REVIEW AND PREVIEW
The Wall Street Journal first reported the roadblock in the trade talks, adding China is hesitant to commit to a specific amount of agricultural products in the context of a potential deal. China has agreed to buy up to $50 billion in U.S. farm goods as part of the so-called phase one trade deal, President Donald Trump claimed last month. Stocks rapidly pared gains following the news. – Yun Li, “US-China Trade Talks are Getting Held Up Because of Disagreements on a Number of Issues,” https://www.cnbc.com, November 13, 2019.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied to record levels on Friday, reaching 28,000 for the first time ever, after White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said China and the U.S. were getting close to reaching a trade deal. – Fred Imbert, “Dow Jumps More than 200 Points to 28,000, Posts 4-Week Winning Streak,” https://www.cnbc.com, November 15, 2019.
It works like a charm — every time the Trump administration touts positive development on trade with China, stocks spike. – Yun Li, “Talk About Trade-War Progress Moves the Market – Even When There is no Progress,” https://www.cnbc.com, November 15, 2019.
It was that kind of a week, where “Mercury the Trickster” was in his full retrograde glory.
Most stock markets around the world halted their furious rallies, November 7-8, as Mercury entered the midpoint of its retrograde cycle last weekend, November 9-10. However, that was not the case in the U.S., where the major indices like the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the NASDAQ Composite continued their “melt up” to new record highs on Friday, following yet another reversal in the trade dispute talks between China and the U.S. First it is on, then it is delayed as new issues arise, then the word is put out that progress is being made again – even when it isn’t – and the U.S. market bites the bait. The game doesn’t work so well in China, however, where the Shanghai Composite fell back to its lowest level in 10 weeks on Friday. Then again, when the U.S. announced that progress was being made, China’s market was closed and the DJIA spiked up over 200 points. Aside from the Australian All Ords, no other world equity markets made new multi-week highs last week. Zurich’s SMI came close, but fell short of its all-time high made on November 7.
Crude Oil had another good week as it tested 58.00 on Friday, its highest level in 7 weeks, and a new high for this current primary cycle. Gold and Silver, on the other hand, dropped to new multi-week lows early last week, then staged a decent comeback, before pulling back again on Friday. Bitcoin was down all week to its lowest level in three weeks, but still holding above 8000. The bigger comeback was in U.S. Treasuries, which rebounded sharply after posting their 3-month lows on November 7, even though Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated that there will be no further reductions in Fed rates for the time being. Usually an announcement like that would bring T-Notes down and cause rates to rise.
But this is Mercury retrograde, in Scorpio, the sign of debt no less, and the rules are reversed. It’s like Alice in Wonderland’s travels through the Looking Glass. What was up is now down, and what was down is now up. But the “Trickster” is due to return to his more normal patterns when he turns direct this week, on November 20. He will still be in the land of Scorpio, though, so he will still have to deal with his overloaded debt issues. Or, in the political realm, he is still going to face – and start – endless investigations. Mercury in Scorpio can be relentless in his pursuit to get to the bottom of the mystery, or create new mysteries and unusual theories for others to have to solve and possibly debunk. When it’s all over, the cost to taxpayers will be prohibitive, and not a good return on investment. It’s just the cost in the quest to maintain or gather power, another Scorpio obsession.
SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS
The federal deficit reached $134 billion in October, the first month of fiscal 2020, according to data the Treasury Department released Wednesday. That figure is about 34 percent higher than last October, a sign of a steadily increasing gap between federal spending and revenue. – Niv Elis, “Federal Deficit Hits $134 Billion in One Month,” https://www.thehill.com, November 13, 2019.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned lawmakers Wednesday that the ballooning federal debt could hamper Congress’ ability to support the economy in a downturn, urging them to put the budget “on a sustainable path.” – Paul Davidson, “Powell: U.S. Debt is on Unsustainable Path,” Crimping Ability to Respond to Recession,” USA Today, November 13, 2019.
The continued rise in U.S. equity markets is implied in the transit of Mars and Jupiter. As described in last week’s column, “… there are other geocosmic correlations that support this recent surge in U.S. equity markets. One involves the transit of Jupiter, in Sagittarius, in a very harmonious aspect to Jupiter, Pluto, Saturn, and Neptune in the “Buttonwood” chart of the founding of the New York Stock Exchange (May 17, 1792). That transiting bonanza began its orb of influence on October 11 and remains in effect through November 25. During this same period, Mars conjoins the NYSE Jupiter/Neptune conjunction in 22-27° Libra, November 7-16. With Mars (heat) and Jupiter (expansion) so pronounced, the concept of a “melt up” is not surprising.”
Mars will leave Libra this week on November 19 and join Mercury in the deep, dark, mysterious sign of Scorpio. Normally that would coincide with disturbing news about debt and deficits (and it already is). But the Sun will also enter Sagittarius next week, November 22, and that is the time when the annual “Santa Claus” rally often gets underway as shoppers purchase gifts for the approaching holiday season. Thus, even though personal and national debt levels may very well soar in the next month, nobody seems to have any sense of urgency. That may change abruptly shortly after the New Year begins, however, for the huge 32-37 year Saturn/Pluto conjunction in Capricorn will take place on January 12, 2020.
As many readers know, I am immersed in the writing of the Forecast 2020 Book. It will be MMA’s largest annual Forecast book ever written, due to the beginning (and end) of three of the 10 longest planetary cycles talking place in 2020. These include not only the 32-37 year Saturn/Pluto synodic (conjunction) cycle, but also the 20-year Jupiter/Saturn cycle, which will additionally coincide with a change of elements that only happens approximately every 200 years. The third planetary conjunction will be the 13-year synodic cycle of Jupiter and Pluto (”Extreme Measures”).
We haven’t seen a year when three of the ten longest synodic cycles occur in such a short span of time in many years. Furthermore, taking place within this cosmic drama will be the U.S. 2020 Presidential Election. It is the research into the history of these synodic cycles, and the uncovering of their correlation to themes unfolding today, that requires so much attention and is so fascinating.
The part that has taken up the greatest effort so far has been the studies involving past presidential elections under the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction. The “Great Chronocrator,” as this 20-year cycle is often called, happens nearby to every fifth U.S. Presidential Election. For instance, 2000, 1980, 1960, etc. And every one of those 11 instances coincided with something unusual in those elections. For instance, in 7 of those cases, the president-elect did not finish his last term in office. This may be important when one considers that of the five leading candidates running for the office so far in 2020, four will be over the age of 70 at the time of the election. Thank you to MMA editor and trader Dan McCamman for pointing that out after he had edited that part of the book. Yet, that is only one of several interesting correlations between the U.S. Presidential Election and the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction.
I think readers of the 2020 Forecast Book will find this “preview” of the 2020 Election to be one of the most insightful analyses offered to date. Now I know that sounds like I have an overactive Jupiter transit going on. But when one looks closely at the charts of the candidates, the chart of the U.S., and the transits to each of these charts on Election Day, and then compares both cyclical and geocosmic studies to past election periods, you will see that the 2020 election is not likely to be any ordinary election. It never is when the 20-year Jupiter/Saturn synodic cycle is also taking place.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: Pre-Order for the Forecast 2020 Book is now underway! The cost is $55 and must be ordered prior to December 6th for December 16th shipment. Order both an eBook and print book (Forecast 2020 Bundle) for only $75! This year’s Forecast Book will cover: The Global Reset continues, and is due for yet another reset. Also covered will be The USA and the 2020 Presidential Election, the potential for the next financial crisis, outlook for financial markets in 2020, forecasts for the year for each sign… and much more! This will be the largest Forecast Book ever written ¬ – well over 200 pages!
MMA’s 2019 Scorecard (from Forecast 2019 Book) has just been updated as of November 7, 2019 and is now available for viewing! See how we did HERE on our Website.
To show what type of content is covered in our annual Forecast Book, we have reprinted a full chapter from the Forecast 2019 Book, “The United States and Its President in 2019”. This chapter will give you an idea of what to expect in next year’s Forecast 2020 Book, coming out on December 16, 2019. It’s going to be quite a year for the United States and President Trump and Forecast 2020 will give you a glimpse of what to anticipate in the 2020 Presidential Election.
NOTE 2: The ICR (International Cycles Reports) from MMA will be issued this week, November 19-20. 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 new 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 Analyst Raymond Merriman (China markets), MMA Analyst Ulric Aspegren (Currencies), Isabella Suleymanov (Grains), and Massimo Moras (Live Cattle and Hang Seng).
NOTE 3: The MMA Monthly Cycles Report was issued this week to all active subscribers of that report. This month’s issue included a special report on the U.S. stock market as it is making new all-time highs as we near the end of the Jupiter-in-Sagittarius cycle. In addition to the special update on the U.S. stock market, this month’s issue also provided our latest analysis and outlook for Gold and 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. If you are not a subscriber to the monthly MMA Cycles Report and wish a copy of this month’s outlook for financial markets, consider trying the November Issue for only $35 that will include the special report on the U.S. stock market. With stocks approaching their all-time highs again, and Gold recently making a new 6-year high, and Jupiter soon to leave Sagittarius as the 2020 “Capricorn Stellium” begins, this is an important juncture for many financial markets.
NOTE 4: Traders World magazine has just published an article I wrote on interest rate cycles and their correlation of the Saturn/Pluto planetary cycle. With Saturn and Pluto about to begin a new synodic cycle on January 12, 2020, this article is timely. For a download of this article, please go to https://tradersworld.com/posts. The subject of both interest rates and Saturn/Pluto cycles related to financial markets and political cycles will also be covered in depth in this year’s Forecast 2020 Book. Be sure to order by December 6th for December 16th shipment.
EVENTS
January 12, 2020: The Saturn/Pluto Conference: “Reset Astrology: Start of a New Era,” Zurich, Switzerland, featuring Claude Weiss, Monica Kissling, Verna Bachmann, Alexandra Klinghammer, Klemens Ludwig, Markus Jehle, Dr. Christof Niederwieser, and Raymond Merriman. For more information, visit https://www.astro2020.ch.
February 8, 2020: MMA’S FORECAST 2019 LIVE WEBINAR will take place on Saturday, February 8, 2020. In the comfort of your own home or office, you can tune into Raymond Merriman’s annual worldwide Forecast 2020 Webinar. This broadcast will address subjects from next year’s Forecast 2020 Book, with updates on financial markets since the book was written in November 2019. Outlooks for the U.S. stock market, Gold and Silver, crude oil, and currencies will be discussed. Cost is $55.00 and includes the slides of the presentation, plus a downloadable video recording of the event. If unable to attend live, you can still sign up, as everyone who orders the Webinar will receive the slides and video recording, following the live event.
September 9-14, 2020: The ISAR 2020 Conference 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. On Wednesday, September 9, Ray Merriman will be conducting a 4-hour workshop on Astrology and the art of financial market timing: How to forecast trends and market reversals. This course will provide research studies showing the correlation of astrological factors to short-term and longer-term financial market timing in stock markets, precious metals, and Bitcoin. 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.