MMA WEEKLY - Financial Astrology commentary, Financial Market Analyst and Market Timer

This year's printed version of Forecast 2016 will also available in five other languages, as follows :

Each of these will also offer the English version of Forecast 2015, as will our Chinese distributor : Your work is essential to anyone who is serious in this field. I can't thank you enough for it.

Go to the sheet for Downloading the video for the Ultimate book on stock market timing.

Please note that there will be no column next week in celebration of the holidays. That is, I am celebrating by taking the week off along with everyone else. Enjoy the season, the Forecast 2016 Book (if you ordered it), and we will be back for the week of January 4.

Review and Preview :

"The Federal Reserve has to raise interest rates Wednesday for the first time in 9½ years because policymakers have painted themselves into a corner by not moving at the September meeting, said Jack Welch, management expert and former General Electric chief". - Matthew J. Belevedere, "Why the Fed Has No Choice on Rates", CNBC.com, December 16, 2016.

"I think the Yellen Fed will go down in infamy as deliberately stoking up yet another massive financial bubble. But unlike the start of the last tightening cycle in 2004, this time the corporate bond market is already severely stressed and it may take just a tiny pin-prick to burst open the putrid excess.," - Alan Edwards, Bank Analyst, Societe Generale, CNBC, Matt Clinch story titled, "Yellen Will Go Down In Infamy", December 18, 2015.
"I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably misunderstood what I've said".
- Alan Greenspan, former Fed Chair,
www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/alan_greenspan.

They did it. They finally did it, and many are now wondering if it is "too little, too late". At first, world equity markets liked it. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared up nearly 225 points on Wednesday, December 16, as the Fed made their overly late announcement of a quarter-point rate hike. Silver was up 40 cents. The next day, they both gave up all their gains (and more) as traders realized that what the Fed said contradicted what they thought the Fed said. And then on Friday, DJIA sold off another 367 points to its lowest level in two months. It is looking very ugly, which is a disappointing way to end a disappointing year in so many ways, when people desperately need something to be cheerful about. However, as stocks sold off sharply on Friday, Silver diverged and came right back up again with a 40 cent up move. This is getting interesting and strange, as if Uranus is floating about.

The Fed said they would continue to be accommodative and go slow, perhaps two rate hikes in the next year. But then they also said their target was a 1.375% rate in the next year, up from 0-.25% now. At the rate of a quarter point hike each time, that would mean four rate hikes, not two or three, unless they were not going to go so slow. On that realization, the euphoria of Jupiter and Neptune gave way to the fear of Saturn, the planet they both square over the next several months. They will be no gain without some pain. In fact, no gain is the pain. With Saturn and Neptune, it is like trying to do a race in mud.

Last week was a wild week for equities and metals, coincident with Uranus turning stationary direct next week right on Christmas (more importantly, right on my birthday). With Uranus, nothing ever goes as planned. You think you know, based on all of your knowledge, how things will unfold. But with Uranus, they will not go as you plan. Something else will happen, and if you want to survive, you need to learn the value of detachment. Let it go.

In terms of markets, this refers to support and resistance, trends and reversals. They break and they change in short order, but they mean nothing as to the true trend beneath it all. And this is where Neptune comes in and asks : what trend ? Do you see a trend ? Or do you just hear noise ? The stock market can't make a new high and it won't make a new low, but it will surely move great lengths as if it wants to be in a trend. Yet, in reality (a concept quite foreign to Neptune), the value of the DJIA has remained between its high in May and its low in August. It is in congestion, fighting the age-old battle between fear (Saturn) and greed (Jupiter).

And you know what ? As Uranus goes stationary direct on my birthday next week, I fight that same battle. The good thing about Uranus is you feel young and inspired. The challenging thing about Uranus is that you are not necessarily any wiser. You may think you know more, but you also know that you don't know, because if you did know, you could control things. But control is the last thing that Uranus will give you. At least I can still control my breath, which is ultimately the most important thing a body can control, if it has the mind and will to do so.

Best Trades of the Past Week :

Unavailable this week.

For more information on the daily or weekly market reports, please follow this link, or call our offices at 1-248-626-3034.

Short-Term Geocosmics :

The only major geocosmic signature in force next week is Uranus turning stationary direct at 16 degrees of Aries, on December 25. Markets can be volatile within a week of this event. However, since this is a holiday period, it will be interesting to see how it plays out. It could continue its wildness related to Uranus. Or it could be quiet due to the holidays.

December 25 is also a full moon day, so expect high winds and storms, maybe even an earthquake or electrical failure around this time. We cannot rule out terrorist activity, so this is not a time to take chances in potentially dangerous situations. On the other hand, it is a time to experience exceptional new thought. Just realize those ideas are ahead of their time, and you need to work on timing, like market timing principles.

Longer-Term Thoughts and mundane astrology :

"But in order to lead this fight with unified support, certain things will have to change. We can't call out prejudice against our faith without also calling out the gender inequality and homophobia that we find in some of our communities. We can't be champions of our own religious freedom without championing the rights of all traditions across the globe to peacefully practice, including other Muslim sects we may disagree with doctrinally. We have to change the way we think about Islamic law and vilify the mediaeval judicial practices that persist in the Middle East. And we must have uncomfortable but necessary conversations about where much of the funding for this cancerous supremacist ideology is coming from - Saudi Arabia". - Khurram Dara, "Our Duty as American Muslims", Wall Street Journal, December 10, 2015.

Here comes the Saturn-in-Sagittarius, square Neptune-in-Pisces, debate involving the contradictions and value of certain religious tenets. As hysteria builds (Neptune in Pisces) in the USA and other western nations about allowing Muslims to immigrate or keep them out (Saturn, build a wall), many people are being forced to deal with their own inner conflicts on the subject. Do we exhibit compassion towards those who have been forced to flee their homelands (Neptune), or do we take isolationist steps to insure our safety (Saturn) by preventing those from entering who come from countries where terrorism and hatred of western culture prevails, due to the extremist teachings of some sects ? Safety, based on fear of the worst qualities in people, or compassion, based on faith in the best qualities of people ?.

Geocosmics suggests that this debate may persist until late 2016, when Jupiter leaves Virgo and moves into the fair-minded sign of Libra, and moving from a challenging square aspect with Saturn to a harmonious sextile aspect to Saturn in Sagittarius, September 2016 through October 2017. Until then, hysteria may be rampant, along with opportunistic efforts to capitalize on this hysteria by politicians seeking votes in the 2016 election.

Hysteria, however, is not to be experienced only in the realm of geopolitical and/or religion matters. Its prospect is everywhere, including financial and commodity markets. It will be a test of faith in our leaders as well as us as individuals. It is a good time to understand astrology, or seek the advice of one who does understand the language of the cosmos. After all, once upon a time there were three wise men (astrologers), who followed a bright star in the east (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in 7 BC), and look where it brought them. where it brought the world.

To be continued (next week).

Announcements :

The Forecast 2016 Book is out! The Forecast 2016 Book is completed and all orders placed prior to December 11 have been mailed out as of Monday-Tuesday, December 14-15. They should be received by December 24. If you have ordered this book prior to December 11 and do not receive it by December 24, please let us know. If you haven't ordered this book and want a copy, also let us know before they sell out this year. Don't miss it! See info below.

Raymond Merriman was interviewed this past week on Radio Nikkei in Tokyo. The interview, titled "MERRIMAN FORECASTS," will be aired on Dec 23, 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM. The program contains a part of the interview. Its full version one is going to be contained on Compact Disc released on Dec 25th, exactly the same day of "FORECAST 2016" book is released in Japan. RADIO NIKKEI has a special web site for "MERRIMAN FORECASTS" program, at http://market.radionikkei.jp/merriman. People can purchase the Japanese edition of the Forecast 2016 Book and CD on that web site. They can also listen to our 30 min. program via podcast after the on-air interview of December 23. An English translation of this interview will be posted under the NEWS section of MMA's own website at www.mmacycles.com.

Check out The Mountain Astrologer, the Dec/Jan 2016 edition that just came out. It features a two-part interview with Raymond Merriman on Financial and Mundane Astrology, the economy, financial markets, and the state of the world astrology community. For information on subscribing to America's top astrological magazine and getting your copy of this and the next issue's interview with Ray Merriman, conducted by Editor Tem Terriktar, call TMA at 530-477-8839, 800-287-4828, or their website at www.mountainastrologer.com.

MMA's annual Forecast Book, written by Raymond A. Merriman since 1976, is now completed and will be ready for distribution on December 15. This book is one of the most unique, affordable, and accurate glimpses into the coming year. Utilizing the study of cycles and geocosmic factors, this annual Forecast Book outlines forthcoming trends pertaining to political, economic, and financial markets throughout the world. No other book has informed and prepared readers for the Cardinal Climax period of 2008-2015 as precisely as Raymond Merriman's annual Forecast book. No other book has guided readers through this turbulent period since it began in 2008. But now, in 2016, we enter a different kind of period for the next two years that will require new strategies and a different set of skills to navigate these forces of change.This is a book, with an impressive background for insightful accuracy into world economic and financial market conditions that you will not want to miss! The perfect holiday gift for your family, friends, favorite broker, or financial advisor. For further information, go to www.mmacycles.com and click the banner. ORDER NOW AND MAKE SURE YOU RECEIVE YOUR COPY BY CHRISTMAS !!! This book makes an excellent gift for the holiday season.

This year's printed version of Forecast 2016 will also available in four other languages, as follows :
Dutch : at www.markettiming.nl
German : at http://www.mma-europe.ch
Japanese : at http://merriman.jp
Russian : at http://www.mmafinance.ru

MMA's weekly and daily reports have been extremely accurate and profitable over the past several weeks, especially in equity indices, crude oil, and precious metals. If you are an active short-term trader, or even if you are an investor who likes to keep up with our current thoughts on financial markets, you may be interested in our Weekly or Daily Market reports. It is the only way I keep in touch with traders on a daily or weekly basis. These weekly reports give in-depth analysis of the DJIA, S&P and NASDAQ futures, Euro currency (cash and futures), Dollar/Yen cash and Yen futures, Euro-Yen cash, T-Notes, Crude Oil, Soybeans, Gold and Silver. The daily reports cover all stock indices listed above, as well as futures in Euro, T-Notes, Gold and Silver, plus GLD and SLV (the Gold and Silver ETF's). Both reports provide trading strategies and recommendations for position traders as well as for shorter-term aggressive traders. Subscription to the daily report also includes the weekly report. For more information, or call our offices at 1-248-626-3034. These reports are extremely valuable to those who trade ETF's (Exchange Traded Funds). And since early December, these reports have been extremely profitable. As subscriber and trader R.B. of Albuquerque, NM writes",You have been on an incredible run for a while ; I have never seen anything like it". Well, when everything lines up just right...

Our monthly MMA Cycles report and its companion MMA Japanese Cycles and MMA European Cycles reports went out last week. If you are subscriber to any these monthly reports and did not receive it, let us know at once via our email.

- This report covers our long term analysis of the stock market (DJIA and S&P futures), Gold, Silver, T-Notes, Euro and Swiss Franc currencies, grains and crude oil. It also provides the list of geocosmic and solar-lunar reversal zones for the 1-2 months. This report comes out Monday night to subscribers.
- The MMA Japanese Markets Cycles report covers the Nikkei, JGB Bonds, and the Dollar-Yen.
- The new MMA Europe Cycles report covers the German DAX, Swiss SMI, and Netherlands AEX stock indices, each in english only and will be available on Wednesday.
Two-issue trial subscriptions are available for this service for $50.00, which includes the current issue and the next month's as well.
For subscription information, please go to our web site, or call us at 1-248-626-3034. If you are not a subscriber, you can check this service out on a 2-month trial basis for only $50.00.

Speaking of our weekly subscription reports, we now offer a new one titled : MMA Weekly Treasuries, Soybeans, and Crude Oil Report. This will be a 3-5 page report offering comments, analysis, forecasts, and trading strategy for next week's market activity in the U.S. 10-Year T-Notes (Treasuries), Soybeans, and Crude Oil futures only. List of support/resistance areas, trend indicator points, geocosmic and lunar reversal points for the week, cycles phasing, and recommended buy and sell strategies. The cost is $750/yr or $250/3 months. We will offer a one-month trial subscription for $50.00, available only until August 15, as part of our introduction to this new service. Subscriptions are delivered by downloadable postings on the MMA Website, which is entered via your personal password. It is also delivered via an email attachment to all subscribers over the weekend before the market opens.

If you are an active short-term trader, or even if you are an investor who likes to keep up with our current thoughts on financial markets, 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, as I no longer offer personal consultations. 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, Euro-Yen cash, T-Notes, Soybeans, Crude Oil, Gold and Silver. The daily reports cover all stock indices listed above, as well as futures in Euro, T-Notes, Soybeans, Gold and Silver. Both reports provide trading strategies and recommendations for position traders as well as for shorter-term aggressive traders. Subscription to the daily report also includes the weekly report.
If you want more information call our offices at 1-248-626-3034.
These reports are extremely valuable to those who trade ETF's (Exchange Traded Funds). In the words of one of our subscribers : I am really pleased with your recommendations through the Daily and Weekly Trade Recommendations. I have used them to trade gold and silver stocks in my IRA. In the last eight years I increased my account from $60,000 to $712,000. Thanks for your excellent publications. - Bryden C., Small Business Owner, Illinois.

Upcoming Events :

January10, 2016 : Raymond Merriman webinar on the outlook for financial markets, world economies, and possibly a look at the USA 2016 Presidential Election candidates. The exact date will be announced in about a month. The cost to participate will be $45.

October 13-17, 2016 : ISAR 2016 - "The Power of Forecasting Meets the Consequence of Choice". Costa Mesa, California (near LA). The climax will be a panel of expert Mundane Astrologers giving their Forecast of the USA 2016 Presidential Election. An "Application to Speak" process is currently underway. More details at www.isarastrology.com, and via the ISAR ezine that is sent out to all members of the organization. This event will include tracks on Mundane and Financial Astrology as Forecasting Tools, plus others on Psychological Shifts in Life, Timing of Spiritual Transformations, and Timing of Significant Relationships.

March 10-13, 2017 : Second MMA Investment Retreat, tentatively planned for Southern California or Hawaii now (no Sedona). Details soon.

The MMA Catalogue of products and services for 2015 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.

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 theBest 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.

It is with great pleasure that I announce the addition of Egon von Greyerz to MMA Investment Retreat faculty of presenters. I met Egon last week in Girona, Spain, at a special gathering attended by MMTA Graduates Nitin Bhandari (India), Philipp Beyer (Germany), Henry Canciglia (USA) and myself. Egon is an expert on Gold. He owns Matterhorn Asset Management, a Swiss Asset Management company specializing in wealth preservation, located in Zurich ( www.goldswitzerland.com). He was also the person who initiated the "Save Our Swiss Gold" Act in Switzerland late last year, which would have required the Swiss National Bank to back up their assets with 20% Gold holdings. The initiative failed, but his reasons for initiating this effort are still valid. Egon is very interested in MMA cycles' work, and will share his outlook on Gold and the world debt. This is a real treat!

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 identifiesBig 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 thatextra edge. And Silver is a great market to trade now. The cost is $125.00. For ordering on line.

The new book titled Solar-Lunar Keys to Gold Prices : Secrets of a Gold Trader , is now out. The long awaited sequel to the Secrets of a Silver Trader is due out in late October (maybe before)!!!
Now, GOLD as you have never seen it by night or day. The studies for the soon-to-be-released book are now completed and the results are now being used in the weekly and daily MMA subscription reports for short-term trading strategies in Gold. That's right... historically tested Solar-Lunar Correlations to trading reversals in the Gold Market - as only available from Raymond Merriman. The studies cover over 40 years of daily Gold, starting from December 31, 1974 through April 2015. The book will change how you approach trading Gold using these leading solar-lunar indicators, with very clear instructions as to "when" to expect 3%, 4%, or greater reversals in Gold prices and how to trade them. It will be a valuable guide for short-term traders of Gold, GLD, and other ETF's involving Gold prices. You may call 1-248-626-3034 or email ordersmma@gmail.com and place your pre-order now. It is also now available for purchase on the MMA web site at www.mmacycles.com. Order now and get the first printing of this new book on trading Gold!

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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