Gryphon Astrology Blog

Much ink has been spilled recently about the popular social networking website Facebook’s recent fiasco. The company said they would stream information posted by and about their members, and thus make their personal information much more visible. The website’s members have organized against the company’s decision, and Facebook has decided to make the streaming of personal data optional. I am very interested in the astrology of current events (”mundane astrology,” as it used to be called), and checked this out, astrologically speaking.

Facebook was launched in February 2004, in Palo Alto, California. We thus glance at the eclipse immediately preceding the website’s launch, because it serves as a de facto birthchart for this company. Some astrologers use the date of incorporation, which strikes me as a bit arbitrary. Eclipses, on the other hand, have a long and respectable history in being used as surrogate birthcharts for non-human entities like companies, governments and even countries.

The eclipse preceding Facebook’s launch was a Total Solar Eclipse on November 23, 2003. An eclipse is like a packet of raw cosmic power, and wherever it falls in a chart, that area of the life will be energized by ithe eclipse’s presence. The eclipse (at 1 Sagittarius) falls into the 8th house, that of the customers’ money. It is conjunct the fixed star Kornephoros (in the constellation of Hercules), which is of the nature of Mercury and gives strength of will and purpose. This bodes well for a high-tech website based on communication, and the fact that the customers will be willing to pay.

How is the customers’ money? It is symbolized by Mars in Pisces in the 12th house; Mars is in its triplicity, so it has some strength, but the 12th house is malefic and thus weakens the money. Too, Mars is opposite a weak Jupiter in detriment (Virgo) and square a very weak Mercury in detriment (Sagittarius). The money is so-so at best. The good news is that what money there is really likes the company’s money (Venus, ruler of the second house), since Mars is in Pisces, the exaltation of Venus. So the company may well turn a profit, as the privately-owned company claims, though we doubt it has the ability to generate huge amounts.

The company’s negative publicity in early September coincides with the arrival of a debilitated Moon on the eclipse chart’s MC. The MC, of course, is the house of fame, but here it is afflicted by a very weak Moon, which is not happy in Capricorn. Thus, we get negative publicity. Too, the Moon has just passed an opposition to a detrimented Saturn in Cancer, which underscores the problem. Finally, the Moon is conjunct the debilitated Mercury (natural ruler of speech and communication) by antiscion; bad press due to hidden problems.

What lies ahead for Facebook? In four months, the Moon will contact the unpleasant Mars-Jupiter-Mercury configuration, which does not seem very auspicious. Perhaps customers’ money (Mars) may become a problem. In the fall of 2007, the Moon will conjoin the eclipse by antiscion, indicating hidden activity with others’ money. Could this mean an acquisition?

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