Toyota, the Japanese car company, has gotten a lot of bad press recently. Some of their models have been diagnosed with a ‘stuck throttle’, which means that taking your foot off the gas does not necessarily slow you down.
The company has recalled a large number of cars and, from an astrological point of view, I am very interested in what is going on.
Toyota Motor Corporation was born, as an independent entity, on August 28, 1937, which means that it is a Virgo organization.
It is probably helpful to have a Virgo zodiac sign if you are a manufacturing company. Virgos consider details to be important and like to do things right. Quality control will be second nature and products will have a reputation for reliability.
So when the company became aware of the failures in their cars and had to embark on a massive recall, it must have been a real shock to their Virgo system, and I’m sure a period of intense self-analysis is beginning.
When we take a closer look at Toyota’s horoscope, we see a really good chart, and therefore it is entirely logical that the company has done so well over the years.
On August 28, 1937, the Moon was in Taurus, a sign in which it is very strong; To use jargon, the Moon is “exalted” in Taurus. Also, it applies to favorable aspects with Venus in Cancer and Mercury in Virgo.
Mercury, by the way, is the planet of communication, and its Virgo reign gives it real strength. The company can get its message across, loud and clear, and because of the Moon-Venus aspect, it knows how to make its target audience comfortable.
However, in astrology there is no perfect horoscope. At the time of Toyota’s incorporation, Saturn was in Aries, and according to traditional astrology, this is one of the worst signs for Saturn to be.
Saturn in Aries is often about being frustrated and not being what you want. It could also literally describe stuck throttle. Saturn represents difficulty and restriction, while Aries is an assertive sign that sometimes likes to go as fast as possible.
This Saturn is making a stressful 180 degree aspect with Mercury, and this suggests periods of gloom. For example, in 1949 and 1950, when the Japanese economy was in trouble, the company was at risk of bankruptcy.
In 2009 and 2010, Saturn in the sky is moving through late Virgo and early Libra. In Virgo you are making a conjunction with Toyota’s Mercury, in Libra you are making a 180 degree oppositional aspect to your own position. This is because in 1937 Saturn was in early Aries, in 2010 it is in early Libra, and the signs of Aries and Libra are opposite each other.
Pluto makes things worse. Right now, Pluto is in early Capricorn, making a 90-degree aspect to Toyota’s Saturn. Pluto is an intense but transformative influence, which can often be difficult to handle.
While all this is happening, the planet Uranus is going through the last degrees of Pisces, in preparation for its entry into Aries. In other words, it is another planet that is causing the Toyota Mercury and Saturn.
This astrological trigger will continue for some time, in theory until 2012. So I would not be surprised if the next few years bring big changes to the company, forcing it to completely reform its organizational and management structure.
However, as I have already explained, Toyota has a strong horoscope and I am sure that the current crisis will not cause lasting problems for the company.