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

The Market Week in Review :

The post Jupiter-Neptune retrograde conjunction period continues to correlate with soaring equity prices. The second of three passes of this 13-year geocosmic cycle was completed on July 10. As we look back, we can see that most of the world equity indices bottomed July 8-13, coincident with this powerful geocosmic cycle. In the study of financial market timing, that low is known as a primary cycle trough, a cyclical phenomenon that tends to happen approximately every 18 weeks, depending on which index one is watching. In some cases it may happen as frequently as every 13-19 weeks, such as in Japan. In others cases it may happen at the 17-27 week interval, such as in the European indices. But according to cycles' theory, once any cycle bottoms, the first stage of the new cycle is almost always bullish. That is where we are now in terms of the primary cycles of the world stock markets. We are in the first phase, and hence it is very bullish. How long this rally will last depends on the phasing of the even longer-term cycles. If the longer-term cycles are bearish, then this primary cycle will top out in its first 6-week phase. If the longer-term cycle is bullish, then it will top out in its second or third 6-week phase. In terms of Financial Astrology, we can also anticipate that a market will reverse when there is a confluence of geocosmic signatures in a short amount of time. We are entering such a time frame right now. Thus, as bullish as things appear to be at the moment, the study of Financial Astrology suggests that caution is now warranted between now and mid-August.

In other markets, Gold and Silver continued their rallies last week as well. Gold traded as high as 957.50 on Thursday, up over 50.00 in just two weeks. Silver soared to 1389 on Friday. The prior week it had been as low as 1244. There was also a solar eclipse last week that this column indicated might be important to grain markets. Sure enough, Corn bottomed right on the eclipse day, and Soybeans tested their low of the prior week, then both rallied smartly into Thursday before pulling back into the close of the week. If they hold the lows of the past two weeks, these grains could undergo more upward movement in the next 2-5 weeks, making this a market for traders to watch closely.

Short-Term Geocosmics :

Venus continues its unusual aspects this week, forming a trine to the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction (July 26-28), and a T-square to the Saturn-Uranus opposition (July 21-28). On Friday, July 31, it will ingress into the cardinal sign of Cancer, always an important point for interest rate related markets, like currencies and Treasury notes and bonds. On Saturday, August 1, it will be in opposition to Pluto, which is in the first degree of Capricorn, equally important to interest rate markets as well as the Federal Reserve Board.

In the study of Astrology, Venus rules assets, like equities. It also rules currencies (money) and sugar. These markets are most likely to be very active during the last two weeks of July, possibly coinciding with the completion of a primary cycle and consequent reversal of significance to traders. Psychologically, Venus pertains to the need for relationships, the urge to connect with others and attain agreement and support. Given that it makes a favorable trine to Jupiter and Neptune, and given that Neptune is associated with the healing and health profession, it is not surprising that the news of late has focused so heavily on the issue of universal health insurance. President Obama is campaigning tirelessly to make this vision a reality. The problem, of course, comes in the form of how to pay for it. Who gets taxed in order to provide this coverage to all ? That's the domain of Pluto - taxes and debt. So on the one hand, Venus shows the ambition and drive to provide a security net of health insurance to everyone (in its trine to the universal Jupiter-Neptune). On the other hand, it shows the struggle to gain support for the financial plans necessary to afford this coverage.

Long-Term Thoughts :

" ...The opposition Saturn Uranus is leading and Jupiter amplifies its effects, and this trio is generally present in economic crisis as well as in wars, the former leading to the latter, both being equivalent to ravages. Here we have the coming up of the waning phase of the Kondratiev cycle, amplified by the presence of Jupiter and this makes us fear an economic depression, the first big one in that XXIst century. If this prognostication were not to occur, then we would dread the first big crisis of the international community : nationalist drives leading to a clash of economic interests in a metastasis of violence... ". Andre Barbault, written in 1990 in the magazine "L'Astrologue" (the astrologer), n°92, a special issue, a "Numero Spécial XXIe siècle", pages 36-37 under the title "Les bouleversements de 2010" (the upsets of 2010).

The problem with the 13-year conjunction cycle of Jupiter and Neptune is that it can be incredibly optimistic and altruistic without any evidence of reality to support such a faith. It can seem like the "irrational exuberance" observation of the investment community by Alan Greenspan some years back. The problem with Saturn in opposition to Uranus is that it can be incredibly harsh and cynical, with such an explosion of fear that it is difficult for people to maintain a sense of hope and optimism about the future. The "situation is bad and getting worse", seems to be the core of this outlook. The Jupiter-Neptune crowd seems airy-fairy and willing to believe that " ...if you can think it, then it will be". The Saturn-Uranus crowd, on the other hand, may be so skeptical that they appear to be too negative-thinking to anyone who disagrees with them. Where is the middle ground ? Where is the bridge of connection that Venus seeks ? There doesn't appear to be any, as the two sides become increasingly more polarized.

We also see this same conflict appearing in the world of financial markets right now. The "equities" crowd sees signs of economic hope. Companies are reporting profits again, the rate of unemployment is lessening, and many economic reports show the economy is starting to turn around. But a look at the precious metals crowd shows deep concerns about the possibility of inflation returning, as well as the prospect of another economic shock to the world financial system. To them, this economic recovery has no legs. It is nothing more than a "dead cat bounce" in a longer-term economic contraction. Just because the rate of decline is not as steep as it was a few months ago, jobs are still being lost, business are still going out of business, and homes are still being foreclosed in record numbers. You drop an object from the top of a building, and when it hits the cement, the rate of decline suddenly lessens. But it doesn't mean the object is able to fly once again. So which is it ?

As noted Mundane Astrologer Andre Barbault of Paris, France forecasted way back in 1990, the Saturn-Uranus opposition portends an economic crisis the likes of which we have not seen in many, many years. In fact, it is the most serious aspect for an economically dangerous period that he described. And it peaks when Jupiter enters a hard aspect to that dual, which will happen in the latter half of 2010. The bottom line is that, despite the optimism of Jupiter and Neptune, and the assurances of such Jupiterian personages as Federal Reserve Board Chair Ben Bernanke and others, this is still not a time to be overly speculative with your money. In fact, it may be time to consider ways to hedge your current investments, and protect your current assets, as equities have now recovered nearly one-third of the amount they fell between October 2007 and March 2009.

Announcements :

We are pleased to announce our new official Japanese web site. Here you can read our free weekly report in Japanese every week. You can purchase several of our books and subscription reports in Japanese, including or new weekly Gold report, Cash Currencies report, and both the MMA Cycles and MMA Japanese Markets Cycles reports. If you read Japanese, please feel free to check out this new site, created by Toshi Nippou Ltd. of Tokyo

I will be hosting another special update gathering for subscribers to our MMA daily, weekly, and/or monthly reports at the end of the year and in early 2010 on the East Coast. I will be celebrating my birthday (solar return) in New York City this year, which is on Christmas Day. So I will come in early to meet with subscribers on December 22. I haven't decided whether to host this meeting in my hotel room, or perhaps the home of one of our subscribers. But if anyone wishes to celebrate Christmas in New York City this year, I will be there and you are welcome to meet with other subscribers and myself to discuss current economic and market conditions. And the last week in February I will be giving the "Forecasts 2010" talk in Boston at the NCGR conference. I will take the opportunity again to meet privately with subscribers just after that talk - either that evening or the next, depending on location chosen to meet. If there are any subscribers who would wish to host that meeting in their home, kindly let me know. I can say this without any hesitation : the most exciting meetings for me are those with my subscribers. They understand the language I use, and they add great value to these discussions. In fact, it is through these discussions that I gain great clarity to my own views. For me, they are incredibly important and valuable. And I do believe subscribers who have attended these meetings feel the same way.

The monthly MMA Cycles and MMA Japanese Cycles Reports did not come out last week. They will be issued this week, Monday and Tuesday. The "MMA Cycles Report" 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. For more information and subscription.

For those interested in learning This is a good time to sign up for the ISAR 2009 conference, as a window for a wonderful discount closes this weekend. For those interested in learning or improving your understanding of astrology, this fantastic conference in Astrology is going to take place August 19-24, 2009, at the luxurious Oakbrook Hills Marriot Resort, just outside of Chicago (not far from O'Hare Airport). This will be the ISAR (International Society for Astrological Research) 2009 conference, featuring over 80 professional astrologers from all over the world, including Jeff Jawer, Rick Levine, Michael Lutin, Claude Weiss, Nick Campion, Verena Bachmann, and several Financial Astrologers like Christeen Skinner, Robert Hitt, Grace Morris, Roy Gillett, and myself. There will be a whole track on Financial Astrology, and I will be giving a one-day workshop on Financial Astrology, specializing in the Stock and Gold markets, on Monday, August 24. For more information, and registration, please go to www.isar2009.com.

If you are an active short-term trader, you may be interested in 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-Notes, Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, Gold and Silver. The daily reports cover all stock indices listed above, as well as futures in Euro, T-Notes, Soybeans, Gold and Silver. Subscription to the daily report also includes the weekly report. For more information, go to http://www.mmacycles.com/services, 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".

Stay tuned to these pages for an announcement on the annual pre-publication special offer for the Forecast 2010 book, coming in the next few weeks. Once the announcement is made, we will begin to take orders for this book that has sold out the past three years. Order early and make sure you get next year's Forecasts!

lease note that the English and German versions of Forecast 2009 book are all sold out now. We do have some Spanish translation copies available through our Buenos Aires affiliate, and Japanese copies might also still be available through our Tokyo affiliate. We understand there may be English copies available on Amazon.com at prices starting at $149. Pre-publication announcements for the 2010 edition will be announced in late July.

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 Dow 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.

Our MMA 2013 catalogue is now out. If you are interested in receiving this catalogue, you can download it directly Or just click here. A list of all our products and services and software programs is included therein.

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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