How I Measure Economic and Market Cycles with Planetary Patterns
Hint: astrology is a useful tool for understanding “animal spirits.”
Believe it or not, astrology analysis is an excellent tool investors and traders can use in addition to fundamental and technical analysis. In fact, understanding planetary movements can provide market timing with uncanny accuracy.
In stark contrast to the January 10, 2025 Nonfarm and Private Payrolls reports, for the next year and a half until July 2026, the South Node in Virgo is an indicator of declining employment levels. This coincides with recent news that we should expect that “41% of companies worldwide plan to reduce workforces by 2030 due to AI”: https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/08/business/ai-job-losses-by-2030-intl/index.html
Previously, the South Node last moved through Virgo from June 22, 2006 through December 18, 2007. That period coincides with the 2007-2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Mark Twain is credited with the quote, “History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” This validates McWhirter’s Nodal Business Cycle as a starting point.
Supporting the CNN article, an additional astrology cycle of Pluto in Aquarius indicates we’re in a 20-year boom that will include AI, robotics, and superior technological advances. Pluto is a planet of deconstruction and deep transformation with a 248-year return cycle. Pluto leaves nothing and no one untouched. In Aquarius, sign of the rebel, Pluto is infused with unconventional genius and detached thinking. That’s because Aquarius is associated with planet Uranus which relates to surprises, innovation and scientific inventions.
I look to Louise McWhirter’s Nodal Business Cycle chart as a starting point for where we are in the economic business cycle. I created this chart below modeled from her acclaimed book, “McWhirter Theory of Stock Market Forecasting.”
Nodes are important spiritual paths of human evolution and consciousness. Therefore, their cycles through the zodiac are a key indicator of worldly events and investor sentiment. The investment community might appreciate the nodes and astrological analysis as an assessment of ongoing “Animal Spirits.”
Per Investopedia: “Animal spirits is a term coined by the famous British economist, John Maynard Keynes, to describe how people arrive at financial decisions, including buying and selling securities, in times of economic stress or uncertainty. In Keynes’s 1936 publication, The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, he speaks of animal spirits as the human emotions that affect consumer confidence.”
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/animal-spirits.asp
It takes 18 to 19 years for the nodes to make one complete circular cycle. The nodes change zodiac signs roughly every 18 months. On January 11, 2025, the North Node entered Pisces while the South Node entered Virgo. Per the above chart, this suggests the economy is slowing further and will continue a downward trajectory as the North Node transits through Aquarius and Capricorn. We can easily find the dates with the Ephemeris Data Tables and for free online at: https://www.astro.com/swisseph/swepha_e.htm
Of course, there are many other planets and cycles to consider. Overlapping planetary patterns act very much like riding the linear waves of stock and index charts. Learn more about the first half of 2025 in my H1 2025 Stock Market Trends Forecast Report which includes a 30-minute consultation. Visit the IBC website to check it out.
Disclaimer: Trudy Carol / Invest By Cycles is not a financial advisor. The information in this report is for educational purposes only and not guaranteed. Do your due diligence whenever investing. Nothing in this report is a suggestion to buy, sell or hold any investment product or service. Add fundamental and technical analysis for best results. Investing in all assets involves risk. Investors and readers are solely responsible for their choices and decisions. Consider your unique circumstances prior to taking any financial positions.