Understanding organizational dynamics through astrology
Date : 04/05/2024
I have some basic exposure to astrology and some decent understanding of organizations. Having heard the astrologers over years, I can draw some useful inferences for corporates which can be useful to the top management. Having interacted with so many astrologers, I, now know enough to understand what they say. If you listen to more knowledgeable astrologers, you will learn to appreciate their logic and analysis. I don’t stand by the authenticity of what is written here on astrology, but I am mentioning some examples for the purpose of illustration. There can be several versions and interpretations of astrological combinations, and this is just a sample of it.
Ultimately a horoscope is a combination of 12 squares and 9 planets. Each one of us is born with a combination of planetary position and with a starting position at the time of birth. There are endless permutations and combinations possible, and for each possible combination our forefathers have chalked out the path, the evolution, the trappings, and the benefits, and also some parihars or penance. Apart from the opening position which is actually the balance brought forward (b/f) in karmic language, there are also transitory effects due to the movement of planets as one’s life unfolds. I am discussing few examples to indicate how these can be used to explain the organizational dynamics.
Benefic and Malefic
Some planets are considered to be benefic and some malefic. Among these, some planets are friendly with some compatible planets and inimical with some others. If we try to superimpose the transitory effect of planetary movements on the fixed opening position, you can now see the unfolding of the life cycle be it individual or corporate. .
Let us take the case of benefic and malefic planets. World of Astrologers is divided on this. Some astrologers will tell you, if for example the planet Guru is benefic for you, it is better to propitiate to him than ignore him. Others say, there is more advantage in propitiating to malefic than benefic planets, so that the ferociousness of the planet is reduced. Benefic planet is anyway benign. In organizations, one often faces this dilemma: should I continue to propitiate to the benefic boss or malefic boss. Smart ones think they can do both. He may think he would propitiate to the malefic boss and at the same time keeping benefic boss in good humour. Even planets may forgive you, bosses will not. One astrologer gave me this thumb rule. You can never overdo obedience to a benefic planet nor can ever satisfy completely a malefic planet. You have to be constantly doing balancing act depending on the location of the planet at that particular point of time. This is lesson one.
Transitory Effects
Another important factor is the effect of transitory position of the planets. It is possible that a particular malefic planet is in a retrograde position or has landed in its enemy’s house which has weakened its position. Then you can take liberty with this planet or even poke at it, until this weakened position lasts. In this schema of transitory movements, there are some saving graces and some hurdles. Some planets like the Moon move fast, and that is why some bosses have intra-day fluctuations in mood. Some planets like Saturn move slow and this is when everybody goes through van-vas in his life. This is where timing counts, i.e., what to do when. Sometimes it is better to wait for your time than rush with your efforts and get scorned. That is why forefathers have said, make hay while the Sun (Surya) shines. Farmers know this well and that is why they may look like lazing, but they are actually waiting for the wind. They become good at reading weather and you can do a self-assessment of yourself in reading the atmospherics in your organization.
In management, we call the transitory states as Business Cycles; in astrology, it is called Sakata (ups and downs or cyclic) yoga. If you have nothing else to go by, and would rather decide by tossing a coin, you can consider astrology in taking decisions. Anyway, you will not be worse off and it will not harm you.
Home and Away Series
Each planet has its own house and also has preferred positions. Some planets have more than one house. Major planets in some houses can get exalted or empowered. If a planet is present in any another house, it can be exalted or debilitated depending on whether it is in its friend’s or enemy’s house. Imagine the permutations that an astrologer has to go through and the mental calculations he has to do. Even a single mistake on his part, can cost you a lot! That is why astrology has become so amenable to automation. These positions I am referring to are their permanent positions at the time of the birth; and the effect can get accentuated or reduced depending on their rotation and periodicity. So, at any point a planet may be at Home or Away position, and may be at friendly or inimical place.
Now you can imagine what you have been going through! Your strength is in one domain or one area, and you are shuffled around departments without rhyme or reason. You may be effective or not, depending on the where you are housed and the synergy of the house, boss, and his position.
Incidentally, shadow planets have no house of their own and they take the effect of the house they are located. How true it is. In organizations, you can also see smart people living on the reflected glory of their boss or caucus; whose fortune is again transitory.
A powerful planet can lose its power in a wrong house. The best one can expect from malefic planet is that it gets debilitated. A benefic planet can get neutralized at a point when it is in wrong house. I am just dropping possible range of combinations.
There is an important factor to be remembered. Each planet invariably views another house or more from where it is sitting. For example, a planet sitting at First house could be looking at planet at Houses no: 3,5, and 7 and would be impacting all these in positive or negative ways. So, planet impacts not only the houses in which these are located, but also houses these are looking at or what is called as ‘Aspecting’. It can have benefic or malefic effect depending on planet’s current position. This is an interesting aspect. If you are with an astrologer by now, you would have given up and get on with your life, but I have reached a stage now when I can take it.
In my consulting experience, I have seen that whenever I am interviewing senior management personnel officials, they have more suggestions for other departments than their own, depending on the departments they are aspecting. On their own departments they have very less to offer. In organizational behaviour, we call it inter- departmental rivalry or dynamics; in astrology it is called aspecting. Employees in general are more updated on others’ departments than their own.
Protective Ring
How much impact one can aspect other planets depends upon who are the bosses of respective departments. Again, planets have something to tell us. Planets consists of Stars. All stars have Lords like Vishnu, Hanuman, Durga, Kartik, who are their masters and whom these obey. When needed one can appeal to their masters instead of the stars if these behave difficult. Lords are by nature easily pleased and are more sympathetic, and if He is pleased the planets and stars will also fall in alignment. Sounds familiar! In management they call it Social Network Analysis (SNA) and escalation matrix. One has to understand inter-departmental coordination in this context which is a complex web of house, positions and time.
So, performance and outcome in general are a combination of all these factors. The twelve squares offer large, but finite number of permutations and combinations. But all these have been programmed and documented as manuals.
It is interesting isn’t it? One caveat. I have seen that these analyses can help explain, but cannot help plan. But, can the management Gurus give any better assurance? Astrologers can give you assurances but liability is yours.
Image credits: Freepik
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This is an interesting perspective indeed! Taking the examples a bit further, some hypotheses can be drawn. Individuals have horoscopes. So have organizations based perhaps on their dates of incorporation. The more the horoscopes of the two match, the better the synergy between their respective value systems. Perhaps that explains the normal distribution curve of employee performance. Some are laggards, many are passengers and few turn out to be star performers!