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U.S. consumer inflation excluding energy and food accelerated to a new four-decade high in September. The core consumer-price index—which excludes volatile energy and food prices—rose 6.6% in September from a year earlier, the biggest increase since August 1982. The measure increased 6.3% in August. The inflation report likely keeps the Federal Reserve on track to increase interest rates by 0.75 percentage points at its meeting next month. Gwynn Guilford, “Inflation Sits at 8.2% as Core Prices Hit Four-Decade High,” Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2022. 

This was the week in which the passive/aggressive Mars square Neptune took place on October 12, followed by the whipsaw-like behavior of Moon in Gemini with the Sun also in an air sign, Libra, on October 13-14. The CPI (inflation) report came out Thursday morning, October 13. Consistent with Mars square Neptune, the DJIA first retreated over 500 points, a new yearly low, along with the S&P and NASDAQ. But then it suddenly reversed – the Gemini Moon whipsaw – and assertively charged up over 800 points. That was the first time in history that the DJIA was down over 500 points and then closed up over 800 according to Bloomberg news services. But the Moon was still in Gemini on Friday, and true to its whipsaw nature, the DJIA was first up nearly 400 points, then closed down nearly 400 points. Continue reading… MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 17, 2022 ©

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U.S. job growth slowed for a second consecutive month in September but hiring remained solid despite growing headwinds from higher interest rates, scorching-hot inflation and mounting recession fears. Employers added 263,000 jobs in September, the Labor Department said, slightly topping the 250,000 jobs forecast. It marks a deceleration from the 315,000 job gain recorded in August and matches the lowest monthly gain since April 2021. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, unexpectedly dropped to 3.5. – Megan Henney, “US Job Growth Slows In September With Just 263,000 Positions Added,” www.foxbusiness.com/, October 7, 2022.

“I was able to bring gasoline down well over $1.60, but it’s inching up because of what the Russians and the Saudis just did,” Biden told the audience. ­– Timothy Nerozzi, “Biden Blames Russia and Saudi Arabia for Raising Gas Prices, Takes Credit for Recent Dip,” www.foxbusinessnews.com/, October 7, 2022.

It was the biggest geocosmic confluence of the year, and it lived up to its promise. We are referring to the Jupiter double semi-square to the final passage of the 45-year Saturn/Uranus square of September 21-28, 2022, combined with the end of the six planets in retrograde (including the Trickster, Mercury retrograde) of last weekend, October 2. Continue reading… MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 10, 2022 ©

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Stocks closed lower Friday, ending the third quarter on a downbeat note as investors fretted about the path ahead for earnings, interest rates and global economic growth. All three indexes are down at least 21% for the year. The S&P 500, Nasdaq and small-cap Russell 2000 are now all on three-quarter losing streaks for the first time since 2009. – Eric Wallerstein and David Marino-Nachison, “Stocks Close Lower Friday; S&P 500 Down for Third Straight Quarter,” Wall Street Journal online, September 30, 2022.

Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard on Friday underscored the need to bring down inflation, saying the central bank is “committed to avoiding pulling back prematurely” on restrictive monetary policy. Sarah Min, “Dow Tumbles 500 Points to End September Down Nearly 9%,” www.cnbc.com, September 30, 2022.

With six planets retrograde, we will see about that (quote above).

It’s been a rough Mercury retrograde cycle (September 10-October 2). From a geocosmic perspective, that’s because it coincided with the most potent celestial pattern of the year involving Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus, all in “hard” aspects to one another. Continue reading… MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 3, 2022 ©

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Markets expected the Fed to raise its interest rate target by .75%, but not that officials would also project rates would reach 4.6% in a year’s time, up sharply from the peak 3.8% rate projected in June. Mr. Powell didn’t sugar coat things. Inflation has to come down, he said, and that requires a softer labor market. “I wish there was a painless way to do that. There isn’t,” he told reporters. Greg Ip, “Markets Now Brace for a Hard Landing,” Wall Street Journal, September 23, 2022.

Stocks tumbled Friday to cap a brutal week for financial markets, as surging interest rates and foreign currency turmoil heightened fears of a global recession. “The market has been transitioning clearly and quickly from worries over inflation to concerns over the aggressive Federal Reserve campaign,” said Quincy Krosby of LPL Financial. “You see bond yields rising to levels we haven’t seen in years — it’s changing the mindset to how does the Fed get to price stability without something breaking. This is a global macro mess that the market is trying to sort out,” – Samantha Subin, “Dow Drops Nearly 500 Points to Close at New Low for 2022 on Rising Recession Fears,”www.cnbc.com, September 23, 2022.

And with that surprising and unexpected Fed commentary quoted above, the panic of a powerfully aspected Uranus during Mercury retrograde is well underway. It just so happens to be right in the middle of the time band when Jupiter (exaggeration, hysteria) is making its double semi-square from the midpoint of the fourth and final waning square between Saturn and Uranus as outlined over the past several weeks in this column. The cosmic tsunami/hurricane forecasted for financial markets during this period has lived up to its hype as several global stock indices broke below their June lows. Continue reading… MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 26, 2022 ©

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The Federal Reserve is likely to raise U.S. borrowing costs faster and further than previously expected after data on Tuesday showed underlying inflation broadening out rather than cooling as expected. Overall consumer prices climbed 0.1% last month from July — economists had expected a decline — and gained 8.3% from the year-earlier period, the Labor Department reported. – Ann Saphir, “Fed Seen Getting More Aggressive As Inflation Soars,” www.reuters.com, September 13, 2022. 

The world economy is experiencing the biggest structural upheaval in two hundred and fifty years—being certain and decisive about policy is perhaps unwise.– Dr. Paul Donovan, “Russian Roulette,” www.ubs.com, September 1, 2022.

This is what happens when you combine a Mercury retrograde in an air sign with an applying double semi-square to Saturn and Uranus from Jupiter. It’s why chiropractors will be in great demand from the whiplashes due to the whipsaws in financial markets since September 6 and likely to continue into September 28 and maybe a little beyond. Continue reading… MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 19, 2022 ©

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The economy added 315,000 jobs for the month, just below the Dow Jones estimate for 318,000 and well off the 526,000 in July and the lowest monthly gain since April 2021. The unemployment rate rose to 3.7%, two-tenths of a percentage point higher than expectations. A broader measure of unemployment that includes discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons rose to 7% from 6.7%. – Jeff Cox, “Payrolls Rose 315,000 in August,” September 2, 2022, www.cnbc.com.

U.S. mortgage rates rose to their highest level in two months after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell promised to deliver “forceful” action on inflation that he warned would cause economic “pain.” Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the 30-year loan this week rose to 5.66% from 5.55% for the week ending Sept. 1. The rate is well above the 2.87% recorded just one year ago. – Megan Henney, “Mortgage Rates Climb to 5.66%,” September 1, 2022, www.foxbusiness.com.

In the week that followed Fed Chair Powell’s warning that the Fed is willing to abort a “soft landing” in deference to its determination to subdue inflation and the economic pain it might cause, the stock markets of the world granted him a big first step in that direction. Pain was everywhere, from stocks to precious metals, currencies, Treasuries, and Crude Oil. Unlike past press conferences, the Fed did little to create a sense that it has our backs. And in response, investors fled the scene of a renewed disaster-in-the-making. Continue reading… MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 ©

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Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivered a stern commitment Friday to halting inflation, warning that he expects the central bank to continue raising interest rates in a way that will cause “some pain” to the U.S. economy. – Jeff Cox, “Powell Warns of ‘Some Pain’ Ahead as the Fed Fights to Bring Down Inflation,”  www.cnbc.com , August 26, 2022. 

The Fed spoke and the markets broke.

After forming a half-primary cycle crest the prior week as the Sun made a T-square with Saturn and Uranus, followed by the Venus/Jupiter trine, stocks sold off into the Uranus retrograde of Wednesday, August 24.They then staged a 2-day rally into Friday August 26, as Venus moved into its T-square with Saturn and Uranus (August 26-29). Continue reading… MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 29, 2022 ©

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 “This fresh chill has descended amid fears that the market is heading for a crypto winter. Although at $21,800 Bitcoin is still some way off its June lows of under $19,000, volatility is once again wracking the market.” – usannah Streeter of Hargreaves Lansdown as reported by Jenni Reid, “ Sudden Crypto Market Drop Sends Bitcoin Below $22,000,” www.cnbc.com, August 19, 2022.

The Federal Reserve says it is going to keep raising interest rates. Wall Street thinks it’s bluffing. –Akane Otani, “Wall Street Bets the Fed is Bluffing in Inflation Game,” Wall Street Journal, August 19, 2022.

 Global stock markets reached a new cycle peak last week, on August 16-17 in most cases, coinciding with the Sun’s T-square to Saturn/Uranus August 11-15 and the favorable Venus trine Jupiter on August 17. The high of August 16 in several stock indices also coincided with the ingress of heliocentric Mercury into Sagittarius, August 16-29. Continue reading… MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 22, 2022 ©

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Biden’s big spending bill takes $80B of OUR money to hire more IRS agents … to take more of OUR money and snoop on what we share on Venmo/Cash apps. They are not going after the wealthy. They’re coming for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and hardworking Americans – Tulsi Gabbard @TulsiGabbard, Twitter, August, 9 2022. 

Argentina’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 950 basis points on Thursday as the country struggles to keep a lid on spiraling inflation that rose to a 20-year high of 71%, according to new data.The central bank raised the benchmark “Leliq” rate for the 28-day term to 69.5% from 60%, a rate the bank set just two weeks ago when it hiked the rate by 800 basis points” – Reuters, “Argentina Hikes Interest rates to 69.5% as Inflation Hits 20-Year High,” August 11, 2022, www.cnbc.com 

It was a perfectly normal week as far as lunar signs go, as the U.S. stock market made a high on Monday, August 8, with the Moon in Sagittarius, a low on Tuesday with the Moon in Capricorn, and then a much higher high on Friday with the Moon in Aquarius. But it was also a highly unusual market (and political) week in another sense Continue reading… MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 15, 2022 ©

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 U.S. job growth unexpectedly accelerated in July, defying fears of a slowdown in hiring even as the labor market confronts the twin threats of scorching-hot inflation and rising interest rates. Employers added 528,000 jobs in July, the Labor Department said in its monthly payroll report released Friday, blowing past the 250,000 jobs forecast by Refinitiv economists. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, edged down to 3.5%, the lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic began more than two years ago. The U.S. has now replaced all of the jobs that were lost during the pandemic. – Megan Henney, “U.S. Economy Adds 528,000 Jobs in July, Blowing Past Expectations.” www.foxbuisnessnews.com, August 5, 2022.

In the week that witnessed the extremely rare conjunction of Mars, Uranus, and the Lunar North Node in Taurus on August 1 and our geocosmic critical reversal date of August 4, many financial markets exhibited interesting performances. Continue reading… MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING AUGUST 8, 2022 ©