Top Ten Worst Stock Market Crashes

These dates are from: http://mutualfunds.about.com/cs/history/p/crash1.htm, give or take a typo or two.

10. 1/25/2000 - 10/9/2002 -37.8%

9. 11/21/1916 - 12/19/1917 -40.1%

8. 9/12/1939 - 4/28/1942 -40.4%

7. 1/11/1973 - 12/06/1974 -45.1%

6. 6/17/1901 - 11/9/1903 -46.1%

5. 11/3/1919 - 8/24/1921 -46.6%

4. 9/3/1929 - 11/13/1929 -47.9%

3. 1/19/1906 - 11/15/1907 -48.5%

2. 3/10/1937 - 3/31/1938 -49.1%

1. 4/17/1930 - 7/8/1932 -86.0%

Craig Newmark

Craig Newmark created Craigslist.org, the humungous Classified Ad Heaven on the Internet. Although Craigslist is so successful that it is now worth Billions of Dollars, Mr. Newmark refuses to turn it into a Capitalistic enterprise. He refuses to be greedy. What the Hell is the matter with Craig Newmark?

Craig Newmark
b. Dec. 6, 1952 Morristown, NJ

Okay, for one he's a Sagittarius (gregarious spendthrift) possibly with a Leo Moon (generous nurturer).

For Greed I suppose one would look to Saturn, maybe Venus, maybe Moon. Craig's Saturn is conjunct Neptune in Libra. Neptune in Libra brought us the flower children; with Saturn conjuncting it one might become a dour child but still yearn for, and even giving a structural business sense to peace and love and harmony for all. In Craig's case, this conjunction is in a t-square; it's squaring an oppostion of Venus in Capricorn to Uranus in Cancer. Well, Venus and Uranus are very exciting, very kind-hearted when working together. They should never be allowed to enter the conservative signs of Capricorn and Cancer, or, on second thought, they are just what these two stodgy signs need for balance. The combination brings out the nurturing side of the Cancer/Capricorn.

Secondly, Craig's North Node is in Aquarius, his Soul's mission is to work for humanity through rebellious change, especially with Mars in conjunction with it. Aquarius rules the Internet and in connection with Mars it rules Technology. On one side the Sun in Sagittarius is sextiling/trining the Nodes. One the other side Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius is squaring the Nodes. The Moon may be conjunct Craig's South Node.

His Mercury is also very interesting. It's Retrograde in Sagittarius and unaspected which gives it super prominence in some sort of uncomfortable Mercury type way. He claims that he is very nerdy. A successful, nerdy techie. I don't know exactly when he started Craigslist except that it was in 1995 sometime. Pluto was just passing over his Mercury. Jupiter was passing over his Sun in Sagg which it rules, Luck and Optimism (and about to repeat again next year). Expansive Jupiter rules all things International and Craigslist is now connecting rentals, jobs and psychotic lovers the World over. Also, very interesting that Neptune, Uranus and his progressed Sun were hovering over his natal Venus at the same time.

Thanks Craig! You're the Best!

Astrology

Sir Isaac Newton's Nervous Breakdown

Just watched a DVD show put out by NOVA or PBS on Sir Isaac Newton. Knew that he was into Alchemy and was hoping they would give the down and dirty on his Astrological Knowledge. No such thing. Fun show at any rate making one of the greatest mathematicians and scientists into some sort of Rod Serling character.

The show covered Newton's genius and his great discoveries and also his Theological Interests. His personality was really bizarre. He apparently was very introverted and withdrawn for the whole first half of his life and then, in his early 50's, had a nervous breakdown, left Academia and became a much more public person, working as Warden of the Mint in London.

The Nervous Breakdown was in 1693 and was brought on due to the departure of a close friend. In his chart it coincides with his Progressed Ascendant and Progressed Mars changing signs and opposing each other at the same time. His new Prog. Ascendant was Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter which rules his 3d house of mentality. Mars moved into Gemini which is the natural ruler of the 3d house, again emphasizing mental state. Alone this means that his mind was just really busy and, considering what he had in the first place, I guess this could be a scary proposition. But, this progressed opposition superimposed by conjunction onto his natal Neptune-Pluto opposition. Tripping off an opposition like this can bring a great Spiritual Crisis. It's emphasized by the natal square from Venus, which rules his Libra Ascendant. In his case, it happened in his H2 of Values and H8 of other's values. This would definitely be a good time to start working with money. Venus rules relationships so everything that he felt vulnerable about in relationships came out at this time.

Interesting that he went through a complete physical change right after this (Ascendant) and basically did a complete flip-flop with regards to his public/private life. This really shows the emphasis of Venus and Libra Ascendant and the transformative effects of Neptune and Pluto working together. Pluto also transited his Leo MC along with Chiron at this time. He was supposedly Knighted not for having created Calculus or for his discoveries in Gravity, Optics and Light. He was rewarded for changing England's currency from the Silver Standard to the Gold Standard. How appropriate for someone with Leo MC! Interesting also that much of his earlier life was spent studying Alchemy which tries to figure out how to create Gold.

Sir Isaac Newton
b. Jan 4, 1643 5am Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England

Astrology

Abigail Lynn Woods

I'm obsessed with babies in the news whose birth seems exceptional or the events just after birth are exceptional and I wonder if the eclipses in Virgo/Pisces in addition to transiting Pluto squaring the Nodes has anything to do with this.

There's a story about Abigail Woods, a newborn, who was abducted a couple of weeks ago. A strange woman came up to the door and slashed Abigail's mother's throat, stabbing her in numerous spots on her body. She did this in front of the woman's other child and then stole the baby. Abigail was recognized by one of the abductor's relatives when they went to the doctor. The abductor had covered up a birthmark on the baby's forehead with some make-up and the relative noticed and reported it.

Abigail Lynn Woods

Born Sept. 8, 2006 Union, Missouri

Abducted from Home 9/15/06

Returned to police 9/19/06 5pm

Look at the Pluto square Nodes transit that is occurring in the sky right now. It's set off prominently by yesterday's Solar Eclipse at the end of Virgo.

Natally: The Nodes are prominently aspected. Moon conjunct or close to conjunct the North Node. Moon = Mother, Family, Birth. Mercury(neighborhood)-Lilith (myth of the mother murderer)-Mars(violence) conjunct SN. Mars is at an Aries Point bringing the abduction out into the public arena. Mars squaring Pluto is very violent, add the Moon and it's over the top. Add the Eclipses and it's beyond belief. One wonders how the angles are aspected within Abigail's chart which sets her apart from the other babies born on this day.

Day of Abduction, Friday, Sept. 15, Moon opposite Pluto filling out empty leg of the t-square.

Day of Return, Tuesday, Sept. 19, Moon c. Saturn (discipline, governmental law) opposite Neptune (hospitals)-Ceres (mythology of mother whose daughter was abducted).

The Sun has been in Virgo and has passed over the South Node stellium during this time as well and experienced a Solar Eclipse yesterday in conjunction with the South Node.

Len Cutler

Len Cutler passed away on Sept. 4, 2006 of heart failure while on a camping trip at Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Hailed in his obituary as the "Henry Ford of Time" and "Father Time" I could only wonder what part Saturn, the planet that rules Time, played in the chart of Len Cutler.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Mr. Cutler was born on January 10, 1928 in Los Angeles, California.

He had Sun conjunct Mercury in Capricorn opposite Pluto. Saturn in his chart was inconjunct Pluto. It was also conjunct his South Node and Mars in Sagittarius. He also had another prominent inconjunct in his chart between Jupiter-Uranus in Pisces and Neptune in Leo.

Mr. Cutler worked for almost 50years at Hewlett-Packard and its spin off, Agilent Laboratories. His specialty was Atomic (Pluto) Clocks (Saturn). His timepieces were so accurate they were used to synchronize the Master Clocks between the U.S. and Switzerland. According to the newspaper Mr. Cutler was able to prove that a person who takes a long distance flight will be younger when he lands than he would have been if he had not taken the flight.

Saturn = Time and Inconjuncts = Adjustments. Who could ask for a better chart to adjust the World's Clocks?

The Opening Bell

Generally when the Stock Market opens at 9:30am the Sun is in the 11th House. Here's a good story about the ego and celebrity of being able to ring the opening bell: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/75/openingbell.html.

Keywords for 11th house are: Hopes, Dreams, Friends, Groups, Detachment, Independent, Inventive, Sociable and Extroverted, Impersonal, Unbiased, Freedom Loving. This can be seen in the way business is conducted, especially in the United States.

The Eleventh House is the last of the "Resource" Houses. The 2d House represents Values and Money one has in the Bank. The 5th House represents Risks and Gambling, the games that one will play with one's money. The 8th House represents other people's money such as Loans, Insurance, Credit, Taxes. The 11th House is never really discussed in relation to its actual relationship to money (until now). It represents the resources of groups and friends. You can't get anything done without all those connections to other people. You can't make a mint off of hard work alone, you have to play off the hysterical reactions of the masses. A college friend of mine became a Stockbroker and he told me you need money in order to make money in the Stock Market. 11th House represents the last of the Resource Houses. Once you've lost your shirt here, the wheel spins back down and you have to pick up at 2d House endeavors, i.e. Hard Labor. Well, actually, I've never seen a Bull do much of anything except sit around and chew grass all day but certain men I've known have assured me that the Bull has the hard job on the farm.

At the Closing Bell, the Sun will generally be in the 8th House, another Resource House. Good way to end a day on the Stock Market with the Sun in the House in which it rules. Just make sure there are no other planets within or in hard aspect to the Sun when it arrives.

Astrology

Stardust

NASA is examining contents collected from a comet's tail hoping to discover how the universe began: http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2006/2/6/stanfordExaminesComet.

Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover became President of the United States in 1929. He had made his living first as an engineer and then gained much success in Government jobs helping people in wars, and specialized in getting people fed. So why did the man who spoke up against helping starving Central Europeans after WW1 ("Twenty million people are starving. Whatever their politics, they shall be fed!") fail to help his own nation when it was starving and in need? He apparently was not responsible for the Depression, but most people at the time blamed him.

Herbert Hoover born August 10, 1874 11:15pm West Branch, IA

30 Taurus Rising.
Sun and Moon in Leo stellium with Mars and Uranus in the 4th House.
Aquarius Rising conjunct Saturn in 10th house.
Neptune-North Node-Chiron in Taurus, House 12.
That's a lot of Fixed Energy with a lot of Compassion for others that can be expressed through Government work.

Hoover received his schooling in Mining Engineering at Stanford University. He worked as an Engineer but became progressively more interested in Public Service when he and his wife were caught up in a battle while they were living in China, June 1900. Public Service and Government interest is indicated by the 12th house grouping of Neptune in its own house, North Node and Chiron. This evidently became a bigger part of Hoover's life in 1900 when Hoover's progressed MC moved into Pisces, the sign that Neptune rules. His Progressed Mars had recently finished passing over his 4th house stellium. His life dramatized these transits very nicely as he worked in mining, a 4th house occupation and chose to live overseas, perhaps an Opportunity presented by a passing of p.Mars over his natal Uranus.

Leos are known for their generosity. 4th house represents food and feeding. Hoover's occupations and administrative appointments were all centered around helping other people and feeding them in particular. He was appointed head of the Food Administration and avoided rationing food in the U.S. during WWI while getting enough food to the Allies. He was celebrating his 40th Birthday in London when the Germans attacked France and, appointed spur of the moment (Uranus-Mars), managed to get 120,000 Tourists moved back into the U.S. within 6 weeks. Transiting Uranus and Jupiter were both in his 10th House. Not only was he going through his Uranus opposition and his Neptune square, but Uranus was in its own sign conjunct n. Saturn in its own house and opposing natal Mars, Moon and Uranus in the 4th house. Backed up by all that natal Fixed Energy, who better to move 120,000 American Tourists? This was a Good Guy. You don't often see Good Guys become President.

So he becomes President during a time of Irrational Exuberance. Leo and Taurus certainly can embody that. He's been feeding people from an Administrative Level for the last 20+ years and he's doing really well with this and, boom, the anvil falls. Suddenly he can't feed anyone. Everything with 4th House concerns, food, housing, mining, forestry fails. Suddenly, this guy who rescued little Chinese Kids with his bare hands, threw wigged out Tourists onto boats by the droves, fed most of Central Europe after the War, says that all feeding and care is the responsbility of the Local Governments, not the Feds.

He was even going through his Progressed Moon Return in the 4th house. All through the 20's Neptune was passing through his 4th house of care and feeding and was now trining his natal Neptune-NN-Chiron. There is now a lot of activity in his 6th house. His Progressed Sun was on the cusp. Progressed Mercury was changing into Scorpio right on his South Node and his Progressed Venus was 1 degree away from his Desc. Venus is ruler of his chart. But Neptune, ruler of the 12th house, nicely placed in his 12th house, has finished his run of his 4th house. It even trines itself. 12th house rules Government. He has become President of the United States, even, but his Neptune has moved into the 5th house of Risk and Speculation and apparently his chart is not well decked out for this.

On October 24, the Sun was conjunct his South Node in Scorpio and opposite his NN and Neptune. Chiron was conjunct the transiting NN in his 12th house squaring his 4th house planets. He had just had his Chiron Return and was about to have his Nodal Return. I guess it all just goes back to the Natal Chart. Pluto, Neptune, Chiron with North Node in the 12th house might suggest some sort of really devastating "end of an era" type of energy. Natally he had an exact square of Neptune to Mercury which could have clouded his Mental Abilities with unrealistic expectations. He implemented many Aid programs but didn't believe in Government Assistance on the level that was required at the time and only held office for one term.

My Little Shadow Sister

Some people exist in one's life only through the corner of one's eye. Their story pops up in one's life as somehow related but never really affecting one's existence. This is how it is with someone who I will now call My Little Shadow Sister. She lived through only one full cycle of the Moon's Nodes. I only saw her once while she was sitting in a car about age 5. She had remarkably beautiful long straight black hair. She was a rich lawyer's kid who was supposed to have maids and ponies and fancy clothes but I only heard stories about her bad luck. She is how I choose to learn about the cycle of the Moon's Nodes.

The Nodes of the Moon are hypothetical points in the sky that show a harmonic union of the energies of the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. They are thought to show a person's special spiritual purpose and the points where his soul may struggle to evolve in his lifetime. They take about 18 months to travel through a sign and they return to the spot where they were when you were born every 18 years. How a person responds to this energy is completely personal depending on the house and sign placement of the nodes in his chart along with the planets that aspect it. I have no idea what the birth date of the person who I'm writing about is, I don't even remember her name. I never talked to her. I do know that we had parallel lives; we raced around a track that was set out for us like two phantom horses. But, she left the track at age 18 and somehow I'm still out limping around many years later.

When I was 14 my parents divorced. My father's lawyer was already divorced. His daughter is the girl I call my Shadow Sister. I only heard a handful of stories about her, all tragic. Her mother had abandonned the family when she was a baby and had never returned. She had wanted to play the harp but at too early an age so the teacher who I later studied from had refused to teach her. Failures like this in an Upper Middle or Upper Class community can wreck a kid. You're better off successfully stealing bikes than working at something honest and failing. I ended up taking lessons from the same harp teacher. Once she mimicked how this little girl had been unable to play. She winced with her fingers from an almost fetal position and said that nothing was coordinating between head and hands. This was a cheerful, hardy, stable woman who rarely spoke negatively about anyone. She didn't like to watch a small child struggle. She was a serious musician and probably didn't understand the cost of failure and rejection.

The next story I heard when I was in college. My mother had visited with some friends who had brought this girl along. The girl had sat silently through the visit until she began to talk about how her father beat her. The friends explained to my mother later on that the girl was mentally ill. As her father had been my father's attorney, though, and not my mother's attorney, my mother was skeptical and tended to believe the girl.

Her father, the Lawyer, was known to wreck divorced women's lives through financial ruin. He spoke with an electronic sounding lawyers' voice and was so tall and skinny that when he turned to the side he almost disappeared like some sort of aquarium fish.

Much later when I was visiting my father he told me that the Lawyer's daughter had moved to San Francisco and had died. She was 18. The lawyer had told everyone that her long dark hair had got caught in the drain of the bathtub and she had drowned. My parents hadn't given the story a second thought and retold it just as it had been told to them. I pointed out that I thought there was something more to the story, the "S" word, perhaps.

My father and his wife glanced at each other and didn't say a thing. They had sent me off to San Francisco to live on my own when I had had my nervous breakdown and they had probably suggested that their lawyer do the same.