Gravity, or a reality slap, arrived yesterday. It may be a precursor to market moves in both directions favoring speculators, not investors or savers. So warns Raymond Merriman - here are his comments on this and more (thanks again, Ray!). These discussions of stocks, bonds, currencies, precious metals, crude oil, and other financial and economic matters are in addition to his analyses of other countries' markets, economy, and the social and political climate. Ray also provides detailed paid subscription services (daily, weekly and monthly) for the various markets, at his website always at the right side of the page. Here are Ray's comments for the upcoming week, from his site at Merriman Market Analyst - MMA Cycles Weekly Preview Comments:
=============

MMA Comments for the Week Beginning February 13, 2012

Written by Raymond Merriman

Review and Preview

Last week started out positively enough. Stock markets around the world rallied smartly into Thursday, February 9. Some were at their highest levels in three years, like the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the NASDAQ Composite. Many others, like the European indices and the Hang Seng, were at their highest levels since the breakdown last July-August that followed the downgrade of the USA credit worthiness by the S&P rating agency. You may remember that this downgrade occurred as transiting Uranus and Pluto came within one degree of their exact square, a preview of what might be expected in 2012-2015 when they actually enter into the exact square formation.

But as disturbing as the 20-35% declines in world equity markets were last summer, it may pale compared to what happened on Friday, February 10, shortly after the new bailout for Greece was announced and new austerity measures were demanded of its citizens. Violent protests erupted in the streets of Athens and government workers went on strike, crippling the nation and threatening once again to upend the European Union experiment into disaster and chaos.

Once again the events of late last week coincided with a geocosmic setup that was connected to the forthcoming waxing square of Uranus and Pluto. That is, transiting Venus is in the midst of making its translation to Uranus and Pluto, February 9-15. Venus conjuncts Uranus and squares Pluto on these dates respectively. Welcome to yet another preview of what is coming to a government near you this year, next year, and the year after. And it is all related to the exploding world-wide debt crisis. Uranus pertains to explosive and unsettling actions by the masses, and Pluto pertains to the debt crisis. The aspect isn't exact, but the writing is on the walls, er, in the heavens. And so far, no solutions are being offered in a manner that the masses will accept.

Stock markets abruptly ended their rallies on Friday, February 10, as many sold off. Investors fled stocks and headed for the safety of U.S. Treasuries and the U.S. Dollar, which is baffling, given that the U.S. itself remains on watch for further downgrades regarding its own inability to reign in its massive debt and spending addictions. If Greece is burning, out of protest of more austerity demands, the same may not be far off in the future for other countries in Europe, plus Japan and possibly the United States.

And you know what? Austerity is the primary way in which we are going to come out of these dire straits, as suggested by the forthcoming mutual reception of Saturn in Scorpio to Pluto in Capricorn (October 2012-September 2015). That's the positive way this will get resolved, given that these planets will also be in a favorable sextile to one another, if political leaders would just level with their citizens and start the discussion on developing a 5-8 year plan to rebuild the world financial system, instead of falsely promising miracles and magical bullets that do not exist. Why 5-8 years? Because that is how long it will take Saturn and Pluto to end their waning phase once the waning sextile commences (late 2012 through 2013). January 2020 is when they will end their 19-year waning phase and begin a new conjunction cycle. It is going to take that long to get out of this situation – if the process of putting into place austerity measures is agreed upon. The sooner we can recover and start supporting our leaders in this inevitable process, the greater the likelihood that we will come out of this twilight zone. The only problem is that this is an election year, and politicians believe that austerity measures won't win votes. But maybe honest assessments and discussions will. It does seem to be keeping Ron Paul in the hunt.

Gold, Silver, and European currencies also took a hit on Friday. However, by the end of the day, traders seemed to realize that these geopolitical events might actually be favorable for the precious metals. They may be slow sometimes, but they aren't dumb. Or am I suffering from another case of projection?

Short-Term Geocosmics

This was a perfect time for a surprise event to strike the world, and especially financial markets, for right now is right in the middle of a time band containing an abundance of geocosmic signatures stretching from February 1 through February 19.

In fact, Venus was in conjunction to Uranus on February 9 as many of the stock indices made their new multi-month and even multi-year highs. Venus conjunct Uranus is a powerful Level 1 reversal signature as reported in "The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing, Volume 3: Geocosmic Correlations to Trading Cycles." Could that be the high we have been looking for as Jupiter completes it trek through the early degrees of Taurus, which historically has correlated with long-term cycle crests in stock indices? It's possible, but far too early to confirm. But then again, that is the beauty of geocosmic signatures and Financial Astrology that sets it apart from other forms of market analysis: they are leading indicators, not lagging indicators, as are most technical studies, which we also use and need in order to confirm the completion of longer term cycles, as elucidated in Volume 5 of the Stock Market Timing series.

As stated in the introduction, another geocosmic pattern to take note of at this time is the translation of Venus. It formed a conjunction to Uranus on February 9 and it will form a square aspect to Pluto on Wednesday, February 15. Therefore Venus is "translating" the forthcoming Uranus-Pluto square, offering us a preview of what to expect when these two powerhouses (Uranus and Pluto) come into square from June 2012 through March 2015. Violent protests are erupting in Greece over the proposed austerity measures related to the ongoing debt crisis explosion, and stock markets sold off sharply. But these developments also tie into Mars retrograde in Virgo. As explained in this column leading up to that transit (January 21-April 14), this would likely be a period when workers in different parts of the world could go on strike, thus causing disruptions to the supply chain of needed goods. You see, the events of today are unfolding in many manifestations related to themes of Financial and Mundane Astrology. And that is exactly why Mundane and Financial Astrology are valuable tools of understanding – and forecasting – world conditions as well as financial markets.

It's going to be one hell of an interesting year. Just don't get too comfortable with the polls or the trends. Everything changes quickly, and if you aren't on top it, you could be buried by being behind the times. This period is a speculator's paradise, and an investor's worst nightmare. And I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to be a saver these days.

Longer-Term Thoughts

"There falls a shadow between the conception and the creation. In the annals of innovation, new ideas are only part of the idea. Execution is just as important." Walter Issacson, developing an idea of T.S. Elliot, in his biography of "Steve Jobs,"

"Answer me that!" It was a command from Mary, the feisty Black-American who waited on me at the Publix deli counter in Key Largo, Florida last November, when I was writing "Forecast 2012." She was short but stout, and had intense eyes that burrowed into you as if she was angry. But she wasn't angry. In fact, she turned to be an incredibly charming woman, once you got to know her a little better.

I took a paper tab with a number on it to secure my place in line. She called my number. I stepped up and placed my order for Boar's Head turkey. After serving me, she called the next number. Frank, our cook, who is a bit of a jokester, answered to the next number Mary called, and when she asked for his ticket, he said he was with me. "If you are with him and don't have a number, then why did you answer when I called a number? Answer me that!" She seemed genuinely upset that Frank did not know her rules, or worse, didn't play by them.

Frank was flustered by her directness. But I thought, "You know… that's a good quote to use at the end of my weekly columns. I can ask questions of the world, of political leaders, and end it with "Answer me that!" I told Mary I was going to put her words in print, and she immediately flashed me that great smile, with all those gold teeth (that caught my attention real quick). She warmed right up and said if I needed a place to share a Thanksgiving meal, come on over to her house and share the festivities with her family. So, at the end of these columns, you now often see the command, "Answer me that!" Because like Franco, I think some people – some leaders - may be stepping out of line, and I would like to know why, or what they are really thinking.

After last week's column, I got another dose from readers equivalent to "Answer me that!" One in particular asked why my recent columns have been so negative of President Obama when he was really only trying to help people. Another thanked me for reminding him of "The Republican point of view."

In response the first question, I thought of the quote above from the "Steve Jobs" biography, stating that ideas are only part of the process of real innovation. The more important part is execution, and here is where it seems that our leaders of this century have been wanting. And if I have been too negative regarding President Obama, readers of a liberal persuasion can take heart in the fact that I was equally critical in this column of Presidents Bush and Clinton before him. I am, after all, an equal opportunity critic. I am even critical of myself, although as a political independent (and a critical one at that), I am probably more like most Americans than the readers of my columns. That is, I am at heart socially liberal and fiscally conservative, but we never seem to get a choice of that combination for our nation's leadership. It is just my opinion, but to me it seems that one side wants to overregulate what goes on in our boardrooms and the other side wants to overregulate what goes on in our bedrooms.

With Uranus in Aries, I think that people are going to demand a government (and its leadership) that is more connected with them. That is, they will want leaders who understand the importance of a healthy balance between closeness and separation. They want leaders who understand them, but at the same time leaders who don't get overinvolved in their daily lives and business activities. And it's not just a government to its own people. It also governments overreaching into the governments of other nations. It's just like love and really, every healthy relationship. If you really want a relationship to work, you have to strike that alchemical balance between closeness and distance. You can't be too needy and overinvolved, and at the same time you can't be so distant and aloof that no one really knows who you are and what you really stand for. This is yet another message imbedded in the principles of Uranus (distance) and Pluto (closeness).

For a break along these lines, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM. It's a classic. It will give you hope as we go through these remarkable and challenging times. We can do this.

Announcements

The "Forecast 2012" webcast will take place on Sunday, February 19, starting at 1:00 PM EST (that's 6:00 PM GMT or 10:00 AM PST). Via the modern technology of our webinar host, you can log onto this presentation on current markets (both long-term and short-term outlooks) and the political-psychological climate for 2012, in the comfort of your home or office. All you need is a computer with speakers. You can hear the speech and see the live presentation and slide show, complete with the charts as they are being discussed, on your computer screen. The cost for this special event is $45.00. If you are interested in being part of this unique live webcast, just register at the MMA Website (www.mmacycles.com) and scroll down the opening screen for the announcement. Or drop us an email (ordersmma@msn.com) or fax (248-538-5296), or call us at 1-248-626-3034. Instructions to log into this event will be sent upon making reservations. Reserve early (before February 17), for space will be limited.

This month's MMA Cycles Report will come out this week. The MMA Cycles Report covers our longer-term analysis of the U.S. stock market, precious metals, crude oil, currencies, Treasury Notes, and grain markets. It will come out Tuesday evening of this week. The MMA Japan Cycles report covers the Nikkei, JGB Bonds, and the Dollar-Yen. The MMA European Cycles Report covers the German DAX, Swiss SMI, and Netherlands AEX, each in English only, and will be available on Wednesday evening or Thursday. For further information and subscription, go to http://www.mmacycles.com/catalogue/subscription-services/mma-cycles-report/. If you are not a subscriber, you can order a 2-month trial basis for only $50.00.

NEW! Now available Mini-Congress 'Outlook for 2012' on CD!!! Recordings of the congress "Outlook for 2012," held January 21, 2012 in Amsterdam, are now available on CD, with audio and PDFs of PowerPoint slides. All lectures are spoken in English. The following presentations are included on this CD: "2012 End Time of Dawning" by Irma Schogt (20 minutes);"Happy New Year" by Drs. Karen Hamaker-Zondag (20 minutes , regarding ECB and Federal Reserve Board); "2012=The Center of the Storm" by Antonia Langsdorf (20 minutes, regarding Mayan calendar and astrology); "Forecast for 2012" by Raymond Merriman (1 hour). Total length 2 hours, with PowerPoint slides sent online in a PDF document. Cost is $55.00 plus postage. Please go to http://www.mmacycles.com/the-news/about-mma/cd%27s-now-available-on-the-forecast-2012-mini%11congress-in-amsterdam,-january-21,-2012/, or www.mmacycles.com for ordering info.

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 position trading and aggressive trading recommendations. 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), Dollar/Yen cash and Yen futures, Euro-Yen cash, T-Notes, Crude Oil, Gold and Silver. The daily reports cover all stock indices listed above, as well as futures in Euro, T-Notes, 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. For more information, go to http://www.mmacycles.com/services, or 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 (now $850,000). Thanks for your excellent publications." - Bryden C., Small Business Owner, Illinois.

Copies of the printed version of Forecast 2012 are still available. There will be no additional printings, so when they are gone, they are gone. This year's book is 200 pages – our largest ever – and packed full of information about the economy, USA Presidential election, social and economic trends, and of course, financial markets with their all-important three-star critical reversal dates (the one and two-star reversal dates are covered in the MMA Cycles Report, as well as weekly reports). For further information, please go to the front page of our web site at www.mmacycles.com, Or call us at 1-248-626-3034. The E-Book version of the Forecast 2012 Book is now out as well in two different formats. The first is our own version, which contains both the text and the calendar-ephemeris for 2012. The cost for this is $55.00, or $35.00, depending on whether you also ordered the printed version too. The second is through Apple iTunes, which covers iPhone 4 and 4S, and the iPad, and also Amazon.com Kindle. The cost is $39.99. It does not contain the advertisements or the planetary calendar and ephemeris in the back. You can now order it if you have an email address registered via one of these 9 countries (USA, UK, Australia, France, Canada, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain). Just go to iTunes, and then "Library," then "Store," then in the field titled "Search," type in "Forecast 2012" or "Raymond Merriman" (without quotation marks). Or, go to http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/raymond-merriman/id408289861?mt=11. "After reading the annual Forecasts and subscribing to MMA Cycles for the past ten years, I can say that Ray Merriman's forecasts are uncannily accurate and indispensable for the preservation of wealth. Nothing else I've seen compares. It is without a doubt the best perspective on the big picture, not just bits and pieces of the picture." W.W., Investor and Teacher, Indiana. Our new 2012 MMA Catalogue is now out!! You can download this catalogue directly at http://www.mmacycles.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=41&Itemid=63. Events: February 19, 2012: "Forecast 2012 Worldwide Webcast!!!" This is our annual speech to viewers the world over. It will be the latest update on Raymond Merriman's annual Forecast Book. Utilizing the study of cycles and geocosmic factors, this speech will focus on the current state of the economy, political situation in Washington, DC, and in particular, the financial markets, including: the U.S. stock market, interest rates, the U.S. Dollar, Gold, and Silver. This will be a telecast of the live presentation taking place at the Michigan Education Conference Center in Troy, Michigan on Square Lake Road. The webcast and speech will start at 1:00 PM, EST and last two hours. Cost to participate in the webcast, or to attend in person in Troy, is $45.00. Go to http://www.mmacycles.com/catalogue/multimedia/forecast-2012-live-webcast-february-19,-2012!!!/ for more information. March 1 and 3, 2012: Hong Kong. "Forecast 2012" on Thursday, March 1, and a full day intensive on "Financial Market Timing" on Saturday, March 3, with emphasis on Gold, Silver, Currencies, and Equity Markets for 2012. Organized by Earlthorn.Com at the Excelsior Hotel, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Contact Teresa Wong at 852-2529 1211 (phone), or by e-mail at earlthorn@hknet.com. A special 90-minute private meeting with MMA Subscribers will follow the workshop on March 3. You must reserve your space for this meeting with MMA. March 9-11, 2012: The 12th Annual Balkan International Conference, Belgrade, Serbia. Featuring a pre-seminar workshop with Raymond Merriman. For further information on this fantastic gathering, contact www.keplerunited.org. +381-11-267-31-92 or email info@keplerunited.org. April 19 and 21, Boulder, Colorado. "Forecast 2012" with Raymond Merriman, plus a workshop on "Financial Market Timing," focusing on equities and precious metals. Sponsored by ROMA. For more information and registration, contact dralagifts@msn.com. Once again, a private meeting for MMA subscribers will follow the workshop. May 24-29, 2012: UAC!!! The world's largest astrological conference. Taking place at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel. Go to www.uacastrology.com. There will be an awesome Financial Track, featuring some of the top Financial Astrologers and researchers in the world. There will be private meeting for MMA on Friday or Sunday evening on the top floor of the Marriott. June 23: Amsterdam. A special 5-hour workshop on "The Gold Market: Forecasting the Price of Gold" Details to be announced shortly, but mark your calendars for an exciting event in one of the world's most exciting cities at the most exciting time of the year: the first Uranus-Pluto square! August 2-6, 2012: Midwest Astrology Conference, in Ann Arbor, MI, Holiday Inn. Pre-seminar workshop on Financial Astrology, Thursday, August 2, with Raymond Merriman. More details soon. September 14-15, 2012: San Diego: Lecture on world economy and national election, and then a workshop on Financial Market Timing. More details shortly. details soon.

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.

Copyright MMACycles 2007-2012; you may link to this site or page, but you may not distribute these texts in any way (by email or otherwise).

For other language editions of MMA´s weekly comments:

Chinese : www.zzdcycles.com
Dutch : www.markettiming.nl (Nederlands)
German : www.mma-europe.ch (Deutch)
Japanese : www.merriman.jp
Polish : www.astrobiznes.pl (Polska)
Russian : www.urania.ru
Serbian : www.mma-balkan.com
Spanish : www.mmacycles-spanish.com (Español)

Owners of websites:

This Weekly Market Climate is available for co-branding. Call 1-800-662-3349 for details.

CHARTLINES (tm)