?Millionaires don’t use astrologers. Billionaires do,? said JP Morgan. Astrology, Numerology, tarot cards and zodiacs are all what we essentially call esoteric sciences. Yet some strongly feel that they can help in making financial and investment decisions, as much as, if not more than the financial models, prediction charts and statistical reviews compiled by experts. For centuries kings had been using astrologers to advice them when is the best time to go to war, make reforms, etc. However, our skeptical minds rarely let us believe in that which we cannot fathom. A science is defined as a law with universal acceptance and if one considers astrology, which is based on the millions of stars in the galaxy, logic tells us, a science doesn’t get much more universal than this.
Financial astrology is considered a precise market-timing tool. However, it cannot successfully be used as a stand-alone strategy for investing. Astrology cannot determine market trends like a technical analysis, nor can it be used as a key indicator to whether a particular stock has a sound and solid basis like a fundamental analysis.
Geo-cosmic principles should be ideally used as a final step in one’s investment strategy, after using the traditional market tools available. Financial astrology is one of the most fascinating branches of astrology and has been around for centuries. Traders in grains and precious metals in ancient India used it to set buy and sell times in the markets. Aristotle recorded the story of Thales of Miletus (699-635 BC), who used his knowledge of heavenly cycles to predict a bumper olive crop, and turned a handsome profit on the rental of olive presses.
Some financial planners feel that making investments based on how the planets are aligned is a futile exercise, while on the other hand, astrologers claim that planetary movements do help to get your timing right and optimise your success. Successful investing, we all know, requires market knowledge, trend understanding, instinct, information and perfect timing. Timing can come from knowledge, from a trend module or astrology. Having learnt this much, ridiculing the idea of astrology is taken over by intrigue, as one tries to understand how the realms of the outer world effect us.
Gazing into the crystal ball
?We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars,? once said Oscar Wilde.
Lt col Ajay Jain, financial astrologer and CEO of astromoneyguru.com and majormoney.in explains, “Financial astrology can help in identifying when the market is expected to go up and down. Technical analysis uses volume trades to predict the markets’ future. However, it is difficult to predict future volumes. The movement of the 9th planet can help predict trade volumes and when a sector will have a good time or a bad one. Each country is governed by a planet and depending on how the planet is placed, one can predict the economic conditions and currency situation of the country as well.”
The basis for making trades astrologically is the use of a price chart, in every respect the same as a standard stock chart, which indicates the peaks and valleys of the stock?s future price movement. The advantages of knowing the major price reversals for a stock in advance are inestimable. Through astrological methods, an investor can participate in all of the price gains for a stock, while incurring none of the losses. Through short selling or put options, he may even gain from a stock’s downward movement.
Financial astrology has 4 branches. These are forex astrology, stock market astrology, jackpot astrology, and astro-lottology (Lottery Astrology). So also does numerology have many diverse branches; financial numerology uses the nine numbers for speculation. Pythagoras averred that each number has a vibration and that certain beneficial numbers can give luck.
Numerologist, Sanjay Jumaani tells us “1, 3, 5 and 6 are powerful numbers. Perhaps these numbers could be used when choosing to name a new born baby, company or a brand name. With cosmetic alterations in existing names too, one can shift the vibrations and bring the names on powerful numbers. {for eg: RAYMOND?S was rechristened RAYMOND to bring it on Number 24 or 6}
Corporate clients come to us to help them get their company?s name to these numbers. Some of these include Coxs & Kings, Top Securities, Provouge, Reliance Money Ltd amongst others.”
It’s an old wise saying that the market often reverses trend on the days before or following a full moon. Another reason why financial astrology works is that it is a study of cycles. For years, financial analysts have recognised that business and commerce regularly go through predictable cycles. For example, the Jupiter-Saturn cycle of 19.86 years coincides with the change of market emphasis about every 20 years. The Jupiter-Uranus cycle, which lasts 13.81 years, has been correlated with changes of methodologies employed by market analysts and investors. The Saturn-Uranus cycle of 45 years has been shown to coincide with periods of business boom or bust.
A Planetary Motion Ratio is the ratio of one planet?s period (time to revolve once around the sun) and another planet?s period. These ratios are extremely close to the Fibonacci numbers, which are used to make stock market predictions. Most astrologers believe that Fibonacci works because of planetary motion ratios.
While this science is now available in the form of softwares as well, experts are of the opinion that the human brain will always remain over and above them, as a lot of astrological predictions stem from ones personal understanding and interpretation of the science.
Between science and belief
As far as accuracy in predictions goes, “In the long-term we often have 98% accuracy, in a mid-term prediction it is almost 90% and as far as short-term predictions, used for intra day and intra hour trading it can vary from 80-85%,” says Ajay. The reason for the inexact nature of this science is often attributed to the fact that people from around the world see planets differently form different latitudes, longitudes and time zones, hence such variations will always exist. While this is a useful tool to have in your investment planning, it is a costly exercise not accessible to all. “Financial astrology is different from normal astrology, as predictions prove correct, the belief in the system grows stronger. However, if you play it safe, and combine this knowledge with other market-related knowledge, skill and patience, this will be an immense success”, concludes Ajay.
Faye Cossar, founder of Juxtaposition and the Amsterdam school of astrology, says, “Astrology for businesses or private is not a belief system or only about prediction. I use it as a tool. I almost never predict anything as I feel that we have conscious choices and they can affect the outcome if we are conscious enough.
My take on astrology (and not all astrologers do this) is to take what you have and turn the negative patterns, if that’s how they are working, into positive ones – for both business and privately. Yes, I use director’s charts for companies – of course that has an impact on a business. Usually you can find overlaps anyway. I believe a company has a mission and a soul and a purpose – the better that is understood, the better the company can function in my view. My view is to look at cycles and see how to take the opportunity presented. A horoscope is a great analytical tool for companies, individuals, any groups and countries as well – they too have a horoscope and this can be relevant for businesses. Nobody knows why astrology works – I have my theories, as I’m sure do others but no one knows why it works – it just does!” “Depending on what you mean by works,” she adds jokingly.
Knowing when economic cycles are due to expand or contract, and at what phase an individual stock and commodity is at, is crucial to your success. Individual stocks and commodities have astrological charts, based on their date of inception, not unlike individuals themselves. This is one key to be able to forecast when price trends are likely to change. Planetary positions can also be converted into price harmonics that enable an investor or trader to know when future turning points and a change in trend is likely to occur at the correct price levels. Some believe that financial astrology is Wall Street?s best-kept secret.
Financial astrology has been used in modern times as well. Walt Disney used astrology to pick the best times for launching his multi-million-dollar entertainment projects. The legendary stock and commodities trader W Gann put astrological principles to work when he made astonishingly accurate market forecasts months, and sometimes years, in advance. Billionaire JP Morgan consulted with astrologer Evangeline Adams in timing some of his most important business and investment moves. Adams noted that, “J Pierpont Morgan, the world’s biggest financier, drove the world before him because he had astrology behind him.”
?However, one must be warned not to indulge in cosmic sciences unless one is an expert, as half knowledge is indeed dangerous. This is as all numbers that add up to lucky numbers might not be good, as seen in the case of Mohandas K Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto whose numbers added up to 51(5+1=6), which signifies assassination. While say Sharukh Khan on the other hand has the number 42 also (4+2=6), which is a good number to have” concludes Sanjay.
Why does financial astrology work? It is partly due to the fact that planetary forces exert their influences on the collective mind of investors, which in turn causes the market to go up or down. The phases of the moon in particular seem to have a powerful effect on mass mood, as many police officers and mental health professionals have reported.