REVIEW AND PREVIEW
We had an incredible shock, but look how fast we’re bouncing back,” said Alan Sinai. “We’re in the early stages of recovery and we’ve got three to five years to go. I think we’re going to end up in a boom.” That boom might have a potentially troubling side effect. Inflation, as measured by the consumer-price index, is expected to jump sharply from 1.7% in February when March data is released Tuesday. “It makes it hard for a forecaster because I’ve never seen anything like this ever,” Mr. Sinai said. – Gwynn Guilford and Anthony DeBarros. “Forecasters Brace for Uncharted Liftoff,” Wall Street Journal, April 12, 2021.
Congratulations to those who want higher inflation. You’ve got it. The U.S. has never before pursued government-spending and monetary expansion of this magnitude with a hot economy and the Fed says it will wait for durable inflation to appear before changing. Good luck. “Inflation Arrives. Is it ‘Transitory’?”, Wall Street Journal Opinion page. April 12, 2021.
They came of age just as the twisted pathway to a new, warped version of the American Dream first came into focus, one built not on morality but on money, not on personal freedom but on personal indulgence, not on the promise of a future but on the mouthwatering appetite for the present. – Glenn Stout, “Tiger Girl and the Candy Kid,” as book-reviewed by Edward Kosner in the Wall Street Journal, April 15, 2021.
Another record week for U.S. and other world stock markets as this bullet train keeps humming along at full throttle. The party inside just keeps getting more and more wild amidst the never-ending stream of cash and talk of more stimulus that keeps fueling this record run. You would think the Sun is in Aries. Oops! It is! And along with Mars (ruler of Aries) in Gemini, both of these fiery planets have been in a strong harmonious aspect with Jupiter and each other the last two trading days.
But that changes on Monday when the positive influence of Jove starts to wane, and the Sun (along with Mercury) advances into the steadier and more deliberate sign of Taurus. It is like the rabbit and the turtle. Aries is the hare and Taurus is the tortoise, sometimes also affectionately referred to as a “couch potato” when its mind isn’t focused on working hard or going through a fit of anger. Then the tortoise becomes the bull, and you better get out of its way. It’s not that equity prices will come down hard with the Sun in Taurus. But they may move up in slower steps.
However, this time, those “steps up” might get disrupted as Venus, the ruling planet of Taurus, comes into a conjunction with Uranus, a noted disruptor that can cause any organic movement to stumble or break into a heated rush. With Uranus you never know if it is going to be a breakout (it’s already breaking out) or a reversal. But seldom does the market resemble a couch potato under this influence. It will be interesting to see who wins out this week: the earthquake-nature of Uranus or the “pleasurable walk-through the garden” stroll of Venus in Taurus? I think the tortoise may be in for a bit of jolt these next two weeks. Uranus won’t resist the temptation to mess with the fixity of the Taurus mind and create some havoc.
SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS AND LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS
As much as $1 trillion a year in federal taxes may be going unpaid because of errors, fraud, and lack of resources to enforce collections adequately, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig told lawmakers Tuesday. The IRS collected more than $3.5 trillion in taxes in the 2019 fiscal year. (The IRS) suggested it could bring in an additional $5 to $7 in revenue for each added dollar spent on enforcement. – John McCormick. “IRS Chief Says Up to $1T a Year in Taxes Could be Unpaid,” Wall Street Journal, April 14, 2021.
Ah, yes. Whenever lawmakers want to divert attention from their wishes to raise taxes, it is not uncommon to see articles like this about the “real problem” being the tax cheaters. It is never about the lawmakers and their acts to spend incredible amounts of the people’s money, and the gigantic increase this will have upon the national debt. It is as if they truly believe that just because interest rates are kept artificially low, there really is no increase in debt. Though interest rates are historically low, current spending is more than “relatively” huge, and the principle still has to be paid back eventually.
Not only is the diversion to “tax cheats” a distraction from the real problem of lawmakers’ unbounded spending spree and the IRS coveting a larger budget, but these kinds of stories always seem to make national headlines when Pluto is activated in the heavens by other planets. Last week was such a week, as both the Sun and Venus formed a waxing square aspect to Pluto (taxes) in Capricorn (government). The subject is likely to continue to be hot news as cold Pluto will turn retrograde, with the Moon in Scorpio, on April 27. Pluto and Scorpio (its ruling sign) have an association with all the fun things in life that get you into real trouble: death, deficits, debt, taxes, and (thank goodness) sex.
But let’s talk about other subjects that are more pleasurable than taxes and the increase of debt: financial markets, such as currencies, and most notably in the news now, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. For this subject, we switch to Uranus, planet of space, technology, and the future. It is now in its 7-year trek through Taurus (2018-2025), and Taurus rules currencies. Uranus rules tech and digital matters, but by sign it also pertains to sectors of the economy and financial markets that exhibit “boom/bust” cycles.
No one can argue against the fact that Bitcoin has been in a “boom” cycle. As recently as March 13, 2020, Bitcoin was trading below $4000. Now it is more than 15 times higher, making new all-time highs above $60,000, with many “experts” calling for $100,000 and even higher, while various central banks (as in China and the U.S.) are looking into creating national digital currencies. And of course, Coinbase, the largest retail seller of crypto currencies, had a very large IPO start last week. This all fits with Venus (ruler of Taurus and hence another ‘currency” related planet) conjunct Uranus (digital) in Taurus (sign of money), which is approaching April 22. Following that, the Sun in Taurus will also conjoin Uranus on April 30. That is why the tortoise may be in for a bit of a jolt.
Some financial astrologers are attributing the vertical rise in Bitcoin (and other cryptos) to the transit of Uranus making a trine aspect to the Sun in the first trade chart of Bitcoin, which took place back on January 3, 2009. I think it has more to do with Uranus simply transiting through Taurus, where examples of boom/bust patterns related to the sign of the Uranus transit are in abundance. Unfortunately, we have no prior history of transiting Uranus making a trine to the Sun in the Bitcoin chart. This is a first.
As to the question of whether Bitcoin will soon have a “bust” to its “boom,” both methods of analysis suggest the possibility. A “bust” signature is a hard aspect involving the transit of Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto to a natal or founding chart’s Venus or Jupiter, and possibly Saturn. Transiting Pluto, the taker of life force and ferryman of the underworld, will conjoin Jupiter in Bitcoin’s founding chart in 2023-2024. Uranus will square Venus in 2025-2026. Can Bitcoin keep soaring that long? Maybe not.
Bitcoin was “born” in 2009, at the height of the world stock market crash and Great Recession, when Saturn was in opposition to Uranus. Saturn in a hard aspect to Uranus can also be considered a “crash” signature. And right now, the next quarter cycle of Saturn/Uranus is unfolding. This is the waning square, taking place three times between February 17-December 24, 2021. Interestingly enough, Neptune is transiting over this opposition It is conjunct to BTC’s Uranus and in opposition to its Saturn. Neptune is euphoria, and certainly this is a time of euphoria for Bitcoin. But aspects involving Saturn/Uranus can also highlight a time of an abrupt trend change. It can happen in a flash, crash, hack, or computer malfunction. So, right now, Bitcoin is in a year that could portend both euphoria and a sudden disturbance. It may be in a “boom” that is readying for a “bust” even before Uranus finishes its trine to Bitcoin’s natal Sun next year.
Enjoy the ride while it lasts. But never forget the law of gravity: whatever goes up must come down, and the higher it goes, the harder it falls. It’s kind of like the concept of “pride” and the “cycle of life.” This is a time when those who are overconfident in their judgments or boastful about their successes may experience the jolt of Uranus. From rabbit stew and turtle soup we get served humble pie.
And the best teacher of humility is the markets. Expect the unexpected – in a flash, these next two weeks.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: The April issue of the ICR (International Cycles Reports) will be released this week, April 20-21. The ICR Financials includes analysis on ASX (Australian Stock Index), RUT (Russell 2000), SSE (Chinese Shanghai Stock Composite), HSI (Hang Seng Index), AUD (Australian Dollar), DXY (US Dollar), and GBP (British Pound). The ICR Commodities Report includes analysis on LC (Live Cattle), MJ (Cannabis), XAU (Gold and Silver), KT (Coffee), KA (Sugar), C (Corn), and W (Wheat). These reports are written by MMA Analyst and editor Mark Shyterman (metals, stock indices, and soft commodities), MMA President Raymond Merriman (China’s Shanghai Composite Index), MMA Analysts Ken Liao (Hang Seng), Ulric Aspegrén, (Currencies), Isabella Suleymanova (Grains), and Gianni Di Poce (Australian ASX and Dollar, Cannabis, and Live Cattle). Order now to make sure you get this month’s report! Consider a one-month trial for only $35.
NOTE 2: The monthly issue of the MMA Monthly Cycles Report was released this week, Tuesday, April 13. This issue discussed the 15.5-month cycle in stocks: Is it topping out now? Or when is it due? It also discussed whether Gold’s 31.33-month cycle has bottomed. Or the Euro’s 15-month cycle as well. Every issue provides MMA’s intermediate-term outlook for the U.S. stock market, Gold and Silver, Treasuries, Euro Currency, Crude Oil, and Soybeans. Each issue also contains MMA’s original geocosmic critical reversal dates (CRDs) and Solar/Lunar reversal dates over the next several weeks for DJIA, Gold, and Silver, complete with trading strategies for position traders during the next month. If you are not a subscriber to the monthly MMA Cycles Report and wish a copy of our outlook for financial markets, consider trying the April issue for only $35.
NOTE 3: MMA’S FINANCIAL MARKETS WORLD WEBINAR AND FORECASTS 2021 UPDATE WILL TAKE PLACE MAY 22, 2021, 12:00 PM MST: This broadcast will take place on Saturday, May 22, 2021, 3:00 PM EDT (that’s 12:00 PM PDST, 8 PM UK, 9 PM CEDT. 5 AM Tokyo, 6 AM Sydney). In the comfort of your own home or office, you can tune into Raymond Merriman’s Webinar on Financial Markets and Forecasts 2021 Update. This 2.5-hour webinar will give an intermediate-term update on several financial markets that were covered in the Forecast 2021 Book, including the U.S. stock market, Gold, Silver, Crude Oil, the Euro currency, and Bitcoin. This will be an especially timely presentation because 1) the 12-year Jupiter orbital cycle will be making its first entrance into Pisces on May 13, and 2) May 3-July 9 has been highlighted as one of the more probable times in 2021 for an intermediate-term (and possibly long-term) trend reversal in several financial markets, including world stock indices. Joining Ray to share their outlook will be Ulric Aspegrén (Euro, U.S. Dollar) and Gianni Di Poce (U.S. Treasuries, Crude Oil). Ray will be covering equities, metals, and Bitcoin. There will be a Q&A with attendees during this webinar. The cost to attend is $55.00 and includes the slides of the presentation, plus access to the video recording of the event. If unable to attend live, you can still sign up, as everyone who orders the Webinar will receive the video recording following the live event. See details below, under EVENTS. Or, for more information, go to www.mmacycles.com, Shop> Webinars. Or click here and SIGN UP NOW TO LOCK IN YOUR PLACE for this event!
NOTE 4: MMA is pleased to announce that Great Conjunctions: Shifting Times is now available! Written by Chris McRae, who was one of the world’s leading Mundane Astrologers before her sudden passing to the cloud, this fascinating book on the history of Great Conjunctions involving the outer planets throughout history is of great importance to all astrological historians. It is especially appropriate today because 2020 was such a year exhibiting Great Conjunctions. In fact, the grandest of all outer planet conjunctions – the Jupiter/Saturn synodic cycle – took place on December 21, 2020, so this book is timely. The insights that McRae provides on these rare but remarkable configurations will make this one of the most valuable additions to the field of Mundane Astrology. The cost is $24.95 plus postage.
EVENTS
MAY 22, 2021, 12:00 PM MST: MMA’S FINANCIAL MARKETS WORLD WEBINAR AND FORECASTS 2021 UPDATE. See Announcements above.
Disclaimer and statement of purpose: The purpose of this column is not to forecast 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 often cite 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 may affect human activity in the times to come. The author (Merriman) will do this from the perspective of a cycles’ 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 the psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) the news events and their potential effect on financial markets.
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 of this column assume any responsibility whatsoever for anyone’s trading or investment decisions. Readers of this report should understand that commodity futures and options trading are considered high risk.