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The Astrology of Corporate Disasters
NewsScope, May 3, 2010; Last Wednesday, federal experts realized that BP's undersea well is leaking up to 25,000 barrels/day instead of the 1,000 claimed by BP scientists. At this rate, by the time the well is capped, the oil slick will surpass the Exxon Valdez disaster. Comparing the Valdez incident (March 24, 1989) with the current mess shows some strong astrological parallels.
Most significantly, the BP spill took place as a transiting Ceres-Pluto conjunction opposed the U.S. Jupiter. In the Scorpio Rising chart, Jupiter is found in the 8th house of corporations where it represents the largest, most money-intensive business interests. A pattern often seen is that when outer planet transits form hard aspects to the U.S. Jupiter, the number of disasters where corporations are liable increases dramatically.
Check out the connections with the
BP's Checkered History
NewsScope, May 3, 2010; British Petroleum was originally incorporated as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company on April 14, 1909* (noon, London) to exploit a major oil find in Iran. Since then, it's gone through a number of expansions to become the world's fourth largest company. BP's checkered history includes overseeing hundreds of oil spills, receiving the largest OSHA fine in U.S. history, and being cited by the EPA as the most polluted company in the U.S.
The BP horoscope features the Sun in pioneering, bold Aries square Uranus in Capricorn. This combination is known as a "steamroller" for its high energy and ambition, and for being a law unto itself. In 1951 Iran nationalized the British oil holdings, and so BP (with the CIA and British agents) fomented an insurgency. The coup d'etat took place on August 19, 1953 when transiting Uranus was to-the-minute opposite the BP Uranus.
Another dynamic in BP's chart is a Mercury-Saturn conjunction in Aries square Neptune. Mercury-Saturn aspects are associated with study, science, and research, which BP has applied to finding prospective oil fields (Neptune). However, in public relations, the facts as presented (Saturn) may be ill-conceived or flat out deceptive (Neptune). Last year, BP was nominated for the annual Greenwash Award*.
By secondary progression, Mercury entered the 12th house in 2006 and then formed a conjunction with natal Neptune two years ago. At the time of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, progressed Mercury was opposing BP's progressed Ceres-Uranus conjunction (orb: 0º09'). Ceres, as nature's planetary representative for environmental protection, is a projection of the BP psyche. It may take this kind of disaster to transform its perceived environmentalist enemies into its own active and integrated function.
NewsScope, May 31, 2010; Several news reports issued last week featured a stunning comparison between the current oil spill and the explosion of the Ixtoc on June 3, 1979. Both were huge ecological disasters in the Gulf of Mexico, and efforts to plug the leak failed repeatedly. In Ixtoc's case, the ultimate remedy was the drilling of relief wells, which took nine months to complete.
Comparing the charts for the two blowouts shows virtually nothing in common. What the two events do share are ties to Rockefeller's original oil monopoly, Standard Oil (January 10, 1870; 12:00 pm; New York, NY). This horoscope features the Capricorn Sun opposite independent Uranus and square Neptune, the natural ruler of oil. The Sun is also trine a Jupiter-Pluto conjunction in Taurus, indicating its immense wealth.
Transiting Pluto was exactly opposite Standard Oil's Neptune when the Ixtoc disaster hit. The progressed chart also shows very tight connections (P2 Mars conjunct Moon, P2 Venus square Saturn), which reflect the explosive nature of the event and the tremendous cost. Although the original Standard Oil (SO) was broken up by anti-monopoly laws, this corporation as the founding entity for Big Oil remains valid and useful.
When BP's rented rig blew up on April 20, transiting Saturn, Uranus and Neptune were all closely aspecting SO's Lunar Node axis and Chiron in watery Pisces, the symbolic Achilles Heel of offshore oil drilling. Also, transiting Neptune was conjunct SO's Juno, showing deception and buck-passing problems with partners in the oil business. In both Gulf disasters, Standard Oil was undergoing a progressed New Moon, indicating an ending and a new start. But what have we learned since the last new start?
NewsScope; May 31, 2010; Last Friday the EPA abruptly changed course and demanded that BP switch to a less toxic solution than the chemical dispersant it's been using. Surprisingly, since making Waterworld in 1995, actor Kevin Costner has been fine-tuning a massive machine that separates oil from water. Costner, the greentech entrepreneur, will deploy six of his stainless steel centrifugal oil separators this week around Louisiana's shores.
Kevin Costner was born with his Capricorn Sun (January 18, 1955; 9:40 pm; Lynwood, CA) aspecting all the outer planets, giving him a transcendent sense of responsibility and a keen interest in playing powerful archetypal heroes. His Sun's closest aspect is the square to Neptune, which naturally shapes his sense of self, most notably as a film star. Now, his interest in cleaning up oil spills is taking center stage.
Currently, the closest, most telling planetary passage is progressed Pallas* quincunx natal Jupiter (orb 0º01'). Pallas is associated with "creative intelligence", a meaning much amplified here since it's conjunct Costner's Sagittarius Moon in the third house of ideas. Now that progressed Pallas is meeting up with Jupiter, he has the opportunity to put his vision into action.
Costner's progressed Sun at 24º Pisces is also aspecting natal Jupiter (orb 0º15'), suggesting much success in this extremely unusual and innovative project. And looking at the outer planet transits, each one is making close, favorable aspects to his natal chart. The Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in early Aries is especially favorable, since it will be conjunct his Mars. In the business sense, this probably indicates hitting the jackpot with his green technology.
NewsScope, June 14, 2010; As forecast in June's astro-event #2, a tremendous disaster unfolded for a major U.S. region during last week's New Moon: scientists now say BP's blown-out oil well could be spewing as much as 2 million gallons/day. That's a rate of one Exxon Valdez disaster every five days, and in three weeks will surpass the world's worst oil spill, the 1979 Ixtoc disaster.
BP's horoscope (April 14, 1909; Noon, London) reflects its precarious situation. BP's progressed Mars at 1º Aries is aligned with the current Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, indicating the high-energy response to the spill using the best technology available. Over the next few months, transiting Saturn and Pluto will further afflict BP's progressed Mars, undoubtedly emphasizing the fact that it can't clean up the mess quickly enough.
A NewsScope reader wants to know if BP will survive. BP's Jupiter in the second house of financial assets marks the company as sufficiently wealthy to meet the worst-case scenario for criminal negligence. Often, hard aspects between Saturn and Pluto correspond to survival issues, but in BP's case, transiting Pluto is trine natal Jupiter, supporting its underlying material value.
Around the July 11 Solar Eclipse, BP should have some significant financial news to report. The Solar Eclipse hits BP's progressed Mercury, the ruler of its second house Jupiter. Perhaps this will mean a withholding of future dividends. In two years, as the progressed Sun opposes natal Mars, BP will be facing its most dramatic criminal charges. However, due to its $27 billion annual profits and its dominance and experience in exploiting a scarce resource, BP is likely too big to fail.
Tony Hayward, the Ceres-Pluto CEO
NewsScope, June 14, 2010; Slate readers have been asked to predict the date that BP CEO Tony Hayward will lose his job. Hayward has said that he will not resign, but as the man in charge of the worst oil spill in history, his intentions may be irrelevant. Unfortunately, we don't have a birth time for Hayward, but he was born on May 21, 1957 (Eton, UK).
Hayward's Sun is in either late Taurus or early Gemini where it conjoins Ceres at 29º Taurus. This Sun-Ceres conjunction closely squares Pluto, perhaps showing his incredible intensity and competitiveness as well as his interest in preserving and care-taking the corporation's wealth. However, considering the theme of tremendous loss associated with hard Ceres-Pluto aspects, job loss may indeed be just around the corner.
Hayward also has a close Saturn-Pluto aspect, a trioctile (135º), that further emphasizes his struggle with power. After criticizing BP's leadership in 2006 about the Texas oil refinery explosion, Tony Hayward himself was selected as CEO on January 12, 2007. At the time, transiting Saturn and Pluto were trine each other while aligned with his natal Pluto. Also, his progressed Mars was trine natal Saturn.
Disruptions in control and leadership arrive under Saturn-Pluto aspects, and this is especially true in Hayward's case since he has a natal Saturn and Pluto connection. Transiting Saturn and Pluto will square each other on August 20, a
NeptuneCafe presents
The Oil Spill Chronicles
Here's where you'll find all the key dates, relevant horoscopes, and discussion
of the planetary dyanmics, as excerpted from the weekly NewsScope column.
Here's what's on this page:
May 3, 2010 - The Astrology of Corporate Disasters --- >
May 3, 2010 - BP's Checkered History
May 31, 2010 - Big Oil's Horoscope
May 31, 2010 - The Kevin Costner Solution
Jun 14, 2010 - BP and the Solar Eclipse
Jun 14, 2010 - Tony Hayward, the Ceres-Pluto CEO
There's much more!
For background info on the oil industry, see The Astrology of Oil. This page has charts for the birth of the oil industry with the drilling of Drake's Well in 1859, plus discussion of oil in the waning Age of Pisces, actress Deborah Kerr explains U.S. oil policy, and OPEC's horoscope.
Big Oil's Horoscope
The Kevin Costner Solution
BP and the Solar Eclipse
date when a transiting Sun-Neptune opposition happens to align with Hayward's Pluto. If he does lose his post, it may not be far from this date.
"The sea, the great unifier, is man's only hope. Now, as never before, the old phrase has a literal meaning. We are all in the same boat."
- Jacques Cousteau
