By Susan Abbott Gidel
© Copyright 2021 SusanGSays LLC
When the Federal Reserve will begin to taper its $120 billion in monthly bond purchases begun in 2020 to support a faltering economy due to Covid-19 is the market’s favorite parlor game at the moment. Fortunately, astrology can help pick out nine potential dates from September 2021 through March 2022 when Fed tapering could be in the news.
My favorite date is December 15, 2021, the last day the Fed meets in 2021, and just four days before money planet Venus turns retrograde and could put pressure on the U.S. stock market. Indeed, because the Fed’s announcement on March 23, 2020 put the bottom in the S&P 500 market (Chart 1), I anticipate that the Fed’s details about tapering could put in a top.
2020 QE Ties to Fed, S&P 500 and Tapering
Before I get to all the individual dates that have astrological potential for news about tapering, I want to show how the March 23, 2020 announcement that the Fed would intervene to support the economy connects to three other horoscope charts: (1) the launch of the S&P 500 index in 1957 (Chart 1); (2) the creation of the Fed in 1913 (Chart 2); and (3) the June 2021 announcement about dismantling one of the March 2020 programs (Chart 3).
The Fed’s announcement at 8:00 am (ET) on March 23, 2020 about its latest quantitative easing (QE) program in response economic havoc created by Covid-19 put a bottom in the S&P 500 index that morning. From a record high of 3393 on February 19, the market had fallen 35% to a low of 2191 on March 23.
The timing of the Fed’s announcement had three connections with the S&P 500 first-trade horoscope, shown in the inner wheel, (Chart 1) that are often seen at markets lows: (1) transiting Mercury conjunct the S&P 500 natal Venus; (2) transiting Sun trine the S&P 500 natal Uranus (at the same degree); and (3) transiting Jupiter, Pluto and Mars all trine the S&P 500 natal Mars.
Interestingly, the Fed’s March 2020 announcement came at a pivotal time in its history. Chart 2 shows that transiting Jupiter, Pluto and Mars were all conjunct the Fed’s natal Jupiter from when it was founded on December 23, 1913 (inner wheel).
The Jupiter/Jupiter conjunction occurs every 12 years and marks a new 12-year period of growth. Most significant was Pluto’s conjunction to Jupiter, which occurs once every 248 years and signifies a rebirth of optimism as well as the potential for success if actions taken benefit society. Mars conjunct Jupiter occurs every two years and stands for having total confidence in actions taken. That all three of these planets conjoined natal Jupiter simultaneously at the time of the Fed’s announcement emphasizes its significance for the institution’s future.
Note also that transiting Jupiter, Pluto and Mars also were opposite the Fed’s natal Mars and Neptune, although not as exact as with natal Jupiter. These three oppositions tell a story of courageousness to support ideals that help others.
The Fed’s June 2, 2021 announcement that it would begin winding down the portfolio of one of the programs introduced on March 23, 2021 provided the first astrological clue about future tapering. That’s because the position of transiting Mars that day was exactly opposite to the degree of where it was when the QE program began (Chart 3). Oppositions typically represent a culmination of energy, much like the full moon (an opposition between Sun and Moon) represents a fulfillment of the energy/intention that began at the new moon (a conjunction between Sun and Moon.)
Tapering Dates with Astrological Potential
I considered three factors to come up with potential dates for news about the Fed’s QE tapering: (1) Mars transits to the March 2020 QE announcement; (2) dates of FOMC meetings; and (3) transits to the S&P 500 first-trade horoscope. Here they are, in chronological order:
Monday, September 6, 2021 (Labor Day)
The next major aspect after an opposition when news could appear is the trine, so this date is connected to the March 2020 QE announcement via the position of transiting Mars, which is trine to its position when QE began. Trines are aspects of ease, so tapering news around Labor Day could be seen as making an easy transition, an increase in funds, or too much all at once.
From the perspective of the stock market, transiting Mars and transiting Pluto form a Grand Trine in Earth with the S&P 500’s first-trade Mars that also pulls in first-trade Jupiter and could signify a market low. The transiting Sun is opposite the market’s first-trade Sun, which also can occur at market lows.
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
This is the final day of the Fed’s two-day meeting. It occurs on the same day as transiting Venus trines the S&P 500’s first-trade Sun, which could signify a stock market high.
Friday, October 22, 2021
Transiting Mars makes its waning 90-degree square to its position of the March 2020 QE announcement. This is the first “hard angle” after the Mars opposition on June 2, 2021 when the Fed announced it would begin winding down the portfolio of the Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility (SMCCF). The square could bring yet another announcement about tapering.
The waxing square between transiting Mars and the March 2020 QE natal Mars occurred three times from August 18, 2020 through December 25, 2020 because Mars was retrograde in fall 2020. During that period, Congressional passage of a financial stimulus package was in the news. However, the Fed did announce on December 16, 2020 that it intended to continue its $120 billion monthly purchases and keep interest rates near zero into 2023.
From a stock market perspective, transiting Venus is conjunct the S&P 500’s first-trade Saturn, which can occur at either a high or a low.
Friday, November 5, 2021
The Fed meets earlier in the week, November 2-3. This is the day the transiting Sun is trine the S&P 500’s first-trade Sun, indicating a potential stock market high.
Friday, December 3, 2021
I picked this date from a range of 10 that spanned Thanksgiving Day, November 25, through December 5 because Mercury (news) and Venus (money) are both “out-of-bounds” and likely to behave in exaggerated ways. Across those 10 days, transiting Sun and Mercury make aspects with three parts of the S&P 500 first-trade horoscope that are often seen at highs: (1) trine Uranus; (2) conjunct Descendant; and (3) conjunct Saturn. Could this be when tapering details begin to leak out?
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
This is my pick for Fed tapering news that could put a top in the S&P 500 because the planets are connected significantly to both the beginning of the QE program in March 2020 (Chart 4) and the S&P 500 first-trade horoscope (Chart 5) on announcement day of the Fed’s final two-day meeting for the year.
In Chart 4, the initial QE announcement of 2020 is the inner wheel, with December 15, 2021 transits on the outer wheel. Note that transiting Mars is making a trine to the QE Sun (1), so taking action on the initial intent is easy. Transiting Venus joins Pluto in aligning with the QE announcement’s Mars/Pluto/Jupiter stellium (2), indicating big money transformation. Finally, at the time of the Fed’s press conference, the transiting Moon is conjunct the QE announcement Venus in Taurus (3), a connection that represents heart-felt, grounded sentiment about money. As an added bonus, the transiting Sun is conjunct the Fed’s natal Sun from 1913, supporting the Fed’s identity.
In Chart 5, the S&P 500 first-trade horoscope is the inner wheel, with the December 15, 2021 transits on the outer wheel. By transit, Mars conjunct the S&P 500 descendant and trine its first-trade Uranus (1) are both signatures at market highs; transiting Jupiter conjunct the market’s first-trade Mercury (2) also portends a high.
However, what made this date stand out is that transiting Venus is within four days of turning retrograde in motion (3), something that can put pressure on the stock market. Indeed, both Venus retrograde and Mars conjunct the S&P 500 descendant occur on December 19; Mars is trine the S&P 500 Uranus on December 18.
Venus retrogrades (appears to move backward in the sky) about every 18 months, and signal a time to review financial matters. Since 2007 (before the Great Recession), Venus retrograde has occurred nine times. The S&P 500 declined during three of these retrograde periods—in 2007 (-11.9%), 2015 (-12.4%) and 2017 (-3%).
Often the market rallies when Venus retrograde joins an already retrograde Jupiter retrograde, which occurred in 2010 (+8.5%), 2013-14 (+4.4%), and 2020 (+17%). The S&P 500 also rallied, up 31.3%, during the 2009 Venus retrograde period, even though Jupiter was not involved. In 2012, the market went sideways while Venus was retrograde.
Saturday, January 29, 2022
Venus ends its retrograde period and begins moving forward on Saturday, January 29, just three days after the FOMC’s first meeting of the year. Thus, the Fed could have reviewed its tapering plan while Venus was still retrograde and be ready to move forward with it once Venus turns direct in motion.
Sunday, February 27, 2022 to Friday, March 4, 2022
Astrologically, the QE program of 2020 could wrap up by late February into early March. The main reason is that transiting Mars returns to its position at 24 Capricorn 55, where it was when the program began, on February 27. The “Mars return” is the cycle’s conclusion; it marks the start of a new set of two-year goals.
At the time, though, transiting Jupiter and Sun will be conjunct the S&P 500 first-trade Sun within days of one another. Jupiter is exactly conjunct on February 28; the Sun on March 4. The last time Jupiter and the Sun were both this close to the S&P first-trade Sun, i.e., at 13-14 degrees of Pisces, at the same time was in 1939.
The S&P 500 had yet to be invented in 1939, but the double conjunction at those degrees of Pisces put pressure on the U.S. stock market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was in mid-downtrend from a high in November 1938 to the low in April 1939; the market lost 12.3% in value from the Jupiter/Sun conjunction in late February/early March into April.
Also very near this time period—on February 20—is the first of three exact conjunctions in 2022 by transiting Pluto to the position of Pluto in the United States natal horoscope of July 4, 1776 that could exacerbate market emotions. The country’s first “Pluto return” demands reviewing the roots of the country’s existence and discarding what is no longer necessary in order to achieve further growth and transformation. Indeed, we are experiencing right now the type of energy that caused the Founding Fathers to create a revolution and break free from English rule.
Friday, March 18, 2022
On the outside fringe of possibility, this date follows the FOMC meeting of March 15-16. It features a Full Moon that is aligned with the S&P 500’s first-trade Jupiter as well as transiting Mercury conjunct the market’s first-trade Sun that could precipitate a market top.