REVIEW AND PREVIEW
Job growth accelerated in February, posting the biggest monthly gain since July as the employment picture got closer to its pre-pandemic self. Nonfarm payrolls for the month grew by 678,000 and the unemployment rate was 3.8%.. That compared with estimates of 440,000 for payrolls and 3.9% for the jobless rate. In a sign that inflation could be cooling, wages barely rose for the month, up just 1 cent an hour, or 0.03%, compared with estimates for a 0.5% gain. –Jeff Cox, “February Jobs Rose a Surprisingly Strong 678,000,” www.cnbc.com, March 4, 2022.
Despite the strong jobs number on Friday, world stock markets were still under pressure last week as the brutal war in Ukraine showed no signs of abating. Financial markets are never easy to predict when wars break out. Everybody gets very dire and pessimistic about the effect on economies and equity markets, but in most cases, equity markets do not decline as much as many expected initially. The bigger declines are more the result of economic crises, and wars usually follow the more severe economic ones.
So far, this decline in U.S. equity markets is right in line with our annual Forecast Webinar on February 20, 2022, and in the special stock market report and update that followed last week. But other global indices have been hit much harder, especially in Europe and Hong Kong. The Hang Seng, for instance, is back to its lows of March 2020. Several European markets are close to making new yearly lows as of Friday, March 4. But other equity markets in Asia, the Pacific Rim, and U.S. are holding their lows of January 24 and February 24. In Brazil, the Bovespa is even making a new six-month high.
SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Sunday said calls for the U.S. to boost its own fossil fuel production in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has increased oil prices further, were a “misdiagnosis.” Joseph Choi, “Psaki Says Calls to Enhance US Oil Production are a Misdiagnosis.” https://thehill.com, February 27, 2022.
Turning on all the spigots full throttle should be our policy right now. That would reduce prices for world oil and domestic gasoline. Don’t forget – sky-high oil prices empower the Russian dictator. In 2008, with $150 a barrel, he took Georgia. In 2014, with $100 a barrel, he took Crimea. This past year, going from $50 to $100, for an $84 billion profit, he has invaded Ukraine. That is the cold, hard facts of history. – Larry Kudlow, “American Shouldn’t Be Held Hostage to Russia Natural Gas: Biden’s Mistake in Ukraine Crisis,” www.foxbusiness.com, March 1, 2022.
Crude Oil was again in the spotlight last week, soaring to a high of 116.57 on Thursday, March 3, a level not seen since September 2008. Gold may be making another run towards new all-time highs, reaching 1973 on Friday, which is remarkable because the U.S. Dollar is also exploding towards the 100 level. When the Dollar goes up, it is usually bearish for Gold, so do not expect this divergence to last long.
It is all related to the “speculative frenzy” nature of Jupiter conjunct Neptune in Pisces. Although this aspect still has another month before they actually conjoin, we are seeing the correlation unfold even now as the Sun prepares to “translate” this conjunction March 5-13. That is, the Sun forms a conjunction to Jupiter on March 5 and then to Neptune on March 13, which reflects the themes of the conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune to take place on April 12. Jupiter likes things big, grand, and way over the top. Neptune doesn’t have awareness or need for boundaries, much like its ruling sign of Pisces. Thus, one sees the power of Jupiter conjunct Neptune in Pisces and why we forecasted a period of “speculative frenzy.” It’s wild. The danger here is that if the market declines beyond this period and doesn’t reverse, it could be a very sharp breakdown instead.
Yet it’s not just Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces correlating with this explosion of higher prices and inflation. It is also Uranus in Taurus. Whatever sign Uranus is in rules a sector of the society and the economy that is prone to boom/bust cycles. And so it is that the last few Forecast Books noted that grains (agricultural, a sector ruled by Taurus) would also explode higher, especially Wheat, which soared to 1349 on the spot on Friday, March 4, a new all-time high, exceeding the 1334 mark of February 2008. May Wheat (the front month) only made it to 1209 due to limits.
LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS
Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces also possess themes related to spiritual and surrealistic experiences. They can be fairy-tale like, the stuff from which martyrs, heroes, and legends can be born. We may be witnessing such a phenomenon now as a result of the violent war unleashed by Russia on Ukraine just nine days ago. Everyone expected Ukraine to surrender and its leadership to be quickly defeated and punished. Instead, the vastly outnumbered Ukrainians have resisted, and the invasion has galvanized the free world into an unprecedented movement of unity and support. Germany, for instance, started a donation campaign in which its citizens have donated over 60M euros in less than one week. Nations around the world have banded together in an effort to support the Ukrainians and suppress the violent aggression against them. Protests condemning this aggression have sprung up involving hundreds of thousand participants in Europe and elsewhere, even Russia itself.
What does this have to do with astrology and financial markets? A lot.
Financial markets have been very unstable and disorderly in the past couple of weeks as already discussed, with further huge price swings ahead. But what I would also like to examine is the birth chart of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, born January 25, 1978 at 2 PM in Krivoj Rog, Ukraine, according to www.astro.com. His natal Sun and Venus are conjunct at 5 degrees of Aquarius, respectively. On Sunday, March 6, Venus and Mars will leave Capricorn together and ingress into Aquarius. We have discussed how this ingress into Aquarius (new, innovative solutions) has the power to change the course of events suddenly regarding war (Mars) and peace (Venus).
This same transit will also have a huge impact on President Zelensky, for the transit of both Mars and Venus will conjoin his natal Sun and Venus, next weekend, March 11-15 (it requires a one-week orb of influence). This becomes an extremely important and perhaps dangerous cosmic point in his life. Things change quickly. He is in a fighting mood and it means he is a warrior willing to fight for what he believes in. This could be the “make-it or break-it” time for him personally and it could go either way for it is a conjunction (not a trine or a square which would give us a better idea whether he is victorious or defeated). All we can surmise is that he is not giving up and the current situation is likely to change, for better or worse, possibly depending on the support he receives from the rest of the world, or the level of inspiration and courage he is able to project to the Ukrainian people, which so far is the stuff that legends are made of. This is also Jupiter conjunct Neptune in Pisces. To many, he is a hero, which also means to others he is a threat.
In the Forecast 2020 book we suggested that a leader will emerge onto the world stage that could alter the future course of humankind and Zelensky is a likely candidate. This was related to the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn at 0° Aquarius on December 21, 2020, the start of a “New Aira” as coined by MMTA graduate Kat Powell. Now, as Venus and Mars cross over that same degree this weekend, and soon to cross over the Sun/Venus conjunction of Volodymyr Zelensky’s natal chart, we may be seeing this shift from “division” to a swelling expression of collective “unity” unfold before our eyes.
In Forecast 2022, our theme was based on the idea that a new era is being born, one in which the extremism that has led to division and polarization would start to lose its appeal in favor of a more moderate and workable movement towards agreement and respect of one another. What is happening in Ukraine can be described as an exhibition of extreme and brutal behavior, The massive global reaction to it may be a repudiation of that type of extremist behavior that ends up producing a very powerful unifying effect on humankind.
Whether you support or detest Zelensky in his effort to defend his country is not totally the point. Whether he lives or dies as a result of his stand on behalf of his nation is not totally the point. In either case, he will be a hero or a martyr, or both, to millions and maybe billions of people on Earth. The point is that this is a moment that brings humanity to the verge of a major transformation in its direction, an opportunity, if you will. This is history in the making. This unfolding of events that we are witnessing is probably the catalyst that will determine whether we take or miss this opportunity revealed by Jupiter and Saturn, and now Venus and Mars, leaving the Earth element and beginning the New Aira” (Aquarius is an air sign) for the next 140 years.
The consequences of our collective choices, and especially the decisions of our world leaders, cannot be underestimated at this time. With Jupiter conjunct Neptune being the stuff that legends and stories are made of, it is not likely to be underestimated at all. I think this episode in our human story is destined to grow in importance over time, and hopefully with a sense of pride and gratitude for all those who make it happen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly Cycles Report Plus+ written by Pouyan Zolfagarnia will be released this week, March 7.
NOTE 2: A SPECIAL MMA REPORT ON THE U.S. STOCK Market was issued to all subscribers of all MMA reports and those who attended or who have purchased a copy of the Forecast 2022 webinar given February 20. A review of what was discussed in the webinar and the last issue of the MMA Cycles Report, and what these recent new lows in the stock market mean in the context of intermediate-term cycles will be covered in this special update. If you are not a subscriber to any MMA Cycles reports or did not attend the webinar February 20 and would like a copy of this special report and update, simply go to the MMA website at www.mmacycles.com > Shop > “Subscriptions” or “Webinars” and sign up and you will receive this special report. This is a very important juncture for the stock market relative to cycles and geocosmic signatures as discussed in the recent webinar. It may be the best set up of the year.
NOTE 3: THE ANNUAL WORLDWIDE WEBINAR and Address on Forecast 2022 with Raymond Merriman just took place on FEBRUARY 20, 2022. It went very well (about 2.5 hours) and the recording is now available and highly recommended to view if you were not present. This broadcast updated financial markets since the Forecast book was written in November 2021, including the U.S. stock market, Gold, Silver, Crude Oil, Euro, Corn, Soybeans and Bitcoin. The cost for the recording is $55.00 and includes the slides of the presentation. For more information or to order, go to Forecast 2022 Webinar.
NOTE 4: TODAY, FRIDAY, MARCH 4, Ray Merriman will join Gianni Di Poce on MMA’s weekly YouTube video on the geocosmic climate related to financial markets. The video will be posted late Friday night. We will discuss Ukrainian President Zelensky’s chart for the next two weeks, as it is highly activated. These 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 our YouTube Channel today at no cost and get announcements when each geocosmic market review is ready for viewing!
NOTE 5: There have been several updates recently added to the FAR for Galactic Trader software program. If you own this program, and wish these updates, please let us know at customerservice@mmacycles.com. We have also completed an optional addition to the FAR program called “The Geocosmic Gold Plot Calendar Graph.” This is a visually attractive calendar graph depicting the geocosmic signatures for any period of time that have a high correlation to reversals in financial markets (especially stock indices) per the studies conducted in “The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing, Volume 3: Geocosmic Correlations to Trading Cycles.” This is the basis for MMA’s Level 1, 2, and 3 geocosmic signatures, and is used to determine our geocosmic critical reversal dates (CRDs). The cost of this optional program to the FAR software is $195. For more information and an illustration of the 2021 Calendar graph, please click here.
EVENTS
March 4: Ray Merriman will join Gianni di Poce on MMA’s weekly YouTube video discussing the geocosmic climate related to financial markets. The video will be posted late Friday night. We will review the market activity of the past week and offer a preview of the geocosmic signatures in effect for the next week and beyond. We will also discuss Ukrainian President Zelensky’s chart for the next two weeks, as it is highly activated. Like this free weekly column, this video is intended to be educational and there will be no cost. You may subscribe to our YouTube Channel today and get announcements when each geocosmic market review is ready for viewing!
March 18, 7:00 PM MST (9 PM EST): Financial markets and Gold update for China. This webinar will focus on the outlook for the Chinese Shanghai Composite (SSE) and Gold. The presentation will be simultaneously translated into Chinese by NoDoor School for its students and listeners. It will give an astrological overview for the geopolitical conditions in effect in 2022 (without getting political) that are likely to affect all nations of the world. For our Asian and Pacific Rim clients and readers, the broadcast will take place at 10:00 AM Beijing time, on Saturday, March 19. The cost is $55.00 and includes the slides and recording of the presentation. If you are attending and have questions, you are encouraged to send them to us by Wednesday, March 16. A link to make reservations to attend is available here. Or you can email us at customerservice@mmacycles.com to register.
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 upon 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!
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.