Merriman Market Analyst

Review and Preview

 Don’t you just love it (or hate it)? If you are a Financial or Mundane Astrologer, you have to at least appreciate the correspondence between today’s planetary signatures and its correspondence to a sense of panic and urgency on the part of the global investment community. I don’t think I have ever experienced a week like this where I received so many unsolicited letters or articles by people connected to the financial community in which the basic theme was: “This is it! The financial fabric of the world is unraveling. The Dollar is a lost cause, stocks are a lost cause, and the advances of Gold, Silver foreign currencies, and Oil are going to continue uninterrupted as the entire world falls into a state of complete bankruptcy. Order now to find out what you can do to protect yourself  against the coming Depression.”

 Never mind the fact that these claims may be eventually correct. The probability is greater that you are close to seeing the end of these moves for now. And the hysteria is completely consistent with the fact that we are presently in between three major signatures that pertain to exactly this type of collective over-reaction: Mars turning retrograde November 14, Uranus turning stationary direct on November 24, and the 13-year Jupiter-Pluto conjunction that unfolds December 11. Each one of these signatures alone could correspond to a collective psychological peak, not to mention a cyclical peak or trough in various financial markets. Together, they suggest a crisis of confidence not seen since Y2K.

 But to all of you who are astrologers, let me remind you that once this time band comes to an end, the major planetary signatures in force will shift, for most of 2008, to Jupiter in a friendly trine to Saturn, as well as Saturn in a constructive trine to Pluto. Conditions will likely improve, just about the time you bought the high or sold the lows of the moves, as suggested by the crystal ball of these financial wizards.

 Well, you can understand why everyone is worried this week. And maybe “panic” is a better word to describe the mood of the financial community. After all, many equity markets of the world have fallen below their lows of last August, which we thought was “the worst” for awhile. These include the Nikkei Index of Japan, which fell to 14,670 on Thursday, well below its 15,252 level of August 17, and the Swiss stock index, which fell to 8080. In August, the low of the Swiss stock index was 8329. Other indices came very close, as they challenged their August lows. These include the AEX index of the Netherlands, which fell to 480.87, just a shade higher than the 479.79 low of August 17, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which fell to 12,786 last Wednesday, which is the vicinity now of a double bottom to the 12,517 lows of August 16. All other indices witnessed healthy declines from the all-time or multi-year highs of October into last week’s new multi-month lows. But they are mostly well above those lows of last August.

 Crude Oil and many currencies, of course, made new all-time highs against the plunging U.S. Dollar last week. And Gold sprang bank to life smartly after bottoming at 776 last Monday. By Friday, it was back up to 825, just 25.00 away from its all-time high.

Short-Term Geocosmics

 In the study of Financial Astrology, time bands that highlight combinations of Mars, Jupiter and Uranus can coincide with extreme price moves, corresponding with a sense of hysteria, panic, or over-confidence. I don’t think we see any over-confidence today, but rather a whole lot of panic and hysteria. Mars tends to drive one to take action, usually based upon impulse. The only problem is that when it is retrograde – as it is November 14-January 30 - such impulsive action is usually ill-timed. The nature of Uranus is to be more irrational. Markets can move well above resistance zones, or below support zones, and thus there is a sense of a “break-out.” However. Like Mercury and Mars retrograde, the break out is usually temporary, and then becomes a “fake out.”  But once again, as the market moves strongly, people believe they must act and act now, or they will miss out. So they act irrationally, usually buying right near the top or selling right near the bottom. It is a humbling experience to get caught up in the tricks of Uranus and Mercury. Jupiter and Pluto come together only every 13 years, and together they can coincide with a sense of urgency, even hysteria due to the nature of Jupiter (it exaggerates whatever it contacts). In this case, it contacts Pluto, ruler of debt and fear of the worst. The sub-prime mortgage tragedy is a perfect example of today’s Jupiter-Pluto crisis. The extent of those losses is just coming to light. But to read all the solicitations by the financial expects who somehow get a hold of your email address, you would think that this crisis will never end. The aspect soon comes to an end, and just as it has in the past, such crises will come to an end too. At least for awhile. In late 1994 (the last time this signature unfolded) it was the Orange County Municipal Bond default that took place. In 1981, the time before that, Treasuries were at their lowest levels ever (highest yields ever), as people feared that even the U.S.A. might default, or at least be unable to contain inflation. In each case, the crisis ended shortly after Jupiter passed by Pluto. But while it was in effect, panic and fear were indeed exaggerated - just like they probably are today. 

Longer-Term Thoughts

 The more serious concerns, as shown by Financial Astrology studies, are probably still some time off into the future, when the “Cardinal Climax” takes place (late 2008 through 2015). With Jupiter and Pluto, today’s crisis is likely temporary. In fact, if the lows of last week hold, it will create a double bottom chart formation for many indexes, like the DJIA. Then there would be reason to believe these stock indices of the world could soar to new highs in 2008. The time band for this current crisis is still in force through early December and maybe even into the end of January, when Mars returns direct. But the most intense part of these signatures may be reflected in these markets right now, for this is the middle part of this time band.

 I would not be surprised if at any day now, the worst of this sub-prime mess is over. I can imagine a scenario where banks and lending institutions have been instructed to work out deals for those home owners who were harmed by these predatory lending practices. Interest rates have gone down since these problems came glaring to the surface in mid-August. New mortgages can now be created at terms that are far better than they were just three months ago.

 But then one has to wonder what happens when those new adjustable rates mortgages, being worked out to help home owners today, kick in to higher rates? This will probably happen during the time that Saturn and Uranus form hard aspects to Pluto (2009-2015). As Yogi Berra says, it may be déjà vu all over again.