Review and Preview

 World equity and financial markets reversed right on cue with the geocosmic signatures of a critical reversal date in effect. Not only was February 21, +/- 3 trading days, a geocosmic critical reversal date (per the methods of calculation given in “The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing, Volume 3: Geocosmic Correlations to Trading Cycles”), but it also corresponded to the ingress (change of signs) of three planets from Aquarius to Pisces. That is, first the Sun (not a planet, actually), then Mercury, and then Mars all moved into Pisces from February 18 through February 22. One by one, various stock markets of the world came off their multi-month and even multi-year highs between the end of last week and the first trading day of this week. So did Silver. However, the declines – sharp as they were in the first half of the week - only lasted a couple of days. By Friday, February 25, many were starting another rally. This is why the study of cycles is so important to use in combination with geocosmics. The study of cycles indicated that many stock markets were in the 6th week of their 5-7 week major cycles phases. And since the market has been bullish, the idea was that the decline would only last 3-8 trading days, to be followed by another rally to the crest of the next major 6-week cycle.

 In Europe, the German DAX soared to 7441 on Monday, February 21, its highest level in over three years. The London FTSE rallied to 6105 on Monday as well, its highest level since May 2008. In the Netherlands, the AEX reached 374.19 on Thursday, February 17, a level not seen since September 2008. The SMI of Zurich hit 6739 on Monday, February 21 (like the DAX and FTSE), it highest mark since April 27, 2010. As one can see, all topped out in this critical reversal zone. And then all fell somewhat sharply to their weekly lows on Thursday, February 24, before recovering somewhat into Friday, the day of the final Jupiter-Pluto waxing square

 There were no yearly highs in Asia or the Pacific Rim countries, although most markets there did decline into Thursday or Friday, February 24-25, after rallying into February 17-18. In Australia, the All Ordinaries index rose to 5032 on February 17, its highest level since April 2010. But then it fell all week, with its lowest price down to 4889 on Friday, February 25. The Japanese Nikkei Index also topped out on February 17, at 10,891, its highest price also since April 2010. But like the All Ords, it too fell most of last week, with a low of 10,428 on Thursday, February 24. The Hang Seng of Hong Kong and Nifty index of India completed a modest rally into February 18, but well below their yearly highs. Both sold off into Thursday-Friday, February 24-25. Moscow’s Micex was basically an inside week (no new highs, no new lows).

 In the Americas, both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and NASDAQ Composite topped out a week earlier, on February 18. For the DJIA, the 12,391 high of that day was its highest level since June 2008. For the Composite, its high of 2840 was to a level not seen since November 2007! But both indices fell rather hard into Wednesday-Thursday, with the DJIA down to 11,983 and the Composite to 2705. Both recovered smartly into Friday, but still off their highs of the prior week. In Brazil and Argentina, neither the Bovespa nor the Merval made new multi-month highs, and both declined into the end of the week.

 Gold and Silver had an interesting week too. On Tuesday, the first trading day of the shortened holiday week in the USA, Silver soared to a new 31-year high as it reached 3433. As it pulled back, Gold then rallied to a new monthly high on Thursday at 1418.80. But this was lower than its double top around 1430-1434 achieved in December and January, for a double case of intermarket bearish divergence within a critical reversal period. The reason Gold and Silver were up at all last week was due to the threat of revolution in Libya, a rather sizeable oil producer. Hence the star performer last week was crude oil, which soared back above $100/barrel for the first time since October 2008. Another spectacular performer was the Swiss Franc, which exploded to a new all-time high. This is most interesting, because now we are seeing investors flee to the Swiss Franc – and not the U.S. Dollar – as the currency of safe haven, even though the unrest in the Middle East is closer to Switzerland than the United States. We haven’t seen that happen in decades. It may be revealing something about the world’s confidence in the U.S. Dollar retaining its status as the standard international currency of the future. Of course, the transit of both Pluto and Uranus in hard aspect to the natal Venus and Jupiter in the USA chart has suggested this “end game” for the Dollar, beginning in December 2007 as the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction just preceded into the Cardinal Climax of 2008-2015. It is due to peak in 2013-2015, with a possibility of holding out until the very end of this decade, when Saturn and Pluto start their new 36-year cycle (conjunction) in late Capricorn. But the Dollar’s days appear to be numbered as the standard world currency, unless the leaders of the USA government can figure some way to bring down its debt and cure its unsustainable spending addiction.

Short-Term Geocosmics

 There are no heavily weighted signatures of a market reversal this week. That was last week, and so far it corresponds with an important crest as just described in many equity markets of the world, as well as Silver.

 For this week, Venus will change signs (ingress) from the conservative sign of Capricorn to the more progressive sign of Aquarius. Since Venus rules money and currencies, there could be a shift in policies affecting currency prices while Venus is in Aquarius, which lasts through March 27. This is further supported by the final Jupiter-Pluto waxing square of February 25 (pertaining to huge debt), and the ingress of Uranus into Aries, which begins March 11. Immediately after ingressing into Aries, Uranus will form a T-square to the natal Sun-Pluto opposition of the Federal Reserve Board chart (created December 23, 1913, 6:02 PM, Washington D.C. – source New York Times). Sudden changes of policies from this central bank may jolt currency markets too. What might they do? Or what sudden and unexpected world and economic developments might happen that causes the central banks to react? With Uranus, we never know. The motto for Uranus is to “expect the unexpected.” 

Longer-Term Thoughts

The world is really screwed up. Or, if we take a spiritually philosophical approach, everything is in divine order, and this is precisely the situation the world and its inhabitants are supposed to be in. We just don’t understand the master plan. But I will tell you this: if you don’t understand the principles of Astrology – and in particular Mundane Astrology – then the concept of a “master plan” can only be accepted if your life is conducted entirely upon faith. You need an incredible amount of faith to not believe the world is screwed up right now, and everything is right. Welcome the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. And welcome to the passage of Uranus (an 84-year orbital cycle around the Sun) in the very last degree of the zodiac (29 degrees of Pisces).

Three more planets moved into Pisces last week, along with Uranus, so let me indulge in some Piscean themes before we fully enter an Aries-dominant phase real soon (March 9-April 23). In fact, let me attempt to explain some of the issues these two signs – the last and the first of the zodiac – represent, as well as Aquarius, the sign that three planets left in the past couple of days.

 Astrologically-speaking, let’s ask: what are the signatures that coincide with the world being in such a mess right now? How can we better understand these times we live in (or, the “master plan,” if such a concept exists) through the principles of Mundane Astrology?

 The first place to look, in my opinion, would be the position of the planet Uranus, for that is a symbol for “the masses of people on Earth.” It represents our urge to belong to community, or group. It is the planet of the “Humanitarian,” but in actual practice, that may not be quite accurate. True, Uranus pertains to humanity. And it is also probable (IMHO) that it pertains to future trends that affect humanity. Uranus is the planet associated with inspiration and innovation, of seeing things differently (and presumably, in their mind, better than anything else that exists along those lines now), and trying things that have never been attempted before, supposedly with the idea that these efforts will benefit large masses of humanity.

But in many cases, those ideas do not really benefit humanity. Instead, they are ideas and theories that are simply too radical, disorganized, or poorly thought out to be accepted by the largest masses of humanity. If carried out and put into action (Aries), these ideas frequently lead to “unintended consequences” (a good present day term, where things happen that no one thought of – except by Aquarians, or people with strong natal Uranus, of course). They disrupt the status quo (which could be a good thing, all things considered), leading to chaos and possible loss of human lives. They result in a new leadership that is oftentimes more ruthless than the leadership just overthrown, if that is the event(s) manifested under Uranus’ time. Uranus is the planet associated with revolutions and the attempted (and usually successful) overthrow of authoritarian-repressive rule. For this reason, Uranus (and Aquarius the sign it rules) is said to oversee the principles of freedom and even democracy, or the pursuit of individual rights (of course, by those who live in Aquarian-influenced societies or countries). But the result is oftentimes not freedom or democracy. It is not even a forward advancement, but instead an apparent (and hopefully, temporary) regression in society’s urge to grow, progress, and/or evolve. In the end, it always seems that those forces of evolution prevail. But there are time when it seems to go backwards (at least, that would be how an Aquarian/Uranian would likely see it), or other times it may seem stagnant and not moving at all (which is probably how most earth signs would prefer it to be).

The one thing that Uranus lacks, and which Saturn (and by association, its sign of rulership, Capricorn) provides, is organization and well-thought out management. When a strong and healthy Uranus is combined with a strong and healthy Saturn, you can have a successful revolution (in mass consciousness, art, literature, banking, and/or government, to name a few areas of human experience that can be affected). Such a revolution will accomplish its goals, and provide strong leadership that will last into the future. Otherwise the result is the expulsion of current leaders and current structures, but into a new environment where would-be leaders fight for control and simply create a no-man’s land where chaos and abuse of human rights reigns.

There is a danger that we may be headed into such a situation now as Uranus prepares to enter Aries for the next seven years, during which time it forms a waxing square to Pluto in Capricorn (2012-2015). This is relevant because the ruler of Capricorn is Saturn, so it is as if Uranus will be in a square aspect (90 degree separation) from both Saturn and Pluto. It won’t be easy if you are a revolutionary without a well-thought out plan that truly does anticipate the “unintended consequences.” However, it is a waxing square (90 degrees) and not a waning one (270 degrees) which is akin to the pain of birth (90 degrees) and not the pain of death (270 degrees, although any time Pluto is involved with Uranus, there is the potential for a large toll on human life).

But what about financial markets? How are they apt to perform under these dynamics? Well, rather chaotically, I would think. There are apt to be as many major changes in financial markets as there are in governments. That is, I suspect some countries – and even some types of governments - will no longer be in existence by the end of this decade, and even in the next 5 years, due to revolutionary forces suggested by Uranus in Aries, whether via nature, contagious plagues, or war. I also suspect that several currencies of today will no longer be in existence.

Does this have to be a negative outcome? No. It can be positive if the principles of Saturn are applied and maybe those of Neptune too. That is, if leaders will come together in common purpose (Pluto in Capricorn, but also Uranus in Aries if it is to apply to the masses of humanity) and think out a well-constructed plan (Saturn) that sets as its highest priority the sanctity of human life (Neptune and Chiron conjunct, as they enter Pisces this year), it can work. But Uranus by itself in Aries does not place great value on the well-being, or even life itself, of fellow humans. It is if they are objects to be used for the advancement of one’s personal agenda (someone like a megalomaniac ruler who thinks nothing of killing his own countrymen in order to hold onto his own corrupt power). Aries says “Me first!” Uranus says “Out with the old, in with the new!” Together, the effort to force change – or prevent change that is needed - can become very ruthless, whether such violence is unleashed by existing tyrants or radical revolutionaries who have no regard for the value of human life.

I would like to say it is a new world out there today. But as I think more about what is happening, I don’t see a new world out there - yet. All I see is the end to an old world (Pluto in Capricorn).  The hope with Uranus in Aries is that indeed there is a vision of a bright new world, with inspirational leaders who value human life – and human rights – who will lead us into it with a well-thought out plan. Change can be good, but more likely when the consequences are well-thought out and not based solely on ‘faith” that all is perfect and happening exactly as it should.