MMA WEEKLY - Financial Astrology commentary, Market timing, MMA Cycles, The Merriman Market Analyst

The Market Week in Review :

On behalf of all of us at MMA, we would like to wish all of you a happy and prosperous New Year!.

What a year it was, and what a way for it to end. On Thursday, December 27, Pakistan's ex-Premier Banazir Bhutto was assassinated, just two weeks before Pakistan's elections were to take place. She was the leading contender opposing current President Pervez Musharraf. According to the Wall Street Journal, "Bhutto was shot following a campaign rally... her attacker blew himself up, killing at least 20 others. The news triggered a wave of violence and could lead to the postponement of (the) January 8 (election)." This tragic event falls under the astrological signatures described in last week's column as follows: " One area of human activity that might be cause for concern is that Mars will also be quite active next two weeks, with its oppositions to the Sun, Jupiter, and then Pluto. This could coincide with an increase in hostilities, and perhaps even a military confrontation." The assassination occurred right in the middle of these transits. On December 24, 26, and January 2, Mars was (is) in opposition to the Sun, Jupiter and Pluto respectively. Any time you have Mars, Saturn, or Uranus in a hard aspect to Pluto, the potential for violence and threat to human life or damage to crops is increased. I will address this issue in more detail in the "Longer-Term Thoughts" section of this week's column.?

News of Bhutto's assassination roiled stock markets around the world. It interrupted their steady ascent since the Saturn retrograde signature of the prior week. After ending their decline the prior week as Saturn turned retrograde, all stock indices rebounded fairly positively into Wednesday or Thursday of this past week. They then pulled back into Friday, following the news of the assassination. The biggest moves of the week however were in the currencies, precious metals, and crude oil markets. All soared against the Dollar, with the Euro, Gold, and crude oil now approaching their all-time highs again that were recorded in November, within two weeks of when Mars went retrograde.

Short-Term Geocosmics :

The New Year begins right in the middle of an important geocosmic cluster. A geocosmic cluster is a time band in which several geocosmic signatures occur in succession, with no more than 6 calendar days between any two consecutive ones. It is the basis upon which critical reversal dates are determined, as outlined in "The Ultimate Book on Stock market Timing, Volume 3: Geocosmic Correlations to Trading Cycles." In this case, the cluster began on December 18 and ends on January 12. Thus the study of Financial Astrology tells us to be alert for a possible reversal in many financial markets at this time.

For this particular week, we note that the Mars retrograde will move out of Cancer and into Gemini on Monday, December 31. This too is an important ingress, for it crosses the 0 degree Cancer point, a cardinal sign. As discussed before, this also falls on the Sun-Pluto axis in the Federal Reserve Board chart (December 13, 1913). As such, it would normally suggest an important time in regards to the activities of the Federal Reserve Board, and hence all interest-rate related markets, such as Treasuries and currencies. The fact that it also occurs right in the middle of a geocosmic cluster zone makes it more likely to coincide with reversals in financial markets. The fact that it occurs during the long holiday season makes it less likely to occur with a reversal. Thus it will be interesting to observe what happens this week: will geocosmics rule, and produce an important reversal in many financial markets? Or will seasonals prevail, suggesting that little change will occur until well after the trading begins for the New Year ?.

In the case of markets forming a top at this time, traders may want to concentrate on the Venus-Saturn square of Sunday, January 6. Any markets declining into that signature could complete a bottoming formation, and ready themselves for a rally. When Saturn coincides with a depression in values, that depression oftentimes lifts when the aspect separates. Venus rules values, such as stocks. But it also rules sugar, soybeans, copper, and currencies.

Long-Term Thoughts :

The assassination of ex-Pakistani Premier Banazir Bhutto last week brings to the forefront certain principles in Mundane and Financial Astrology. The taking away of any life has an astrological correspondence in the planetary principles of Saturn (loss) and Pluto (threats and destruction). Last week a short-term astrological pattern began that consists of Mars in opposition to the Sun, Jupiter, and Pluto. Mundane and Financial Astrologers would point to the Mars-Pluto opposition as the most likely correspondent to this assassination.

But the occurrence of political assassinations as a means to rid one's opposition is a phenomenon that could be on the increase in the next few years. On January 26, Pluto will begin its 15-year transit through Saturn's native sign of Capricorn. Whenever a planet enters a sign, it is as if that planet is making an aspect to the ruler of that sign. Thus Pluto moving into Capricorn is as if Pluto is forming an aspect to Saturn, ruler of Capricorn. That dynamic will increase even more when transiting Saturn enters Libra and will form a square aspect to Pluto. That will take place November 2009 through August 2010. But such events could start even before then, for Uranus will start its T-square formation to both Saturn and Pluto on Election Day November 4, 2008. Even within nine months of this signature, its influence will likely be in force. If we look back at the last time Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto were in a hard aspect to one another, we would come to 1965-1967. That is when Uranus and Pluto were in conjunction, and both forming an opposition to Saturn. You might remember that as a period of very sensational political and social assassinations, especially in the United States, starting in 1963 and lasting through 1968. In most cases, the assassinated become martyrs, the symbol for overcoming struggles or solidifying a commitment to the ideals that were associated with their life work. Change usually unfolds, in the direction of the ideals for which these great men and women gave their life.

The mistake that assassins and their agents make is in failing to understand that you can't kill the idea or the ideal. You may eliminate the messenger, and you may discard the temple - the body - that voiced the words that threatened the status quo. But in initiating that act of violence, the ideas and the ideals of that person who was violated become empowered and given a greater life than before. In the study of metaphysics and several religions, the act commences a cycle that affects all those who were involved, both in committing the atrocity as well as those committed to carrying on the spirit of the messenger. This is known as the Universal Law of Retribution, or more commonly called "karma." And both growth and creativity (creation) are more powerful and enduring forces than those of destruction and apparent elimination. The primal urge of living beings is to create, and the initial act was a creative one, not a destructive one. In the end, destruction and violence always leads to rebirth and the resurrection of the creative force. It does not eliminate it, as the perpetrators would wish, and falsely believe.

Thus it is as we end the year 2007, and begin the first year of the forthcoming "Cardinal Climax," 2008-2015, as described in this year's Forecast for 2008 book. It is likely to be a period of "The Good, The Bad, Even Worse, and Redemption." This is true for both stock markets around the world, as well as the geopolitical tone of the planet.

Announcements :

The special webcast of the Forecast 2008 presentation will take place Saturday, January 5, 2008, starting at 12:00 PM EST (that's 5:00 PM, GMT, 6:00 PM for Central European countries, 11:00 AM in CST, or 9:00 AM PST, etc). This special on-line virtual discussion will discuss the importance of Pluto in Capricorn, the forthcoming Cardinal Climax and the potential changes it implies for the Federal Reserve Board, plus the latest updates on the DJIA (and indirectly, all world stock indices), Treasuries, Euro and Swiss Franc currencies, and Gold and Silver, and probably grains. Via the modern technology of You-niversity.com, this latest update on "Forecasts for 2008" can be heard in the comfort of your home or office. All you need is a computer with speakers. You will hear my live voice and see the latest market charts (and other graphics) on your computer screen that will be the focus of this presentation. You can ask questions by logging on to our virtual on-line meeting that day, and inputting a pin number that you will be given upon receipt of your reservation for this event. The cost for this private discussion is $45.00 if you sign up by Wednesday, January 2. After that it will be $95.00, and all reservations will be closed as of January 4, 5:00 PM, EST. Plan to be with me, on line, for about 2 hours. To register for this on-line event, go to http://www.mmacycles.com/virtual. Or drop us an email ordersmma@msn.com or fax (248-538-5296), or call us at 1-248-626-3034, and we will email instructions on participating.

The “MMA Cycles Report” and “MMA Japan Markets Cycles Report” came out last week. These reports come out every three weeks to subscribers of these reports, although it will change to a monthly issuance cycle next year, so that the "SOS Global Stock Market Cycles Report" can be increased to a monthly issuance cycle as well. The "MMA Cycles Report" (Monday night by email) is our market advisory report for traders of the U.S. stock indices, T-Notes, Gold, Silver, Euro, Swiss Franc, Grains, and Crude Oil. The “MMA Japan Cycles Report” covers the Nikkei, Dollar/Yen, and JGB Bonds, and comes out Tuesday afternoon. For more information

Our MMA 2013 catalogue is now out and available to overseas clients on our web site at www.mmacycles.com, and then under MMA Catalogue, and then under MMA Catalogue (pdf). Or just click here. Due to high overseas postal costs, we will no longer send this catalogue out by postal mail except to clients in the U.S.A. So, if you are interested in this year's services and products, you can download it from our web site.

The Forecast book for 2008 : is done! It's out as of Friday, December 14. The response for this book in the last week has been overwhelming. I wasn't going to do this, but it looks like an immediate reprint will be necessary, because we may already be sold out, something that usually doesn't happen before March. We usually take the number of orders received by December 1 and add 40% to the print total. But that formula clearly isn't working this year, even though pre-orders were at a record level. I don't know what it is, but people seem to be extremely interested in what astrology has to say about this coming year, or at least my interpretation of this noble study. Its fine with me, of course, because I think this year's book is the best I have ever written. It was certainly the most intense of all the ones I have written over the past 32 years. If you wish to get a copy, you can still do so for the remaining copies that may still be available this week. But I will immediately order more and they should be ready in the next week. But that is it. When those new copies are gone, there will not be a further reprint. The cost of this year's book will remain at $45.00. Available also in German at www.mma-europe.de. For description of this book, please go to http://www.mmacycles.com and click the banner.

My next financial presentations will take place in all day workshops on January 19 and 26 in Cologne, Germany and Basel, Switzerland, respectively. For further information, please go to EVENTS on our web site at www.mmacycles.com. The German version of "Merriman on Market Cycles : The Basics" is now in print. It is also a revision of the earlier work in English. For more information on this book, please go to our German web site at www.mma-europe.de.

The newly revised The Sun, The Moon, and Silver Book : Secrets of a Silver Trader, is now out. This is a book that you will use as a reference guide for...many, many years. It identifies all the key Sun-Moon combinations that have a higher (and lower) than expected probability of correlating with 4% or greater reversals in COMEX Silver. It also identifies “Big Range Days” - those days in which the range of Silver is most likely to be 3.5% or more of the price of Silver, which is a great tool for day traders. This book fulfills the dream of all traders: high probability winning trade possibilities, with minimal market exposure. It is that “extra edge.” And Silver is a great market to trade now. The cost is $125.00. For ordering on line.

Many readers may also be interested to know that the largest gathering of Financial Astrologers in many years will be taking place May 15-20, 2008, in Denver, Colorado. In fact, the largest gathering of astrologers since 1974 will be taking place then. The United Astrological Conference (UAC) will convene for the first time since 2002, and approximately 1500 professionals and students of astrology will be present from all around the world. Whether you are a professional or student or novice, you will find one of the 15 tracks being offered to be of great interest. They even have a beginning track based on sun sign astrology for those who know very little about how astrology really works. In all, there will be 155 speakers from over 30 different countries. For more information on this conference, go to www.uacastrology.com. For more information on the Financial Astrology track (18 different presentations), go to http://www.uacastrology.com/cgi-bin/tracks.cgi?CODE=12. And the best news of all is that there is a pre-registration discount special in effect until December 31. Sign up now (before December 31) and save big bucks, for the most exciting astrological gathering of our generation!

If you are an active short-term trader, you may wish to consider subscribing to our Weekly or even Daily Market Reports with short-term trading recommendations. It is the only way I keep in touch with traders on a daily or even weekly basis. These reports give in-depth analysis of the DJIA, S&P and NASDAQ futures, Euro currency (cash and futures), Swiss Franc, Dollar/Yen cash and Yen futures, T-Bonds, Soybeans, Wheat, Gold and Silver. The daily reports cover all stock indices listed above, as well as futures in Euro, T-Bonds, Soybeans, Gold and Silver. Subscription to the daily report also includes the weekly report. For more information, or call our offices at 1-248-626-3034. In the words of one of our subscribers : "I recently subscribed to your weekly report and am finding it to be excellent and a very useful companion to the MMA Cycles Report. I can't imagine now managing my investments without them."

I have had several calls regarding a “crisis investing” portfolio that I suggested could be developed with the help of a money manager who subscribes to my reports, and shares my views about the next few years. If you are interested, you can contact him at ted.fisher@comcast.net.
He will be more than happy to assist you.

Disclaimer and statement of purpose : The purpose of this column is not to predict 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 oftentimes report 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 will likely affect human activity in the times to come. The author (Merriman) will do this from a perspective of a cycle’s 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 these psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) the news events and hence financial markets of the day.

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 assume any responsibility at all for those individual decisions. Reader should understand that futures and options trading are considered high risk.

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