Note: There will be no weekly column issued in two weeks for the week of September 23, as we will be conducting the MMA Investment Retreat in Lake Bled, Slovenia, for that entire weekend.
Review-
The U.S. economy created slightly fewer jobs than expected in August, reflecting a slowing labor market while also clearing the way for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates later this month. Nonfarm payrolls expanded by 142,000 during the month, down from 89,000 in July and below the 161,000 consensus forecast from Dow Jones…. At the same time, the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.2%, as expected.
—Jeff Cox, U.S. Payrolls Grew by 142,000 in August, Less Than Expected,” www.cnbc.com, September 6, 2024.
The number of job openings in the U.S. fell more than expected in July, tumbling to the lowest level in more than three years and representing the latest evidence that the labor market is cooling.
—Breck Dumas, “US Job Openings Fall to Lowest Level since January 2021,” www.foxbusiness.com, September 4, 2024
Last week was a prime example of why Uranus is known as “the Disruptor.” Uranus turned retrograde as the week began, and immediately, global stock indices started giving back much of their gains made during August 5-28 when Mercury retrograde (“the Trickster”) was in force. The DJIA, for example, posted a record high on Friday, August 30. Then, every day last week, the index declined to consecutively lower daily lows. That was the pattern for most global indices—except in China, where last week’s decline was more intense. The Shanghai Composite fell to its lowest level in over six months on Friday. So far, all other markets are in a correction mode, which means, for the moment, the recent bullish signals of August are still intact.
In other markets, Gold made an attempt at new all-time highs on Friday but then succumbed to selling pressure by the end of the day. Silver also performed poorly on Friday, sliding to 28.01, its lowest mark in three weeks, right in line with MMA Silver analyst Pouyan Zolfagharnia’s call in the MMA weekly reports over the past several weeks. Crude Oil, however, can’t seem to find a break as it dropped to its lowest mark since June 2023. Bitcoin also struggled, but like stocks, it is still trading above its low of August 5. In fact, it may be forming what chartists call an inverted head-and-shoulders pattern. If the neckline of 62-64K can be exceeded, it might signal the end of the 24-month cycle low we have been looking for.
Short-Term Geocosmics
“Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
—Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, given as a tweet on ‘X by Culture Critic September 4, 2024.
Traditional astrology (500 B.C.–1600 A.D.) was oriented toward the ego, concerned with survival and security, unaware of psychic depth and complexity, fear-based, and utilized primarily for augmenting control over life, nature, and death. Conversely, during the modern era, there has been a gradual shift toward a more psychologically-based astrology with a focus on character delineation, intrapsychic processes, personal development, healing, self-actualization, and ego transcendence.
—Dr. Glenn Perry, “From Ancient to Post-Modern Astrology, www.academia.edu, September 6, 2024.
Next Tuesday’s presidential debate will be as important as everyone says…. More and more, I am getting the impression this will be a path election, not a person election. Once you chose John F. Kennedy—young, bright, vigorous—and he led you down a path. You chose Ronald Reagan, and he led you down a path. You picked the person, and that person said, “This way,” and cut the path through the forest. I’m feeling that a lot of people this year will be choosing the path, not the person. They’ll put up with the person, but it’s the path they want. And I’m not sure people want to go down the Blue Path any deeper than they already have.
—Peggy Noonan, “Trump and Harris Get Ready to Debate,” www.wsj.com, September 6, 2024
This week stands out cosmically for a couple of reasons. First, Mercury leaves Leo for one of its ruling signs, Virgo, on Monday, September 9. This has the potential for leaders to focus on policies rather than personalities and bravado. It will sharpen the focus on details as opposed to broad, general “feel-good” platitudes about the future, about one’s capacity to change things for the better without providing the details. It will focus more on the importance of service and the need to develop skills to succeed in the “New Aira” economy. Then, on September 11, Mercury will come out of its “shadow” period that began when it turned retrograde on August 5 in early Virgo. You might remember that as the time when the stock markets of the world ended their mini-panic and started a robust 10-day rally. Revisiting that same degree when the retrograde began (thus exiting the “shadow”), has the possibility of reversing this current secondary pullback. As long as equity markets hold well above the August 5 low, corrective pullbacks after a primary or 50-week cycle bottom can be favorable times to buy.
Another interesting cosmic change underway is Mars entering Cancer, which began last week on September 4. It will remain in Cancer until November 4, one day before the U.S. Presidential Election, when it ingresses into Leo.
In modern astrology, which is based on humanistic psychological principles, Mars-in-Cancer signifies an independent/dependent psychological dilemma (“I want to do my own thing, but I need you”). Mars is feisty, assertive, even aggressive, and competitive, if not downright combative. It wants to win, be first, often at any cost. It is a “me first” approach, and not really interested in team concepts, except when in the role of being the leader. But Cancer is the opposite. Whereas Mars is usually the drive to be physical, active, and victorious, the Moon, ruler of Cancer, is more reactive, sensitive, protective, and emotionally based by nature. Together, they either operate in a way to protect and defend those whom they care about or to harm/hurt those seen as opponents or competitors. In the latter case, the rhetoric may get personal and nasty. We will probably get a sense of this at the debate taking place on Tuesday, September 10. It will be interesting to see who will behave like the adult in the room. With the Moon in Sagittarius, the debate could become quite chippy.
Mars can be aggressive while Cancer can be passive, and the result can be mixed signals, behaviors that are not consistent with one’s real agenda. One current political issue that comes to mind is election and voting integrity. Both parties claim to support fair and efficient voting procedures, and both parties fear the other side will either 1) not behave fairly or 2) not accept – deny – the reported results of the election, which could lead to another violent insurrection. With Mars in opposition to Pluto going into the election, that possibility cannot be discounted (Mars/Pluto has the symbolic potential for violence and cries of a “stolen—abducted—election”). If the United States hopes to enter a smooth transition into the “Aries Vortex” and favorable seasonal ingresses denoted for the nation in 2025, it is imperative that 1) the election procedures are fair and conducted honestly and 2) both parties agree to graciously accept the results and urge their followers to do the same in a peaceful fashion.
I’m not sure Mars in Cancer or Leo will do that. If not, it will be a long winter. But, as nature teaches us, spring will follow. And then everything changes again as Neptune enters Aries and Uranus enters Gemini. No matter who ends up in the White House, a new course will be charted, and I think there is hope for humanity and the nation on this new course, whatever it is. The ingresses of the seasons look favorable to the U.S. after spring. Our leaders just need to play their roles well in this new act. They need to be the adults that the conditions in the world will demand of them and that will shape their character into the roles they will be called upon to perform as we enter the Aries Vortex of 2025-2027. It’s either renaissance or war and possibly both, depending not only on the character of the U.S. president but that of other world leaders as well.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!! THE MMA 2024 Investment Retreat is fast approaching! This special wealth-building event will be available to attend online and in person, September 19-22. Week 240909
The analysts had a meeting just this past week where we discussed our long-term market outlooks with one another. It was illuminating how all of our timing methods are falling into place for 18-year cycle lows in so many markets. This gathering will be very special for those looking to make long-term investments, where real wealth can be built with patience. It’s not like trading, where you need to manage your risk with stop-losses. In a long-term model, we have steps to scale into each investment both on the way down and on the way up. These investment steps are based on our proprietary market-timing methods, combined with our understanding of price objective calculations and chart patterns that tend to unfold within the overlap of cyclical market and geocosmic time bands based on actual historical data.
The 2024 MMA Investment Retreat will take place online as well as live at the Rikli Balance Hotel in the Julian Alps region of beautiful Lake Bled, Slovenia. You won’t want to miss this chance to hear the outlooks and wealth-building strategies by top MMA analysts Raymond Merriman (USA), Gianni Di Poce (USA), Ulric Aspegrén (Switzerland), Pouyan Zolfagharnia (UK), Irma Schogt (Netherlands), Rita Perea (USA), Wyatt Fellows (USA), plus special guest speakers Claude Weiss (Switzerland), Aleksandar Imsiragic (Serbia) and (NEW!!!) Christeen Skinner (UK). Special attention will be given to the stock markets of the USA, Germany, and Hong Kong, plus Gold, Silver, Copper, Bitcoin, Wheat, Crude Oil, Real Estate, and interest rates. At the end of each day, there will be roundtable discussions so that attendees can interact with that day’s speakers.
UPDATE AND CHANGES: We are very excited to announce that Christeen Skinner, Europe’s leading financial astrologer, will be joining the MMA Investment Retreat to speak on “Eclipses Related to the NASDAQ and Hong Kong Stock Indices.”
The Rikli Balance Hotel, where the event will take place, is now fully booked. However, cancellations do occur, so we are compiling a waiting list for the Rikli Balance Hotel in case that happens. We also have a list of other nearby hotels where several attendees are staying. The cost to attend the retreat, live or online, is $3500. There is a 10% discount for subscribers of MMA Daily or Weekly reports or one-year monthly reports. For those who attend in person, the rate includes meals, snacks, an opening reception, and the Saturday evening banquet at the historic castle on Lake Bled. For further information and signing up online or in person:
PDF Brochure Link: https://www.mmacycles.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/NEW-MMTA-RETREAT-2024.pdf
MMA Investment Retreat 2024 FAQ: https://www.mmacycles.com/articles/mma-investment-retreat-2024-faq/
MMA 2024 Investment Retreat Product link to purchase: https://www.mmacycles.com/product/mma-2024-investment-retreat/
NOTE 2: IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN! THE “ANNUAL MMA FORECAST 2025 PRE-PUBLICATION SALE” is now underway!!!! The sale will run through October 31 and includes our once-a-year discounts on both the annual Forecast book and MMA subscription reports.~
During this pre-order period, the FORECAST 2025 print edition is available at the discounted rate of $55, and the eBook version is available for $45. This is also when we offer the best deal on MMA subscription reports! Save 10% off any subscription ($275+) with the purchase of Forecast 2025. For instance, you can save over $300 on a yearly subscription to the MMA Daily Report, which additionally includes the full weekly report (two reports in one!). After the pre-order event ends on November 1, the retail price of the Forecast 2025 print edition increases to $66, the eBook price increases to $55, and the subscription reports return to their normal prices. ORDER NOW AND SAVE BIG BUCKS!
MMA is also offering a special “bundle” discount rate for those who wish to order both the eBook and printed editions of Forecast 2025 for $75. The eBook usually comes out 1-2 weeks before the print edition and avoids delays caused by the postal system, especially for those who live overseas. Yet many readers prefer the print edition, so ordering both via the Forecast 2025 Bundle makes sense. You will receive the Forecast 2025 eBook on December 15, and the print copy will be mailed in mid-December.
MMA’s annual Forecast book is an astrological-themed almanac that has served students of cycles and markets since 1976. It provides a cyclical outlook of the collective world psychology, national economy, geopolitical overview, socio-cultural trends, weather and natural calamity potentials, as well as financial market projections for the U.S. stock market, the U.S. Treasury market, interest rates, Gold and Silver, currencies (the Euro, British Pound, Swiss Franc, and Japanese Yen), Bitcoin, Crude Oil, and Grain markets. Its valuable market timing forecasts are based on the historical correlation of market cycles overlapping with geocosmic planetary cycles. Additionally, it provides the three-star critical reversal dates for each market for the year, which have an 80+% accuracy over the years to trading cycle highs and lows when given an orb of three trading days. The book is approximately 200 pages, 8.5″ x 11″, and has set the standard for all astrological almanacs written today.
The scorecard for Forecast 2024, as of August 15, 2024, is now available for viewing by clicking here.
To pre-order Forecast 2025 now, please click here.
NOTE 3: YOUR PERSONAL “JUPITER REPORT — YOUR MOMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY” IS COMING!!! The release date is now scheduled for September 20! This newest product, created by Raymond Merriman, is a report that all traders (and even non-traders) will find to be of great value. It identifies the times during the year when Jupiter transits are highlighted in your chart. It delineates the meaning of Jupiter’s transits to your natal planets and angles over 14 months (including one month before your order and one month after the year ends). Why is this valuable? Because transits of Jupiter identify special opportunities for financial gains, success in one’s career and social life, popularity, and good fortune (luck) when under harmonious aspects and used correctly. However, they can also indicate periods of potential misjudgment leading to losses if Jupiter is afflicted and one is not properly prepared. As an added bonus, each transit is ranked from –3 to +3 in terms of favorability for trading. Traders may find this most valuable! Would you like to know when you are most prone to trading successes or potential losses? You betcha! Cost for your 14-month Jupiter Report is $69.00. Stay tuned for the announcement and link to ordering your personalized Jupiter report for next year!
NOTE 4: Ray Merriman was interviewed by Amanda Walsh recently. It was an exceptional interview that covered Ray’s background in psychology, which led him to astrology, his creation of “Evolutionary Astrology” in 1977, his transition into Financial Astrology, and his work in transforming astrology from a hobby into a profession with “The Legends of Astrology” in 1980-2010. The interview then covers the “New Aira,” the “Aries Vortex,” and the future of astrology within the Technology Renaissance currently underway. He discusses how the advent of AI is likely to affect the general workplace, society, governments, and, specifically, the profession of astrology. It is a fascinating interview and can be viewed by clicking here.
NOTE 5: The MMA Weekly YouTube show, “Geocosmic Week in Review and Look Ahead,” with Gianni Di Poce, is conducted on Wednesday evenings! Each 5- to 20-minute FREE episode reviews the previous week’s market activity and offers a preview of the geocosmic signatures in effect for the coming week and beyond. Last week’s interview was with MMTA graduate and psychological trading coach Rita Perea, who will be a speaker at the MMA Investment Retreat in Lake Bled from September 19-22.
NOTE 6: MMA’s Free Weekly Column Podcast Is Available on SPOTIFY, APPLE, and AMAZON! Now you can listen to a podcast of this weekly column by Thomas Miller on Saturdays! Just follow Merriman Market Analyst on Spotify or Apple to listen to all our episodes. A new podcast episode will be released every weekend. This is a FREE service and is available to everyone. Check out our podcasts on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Music. It makes for great listening!
NOTE 7: THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF THE MONTHLY MMA CYCLES REPORT WILL BE ISSUED THIS WEEK (Monday night)! The MMA Monthly Cycles Report covers the outlook in the U.S. stock market, Gold, Silver, Copper, Treasuries, the Euro currency, Crude Oil, and Soybeans. The MMA Monthly Cycles Report also provides MMA’s original geocosmic critical reversal dates (CRDs) and solar/lunar reversal dates over the next several weeks, as well as trading strategies for position and aggressive traders. If you want to try out a one-month subscription to the MMA Monthly Cycles Report, you can sign up for the September Report and last week’s MMA Special Stock Market Update for only $35! Or save by ordering a three-month or one-year subscription.
EVENTS
September 19–22, 2024: MMA’s 2024 Investment Retreat. Save the dates!!! You won’t want to miss this chance to meet with the top MMA analysts (plus special guest speakers Claude Weiss, Aleksandar Imsiragic, and Christeen Skinner) live and hear our long-term investment and wealth-building strategies using MMA market-timing methods. Learn when and at what price to scale in on the 18-year cycle in world stock indices, which is now entering the time band for perhaps the best long-term investment opportunities in over a decade. The location is the beautiful Lake Bled in Slovenia, a premier (and affordable) destination in the Julian Alps, with a historic castle nestled in the mountains where the Saturday evening banquet will take place. The cost is $3500 (10% discount for subscribers of MMA Daily or Weekly reports, as well as one-year monthly reports). Click here to register! The event will be available in person or online. For a brochure, click here.
March 7-9, 2025: Cosmic Patterns Inc. presents its Convergence 2025 conference in Orlando, Florida. This will be one of the top astrological conferences of 2025 and will include a track on “Research and Financial Markets.” MMA market analysts Ray Merriman, Gianni Di Poce, Pouyan Zolfagharnia, Ulric Aspegrén, and Wiebke Held will speak, along with well-known financial astrologer Christeen Skinner of the U.K. There will also be several well-known professional astrologers speaking, including Lynn Bell, Charlotte Benson, Öner Döşer, Pam Gallagher, Demetra George, Aleksandar Imsiragic, Dr. Lea Imsiragic, Rick Levine, Darri Low Murphy, Anne Ortelee, Joni Patry, Kathy Rose, Gisele Terry, and Fei Cochrane. For further information, please go to https://cosmicpatternsconference.com/. You can also hear and read about this exciting gathering on YouTube (click here). SIGN UP NOW for the best rate that ends this weekend (September 1)!
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.