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MMA COMMENTS FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING
February 7 - 2011

Raymond A. Merriman©

The Forecast 2014 Book is available for the IPhone 4 and IPad through Itunes. Look up Forecast 2011 on the IBookstore and look forward to a link coming soon on our web site.

It's out !!! The Forecast 2014 Book is out. The hardcover printed version of Forecast 2011 is out in Chinese, Swiss, Dutch, Japanese, Spanish, and Russian versions. We are pleased to announce that that this year's book may be purchased at these websites and in these languages :

Chinese - Chinese        Dutch        Deutsch         Japanese       Russian       Spanish

For an updated review on the highlights of the Forecast 2010 Book, visit :
http://www.mmacycles.com/the-news/about-mma/scorecard-for-forecasts-2010. It's even more impressive than first thought.

The Market Week in Review :

There is just no stopping this "Asset Inflation Express" in stocks. As stated so many times in this column over the past year, as well as both the Forecast 2010 and 2011 books, the Jupiter and Uranus transit into Aries is likely to bullish for stocks into the middle of this year. It started when both planets first moved into Aries in late May, early June 2010.

Most of the world stock indices bottomed in late May 2010, whereas the USA stock market had one more new low to make in the first week of July. Since that time - and especially after Saturn left the oppositions and squares in the Cardinal Climax in the last week of August - most world stock indices have been on an upward tear. This is entirely consistent with the principles of Financial Astrology, and also correlates with the history of Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions. Stock markets don't usually top out until 4-7 months after that conjunction. The final Jupiter-Uranus conjunction passage in the current series took place January 4, 2011. Everything continues in its proper order related to this combination. Of course there are other combinations that are also in effect, and which must also be accounted for, such as the 26-month Sun-Mars conjunction that just took place on Friday, February 4.

Last week witnessed more new 30-month highs in several stock indices of the world, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ Composite. Argentine Merval, German DAX, and Netherlands AEX. All made these new highs between the Aquarian new moon of Wednesday, February 2, and Friday's Sun-Mars conjunction (February 4). The run to higher prices may not be over. That is, there is no technical sign of a top yet, even though the market timing qualities of Financial Astrology suggests that at least a corrective reversal could start at any time now. This is what is known as a critical reversal period, per the criteria given in "The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing, Volume 3 : Geocosmic Correlations to Trading Cycles".

The Asset Inflation Express extended to several commodity markets last week too. Gold and Silver, for example, were up all week. The grain markets (Corn, Soybeans, and Wheat) all made new 2-year highs last week, as did Crude Oil. However, in the case of Crude Oil, prices fell back sharply into the end of the week. Many currencies were strong last week too against the U.S. Dollar, though they started to pull back Thursday and Friday following these multi-week highs.

To be sure, last week was quite dynamic. It was a very good reflection of the planetary picture, particularly the new moon in Aquarius on February 2 and the Sun-Mars conjunction of February 4. As Financial Astrologers everywhere would have expected, it was a week of aggressive behavior and the urge to fight for one's beliefs as to what is right.

Short-Term Geocosmics :  

But now the geocosmic picture begins to change. And this is not just a little change in the eyes of Financial Astrologers.

Let me explain. In the study of astrology, the most energetic signs are known as fire signs (Aries, Leo, and especially Sagittarius). When several planets are in these signs, investors are aggressive, confident, and stock prices tend to go up. It is similar when they are in air signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius), though not so much due to aggressiveness as due to positive news. On the other hand the earth signs tend to be more cautious, even fearful. When several planets are in earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn), equity markets tend to pause, or even retreat, as investors reassess the economic and political climate.

We already discussed the bullish impact of Jupiter and Uranus in the fire sign of Aries. That's not going to change for awhile, although Uranus has retrograded back into Pisces, but will return to Aries on March 11. But heliocentric Mercury and geocentric Venus have also been in Sagittarius lately, thus adding fuel to the bullish engine in stocks. Those later two conditions will now change. Both will move from the overly optimistic sign of Sagittarius to the much more realistic and cautionary sign of Capricorn, starting this weekend. The implication is that a correction will begin, or at least the market will likely pause in its upswing during this period. It doesn't negate the bull market, for after all, the larger planets of Jupiter and Uranus are still in their bullish phases. But it could indicate a time of contraction, or a correction, to the recent trend.

Then there is the matter of planets. Just as fire signs tend to stimulate market activity - and usually in a bullish manner - so too can the fiery Sun and planet Mars. They are together in the skies now. Symbolically this just stokes the flames of excitement, whether it is for higher stock prices and greater profits, or the universal quest for freedom and the overthrow of perceived repressive regimes.

The Sun-Mars conjunction takes place in the revolutionary-minded sign of Aquarius. Interestingly enough, Uranus rules Aquarius, and Uranus is about to re-enter Aries for the next seven years. What has been unfolding in Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, and to some extent Syria and Iran, is just the beginning. This unrest is apt to threaten the overthrow many regimes, and even the United States is not likely to be spared from this threat by the time Uranus reaches its middle degrees in 2013-2014, and forms its 90 degree square aspect to Pluto, all in the same degrees as the USA natal Sun-Saturn square. The Sun rules the president, Saturn its government. Either all parties move into this new future together, as partners, or they separate and new structures are formed as old structures are torn down.

But back to this week, and the next couple of weeks to follow. This turn of attention, away from the confidence builders of Sagittarius and Sun-Mars, towards the worrisome Capricorn and the approaching Jupiter-Pluto 90 degree square on February 25, all has to do with debt and governance. The world is still swimming in debt, and it seems the only entities that were truly helped with the aggressive monetary policies of the past two years were banks and their bankers. The disdain that the populace currently feels towards many world leaders that are viewed as tyrannical, dictatorial and repressive, is matched only by the growing awareness of how recent monetary policies and political decisions have favored banks at the expense of ordinary taxpayers, when the announced purpose was just the opposite. Here is a report you might want to check out that illustrates part of the problem : http://www.youtube.com/user/fiercefreeleancer.

The month of January was favorable for stocks, and so far the first week of February has been too. In fact, it is possible the investment community looks favorably upon stocks for the first half of this year. Bu there is the matter of the history of the Sun-Mars conjunction. As stated before, it oftentimes ends trends of 10 + % in stock markets, and quite often begins 10% counter-trend moves. The orb of time can be as much as 4 weeks. If the USA doesn't soon raise its debt ceiling, the hysteria of default will quickly engulf the investment community, and stock prices could fall 10% very fast, just the way the Sun-Mars likes it.

This week it was announced that the USA debt ceiling would be hit by the first week of April, if nothing is done first. Judging by everything that has occurred with the White House and Congress over the past two years, it is likely that this important decision will also come down to the wire. But if you look at what is happening in the heavens during the last week of March and first week of April, the picture isn't rosy to the view of a Financial Astrologer. On March 28, Jupiter will be in a 180-degree opposition to Saturn, and the Sun a 90-degree square to Pluto. Two days later, on March 30, Mercury goes retrograde (until April 22). On April 3, Mars will have just entered Aries and form a conjunction to Uranus, on the same day that the Sun will be in opposition to Saturn. What does this all mean ? It suggests that the threat of a default is very real, as politicians stand-off with one another. They probably come to a last minute agreement that no one likes, and for which there will once again be unintended (and even unimagined) consequences, requiring them to change (negate) their sloppily-attained agreements soon after.

For us, the question will be : how can stock markets go up during this period of political and governmental folly (incompetence) ? That is why we could have a 10% decline, but immediately afterwards, another 10% rally. Let's see how it plays out, as the countdown to drama is now likely to begin in the next three weeks, Maybe this new Congress will show us a better and more efficient way to get things done that need to be achieved in a timely manner.

Long-Term Thoughts :

"The greatest mistake everyone makes is to judge their opponents by themselves. You MUST understand the beliefs of the other if you are to ever comprehend solutions. You cannot force your opponent to adopt your beliefs and if they refuse, you go to war".

- Martin A. Armstrong, "The Assent of China," www.martinarmstrong.org , January 30, 2011.

There are so many themes we could address this week. We could examine the regime change unfolding in Egypt, as part of the 7-year quest for individual freedom within the extremely revolutionary-minded transit of Uranus (and now Jupiter) in the sign of Aries. We could discuss the soon-to-come USA default, related to the current transit of Pluto in Capricorn, in opposition to the USA natal Jupiter position, a classical "bankruptcy" combination (2008-2013). Or we can talk about Ophiuchus, the so-called 13 th sign of the zodiac, the title of a forthcoming movie and recent book that has the public more confused than ever about the study of astrology.

So let's tackle this matter of Ophiuchus this week.

I first heard about Ophiuchus in the early 1970's. There was a book that had come out, called something like "The Thirteenth Sign," by an obscure astrologer. I read it. And every 2-3 years since that time, another book or article has come out on the same subject, either trying to discredit astrology because of it, or exploit astrology as a means to make money on something sensational.

It boils down to two types of people who usually put out this rubbish : pseudo scientists or pseudo astrologers. It is often perpetrated by pseudo-scientists, because they know professional astrologers don't use constellations - as seen from earth - as the basis for the zodiac boundaries. They also know that astrologers have made tremendous advances in their studies with the advent of the "Information Superhighway" (computers and internet). Astrologers are not stuck with the same tools they used 2000 year ago, let alone even 25 years ago, as these pseudo scientists would like to portray.

These are not real scientists because they violate the basic tenet of science, which is to enter into a study with a non-biased and open mind. This is part of the "healthy skepticism" of science, and not the dogma of owning the truth without fair-minded objectivity. The so-called scientists who distribute this misinformation about Ophiucus as a sign of the zodiac have only one purpose : to discredit astrology, a subject they have never studied even to the point of being able to construct a horoscope, or map of the heavens at a time of birth (beginning astrology). Their belief - like so many others who have no real "hands on" experience with astrology - is that "it doesn't work because it shouldn't work". Thus, this approach is a pseudo-scientist approach. The scientist has a bias before conducting (or even designing) a study to test the hypothesis that astrology does not work. And he is not interested in a civil discussion on the matter. Now make no mistake : this does not include most scientists in the scientific community, but only those who make outrageous claims that "astrology is rubbish". What is "rubbish" is their claims that they are scientists.

The other group responsible for distributing the misleading information that Ophiuchus is a 13 th zodiac sign are pseudo astrologers themselves who are trying to make a buck on some sort of "discovery" they just made. For the most part, these so-called astrologers are not part of the professional astrology community, and have never been, for they would know that this argument is bogus and misleading. They are not astrologers who have been certified, who have taken exams of proficiency, or had training in ethical awareness, that are available through many professional astrology organizations throughout the world these days.

One such organization is ISAR, Inc (the International Society for Astrological Research). Their website is www.isarastrology.com. In their weekly ezine of January 31, they published a response to the Ophiuchus claim that came out in a book written in 1994 (as I said, the issue comes to light every 2-3 years). I would like to repeat the excellent response made at that time by a real professional astrologer, Diana Rosenburg, of New York City (www.ye-stars.com). The following is the excerpt from the ISAR ezine of last week.

Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson, research scientist in astrophysics at Princeton and Curator of Astronomy at the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History, has become a familiar face on television ; he frequently appears on talk shows, cheerily and with gusto declaiming that astrologers are ignorant of the "fact" that there are fourteen zodiacal constellations, rather than twelve.  He has also authored several books, among them Universe Down to Earth (Columbia University Press, 1994). In this work, on page 210 he has:

"...the zodiac contains fourteen constellations, not twelve.  The Sun, after leaving the constellation Scorpius, enters the constellation Ophiuchus.  It then stays in Ophiuchus for a longer (emphasis Tyson's) period of time than Scorpius, the sign that is advertised to precede Sagittarius.  The confusing conclusion is that most Scorpions are actually Ophiuchans, and all Scorpions and Ophiuchans are currently Librans. The fourteenth constellation in the set is Cetus.  It is a large constellation that dips into Pisces. The Sun passes through Cetus briefly as it ambles through Pisces, but you are not normally informed of this in the horoscope pages."

But we are speaking of astrology, and Dr Tyson knows that astrologers use celestial longitudes ; he knows (or should know) that the Sun enters the longitudes of Scorpius and Ophiuchus at the same time, and remains in them for the same length of time. While it is true that the ecliptic runs through part of Ophiuchus, thus rightly making him part of the zodiac, the span of the Serpent-Bearer, in celestial longitude ,(1) matches that of the Scorpion, and so he cannot be called a "thirteenth sign"!  In actuality, the 8 th zodiacal constellation should be called Scorpius/Ophiuchus -  indeed, the two figures actually contact each other, as the left foot of Ophiuchus treads upon the Scorpion in order (according to tradition) to crush it.  It is this overlap which creates a problem, and makes it seem as though Ophiuchus' allotment of degrees exceeds the Scorpion's.

Tyson wrote that the ecliptic stays in Ophiuchus for a longer period of time than in Scorpius, but this holds true only if the artificial demarkation lines imposed by the IAU in 1930 are adhered to ;(2) the astronomers who determined those lines could not bring themselves to accept overlaps or combinations ; the lines, they believed, must keep each figure entirely separate, and the sky figures, like caged animals, must remain within them .(3) A quick glance at the lines dividing the Scorpion and the feet of Ophiuchus show that absolutely no allowance was made for the Scorpion's upper half !  Ophiuchus' left foot, which is treading upon the Scorpion, is given all ; the Scorpion, none. The poor arachnid, already truncated early on in history by losing his claws to form the Scales of Libra, has been further mutilated with the loss of his northern legs !.

Tyson claims that Ophiuchus is longer than Scorpius, but only if you include its outlying, dim stars ; and since we are talking zodiac here, note that the first stars of the Sagittarius Archer precede the longitudes of those faint, outlying Ophiuchus stars, thus seizing the zodiacal baton where Scorpius/Ophiuchus hands it off ; so the Serpent-Bearer cannot be considered a longer zodiacal figure than Scorpius. The earliest Sagittarius star is variable X Sagittarii at 27Sag15 - showing that the constellation of the Archer takes its position as the rightful 9th zodiacal figure, precluding any claims of Ophiuchus.

And as for the statement that "all Scorpions and Ophiuchans are currently Librans," that's a howler. Apparently Dr Tyson, in his rush to mix apples and oranges (in this case the sidereal zodiac and the tropical zodiac), has got his head in a twist.  Switching from the star figures to the tropical zodiac, one must go forward one sign ; what he (apparently) wanted to say was that all Scorpions and Ophiuchans are currently Sagittarians (tropical Sagittarians, that is).

Although his purpose is not to enlighten but to mock, we are indebted to the astrophysicist on one important point - many astrologers, even those who use constellations in their work, are unaware of Ophiuchus' "membership" in the sacred twelve due to the fact that his feet touch the ecliptic. But he is no "thirteenth sign" - he is part and parcel of the span of the Scorpion, and should be recognized, included and honored as such.

Nonetheless, if Dr Tyson is going to attack astrology (one of his very favorite pastimes), a discipline studied and employed by Hipparchus, Ptolemy, Galileo and Kepler, to name a few, it is incumbent upon him, laden with honors and academic credentials as he is, to get it right! .

To be continued... (next week)  

Announcements :

             It's out!!! ! The "Forecasts for 2011 Webcast" with Raymond Merriman that took place on Sunday, January 9, 2011 is available by DVD or CD. It is available now via "Streaming Review" for 27 days, or through MP3 purchase. It was a good presentation, filled with many investment ideas with timing insights. The cost for the MP3 or Streaming Review is $45.00 (no postage). The cost of the CD is $45.00, + postage. The cost of the DVD is $59.99 + postage. The market charts used in the presentation will be emailed to you separately in a PDF format. To purchase your copy of this Forecast 2011 webcast, just register at the MMA Website, or drop us an email ( ordersmma@msn.com ) or fax (248-538-5296), or call us at 1-248-626-3034.

             I had the pleasure of reading Manfred Zimmel's economic outlook for 2011 recently. I would highly recommend this fascinating overview through the eyes of another Financial Astrologer that I respect very much. Manfred can be a bit radical in the eyes of some, but he has been so right on the world economic scene so far ahead of everyone else, that he cannot be ignored. His record bears respect. And I greatly appreciate his discussion on inflation in this report. It is exceptional in my opinion. This report can be ordered at http://www.amanita.at/docs/open/newsletter-e.pdf.

Upcoming Events :

             February 6, 2011 : Lansing, MI".Forecasts for 2011" with Raymond Merriman, sponsored by the Learning Center. Contact 517-664-2665 for information. I look forward to seeing many  readers of this column there.

             March 2011 : Miami (tentative). More later, when we confirm.

             March 10 — 12, 2011 : Mexico City, Mexico. Speech on Forecasts 2011, and workshop on "Evolutionary Astrology : The Journey of the Soul Through States of Consciousness". For information, please contact acuario888@gmail.com.

             April 28 and 30, 2011 : Kansas City, Mo ".Forecasts for 2011" and "Financial Astrology Workshop" with Raymond Merriman. For more information, please go to http://www.astrologykansascity-aoa.com, or contact allenblasco@yahoo.com, or call 816-774-4514. The workshop will cover projections for the U.S. stock market, precious metals, and other markets of interest to attendees. This will probably be the only Financial Astrology workshop in the United States this year. There will also be a special dinner party arranged for Friday evening, with Merriman, for those who attend the workshop (there will be a $55.00 fee for the dinner, but it will still be a special occasion to meet one another). You can also see the flyer for this weekend by going to www.mmacycles.com, under EVENTS Details soon.

Our next private meeting with subscribers will take place after the all-day workshop in Kansas City, on Saturday, April 16. This is a very exciting gathering, for both myself (Merriman) and subscribers, as all kinds of interesting topics and ideas usually come up. Various market topics will be discussed and you may ask questions in this lively exchange. But you need to reserve a spot in this meeting with us ahead of time. There is no cost to subscribers, or $195.00 if not a subscriber to any daily or weekly report, or a one-year subscription to any MMA Cycles Report). To make your reservation for this special meeting, call us at 1-248-626-3034 or email Amber at ordersmma@msn.com.

             May 2011 : Ljubljana, Slovenia and Belgrade, Serbia. Details to be announced soon.

             May-June 2011 : I will be hosting at least one dinner meeting with MMA subscribers in Europe during this period, as I complete the final chapters of "The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing, Volume 5: Forecasting Prices". This meeting will take place in either Munich, Hamburg, or Berlin, and may follow a one-day Financial Astrology and Market Timing Workshop on current market forecasts in stocks, precious metals, and currencies. Reservations will be required for the dinner as you will be my guests (no charge to you, but there will be a charge for non-subscribers). At this dinner meeting, I will share one chart that I think deserves special consideration as a position trade for this season. Stay tuned for details in these announcements

             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 (see a sample there, of the weekly). 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, or call our offices at 1-248-626-3034. In fact, since September 2011, both the daily and weekly reports have been extremely accurate and profitable for both position traders and short-term aggressive traders. Position traders in stocks indices, for instance, were put long back in November 2010 when the DJIA traded slightly below 11,000. They have remained long through the entire rally since then (over 1200 points, and over 12%). These reports are extremely valuable to those who trade ETF's (Exchange Traded Funds). 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".

             The MMA Catalogue of products and services for 2013 is now out!!! You can download it in PDF. The ordering page is the last page of the catalogue. This is especially useful for those outside of the USA, since we do not mail these out by mail unless requested.

             We are pleased to announce that the Spanish publication of "Basic Principles of Geocosmic Studies for Financial Market Timing" has just been completed. For more information and ordering, please contact www.lecochonsideral.info/PubliMERRI/Espagnol/Annee2012/semana.html.

             We also have our new CD available : "The Cardinal Climax 2008-2015 : Investment Opportunities and Dangers". This 75-minute CD outlines the most powerful geocosmic configuration of our lifetime : The Cardinal Climax of 2008-2015. This presentation examines the historical, long-term geocosmic signatures that are present 2008-2015, how they correlated to economic crises in the past, and how they will likely impact various financial markets and investment opportunities this time. In fact, many of the themes are already underway. Approximately 75 minutes, with PDF file of charts used: $25.00 plus postage.

             I am oftentimes asked for recommendations of a money manager who uses my methods, since I won't manage other people's money. The thing is, almost all money managers I know use their own systems. But many subscribe to my services and share my thoughts about the future of the economy, various financial markets, and how to position one's portfolio along these lines. One money manager who subscribes to our services that I would suggest for those looking to structure a longer-term portfolio, such as a retirement account, is Duke O'Neill of Boulder, Colorado. He can be reached at dukeoneil1@gmail.com, or 1-(303) 545-5837. For those looking for a professional trader of commodity and futures contract might consider Ted Lee Fisher at ted.fisher@comcast.net. Ted is a legend in financial futures and has a seat on the CME. Both are very knowledgeable of the tools I use, of the way I am looking at markets, and yet each makes their own decisions as to exactly when to enter and exit any market. They will be more than happy to assist you.

             To the above list, I would also like to recommend long-term MMA subscriber Erwin Brunner of Zurich, Switzerland. Mr. Brunner is the founder of BrunnerInvest AG. One of his five funds was awarded the "Best in-house fund of funds" in the world recently. Mr. Brunner is a former director of the Swiss Banking Corporation (today it is known as UBS), and a general director of Rothschild Bank in Zurich. As an independent wealth manager for high net worth individuals and institutional clients only, he places his clients into the funds of the best performing fund managers in the world, via his own research and experience. For high net worth readers interested in Mr. Brunner's funds, please contact him through www.brunnerinvest.ch.

             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.

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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