REVIEW AND SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS
The Labor Department reported Friday the coronavirus wiped 20.5 million workers from nonfarm payrolls and sending the unemployment rate skyrocketing to 14.7% last month. April’s unemployment rate topped the post-war record 10.8% but was short of the Great Depression high estimated at 24.9%. The financial crisis peak was 10% in October 2009. Still, the figures came in better than Wall Street’s expectations. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting payrolls to shed 21.5 million and the unemployment rate to go to 16%. – Yun Li and Katrina Bishop,”2-Year Treasury Yield Hits New Record low of .0105%,” www.cnbc.com, May 8, 2020.
World equity markets are doing exactly what they usually do going into the Venus retrograde period of May 13: they are rallying. This, of course, is the opposite of what most people think the stock market should be doing based on the dismal state of world economies, as exemplified by last week’s job losses that were the worst since the Great Depression in the U.S.
Most world equity markets started the week sharply lower, but then steadily improved as the week progressed. This pattern was really no surprise, especially in the U.S., as Mars touched off the NYSE Mercury square Pluto on Monday, May 4, a transit that has a very high correspondence historically with sudden sharp but brief selloffs in American equities, only to be followed by impressive rallies. With Venus turning retrograde next week and having a 2:1 historical correspondence to crests within 7 trading days, it was the perfect geocosmic trading set up.
This same behavior unfolded in other world indices. That is, stock indices around the world made a post-crash high the prior week, on April 29-30, then sold off sharply into Monday, May 4. Then they rallied smartly into May 8, but not to new cycles highs, except in the case of China, where the Shanghai Composite soared to its highest level in 8 weeks, and in the NASDAQ (U.S.) Composite, which rallied to its highest mark in 9 weeks. As Financial Astrologers and market timers, we look for signs of divergence like this when we enter geocosmic critical reversal periods. And this is a very important geocosmic period now in effect through May 20. As discussed in our prior webinars and subscription reports, this is one of the most significant geocosmic time bands of the year, right up there with the period of March 20-April 4 that we identified as the crisis peak of the stock market beforehand.
Bitcoin also enjoyed a powerful rally last week. Friday’s high (May 8) was the first time Bitcoin rallied above 10,000 since February 24. It is now testing its high for this year of 10,519 made on February 13, just about the same time that the DJIA made its all-time high (February 12). Crude Oil was also exciting last week as it rallied to 27.98, quite an increase (more than 4-fold) since its low of April 21 when the June contract traded as low was 6.50. Gold, Silver, T-Notes, and currencies were also interesting last week, with nice rallies following pullbacks. In other worlds, all markets are behaving in an interesting fashion as we enter this powerful geocosmic period when major trend reversals are likely, based on the history of Venus turning retrograde.
Corrections from last week’s column: The following two corrections are from last week’s column. 1) We stated, “Leading up to this period is the transit of Mars, in conjunction to natal Mercury and Sun, square Pluto, in the chart of the New York Stock Exchange.” It should have read “Mars, in conjunction to Pluto and square to its natal Mercury and Sun.” 2) We wrote “June 30, shortly after Venus turns retrograde.” It should have read “…after Venus ends its retrograde and goes direct.” My mind was definitely going through a retrograde moment. It must be May 2020.
SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS AND LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS
“It is a fine line that must be followed. A little too much carelessness and the epidemic restarts. A little too much caution, and the entire economy sinks.”– French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, as quoted by Greg Ip, “Risk-Based Distancing is Key to Reopen,” Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2020.
The Treasury Department announced it will borrow $2.99 trillion in the April-June quarter, blowing away the previous quarterly record of $569 billion set in the recession of 2008 and eclipsing the $1.28 trillion it borrowed in the bond market in all of 2019. – Paul Wiseman and Martin Crutsinger, “As US Borrows to Aid Economy, Usual Critics Cheer,” Associated Press, May 6, 2020.
It is not only Venus that is turning retrograde this week (May 13). Saturn and Jupiter also turn retrograde on May 10 and 14, respectively. Three planets turning retrograde in the same week is a rare cosmic phenomenon and just adds to the probability that something major may be announced that could jolt financial markets into a sudden reversal.
We are focused mostly on the history of Venus turning retrograde, because this 19-month planetary cycle has played out an important story line several times recently. It occurred on October 10, 2002, which was the exact date of the end of the stock market decline following the burst of the dot com bubble in 2000. It was there again on March 6, 2009, which was the exact date of the stock market bottom (72-year cycle low) during the Great Recession of 2007-2009. The last time Venus turned retrograde was on October 5, 2018, just two days after an all-time high (4-year cycle crest) that was followed by the dramatic decline to the 4-year cycle low on December 26, 2018, and the largest decline since the Great Recession, until this year. Venus retrograde may not be that dramatic this time, for no long-term cycle low or high is likely now in stock markets. But in 80% of cases, a primary or half-primary cycle (or greater) tends to happen within 12 trading days of Venus retrograde, and most of the time, in 7 days or less. And stocks are in the time band for either a primary or half-primary cycle this time too.
As pointed out in this column many times before, Venus rules love and money. No love, no money. No money, no love. But in terms of money, we note that in several cases, the reversal in stock markets was related to policy changes by the central banks of the world, especially the Federal Reserve. In October 2018, for example, the mini-stock market panic (19% selloff in the DJIA) was attributed to the Fed raising interest rates, a policy at the time that greatly angered President Donald Trump (something that was and continues to be far too easy to do). No money, no love. Interest rates and monetary easing are already as accommodating as possible, and it is doubtful that the Fed will raise rates in the next two weeks. So, maybe it has to do with a change in policy by one of the other central banks. Or maybe it has to do with a currency intervention or devaluation by some nation.
Or maybe it has nothing to do with finances this time, but instead has to do with a love policy gone bad (think of the Joe Biden current situation and his perceived reversal on the importance of believing women who accuse men of predatory behavior).With Venus turning retrograde, and in a square aspect to Neptune for several weeks, who do you believe? Under Neptune afflictions, our rule is simple: you cannot believe anyone, or anything you read, hear, or see (the revelation about the Michael Flynn case and the FBI cover up is another example of why you cannot believe what you see, hear, or read at this time). With Venus also highlighted, this is especially pertinent in matters to do with love and sex. It’s going to be a “he said she said” situation. The truth is… somewhere out there. But where? What is really behind these activities and who are we to trust? No one knows. Those who do know the truth aren’t telling, and if they do, no one believes them. It is so “Neptunian,” in the jargon of astrology.
The same goes regarding the current plan to loosen social gathering and interaction restrictions in personal or economic activity because of the COVID-19 health threat. As expected, restrictions are easing now. Many government leaders want the economy to return to more normal operations. And the world is divided between supporting this move versus being shocked about it. As astrologers, we are concerned because decisions during the time of retrogrades are often made without sufficient information and data and may be regretted later. With Neptune in adverse aspect to Venus, this is even more likely the case now.
It would be wise to be cautious about social and monetary activities. This is not the best of times to be a borrower or a lender, nor is it the best of times to actively engage in intimate or social initiatives with strangers (is it ever?). It is time for both a “buyer” and “lover beware” approach to one’s conduct. No love, no money. No money, no love. But it may be OK to converse online with someone where there is mutual attraction and consensual flirtation. In fact, Venus in Gemini square to Neptune in Pisces will probably see an increase in this type of activity. Just don’t tell the other party where you live or how much money you have, make, or owe. And if they tell you, take it with a grain of salt. Nothing is real, except perhaps the possibility of contacting infections or a love sickness. I know it is springtime for most of the world, and restrictions are being lifted, but do not be careless just yet.
We will discuss this and its effect on financial markets in next week’s special Mid-Year Webinar on Financial markets. See you then!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: The MMA Mid-Year Webinar on Financial Markets is one week away! Where are we now in the long-term cycles of financial markets? This special webinar will take place on Sunday May 17, 2020 at 2 PM EST. This broadcast will address updates on the U.S. stock market, and Gold and Silver by Raymond Merriman, Crude Oil with Gianni Di Poce, and the Euro currency with Ulric Aspegren. Cost is $55.00, and includes the slides of the presentation, plus access to a video recording of the event. The timing of this presentation is chosen to coincide with our May 15-18 three-star CRD, which involves Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn turning retrograde, which we have marked as one of the most important turning points of the year 2020. If unable to attend live, you can still sign up and receive the video recording on the day following the live event. Sign up now to attend!
NOTE 2: It’s a great way to learn the basics of MMA Market Timing Methods! Recently we conducted three 2-hour courses on how to use MMA market timing methods to improve your market timing and trading skills. These were excellent classes and the feedback was very good! If you are interested in these three classes, the video recordings are now ready for purchase. It is a great way to learn how to use MMA methods for trading, short-term or position trading. The classes focused mostly on the U.S. stock market, but also addressed Gold, Silver, T-Notes, the Euro currency, and Crude oil, showing how cycles and geocosmics relate to tradeable reversals (market timing edge). The individual classes are available for sale, at $125 each or $295 for the entire set, which includes the power point slides and access to the video recordings. If you wish to learn more about this course and what to expect, please read our interview with Raymond Merriman where he discusses in great detail what he will teach and who this class will benefit. If you are interested in either the full three-part course, or an individual class, please visit our Education page to sign up.
EVENTS
May 17, 2020: MMA Webinar: Update on Financial markets! See Announcement above.
September 9-14, 2020: The ISAR 2020 Conference in Colorado on “Reimagining the Future.” The largest and most exciting international astrological conference taking place in 2020. With a faculty of over 100 of the world’s top astrologers from 25 different countries, and very dynamic tracks on Financial Astrology, Mundane and Political Astrology, and other topics, this is an event you will not want to miss.
Wednesday, September 9, 2020: Raymond Merriman will be conducting a 4-hour workshop on “Astrology and the Art of Financial Market Timing: How to Forecast Market Trends and Market Reversals.” This course will provide research studies showing the correlation of astrological factors to short- and longer-term financial market timing in stock markets, precious metals, and Bitcoin. It is the only workshop Ray plans to conduct in 2020.
Saturday, September 12, 2020: Raymond Merriman will be presenting a lecture on “The Times, They Are a Changin’ – The Political, Economic, and Monetary Revolution.” It’s not just the convergence of the 20-, 200-, and 800-year long-term Jupiter/Saturn cycles. It is also Saturn in Aquarius, squaring its ruler, Uranus, in Taurus. The convergence of the Jupiter/Saturn cycle in air sign Aquarius symbolizes the dawn of a new socio-economic-political era; the waning Saturn/Uranus square, the demise of an older order. What does this bode for financial markets of the world, and what can you do? We will discuss that in this lecture.
Sign up by April 19 and receive a pre-registration special discount price for the ISAR 2020 Conference. A discount for pre- and post-conference workshops is also in effect until April 19. To register or see more information on this spectacular event, go to go to https://isar2020.org and be prepared to be amazed!
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 a 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 hence potentially affect 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.