1. The orb which included Pluto in a square to Saturn and Uranus was a little wide,
but Pluto’s opposition to Uncle Sam’s natal Mars was within 8 degrees, and to the USA’s
Neptune the orb was within 6 degrees.
People like to find reasons after the fact for such dramatic crashes as this. Alexander Twin,
CNN/Money’s senior editor, said, “Stocks tumbled ahead of the (House of Representatives)
vote and the selling accelerated on fears that Congress would not be able come up with a fix
for nearly frozen credit markets. The frozen markets mean banks are hoarding cash, making
it difficult for businesses and individuals to get much-needed loans.”

Astrological reasons are just as difficult to

In the natal chart for the USA, born on July 4, pinpoint, but usually coincide with the kind
1776, every time there has been a serious, sudden, of mood prevalent at the time. In this case,
breathtaking crash, the USA’s natal Mars- the opposition between Saturn and Uranus
square-Neptune has been “hit” by transiting had Congress hung on the horns of a
planets. dilemma. Should the members respond
primarily to Uranus’ influence and innovate?
Or should they adhere to Saturn’s conservatism and preserve the status quo?

Historically, we often find instances when stock market crashes coincided with patterns
such as this, when not all the transiting planets were within the 7-degree orb most
astrologers deem effective, yet the “hit” to the USA’s Mars-Neptune square brought down
stocks suddenly and dramatically. During most of 2008, the Saturn-Uranus opposition was
tightening, with these planets flirting with being conjunct and opposite the USA’s Neptune,
square the USA’s Mars, and stock markets were tumbling.

Given that these planets were moving slowly into position for most of 2008, why did stocks
take their biggest hit on this date, September 29? Well, that day was a Monday and it
followed a Lunation the day before, and that New Moon touched the USA’s natal Saturn. It
also marked the point when transiting Saturn came within a 7 degree orb of its conjunction
with the USA’s Neptune.

On this day, too, the House of Representatives surprised investors by rejecting the Treasury
Department’s proposed $700 billion bailout for banks. The bill passed later. Congressional
delay, however, did not immediately stop the downward slide of stock markets, as Saturn
and Uranus continued to tighten their opposition and harass the USA’s Mars-Neptune
square. This opposition challenged the thinking of both those who were in favor of holding
the status quo, and those who were for breaking new ground according to Uranus’ urging.

Governments around the world have done a bit of both: they have come to the rescue of
errant financiers instead of allowing their institutions to collapse, and they have transferred
unprecedented amounts of taxpayer money to the bankers. They have justified the
unprecedented by saying these institutions are “too big to fail,” that if they failed, they
would bring down the world financial system.

The bailout for financial institutions was supposed to go hand-in-hand with an economic
stimulus package for the working classes, but much of this stimulus seems to be bogged
down in red tape, causing widespread cynicism among the American population. It is hard
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to refute the popular perception that the government is now “of, for and by the super
wealthy and big corporations” to an unprecedented degree.

There are some commentators who say that the politicians, by favoring their most generous
campaign contributors, have only postponed the inevitable. I have written that the core of
the existing, rocky banking system is the Federal Reserve, and that transiting Pluto’s
position now threatens the Fed. (See “Pluto and the Fed” at www.stariq.com, written
12/7/2007.)

The planetary pattern upcoming in late August of this year is similar to the one we find in
September of last year, with one big difference: this time, transiting Mars will join Saturn,
Uranus and Pluto to harry the USA’s Mars-Neptune square. The position of Mars in
Gemini suggests that this upcoming period could see stocks plunge even more frighteningly
than they did last September.

On the material level of our shared reality, there is no shortage of reasons why we can look
for another big stock slide later this year. Primary among those reasons is that the Credit
Default Swap game that seeded the crash of 2008 continues. Attempts have been, and
continue to be made to control this form of unregulated insurance of securities based on
various forms of debt “bundled” and sold to investors, with big financial institutions buying
the lion’s share. In retrospect, it’s said that CDS’s were a market catastrophe waiting to
happen. Since it has not been fixed, it now appears that another is waiting in the wings.

What governments around the world did following the crash of 2008 was take steps to save
the existing financial system. But what the history of Saturn-Uranus oppositions tells us is
that change is inevitable. Add the square to Pluto and what we can expect to unfold is the
unexpected and definitely revolutionary.

Einstein’s famous definition of insanity---doing the same thing again and again and
expecting different results—applies here. Stock markets are well known to be irrational.
The irony is that the big players, who are often able to move “normal” markets up or down,
also get surprised by crashes brought on by “mysterious forces beyond human
understanding,” i.e., planetary cycles and angles.

For most of the financial world, another crash like the one in 2008 would be horrible, wiping
out the hope that we have, in 2009, put the worst behind us. For those called Contrarians or
Crisis Investors, a crash in late 2009 offers another opportunity, for such investors make
more money faster during dramatic drops.

For astrologers such as myself who ponder the simultaneities of certain planetary and
economic events, these coincidences are endlessly fascinating. We must keep in mind,
however, that it’s a game that can never be won, only played. For while we can see our solar
system as one gigantic celestial clock with 12 hands, we must not forget that no moment in
celestial time repeats. As above, so below—it is wisely said that history repeats but does not
rhyme.

So even as we check out the similarities between Chart #1 for the crash of 2008, and Chart #2
for the possibility of a repeat in 2009, we must keep in mind that Uranus is famous for
surprises. Yet, with Pluto’s square to both Saturn
72 and Uranus tightening its orb and due to
 become exact in 2010, I guesstimate that chances are better than 90% we’ll see another
crash in late summer of 2009.

Please understand that I will be delighted if this prediction turns out to be wrong.

Chart #1

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Chart #2

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