by Ellen Zucker as published in the Pet Business Marketing Almanac 2019
If 2018 felt like the year of whiplash, it’s now 2019 and safe to take a deep breath. This year, the preponderance of outer planets in earth signs calm celestial currents. Cosmic storms settle. We’re past 2018’s angry Mars and Venus Mars Retrograde periods—there are none in store for 2019. Instead this year you rediscover the feel of solid earth beneath your feet. And the benefits and the reality of life in the material plane.
2019 and 2020 features the culmination of long-term planetary developments.
Planetary cycles are ending and beginning. Day-to-day living continues to be routine, but deep-seated shifts are taking place in the financial and power structures of Government and Business. Their impact on daily living won’t be fully known for years.
So, let’s introduce the cast of characters who light up 2019’s skies.
Saturn, at home in Capricorn, calls the shots. He represents structure, tradition, order, pragmatism, limits, rules… In Capricorn, Saturn is patient, honors commitments, and is disciplined.
Look to the sector that Capricorn occupies in your birth chart. This is the area where you need to get down to business. This is where you’re being challenged and where you will be taking on more responsibility. It’s also where the past catches up with you—Saturn holds us to account for our actions. Under pressure it’s easy to fall victim to Saturn’s excesses: rigidity, hierarchical thinking, pessimism, fear. The antidote is taking the initiative, facing obstacles, and being resourceful.
That’s because Saturn, especially in Capricorn, rewards mastery. He shows you the way: planning, hard work, discipline, responsibility and self-sufficiency. Face up to responsibility, follow through on your commitments, use power and resources wisely. Handle Saturn well and you become stronger and more self-sufficient.
Saturn was last in Capricorn from November 1988 to February 1991. What happened then? History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes. That same theme is reverberating now.
But this is not just any old Saturn in Capricorn transit. In 2019, Saturn is inseparable from his pal Pluto to a whole layer of intensity and power.
Pluto has been working through Capricorn since 2008 when his entrance was heralded by a massive economic downturn. By then, shenanigans underlying the mortgage loan crisis had so weakened the financial system that the house of cards came tumbling down—a perfect example of Pluto in action.
In Greek mythology, Pluto is the God of the underworld. Associated with death and rebirth, he digs way down to bring secrets to light. He works over a long period of time to reveal what has decayed, what needs to be purged and transformed. In our personal lives there are times when people, places, habit patterns have outlived their usefulness. When Pluto touches your chart it’s time to release and be healed.
If the Saturn/Pluto pairing is touching your chart directly, your life is undergoing profound shift. Situations that developed over a long period of time demand resolution.
You experience these energies on two levels. First is the impact they have on you as an individual. Then there is the impact on you as a member of a larger society whose institutions are being tested and under severe stress. In the short-term, already powerful and wealthy interests and institutions are consolidating even more power and wealth. Alliances are shifting, realignments occurring, power battles raging. A lot is going on behind the scenes.
The meeting of Saturn and Pluto is the ending of an old cycle and beginning of a new one. The last time Saturn and Pluto met in Capricorn it was 1518. Martin Luther had nailed his 95 Theses proclamation to the door of the Wittenberg Church, the act that sparked the Protestant Reformation. It’s safe to say this time around, actions are taking place now whose impact won’t be known for years to come.
Both Saturn and Pluto are associated with economic contraction. Refrain from overextending yourself financially if possible. Expect customers to be frugal. Show them how you can offer the best value for their hard-earned dollars.
Neptune is a slow-moving planet who remains in Pisces until 2025. Neptune in Pisces opens the doorway to the bottomless well of your imagination. A vision is the first step in changing direction. The deep waters of Pisces nourish your spiritual connection and your creativity. In 2019 he is supported by Saturn and Pluto. You can ground your dreams and make them real.
Nonetheless, if not well channeled, Neptune throws off a cloud of deception and confusion. Listen carefully with your heart as well as your mind. And check facts.
Uranus returns to Taurus on March 6th where it settles until 2026. Uranus shakes up whatever it touches. In Taurus it pushes you to reassess your values and security needs, free yourself of rigid pattern and convention, outdated material attachments, awaken your intuition and higher intelligence and cultivate awareness of greater possibility.
As it did in the 1930’s when it last traveled through Taurus, Uranus shook up our relationship with Mother Earth. That transit coincided with the Dust Bowl storms of the 1930’s. Today we face raging wild fires and climate change. Uranus is also associated with new technologies and unconventional thinking leading to new solutions. Attitudes are changing in the way we produce our food and care for our animals. Uranus’s presence in Taurus signals it’s time to change the way we connect to Mother Earth.
Lastly there is Jupiter now resplendent in his own sign, Sagittarius. He, too, wants to open you to promise of wider possibility. He also wants to reaffirm your connection to the wide, wide world of which you’re a part. Take advantage of any opportunity to expand your horizons.
Jupiter is associated with study and higher education as well as publishing and travel. He is also on the forefront of the fight for truth and justice. Jupiter is the place where we find hope. Look at your birth chart to see where Jupiter was located when you were born as well as the location of Sagittarius. If you are in a jam, this is where you look to find help.
Jupiter, especially in Sagittarius, prods you to see that the glass is half full. This is an excellent placement for activities that deal with marketing and promotion of any kind because you’ll have the optimism and confidence to carry it off.
But most important, Jupiter in Sagittarius promises that no matter your circumstance there is always hope and your life has purpose.
The Retrogrades
In 2019 Mars and Venus do not retrograde.
Mercury
We would not be complete without touching on Mercury’s retrograde periods. Being so close to the Sun, Mercury’s orbit is rapid. So, it has three-to-four retrograde periods in any one year.
These take place in water signs reminding you to strengthen your spiritual connection and feed your dreams.
In 2019, it has three:
March 5th to March 28th
July 7th to July 31st
October 31st to November 20th
Pet Business Marketing Almanac
Pet Business Marketing Almanac 2019 is the ultimate marketing planning tool for pet businesses or businesses wanting to incorporate pet themes in their marketing. In its sixth edition of production, this go-to resource includes even more information. Traditional Holidays and Observances, Unconventional Holidays, and Pet Holidays are still included by month, week, and date. 
Food Holidays and Health/Medical Holidays have been added by month, week, and date. Media / Publications, Pet Industry Organizations, and Trade Shows/ Conferences/ Events have all been updated. One of the most exciting
additions is the listing of pet-related Blogs!
Marketing articles include: Build A Marketing Communications Strategy, Do It Yourself Branding Basics, Design Considerations For A Logo, Get The Most Out Of Trade Shows And Conferences, Pump Up You Press Kits With The Right Material, Your Database Is Your Goldmine – Take Care Of It, Five Simple Ground Rules For Brainstorming, How To Use Holidays For Your Promotions, Advertising Vs. PR: Know The Difference, How To Decide On What Trade Shows To Attend, and Create A Meet And Greet Mindset.
This compilation of pet industry information is an indispensable tool that wouldn’t be complete without the Astrology section written by Ellen Zucker that so many look forward to each year. Her cosmic insights are tailored to pets, fashion, business, and planning. It includes her 2019 Astrological Overview,
Monthly Overviews, Fashion Thru The Signs, Long-Term Fashion Trends, and guidance on Void-of-Course Moon, Monthly Lunar Cycles, and Mercury, Venus, and Mars Retrograde. PLUS: Astrological Guide To Your Animals!
NEW: Food Holidays
NEW: Health/Medical Holidays
ADDED: Blogs
BONUS: Astrological Guide To Your Animals
