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MMA Comments for the Week Beginning May 7, 2012
Written by Raymond Merriman
Review and Preview
If you are not confused yet about what is happening in financial markets, then you are not paying attention. Last week there were more divergences. We've got divergences upon divergences, which mean half the community of market analysts will see signs for being bullish and the other half cause for being bearish, and both politicians and market commentators can take their pick as to which trend to acknowledge backing up their case, er… bias.
Let's take a couple of examples from last week's market activity. On Tuesday, May 1, the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared to its highest price in 4 years. After making a 3-month low just three weeks earlier on April 10 (nearby to Mars turning direct), this would appear to be a bullish chart pattern to most market watchers. But also on May 1, neither the S&P nor NASDAQ futures were able to take out their recent highs of late March and early April, which created a case of intermarket bearish divergence. Still, they looked healthy and as if they would make new highs – until Friday. And then everything changed as the NASDAQ fell to its lowest price since early March. The DJIA plunged 168 points and the S&P futures fell 23-1/2 points. The decline in the DJIA is within a normal 38-62% corrective pullback of the move up from April 10, which would seem bullish. But in the NASDAQ, the pullback was closer to 100%. Those with a bearish bias would see the NASDAQ as bearish and those who with a bullish bias would see the DJIA as undergoing a normal corrective decline. Financial astrologers would be wondering: what is Neptune doing? Neptune is not doing much, but Mercury is in opposition to Saturn as we head into the weekend of a Taurus-Scorpio full moon. Monday and Tuesday finds the Moon in Sagittarius too (the "Sagittarius Factor," and maybe big range days). This can be stressful and a sign of worry and apprehension. But the "magnet" pulling prices down is Venus about to turn retrograde on May 15. We are within days of that cosmic event now, which is close enough for it to have an impact on market behavior. Once this energy reaches its climax that is due within two weeks of May 15, history says there is an approximately 75% probability of a big reversal.
Another example of this wild, whacky, and weird cosmic environment showed up in the precious metals. Gold and Silver were recovering nicely from their sell-off lows of April 25 the prior week. By Tuesday, May 1, Gold was up to 1672. By Friday it was trading below 1630 again, testing those lows of April 25. Silver took out those lows, and in fact fell to its lowest level since January, while Gold held well above its 1613 low of April 4. But by Friday's close, both metals were up rather nicely on the day. Hence we have an intermarket bullish divergence set up developing here. But will any of these markets really reverse before we get closer to Venus changing directions on May 15, despite these potentially bullish signals? We will discuss this more in the "Longer-Term Thoughts" for this week.
Short-Term Geocosmics
The most outstanding geocosmic signatures looming on the horizon is still Venus turning retrograde on May 15. Stock markets have a 73% correlation to completing an important cycle low or high within 12 trading days of this event, and usually much less. We note now that the Ten-Year Treasury Notes are soaring to a new contract high as of Friday, May 4, but the same is not true with the 30-Year Treasury Bonds. This is significant because 1) the Fed is about to end "Operation Twist," where it buys wheelbarrows full of long-term U.S. Treasuries, thereby supporting the advance in treasury values, and 2) Uranus is coming ever closer to the first passage of its waxing square to Pluto (June 24), which Financial Astrologers might look upon as a "party crasher." Plus there are a slew of important Venus signatures coming up (see "Longer-Term Thoughts"). It would seem there might be some intense fireworks happening between May 15 and late June, for this is like a match being set to a fuse of dynamite …er, fireworks.
Longer-Term Thoughts
"The difference between you and me is that you want fewer rich people and I want fewer poor people." – Nicholas Sarkozy, French president, in a debate with Francois Hollande, his Socialist party opponent in this week's elections (Wall Street Journal, May 3, 2012).
Let's discuss Venus this week. After all, Venus is going to be quite prominent in the weeks ahead, due to its 6-week retrograde motion that will be in effect May 15 through June 27, and also due to its very rare occultation to the Sun on June 6-7 (that's like Venus eclipsing the Sun).
Venus turns retrograde about every 19 months, so it is somewhat infrequent – about as often as the Moon's North Node transiting through each sign of the zodiac. But every 8 years it goes retrograde and direct in approximately the same degree of the zodiac. For instance, this year Venus will turn retrograde at nearly 24° Gemini on May 15. Eight years ago it turned retrograde at 26º Gemini on May 17, 2004. As a side note, the Dow Jones Industrial Average formed a primary cycle trough on May 12, 2004 at 9852, and 5 days later on May 17 it made a successful re-test of that low (i.e. double bottom) at 9862, and then prices rose sharply into a primary cycle crest in late June when Venus turned direct six weeks later. As documented in "The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing Volume 3: Geocosmic Correlations to Trading Cycles," Venus retrograde and direct periods are two of the strongest historical geocosmic correlates to primary or greater cycles – or major reversals – in stock prices.
This powerful correlation should not be surprising to students of Financial Astrology. In the study of astrology, Venus rules money - as well as love. And of course in the reality of today's times, no money, no love (actually, it should be the other way around). Or according to a popular Chinese saying, no money, no life! But Venus moves so quickly through the signs that long-term trends involving Venus are hard to identify. It is a short-term transit, and therefore its value is mostly in terms of short-term reversals. Oh, we can look at slow moving planetary transits to natal Venus in a nation's chart and forecast the trend of that particular nation's economy and currency. Venus in the USA's chart, for instance, is in the first degrees of Cancer, which has been besieged by both Pluto and Uranus from 2008 through 2011, and that correlated to quite a suppression in the value of the U.S. Dollar in comparison to other world currencies. But how do you use Venus to track longer-term financial trends in the greater world? For that you need a long-term Venus phenomenon. And the key for that may be the Venus occultation.
That's right. Venus is moving toward a very rare occultation with the Sun on June 6, 2012. That is, Venus will move directly between the Earth and Sun on that day, creating the appearance of a small black spec on the surface of the Sun. If Venus was bigger, it would block out the Sun as seen from Earth, just as the Moon does during a total solar eclipse. Except that this Venus occultation is much rarer than a solar eclipse. Solar eclipses happen about twice a year. And Venus occultations take place in pairs that are eight years apart over a long period of time. The last instance of a Venus occultation of the Sun took place in 1874 and 1882. This is the last one to occur this century. According to Steven van Roode (http://transitofvenus.nl/),"But a transit of Venus (occultation to the Sun)… occur(s) in a pattern that repeats every 243 years, with pairs of transits eight years apart separated by long gaps of 121.5 years and 105.5 years. The last pair was in 1874/1882, the current pair is2004/2012 and the next pair is scheduled for2117/2125. So, this year's transit of Venus is your last chance to see this phenomenon." Let's see… the last one occurred in 1874-1882 and before that it was in 1761 and 1769.
Hmmm, according to our studies, the first case of a long-term cycle low in stocks used in our studies occurred in 1761-1762. That was the starting point from which all of our longer-term stock market cycles (the 72- and 90-year types) commenced. And the 1874-1882 occultation pair? That overlapped the longest economic depression in the United States (1873-1879), which was also the last time that Uranus and Pluto were in a waxing square aspect – the same aspect that starts June 24. 2012 and lasts until March 17, 2015.
Since Venus rules money, and occultations (or eclipses) oftentimes signal a dramatic change of the status quo, the Venus occultation period of 2004-2012 may be a direct correlation to the world's debt, which has simply been exploding since 2004 (when this pair of Venus occultation to the Sun began). And this leads us right into the current and sudden shift of political and economic strategies in Europe, dovetailing with the swoon in equity prices last week.
European austerity measures as part of the solution to its debt crisis are on the verge of being given up already. Recent economic data shows a large number of European countries – including the United Kingdom – are in or near a recession. Over the past several months, many of these nations have increased taxes on top of their already very high taxes and have recently begun to cut back spending in order to meet strict budget projections. This is what austerity is all about. It's about making sacrifices. It's about a long-term commitment to rid the waste in spending. It's about Pluto in Capricorn.
But what they are finding out is that higher taxes combined with less spending together do not lead to greater revenues, something that dozens of studies have demonstrated in the past. It also leads to a rebellious and socially restless population that votes out its leaders who promised to fix the situation, and who probably realize that the only way to fix the problem is to - guess what? – implement austerity measures just like this! But it is not popular. So, in typical political reaction, critics of the "non-austerity" measures will promise relief, and usually only in the form of greater spending again, but not lower taxes.
So rather than lowering taxes, which would encourage businesses to hire and consumers to spend, they have decided to alleviate the pain and sacrifice (and enhance their chances of being elected or re-elected) by spending more money that they don't have and thus increase their national debts, in the hopes that this will indeed lead to new jobs and more tax payers. ECB President Mario Draghi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are trying to maintain the support for these austerity measures (i.e. advising nations to reign in their spending and get in place a more responsible fiscal policy to bring down their debt). But they are losing support, as is Sarkozy. To put it simply, many countries are giving up their original aim to reduce debts by accepting austerity measures. They have raised the white flag on controlling debt and instead they will monetize, or inflate their way out (of course, they won't say this, but that is the logical conclusion of this policy).
Longer-term, this shift will probably be great for Gold, but not good for European currencies. And really, was there any doubt that the political (but not economic) gurus would surrender the good and necessary fight and take the easy way out, which will only lead to a further massive debt explosion and probably inflation, maybe even hyper-inflation? Not likely with Uranus square Pluto, 2012-2015. Not likely with Saturn also still plodding forward to its conjunction with Pluto in 2020. Remember the last time Saturn was in its waning phase to Pluto? It was 1966-1982. And you might remember what the last years of that period was like in terms of inflation.
But there is hope. From December 26, 2012 through September 22, 2013, Saturn and Pluto will form a waning sextile, which is considered a harmonious aspect, while at the same time they are in mutual reception to one another (i.e. in each other's ruling sign). An opportunity for a long-term solution may be agreed upon and the plan could work out over an 8-year period (Saturn conjunct Pluto). But it will involve austerity, for the debt crisis cannot be solved by continuing to spend much more than you bring in.
Announcements
The DVD of the Denver Workshop on Financial Market Timing will be available this week, May 7!!! This financial markets workshop offers a completely unique and original perspective, integrating 1) Market Timing studies, 2) Price Objective calculations, 3) Technical Analysis, 4) Pattern Recognition studies, and 5) Trend Analysis. The primary focus of this workshop is on Market Timing Studies, particularly Cycles Analysis and Geocosmic Studies, as leading indicators that identify when to anticipate a reversal in all financial markets. Gold and the U.S. stock market are studied in great detail, especially regarding their current status. There is a wealth of timely and valuable information in this DVD, especially pertaining the forthcoming Venus retrograde period (May 15-June 27), the forthcoming Uranus-Pluto square of June 24, 2012, lasting through March 2015, and the important Jupiter correlation to stock market cycles coming up August-November 2012 and March-May 2013. The cost for this 4-hour DVD workshop is $180.00 plus postage. To order, please go to http://www.mmacycles.com/catalogue/multimedia/dvd-of-boulder-workshop-on-financial-market-timing!!!/. Or call Amber at 1-248-626-3034. If you are a trader or investor who appreciates the value of market timing – especially in the next few months – this is a presentation you will not want to miss!
June 23: A special 5-hour workshop on "The Gold Market: Forecasting the Future Price of Gold and Silver." 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Hotel Park Plaza Victoria. Amsterdam, Damrak 1-5, Amsterdam 1012 LG, Netherlands. Sponsored by Schogt Market Timing. This is a special workshop on precious metals you will not want to miss!!! Cost is €345 ex VAT. Subscribers of any MMA reports (trials excluded) receive a 15% discount. For further information, please go to http://www.markettiming.nl/en/producten/workshop-gold-silver, or call 31 (02) 294 415 917, or by fax at31 (02) 294-415-918 to register 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 will be taking place then, right near the summer solstice! This will be special, and a great opportunity to meet some very impressive market timers who will be present. Register now as seating is limited!
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 $850,000. Thanks for your excellent publications." - Bryden C., Small Business Owner, Illinois.
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.
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:
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 evening on the top floor of the Marriott. If you are interested in attending, please contact us and reserve your space! No cost to subscribers! Otherwise $95.00 to participate.
June 23: Amsterdam. A special 5-hour workshop on "The Gold Market: Forecasting the Future Price of Gold and Silver." 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Hotel Park Plaza Victoria. Amsterdam, Damrak 1-5, Amsterdam 1012 LG, Netherlands. Sponsored by Schogt Market Timing. This is a special workshop on precious metals you will not want to miss!!! Cost is € 345 ex VAT. Subscribers of any MMA reports (trials excluded) receive a 15% discount. For further information, please go to http://www.markettiming.nl/en/producten/workshop-gold-silver 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 will be taking place then, right near the summer solstice! This will be special. You may also register by calling 31 (02) 294 415 917, or by fax at 31 (02) 294-415-918. Register now as seating is limited!
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.
Mid-September or early October, 2012: Troy, Michigan. OLMTA – the On-Line Market Timing Academy – will conduct it pre-curriculum introductory workshop on "Basic Principles of Geocosmic Studies for Financial Market Timing." This will be an introductory course on how to read an ephemeris and how to calculate a critical reversal date. It is open to anyone, but understanding this material is mandatory for anyone entering the MMA mentor-apprenticeship program that will officially start in March 2013. This introductory workshop will be available as a live webinar too. The cost is $300 to subscribers of any MMA subscription report, or $395 to others. For further information, please contact mmacustomerservice@gmail.com or ordersmmma@msn.com.
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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