The History of The Corporation & Astrology

18956431_sThe Corporation was a Roman concept and some of the oldest corporations are still in existence, but it was the first mercantile corporation that set the tone for the business. The East Indian Company was a monster corporation. And with one other real competitor – the Dutch East Indian Company – and its products of tea, opium, and, of course, people through the slave trade, it took over the world.

Okay, so their business was a bit sketchy. But what is so fascinating about the British East Indian Company is what happened to it when Pluto went into Capricorn in 1762.

I’m not a big history buff, but I have recently been doing a bit of research for my book The Corporate Culture Detox. I thought, ‘if I am going to be talking about the Corporation, I should talk a bit about where it originated, how they have evolved, and its growth. This research led me to a blog post called A Brief History of the Corporation. As I read the post, a chill went up and down my spine.

It was the story of the British East Indian Company; a story of greed, power, sketchy business practices, an economic bubble, and eventual revolution (American Revolution to be specific) which started because of Tea. As the story unfolded, a theme way too familiar seemed to be emerging! It happened in 1772 and it was happening again. Because of this, I had a sneaking suspicion that the culprit was Pluto in Capricorn.

Pluto has an orbit of 248 years so the timing seemed about right, but I had to check it out. I did two things: I went to my astrology software and pulled up a chart for December 31, 1600 – the day the East Indian Company was incorporated. Then, before setting off to write a blog post about it, I did another quick Google search. That search produced a blog post written in 2004 by Shane P Ward. Damn! Another Astrologer had beaten me to the punch!

So rather than rehash the story that was already told, I thought I would post the British East Indian Company Incorporation Chart to show you how powerful looking at an incorporation chart can be and then tell you my astrological take on where the corporation is growing.

EIC - Pluto TransitThe East Indian Company, established in December, had a Capricorn Sun. In addition, it had North Node, Mercury, and Mars in Capricorn. Pluto crossed the chart’s Sun in 1767. The Sun of a corporation is how the company is perceived and the image of the company. Capricorn then crossed over its North Node, landed exactly on its Capricorn Mars, and was about to square its Pluto when the company went to the Bank of England on July 15, 1772, for help. By 1773, a full bailout occurred from the Bank of England. In response, the British (needing to repair the financial damage) decided to pass a Tea Act which exempted the British East Indian Company from taxes. Well, they needed a way to make back the bail-out money! But this act negatively impacted the colonies, including America.

The United States’ reaction to that Tax Act was the Boston Tea Party in 1773. A revolt ensued and the formation of independent America occurred on July 4, 1778 – which incidentally gives the US chart a Sun in Cancer, the exact opposite sign to Capricorn.

Astrology 101: A conjunction to Capricorn planets will be an opposition to Cancer planets AND just as transformative!

And that’s where we are today. Pluto in Capricorn making transits opposite the US chart’s Sun, having already hit its Cancer Venus, Jupiter, and, just this past year, its Sun. It will oppose its Cancer Mercury and conjunct its Pluto by the end of the Pluto in Capricorn transit in 2023.

Okay, so yes America is not technically a Corporation – but neither was Britain, though it was highly influenced by the British East Indian Company – and I think we all know how influential some companies are to the United States.

This point leads me to Pluto, currently transiting in Capricorn, which started in 2008 (236 years later). Some things are similar: government bailouts, increased taxes, and resultant backlash (even calling themselves the Tea Party movement) and a “great idea” to help repair the damage… fracking oil.

This time tea is not being thrown overboard – this time (metaphorically at least) it’s Oil but let’s hope it doesn’t end up in our water! Since 2008, fracking has made the US a major producer of oil. If tea taxes undercut the Americans, resulting in the American Revolution, the question is who does America’s reorientation in oil production undercut? While many might worry about the Tea Party movement and backlash to taxes. Some will worry about the backlash to oil prices globally but just remember that it was the American farmer who threw off Britain! And it’s this small point that gives me hope…

Here’s why.

The Cosmos is not completely the same as in the late 1700s. The difference is that Neptune was in Virgo back then and this time, for the most part, it is in Pisces – its home. Neptune in Pisces has historically seen revolutions with the masses generally feeling the pinch of the haves and the haves not’s. Some of the current “Rich” (1%) get this (see plutocrat ted talk The Pitch Forks Are Coming).

But what I think is more interesting is that Neptune only arrived in Pisces in 2012 but has brought the rise of a new kind of faith, utopia, and ideology brought about by a new invention that blew up when Neptune was Conjunct Uranus in 1993 – the internet. Innovation on the internet has created connections, apps, and speed that are now making what was once inaccessible to the regular person accessible. This is the kind of revolution that has the potential to do amazing things.

11654918_sAs an individual, I can now brand and incorporate myself. I can offer my attention, skills, and abilities to what I love and enjoy. I can create my own company. I can limit my liability and when I get rolling, I can build a team of others virtually who are also on the same page to help my business grow – I can do it all because of innovation and the internet. Not only that, but I can slow down as not as much of my time is needed. If something needs to be done you can be sure that “there’s an app for that.” I can move out of town, to cheaper suburban land – as long as there is an internet connection. If I have a product-based business, I may also need a post office. As for those product-based companies, I don’t have to buy from the large super companies. I can buy from Etsy or someone in my tribe and my tribe can connect me with like-minded individuals all over the world. Don’t believe me? Books are being written about it – Read Think Like a SheEO. and courses popping up to get you there quickly – Check out Marie Forleo’s B School.

As for oil, I can go back to basics with a garden and a windmill or solar panel, thus growing my own tea and producing my own energy. I can stick my tongue out to large corporations – particularly the ones that are driven by oil and profit and ruining the environment. I can declare that I am a corporation! Think that it’s idealistic? Well, that’s how idealistic Neptune in Pisces can be. When it comes to business, never underestimate the idealism of Pisces! Some of the most successful entrepreneurs are Pisces (Steve Jobs, Wyatt Earp, Levi Strauss, Daymon John). They are successful because they’re idealistic and they BELIEVE their idealism!

Perhaps it is the rise of the entrepreneur – the small guy who will challenge the powers that be this time! If that is the case then what does that mean for the large corporation? It means it needs to rethink its way of doing business… And for that, a good start is to read The Year Without Pants.