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

The Market Week in Review :

One by one, they keep falling to new lows. This is the pattern of stock indices when the downside dominancy phase of longer-term cycles starts to kick in. This is the pattern when the influence of the longer-term planetary cycles starts to kick in. The shorter-term market cycles, and the shorter-term geocosmic cycles are all dwarfed - stunted, thwarted - when the big guns appear on the horizon and begin their march across earth.

Last week we noted that there was still some hope for the bulls based on the possibility of intermarket bullish divergence in the stock indices of each of the regions of the world. That possibility is becoming less evident as more and more indices continue to fall to new yearly lows. Not only that, but these indices are not sustaining any reversal rallies as we now come to the end of this large time band of heavily populated geocosmic signatures, June 12-July 14. Normally such a time band would produce a healthy rally somewhere near its middle (i.e. June 28). Although there have been some sharp rally days, they have been followed by even more dramatic declines almost immediately after, such as last Tuesday's 152 point up day followed by Wednesday's 236-point down day in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Last Wednesday (July 9) was the very important Sun-Jupiter opposition day. As stated the past two weeks, "The Sun-Jupiter opposition is particularly interesting because it has a 75% correlation to primary or greater cycles within 10 trading days. Like Uranus turning retrograde, this is one of the strongest signatures correlating with reversals in stock indices. It can correlate with powerful price moves, like 200+ point up or down days within only 4 trading days in the DJIA." Bingo! But it didn't produce a reversal that lasted, and that tells us that something bigger is in force. And that is the approaching 45-year cycle of the opposition of Saturn and Uranus.

Right now, of all the equity markets around the world we track, only the Japanese Nikkei, Hang Seng of Hong Kong, and the NASDAQ Composite of the U.S.A. still remain above their lows of January-March. All the other indices have broken down in the past two weeks. And while stocks have plunged, Crude Oil and precious metals and foreign currencies against the U.S. Dollar have soared (see Longer-Term thoughts below). Once again, this behavior supports the idea that the forthcoming Saturn-Uranus opposition is so dominant that it dwarfs the positive effect of lesser geocosmic cycles, such as the Jupiter-Saturn trine and Jupiter-Uranus sextile - even though the later have already been in effect since January and will continue until November, whereas the Saturn-Uranus opposition doesn't officially begin until November. The Saturn-Uranus opposition is still in its "applying aspect" phase, whereas the others are actually underway. But even as an applying aspect, it is much more powerful than the 14 and 20-year cycles of the lesser and usually favorable Jupiter aspects to Saturn and Uranus combined. We do note that the rally high in the DJIA ended May 19 as the Jupiter-Uranus sextile unfolded. It has been downhill ever since.

Short-Term Geocosmics :

We are now at the very end of this huge time band of geocosmic signatures extending from June 12 through July 14. The midpoint of June 28 did not correlate with a lasting major reversal in stock indices. There is still a possibility it could coincide with a reversal at the very end, for there are three Level One (strongest correlates to reversals) signatures in effect July 9-14. July 11 is right in the middle, and as noted above, most equity markets fell into Friday of last week, July 11, while Crude Oil and precious metals and currencies (vis-à-vis the US Dollar) soared.

But there is another geocosmic pattern that has now begun and is of concern. As written in this week's report for our Japanese stock market subscribers, "That is the transit of Mars, which is now in a "translation" position between the conjunction to Saturn (July 10) and opposition to Uranus (August 6). Why is this important ? Because the Saturn-Uranus opposition is the greatest long-term geocosmic signature in effect that is coming up shortly (November 4, 2008-July 26, 2010). A "translation" to this long-term planetary signature is a preview of what to expect during the time that the major signature is in effect. In the first 6 months of this year, every transit from Sun, Venus, or Mars to the Saturn-Uranus opposition has produced new lows for the year 2008 (in various equity indexes of the world). This one is also doing the same, and it is only one day old so far. It implies that the Nikkei (and other world indices) could experience a serious washout as fear grows in excess about the future of the world economy and world financial (banking) system. Therefore we are in between two conflicting signals : cycles say a primary cycle trough is now due, to be followed by a strong 2-5 week or greater rally. Some geocosmic signatures support this view if the low forms by Tuesday. But the Mars translation to Saturn-Uranus allows a possibility of a further decline into early August, and maybe even longer, as Venus and then the Sun does the same thing over the following month (August 13-23, and September 3-12). Each of these periods may be fraught with several triple digits daily declines."

Long-Term Thoughts :

We will continue with our series of discussions on the astrological correlations to USA 2008 Presidential election. In prior columns, I have given two long-term geocosmic cycles whose historical themes support the election of Barack Obama. The first was the 19-year waning phase of the Saturn-Pluto cycle, 2001-2020, whose historical themes correlate to greater federal spending (i.e. larger government), increased federal deficits, and increased taxes. The platform of the probable Democrat nominee supports this probability more than that of the Republican nominee. The second geocosmic factor in effect is the 248-year Pluto cycle, which will be moving into Capricorn (2008-2023), and has already begun its conjunction to natal Sun-Pluto opposition in early Capricorn-Cancer (2008-2010) of the Federal Reserve Board chart (December 23, 1913). The astrological theme of this signature pertains to the dismissal or resignation of the FRB Chairman, and/or a major restructuring of the Federal Reserve Board itself. Since the current chair was appointed by Republican George W. Bush, it is more likely that a dismissal or resignation would occur under a Democrat president. Perhaps in anticipation of such a change or restructuring, it is interesting to note that at this time, the FRB chair and U.S. Treasury Secretary are seeking to expand - not lessen - the powers of the Federal Reserve Board.

Now let's consider the case for the election of the presumed Republican candidate John McCain. Under the leadership of the past three Republican presidents (Ronald Reagan, George H. Bush Sr, and George W. Bush Jr), the U.S. Dollar has fallen sharply. It is now at historic lows, and is perhaps the single-most cause of the record-breaking levels of many commodities, such as Gold, Crude Oil, and grains (Corn, Wheat, Soybeans). The only break in the 23-year fall in Dollar came under the leadership of Democrat President Bill Clinton. During his two terms (1993-2001), the value of the U.S. Dollar rose steadily. For further discussion and charts to illustrate this effect, please go to a special article on "Pluto in Capricorn: The Good, The Bad, Even Worse, and Redemption," written for my web site at http://www.mmacycles.com/articles/articles/pluto-in-capricorn. An election of John McCain could very well continue this trend of the falling U.S. Dollar for one very important reason: the War in Iraq. The U.S. Dollar is not likely to rise long-term, nor is the price of Crude Oil likely to come down as quickly as otherwise expected via other geocosmic signatures (Uranus in Pisces), as long as the U.S. military remains in combat in Iraq. The U.S. Dollar will change its trend only when the war is over and the U.S. troops are no longer required (or desired by the U.S. administration) to be there. The transiting Pluto is in opposition to the U.S.A. Venus-Pluto conjunction in the first five degrees of Cancer from 2008 through 2011. Venus represents the currency of a country. Pluto in hard aspect to one's Venus or Jupiter is one of the classical bankruptcy aspects in Financial Astrology (Neptune and Uranus can do the same, and Uranus will be there as well 2010-2012 as part of the forthcoming Cardinal Climax, when Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto are all in T-square in early cardinal signs). Although it is true that the platform of Barack Obama could also lead to potential bankruptcy (higher taxes, higher deficits, greater spending required to enlarge the federal government), it is also true that the military platform of John McCain could do the same by the simple fact that he is committed to staying the course in Iraq. Under McCain's leadership, there would still be no end in sight to the U.S. military involvement in Iraq, and that would continue to plummet the Dollar and thus continue the inflationary rise in commodities like Crude Oil, precious metals, and grains. This is consistent with the Pluto transit in opposition to the USA Venus-Jupiter conjunction.

Could these cyclical trends be changed ? Of course. That is the value of astrology to society and culture. It shows the historical themes and likely consequences of policies that play into those themes. But the ultimate outcome of anything depends as much on individual or collective choices. One has the ability to plan. One has the ability to make choices that lead to a different outcome than that indicated by these historical cycles and geocosmic signatures. If you see that raising taxes and increased Federal spending and deficits can lead to economic turmoil (under the waning phase of Saturn and Pluto), then you wait for - or try to first create - a more prosperous environment to enact that kind of economic policy. You don't spend more money and make greater investments in a falling economy which is already in great debt. You get the economy back on track first, and then you start to spend your surpluses - not add onto your debts while the economy is falling. If you see that your military involvement in a critical part of the world is leading to a collapse of your currency (and increase in your federal debt), then you do your utmost to bring that conflict to an end quickly and stop the root cause of the deflation of your currency. Unfortunately, these positions will not win elections, let alone nominations, from the current two-party system, and the polarizing effect it has had on the populace . You are either on one side or the other, and in this case, the current platforms of both sides are fraught with economic and financial dangers. And those dangers are consistent with the long-term historical cycles and long-term planetary cycles. The last time Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto came into a cardinal T-square was.... 1930-1931. It is in effect again 2008-2011. We don't have to repeat it. But unless something changes fairly soon in these platforms, it looks to me like we will repeat it. And that is what these equity markets are suggesting too as they fail to reverse (rally) under the usually reliable geocosmic signatures for market reversals.

Announcements :

The last"SOS Global Market Cycles Report" came out July 8. If you a subscriber to this report and did not receiver it, please let us know. If you not a subscriber, and you are interested in the longer-term outlook for U.S. and world stock indices, then I suggest you consider taking out a subscription and getting that last report. It is also available in German (please go to www.mma-europe.de in to order the German version of SOS). This monthly report addresses the long - and intermediate-term cycles that affect all world markets, but specifically through the history of the U.S. stock market, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It is the "big picture" ahead, like where we are now in terms of the 18 - and 4-year cycles. It will then give an overview (and projection) of the shorter cycles (primary and its phases) of the Netherlands AEX, the Australian All Ordinaries, Hang Seng of Hong Kong, the NASDAQ Composite Index, and the XAU Gold and Silver Mining index. The German edition will give analysis also of the German DAX and Swiss Market Index (SMI). For ordering information, please go to http://www.mmacycles.com/catalogue/services/the-sos-stock-market-cycles.

We have added an exciting new feature to our web site. Now, on the very front page, you can get a daily update on the weighted values of the Solar-Lunar cycles for the Dopw Jones Industrial Average and the Silver market, via the studies conducted in "The Ultimate Book on Sock Market Timing Vol 4: Solar-Lunar Correlations to Trading Cycles," and "The Sun, Moon And Silver Market : Secrets of a Silver Trader." These are the studies, I use personally when trading stock index futures, ETFs (like DIA and Silver fund), and Silver futures. Anything over 100 means it has an above average correlation to reversing from an isolated high or low if it forms that day. The higher the value, the more probable the reversal. To see these daily values, please go to www.mmacycles.com , and just check it out.

My next Market Timing Workshop will take place at "The Blast Astrology Conference" in Sedona, AZ, on Saturday, September 20 th , 2 pm to 6 pm. Cost is $145.00 if signed up by August 15. The title will be "Introduction to Financial Astrology and Market Timing." For more information on this workshop, go to http://blastastrologyconference.com/schedblast2.html. It ought to be a "Blast!"

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 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.

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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