Review and Preview

    Most stock markets of the world struggled last week. After posting yearly highs September 14-21, these market started falling hard after secondary highs around Tuesday, September 25 when the Moon was in Aquarius, often a lunar sign correlating with market highs. But the culprit was Mars, which entered a very sensitive degree to the NYSE chart in the later half of the week. By the end of the week, many equity markets had plummeted sharply, with some – like the Amsterdam AEX – falling to new monthly lows. Yet some performed very well right into the end of the week, like the Hang Seng of Hong Kong, which continues to rally to new 4-month highs, and the Zurich SMI, which soared to a new yearly high

    Gold and silver mirrored the USA stock markets. That is, they fell sharply off their multi-month highs of the prior week into a low on Wednesday, September 26. But then they came back to close the week strong, in preparation for the heliocentric romp of Mercury into Sagittarius, October 1-12. With Mars also poised to end its trek through Scorpio on October 7, the next week (and maybe even early the following week) looks ready for some impressive price activity.

Best Trades of the Past Week

    The weekly report had numerous new trades initiated and several positions exited for handsome profits last week in the NASDAQ, Soybeans, Crude Oil, and precious metals. But these may be the most interesting: concerning November Soybeans, last week’s report advised, “Position traders are flat and may look to go long in weekly support (1557-1571) with a stop-loss on a close below 1450. Aggressive traders are also flat and may buy anywhere below 1575 with a stop-loss on a close below 1500 or 1450, depending on your risk allowance.” The low of the week was right there, at 1557, and it closed at 1601.

In Crude Oil, last week’s report advised, “Aggressive traders are also short with a stop-loss on either a close above 95.75 or weekly resistance, depending on your risk allowance. However let’s look to exit at 89.50-90.70 if offered and go long there with a stop-loss on a close below 88.00.” The low was 88.95 and it closed the week at 92.19.

Short-Term Geocosmics

    Last week I discussed the importance of full moon coming up on September 29, and stated that it will form a grand square to the Uranus-Pluto waxing square, all in cardinal signs (action). Well, it’s actually a T-square, not a grand square, but it is still a powerful signature nonetheless that “… sometimes coincides with earthquakes, volcano eruptions, electrical black-outs, high winds, and huge tidal waves within one week. If not at the full moon, these types of events can be touched off at the quarter moon phases of one week before or after. These signatures involve Uranus, so they are abrupt, disruptive, and unpredictable as to their exact form and location. Perhaps it could be a terrorist act. In many cases these types of signatures correlate with very sharp declines in financial markets, but not always.”

    But this full moon T-square, with the Sun in translation to the Uranus-Pluto square, is part of a bigger time band containing 11 important geocosmic signatures that unfold between September 26 and October 16. The strongest signatures in this cluster take place right now and then again over the weekend of October 5-8. Thus reversals in various financial markets can occur at any time during the next 10 trading sessions.

    From a longer-term viewpoint, this coming week is important because of several planetary ingresses. A planetary ingress denotes the time when a planet changes from one sign to the next. On October 3, Venus will enter Virgo, where it will remain through October 28. Mercury and Saturn then enter Scorpio on October 5. Saturn will stay in Scorpio for most of the next three years, whereas Mercury will remain there through October 29. And finally, Mars will switch from Scorpio to Sagittarius on October 7. That means four planets will change signs this week, which implies a major shift in attention by the collective, and especially for the investment community. What could cause such a powerful shift? I am not sure. But as a result, many markets will be vulnerable to reversing their long-term trends now. The most important change, of course, will be Saturn moving from Libra to Scorpio for the next three years. As discussed at length in the Forecast 2012 Book, this represents a “Time of Reckoning” pertaining to all matters of debt. The can that has been kicked down the road has now reached the end of that road. And at the end of this road may be the dreaded “Fiscal Cliff,” coming up on January 1, 2013.

    And finally we have a somewhat important planetary station arising on October 4, when Jupiter turns retrograde. It is still possible that stock markets advance once more to a new cycle high within a week of this occurrence. If so, you might be able to more clearly see that “Fiscal Cliff” down the road. If instead it coincides with a cycle low, then perhaps Mars in Sagittarius (October 6-November 16) provides one more opportunity for an equity rally to new highs. With Mars in Sagittarius, everything becomes exaggerated. It is oftentimes a period irrational exuberance or hysteria and panic for the world. It can be war-like.

Longer-Term Thoughts:

    “In Iowa, 119,318 Democratic voters have requested absentee ballots, compared with 24,909 Republicans.” –The Wall Street Journal, Friday, September 28, “Candidates Exchange Barbs on Patriotism,” by Laura Meckler and Colleen McCain Nelson.

    Election season is in full swing in the United States, with the first of three debates between President Obama and Governor Romney scheduled to take place this coming week.     Most of the polls show President Obama comfortably ahead, and both parties are concerned about the integrity of the voting process. Democrats are upset at attempts to suppress minority votes with new “voter identification” requirements (i.e. you have to prove that you are who you say you are), which they claim are racially discriminatory. Republicans are worried about voter intimidation issues (i.e. the Black Panthers gun toting incident at a voting precinct in Philadelphia in the last election), plus voter fraud concerns surrounding the huge turnout prior to Election Day in 2008 in  which Obama received 58% of the record absentee votes that accounted for a whopping 30+% of all votes counted in that election. Allegations of irregularities in the 2008 election were documented in the book titled “Injustice,” by Christian Adams, a former official with the Department of Justice who later resigned in protest over the DOJ’s disinterest in following through on many of those complaints. The DOJ dismissed his concerns as that of a disgruntled employee, but no one ever disputed his citation of sources.

    Could the presidential election of 2012 be tainted with fraudulence in the voting or vote counting? It is a possibility as denoted by geocosmic signatures in force at the time of the election and shortly thereafter. In fact, the geocosmic picture provides ample fodder for several conspiracy theories, which are in line with the nature of Uranus being in its powerful waxing square formation to Pluto, now through March 2015. That is, Uranus can coincide with a major upset, an unexpected outcome, a change of course. And Pluto can (amongst other possibilities) coincide with efforts to alter the reported results through behind-the-scenes maneuvers by powerful or secretive groups of people who may even have criminal intentions. Think “Watergate,” 1972, filled with intrigue about burglaries and break-ins by Republican operatives into the headquarters of Democratic candidate George McGovern. In that election, McGovern ended losing by a huge landslide. But the celebration for the huge Republican victory was short-lived as President Nixon was forced to resign amidst these secretive, behind-the-scenes, criminal actions. Had it not been for a presidential pardon by Gerald Ford, Nixon might have ended up in prison. All this revelation came to light in 1974, under planetary aspects that have similarity in principle to some geocosmic signatures in effect 2012-2015.

    Last week I presented the following geocosmic picture: “There is something I want to share with readers about the election – an astrological conspiracy theory. After all, Uranus is square Pluto, and that’s a rather heavy dynamic suggestive of a slew of conspiracy theories. And so I have one too based on 1) Mercury turning retrograde on Election Day, 2) Neptune turning direct 4 days later, 3) Mercury going direct on November 26 and 4). Mars conjunct Pluto in Capricorn (and Venus conjunct Saturn in Scorpio) on November 27.”

    An astrologically-based conspiracy theory might go like this (use your imagination). On Election Day, November 6, Mercury begins its 20-day retrograde period. The election results are soon afterwards modified. In other words, they are found to be inaccurate. This doesn’t happen just once, but it seems to be a repetitive phenomenon over the next few days. People start noticing a pattern, and as Neptune turns stationary direct on Saturday-Sunday, November 10-11, rumblings start to be heard that the election has been tainted by fraud. The  final results are held up until these allegations are investigated. The next week, as the new moon unfolds in the secretive sign of Scorpio, more incidents of irregularities or manipulation are revealed, especially as both Mercury retrograde and Neptune stationary are in square to one another  (November 13). The rumors - the conspiracy theories - take on a new life as both sides accuse the other of malevolent intent. These only escalate into threats as both Mercury and Moon move into Sagittarius November 14-16, with outrage starting boil out of control.

    On November 23, Mars forms a waning square to Uranus, and moves toward its conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn on November 27. The threats escalate, but they are not limited to just the United States, War threats are being shouted in the Middle East as Iran (or is it Israel?) fire a missile at the other. After all, when Mars is in Sagittarius and Capricorn, military threats and confrontations between Israel and her neighbors reach a peak historically. During this same time frame (November 23-27), Mercury turns direct and Venus conjuncts Saturn in Scorpio, sending the stock market sharply lower.

    The results of the election are finally announced. There are a couple of possibilities here. 1) Mitt Romney won. Violence and riots break out across the USA and the results are not accepted. Martial law is declared. Financial markets are closed. The Election results are disputed and calls for a new election get underway. 2) Barack Obama won. There are no riots immediately, but calls for Obama’s impeachment start up as the nation faces the prospect of war as Israel and Iran start theirs, but Obama refuses to take sides. Tensions mount between the two parties and what to do about the Iran-Israeli conflict. 3) The election results are put on hold as war breaks out in the Middle East. A winner is not declared for an indefinite period, and the longer this goes on, the more restless the USA population becomes. It starts to become chaotic, and more calls for Obama’s removal escalate, while the president withdraws from the public eye. The more he withdraws, the louder the calls for his removal become.

    And finally 4). Well, not really finally, because with Uranus involved so strongly, nothing will happen exactly as anyone predicts. Uranus rules surprises. Things don’t go as one would expect, even forecasts made by financial astrologers. But we must keep open to the possibility that nothing dramatic occurs, in spite of all these powerful geocosmic signatures taking place. Maybe Mercury retrograde indicates a return of Obama for four more years. The nation re-lives the same issues as the last 4 years (think Obama Care and national debt), and these next four years are mired again in gridlock because Obama won and the Republicans kept control of the House, and maybe gained control of the Senate. Maybe the Neptune station denotes fraud in some of the House and Senate elections, but not in the presidential race. Maybe the Mars translation to Uranus and Pluto indicates that there are tensions between Iran and Israel, but both sides withhold force, and the threat passes without a major incident. Maybe the stock market pauses as it considers the “Fiscal Cliff” ahead, but talks begin in December to give the new Congress more time to work out a compromise for a fiscal road map. Maybe it all turns out well in the end after a lot of initial scares. Then again, it is Neptune turning stationary in November, and Neptune rules dreams and idealism. But that won’t end the onslaught of conspiracy theories due to continue into 2015. And like everyone else, I may share some as well as we go along, all with the intent of fostering a deeper understanding of the correlation between cycles in human activity and cycles in the cosmos.