REVIEW AND PREVIEW
The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were near flat on Friday, wrapping up a volatile week on Wall Street. A move by China to ban cryptocurrencies weighed on the technology sector and Nike shares fell as supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic hit the sneaker giant. – Tanaya Machael, Yun Li, “Dow Trades Near Flat as Markets Wrap Up Volatile Week,” www.cnbc.com, September 24, 2021.
A notice from the People’s Bank of China on Friday complained Bitcoin, Ethereum and other digital currencies disrupt the financial system and are used in money laundering and other crimes. “Virtual currency derivative transactions are all illegal financial activities and are strictly prohibited,” the People’s Bank of China said on its website. – Lucas Manfredi, “Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP Tumble on China Crackdown,” www.foxbusiness.com, September 24, 2021.
What a turnaround! And it occurred right in the middle of the Venus T-square to the Saturn/Uranus square, which took place September 17-23. In astrological parlance, this is known as the “Venus translation” of the Saturn/Uranus waning square.
An astrological “translation” occurs when a faster moving planet makes an aspect to a longer-term astrological aspect. “Translations” highlight the principles of the greater planetary configuration. And, as we have written all year, the 11.25-year quarter cycle phase of the Saturn/Uranus cycle is the strongest and longest geocosmic event of the year.
The last time the Saturn/Uranus quarter cycle occurred was during the 72-year cycle low of March 2009, at the height of the Great Recession. Before that, it coincided with the all-time high (at the time) in January-March 2000, which was followed by the dot-com bubble burst that led to a recession lasting until late 2002. It is in effect again this year, February through December 2021. Thus, when transiting Sun, Venus, or Mars make a hard aspect to the Saturn/Uranus square, financial markets are prone to sudden and sharp moves. This time was no different as world stock indices, precious metals, treasuries, currencies, and cryptos all made sudden reversals and sharp moves last week, coincident with announcements from leaders of world governments and central banks, and surprising turns of fortunes for some companies like Evergrande.
In the U.S., last week started out as if it would be the “Black Monday” we were anticipating the prior week. The DJIA was down nearly 1000 points early Monday, September 20, on fears that Evergrande would miss a payment to creditors and go into default. This appears to be happening. But as the DJIA dropped to its lowest price since June 21 that day, attention shifted to the FOMC meetings in which the Fed would announce its plans for tapering and raising rates to combat inflation.
Our position has been the Fed would not raise rates or start tapering this year, and probably not until after Jupiter re-enters Pisces and makes favorable aspects to the Fed’s Sun/Pluto natal opposition, December 29 through mid-January. Sure enough, on Wednesday, September 22, that is basically what the Fed announced and the equity markets loved it. Tapering won’t begin immediately and they won’t raise rates this year. But they do expect to increase rates at least once by May 2022. That’s perfect, as we expect a rate increase while Jupiter is in Pisces, which ends in May 2022 (it will re-enter Pisces again in late October 2022). On that news, the stock market soared and precious metals, along with Treasury prices, plunged.
SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS AND LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS
Banks are pushing back against a proposal from the Biden administration that could force them to turn over customers’ account information to the Internal Revenue Service. – Megan Henney, “Biden’s IRS Bank Account Snooping Plan Faces Mounting Opposition,” www.foxbusiness.com, September 24, 2021.
The Trickster is back. And just in time for the U.S. Congress to face the prospect of the U.S. government running out of funds to operate. The deadline for a decision is due this week, September 30.
That’s only one of the many crises facing Congress and the White House as Mercury (the “Trickster”) turns retrograde on Monday, September 27, with the Moon in Gemini, the sign that it rules. There is also the escalation of chaos at the border, the uncertainty of the infrastructure bill along with an even greater domestic spending program that progressive Democrats want to bundle into one huge spending bill, but moderate Democrats (both of them) and Republicans are resisting. These, and many other decisions have to be addressed while the Trickster goes through its retrograde cycle until October 18.
With Mercury retrograde, it is hard to get a consensus. Decisions made under Mercury retrograde often have to be revised, adjusted, or just dropped afterwards when the consequences of those decisions demonstrate the ineffectiveness of the actions taken then. This is not always the case, of course. But it happens often enough to warrant attention. Additionally, Mercury retrograde is a time that can highlight misunderstandings and errors in communications, so it is best to repeat what you think you heard from other people and have them do the same, repeating your words, if it involves an important task.
However, there are even more powerful cosmic developments unfolding that can correspond to a major impact on financial markets. For one, the potent Sun/Mars conjunction takes place on October 7-8, just one day after the new moon in Libra and Pluto turns direct on October 6. As noted before, the Sun/Mars synodic cycle often correlates with large price declines in world stock indices if a high forms within 8°. That time band has been in force since September 13 and will last through the end of October.
The new and full moons with the Sun in Libra are also strong correlates to major reversals in stock indices. And Pluto changing directions signifies a time when debt, deficits, downgrades, defaults, and taxes are in the news, which is seldom something that excites investors. We already see these themes present with the looming default of Evergrande, the push to weaponize and empower the IRS, the rapidly approaching deadline to raise the nation’s debt limit, and the struggle President Biden is having with huge spending and tax reform plans, which he promises will lower taxes rather than raise them (huh? Is he serious? He sounds serious and sincere when he talks about it, but…. really?).
Yet even these powerful geocosmic cycles pale before the final Saturn/Uranus waning square passage on December 24, which follows Venus turning retrograde on December 19 and in conjunction with Pluto in Capricorn. This is another important period of possible changes and reforms, not to mention market reversals. Now one can view the end of this year as a time of opportunity to make reforms that are truly supported by – and in the best interest of – the greatest number of people in the nation and throughout the world. Or it can be a time when decisions are made by authoritarian leaders and forced upon populations without their consent, resulting in great outrage and potential danger. With Venus, everyone wants a voice in the decisions. With Pluto, that isn’t usually the case. With Saturn square Uranus, no one really knows what to expect and the possibility of chaos is great unless all sides show unity and courage to go forward with a sincere interest in doing what is best for the greater whole of humanity.
Well, unity and courage to change that which is in need of reform is a noble vision. Let’s strive for these behaviors as individuals and as leaders, at a time when the world actually requires this, and the cosmos offers it as a remedy to current crises.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: Get Ready! The Forecast 2022 Book and the Annual Forecast Pre-Order Event is now underway. Our preliminary outlook is that 2022 will be another very important year with the long-term Saturn/Uranus square aspect continuing to be in force. Although 2021 is not yet over, several forecasts made in the 2021 book have already unfolded. For a review of the Forecast 2021 Book as of September 23, 2021, please visit our Scorecard.
This pre-publication period will be in effect through October 31 and will include our once-a-year sale discounts on both the annual Forecast Book and MMA Subscription Reports. You may pre-order Forecast 2022 at the discounted rate of $45. After the pre-order event ends, the price will increase to $55 on November 1st. Order both an eBook and print book (Forecast 2022 Bundle) for only $65, a savings of $45 off the standard rates. This may be a good idea as printers report they are 2-4 weeks behind normal completion schedules this year all over the country. We will have the book completed before December 1 as always, but we cannot promise it will get printed and mailed by December 15 this year as has been the case for the past 45 years. You can also save 10% off any subscription ($275+) with purchase of Forecast 2022. Use code SALE2022 at checkout to receive the subscription discount. Click here for subscription information.
This year we are again pleased to announce the publication of our TRENDS FOR THE TWELVE SIGNS 2022 book, which will include the individual Sun Signs forecasts. This very popular book on the annual outlook for each sign is written by Antonia Langsdorf-Merriman and Raymond Merriman. Antonia has written an annual Sun Sign book in German for the past several years, based on interviews conducted with me beforehand. We will follow a format this year where Langsdorf will cover the health and relationships outlook and Merriman will cover the business, career and overall psychological outlook of each sign for the year. The cost of this book will be $25, with a further discount if ordered with the Forecast 2022 Book. To order this book, click here.
This year’s printed and/or e-Book versions of Forecast 2022 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/
The English version will also be available through info@markettiming.nl or www.markettiming.nl.
NOTE 2: THE NEW MERRIMAN ON MARKET CYCLES: THE BASICS book is now completed and the eBook is out! The print edition will take longer as printers are backed up due to shortages in paper, but it is ready to print at any time. This new edition contains the most comprehensive and modern listing of 175 long-, intermediate-, and short-term financial cycles in over 40 financial, currency, and commodity markets available anywhere! The book is a clearly written text on the MMA methodology for determining cycles periodicities and recognizing patterns within those cycles. It is a 72-page basic book for those who want to improve their timing skills by integrating cycles analysis with technical studies. It is a glossy softcover, 8-1/2” x 11” with illustrations to demonstrate the correct way to count cycle lengths, identify their phases with instruction on the trading strategies used to successfully trade each phase. The cost of the new version is $35.00 Details for pre-ordering are available now by clicking here.
NOTE 3: THE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER ISSUE OF THE ICRs (International Cycles Reports) will be released this week, September 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.
Stay tuned as the ICR Commodities report will soon add Copper to its analysis! Copper prices have long been considered a leading indicator for the economy. In May of 2021, they reached an all-time high. The research on Copper cycles by Portfolio Manager Matthieu Kaiser of Paris, and a current student at the Merriman Market Timing Academy (MMTA), is one of the finest studies on cycles I have seen to date. His research on Copper cycles is stunning. He is on schedule to issue his first analysis on Cooper via ICR Commodities newsletter in the November issue. Sign up now to make sure you get this report! His work is amazing.
NOTE 4: Coming in January! A new ETF report by MMTA Director Gianni di Poce! We have received many requests for an ETF report as many readers prefer trading ETFs on commodities and financials rather than futures contracts. So, we are organizing a new service for those who wish to have a monthly ETF report. The ETFs to be covered will include a precious metal (probably GLD), stock index (probably an S&P), Treasury Notes or Bonds, and Bitcoin. Stay tuned for more information as plans develop.
For any questions, please contact us at customerservice@mmacycles.com or call (248) 626-3034, or (800) MMA-3349.
EVENTS
January 13-15, 2022: Zurich, Switzerland: Trends for 2022, sponsored by AstroData, and featuring Claude Weiss, Alexandra Klinghammer, Monica Kissling, Verena Bachman, Antonia Langsdorf, Raymond Merriman and others. Details and location to be announced in October. Stay tuned!
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.