HENRY VARNUM POOR & USA RATING DOWNGRADE
“Henry Varnum Poor (December 8, 1812 – January 4, 1905) was a financial analyst and founder of H.V. and H.W. Poor Co, which later evolved into the financial research and analysis bellwether Standard & Poor’s.
“In 1860, Henry Poor published History of Railroads and Canals in the United States, an attempt to compile comprehensive information about the financial and operational state of U.S. railroad companies. He later established H.V. and H.W. Poor Co. with his son, Henry William, and published annual updated versions of his book. Standard & Poor’s traces its history back to this publication.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Varnum_Poor
Key Events for 1860:
1860 – Pony Express begins.
1860 – Crittenden Compromise
1860 – Abraham Lincoln elected President of the United States
1860 – South Carolina secedes from the Union
Henry Poor’s horoscope (no time known): a locomotive pattern with big money Jupiter (though retrograde) in gold standard Leo as the lead planet or engineer.
His Sun conjoined to Neptune in cosmopolitan, internationally savvy Sagittarius conjoined to Neptune shows a fiery visionary who can seriously think (Saturn in Capricorn) and evaluate the soundness (Mercury in Capricorn) of the “financial and operational state of U.S. railroad companies.” Henry Poor was a man who could see the future (Sun-Neptune) and translate his intuitive hunches (mutable fire) into a long-lasting (Saturn in its sign of rulership) and respected financial rating institution on classically pin-striped Wall Street.
It’s the 1860 publication of Poor’s book on the U.S. history of railroads and canals that historians consider the founding of the agency Standard & Poor’s.
In 1860, Poor’s progressed chart has Venus, Mercury and Saturn all in the cardinal earth sign Capricorn opposing the USA’s (Sibley chart 1776) natal Venus, Jupiter and Sun.
Poor’s progressed Saturn is in an exact opposition to USA’s Cancer Sun (cardinal water) which sets up a t-square to the USA’s Saturn at 14 Libra in (cardinal air). The natal USA Saturn becomes the focal point of the T-square which flows out of the Sibley chart’s 10th house of respect and standing.
Standard and Poor’s, until it corrupted itself by colluding with Wall Street throughout the housing bubble/toxic derivatives scandal, was one of three highly lauded rating agencies that could be trusted to fairly rate corporations and financial institutions in America.
Poor’s natal and progressed Capricorn planets challenged (squares and oppositions made to the Sibley chart) the captains of industry to back up their claims by proving their bottom lines. Saturn, the taskmaster, did more than visit karma. When Saturn stands as the hermit holding the lantern at the top of the hill, people and the entities they create are called to hard scrabble up the mountain of performance AND consciousness to by doing the hard, but honorable things.
By transit, Poor’s natal Saturn is being opposed by Pluto. T- Pluto on Poor’s Saturn is set for the explosive Mars in Cancer opposition that takes place this upcoming week. Poor’s natal chart, which I consider one of two founding charts for his agency, will be under siege via his natal Saturn in Capricorn over the next few days by hard transits: Mars in Cancer in square to Aries-based Uranus; Capricorn Moon opposite Mars and conjunct Pluto; and Mars in opposition to Pluto. Poor’s horoscope and progressions to 1860 (founding of S&P’s) point to pitched battle between the White House, Congress and this rating agency.
Because Poor’s natal Sun-Neptune in internationally focused Sagittarius are under illuminating stress via our Gemini/Sagittarius eclipse cycles over this year and next, we are looking at long season of confrontations both domestically and internationally with mistakes made when it comes to a global economic sustainability.
The next election cycle depends on whether or not a dysfunctional Congress can stand up and govern like adults and if President Obama (Saturn at 25 Capricorn) can stand firm for the good of the country instead of caving in again for the good of Wall Street and big campaign contributions.
Starcats
August 7, 2011
Santa Monica
Starcatsastrology's Blog 
Really great article. Looking at all of the Saturn-Mercury-Pluto, perhaps this downgrade was a vindictive move toward the US for all the flack they caught over the sub-prime mortgage crisis. Next wk will be interesting to say the least! Looks like trouble ahead for S&P Leslie
By: Leslie on August 8, 2011
at 12:44 am
That’s interesting to contemplate …. it might be. S&P’s deserves the flak it caught re the sub-prime, but the whole charade seems like a cluster of pots calling the kettles black!
By: starcatsastrology on August 8, 2011
at 5:35 pm
2012 there are 23 D – Senate seats up for re-election ( including 2 Independents that caucus with the Democrats) but only 10 R-Senate seats up for re-election.
The Republicans looked ahead to 2012 at those odds and figured they take the Senate 2012 after taking the House majority in 2010. They knew where to focus the time and money.
Unless they can be stopped we are in for very tough times. The Republicans seem to ‘know the future’ Sun-Neptune enough to build national campaign strategies for long term much better than the Democrats.
By: Alex on August 9, 2011
at 6:41 am
Alex, I think we’re in for hard times no matter who wins the White House in Election 2012. I doubt the Bush tax cuts will be allowed to sunset on December 31, 2012. That will be part of the GOP talking points in the run up to November’s election. The Simpson-Bowles “cat food commission” recommendations on balancing the budget (which actually equates to how the rich can get the poor and middle class to pay for their tax cuts) is another booby trap connected to the deficit ceiling “triggers” that will probably go off. Why? Because the Super Committee (doesn’t that sound like something out of the Soviet Kremlin?!?) will purposely fail to agree on a plan going forward. A purposeful stalemate guarantees the triggers will automatically go off. Massive reductions in discretionary spending and cuts to Social Security/Medicare will take place. I still find it ‘interesting’ that Obama caved the way he did. Sorry to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I can’t help but think even the Democrats (except for a few inspired souls) want it this way. Actually, they benefit from the tax cuts and other perks. It will take at least 2 generations for the country to recover from what Bush did, what the Tea Party is doing now, and God knows what else awaits us in the coming months.
By: starcatsastrology on August 9, 2011
at 5:06 pm