6th ISBA Congress in Amsterdam (May 26th to May 27th in 2005) - participant's notes

The welcome by Karen Boesen opened the ISBA Congress and with Faye Cossar's "The Life Cycle of a Company" the course of lectures had begun. As all people go through certain stages of childhood, adolescence and adulthood, also companies go through similar phases. The phases all together make the universal cycle that lasts 72 years and then the cycle starts again. You can divide this long cycle into twelve 6-year periods that are stages of a man development. Every stage has its crisis point that is typical to the traditional description of horoscope houses (1st - identity, 2nd finance …). Companies and even states also go through the same symbolic phases. We were studying the case of KLM airlines that suffered second-house loss of profit in 1929 year and then again 72 years after in 2001 year. 
The next lecture was "Saturn's role in past great depressions" by Robert Gover. Robert talked about the chart of the United States and why he uses the Gemini Rising Chart. This chart pictures the nature of American citizens and the powerful second-house Sun-Pluto aspect. However the sensitive aspects of the US horoscope are Mars in a square to Neptun and Sun squaring Saturn. Whenever Mars-Neptun has been afflicted by transiting planets forming oppositions, squares and/or conjunctions there has been a stock market crash. 
The lecture of Han van Straaten "Horary Business Astrology" was a brilliant case study of a company in a crisis. On that example Han explained us the value of the horary question technique in a business consulting. The company managers who asked Han for the advice were warned that the horary chart indicates conflicts between the two of them in the coming years. After that happened one of the managers sought Han's advice who applied the horary question technique again. 
After the lunch we enjoyed a big chunk of a financial astrology when Bill Meridian gave us a lecture on a "Planetary Stock Trading". We compared stock price charts with charts of transits and noted that decline in the shares comes along with transit of Saturn through their natal chart planets and other important points. 
To successfully forecast market declines:
1. Look for the most powerful axis in space
2. See how this axis hits the chart
3. the most sensitive points of chart are: MC, Sun, Moon or Ascendant (within 1-2 degree),
4. The chart that receives most hits is the best.
5. Parallels and contraparallels are stronger than conjunctions and oppositions.

The next lecture was given by Robert Doolard on "Cycles in culture, politics and economics". Robert calculated cyclic indexes of planets and compared their phases with wars people had fought for the last 500 years. 89% of the total numbers of victims fall in wars which begin during the downward Jupiter wave. This phase brings: pessimism, destruction and chaos. Jupiter index rising brings optimism, growth and cooperation. We will enjoy the nearest Jupiter index rising from the year 2023 onwards. 
The next lecture was given by Madeline Gerwick-Brodeur on "Astrology's Economic Forecast". Madeline explained some astrologic forecast techniques: McWhirter cycle of Moon nodes, Jupiter-Saturn cycle and transits of the outermost planets through the Signs of Zodiac. The North Node cycle is in the downward business trend these years and will reach its bottom in December 2007. Interestingly we will also witness Pluto's ingress into sign of Capricorn these days and may expect a beginning of transformation the structure of business, organisations, governments and generally capitalism as we know it.
With the next lecture of Bill Meridian on "Planetary Gold Trading" we were given hints when to buy and sell gold. The main cycle that influences the gold market is Jupiter-Neptune mutual aspects cycle. Bill also described two other important cycles that affect gold. One is the Sun through signs (bullish cycle from August to January 18, bearish through the rest of the year) and the other is Heliocentric Mercury through signs (bullish cycle from 0 Libra to 0 Capricorn). 
The course of lectures of the next day was opened by Harald Seeberger's lecture on the use of small planets in astrology counselling. So far about 60,000 small planets have been discovered and 12,000 of them have been given a name. Applying these planets in your astrology practise may give you more precise information and make your forecast more accurate. 
The next lecture was given by Madeline Gerwick-Brodeur on "The Astrology of Sales and Marketing". Sales and marketing are important parts of a business activity. Third house and Mercury symbolize: sales, internal and external communications, Website, customer service and order talking. Ninth house symbolizes the marketing department, publicity, advertising, promotions, distribution and international sales. To advice sales and marketing strategies we need to read occupation of the third and ninth house and their rulers condition, location and aspects. 
The next lecture by Peter Delahay was given on "The Metaphysics of Business and the Effect of the Leader". Peter discussed the meaning of elements of a civilisation. He also underlined the role of a personal development of a company management. 
The next lecture of Robert Gover on "The Great Economic Depressions in the USA" showed us clearly that each time when USA suffer a great depression there forms a grand cross of the outermost planets. If the economy is in a downturn we can forecast depression looking for a grand cross pattern. During that lecture Robert also shared with us some of his economic forecasts concerning the American economy. 
The last parts of the course of lectures were Barbara Hamilton's "Coaching Leaders through Personal and Corporate Defining Moments" and "Transformational Leadership - Astrological Indicators for Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence". A very important part of the business astrology is a personal counselling on a natal chart of the client. Giving us examples of her clients' charts Barbara told us about defining moments of their lives and the path they decided to choose. 
The last part of the lecture was very spiritual and inspiring as we all did a travel inside ourselves. 
The congress was also a great opportunity to socialize for astrologers' community. Having lunches together or a canal boat trip was a chance to share ideas and know each other better. We are all looking forward to meet again each other at the next ISBA Congress!