The reporting, notable dates, and horoscopes below are by Erika W. Smith, an award-winning writer and editor based in Chicago. She was previously the senior astrology editor at Cosmopolitan, has worked for numerous other publications, and is the author of the book series Astrosex.
Astrologers often repeat a line credited to financier John Pierpont Morgan Sr.: "Millionaires don't use astrology. Billionaires do." The quote's origins are dubious (the Morgan Library & Museum told Modus it can't confirm its veracity). But Morgan is known to have consulted astrologers, and he was not the first or the last to consider the cosmos when timing his business and investment decisions.
Twenty percent of Americans have made a financial decision based on their horoscope, and almost one-third of Britons believe the power of the planets affects the financial world. Venture capitalists have invested in related apps, hedge fund managers have taken interest in it (Anthony Scaramucci has posted YouTube videos about it), and at least one family office considering investments in SpaceX has turned to astrology.
Whether you care about zodiac signs or not, they are undoubtedly influencing the choices that other professionals make — and you might be on the other side of their trade.
In our stars, astrologers say, portfolio managers can find an edge, an agreement can be signed on the best possible day, and huge windfalls can be made and losses avoided ahead of unprecedented events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
Or, at the very least, for non-believers, astrology can lighten up some otherwise boring or high-stress situations.
Today, alongside astrologers and women's lifestyle magazines sharing daily horoscopes and giving direction on romantic compatibility, financial astrologers are consulting investors of all wealth levels on stock picking, when to buy and sell companies, and everything else that has to do with money. These professionals are a significant part of the multibillion-dollar industry.
"Financial astrology uses the same planets, the same signs, the same houses, but just focuses on any kind of financial connection that any of those carry with them," explained Susan Gidel, who spent years writing about commodity futures as a journalist and for a brokerage before becoming a financial astrologist. She has published a book on financial astrology titled "Trading In Sync With Commodities: Introducing Astrology To Your Financial Toolbox" (with another book on the subject forthcoming in 2026) and writes the Red Letter Trading Days newsletter.
In astrology, each planet is associated with different themes, and your birth chart is divided into 12 sections called "houses," each of which is also associated with different themes. For example, Venus is associated with money and Jupiter is connected to expansion and growth. When looking at a birth chart, the 2nd House is associated with income, and the 5th House is associated with risk-taking.
"I've always been fascinated by what makes prices move," Gidel said, whether that means studying the markets or the stars. She's particularly interested in the way "the Saturn-Uranus cycle is closely aligned with how the Dow Jones Industrial Average behaves."
Saturn and Uranus "move together" with the Dow, which makes a low at the conjunction (when two planets meet at the same point in the zodiac), and makes record highs at the square in the opposition (when they're directly opposite each other in the zodiac), Gidel said.
We're nearing the end of a decades-long cycle ending 2032, Gidel said, and the coming period is expected to be particularly chaotic. The final sextile (when Saturn and Uranus form a 60-degree angle with each other) is on January 20, 2026, and so Gidel predicts a stock correction sometime in the first quarter of 2026. In the coming years, she adds, "We could potentially be at new highs in the stock market by the end of the decade."
Gidel's clients are often "people who are very into trading and are looking for maybe a little bit more edge.”
Financial astrology can be complex because it considers so much: planetary movements, an individual’s birth chart, and the charts of various companies, business deals, and other individuals.
Kyle Thomas, an astrologer with celebrity clients, doesn't consult on the stock market itself, but he meets with high-net-worth individuals and their managers, agents, and assistants to help them determine when it may be most auspicious to launch products, raise prices, or advertise films.
"When working with clients worldwide (many of whom have vast levels of cash flow and run huge corporations), it's crucial to not only understand the individual's natal chart but also their goals and those of the business," Thomas said. "While sometimes people don't have the 'date of birth or incorporation' of a business or a business deal, we can still look at powerful factors that are present. I consult on the signing of contracts especially often, and even do it for myself."
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For astrologers, when a contract is signed is key. Many even suggest that people avoid entering agreements during particular times, such as Mercury Retrograde or when there are certain planetary movements in your 7th House.
Lisa Stardust (the name she uses professionally), an astrologer in New York City for 15 years, said personal finances and business decisions are unavoidable in client readings.
"Everyone always asks about love at one point or another during a reading, and they also ask about money," she said. Stardust has advised people on everything from the right time to ask for a raise to whether to buy a lottery ticket to managing investments.
Stardust meets most new clients through referrals and word of mouth. Her rates start at $100 for a 30-minute consultation; she usually charges per reading, although some astrologers work on a monthly retainer.
All the astrologers who spoke with Modus stressed that confidentiality is key to their work. After all, clients trust them with the most intimate details about their lives.
Just before the Covid-19 pandemic, Stardust gave a reading to a recurring client who is a billionaire. "He was doing some lucrative investments, and I told him, 'I think you should take it out,'" she said, meaning he should sell. "He was really grateful because he would have lost half of it."
And he wasn't the only high-net-worth individual to reach out to her during early 2020. While she saw clients from across tax brackets, wealthy ones were especially engaged. "I think that high-net-worth people believe more in astrology."
2026 Dates to Bookmark
January 26
Neptune enters Aries, ushering in a time to make big, bold moves based on gut feelings.
April 25
Uranus enters Gemini, signaling disruptions and innovation in the world of communication (think new social media platforms, A.I., and new technologies).
June 29
Jupiter enters Leo, kicking off a period of luck and abundance that will last until the end of the year. Growth comes more easily right now, so take advantage of this energy while you can.
2026 Financial Zodiac Profiles
Aries (March 21-April 19)
You make bold moves when it comes to your money, sometimes without fully thinking through the consequences. Your courage is admirable, but take a beat to process first.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
"Slow and steady" is your motto. You prefer low-risk strategies that gradually build wealth over time, rather than high-risk, high-reward moves.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
You read the news regularly, predicting the market's fluctuations based on headlines, whispers, and social media posts. You have a secret talent for figuring out what all the buzz actually means.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Your understanding of finances is deeply rooted in history, particularly your family history. You make decisions based on an understanding of the past and how it affects the present.
Leo (July 23-August 22)
As one of the most outgoing signs in the zodiac, your financial moves are big and flashy, designed to attract attention. You're also very generous and likely passionate about philanthropy.
Virgo (August 23-September 22)
For you, it's all about the details. You're a perfectionist and nothing gets by you. Financially, you tend to be practical and risk-averse.
Libra (September 23-October 22)
Libra is the sign of balance, and you take a balanced approach to finances, too. It's rare for you to go all-in on one thing; instead, you try to partake in a little bit of everything.
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
As one of the most intense signs of the zodiac, you keep people guessing. You tend to watch and observe, taking your time before making a big move.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
You're one of the more impulsive signs of the zodiac, but somehow your biggest risks seem to always work out for you (you can thank your ruling planet, Jupiter). You have a truly global perspective on the markets.
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
Your sign is sometimes jokingly called the "CEO of the zodiac." You're ambitious and you value financial security. You take calculated risks but are never reckless, always keeping your goals in mind.
Aquarius (January 20-February 18)
As the sign of innovation, you're often interested in new forms of technology — you might have been a Bitcoin early adopter, and you keep up-to-date on the latest in fintech. You're also a humanitarian at heart and want to help others.
Pisces (February 19-March 20)
You're the last sign of the zodiac, and this gives you an inherent wisdom that the other signs lack. When it comes to finances, you make decisions carefully, but people don't always understand your reasoning because you listen so closely to your intuition.
More News
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- Lazard’s 2025 recap/2026 outlook for M&A was published yesterday. The TL;DR version from Lazard CEO and Chairman Peter Orszag is: “Many of the macro and strategic forces that drove M&A in 2025 are likely to persist. Overall, the past year underscored the market’s ability to look beyond short-term volatility to pursue long-term strategic objectives, which we expect to continue.”
- A new research paper, ESG Value Creation in Private Equity: From Rhetoric to Returns, by the Stanford Long-Term Investing Initiative and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, has a clear takeaway, one author said: “ESG is not an externality; it is a financial signal.”
- A German pension fund for 10,000 dentists in and around Berlin says it is facing $1.3 billion in losses — about half its portfolio — after poor private investments, including hotels, startup companies, and a shrimp farm.
- Complex audits of private equity and venture firms by the I.R.S. are down about 90%.
- “Smoke taint” from wildfires ruined billions of dollars of grapes for the wine industry last year. The climate is headed one way, unfortunately, so scientists are chasing a solution, documented in this New Yorker longread.
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- Will Welch, GQ’s top editor, is leaving the magazine to take what sounds like a family-office job? Welch is moving to Paris and joining Pharrell and supermanager-C.E.O. Penni Thow at a yet-to-be-named holding company, where he’ll work across the celebrity designer-musician’s various businesses.
- Journalism-Powered Hedge Fund Finds Good News Can Be Profitable.
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Jobs
- Ziebell Water Service Products, a Chicago-area distributor of sewer, water main and water service materials that has been family-owned and operated since 1959, is hiring a family office accountant. They will pay you $90,000 or more, plus other benefits.
- Acadia Family Office, a wealth management firm in the Baltimore area, is hiring a bunch of accountants.
- Jordan Park is hiring a client service associate in San Francisco. It pays $135,000.
- Canoe Intelligence is hiring an account executive for family offices and accounting firms in New York. You can earn $260,000 (base salary plus commission), and they are offering equity.
- Blue Owl is looking for a principal or VP of family capital to join the $295 billion asset manager in New York. This person will have a “key role in deepening client relationships, shaping our global value proposition, and contributing to the growth and culture of our Family Capital platform.” The salary is $250,000 and candidates are eligible for a discretionary bonus.
- Here’s an interesting role… A new wealth management firm, Atlas, which claims to be “building the first truly AI-native [multifamily] office and asset management firm,” is hiring a managing director to lead its “Seal Team of advisors” in Dallas. “This is a role for a Spartan — someone who will be in the Dallas office with me 5 days a week, early mornings, late nights, and with 24/7 availability to our clients,” the founder and CIO says. Sounds very chill!
Other Stuff
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I'll be...
- Seeing Tom Felton star as Draco Malfoy again in “Harry Potter And The Cursed Child” tonight at the Lyric Theatre.
- In N.Y.C. for the coming weeks.
- Maybe in San Francisco in February?
