Results: Electional Astrology and Decision Making (IPO Analysis)
Overview
This study moved beyond small manual datasets to analyze market performance of publicly traded companies (N=10,000+) based on their IPO dates. We tested whether traditional "Electional Astrology" rules (start during Waxing Moon, avoid Retrogrades) correlate with financial survival and success.
Data Sources
- Population: ~10,000 Listings (NASDAQ/NYSE/AMEX) via Yahoo Finance API.
- Metric: 1-Year Post-IPO Return on Investment (ROI) & Market Cap.
- Astrological Features:
- Full Ephemeris (12 Bodies + Chiron/Nodes).
- Tithis: The 30 lunar days of Vedic astrology.
- Cosine Aspect Matrix: Continuous variable measurement of planetary harmonics.
Key Findings
1. The Moon Phase Hypothesis
Traditional Rule: Businesses started during a Waxing Moon (growing light) should grow faster.
| Moon Phase | Avg 1-Yr Return | Sample Size | Std Dev |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waxing (Growing) | +12.4% | 4,102 | 45% |
| Waning (Shrinking) | +12.2% | 3,988 | 44% |
| New Moon (<15°) | +11.8% | 350 | 48% |
| Full Moon (180°) | +12.9% | 365 | 42% |
Result: No statistically significant difference ($p > 0.5$). The "growth" of the Moon does not correlate with the growth of stock price.
2. The Mercury Retrograde Filter
Traditional Rule: Avoid contracts/IPO during Mercury Retrograde.
| Mercury Status | Avg 1-Yr Return | Success Rate (>0%) |
|---|---|---|
| Direct (Normal) | +12.3% | 54.1% |
| Retrograde | +12.1% | 53.8% |
Result: Almost identical performance. Retrograde periods do not doom IPOs.
3. Tithi (Lunar Days) Analysis
We analyzed the 30 "Tithis" (12° increments of Moon-Sun separation) to see if specific lunar days are lucky.
- Best Tithi: Tithi 14 (Just before Full Moon) - Avg Return: +13.2%
- Worst Tithi: Tithi 30 (Amavasya/New Moon) - Avg Return: +11.1%
- Variance: The difference between best and worst falls within the margin of error for a volatile dataset.
4. The "Great Benefic" (Sun-Jupiter Aspects)
Traditional Rule: Sun-Jupiter contacts ensure success and vitality.
| Aspect Type | Cosine Range | Avg ROI |
|---|---|---|
| Conjunction | > 0.9 | +12.5% |
| Trine | -0.6 to -0.4 | +12.8% |
| Square (Hard) | -0.1 to +0.1 | +12.2% |
| Opposition | < -0.9 | +11.9% |
Correlation: Pearson correlation of Sun-Jupiter Cosine to Price Change is 0.002 (effectively zero).
Interpretation
Finding: Market forces overwhelm astrological electional rules.
The transition from a small-scale study to "Big Data" (10,000+ entities) solidified the conclusion that standard Electional Astrology rules do not serve as a predictive edge in financial markets.
- Random Walk: The distribution of success vs. failure appears independent of celestial mechanics.
- No "Secret Time": There is no specific Tithi or Planetary Aspect that reliably guarantees a "unicorn" company.
- Retrograde Irrelevance: The fear of Mercury Retrograde for business formation appears unfounded in the aggregate data.
Conclusion
Electional Astrology provides no measurable advantage in public equity markets. While it may serve a ritualistic or psychological function for the founder, the market does not respect the "quality of time" as defined by traditional horoscopic selection.
Visualizations
Astrological Factors Dashboard (Generated via visualize_results.py)