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MMA Comments for the Week Beginning September 27, 2010
Written by Raymond Merriman   
Please note that I am lecturing in Buenos Aries and Rio de Janeiro through next week. Thus there will be no report due next week (for the week of October 4). Our offices will be open during usual times while I am away.

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    As expected, the Federal Reserve Board maintained its position that it will execute further “quantitative easing” measures to support the USA economy if it considers it necessary. That means the Fed will continue keeping Fed funds rates low, at 0-.25%, AND they will purchase long-term U.S. Treasury Bonds and Notes, if they deem it necessary to support the economy in the event that it starts to fall again. In other words, they will continue with their stimulative monetary policy because they are not yet convinced that the economy’s growth is on a secure and sustainable foundation. This is no surprise because Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has stated on several occasions that the USA government must address its ballooning deficit before the economy will be on the proper path. There has been no sign yet that Congress and White House are willing to do that, so there is no reason for the Fed to change its position either. In fact, if it changed its position BEFORE the U.S. Government changed its spending policies, it would probably lead to another economic plunge immediately.

    This announcement to maintain the Fed’s quantitative easing option came right on September 21, within hours of the full moon on the Vernal and Spring equinox, in conjunction with Jupiter and Uranus. In fact, Jupiter and Uranus reached their closest distance to the earth in decades around that time. It was a critical reversal date, and immediately after the announcement, equity markets in the USA soared to new multi-month highs. It lasted only a few moments, and then the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 100 points towards the close of that day. Equity prices continued falling over the next two days. But on Friday, they began to recover again and rallied to a new cycle high.

    Gold soared to another new all-time high last week, and Silver continued to rise to its highest level since the 1980’s. And why not? After all, the exploding deficits and continuous spending policies of the USA government, and the zero-interest rate and quantitative easing monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board, are extremely inflationary for most assets. They are not supportive for a strong U.S. dollar. Somewhere down the road the piper will have to be paid, and he won’t want payment in the form of paper fiat dollar currency. Accordingly, foreign currencies also rallied strongly against the U.S. Dollar last week. This was especially true with the Swiss Franc, which is rapidly resuming its historical role as the currency of “safe haven,” replacing that status previously held by the U.S. Dollar.

Short-Term Geocosmics


Although last week’s September 21 critical reversal date produced the expected reversal in several markets, it cannot yet be said that it created much of a shift in equity markets around the world. The orb of influence is still in force, however. But now our attention will begin to focus on Venus retrograde, taking place on October 8. This signature has a 78% historical correlation to primary or greater cycles within an orb of 12 trading days, as reported in “The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing, Volume 3: Geocosmic Correlation to Trading Cycles.” It has an 83% correlation to a 4% or greater reversal in stock indices within 4 trading days. Since the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction of September 18 and Sun-Jupiter opposition of September 21 also have a 75+% correlation to primary or greater cycles within 12 trading days, it is possible that all signatures could be fulfilled with a cycle crest during the period all these time bands overlap.

This week is important also because the Sun will square Pluto on September 25 and then conjunct Saturn on September 30. This means it “translates” the Saturn-Pluto square, which was exact August 21. You may remember that just a couple of days later (August 25 and 27), many stock markets of the world bottomed. Shortly after, this big 10+% rally began. That was also during the time that the Russians loaded the Iranian nuclear reactor rods. Hence we may see more news regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions announced shortly.

The Sun-Saturn takes place in Libra, which is the sign of justice and fairness. Saturn with the Sun may pertain to new laws. Thus there may be a new initiative in some lands to enact laws that provide greater justice to its citizens. At its worst, it could instead indicate an effort to take greater control of the government and disguise the maneuver as an act of providing greater safety and security for its citizens, but in reality, it provides greater control only for the government itself. In terms of markets, Sun-Saturn conjunctions have been observed to coincide with trend changes in some markets. It does not have a high correlation by itself to trend changes in equity markets, but more often with some commodities, especially those that are affected by weather. There could be crop damage, or the end of a threat of crop damage. Economically, the Sun transiting the Saturn-Pluto square will keep the attention on deficits and debt.

Longer-Term Thoughts


    It is not only the Sun translating the Saturn-Pluto square that will rivet attention on debt and deficits. It is also the combination of both Venus and Mars transiting through Scorpio that does the same. Scorpio is associated with Pluto, the principle in Financial Astrology related to debt. Venus, which rules money, is in Scorpio an unusually long time (September 8-November 7, and then again November 29-January 8) because it turns retrograde there on October 8. Mars will be in Scorpio September 14 through October 28. Even after that, the Moon’s North Node will be in conjunction to Pluto through much of November. With Pluto and Scorpio in such prominence, the three D’s (debt, deficit, and default) will be the major topics of discussion by world leaders and populations angered over their government’s fiscal mismanagement over the prior decade.

    But Pluto also rules taxes, and governments everywhere are in conflict as to the role taxes should play in reducing their national deficits. Which brings up the question: Why is it that every new president or Congress of the United States (and probably every other country) feels compelled to change the tax laws once they come into power?

What is it about politicians – government leaders - that refuse to let businesses and individuals have the certainty of knowing what their taxes are – or will be - so that they can make plans for the future of their business or families? When the tax laws change, every business and many individuals have to make changes in their financial planning. It causes an interruption in their journey through life, a confusion that delays progress until one can figure out a new map to achieve their goals, especially when the changes being contemplated are for greater taxes. Businesses stop hiring and individuals stop spending until the picture clears and they can once again enact the ability to make plans, assuming they can afford the goals they have with less money than they had before.

    Who really benefits from the tax tinkering that takes place every time a new party comes into power? Certainly not businesses, which are the driving force behind a growing economy. The only people who benefit - in almost all cases - are the politicians themselves and the government bureaucracy that they grow. Constantly changing the tax law is one of the greatest detriments to a sustainable growing economy because it constantly interrupts the ability to plan one’s financial future, whether as a business or tax-paying citizen of that country.

    The problem is not that the tax laws need to be changed every 4 years or so in order to help the economy. This argument is bogus and disingenuous. The problems of the economy are not caused by taxes that are too low, or solved by raising taxes. The problem is that most governments do not intelligently manage the receipts it gets from taxes to run the country, state, or city. That is all it is. And this is the argument that will be debated over and over again into the mid-term election and even beyond, as Scorpio the sign and Pluto the planet will be highlighted.

With Venus soon to turn retrograde in Scorpio, it is likely that we will hear of bizarre proposals being offered about taxes. This may result in the change of a tax policy. Right now in the USA the discussion is about letting the “Bush tax cuts” from 2001 expire on January 1, 2011, which will result in a huge tax increase from everyone who pays taxes (in the USA, this about 50% of its citizens). But the White House has promised not to let them expire (i.e. taxes increase) for 95-97% of the population, or those whose households do not exceed $250,000 if married, or $200,000 if single. However some Democrats and all Republicans want to maintain the current tax code for everyone until the economy is on sound footing. According the Federal Reserve Board’s monetary policies, the economy is not on sound footing yet or else it wouldn’t continue its quantitative easing option.

With Venus retrograde during the election, it would not be a surprise if the expiring “Bush tax cuts” (i.e. new tax increases) alone became the dominant election theme. With Venus retrograde, it is not likely that a decision will be made, or if it is, it may not be very popular and will require another modification after Venus turns direct. With Venus retrograde in Scorpio, it may yet be another opportunity for politicians to exhibit their capacity for short-sighted fiscal mismanagement, versus longer-term effective fiscal management policies that the populace wishes from their elected representatives.

In the meantime, it is beginning to look like the massive rally in stocks and other assets (i.e. asset inflation) discussed in the Forecast 2010 Book is starting to manifest. The “pedal to the metal” behavior of the Federal Reserve Board, combined with the lack of spending control on the part of the Congress and White House, is starting its anticipated effect just as described therein.
 

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.

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).

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