NOTE: U.S. financial markets will be closed on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
REVIEW
Americans aren’t in the clear yet. The consumer-price index increased 3.4% from a year earlier in December, the Labor Department said Thursday. The acceleration from November’s 3.1% advance shows inflation isn’t fully beaten. Gwynn Guilford and Nick Timiraos, “Inflation Edged Up in December After Rapid Cooling Most of 2023.” Wall Street Journal, January 11, 2024.
In the week that saw a New Moon in Capricorn form a favorable trine to Uranus (January 10-11) and the exalted Mars in Capricorn form a trine to the optimistic Jupiter in Taurus (January 12), several equity markets continued their surge to new all-time and multi-year highs. This was most notable in the United States (DJIA), Japan, and India. However, not all equity markets performed well. Both Hong Kong and China’s stock indices continued to trade near their yearly lows. Additionally, even in those regions where new highs occurred, other indices did not make new highs, thus creating cases of intermarket bearish divergence.
Bitcoin also made a new yearly high of 49,054 on Thursday, January 11, on the news that several Bitcoin ETFs had been approved for trading by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). However, one day later (Friday, January 12), Bitcoin had already dropped 12% to the 43,000 area. Crude Oil keeps chugging upwards, reaching a high of 75.25 intraday on Friday, which is getting close to making a new 7-week high if it can exceed the 76.18 high of December 26. By the end of Friday’s trading, it was back down below 73.00, so the uptrend is still not confirmed, but it is due.
SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS
These arguments for diversity don’t treat it as an end in itself or set aside the quest for truth. Diversity must serve this quest. The goal, wherever possible, is to replace diverse perspectives with a unifying truth that all individuals and groups can share despite their differences…. The quest for truth in these matters isn’t an impossible mission. There is no need to replace “the truth” with “my truth,” and there are many reasons not to. The renewal of American higher education will begin when its leaders endorse this simple proposition. William Galston, “Claudine Gay’s ‘My Truth’ and the Truth,” Wall Street Journal, January 9, 2024.
The danger of AI isn’t that it will learn to think. It cannot and will not. The danger is that it can be taught to lie (although it will never “know” it is lying). One simply needs to load the database with bad data. Imagine that in the hands of certain politicians. Note also that these are the people who want to be put in charge of AI. Jim Martin, “AI Won’t Learn to Think. It’ll Be Taught to Lie,” Wall Street Journal Opinions/Letters, January 10, 2024.
The beginning of the new year continues to be rocky and a struggle for many financial markets. Traders are taking a more discerning and cautious view of committing investment funds. This is consistent with Mercury now re-entering the skeptical sign of Capricorn this weekend, on January 14, following its retrograde cycle from Capricorn to Sagittarius and now back to Capricorn, over the past month. This combination is more serious-minded and less prone to over-optimistic views of the future. If something can go wrong, or if something is not as rosy as claimed, Mercury in Capricorn will see it first.
Another change in investor sentiment may be setting up on January 20 as both the Sun and Pluto ingress into Aquarius together. This is significant because 0° Aquarius is the “supercharged” degree of the “New Aira” (Jupiter/Saturn synodic cycles in air signs) that began on December 21, 2020. This highlights themes related to Jupiter, Saturn, and Aquarius. Jupiter and Saturn by themselves represent themes related to laws, court cases, and education, and all of these are ”on trial” now (i.e., the Donald Trump and Joe/Hunter Biden cases, plus the role of DEI in secondary and higher educational/university venues). With Pluto, big and surprising changes are unfolding here. These topics will accelerate in February when Mercury, Mars, and Venus will also cross the critical 0° Aquarius.
However, the bigger importance of this, I think, will revolve around the role of AI – artificial intelligence –in transforming both the fields of education and labor. AI has the potential to increase efficiency and accuracy and to review much more quickly and objectively than humans can. That means a major displacement within the workforce of today’s world. Many will lose their jobs. Many more jobs will be created for those who are into AI and its applications.
An important point in this transformation deals with the ethics involved in the use of AI. Will it truly and objectively be used to increase efficiency in education and the workplace? Or will it be weaponized to use against one’s adversaries? I’m of the more optimistic camp, but we may first go through a period of testing, after which new laws and policies will be put in place to safeguard the destructive and possibly harmful use of AI.
Looking further ahead, we see Jupiter trine Pluto from 0-1° Gemini to Aquarius on June 2. These are the same degrees that Uranus and Pluto will occupy in 2025-2026. Once the primary cycle low in stocks unfolds (before then), we may then see a soaring rally into this period. The leaders may be the emerging companies focused on AI and other innovations in technology. We will be getting a preview of the 2025-2027 “Aries Vortex” described in the Forecast 2024 book at that time. Be ready!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: THE JANUARY ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly Cycles Report (English edition) will be released this Monday evening, January 15. It will be our first issue of this year. Each issue gives an overview of what we expect for the next month and even year with MMA’s proprietary CRDs (critical reversal dates). As we enter this year, our concerns are focused on the status of the 4-year cycle in stocks and the 16.5-month cycle in Gold, as well as the 44-month cycle in Crude Oil and other long-term cycles in Copper, Euro, T-Notes, and Soybeans. Of course, we will also update the status of primary cycles in each of these markets as well for traders. In addition to MMA’s original geocosmic critical reversal dates (CRDs), each issue also lists MMA’s Solar/Lunar reversal dates over the next several weeks for stock indices, Gold, Silver, and the Euro. If you would like to try out one month of the MMA Monthly Cycles Report, you can sign up for the January 15th report for only $35! Or save by ordering a 3-month or one-year subscription.
NOTE 2: FORECAST 2024 IS NOW OUT IN ALL FORMATS – PRINT, EBOOK, AND AUDIO!
This is the 48th year of publishing this popular annual astrological almanac by Raymond Merriman. This year’s book is 200 pages and provides projections of major social, political, mundane, and economic issues of the next year as seen through the lens of rhythmic and planetary cycle studies. This is critical at this time because (1) we are approaching the Aries Vortex in 2025-2026, which itself is the middle of the “New Aira” period of 2020-2032, and (2) the U.S. presidential election is taking place in 2024. This year’s book gives an in-depth view of this election. In addition to analysis of mundane cycles, this book also provides our outlook on the U.S. stock market, Gold, Silver, Bitcoin, Currencies, Crude Oil, Treasuries and interest rates, and Grain markets. The back section contains an ephemeris and geocosmic calendar outlining planetary aspects and lunar ingresses in effect every day of every month from January 2024 through March 2025.
The retail price of the Forecast 2024 printed edition is $66 (while supplies last), and the eBook is $55. Order now before they sell out (they sold out in six of the past nine years, including last year).
This year’s printed and eBook versions will also be available in these languages:
German: www.mma-europe.ch/ or email at info@mma-europe.ch
Japanese: https://www.toushinippou.co.jp/
Chinese: www.nodoor.com/
NOTE 3: Each foreign translation of Forecast 2024 has a section on that nation’s stock market that is not in the English or other nations’ forecast book. Yet we are aware that some readers and investors may be interested in the stock markets of these other nations but do not wish those editions to be in the other nation’s language. Therefore, we make those stock market outlooks available in English as a separate service for $35.00 each. The overseas market reports for 2024 that are available separately in English include: Japan’s Nikkei, China’s Shanghai Composite, and the German DAX plus Zurich SMI indices. Each is available in PDF format. Each report contains their monthly charts as of December 13, 2023, and a list of their critical reversal dates for 2023.
NOTE 4: The Abridged Edition of Forecast 2024 Audiobook is now available! This shortened MP4 audio edition, narrated by Thomas Miller, includes the first nine chapters on the mundane astrological outlook for the year (and the next eight years) based on the long-term planetary cycles and their historical themes over the past several centuries. This will include the chapters concerning “The New Aira,” the “Aries Vortex 2025 to 2028,” the “Cycles of War, “Technological Renaissance,” “Living in “The New Aira,” “The World and National Economy,” and the “U.S. 2024 Presidential Election.” Original and special studies conducted on the history of the major aspects of 2024 related to the election outcome are given. The audio edition will also include the retrograde time bands of Mercury and Mars and their importance in 2024.
The Forecast 2024 Audiobook is an excellent choice for those who enjoy listening to books while driving, walking, or working out. The cost of the Forecast 2024 audio version is $29.99.
NOTE 5: THE MMA WEEKLY YouTube show, Geocosmic Week in Review and Look Ahead, with Gianni Di Poce, is conducted on Wednesday evenings! Each 5 to 20 minutes FREE episode reviews the market activity of the previous week and offers a preview of the geocosmic signatures in effect for the following week and beyond.
NOTE 6: Raymond Merriman was interviewed recently in a very interesting and entertaining 45-minute discussion on the most important themes of the Forecast 2024 book. The interview was conducted by Thomas Miller, who was also the narrator of this year’s Forecast 2024 Audiobook. For more in-depth and up-to-date thoughts on 2024, please click here to listen to this most recent interview.
There are two other insightful interviews featuring Raymond Merriman that were posted on YouTube in early December.
The first interview was conducted by Callum Wilkinson of Kepler College on November 30 as part of the Kepler College’s “Leaders in Astrology” series. It is available for viewing by clicking here.
The second interview was conducted by Volker Schendel of Germany in his series on “Astrology in the 21st Century.” Click here to watch the interview.
Both interviews delve into Merriman’s background and history as an astrologer and financial market analyst, ranging from his original work on “Evolutionary Astrology” to “Financial Astrology.” His other accomplishments include his 50 years of community service to astrology, serving as president of ISAR, founding AFAN and UAC, and creating the Merriman Market Timing Academy (MMTA). The discussion touches on his research studies in astrology as well as his vision for the future of astrology as it connects with his involvement in the transformation of astrology from a hobby to a profession.
NOTE 7: MMA’S FREE WEEKLY COLUMN IS NOW A PODCAST ON SPOTIFY, APPLE, AND AMAZON! Now you can listen to a podcast of this weekly column by Thomas Miller on Saturdays! Just follow Merriman Market Analyst on Spotify or Apple to listen to all our episodes. New podcast episodes will be released every weekend. This is a FREE service and is available to everyone. Check out our podcasts on Apple, Spotify, and Apple Music. It makes for great listening!
NOTE 8: MMA’S Daily and Weekly Subscription services continue to be very hot, especially with stock indices, metals, and Bitcoin over the past several weeks. For instance, these reports have been long Gold since the lows of October 6 (below $1840), stocks since right after their low of October 27, and Bitcoin for several weeks as well. To order any of these subscription reports, please click here.
EVENTS
January 19, 2024: Forecast 2024 – Chinese stock and currency markets, plus Gold and Crude Oil. This 3-hour webinar will be presented in English by Ray Merriman and translated into Chinese by the NoDoor School of Astrology in Beijing. For information and registration, please contact NoDoor at www.nodoor.com/.
February 18, 2024, MMA’s Annual Forecast 2024 World Wide Webinar. Registration for the Forecast 2024 Webinar is now open. Save the date!
April 20, 2024: “FORECASTS 2024 AND THE APPROCHING ARIES VORTEX,” Nova Southwestern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, with Ray Merriman. An in-person live event and workshop, 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM, with a 90-minute lunch break. Cost is $95.00. This event will not be broadcast via Zoom, but recordings will be made available for sale a few days afterwards. For further information and registration, please click here.
September 19-22, 2024: SAVE THE DATES!!! This will be the next MMA Investment Retreat! Negotiations are currently underway to bring this exciting gathering to a destination location in Europe for the first time since 2015. Once the agreement with the hotel is finalized, we will make a formal announcement, but for now… SAVE THE DATES! You won’t want to miss this chance to meet with the top MMA analysts (plus special guest speakers Claude Weiss and Aleksandar Imsiragic) live and hear strategies for long-term investments and wealth-building ideas using MMA market timing methods. There is nothing quite like a life-altering MMA Investment Retreat! This one will be very special and our first Investment retreat in Europe since 2015!
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.