Menu Content

Merriman Market Analyst

Home arrow Weekly Preview arrow Comments for the Week Beginning December 7, 2009
Advertisement
Please note:
This is not the same as our service titled
"MMA Weekly Comments and Recommendations on Financial Markets"
which is available by subscription only.
Flowchart on MMA Products and Services
Comments for the Week Beginning December 7, 2009
Written by Raymond Merriman   

Review and Preview

 It was a week of unexpected surprises. It was a week of events consistent with a Uranus station, which pertains to activities and market behavior that are far from consistent.

 The week began with investors highly nervous about the consequences of World Dubai’s prior week’s announcement that it wanted to suspend interest payments on $60 billion of debt for up to six months. Would the Uranus station of December 1 coincide with a breakout and sudden panic, which is not unusual for Uranus signatures? Or would it coincide with a bottom from which prices would reverse right back up again, which was also possible under a strong Level One Uranus aspect? With Uranus, you never know what to expect – even as a Financial Astrologer. After bottoming late the prior week, U.S. equity markets did reverse and rallied to new yearly highs by last Wednesday, December 2. Then they sold off into Thursday. Then on Friday, the employment report came out and it was far better than anyone estimated. Stock prices rallied again to another new yearly high in the first 30 minutes of trading. Then they sold off over 200 points the following two hours. Welcome to the world of Uranus, where stability and predictability are concepts waiting to be violated at every opportunity. As a frame of reference, just consider what it has been like since late 2008 when Saturn began its nearly two-year opposition to Uranus that will last into summer 2010. Has anyone been consistently correct about anything? No. It’s been a portal of the unexpected and unplanned for, and that fits extremely well with the principles of Saturn in opposition to Uranus.

 In other markets, Gold soared to a new all-time high of 1227.50 on Thursday, only to fall off the cliff and close down nearly $50.00/ounce on Friday. Silver was no better, reaching a new cycle high of 1950 on Thursday and closing almost 100 points lower than that on Friday. The favorable jobs report on Friday gave a much needed boost to the Dollar against most other currencies, but it caused many dollar denominated commodities to fall.

Short-Term Geocosmics

 The year is probably going to end with a bang. By that, I mean there are a wealth of important geocosmic signatures in force December 10-29. To be precise, there are 11 aspects and stationary turns taking place during this time band. Two of the most important ones will occur December 20 and 21, just as the Winter Solstice gets underway. Those would include Mars turning retrograde and Jupiter making its third and final conjunction with Neptune in this 2009 series. I will discuss those signatures in the Longer-Term Thoughts section.

 For this coming week, the only aspect taking place is the Sun trine Mars on December 10. The majority of the influences that will describe this particular cluster will take place the following two weeks. What may be more significant for this coming week is Venus now in Sagittarius (December 1-25), along with the Sun (November 21-December 21), and both are applying to a favorable trine aspect with Mars in Leo (December 10-17). Leo and Sagittarius are fire signs, while both the Sun and Mars rule fire signs. Generally speaking, equity markets like fire signs, and especially Sagittarius. They represent enthusiasm, and Sagittarius is particularly optimistic. This would portend an upward bias in equity prices. But there are mine fields in this time band, because along their way through Sagittarius, both the Sun and Venus will form a T-square to the Saturn-Uranus opposition. Not only that, but both will also touch off the Saturn-Pluto square as they enter Capricorn (December 21-29).

 In short, we are now in an astrological climate where equity prices would normally be rising, but could still be subject to sudden and unexpected events that cause brief but sharp declines. The concern for Financial Astrologers is what happens after December 21 – after the Sun and Venus move into Capricorn, along with Mercury and Pluto, and the last conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune ends… not to mention Mars turns retrograde for the following ten weeks. It’s a picture that reminds me of the old 60’s song called “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” Except now the title might be “Where Has All the Money Gone?” The answer is: to the banks.

Longer-Term Thoughts

 Every so often it seems necessary to remind readers that the purpose of this column is not to forecast market behavior, but rather to educate on the principles of astrology as it applies to financial markets and to the mundane-political world. Yes, it is true that I will occasionally make a market forecast in this column. But forecasting markets for purposes of ongoing trading strategies is the purpose of subscription reports.

 So, in the spirit of education, let’s look at the forthcoming Mars retrograde and Jupiter-Neptune conjunction period of December 20-21. These are contradictory dynamics, for Mars stationary is usually a time of aggression and the potential threat of war, whereas Jupiter-Neptune combinations correspond to the quest for peace. It is more passive. So, in short, we are likely to see signs of passive-aggressive behavior in our world leaders for the next few days.

We see these conflicting dynamics at work today in regards to Iran and its violation of international agreements on the matter of nuclear development. We see it in regards to President Obama’s decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, in the face of opposition within his own party to instead withdraw troops and end the war. In principle, Mars retrograde is not considered a favorable time to initiate a troop surge and increase aggression towards war. It is time when the aggressor may be confident of his powers, especially with Mars in Leo. In fact, Mars in Leo can be overconfident, and given that Mr. Obama is a Leo himself, he needs to be especially careful in his role as Commander in Chief these next three months, lest he makes an impulsive military decision that backfires. That’s Mars retrograde.

Mars turns retrograde in the skies, as seen from Earth, approximately every 25-26 months. If we look for times in the recent past when Mars turned retrograde around 19 degrees of Leo, all we will see is December 12, 1977 (11 degrees of Leo) and December 26, 1962 (24 degrees of Leo). The 1962 instance found stock prices making a modest trough, followed by a continuation of the bull market into mid-February. This would fit a pattern seen every three years so far in this decade. That is, the markets did not have the usual October surprise in 2000, 2003, and 2006, but instead just continued higher into January-March of the next year before falling hard to a low in February-April. In the 1977 case, it was just the opposite. The market made a low around the time of the retrograde, but only rallied 5 days, and then sold off through the remainder of the Mars retrograde. However, Gold prices made a low at that time, around $160.00/ounce. Gold has not been that low since. You will find many cases in the past where Gold prices made a low or a high within a few days of Mars changing directions, and that low or high held for several months.

 The Jupiter-Neptune conjunction will be the third and final one in this series that began May 27, 2009. The second passage was July 10. In the two prior instances, equities first made a major cycle trough and then a primary cycle trough. In both cases, equity prices soared afterwards. In the first case, prices soared sharply for the next two weeks to a primary cycle crest. This is the usual pattern of stock prices under Jupiter and Neptune, as reported in “The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing, Volume 3: Geocosmic Correlations to Trading Cycles.” But politically, the end of the Jupiter-Neptune series of conjunctions may also indicate the end of the period of hope and idealism regarding some world leaders and their inspirational visions of the future. Idealism and inspiration may give way now to the reality that actions, not just words, are what really matters. It’s time to focus on getting people back to work and getting the economy back on sound footing, which ironically was Obama’s very message to business leaders this week too. Let’s see if this initiative can move from the domain of words to the platform of action and results.

 

Announcements


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, as I no longer offer personal consultations. 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, go to http://www.mmacycles.com/services, or call our offices at 1-248-626-3034. 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.”

CD’s DVD’s, MP3’s, and “On-Line Streaming Video” 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 is right before the astrological midpoint of the Cardinal Climax, which takes place late July through early August. 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. You won’t want to miss this presentation. Order now, because most of the trading opportunities presented are in effect from July 21 through October 8, 2010!!!

Any remaining copies of the Forecast 2010 book will be available for $30.00 (plus postage), now as long as supplies last. This year’s book was an incredible publication, as almost everything forecasted in it has come out as described. All the themes outlined, and almost all the financial markets are unfolding as indicated with one exception: there has (as of yet) been no sign of excessive speculation in stocks or precious metals. Instead, frightened investors are flocking to U.S. Treasuries. Everything else, however, has been spot on, and there is still time for this to happen in stocks and precious metals into mid-2011. We now offer a complimentary copy of this year’s book to any new or renewing subscriber of a one-year subscription to the MMA Cycles Report, our new MMA European Cycles report, or any subscription to a MMA daily or weekly report, as long as books are still available. See special offer on the opening page of www.mmacycles.com.

The monthly MMA Cycles Report and its companions – the MMA Japan Cycles Report and MMA European Cycles Report – came out this week, Monday and Tuesday, via posting on our web site, and attachment via direct emails, for subscribers. W also sent an update to subscribers on Wednesday. If you subscribe to these reports and did not get them, let us know 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. New yearly (or renewing) subscribers to these reports will receive a free copy of the Forecast 2010 book while supplies last (see below). For subscription information, please go to SERVICES at www.mmacycles.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 volatility 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 to exactly when to enter and exit any market.

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 may 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 will host a special gathering for MMA Subscribers on Sunday, October 3, the day of Brazil’s elections!!!

January 5, 2011: Forecast 2011! Speech and live webcast from Birmingham, MI. Details to be announced soon.

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.

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, go to http://www.heavenandearthworkshops.com/financial.html.

The MMA Catalogue of products and services for 2010 is available for download in PDF at http://www.mmacycles.com/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,161/Itemid,63/. The ordering page is the last page of the catalogue. This is especially useful for those outside of the USA, since we do not send these by snail mail unless requested.

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).

Archives

Previous weeklies (2006) are archived at www.olmta.com

For other language editions of MMA´s weekly comments:


Owners of websites:

This Weekly Market Climate is available for co-branding. Call 1-800-662-3349 for details.