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MMA Comments for the Week Beginning January 9, 2012
Written by Raymond Merriman   

Greetings from Zurich, Switzerland, where the weather is cold but the economy continues hot. You know, in America there is a lot of political discussion about “American Exceptionalism.” But we hear very little about the “Swiss Exceptionalism.” Yet here is a country that is doing extremely well economically at a time when America and most of Europe is not. Nearly everyone works and has a good income. The national income tax averages about 21%, depending on the region where one lives, while the VAT (sales tax) is less than 10%. At the same time, Switzerland has all the social programs that America is struggling to establish and much of Europe is struggling to afford. Imagine that! Low income taxes, effective social programs that the country can afford, low unemployment, low national debt, high wages, and an exceptional standard of living. Is there perhaps something America and other countries in the depressed Eurozone could learn by studying the Swiss success story?

Review and Preview


    The New Year began with a bang in most stock indices around the world. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, for instance, was up nearly 180 points on the Tuesday, the first trading day of the New Year. The high that day was 12,479, well above its 12,284 previous cycle high of October 27, and its highest level since July. However, neither the NASDAQ Composite nor the S&P nearby futures rose above their highs of late October, for a potential case of intermarket bearish divergence.

    In fact, that was the story in many regions of the world. The Zurich SMI index soared well above its cycle high of late October, but the German DAX and London FTSE did not. The Netherlands AEX made a new cycle high by two cents. None of the major indices we track in Asia and the Pacific Rim, including the Moscow MICEX, make new highs, nor did the stock indices of Brazil and Argentina. Is this a sign of a market top, known as intermarket bearish divergence? Maybe. But we will need to see all these indices close in the lower third of their range this coming week to confirm. Otherwise the “Asset Inflation Express” has returned with Jupiter in the 0-7 degree sector of Taurus, a zodiacal location which historically coincides with long-term cycle crests in world stock indices.

    Gold and Silver continued to rise following our special “buy alert” the prior week to subscribers as both metals made new multi-month lows on December 29. Gold has now risen over $100/ounce since that low and Silver more than $3.00/ounce. We will issue a special analysis on Gold and Silver in this week’s MMA Cycles Report, which will come out Tuesday night to subscribers of this monthly report. In it, we will outline the status of the long-term cycles in Gold, and what it portends for the new year.

    In other markets, the Euro currency fell to a new 15-month low against the U.S. Dollar, while Crude Oil soared to its highest level since May. This rally is occurring as the U.S. starts a discussion on banning imports of Iranian Oil and Iran discusses closing the Straits of Hormuz. It makes you wonder what is up as the USA heads into the election season of 2012, with an incumbent president seeking re-election in a nasty economic environment. The economy is going to be the major issue in this campaign season, and President Obama is going to have a difficult time defending his record there to American voters. Strangely enough, however, his strength has been in matters of national security, an area that many tend to consider strengths of the Republican Party. 

Short-Term Geocosmics


    The year started with a bang, and next week may too as it commences with a full moon on Monday, January 9. But more important than the full moon will be the transit of heliocentric Mercury in Sagittarius, which starts on Wednesday, January 11. This is a remarkable signature that historically coincides with very sharp price swings in many financial markets, especially Gold and Silver. Things could get quite wild for a few days, especially given that the transit of Uranus at the same time will also be in an exact square to the Sun-Pluto opposition of the Federal Reserve Board chart (founded December 23, 1913). There are some surprises coming up, In fact, with Uranus moving ever closer to its first of seven square passages to Pluto starting in June 2012, it’s going to be a year (and even three-years) of a lot of unbelievable sudden surprises.

    The concerns of next week will probably escalate into the following week when the Sun enters a T-square with the Jupiter-Saturn opposition (January 19-22), and then Mars turning retrograde in Virgo (January 24 through April 14). This portends a time of anguish for workers around the world who may go on strike, thus hindering the delivery of vital services and goods throughout the world, such as crude oil through the Straits of Hormuz.

Longer-Term Thoughts

    "I warn you, though. Political predictions, economic forecasts, and astrology differ in only one respect. Astrology has a fairly good record of being correct." Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich's comment in his latest Huffington Post blog.

    Due to speaking responsibilities this week, I won’t be doing a “Longer-Term Thoughts section this week, except to say: Jupiter has now turned direct and will be moving towards 7 degrees of Taurus on March 7, 2012. Sometime before that is completed, we expect the stock markets of the world to complete the crest to their last phase of this current 4-yeasr cycle – and then begin a new bear market over the next 2-4 years. This is all based on the historical correlation of U.S. stock prices to Jupiter transiting through the signs of the zodiac, in a study that goes back to 1872. Stock markets bottom when Jupiter is in the first half of Aquarius, then top out when it gets to 23 Aries-7 Taurus, then declines into the time when Jupiter is in Leo. The low of March 2009 was when Jupiter was in the early degrees of Aquarius. The high since then has been May 2, 2011, when Jupiter touched 23 Aries. It is challenging that high again now as Jupiter is in 0 Taurus. Jupiter leaves this sector on March 7, 2012. If history repeats, then we expect the crest to be completed by then, if it is not already in.

     We will discuss this further, and what to look for as this top unfolds, in our monthly MMA Cycles report, which comes out this week.
 

Announcements

The monthly MMA Cycles Report and its companions – the MMA Japan Cycles Report and MMA European Cycles Report – will come out this week, Monday and Tuesday, via posting on our web site, and attachment via direct emails, for subscribers. This report covers our longer-term analysis of the U.S. stock market, precious metals, crude oil, currencies, Treasury Notes, grain markets, and now GLD and SLV – the ETF’s of Gold and Silver. The MMA Japan Cycles report covers the Nikkei, JGB Bonds, and the Dollar-Yen. The MMA European Cycles Report covers the German DAX, Swiss SMI, and Netherlands AEX, each in English only, and will be available on Wednesday. Go to http://www.mmacycles.com/catalogue/subscription-services/mma-cycles-report/, for further information and subscription.

The DVD of the Denver Workshop on Financial Market Timing is now available!!! This financial markets workshop offers a completely unique and original perspective, integrating 1) Market Timing studies, 2) Price Objective calculations, 3) Technical Analysis, 4) Pattern Recognition studies, and 5) Trend Analysis. The primary focus of this workshop is on Market Timing Studies, particularly Cycles Analysis and Geocosmic Studies, as leading indicators that identify when to anticipate a reversal in all financial markets. Gold and the U.S. stock market are studied in great detail, especially regarding their current status. There is a wealth of timely and valuable information in this DVD, especially pertaining the forthcoming Venus retrograde period (May 15-June 27), the forthcoming Uranus-Pluto square of June 24, 2012, lasting through March 2015, and the important Jupiter correlation to stock market cycles coming up August-November 2012 and March-May 2013. The cost for this 4-hour DVD workshop is $180.00 plus postage. To order, please go to http://www.mmacycles.com/catalogue/multimedia/dvd-of-boulder-workshop-on-financial-market-timing!!!/. Or call Amber at 1-248-626-3034. If you are a trader or investor who appreciates the value of market timing – especially in the next few months – this is a presentation you will not want to miss!

 

June 23: A special 5-hour workshop on “The Gold Market: Forecasting the Future Price of Gold and Silver.” 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Hotel Park Plaza Victoria. Amsterdam, Damrak 1-5, Amsterdam 1012 LG, Netherlands. Sponsored by Schogt Market Timing. This is a special workshop on precious metals you will not want to miss!!! Cost is €345 ex VAT. Subscribers of any MMA reports (trials excluded) receive a 15% discount. For further information, please go to http://www.markettiming.nl/en/producten/workshop-gold-silver, or call 31 (02) 294 415 917, or by fax at 31 (02) 294-415-918 to register for an exciting event in one of the world’s most exciting cities at the most exciting time of the year: the first Uranus-Pluto square will be taking place then, right near the summer solstice! This will be special, and a great opportunity to meet some very impressive market timers who will be present. Register now as seating is limited!

Raymond Merriman’s “On-Line Market Timing Academy” (OLMTA) will offer a pre-training course on “Beginning Principles of Geocosmic Studies for Financial Market Timing,” September 15-16, in Troy, Michigan, at the Management Education Center of Michigan State University. This 10-12 hour course may be attended live, in person, or via webcast televised to your computer. A DVD will be available afterwards as well. This workshop will basically train non-astrologers in the use of reading an ephemeris, the table of planetary positions for any given day. This is essential to anyone who wishes to understand how to find a geocosmic critical reversal date for financial markets. This course (or audit of it) is a pre-requisite for anyone entering the OLMTA market training course, as developed and instructed by Raymond Merriman. The OLMTA two-year training course will begin in March 2013, and will involve 8 weekends of study – 4 weekends each in 2013 and 2014. For more information and registration, please go to www.mmacycles.com (front page, near bottom). We will make announcements as this training program unfolds. The cost for the September 15-16 pre-training workshop is $395.00 ($300 for MMA subscribers). This cost will be deducted from the fee of the two-year training course to those who apply and are accepted into OLMTA by late October 2012.

 

If you are an active short-term trader, or even if you are an investor who likes to keep up with our current thoughts on financial markets, you may be interested in our Weekly or even Daily Market reports with position trading and aggressive 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), Dollar/Yen cash and Yen futures, Euro-Yen cash, T-Notes, Crude Oil, Gold and Silver. The daily reports cover all stock indices listed above, as well as futures in Euro, T-Notes, Gold and Silver. Both reports provide trading strategies and recommendations for position traders as well as for shorter-term aggressive traders. 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. These reports are extremely valuable to those who trade ETF’s (Exchange Traded Funds). In the words of one of our subscribers: “I am really pleased with your recommendations through the Daily and Weekly Trade Recommendations.  I have used them to trade gold and silver stocks in my IRA.  In the last eight years I increased my account from $60,000 to $850,000.  Thanks for your excellent publications.” - Bryden C., Small Business Owner, Illinois.

NEW! Now available Mini-Congress ‘Outlook for 2012’ on CD!!! Recordings of the congress “Outlook for 2012,” held January 21, 2012 in Amsterdam, are now available on CD, with audio and PDFs of PowerPoint slides. All lectures are spoken in English. The following presentations are included on this CD:  “2012 End Time of Dawning” by Irma Schogt (20 minutes);“Happy New Year” by Drs. Karen Hamaker-Zondag (20 minutes , regarding ECB and Federal Reserve Board); “2012: The Center of the Storm” by Antonia Langsdorf (20 minutes, regarding Mayan calendar and astrology); “Forecast for 2012” by Raymond Merriman (1 hour). Total length 2 hours, with PowerPoint slides sent online in a PDF document.  Cost is $55.00 plus postage. Please go to http://www.mmacycles.com/the-news/about-mma/cd%27s-now-available-on-the-forecast-2012-mini%11congress-in-amsterdam,-january-21,-2012/, or www.mmacycles.com for ordering info.

Our new 2012 MMA Catalogue is now out!! You can download this catalogue directly at http://www.mmacycles.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=41&Itemid=63.

EVENTS:

May 24-29, 2012: UAC!!! The world’s largest astrological conference. Taking place at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel. Go to www.uacastrology.com. There will be an awesome Financial Track, featuring some of the top Financial Astrologers and researchers in the world. There will be private meeting for MMA on Friday evening on the top floor of the Marriott. If you are interested in attending, please contact us and reserve your space! No cost to subscribers! Otherwise $95.00 to participate.

June 23: Amsterdam. A special 5-hour workshop on “The Gold Market: Forecasting the Future Price of Gold and Silver.” 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Hotel Park Plaza Victoria. Amsterdam, Damrak 1-5, Amsterdam 1012 LG, Netherlands. Sponsored by Schogt Market Timing. This is a special workshop on precious metals you will not want to miss!!! Cost is € 345 ex VAT. Subscribers of any MMA reports (trials excluded) receive a 15% discount. For further information, please go to http://www.markettiming.nl/en/producten/workshop-gold-silver for an exciting event in one of the world’s most exciting cities at the most exciting time of the year: the first Uranus-Pluto square will be taking place then, right near the summer solstice! This will be special. You may also register by calling 31 (02) 294 415 917, or by fax at 31 (02) 294-415-918. Register now as seating is limited!

August 2-6, 2012: Midwest Astrology Conference, in Ann Arbor, MI, Holiday Inn. Pre-seminar workshop on Financial Astrology, Thursday, August 2, with Raymond Merriman. More details soon.

 

September 15-16, 2012: Troy, Michigan. OLMTA – the On-Line Market Timing Academy – will conduct it pre-curriculum introductory workshop on “Basic Principles of Geocosmic Studies for Financial Market Timing.” This will be an introductory course on how to read an ephemeris and how to calculate a critical reversal date. It is open to anyone, but understanding this material is mandatory for anyone entering the MMA mentor-apprenticeship program that will officially start in March 2013. This introductory workshop will be available as a live webinar too. The cost is $300 to subscribers of any MMA subscription report, or $395 to others. For further information, please contact mmacustomerservice@gmail.com or ordersmmma@msn.com.Or go to www.mmacycles.com, and scroll down to the bottom of the first page.

 


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.

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