Recession! (April 2020)

Hey everyone!

I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. In my previous newsletter, I wrote that based on the timing of an eclipse in Dec 2019, I believe that things will start to normalize closer to July 2020, and that appropriate treatments / vaccines should start to be widely used after September 2020. At the very least, I hope this gives you solace that the health side of this calamity will start improving in a few months. 

However, there is another side to crisis, and in this newsletter, I wanted to give you an astrological timeline on the world’s economic recovery. While the coronavirus timeline above is based on an eclipse, this economic timeline is based on the movement of a few planets. In November 2019, I wrote that based on Jupiter joining Saturn in Sagittarius, there would be an increased risk for a stock market correction from January 24th 2020 to March 29th 2020. Since then, the stock market has corrected:

Over the next few months, according to the astrology, it’s going to be a bit of a roller coaster. There will be a recession, which will probably be followed by a period of temporary hope, followed by a second more difficult period, and finally finishing with a full recovery. I’ve put in some thumbs up and down emojis below for some levity as this newsletter was feeling a bit too serious :) 

👎 From March 30th to June 29th, Jupiter is in Capricorn, where it joins a very strong and challenging Saturn. Jupiter is the planet of wealth and abundance, and in addition to Saturn’s suppressive energy, Capricorn is Jupiter’s weakest sign. This means Jupiter’s abundance cannot be expressed easily during this period, and clearly symbolizes a recession. 

👍 From June 30th to Nov 19th, Jupiter retrogrades out of Capricorn and back into Sagittarius. Unlike the previous period of Jupiter in Sagittarius (Jan 24th to March 29th), on this occasion, Jupiter is not impacted by any of the harsher planets. In fact, Sagittarius is Jupiter’s home sign, and Jupiter’s abundance symbolism should be expressed well. This period should represent a better time economically, a return of hope and dharma into the world, and a generally better time for everyone. 

👎 From Nov 20th 2020 to April 5th 2021, Jupiter returns to Capricorn, and similar to March 30th to June 29th, we’re in for another tougher period. The one more thing I’ll add is that Saturn and Jupiter in this position forms a special astrological combination called Neechabhanga Raja Yoga. During this combination, an initial event is usually interpreted as negative, but as it gets closer to the end of this period, the event will prove to be a blessing in disguise. Perhaps the world uses this period to reprioritize, and hopefully support more ecological and sustainable businesses. 

👎 As a final “gift” within this period, on March 26th 2021, Mars will be conjunct Rahu. Both Mars and Rahu are risk taking planets, and when they are together it can create excessive risk taking. This creates a possibility of increased stock market volatility during the couple weeks before and after this date. In the two previous occasions I looked at where Mars was conjunct Rahu in a recession (June 1930 and February 2009), the stock market was down significantly. 

👍 And finally, on April 5th 2021, Jupiter enters Aquarius. Jupiter’s year long journey through Capricorn is finally complete, and the economy should start to feel more normal again. I hope that by providing this timeline, it at least gives you a heads up on what to expect and helps you see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Mercury in Pisces

Mercury, the planet of logic and reasoning, goes into Pisces, the sign of imagination, on April 7th 2020 (PST). It will stay there till April 24th 2020. While Mercury is in Pisces, its logical energy has difficulty materializing, and you might find yourself with communication issues, difficulty writing, or experiencing some additional hurdles in what you are trying to learn. A great example of this is Albert Einstein’s chart, whose Mercury is in Pisces:

Einstein famously failed his first attempt at his university entrance exam, principally because he was not good at French. With Mercury in Pisces, his strengths lay in the imagination required to uncover the secrets of Physics, and not with the logic and reasoning required to study a second language. Ultimately, failing his engineering school entrance exam was a blessing in disguise, as it forced him into the study of Physics, where he was able to make important contributions to the world. 

So, back to your life - how does Mercury in Pisces affect you? I’ve written out some mini-predictions to try and answer this question. Of course, there are many other things that fill out the picture of your life (most of it individualized from your birth chart), but this transit will show one small perspective. I have arranged these mini predictions according to your Vedic Sun signs; you can find your Vedic Sun sign by finding which date range includes your birthday. Please read the birth times carefully as your Vedic Sun sign can be different from your Western one (reason here). If you know your Vedic Ascendant sign or your Vedic Moon sign, the predictions corresponding to those signs are also applicable to you.


Aries (April 14th to May 14th): Mercury is in your house of spirituality. This is a good time to work on your intuition, especially as it applies to spiritual texts. Try and focus on the metaphors and analogies instead of the literal meaning of the words. 

Taurus (May 15th to June 14th): During this period, if you are dealing with groups of people, it is especially important to make sure what you’re saying is clear and understandable. If you are setting any goals during this time, it may be a good idea to break them down to smaller, more achievable steps. 

Gemini (June 14th to July 16th): Mercury is transiting your house of career. Focus on imagining big ideas and try and see the forest for the trees. This period is not supportive for getting down to the nitty gritty. It may also be useful to work on speaking and writing more clearly.

Cancer (July 17th to August 16th): During this period, there is a tendency for you to misunderstand things, especially if you are learning something. The transit also forms a combination that may make you lose some money - it’s best to stick with conservative investments, and be careful with your wallet!

Leo (August 17th to September 16th): This transit could make you exclaim “why is everything so complicated”! Communication can become more strenuous, but on the flip side, if you work on being more considered and conscious when speaking, your communication skills will strengthen through the period.

Virgo (September 17th to October 16th): During this period, you may have difficulty communicating with your partner. Perhaps you feel your partner is being (even more?) illogical or obtuse. Just relax, he or she will start seeming more intelligent in a few weeks. 

Libra (October 17th to November 15th): Mercury is transiting your house of health, and can give rise to allergies or auto-immunity, especially on the skin. There might be certain foods that you may be a bit more sensitive to than normal. 

Scorpio (November 16th to December 15th): Mercury is transiting your house of education. If you are trying to learn or read something during this period, try and focus on the big picture, and come back later to go through the nitty gritty details. 

Sagittarius (December 16th to January 14th): This period is a good time to think more big picture about your personal spaces, whether its your home or your office. Imagine your ideal space, decide what you like about your current space and what you don’t, and slowly work towards creating a better environment. 

Capricorn (January 15th to February 12th): Mercury is transiting your house of communication. You may find yourself not making sense, or perhaps people are just not understanding you. Be a bit more conscious of your speech and writing during this period - you’ll have to work a bit harder to ensure clear communication. 

Aquarius (Feb 13th March 14th): Take care of your health during this period, and pay more attention to the foods you are eating. This is a good time to work on “conscious eating” - how does each mouthful feel and taste? How does smell interact with the taste and textures? Don’t just rush through your meals while being distracted on something else.

Pisces (March 15th to April 13th): Mercury is transiting your house of the body, and can give rise to allergies or auto-immunity, especially on the skin. There might be certain foods that you may be a bit more sensitive to than normal.


​I hope you found these mini-predictions useful, and also please remain safe and healthy through these pretty intense times.

P.S., the bear and bull picture at the top of the newsletter is not completely random - the bear represents time periods when the stock market is falling, and the bull represents time periods when the stock market is going up :)