There will be no market column issued this week. Monday will be the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. and markets will be closed on September 7. Instead, we are going to reprint a full chapter from the Forecast 2020 Book, a timely piece since I am beginning to write the Forecast 2021 Book. This chapter was written in November 2019. See below for the chapter, “JUPITER CONJUNCT PLUTO: EXTREME MEASURES” where I have added in my current thoughts in red. The year 2020 certainly has been a year of “Extreme Measures.” This chapter will give you an idea of what to expect in next year’s book, coming out in December 2020. Enjoy this chapter from Forecast 2020 along with my commentary!
JUPITER CONJUNCT PLUTO: EXTREME MEASURES
Today, the Republicans are the fiscally irresponsible party and the Democrats the fiscally insane party. – Mona Charen, “Deficit is the Great Missing Topic,” Arizona Republic, November 11, 2019.
The final piece of the Capricorn Stellium involves the 13-year synodic cycle of Jupiter and Pluto. This will be a three-passage series of conjunctions taking place on April 4, June 30, and November 12, 2020.
Combined with Saturn conjunct Pluto on January 12, 2020 and Jupiter conjunct Saturn on December 21, 2020, the Jupiter/Pluto conjunction will be the third synodic cycle of the outer planets occurring in 2020. There are only 10 combinations possible involving Jupiter and the planets outside of its orbit, so witnessing three of these ten longer-term synodic cycles unfolding in the same year is extremely rare. It is also very rare to witness the Jupiter/Pluto conjunction unfolding in a three-passage series, which has happened only twice in the past 160 years (July 1869-May 1870 and November 1955-June 1956).
The principles associated with Jupiter include optimism, hopefulness, growth, expansion, exaggeration, and extremism. It also pertains to world trade, education, and judicial courts where judgements are passed. Everything seems magnified – bigger than usual – with Jupiter.
The year began with great hope and new all-time or multi-year highs in many world stock indices and a most favorable economic outlook for the world for the year 2020.
But in this case, Jupiter is in Capricorn, the sign which represents the opposite principles of realism, seriousness, skepticism, contraction, and limitations. Jupiter is the urge to grow, be loose, and take risks. In Capricorn, it meets the urge to be conservative, safe, and not take risks, but rather to use common sense and practicality in order to accomplish objectives that are well defined and executed according to a plan. Capricorn operates with a plan; Jupiter operates on the hope and belief that all will work out because it is a good idea, and in a sense, is “destined” or “ordained” to be successful.
It turns out that instead of exercising safety and common sense, and sticking with a plan that was working after the first wave in February-April, the world took great risks in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic too early, and it came back with a vengeance in late spring through summer.
At its best, Jupiter in Capricorn represents success through moderation. It has high aspirations combined with a sense of the reality of what is possible. Part of it wants to grow and expand, and the other part understands the need to recognize limits and boundaries. Jupiter and Saturn can work well together and achieve lasting success with their efforts. It can exemplify good, sound judgment with a view to the long-term.
At its worst, it is the growing frustration that is a result of delays and obstacles standing in the way of making progress. Instead of steady gains and advances that move matters forward, it can indicate a period of steep losses, disappointments and eventually the abandonment of projects.
Many governments were forced into lock downs, and many businesses went under or had to put their projects on hold as people could no longer meet in person or host in-person conferences. Jupiter rules conferences and travel, and both suffered as result of restrictions and bans (Capricorn) in 2020.
As an example, the last time Jupiter was in Capricorn was December 18, 2007 through January 5, 2009. This period timed the start of the Great Recession, December 2007-June 2009, and the delay in implementing many projects that governments and business leaders had wished to start.
However, Jupiter in Capricorn doesn’t always coincide with just economic recessions. The “Great Recession” of 2007-2009 began close to the last Jupiter/Pluto conjunction, which occurred December 11, 2007, just one week before Jupiter ingressed into Capricorn. The Jupiter/Pluto cycle might have a greater correlation with recessions and debt than Jupiter in Capricorn, as noted by the recessions during the previous two instances on December 2, 1994 (the Orange County Municipal Bond default), and November 2, 1981 (the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat, October 6, 1981, and a recessionary period in the U.S.). The Great recession of 2007-2009 also coincided with Jupiter/Pluto conjunction.
In 2020, the Jupiter/Pluto conjunction once again coincided with a terrible economic recession and stock market panic, which was completely unexpected at the start of the year. But then Jupiter/Pluto hit and all the optimism about the glorious national and world economy, and its future growth, were dashed.
This brings us to the importance of Pluto’s combination with Jupiter in Capricorn. Pluto, as discussed before, rules the four D’s in economics: deficits, debt, downgrades, and default. With Jupiter conjoining Pluto, and Jupiter symbolizing the planet of growth and extremism, in the sign of Capricorn, which represents governments and big business, the dynamics will be in place for an increase in the four D’s. Deficits in the U.S. are already on the verge of topping $1 trillion again for the first time in 7 years, under the watch of the political party that promised to reduce government deficits. The nation’s debt has also increased to $23 trillion, another record, as we enter 2020. There is no downgrade (yet) of the U.S. credit rating, but in 2020, the Jupiter/Pluto conjunction indicates that some (or many) nations, as well as several major companies throughout the world, may encounter a credit downgrade, and many may even be forced to file for bankruptcy.
The U.S. government spending for 2020 is projected to increase $7T now, much more than before expected increase of $1 trillion, due to the pandemic and the lockdown that took place.
We can also apply the principles of Jupiter, Pluto, and Capricorn to the global socio-political realm. If we consider Jupiter as extremism and “self-righteous” beliefs, Capricorn as “laws and rules that must be obeyed or punished if violated,” and Pluto as groups of people (not necessarily in government) wielding power, we get a setup indicating many possibilities. One would be an increase of “moral police” groups throughout the world who want to punish or even incarcerate anyone they believe has violated their rules or laws. Another expression would be endless (Jupiter) investigations (Pluto) into actions and decisions by government (Capricorn) leaders that restrict the functioning of that government. At its most extreme, Pluto represents termination, impeachment, or removal from office of heads of government, or the threat (Pluto) thereof.
Civil discord has escalated in major cities across the USA in response to the death of George Floyd at the hand of Minneapolis police. Bands of protesters have morphed into gangs of violence and looting and murder in many of the major cities, as some groups have even overtaken parts of cities and organized their own autonomous zones of governance. Law and order has thus become a major campaign theme in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, consistent with Jupiter (extreme measures) conjunct Pluto (potential for violence and destruction) in Capricorn, the sign of laws and rules.
As this is being written (in November 2019), we already see these Jupiter/Pluto in Capricorn activities underway in the U.S., where investigations designed to impeach and remove President Trump from office are underway. Also, investigations are being launched to determine if the other party (Democrats) have committed crimes that led to the Mueller probe of campaign interference in the 2016 election. In typical Jupiter fashion, there is not just one investigation underway to determine if political leaders of one party in the U.S. committed crimes, but two investigations to determine if leaders of both parties have acted illegally, and “covered up” their “covert” actions that were designed to cause harm to the other party, or to gain greater power over the other side. Pluto pertains to “coverups” and “covert actions,” for the purpose of maintaining or gaining an advantage over one’s opponent.
Since that was written, President Donald Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives, but not removed from office by vote of the Senate. And now investigations are underway against the Obama administration for its covert spying on the Trump campaign illegally in 2016.
On the positive side, Jupiter will also form a harmonious sextile in a 3-passage series to Neptune (February 20, July 27, and October 12, 2020). This combination offers the possibility of increasing national revenues. Since Pluto has dominion over taxes, which include tariffs, and given that more people are working and paying taxes, while at the same time tariffs are being levied on numerous U.S. goods purchased by foreign countries, revenues could increase. Perhaps this helps reform and improve the federal deficit.
That was the case until March 2020 when the COVID-19 panic hit. But strangely enough, the stock market has recovered very well, with both the S&P and NASDAQ now making new all-time highs after suffering a 38% loss in the DJIA between mid-February 2020 and late March. Will the recovery continue after the last Jupiter/Neptune sextile ends October 12?
From the Stock Market section: Jupiter will conjunct Pluto three times in 2020: April 4, June 30, and November 12. This entire period is known as the “central time band.” The central time band in this case does not require an orb of more than one month outside of that period to correlate with a long-term stock market cycle. This too is an important geocosmic signature related to the stock market, especially when it occurs in a 3-passage series. This will be only the third time (in 13 cases) that this has happened in the past 160 years. As stated in Volume 2 of the Stock Market Timing series, “The conjunction of Jupiter and Pluto is a fairly reliable signature for intermediate-term cycles in U.S. stocks. However, if the conjunction unfolds in a series of three passes due to retrogradation, then it tends to correspond with a longer-term cycle — like a 4-year cycle type. In both historical cases, a 4-year cycle crest unfolded within the central time band of a three-passage conjunction.” Thus, we should not be surprised if a long-term stock market cycle crest happens again in 2020 during this 3-passage series.
The all-time high in the DJIA occurred on February 12 as of this writing, and then the markets crashed into their lows in late March. They are recovering smartly now, with rh S&P and NASDAQ making new all-time highs. But will those rallies end by December 2020, one month after the last Jupiter/Pluto conjunction, as they have in the past?
In summary, it is obvious that the year 2020, under the three passage series of Jupiter/Pluto conjunctions in Capricorn, has indeed been a year of “Extreme Measures.” We will review this correspondence and its consequences for the future in great detail in Forecasts 2021, which will be issued on December 15, 2020. Sign up now at www.mmacycles.com and make sure you reserve your copy before they sell out. There is only one printing.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: The Annual Forecast Pre-Order Event is now underway. The Forecast 2021 Book may now be pre-ordered! Our preliminary outlook is that 2021 will be another very important year with the long-term Saturn/Uranus square aspect taking place. Although 2020 is not yet over, several forecasts made in the 2020 book have already unfolded. For a review of the Forecast 2020 Book so far, 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 annualForecast Book and MMA Subscription Reports. You may pre-order Forecast 2021 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 2021 Bundle) for only $65, a savings of $45 off the standard rates. Save 10% off any subscription ($275+) with the purchase of Forecast 2021. Use code SALE2021 at checkout to receive the subscription discount.
This year’s Forecast book will no longer include the individual Sun Signs forecasts. Instead, there will be a separate publication for those who enjoy the yearly trends for the twelve individual signs. It is titled “Trends for the Twelve Signs 2021” and will be written by Antonia Langsdorf-Merriman and Raymond Merriman. Antonia is one of Europe’s most renowned astrologers and has written an annual Sun Sign book in German for the past several years, based on interviews conducted with Ray Merriman beforehand. That same format will be followed for the “Trends for the Twelve Signs 2021” book. The cost of this book will be $25, with a further discount if ordered with the Forecast 2021 Book.
NOTE 2: The start date of the second 2-year program of the Merriman Market Timing Academy will be January 16, 2021! This is the rare opportunity (only the second time in 7 years) to learn the MMA Methodology of financial market timing and financial market analysis. The first course took place 2013-2015 and graduated 20 apprentices, many of whom are now professional market analysts. Several of the graduates now serve as analysts of specific markets for various MMA subscription reports. This second 2-year program will be offered online and will be led by MMTA graduate Gianni Di Poce and founder Raymond Merriman. There will be 6-7 classes per course, 8 courses in all. Each class will last 2 hours each. These will take place live on Saturdays, and MP4 recordings will be available the following Monday to those who register. There will be a one-month break between each course. The cost for the 2-year program in 2013-2014 was $20,000 and required students to spend 3-4 day courses onsite in at the Michigan State University Management Center in Troy, Michigan. This second series of courses will be online and will cost $12,000, with a 10% discount for those who register by December 14, 2020. To those who enroll for the “MMTA Apprentice,” designation, you will need to know how to read an ephemeris and/or take a pre-entrance exam to demonstrate this aptitude before beginning Course 2. If you don’t know how to “Read an Ephemeris,” a link to an MP4 presentation will be provided at no cost to those who sign up for at least the first year. An “MMTA Certificate of Graduation” (as an MMTA apprentice) will be awarded for those who take and pass exams at the end of each course and complete a research project with teams of up to three members each between courses. However, courses may be taken separately, without an entrance exam, course exams, or research papers if one only wishes the knowledge without the certificate of graduation as an “MMTA Apprentice.” For more information and schedule, please visit MMTA and find out how you can become a financial market timer and analyst, the MMA way.
NOTE 3: MMA is pleased to announce that it will be publishing a new book titled The Grand Conjunctions: Shifting Times, by one of the world’s leading Mundane Astrologers – Chris McRae of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This a fascinating book on the history of Grand Conjunctions involving the outer planets. It is especially appropriate today because the grandest of all outer planet conjunctions – the Jupiter/Saturn synodic cycle – will take place on December 21, 2020. The insights that McRae provides on these rare but remarkable configurations will make this one of the most valuable additions to the field of Mundane Astrology. It is our intention to have this book in print by that time. In the next couple of weeks, we will provide more information and details on how to order. The cost for the printed or E-Book
edition will be $24.00.
EVENTS
One more week to sign up! September 13, 2020, 1 PM, EDT. “The USA 2020 Presidential Election: An Astrological Perspective,” featuring an online analysis on the charts of the election, between world class astrologers Lynn Bell (Paris), Caroline Casey (Washington D.C.), Lee Lehman, Ph.D. (Asheville, NC), Christeen Skinner (London), and emceed by Raymond Merriman. The cost for this event is $55. For more information and reservation, please visit the ISAR website at https://isar2020.org/ and prepare to be amazed! If you are interested in this election, this is an event not to be missed!
October 11, 2020: Special Q&A webinar for MMA Subscribers with Raymond Merriman! 4:30 PM, EDT or 1:30 PM PDT 9:30 PM GMDT). This webinar is free to those who subscribe to any MMA subscription reports, or $55 if not a subscriber. Subscribers may send in a question they wish Merriman to address ahead of time. The only requirement is that the questions be of general interest to everyone attending the Q&A. Questions about a specific market are fine. It is possible that there may not be enough time to address all questions, so they will be answered on a first come, first serve basis. This event will last 90 minutes. You must register to attend at least two days before the event and a link to enter the meeting will be sent to all registrants that week.
January 16, 2021: The first class of the 2-year program of the Merriman Market Timing Academy begins! For details, see the above announcement, or visit MMTA.
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.