(Editor’s Note: The author is a former editor at Futures magazine as well as has been in the futures business in editorial and marketing for decades. She continues in the business as a consultant, but has along the way studied astrology, a subject that has been accepted by royalty, military and political leaders throughout history. Combining her two areas of expertise, Gidel provides some outside the box views of the PFGBest failure.)
The sudden demise of PFGBest on July 10, 2012 following an attempted suicide the previous day by its owner, Russ Wasendorf, with revelation about embezzlement of customer funds has the industry, regulators, traders, customers and former employees wondering how and why it all could have happened. As an astrologer, I looked for answers—and found some—in the company, personal and event charts.
Let me say upfront that this Monday-morning quarterbacking of examining the astrological influences of a spectacular event is not only common in the astrological world, but frustrating. Sure, it’s great to see how the event played out given the astrological influences present. But, it always begs the question: Could this event have been predicted?
The answer in this case is an ambiguous “yes” and “no.”
Yes, there were certain large influences present that could have foretold in advance (but only if someone had been looking) that Peregrine Financial Group was not only going to be under extreme stress in June and July 2012, but also the character of that stress.
No, it would have been irresponsible of any astrologer to predict the exact events that unfolded as there are far too many moving parts and individual will involved. What’s more, could anyone have even imagined this storyline? I think not.
I see four major astrological indicators surrounding the PFGBest story, which are highlighted in different colors in the accompanying chart:
- Extreme stress for sudden, unusual transformation in the company was evident from June 7 through July10, 2012.
- Illusion about the company’s reputation that involves the public and fortune was significant beginning June 29, 2012.
- A timely trigger involving the company’s reputation on July 9, 2012.
- Timing and character of the suicide attempt at about 8 a.m. on July 9, 2012 is evident.
Click for enlarged chart
For those of you comfortable with technical analysis of the markets, the first two indicators are akin to looking a market’s weekly price chart for big, long-term perspective. The third is like a daily chart, and the final one is like an intraday chart.
Chart background and caveats
The accompanying illustration combines four separate astrological charts into one to see how each interacts with the others. In all four cases, the date and place are accurate, but the “birth” time is unknown and estimated, which limits the ability to fine tune any astrological analysis.
The charts are placed in chronological order from the middle outward. The birth chart of Russ Wasendorf is in the center. His first company, Wasendorf & Associates, is in the second ring. Peregrine Financial Group, the company that declared bankruptcy, is in the third ring. Wasendorf’s suicide attempt is the outer ring.
1. Extreme stress for sudden, powerful transformation (purple)
On June 24 this year, the entire world experienced the first of seven exact connections that will occur through March 2015 between two slow-moving powerhouse planets—Pluto j and Uranus h. For all of us, this energy is about taking unusual, revolutionary action (Uranus) to transform old structures, particularly in business and government (Pluto). The energy is strong because of the two planets involved and because they are in a relationship of conflict (square, at 90 degrees). The last time these two planets were connected was in the mid-1960s.
For Peregrine Financial Group, this year’s Pluto/Uranus connection was exactly aligned with its own Uranus placement when the company incorporated in 1990. This strong Pluto/Uranus aspect was in the same degree of Peregrine’s Uranus from June 7-July 10, 2012 and indicated that the stress and pressure for unusual, unexpected, powerful transformation for the company was at its height during that period. Indeed, the company’s owner attempted suicide on July 9, 2012 and revealed in the accompanying suicide note that he had been embezzling company/customer funds for 20 years.
In hindsight, it’s clear that this astrological stress played out in a negative way. But, it’s also within the archetypal parameters of astrology that the energy could have manifested more positively, with a new product innovation or company buyout, perhaps. If one had been examining Peregrine’s chart at the beginning of the year, it would have been clear that June 7-July 10 was a period of potential sudden or brilliant transformation of some sort and would be related to something hidden that was coming to light (see factor 2 next). It would not have been clear (without some one-on-one inquiry) whether that might lean toward positive or negative.
2. Deception surrounding reputation and fortune brought to light (pink)
To many people, Wasendorf and Peregrine had good reputations, which appears astrologically as the kite pattern that connects Wasendorf’s Sun a(personal identity), the Jupiter f (good fortune) of both companies and the Moon b (the public) in the chart of Wasendorf & Associates, formed 10 years earlier than Peregrine, in 1980. This formation, indicates that reputation was tied in an easy, mutual support system. Wasendorf and the company got lucky breaks, which raised their reputation, instilled good feelings among customers (the public), created good fortune, raised reputation publicly, etc., etc., etc.
Just a few weeks before the stunning events of July 9-10, two eclipses occurred that struck a connection with these charts to “expect the unexpected.” The May 20 solar eclipse made a challenging aspect to the Jupiter fof both companies. The June 4 lunar eclipse occurred on Wasendorf’s ascendant (horizontal line at 9 o’clock on the wheel), which indicated the transformation would be related to bringing something of magnitude to light that he personally was hiding from the company.
In addition, a long-term influence affecting the Peregrine horoscopes in 2012 was the transit of Neptune i (planet of illusion, fogginess and dissolution) near the Wasendorf Sun a corner of this kite formation, but more closely connected to the other points because of its degree. In force beginning in February 2012, the Neptune transit indicates that deception regarding issues of reputation and fortune would be brought to light.
3. Timely trigger regarding company’s reputation (blue)
Mars e, the planet of action and initiation, was in a tight angle and critical point at 8 a.m. on the morning of July 9 with the Moon b, Neptune i and the midheaven (MC), representing public reputation.
The symmetry and tie-ins are impressive, but certainly one would have had to have been looking for them before the fact with a fine-tooth comb to discover them. And, even if you had, all it would have suggested is that there was potential for something to happen that would affect Peregrine’s public reputation. This transit does not tell you what could have happened.
4. Timing and character of suicide attempt (green)
Although unlikely to have been foreseen in this manner, the astrology that ties the estimated time of Wasendorf’s suicide attempt and his personal birth chart is connected in a meaningful way.
Wasendorf was born with Pluto j, the planet associated with death and transformation, in Leo b, a sign that wants to command attention. When it was reported that employees first saw his car in an unusual location and alerted authorities—8 a.m. on July 9—two astrological points (Ascendent, outward persona; Mercury c, transportation) were directly aligned with Wasendorf’s natal Pluto j(death) and in a harmonious connection to his natal Neptune i (gasses). Thus, his high-profile suicide attempt involving asphyxiation in a car fits the astrological archetypes extremely well.
What’s next?
Based on the slow-moving Pluto, Uranus and Neptune and their connections to the Peregrine Financial Group chart, several time periods through early 2014 indicate when there may be potential news for this storyline.
This year, Neptune began its connection with the public reputation aspects of the charts on February 4, 2012 and continues for two years. Neptunian revelations about the company’s fortunes may be particularly highlighted from September 23-December 29, 2012. Hidden information about Wasendorf may come to light from May 2-July 15, 2013 and again from February 23-March 21, 2014.
Overlapping these periods, Pluto and Uranus make another brush with Peregrine’s natal Uranus, just as they did from June 7-July 10, 2012, the period that included the dates of the suicide attempt, liquidation-only order from the National Futures Association and bankruptcy filing. The Pluto/Uranus combo’s closest connection is November 17-20, 2013. Thus, it very well could be that there is some sort of final revelation and conclusion about the fate of Peregrine Financial Group that occurs in mid-November 2013. The storyline about the company will be over and concluded by year-end 2013. However, there may be further revelations about Wasendorf personally through late March 2014 due to the influence of Neptune and its connection to his Sun.
© 2012 SusanGSays LLC
