Financial Astrology Profits:

9 Tips For Trading With Eclipses

by Tim Bost

Eclipses of the Sun and the Moon are without a doubt the celestial phenomena most commonly recognized by non-astrologers. They have penetrated the popular consciousness, but their impact upon the markets is often misunderstood, especially since eclipses do not always seem to have consistent effects.

Although lunar eclipses and solar eclipses have both been known to impact market movements, solar eclipses are by far the more powerful. A wise analyst will take both types of phenomena into account, but if you are a beginner at using eclipses as a market timing confirmation, it's easier to pay particular attention to the solar eclipses.

Every solar eclipse is also a New Moon, a time when new forms begin coming into manifestation. In the markets, solar eclipses are thus often powerful indicators of new trends beginning to take shape, although those trends may not always be fully apparent to the majority of traders and speculators. That's why insights into solar eclipses can provide savvy traders with a winning edge.

In my three decades of work as an astrologer, I've found that a systematic approach works best in using solar eclipses as forecasting tools. Here are the nine steps to take in understanding an eclipse:

1. Find the zodiacal position of the eclipse.

A good astrological calendar or an ephemeris of planetary positions will provide information about the zodiacal position of the eclipse you are considering. This position is given in celestial longitude in the Lunar Phenomena section of the ephemeris; for example, 28LEO48 for the eclipse of August 22, 1998 and 27AQU08 for the eclipse of February 16, 1999.

According to the ancient astrological literature, there are certain positions of solar eclipses which are more likely than others to impact business trends. An eclipse in the first ten degrees (the first decanate) of Aries, for example, has traditionally been associated with times of drought, which can impact agricultural conditions and commodity prices. An eclipse in the last decanate of Aries, on the other hand, is associated with livestock losses, and can be expected to impact cattle futures. An eclipse in the first decanate of Taurus afflicts trade and business of all sorts. An eclipse in the first decanate of Leo is specifically associated with scarcity of grains and with higher agricultural prices. There are other eclipse positions which are connected with wars, revolutions, and epidemics, with their corresponding implications for commerce and investments.

In addition to the zodiacal position, note the Saros Series of the eclipse. Although I've not found that the Saros Series by itself works as a reliable forecasting tool, a study of previous eclipses in the series has always given me food for thought as I analyze market trends. A good description of Saros Cycles can be found in Robert Jansky's book, Interpreting The Eclipses.

2. Examine the eclipse's position relative to the other planets at the time of the eclipse.

Eclipses which activate angular patterns of relationship between other planets are far more likely to have a noticeable impact on the markets. Look for significant connections to other planets in the aspectarian section of your ephemeris or in the daily listing of planetary aspects on your astrological calendar, or calculate a horoscope for the eclipse and study the pattern of planetary alignments on the chart wheel.

3. Study the eclipse path.

The eclipse path is the area on the surface of the Earth from which the total or annular eclipse is visible. These paths are illustrated in the Fifty Year Canon of Solar Eclipses, published by NASA, or can be calculated with Eclipse Complete, an inexpensive computer program from Zephyr Services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Eclipse paths are important because they often suggest specific ways in which markets may be affected. For example, an eclipse that passes over South Africa could reasonably be expected to have a stronger impact on gold prices than the impact of an eclipse with a path of totality across the Atlantic Ocean.

4. Watch the trading days nearest the eclipse.

An eclipse has the greatest likelihood of affecting markets within one or two days just before or after the eclipse.

5. Look at longer-term transits to the eclipse point.

When an eclipse occurs, it activates its position in the zodiac, and that eclipse point remains sensitive at least until the next solar eclipse. When other planets move across the same degree in celestial longitude as the eclipse point, trend reversals may occur, especially if there is corroboration from other astrological or technical indicators. Once you've located key transit dates in the ephemeris, be especially aware of those dates that also bear significant relationships to the date of the eclipse (based on Gann factors, Fibonacci numbers, or other parameters), either in calendar days or in trading days.

Eclipses can also cast a "shadow" before they actually occur. The eclipse point may sometimes respond to planetary transits in advance of the eclipse itself, which may indicate a tradeable price trend change, especially if there are confirming technical and astrological indicators.

6. Examine transits to the eclipse antiscion.

While the importance of planetary transits of eclipse points has been repeatedly attested to in the astrological literature, my own research has shown that the antiscia of eclipse points can also sometimes trigger price trend changes when they are impacted by planetary transits. The antiscion of an eclipse point is simply the degree of the zodiac which is a mirror image of the eclipse point, relative to the solstice axis of 0 degrees Cancer/Capricorn. For example, the antiscion of 28LEO48 is 01TAU12 and the antiscion of 27AQU08 is 02SCO52.

These longer-term or residual eclipse factors tend to be more significant as trend-change indicators when they occur along with as other astrological or technical indicators. For example, if transiting Mars conjoins the antiscion of a recent eclipse on the same day that the Moon reaches perigee and Mercury makes a retrograde station, then a market impact will be far more likely than would be the case if the Mars transit were occurring in isolation.

7. Look at other astrological factors for the futures contract or the stock you are trading.

An eclipse that forms a close alignment with a planet in the first-trade chart of a stock or futures contract can typically be expected to have a more forceful impact upon trading, with the nature of that impact depending upon the particular planet or planets involved.

In examining the impact of an eclipse on a particular company and its stock, consider as well the solar eclipse that occurred just prior to the company's inception or incorporation, or just prior to the start of public trading for the stock. Note the location of this eclipse in the horoscope you are examining. This prenatal eclipse point in the company's birth chart is often significant, especially when it is closely aspected by one or more planets in the company's natal chart. The corporate prenatal eclipse can also hold some clues about the potential impact of current eclipses. If an upcoming eclipse activates the same zodiacal degree or the same Saros series as the prenatal eclipse, it is far more likely to affect price movements in the company's stock.

8. Do some empirical research.

If you want to use eclipses as a forecasting tool for a specific market, it's always advisable to do a little bit of empirical research on the behavior of that particular market or equity during previous eclipses. Not all markets respond to eclipses in the same way, so you will want to use as many previous eclipses in your study as you possibly can. Take a look at any trend change patterns that occur at those times. Then focus on the previous eclipses that occurred in the same sign, decanate, or Saros cycle as the upcoming eclipse, and take the market's behavior at those times into account as you make your forecast.

9. Use Good Judgment

Finally, don't let an eclipse overshadow your common sense about the markets. After all, there are two solar eclipses each year, and not every eclipse marks a major turning point in market trends. Use eclipses for what they really are: valuable confirming indicators that can add profitable insights to your analysis and trading.

About Tim Bost

Tim Bost is the editor of Financial Cycles newsletter and the author of How To Find The Money In Your Horoscope and J. P. Morgan's Billion Dollar Secret. He contributed to Noel Tyl's anthology How To Manage The Astrology of Crisis. Tim counsels individual and corporate clients For more information phone him at (941) 953-3545 or send email to: timbost@pipeline.com with your questions.