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Comments For The Week Beginning August 4, 2008

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The volatility associated with the Mars-Uranus opposition influence was very prominent last week with several triple digit days in succession in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. On Monday, July 28, the DJIA was down 239 points, followed by a 266-point up day on Tuesday, 186 points up on Wednesday, and then down 205 points on Thursday. Similar volatility was observed in precious metals. Gold and Silver both fell to their lowest levels in a month last Wednesday, then staged rather strong rallies into Thursday, only to give much of it back on Friday. The Euro currency likewise fell Friday to its lowest level in a month, after just attaining a new all-time high two weeks ago on July 15. Corn and Soybeans also fell hard last week, but also experienced sharp rallies in between these sell-offs.

Short-Term Geocosmics

 We are in a geocosmic critical reversal zone right now. As stated last week, “From July 26 through August 6, there will be four major geocosmic signatures present. The middle of that period coincides with the solar eclipse of August 1, so there could be a strong “eclipse-effect” upon world financial markets within one trading day. August 1 also coincides with the release of the Unemployment and Payroll reports in the USA. The combination could be dramatic, especially given that it is a solar eclipse in the sign of Leo, the sign of drama. Oftentimes this type of eclipse also has a correspondence to big price swings in grain prices.”

 The drama does not end on August 1. On August 6, that extremely powerful Mars-Uranus opposition unfolds. Within 10 trading days, this signature has one of the highest correspondences to primary or half-primary cycles in U.S. stock indices. Both Mars and Uranus are highly volatile. In Mundane Astrology, Mars pertains to conflicts and the threat of aggressive military actions. Uranus can pertain to terrorism. Together they represent a high potential for conflict, combat, and aggression, as well as accidents. However, the accidents can be either man-induced or part of nature, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, and fires. It is not a time for important summit meetings designed to foster cooperation and agreement, as witness by the breakdown of last week’s free-trade talks (DOHA). It is also indicative of a return to negative attack politics, as also witnessed last week between McCain and Obama (especially negative on the part of Senator McCain, a move that could backfire on him). The influence of this Mars-Uranus signature is thus already in force, and it may become even more bitter and aggressive this week. In fact, most of the month of August may be difficult in this regard, for Mars will form another antagonistic aspect to Pluto at mid-month. This too suggests a period of danger and more negative attacks upon the character of one’s opponents. It tends to be a “no-win” situation, by choice, but the consequences of not seeking respectful dialogue and engagement could backfire.

 So what does all this say about the equity markets this week? If they rally to a new multi-week high, it suggests a dramatic reversal could follow. If equity indexes instead fall and re-test the lows of two weeks ago, it could be followed by a dramatic rally. But the study of cycles suggest that a decline right now will not take out the lows of July 15-16 in the DJIA before first taking out the highest price that followed the lows of July 15-16. The lunar cycle phasing of August 5-6 also suggests the same. But of course, under Mars-Uranus, any market can do the unexpected, which is why we will closely monitor technical conditions in our subscription reports to guide traders through this tricky geocosmics week.

Longer-Term Thoughts

In the last several weeks, I have written about the correlation of planetary and rhythmic long-term cycles to the platforms of the two USA Presidential candidates. As illustrated, there are valid studies to support the presidency of both candidate, from cycles related to the economy, value of the U.S. Dollar, interest rates, taxes, the stock market, and threat of war. Now I would like to analyze it from a purely classical astrological point of view. First, I would once again like to point out the excellent book on “Political Astrology” by Michael O’Reilly (2005, WingSpan Press, Livermore, CA, USA), wherein he writes about the Mars Factor in U.S. Presidents. Ten of the 42 U.S. Presidents have had their natal Mars in Leo, far more than any other planet-sign combination. John McCain has this position, whereas Barack Obama has Mars in Virgo, a placement that has an “average” rate of frequency of five historical cases, including current President George W. Bush. One would have to give this advantage to John McCain.

 The next consideration has to do with the chart of Election Day. The election begins at 12:01 AM, November 4, in Dixville, New Hampshire. At that moment, the Moon is in Capricorn, conjunct Jupiter. As written in the “Forecasts for 2008” book, written in November 2007, long before Obama was considered a serious contender "… the Moon and Jupiter are conjunct in Capricorn on Election Day, and both form a trine to Saturn and sextile Uranus. The people want somebody who is an outsider to the Washington political establishment, but they also wish a conservative element, someone who gives the appearance of being in control, an authority that can command the respect of others. It may indicate the older candidate wins, if there is a substantial age difference. They do not vote for a total banishment of the “old guard.” They demand change, but they still vote conservatively on Election Day. That the nation is conflicted about the War in Iraq and the threat of other possible military campaigns is also shown by Mars in Scorpio (the “hawks”) in square aspect to Neptune (the “doves”).” The Moon in Capricorn not only represents the older candidate, but the one with more experience in the minds of voters, who tend to be in a more conservative mood than a risk-taking one. Once again, I would give the astrological edge here to McCain.

 I also pointed out that the transits on the day of the New Hampshire primary in early February were very similar to those of Election Day. Most notably, the Moon and Jupiter were conjunct again in Capricorn, nearby to their positions on November 4, 2008. My comment at the time was that the one of the victors of this primary would also be the likely winner of the November 2008 election. Readers may remember that this primary was one week after the Iowa primary, which was won by Michael Huckabee and Barack Obama. They were favored to repeat in New Hampshire. However, to the surprise of many, neither won. Then winners of New Hampshire were Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Only McCain is still standing.

 Or is he the only one still standing? There is now the matter of selecting a vice-president. Interestingly enough, Hillary Clinton could be Obama’s running mate and she too not only 1) won New Hampshire, but also is 2) perceived to be a candidate with experience, and hence indicative of Moon in Capricorn, and 3) she has natal Mars in Leo, the highest correlation of planetary studies to U.S. presidents. Yes, I know this is only for the post of vice-president, but she is a Scorpio, and this is a two-year period when the powerful 45-year Saturn-Uranus opposition occurs, so unexpected things can happen. Of course, this major geocosmic signature can affect John McCain and his running mate too. Both Rudy Giulani and Mike Huckabee also have Mars in Leo. Mitt Romney has Mars in Pisces, a placement that no prior U.S. President has had.

 According to these purely astrological studies, Obama’s best chance of winning the presidency may lie with the choice of Hillary Clinton as his running mate, assuming she would accept such an invitation. As a result, we anxiously await the Democratic convention later this month to see if these astrological considerations, which I place great importance upon, will move from a strongly biased McCain election victory to one that will put the contest back into a more balanced astrological duel.

 

Announcements

We are now accepting orders for the Forecast 2011 book now via phone (1-248-626-3034), fax (1-248-538-5296), email (ordersmma@msn.com), or through our shopping cart online (www.mmacycles.com). We are pleased to announce the price will remain the same as last year. That is $55.00 if ordered after October 31, and $45.00 if ordered before (plus postage). We will also be offering special 10% discount rate for our subscription services to those who also pre-order Forecast 2011. This is a great deal, for in the words of one of our daily subscribers recently, “I don't know whether you want to hear/take any comments at all but I wanted to say that, so far, I am a very happy camper and the only thing which I think that I did wrong with subscribing to your service that I did it TOO LATE! What was I thinking....? :-)" – R. Rood, Lugano, Switzerland, futures trader and technical analyst, former cash grain trader.

For a review of the forecasts from the Forecast 2010 book, please go to www.mmacycles.com, and scroll down to about the third or fourth article on the opening screen. Or go directly to http://www.mmacycles.com/the-news/about-mma/scorecard-for-forecasts-2010/.

If you are an active short-term trader, you may be interested in our Weekly or even Daily Market reports with short-term trading recommendations. It is the only way I keep in touch with traders on a daily or even weekly basis. These reports give in-depth analysis of the DJIA, S&P and NASDAQ futures, Euro currency (cash and futures), Swiss Franc, Dollar/Yen cash and Yen futures, T-Notes, Soybeans, Crude Oil, Gold and Silver. The daily reports cover all stock indices listed above, as well as futures in Euro, T-Notes, Soybeans, Gold and Silver. Subscription to the daily report also includes the weekly report. For more information, call our offices at 1-248-626-3034, or go to http://www.mmacycles.com/services. In the words of one of our subscribers: “I recently subscribed to your weekly report and am finding it to be excellent and a very useful companion to the MMA Cycles Report.  I can't imagine now managing my investments without them.” Order now with the Forecast 2011 Book and receive a special 10% rate reduction on these services through October.

The monthly MMA Cycles Report and its companions – the MMA Japan Cycles Report and MMA European Cycles Report – went out last week. If you are a subscriber and did not receive it, contact us at once. This report covers our longer-term analysis of the U.S. stock market, precious metals, crude oil, currencies, Treasury Notes, and grain markets. The MMA Japan Cycles report covers the Nikkei, JGB Bonds, and the Dollar-Yen. The new MMA European Cycles Report covers the German DAX, Swiss SMI, and Netherlands AEX, each in English only. These reports are included in the Japanese, German, and Dutch translated MMA Cycles Report respectively. New yearly (or renewing) subscribers to these reports will receive a free copy of the Forecast 2010 book while supplies last (see below). You also qualify for a special discount on a yearly subscription if at the same time you pre-order Forecast 2011. For subscription information, please go to SERVICES at www.mmacycles.com.

CD’s DVD’s, and MP3’s of the July 11 webcast are now available!!! Each of these various ways to see the event can now be ordered via our website at www.mmacycles.com (just click the opening banner), or by calling 1-248-3034 or email operations at ordersmma@msn.com. The cost of each is $45.00, plus postage if necessary. This webcast covered our outlook for stocks, precious metals, interest rates and Treasuries, foreign currencies vis-à-vis the U.S. Dollar, and Grains. We pick this time because it was right before the astrological midpoint of the Cardinal Climax, which is taking place now. It may be the peak of the huge trend reversals expected in many of these markets, aided and abetted by major changes of trend in geopolitical matters. It is interesting to see how the stocks, grains and currencies moved right up into this time band, as outlined in this presentation. You won’t want to miss this. Order now, because most of the trading opportunities presented are in effect mainly from July 21 through October 8, 2010!!!

ForumOnAstrology.com is holding a three-day video conference on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 1st, 2nd, and 3, 2010. This pioneering Internet astrological conference features dozens of internationally known speakers.  Very economically priced, all participants have access to all live broadcasts with the ability to replay them from the archives for up to three months. Call (212) 929-4507 or email Inquiries@ForumOnAstrology.com.

I am oftentimes asked for recommendations of a money manager who uses my methods, since I won’t manage other people’s money. That is especially true now with the uncertainty in the market place as of late. The thing is, almost all money managers I know use their own systems. But many subscribe to my services and share my thoughts about the future of the economy, various financial markets, and how to position one’s portfolio along these lines. One money manager who subscribes to our services that I would suggest for those looking to structure a longer-term portfolio, such as a retirement account, is Duke O’Neill of Capstone Capital Wealth Management, Boulder, Colorado. He can be reached at dukeoneil1@gmail.com, or 1-(303) 247-0600. For those looking for a professional trader of commodity and futures contract might consider Ted Lee Fisher at ted.fisher@comcast.net. Ted is a legend in financial futures and has a seat on the CME. Both are very knowledgeable of the tools I use, of the way I am looking at markets, and yet each makes their own decisions as exactly when to enter and exit any market. I would also like to recommend long-term MMA subscriber Erwin Brunner of Zurich, Switzerland. Mr. Brunner is the founder of BrunnerInvest AG. One of his five funds was awarded the “Best in-house fund of funds” in the world recently. Mr. Brunner is a former director of the Swiss Banking Corporation (today it is known as UBS), and a general director of Rothschild Bank in Zurich. As an independent wealth manager for high net worth individuals and institutional clients only, he places his clients into the funds of the best performing fund managers in the world, via his own research and experience. For high net worth readers interested in Mr. Brunner’s funds, please contact him through www.brunnerinvest.ch.

 

OK. You’ve asked about classes in Financial Astrology, and I am giving two of them in great South American cities in late September and early October. Since these constitute “investment education,” many of you will be able to write the expenses of this trip off (travel, some meals, and cost of conferences). Here are some more details of each – and I hope to see many subscribers at each:

September 23-26, 2010: Buenos Aires! Seminar on Financial and Mundane Astrology with Raymond Merriman and others, with special emphasis on Argentina’s Merval Index and precious metals and whatever else is of interest to participants, for each Financial Astrology workshop is different. For more information, contact Claudia Rizzi at astrologycr@gmail.com, or visit our web site at www.mmacycles-spanish.com. If you only speak Spanish, go to www.astrologiamundana2010.blogspot.com. We will host a special gathering of MMA Subscribers at the end of the seminar, depending on interest expressed. 

October 1-2, 2010: Rio de Janeiro! Workshop on Financial Astrology with Raymond Merriman, plus a Mundane Astrology panel with Merriman and others. The workshop will have with special emphasis on Brazil’s Bovespa Index and precious metals, and whatever else is of interest to participants. For more information, contact Renato Chebar at astrologiafinanceira@gmail.com. We may host a special gathering for MMA Subscribers on Sunday, October 3, the day of Brazil’s elections, if enough subscribers request such a meeting.

January 14-16, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland. “Forecasts 2011” symposia featuring top mundane and financial astrologers, plus one day workshop on Financial Market Timing with Ray Merriman, to be followed by a special meeting with MMA Subscribers (at no cost). For more details, go to www.astrodata.ch.

March 10-12, 2011: Mexico City, Mexico. Speech on Forecasts 2011, and workshop on “Evolutionary Astrology: The Journey of the Soul Through States of Consciousness.” For information, please contact acuario888@gmail.com.

April 28 and 30, 2011: Kansas City, Mo. “Forecasts for 2011” and “Financial Astrology Workshop” with Raymond Merriman. Sponsored by AOA. Details soon. This will be the next Financial Astrology workshop in the United States.

September 1-8, 2011: Bali! "Financial Astrology" Intensive workshop with Raymond Merriman, and "Mundane Astrology" with Claude Weiss. For more information on this unique week-long intensive and incredible South Pacific paradise adventure, please go to http://www.heavenandearthworkshops.com/financial.html.

Disclaimer and statement of purpose:

The purpose of this column is not to predict the future movement of various financial markets. However, that is the purpose of the MMA (Merriman Market Analyst) subscription services. This column is not a subscription service. It is a free service, except in those cases where a fee may be assessed to cover the cost of translating this column from English into a non-English language.

This weekly report is written with the intent to educate the reader on the relationship between astrological factors and collective human activities as they are happening. In this regard, this report will oftentimes report what happened in various stock and financial markets throughout the world in the past week, and discuss that movement in light of the geocosmic signatures that were in effect. It will then identify the geocosmic factors that will be in effect in the next week, or even month, or even years, and the author’s understanding of how these signatures will likely affect human activity in the times to come. The author (Merriman) will do this from a perspective of a cycle’s analyst looking at the military, political, economic, and even financial markets of the world.

It is possible that some forecasts will be made based on these factors. However, the primary goal is to both educate and alert the reader as to the psychological climate we are in, from an astrological perspective. The hope is that it will help the reader understand these psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) the news events and hence financial markets of the day.

No guarantee as to the accuracy of this report is being made here. Any decisions in financial markets are solely the responsibility of the reader, and neither the author nor the publishers assume any responsibility at all for those individual decisions. Reader should understand that futures and options trading are considered high risk.

Copyright MMACycles 2007; you may link to this site or page, but you may not distribute these texts in any way (by email or otherwise).

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