Important Solar and Lunar Degrees for Trading US Stock Indices | Jack Gillen

According to Jack Gillen in "AstroStats for the New York Stock Exchange" (2002), the transit of the Sun through 13°–22° Cancer is one of only two Sun-related market statistics that reached his highest reliability category, defined as the 70–100% accuracy group: 

"There are only two statistics related to the Sun falling into the group of the 70–100 percent accuracy. They were both activated in the United States chart on July 4, 1776, and the natal Sun is at 13-degrees of Cancer. On July 5th of every year the Sun transits 13-degrees of Cancer. This cycle has an orb of 13–22 degrees of Cancer, and the transit dates would be from July 7–15 each year. The price of the Dow Jones Industrial Average will be higher on the 15th than on the 7th..." 

Gillen associated this pattern with the natal chart of the United States, dated July 4, 1776, in which the Sun is positioned at 13° Cancer. Based on his research, the period from July 7 to July 15 each year—when the transiting Sun moves through 13°–22° Cancer—has historically shown a bullish tendency in the stock market. 

 

His rule states that the closing value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average on July 15 is expected to be higher than its closing value on July 7. Gillen reported an overall historical accuracy rate of 72.8% across the full sample he analyzed, while the period from 1987 to 2001 produced an even stronger accuracy rate of 86.6%. As a result, he regarded this as one of the most significant Sun-based market indicators in his work, interpreting it as a recurring mid-July bullish pattern linked to the activation of the US Sun degree. About other sensitive degrees of the Sun, he writes (1979):

"The Sun's position by itself in relation to the stock market can show you trends that are more or less active for each year, as the Sun degrees are generally fixed. They fall on about the same date every year. So this is why some periods of the year would be more of a pattern. 

Jun 29 (Mon) 17:44 = SUN @ 8 CAN = 98 degrees = positive = should reach a low and turn up
Jul 04 (Sat) 23:37 = SUN @ 13 CAN = 103 degrees = negative = should reach a high and turn down
Jul 08 (Wed) 03:08 = SUN @ 16 CAN = 106 degrees = positive
Jul 10 (Fri) 05:28 = SUN @ 18 CAN = 108 degrees = negative
Jul 24 (Fri) 21:30 = SUN @ 2 LEO = 122 degrees = negative
Jul 29 (Wed) 01:59 = SUN @ 6 LEO = 126 degrees = positive
Aug 09 (Sun) 13:46 = SUN @ 17 LEO = 137 degrees = negative

[more HERE]

The market will always be influenced by the Sun pattern, and it will happen year after year. You will find from January to the last two weeks in July the market prices will be upwards, and in the latter part of the year, after the influence of Leo, the market will be down in price. This is the average trend that will always occur. This affects volume as well as price itself."

The solar cycle is a highly reliable annual cycle based on the Sun's direct, unvarying motion, allowing market turning points and seasonal patterns to be tracked to the exact day year after year. Acting as a market almanac of observed price behaviors, this cycle maps market responses to the Sun's passage through the zodiac signs, providing investors with a predictable annual road map. 

 

Key Turning Dates of the Solar Cycle vs. the DJIA, 1885-2015.

(Pesavento & Smoleny, 2015) 

 

Because the United States was founded on July 4, 1776, under the cardinal sign of Cancer, American financial markets are also exceptionally sensitive to planets transiting cardinal points or forming key harmonic angles to them. Consequently, the market consistently establishes major lows as the Sun enters the four cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn (blue thick verticals in the chart above: March 20–21, June 20–21, September 22–23, December 21–22). Chronologically, the annual cycle of the Sun versus the DJIA unfolds through these cardinal alignments and their corresponding market seasonals:

■  January / Capricorn (Opposition): The Sun’s opposition in Capricorn marks an extreme bottom point, which immediately triggers a strong January Effect (bullish December 20 to January 7) rally.

■  March / Aries (Square): The Sun enters Aries, creating the first challenging square to the US natal sign, often coinciding with the volatile Ides of March (bearish February 2 to March 28).

■  April: As the Sun advances, market momentum shifts into the April Earnings Rally (bullish March 28 to April 16).

■  May: This upward momentum stalls, prompting the classic "Sell in May and Go Away" (bearish April 16 to June 26) defensive strategy.

■  June/July / Cancer (Conjunction): The Sun’s conjunction in Cancer creates a distinct market bottom that directly sets the stage for the subsequent Summer Rally (bullish June 26 to September 4).

■  October/November / Libra (Square): The Sun enters Libra, forming a second, highly disruptive square to the US sign; these combined October–November squares present the market’s greatest systemic challenges, historically triggering the Fall Crash Cycle (bearish September 4 to October 27) and major market meltdowns.

■  December: Following the autumn lows, the cycle concludes as the market recovers into the year-end Santa Claus Rally (bullish October 27 to December 8), resetting the annual pattern.

 Seasonal Dates of the Solar Cycle vs. the DJIA.

 

Moon from Virgo to Pisces = Go Long | Moon from Pisces to Virgo = Go Short

His lunar statistics were detailed primarily in "AstroStats for the New York Stock Exchange" (2002), with related discussion in the revised "The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange" (2009). He analyzed historical NYSE/DJIA data against Moon transits, assigning reliability percentages. Individual Moon signs rarely reach his high-confidence threshold (70–100% accuracy), but specific patterns and directional cycles do. 

"There is a Moon statistic that falls into the 70–100 percent group but is closer to the 70 percent group, and that’s the Moon’s transit from Virgo to Pisces. Therefore, if you are looking to go long with a stock it’s best to start during this period. [...] If you have a stock you want to short, your best chance would be from the sign of Pisces to Virgo." 

On average, the Moon spends 2.46 days transiting through each zodiac sign.

Times and Dates for New York (ET).

 

 Reference:

Jack Gillen (2002) - The Sun-Stats.  

Jack Gillen (2002) - Moon-Stats (2026 to 2034). 

Jack Gillen (2002) - Astro-Stats for the New York Stock Exchange (ISBN 9780967581491).  

Jack Gillen (1979) - The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

See also:

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (June 22, 2026) - NASDAQ's 12-Day Midyear Rally from June 25 to July 14, 2026.

¡¡ TPR (February 4, 2026) - 2026 US Stock Market Forecast Based on Jack Gillen's Principles. !!

The Venus-Stats | Jack Gillen

The planet Venus has an eight-year cycle when the Earth and Venus align at the Sun Zodiac degree. [...] The eight-year cycle of Venus has an effect on the Dow Jones Industrial Averages falling in the 70-100 percent accuracy that I call the Venus-line. The Venus-line means having four or more consecutive weekly patterns, and if the pattern is RED we know the trend is up, and if the pattern is GREEN we know the trend is down.

 

 » Each trading week is marked by R for (RED) and G for (GREEN). The GREEN indicates that

the week should end on the down side, and RED indicates that it should end on the up side. «

Tables 4.5–4.7: The Venus Degree Line (2015–2026); Tables 4.9–4.11: The Venus Degree Line (2027–2038).

 

[...] In the above tables you have the Venus-line until the year 2050, and each trading week is marked by the R for (RED) and G for (GREEN). The GREEN indicates that the week should end on the down side, and RED indicates that it should end on the up side. This is taken from the five-days in the week and based on the degree of Venus. Meaning, how many of those days will be up and how many of those days will be down.

 

Quoted from:
Jack Gillen (2002) - Astro-Stats for the New York Stock Exchange. (No online copy found.) 

 

The 8-year Venus-Earth cycle is a celestial resonance where 13 orbits of Venus

(13×224.701 days=2,921.1 days) nearly equal 8 Earth years (8×365.256 days=2,922.0 days).

 

For 2026, Gillen’s tables (4.5 through 4.7) present a mixed pattern, with approximately 60% of weeks marked RED (bullish) and 40% GREEN (bearish). This suggests a volatile but ultimately positive outlook for the DJIA, with the potential for net gains by year-end.

 

However, given that an 8-year cyclical Venus influence exists, trends in 2026 should be expected to at least roughly mirror those from eight-year offsets, such as 2010, or 2018. But does such a premise even hold water? Is it yet another single-cause approach lacking a convincing roadmap? Consult the chart below to find out.

 

DJIA daily closes 1994, 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2026 (normalized prices: Jan 1 = 100).

The gold line tracks 2018; the dashed purple line is the composite average; the thick black one is 2026.

  

See also:

TPR (February 4, 2026) - 2026 US Stock Market Forecast Based on Jack Gillen's Principles.

 

S&P 500: The 2018-21 Analog.

2026 US Stock Market Forecast Based on Jack Gillen's Principles

Since the 1960s, Jack Gillen (1930–2017), an American pioneering astro-financial analyst and trader, developed a market-forecasting framework based on astrological statistics derived from over a century of DJIA data. The Gillen methodology is anchored in the NYSE natal chart (May 17, 1792, 8:52 AM, New York), where a Taurus Sun and Cancer Ascendant dictate the market's fundamental sensitivity to lunar, Saturnian, and other planetary cycles. 

 

Table 1: 2026 Key Events, Periods, and Implications.

Saturn's ingress into Pisces allegedly responsible for January 2026 metals crash.

  

His 1979 seminal work, 'The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange,' established the technical framework for planetary aspects, cycles, sensitive degrees, and sector-specific zodiac influences. This was further quantified in 'Astro Stats for the New York Stock Exchange' (2002), where Gillen introduced accuracy-rated "stats" for astrological and astronomical events, and market trends, specifically identifying mutable sign transits as bearish indicators and cardinal transits as signals of structural restriction.

 

Gillen's forecasts relied on planetary cycles: Saturn (29.5 years, restrictions), Jupiter (12 years, expansions), Uranus (explosive volatility), and Mercury retrogrades (confusion, 85% post-direct recovery. Moon transits through mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) signal downturns, with Virgo most critical. The January effect is a 80% reliable annual indicator, while the year-end rally (December 24–31) also has 80% accuracy for gains. Sensitive degrees for the Sun and Moon trigger daily reversals, and sign transits influence sectors. Panics tie to Saturn in mutable or cardinal signs, with 59–60-year cycles. 
 

Panic cycles identify Saturn’s transits through cardinal or mutable signs as primary volatility windows, particularly when amplified by the 58- to 60-year Jupiter-Saturn alignment cycle. Early 2026’s Saturn in Pisces directly mirrors historical mutable-sign panics, such as the 1907 Pisces-Saturn crash. This setup is triggered by the February 20 Saturn-Neptune conjunction, marking a period of structural disillusionment, and is followed by the July 20 Jupiter-Pluto opposition, a classic signature for systemic inflation or geopolitical conflict.

 

Key Astrological Influences for 2026

■    2026 begins with Saturn in Pisces until February 13, a mutable placement associated with panics and gold price drops, echoing cycles in 1907 and 1966. Saturn's ingress into Aries shifts to cardinal initiative, but its retrograde (July 26–December 10) may delay recoveries. 

■    Jupiter in Cancer until June 30 supports domestic sectors, transitioning to Leo for entertainment and gold expansions. 

■    Uranus ingresses Gemini on April 25, introducing tech volatility. 

■    Neptune's Aries ingress (January 26) and conjunction with Saturn (February 20) foster structural dissolution. 

■    Pluto in Aquarius facilitates reforms via sextile to Saturn (March 28), but opposes Jupiter (July 20), risking overexpansion.

■    Mercury retrogrades introduce confusion: February 26–March 20 (Pisces), June 29–July 23 (Cancer–Leo), October 24–November 13 (Scorpio). 

■    Lunar eclipses in mutable signs (March 3 in Virgo, August 28 in Pisces) amplify downside risks.

■   The January effect, based on early performance, indicates an 80% chance of a positive annual close. From December 31, 2025 (48,063.29) to February 4, 2026 (49,501.30), the DJIA gained 3.0%, supported by Capricorn Sun stats (60.27% higher closes).

Table 2: Sensitive Degrees of the Sun and approximate 2026 Dates.

 

Table 3: Sensitive Degrees of the Moon. 

Table 4: Zodiac Signs and Affected Products/Industries.

2026 Forecast

Based on Gillen's astrological assumptions, principles, and statistics, the 2026 US stock market is projected to experience a corrective bear phase with a potential 25% drawdown in the DJIA during the first three quarters, targeting levels between 37,000 and 40,000 from the early-year high near 50,000, followed by a recovery in the fourth quarter aiming for 46,000 to 47,000 by year-end. 

 

This sequence aligns with historical patterns of mutable sign transits and eclipses signaling downturns, transitioning to expansive influences later in the year. The forecast, as of February 4, 2026, incorporates the positive January effect (80% accuracy for an upward annual close) but anticipates volatility due to ongoing mutable warnings and retrogrades. The sequence of events unfolds chronologically as follows (see also Table 1):

■    From January 1 to February 13, Saturn's transit in Pisces heightens the risk of market panics and gold price declines, consistent with mutable sign downturns. This period may see initial stability eroded by deceptive trends following Neptune's ingress into Aries on January 26, potentially affecting sectors like energy and military industries. Sensitive Sun degrees in Capricorn (e.g., positive at 6° on December 28, 2025, extending into early January) could provide minor uptrends, but negative Moon degrees in Pisces (9°, 28°) during lunar transits may trigger short-term pullbacks.

■    On February 13, Saturn enters Aries, marking a shift toward structural initiatives, though this is tempered by the annular Solar Eclipse in Aquarius on February 17, which could introduce innovative disruptions in aerospace and electronics. The Saturn-Neptune conjunction on February 20 at 0° Aries is expected to exacerbate economic uncertainty, fostering illusions or dissolutions in market structures. Mercury's retrograde from February 26 to March 20 in Pisces amplifies confusion, with an 85% likelihood of higher closes post-direct on March 20. During this retrograde, sensitive Moon degrees in Pisces (negative at 9°, 28°) may coincide with downside moves.

■    The total Lunar Eclipse on March 3 at 12° Virgo signals critical adjustments in service and health sectors, aligning with Virgo's mutable warning as the most severe for declines. Saturn's sextile to Pluto on March 28 supports controlled financial restructuring, potentially stabilizing after the eclipse. Sensitive Sun degrees in Aries (positive at 4° around March 25 and 11° around April 1) may offer brief uptrends, while negative degrees (18° around April 8, 24° around April 14) could mark reversal points downward. This initiates the broader drawdown phase through March to August, driven by mutable influences.

■    In April, Uranus' ingress into Gemini on April 25 introduces explosive volatility in communications and technology sectors, exacerbating the corrective trend. Sensitive Sun degrees in Taurus (negative at 6° around April 27) may signal early-month weakness.

■    June to July sees Mercury retrograde from June 29 to July 23 across Cancer and Leo, prompting reviews of secure investments amid potential emotional market swings. Jupiter's entry into Leo on June 30 initiates bullish expansions in entertainment and gold, but the opposition to Pluto on July 20 risks speculative overexpansion and power struggles. Saturn's retrograde beginning July 26 through December 10 in Aries delays initiatives, testing resilience. Sensitive Sun degrees in Cancer (negative at 13° around July 4 and 28° around July 23) align with this period's potential highs turning downward.

■    August features the total Solar Eclipse on August 12 at 20° Leo, a major turning point potentially amplifying expansions or crashes, followed by the partial Lunar Eclipse on August 28 at 4° Pisces, heightening deceptive risks in mutable signs. Sensitive Sun degrees in Leo (positive at 6° around July 30, extending influence) and Virgo (negative at 10° around August 24) may indicate volatility peaks.

■    The recovery phase begins in the fourth quarter, with Mercury retrograde from October 24 to November 13 in Scorpio focusing on financial scrutiny, but post-direct recovery often explodes upward. Sensitive Sun degrees in Scorpio (positive at 11° around November 3) support this shift. The year-end rally from December 24 to 31, with 80% accuracy for gains, is bolstered by positive Sun degrees in Capricorn (6° around December 28), leading to the projected close near 46,000–47,000.

Throughout, sensitive degrees of the Sun and Moon, as well as Moon transits from Virgo to Pisces provide short-term strategies (see also HERE), while sector impacts follow sign transits, such as Aries favoring military stocks post-February 13 (see Table 4).

Reference:
Jack Gillen (1979) - The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange.

Jack Gillen (2002) - Astro-Stats for the New York Stock Exchange. Real-Time Market Forecast. (No online copy found.)

 

 

See also:

TPR (February 4, 2026) - 2026 Sensitive Degrees of the Sun for the NYSE | Jack Gillen. 

TPR (February 4, 2026) - 2026 Moon-Stats | Jack Gillen.

TPR (2025) - The Year-End Rally and January Effect in US Stocks | Jack Gillen.
 Jack Gillen (1979) - Year-End Rally, January Effect, and Trend for the Year Ahead.  

Jack Gillen (2002) - The Mercury-Stats. 

Jack Gillen (2002) - The Sun-Stats. 

Jack Gillen (1979) - The Sun and the Moon. 

TPR (2015) - S&P 500 vs. Jack Gillen's Sensitive Degrees of the Moon.
 TPR (2015)- The S&P 500 versus the Moon and Planets Transiting 14° Cancer.

Moon-Stats (2026 to 2034) | Jack Gillen

The Moon by itself in any particular sign or eclipse doesn’t fit into the 70-100 percent accuracy but there are some patterns that do. They are the Mutable signs of Gemini, Pisces, Sagittarius, and Virgo. These are your four warning signs for the market to move to the down side, and the sign of Virgo is the most critical.

 

 Virgo to Pisces Moon Cycle 2019 - 2026.

 

Virgo to Pisces Moon Cycle 2027 - 2034. 

 

Virgo to Pisces = Go Long | Pisces to Virgo = Go Short

 

[...] There is a Moon statistic that falls into the 70 - 100 percent group but is closer to the 70 percent group, and that’s the Moon’s transit from Virgo to Pisces. Therefore, if you are looking to go long with a stock it’s best to start during this period [...] If you have a stock you want to short, your best chance would be from the sign of Pisces to Virgo. How you determine this would be from the tables of your exit date going long, and this would be the starting date for going short, and the starting date for going long would be the exit date on the short.

Quoted from:

Jack Gillen (2002) - Astro-Stats for the New York Stock Exchange. 

 

See also: 

Lunar Ephemeris.

 Jack Gillen (1979) - Sensitive Degrees of the Moon.

Jack Gillen (1979) - Sensitive Degrees of the Sun.

TPR (2015) - The S&P 500 versus the Moon and Planets Transiting 14° Cancer. 

Louise McWhirter (1938) - S&P 500 Short-Term Forecasting Methodology.

2026 Sensitive Degrees of the Sun for the NYSE | Jack Gillen

 Jack Gillen derived these solar zodiac positions as aspects to the NYSE natal chart, cast

for May 17, 1792 (8:52 am LMT) in New York, NY, using Geocentric Tropical coordinates.

  

» The Sun's position by itself in relation to the stock market can show you trends that are more or less

active for each year, as the Sun degrees are generally fixed. They fall on about the same date

every year. So this is why some periods of the year would be more of a pattern. «

 

The market will always be influenced by the Sun pattern, and it will happen year after year. You will find from January to the last two weeks in July the market prices will be upwards, and in the latter part of the year, after the influence of Leo, the market will be down in price. This is the average trend that will always occur. This affects volume as well as price itself.

However, it is important that you realize the influence of the Sun's complete cycle. Also, any corporation will be affected by certain cycles of the Sun through these signs. It would be important to backtrack about twelve years during the pattern of the Sun's cycle in order to see the pattern on which the company is being activated as far as the solar cycle.

■ The period of the Sun in Aries is usually from March 20 through April 19. 

■ The Sun in the sign of Taurus is usually from April 20 through May 20. 

■ The Sun's transit in the sign of Gemini is generally from May 21 through June 20. 

■ The Sun's transit through the sign of Cancer is from June 21 through July 22. 

■ The Sun's transit in the sign of Leo is usually from July 23 through August 22.
■ The Sun's transit in the sign of Virgo is generally from August 23 through September 22. 

■ The Sun's transit in the sign of Libra is from September 23 through October 22, 

■ through the sign of Scorpio from October 23 through November 21, 

■ through the sign of Sagittarius from November 22 through December 21, 

■ through the sign of Capricorn from December 22 through January 19, 

■ through the sign of Aquarius from January 20 through February 18, 

■ through the sign of Pisces from February 19 through March 19. 

 

These are twelve signs with the transit of the Sun. Again, let me stress the importance of the aspect of the Sun during these periods. If it involves a combination that relates to panic, crashes, recession, or depression, then these months will be more intensified as far as the effect. If the transit is in a trine or good aspect, then the movement will be less severe than under normal conditions. 

 

Quoted from:

Jack Gillen (1979) - The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

 Dates and times calculated for New York (EST/EDT).

 

positive = NYSE should reach a low and turn up.

negative = NYSE should reach a high and turn down.

neutral = expect small range or inside day. 

 

[ In general, however, these dates should be viewed simply as potential short-term market turn-days. ]  

 

S&P 500 (2016 and 2017) versus Gillen’s sensitive degrees of the Sun.

 

S&P 500 Average Daily Performance and %-Probability (1928-2024). 

See also: 

Solar Ephemeris for 2026.

  Jack Gillen (1979) - Sensitive Degrees of the Moon.

Jeffrey A. Hirsch (January 27, 2026) - February Stock Market Performance in Midterm Election Years.

The Year-End Rally and January Effect in US Stocks | Jack Gillen

American financial astrologer Jack Gillen (1932-2022), best known for his book The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange, attributed the Year-End Rally—often called the "Santa Claus Rally"—to the Sun's annual cycle and its interactions with key points in the natal charts of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the United States. In Chapter VIII ("Year-End Rally") Gillen framed this as a predictable seasonal pattern driven by planetary transits, rather than purely economic factors, emphasizing that markets follow cosmic rhythms with mathematical precision. 

 

NYSE Natal Chart (New York, NY, May 17, 1792 8:52 am).

 

United States Natal Chart (Philadelphia, PA, July 4, 1776 12:30 pm). 

Core Astrological Mechanism: Gillen explained the rally as a direct result of the Sun's transit through Capricorn (around December 22–January 20), specifically when the Sun reaches 5–9 degrees Capricorn. This position forms a harmonious trine aspect (120-degree angle) to Venus at 5 degrees Taurus in the NYSE's natal chart (May 17, 1792). The trine creates bullish energy, boosting prices and volume as the Sun—a symbol of vital energy and trends—activates fixed, stable points in the market's "birth chart."

 

▪ This aligns with a grand trine involving other NYSE chart points: Mercury (23° Taurus), Sun (27° Taurus), and Mars (18° Virgo), plus Neptune (24° Virgo) and the Part of Fortune (25° Taurus) in the US chart.

▪ Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, governs government policies and market conditions (within a 4-degree orb), but the trine's positive flow overrides restrictions, leading to upward momentum from Christmas to New Year's.

▪ The Moon plays a supporting role for daily timing: New Moon to New Moon cycles signal short-term moves, while the Moon's transits (e.g., from Virgo to Pisces) enhance long positions during this period.

 

Broader context: The Sun's 365¼-day cycle through the zodiac creates annual highs (January to late July, Aquarius to Aries) and lows (late July to October, Leo to Libra). The year-end rally acts as a "reset," balancing the year's trend, with the US chart's Cancer cluster (opposed by Capricorn) adding tension that's resolved bullishly.

 

Historical Patterns and Reliability: Based on data from 1900–1970 (which Gillen noted holds pre-1900 as well), the DJIA closed higher on the last trading day of the year 86% of the time (only 11 minus closes). Gains averaged positive, with the largest in 1967 (+17.74 points) and the biggest loss in 1966 (-13.61 points). Exceptions occur ~14% of the time due to disruptive factors like:

▪ North Node squares to US Jupiter in Cancer (e.g., 1911: -0.43%; 1930: -0.62%; 1968: -8.57%).

▪ Mutable sign influences (Sagittarius/Pisces) from Uranus for erratic volatility.

 

 

Gillen tied this to longer cycles:

▪ Sun's 19-year eclipse cycle (6,585.321 days): Shifts trends via Moon-Sun eclipses.
▪ Jupiter (12 years/sign): Expansion highs (e.g., Jupiter in Leo in 1978 amplified rallies).
▪ Saturn (2½ years/sign): Restrictions in Capricorn cause depressions but are softened by year-end trines.
▪ Uranus (7 years/sign): Erratic breakouts in mutable signs.

 

Volume is crucial: It builds during rises (buy signal) and declines during falls (sell signal), mirroring the DJIA's tide.

 

Connection to the January Effect and Yearly Trend: A hallmark of Gillen's analysis is the January-year-end symmetry: "If the market shoots up in January, it will be up in December; if it’s low in January, then it's going to be low in December, at year's end." This ~80% accurate "balance" reflects the Sun's opposition (Cancer-Capricorn axis) resolving the year's energy. January's bullish tide (Aquarius ingress) sets the tone; low volume in weak months (February–March, July–August, October–November) tests but doesn't break the cycle.

 

Predictions and Trading Advice: Gillen predicted the rally persisted "year-after-year" unless heavily afflicted (e.g., Saturn in Capricorn for panics like 1929). For 1979 (his writing era), he forecasted lows in stocks like PPG Industries ($14–15) due to Saturn, but highs via Jupiter returns. Modern application: Monitor Sun aspects and volume—afflictions intensify bear phases, trines soften bulls.

▪ Buy strategy: Enter longs during Moon transits Virgo–Pisces (70–100% success for gains); target cycle lows (e.g., Gould, Inc. at $10 in Dec/Jan–Feb).

▪ Sell strategy: Exit at resistance highs (e.g., $26–$28); avoid weak months.

▪ General rule: "Always remember that the key factor in buying a stock is volume. As the volume builds, the prices rise. When volume declines prices fall." Align trades with corporate "birth signs" and ride the DJIA tide rather than fighting cycles.

Gillen's approach blends astrology with empirical stats, viewing the rally as cosmic inevitability rather than luck. For deeper dives, his book details tools like sensitive Sun/Moon degrees for precise timing. While unconventional, his methods have influenced financial astrology, with historical backtests showing high consistency.

Jack Gillen based his analysis primarily on data from 1900–1970. Below are the exact statistics he presented in The Key to Speculation on the New York Stock Exchange (Chapter VIII), followed by updated figures through 2024 for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and S&P 500.

  

Jack Gillen’s Original Statistics (1900–1970, DJIA).

 

Gillen emphasized that the 10–11 failures almost always coincided with heavy nodal afflictions (North Node square or opposition to US Jupiter or NYSE Venus) or strong Saturn restrictions.

Updated Statistics (1900–2024, 125 years) – DJIA.

S&P 500 Year-End Last Trading Day (1950–2024).

 

Classic “Santa Claus Rally” Definition: The last 5 trading days of December plus the first 2 trading days of January (7 trading days total).

 

 "Santa Claus Rally" Stats for the DJIA and S&P500 (1950-2024).

 

Notable Recent Exceptions (Failures of the Year-End Rally) 

 

▪ From 1900–1970: Gillen’s claimed 86% success rate for the final trading day is accurate for that specific sample.
▪ From 1900–2024: The success rate has declined to approximately 75% as markets have become more global, algorithmic, and influenced by macroeconomic events.

▪ The broader 7-day Santa Claus Rally (last 5 of Dec + first 2 of Jan) remains one of the most consistent seasonal patterns, still positive more than 75% of the time since 1950, with an average gain of around 1.3–1.4%.

 

Gillen’s core astrological thesis—that the Sun’s trine to NYSE Venus in early Capricorn drives the rally—continues to align with the majority of positive outcomes, although the edge has moderated in recent decades compared with his original 20th-century sample.

 

So what about the turn of the year 2025-2026? The usual year-end rally should still show up, with the Sun making its normal supportive link to the NYSE chart. But Saturn’s square to natal Venus (December 8), North Node pressure, and Uranus conjunct the NYSE Sun (December 30) introduce stress and the risk of sudden drops. The Moon’s difficult angles on December 24–25 and January 1 can briefly stall momentum, making the “Santa Rally” weaker and choppier than usual — upward overall but marked by sharp dips and low-volume days. Jupiter’s trine supports a rebound around January 3–10, but December 23–January 2 still favors light shorts. Overall: a cautious, shortened rally, not a full failure.
  

Reference:
Jack Gillen (2002) - Astro-Stats for the NYSE.