REVIEW AND PREVIEW
The U.S. economy added 390,000 jobs in May, better than expected despite fears of an economic slowdown and with a roaring pace of inflation. At the same time, the unemployment rate held at 3.6%, just above the lowest level since December 1969. Average hourly earnings increased 0.3% from April. The year-over-year increase for wages of 5.2% was in line with expectations. – Jeff Cox, “Payrolls Rose 390,000 in May, Better Than Expected,” www.cnbc.com, June 3.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he has a “super bad feeling” about the economy and wants to cut about 10% of jobs. – Ken Martin, “Musk Says Tesla to Pause Hiring, Wants to Cut 10% of Staff: Report” www.foxbusiness.com, June 3, 2022.
JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon warned of a coming economic “hurricane” that requires preparation. “Right now, it’s kind of sunny. Things are doing fine. Everyone thinks the Fed can handle this. That hurricane is right out there down the road coming our way. We just don’t know if it’s a minor one or a superstorm.” What is likely giving Dimon pause for concern, aside from persistent inflation, is the Fed’s quantitative tightening program. That includes interest rate hikes and a reduction of its $9 trillion balance sheet. – Matthew Fox, “Brace Yourself: Jamie Dimon Warns of a Coming Economic Hurricane.” https://finance.yahoo.com, June 1, 2022.
The end of Mercury retrograde, the Trickster, brought the Mars/Jupiter in Aries U.S. stock market rally to a grinding halt on Friday, June 3. This was also one day before Saturn, the Buzzkill, turned retrograde. Despite the recent rise in equity markets around the world since the recent low recorded on the midpoint of Mercury retrograde, May 20, several high profile corporate executives (i.e., Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon) are now warning of economic trouble ahead. The market took notice of the worries on Friday.
Nevertheless, it was not a bad week for most global equity markets following the torrid advance of the prior week headed into the Mars/Jupiter conjunction in Aries on May 29. Transitioning from the aggressive and risk-oriented nature of Mars and Jupiter in Aries, the change in directions of Mercury and Saturn on June 3-4 can seem like suddenly shifting gears from overdrive to park. The markets mostly paused, known as a correction, rather than reversed, which is the nature of Mercury and Saturn. That pair needs time to think and contemplate before starting its next move. During the pause, there is apt to be somber news. Saturn is “somber,” and Mercury is “news.” Together they relate to a collective attitude of skepticism and criticism, and if lucky, maybe a constructive suggestion for getting through it. Jamie Dimon hit the nail on the head regarding how to handle this period: be prepared for the worst. Not that the worst will happen, but it could, and if you are not prepared, and it gets bad, it’s going to feel like a hurricane.
For most global equity markets, the rally off the May 20 low peaked early last week and then paused or pulled back into Friday. Mercury and Saturn are not only changing directions, but they are in a challenging square aspect to one another. It starts to loosen up after Monday. Some equity markets, especially in Asia (Shanghai Composite, Nikkei, Nifty), soared to new multi-week highs into the end of last week, but most simply pulled back in a corrective fashion.
In other markets, Gold and Silver rallied to new multi-week highs right into the end of heliocentric Mercury in Sagittarius, peaking early Friday morning. They then reversed down as the week ended. Gold peaked at 1878.60 and ended the week at 1853. Silver soared to 22.52 but then sold off to close at 21.90. Metals often sink as helio Mercury ingresses from Sagittarius to Capricorn as was the case here.
Crude Oil was the star last week, soaring above $120 on Friday and once again approaching its all-time high. News of Russian gains in its attempt to annex the seacoast of Southeast Ukraine dampened the outlook for lower crude prices. The new military offensive fits with the themes of Mars and Jupiter in Aries. But it may also re energize NATO, an Aries alliance, to take bolder action.
SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS AND LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS
Who do you trust less? Politicians or Billionaires? Real question. – Elon Musk, Twitter, May 26 (Results of 3.4 million respondents showed politicians less trusted than billionaires by 75.7-24.3%). – Gary Bai, “Elon Musk Responds After Overwhelmingly Winning Poll Against AOC,” www.theepochtimes.com, May 31, 2022.
Chinese military researchers have called for the development of a “hard kill” weapon to destroy Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system if it threatens China’s national security. The researchers drew attention to Starlink’s “huge potential for military applications” and the need for China to develop countermeasures to surveil, disable or even destroy the growing satellite megaconstellation. Starlink is a broadband satellite internet network developed by Musk’s SpaceX company that aims to beam internet access to customers anywhere in the world. Since the first Starlink satellites were launched in 2019, SpaceX has put more than 2,300 of them into low-Earth orbit, and the company plans to send up to 42,000 satellites into space to form a gigantic megaconstellation. – Ben Turner, “Chinese Scientists Call For Plan to Destroy Starlink Satellites,” May 26, 2022, www.livescience.com.
I said ”Hey, you, get off of my cloud.” Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, from “Get Off Of My Cloud,” London and Decca records, 1965.
The major aspect of the week ahead is Venus conjunct Uranus in Taurus on Saturday, June 11. This is an important aspect because Venus rules Taurus (money and currencies) and Uranus rules the digital world, or in this case, crypto-currencies. The combination also rules banks, and it is interesting that Jamie Dimon warns of an impending “economic hurricane,” for Uranus also rules high, dangerous winds, like hurricanes. It also has dominion over earthquakes, so either calamity could work as a description of these two planets conjunct in Taurus. However, they may also correlate with excitement in love, for Venus rules both love (or new attractions) and money. They seem to go together this season.
Back to the markets… Our recent study of planets in signs revealed that one of the most frequent episodes of sharp reversals in Bitcoin have occurred when both Venus and Uranus were in Taurus. This is happening now, May 28-June 22, and the period around the conjunction of June 11 could be especially important +/- 3 days. Bitcoin has been relatively quiet since its recent collapse that ended on May 12 at 25,390. Last week, May 31, saw the highest price in Bitcoin (32,376) since that low, for a gain of 27.5%. There may be big money to be made (or lost) in crypto trading these next two weeks.
“Too much to do, but not enough time.” That’s a classic expression related to Mercury square Saturn, especially with both changing directions now. It is a struggle to get organized and caught up with tasks. Delays in meeting deadlines can be a cause for stress. But Saturn is involved in another powerful setup as identified by astrologer Robert Thibodeau of Mayflower Books in Berkley, Michigan. He notes that Saturn is also in orb of its midpoint with Neptune and Pluto. It will start to separate now as Saturn begins its retrograde cycle, but after it turns direct (October 22) it will actually be on the exact Neptune/Pluto midpoint in January 2023.
This can be a strange but powerful correlate to challenges involving matters related to Saturn in Aquarius (the midpoint), which is still in square aspect to Uranus (ruler of Aquarius) as described in the Forecast 2022 Book. The sub-chapter was titled “Space Exploration – Who Owns Outer Space.” The basic message was the need to create an international body that ensures the fast growing number of space stations do not pose a danger to earth or the conduct of human activity. That message is now coming to the forefront as reports out of China imply this escalation of satellite megaconstellations could be a threat to their national security. In response, they are considering measures that in turn could threaten the proliferation of the satellites and megaconstellations themselves.
The solution, with Mercury now involved in its square aspect to Saturn at a time when both are reversing their directions as seen from Earth is – as always with Mercury – communication. Let’s talk. Let’s listen to concerns. Let’s work this out before initiating any hostile activity that escalates tensions (Saturn) and this is similar to what happened in the case of Russia’s ominous invasion of Ukraine 100 days ago. Let’s define who really owns space and the right to station thousands of satellites that in time will find billions of people dependent upon them. These satellites and their functions can be a tremendous boon for humanity if planned and developed correctly, with the cooperation and support of the entire world. They cannot exist peacefully if a free-for-all attitude prevails where only the most technologically (Aquarius, Uranus) advanced nations can claim portions of outer space for their own use or that of their national companies.
Outer space belongs to everybody or nobody if we are really serious about giving peace a chance. So do inner space and inner peace.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: THE JUNE ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly Cycles Report will be released this week! With Mercury and Saturn changing direction this weekend, the current state of financial markets and the economy are subject to changes in their outlook. Every issue provides MMA’s intermediate-term investors’ and near-term traders’ outlook for the U.S. stock market, Gold, 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 would like a copy of MMA’s outlook for financial markets, consider trying the March issue for only $35. For an additional $20, you can also receive the next issue, due in two weeks, of the MMA+ addendum edited by Pouyan Zolfagharnia, which has become a very popular addition to the MMA Cycles Report (less technical, more visual, high quality analysis and update on MMA Cycles Report markets).
NOTE 2: TUNE INTO MMA’S NEW WEEKLY YouTube Channel on the geocosmic climate related to financial markets hosted by MMTA Educational Director Gianni di Poce. The video is recorded late Friday night and posted then or early Saturday, depending on the editing process. These 5-15 minute video presentations review the market activity of the past week and offer a preview of the geocosmic signatures in effect for the next week and beyond. You may subscribe to MMA’s YouTube Channel today at no cost and get announcements when each geocosmic market review is ready for viewing! To view this week’s show and discussion on the midpoint of Mercury retrograde related to financial markets, click here.
“Just a quick word to say your (Gianni’s) weekly video on YouTube is really a great complementary format to Ray’s letter. I find it interesting and masterfully delivered. Thanks to both of you for this!” M.K., Paris, France, Portfolio Manager.
NOTE 3: MMA is looking for an additional editor for its Weekly Column and monthly MMA Cycles Report. Compensation is in exchange for a complimentary subscription to the monthly MMA Cycles Report, annual Forecast Webinars, plus annual Forecast Book. Requirements are to be available every Friday evening for one hour of editing, sometime between 5-7 PM Eastern Time when the report is completed. Also, for approximately 3 hours on one Monday each month, when the MMA Cycles Report comes out. Applicant must be proficient in English, timely in response, and easy to work with. If you are interested in being one of the four MMA editors, please send a brief resume, a note of interest (i.e., why you would be good at this role), and contact information, to customerservice@mmacycles.com.
EVENTS
AUGUST 25, 2022: 1:00 PM, Denver, CO, ISAR Conference, 4-Hour Pre-Conference Workshop by Raymond Merriman on “ASTROLOGY AND THE ART OF FINANCIAL MARKET TIMING: HOW TO FORECAST TRENDS AND MARKET REVERSALS.” Financial markets offer objective means to test astrological validity. The Moon changes signs every 2-3 days and is valuable for short-term trading. Planetary stations and aspects identify longer-term market reversals. Approximately 4-5 times/year, markets will form important highs or lows, which are the most favorable times to buy and sell for position traders. This course provides research studies showing the correlation of astrological factors to short-term and longer-term financial markets. The focus will be on stock markets, precious metals (Gold and Silver), and Bitcoin, and how to integrate astrology with cycle studies to attain optimal market timing skills. Visit https://isar2022.org/schedule/ for further information and register for a great event! For a video description of this workshop via interview between Ray Merriman and Conference Coordinator Laura Nalbandian, click this link https://youtu.be/kBxYZ_VpckA.
September 9-11, 2022: THE MMA TRADING AND INVESTMENT RETREAT, Troy, Michigan, at the Michigan State University Education Center. SAVE THE DATE! This special 3-day event will feature a long-term, intermediate-term, and short-term analysis of several financial markets, including the U.S. stock market, Gold, Bitcoin, Euro, T-Notes, and Crude Oil, plus others to be determined. It will also go into depth with the MMA trading plan– how to use the daily and weekly report data points – and how we assess each market and determine the trading strategy for each day based on MMA’s cycles analysis, geocosmic studies, solar/lunar studies, combined with chart patterns, price targets, and technical studies. This retreat is required for all graduating students of MMTA (the Merriman Market Timing Academy), some of whom will be presenting their own original research and analysis of markets to be discussed by instructors Raymond Merriman and Gianni di Poce. Attendance to non-students will be limited, and special rates will be available to subscribers of MMA reports (monthly, weekly, or daily). If you are a short-term trader, or an investor interested in the longer- and intermediate-term outlook, this is a special event you will not want to miss. It is an opportunity to not only learn about the future outlook for several financial markets, but also an opportunity to connect with those who understand and have mastered the MMA methodology of market analysis and market timing. This is a one-of-its-kind opportunity! Details for registration will be available on MMA’s website in about two weeks. Or, to get on the early release announcement next week with special discounts for subscribers only, drop us an email at customerservice@mmacycles.com.
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.