Weekly Market Forecast

Please note: This weekly forecast appears every weekend and is a much
abbreviated and more general version of my investment newsletter
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Related Articles of Interest:
Shanghai Stock Exchange Meltdown -- 2008
London FTSE Bear Market -- 2008
Mumbai's Magnificent Monday -- 2009
Past Forecasts Mar/07 - Aug/09

Week of July 26 - 30

Stocks rise as Jupiter turns retrograde; Saturn opposes Uranus on Monday

Stocks climbed another rung up the ladder last week as positive earnings news persuaded more buyers to allay their fears and enter the fray. By the time all was said and done, the Dow gained more than 3% to close at 10,424 while the S&P finished at 1102. Sentiment was similarly bullish in Mumbai as the Sensex hit a new high for the year before closing at 18,130. The Nifty ended the week at 5449. This positive outcome was unsurprising given the twin influences of Jupiter and Venus last week. Jupiter's tight aspect with Pluto is still dominating the sky, all the more so perhaps because it stationed and began its retrograde cycle on Friday. And as expected, the midweek Venus-Rahu aspect roughly corresponded with higher prices as Venus (money, consumption) was teamed up with speculative Rahu (desires).

Transits for Monday, July 26, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

Now we're in the thick of the planetary jungle. There are an unusually high number of close planetary aspects this week which may correspond to new directions and solutions, as well as contributing to a more intense atmosphere. Jupiter's optimism appears to be receding into the underbrush here since it has embarked on its retrograde journey on July 23. Saturn will oppose Uranus on Monday, so this may signal a new dynamic or pattern into the marketplace. Their previous opposition aspect occurred on April 26 and coincided exactly with the top of the US market for 2010. This renewed Saturn influence may have a special poignancy in India since the Reserve Bank will likely raise interest rates on Tuesday. After all, Saturn is the planet of restraint and caution and India is facing major inflation problems. All this Saturn may not sit well with those who crave profits from their investments. To make things even more interesting, there is an alignment between Mercury (commerce), Mars (action), and Neptune (imagination, deception). This trio does not seem especially conducive for more risk taking. In fact, it may coincide with some kind of disappointment, perhaps from a plan that goes wrong. Mars is set to conjoin Saturn on Saturday July 31 so that is another potentially powerful combination of malefic energies that bears careful scrutiny. We may be on the cusp of something fairly important here, and not just for the markets.

Finally, I should note that the current planetary configuration conforms to a bearish pattern isolated in the research of Thomas Rieder in his book, Astrological Warnings and the Stock Market. Using the historical price record of US stocks, Rieder showed that if Mars was in conjunction to a slow moving outer planet (Jupiter on out) while in hard aspect (90 and 180 degrees) to one other outer planet, stocks would then fall significantly about 70% of the time. Here we have Mars conjunct Saturn while in opposition to Uranus and Jupiter and square to Pluto. Rieder's model only required one aspected planet, but we currently have three. It's hard to say if that increases the likelihood or the scope of the expected decline.

"Always first draw fresh breath after outbursts of vanity and complacency." -- Franz Kafka

Week of July 19 - 23

Venus charms markets; Mars enters Virgo this week

After a promising start to the week, disappointing Q2 earnings from heavyweights like Google and Bank of America pushed stocks lower by Friday's close. The Dow closed down 1% for the week at 10,097 while the S&P finished at 1064. The story was somewhat better in Mumbai as Indian stocks continued to defy gravity hitting new highs for the year midweek. The Sensex ended Friday up almost 1% at 17,955 with the Nifty closing at 5393. As expected, Venus came through for investors in the earlier part of the week as its minor aspect with the Jupiter-Pluto aspect focused some positive energy that boosted sentiment. We saw gains accrue on most global markets into Wednesday when luxurious Venus was forming a close angle with optimistic Jupiter -- a very sweet combination indeed. Once Venus took her leave, doubts about the recovery returned as bad earnings reports and consumer numbers put a damper on the bulls' glee club. Last week I noted that the entry of the Sun into sidereal Cancer on Friday might "introduce a new dynamic into the mix". Did it ever! After previously topping out around 10,400 midweek, the Dow plunged almost 3% on Friday.

We're currently residing in a sort of planetary antechamber now awaiting the main event to unfold at the end of July. Jupiter begins its retrograde cycle on July 23, then it forms its exact square aspect with Pluto on July 25, while Saturn opposes Uranus for the last time on July 26 and Mars conjoins Saturn on July 31. Planetary calendars don't get much busier than that.

Transits for Monday, July 19, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

This week Mars enters sidereal Virgo on Tuesday ahead of its conjunction with Saturn. As we saw with the Sun's ingress into Cancer last week, sign changes can bring about significant market developments. Mars is a malefic planet and its surplus of energy can sometimes correspond with urgent or sudden situations that require quick reactions. The emphasis here is on action, so we could see increased volatility early in the week. Virgo is a sign that is associated with analysis and logical systems so the simultaneous occupation of this sign by Mars and Saturn suggests that rational adherence to formal knowledge systems may suffer increased stress in the days and weeks ahead. (N.B. Mars will remain in Virgo until September 6 while slow moving Saturn loiters for a full two years.) We can also spot a close aspect between Venus and unpredictable Rahu going into midweek that might increase speculative activity. Rahu is often a negative influence on stocks due to increased uncertainty but its combination with Venus, the eternal shopper, could convince some people to buy something they don't really want or need.

"Life is a school of probability." -- Walter Bagehot

Week of July 12 - 16

Stocks rebound after Uranus station; Jupiter-Pluto in focus this week

Stocks rebounded worldwide last week as we got a let up in the stream of bad economic data and investors went bargain hunting. In New York, the Dow gained more than 5% before closing at 10,197 and the S&P finished the week at 1077. In Mumbai, gains were somewhat more muted as the Sensex climbed 2% to close at 17,833 and the Nifty ended Friday at 5352. Last week, I had written about the potential for "reversals of fortune" and "changes in plan" around the Uranus retrograde station on July 5 and the Solar Eclipse on July 11. As it happened, the recent losing streak may have come to a temporary halt around the 5th and the Uranus station as most markets bounced higher after the long holiday weekend in the US.

Now that Uranus is moving backward it is approaching its final opposition aspect with Saturn due for July 26. While it is possible we could see some negative fallout from this aspect ahead of that date, recent evidence would tend to suggest that stresses and disruptions arising from this clash are more likely to appear after the aspect is exact, i.e after July 26. The rise in prices in the wake of this Uranus station is perhaps testimony to its inherent symbolism towards freedom, independence and risk taking. A stronger Uranus will therefore often translate into higher stock prices since risk will feel more appropriate to the investment community. This prevailing sentiment may shift once Uranus again encounters the full force of Saturn's conservative and pessimistic nature in late July.

Transits for July 12, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

In the meantime, we can spot another intriguing pairing of slower moving planets in the square aspect between Jupiter and Pluto. Due to Jupiter's slower than normal motion in the month ahead of its retrograde station on July 23, this aspect seems to offer some help to investors since Jupiter's optimism is connected with Pluto's drive for power and large organizations. Perhaps we see significant attempts to solve major financial challenges facing the economy in the coming weeks. And yet given the backdrop of the Saturn-Uranus aspect, one wonders how successful such efforts might be.

Of particular note this week is an early week alignment between Venus, the planet of happiness, and the Jupiter-Pluto square. While Pluto is often malefic, this meeting involving two benefics tilts the scales towards the positive. The Sun enters sidereal Cancer late in the week so that may introduce a new dynamic into the mix.

"Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence." -- Buddha

Week of July 5- 9

Ketu punishes markets; Uranus and solar eclipse loom this week

Gloom pervaded most world markets last week as the economic data coming out of the US continued to disappoint. There were more long faces on Wall Street as US stocks fell another 5% with the Dow closing under 10,000 at 9686 while the S&P ended the week at 1022. Indian markets were more steadfast against this bearish onslaught and ended only modestly lower as the Sensex closed at 17,460 and the Nifty at 5237. This negative outcome was unsurprising given the dominance of ascetic Ketu (South Lunar Node) in the sky last week. As I noted last week, spiritual ascetics like Ketu do not take much of an interest in money, and when they do, they can be dismissive of its importance. While Monday's Sun-Mercury conjunction did offer a short-lived boost to sentiment, especially in Asia where stocks managed a decent gain, the rest of the week was more decidedly bearish as US markets fell for five straight days. Both the Sun and Mercury had conjunctions with crazy, mad Ketu last week so that was the immediate cause for the rush to the exits.

Transits for Tuesday, July, 6 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

More generally, we can see how the approach of the next Saturn-Uranus opposition is starting to take its toll on the market mood as US markets seem to have entered a new and more dangerous phase of this current correction that began in late April. Indian markets have largely been spared the bloodletting so far, although that can't continue indefinitely. Certainly, the economic fundamentals in India are stronger than the US economy and therein lies part of the explanation for their different paths. Astrologically, the natal horoscopes of the Indian stock exchanges are proving to be stronger in the face of these bearish transits. Natal charts are unique and so each entity -- whether a person, stock exchange, or corporation -- will be influenced in different ways by the same transits.

This week looks no less eventful as the Saturn-Uranus opposition is again highlighted by the retrograde station of Uranus on Monday, the 5th. As the planet of freedom and independence, there may be an even greater uneasiness in global sentiment as the restlessness of Uranus confronts the harsh reality of Saturn's unyielding structures. Volatility is likely to rise as investors may seek to reorganize and rebalance their portfolios in the face of new realities. There is a hectic or even occasionally frantic quality at work here that could manifest as sudden reversals of fortune, and unexpected changes in plan. And to up the ante even more here, there is a total solar eclipse on Sunday July 11. Like planetary stations, eclipses also function as times of greater intensity and that are marked by interruptions of the status quo. Reversals are also more common near eclipses so if we have seen a down trend prevail leading into an eclipse, then the tables may turn around the eclipse date. Interesting times to be sure.

"All that is solid melts into air." -- Karl Marx

Week of June 28 - July 2

Markets stumble as Sun and Mercury enter Gemini

More dark days in the market last week as the disappointing economic data coming out of the US is conjuring up images of a Recession 2.0. In New York, the Dow slid almost 3% to close at 10,143 while the S&P finished at a meager 1076. As has been the case recently, Indian stocks fared somewhat better as the Sensex was little changed on the week at 17,574 and the Nifty at 5269. I had expected some upside in the early going on the Sun-Jupiter-Uranus pattern and we did get it although it was excruciatingly fleeting: Monday closed higher in Mumbai but we only saw significant intraday gains in New York which faded away by the close. I wondered if Mercury's entry into Gemini on Tuesday might would tilt the game in favour of the bears and that seems to have largely come to pass. US markets fell on all days this week with the exception of Friday's flat performance, while Mumbai was significantly lower Thursday and Friday. It's worth noting that the bearish Mercury-Saturn aspect that I mentioned last week did deliver its gloom on schedule as Thursday saw a down day in most global markets.

Transits for June 28, 2010 9.30 a.m. EDT New York

Mercury and the Sun continue their transits through the minefield of sidereal Gemini this week. While the worst of Saturn's aspect is now behind them, they still have to contend with Ketu, the planetary equivalent of a ornery curmudgeon who hates money.   Ketu, (a.k.a. the South Lunar Node) is known as a planet of renunciation and spirituality in Vedic lore. Since it is more inclined towards otherworldly pursuits, it often takes a dim view of such mundane matters as speculation and profit. In most cases, this is a bearish influence but we should note that Ketu is also known for its unpredictable quality, like a holy man who buys lotto tickets just to challenge stereotypes.    Before the midweek encounter with Ketu, we will see a Sun-Mercury conjunction in Gemini. Since Mercury rules Gemini, this ought to generate some enthusiasm for trading and presumably give a Burroughsian shot in the arm to prices.

At the same time, however, Mars will be in aspect with Rahu which may create an unstable environment in some way. By itself, the Mars-Rahu suggests an excess of energy that one finds in accidents and disputes. In the context of the market, it could translate simply in terms of high trading volumes and a rapid cycling of porfolios. With Sun-Mercury providing some positive cover, one would be forgiven to think that optimism will prevail. In the current cosmic climate of Saturn-Uranus oppositions and such, that is not a certainty.   And all of this comes on the heels of today's (June 26) partial lunar eclipse at 10 degrees of Sagittarius. Now that we're into eclipse season -- the solar eclipse arrives on July 11 -- we should look for an increase in intensity of both actions and their consequences.

"Maturity of mind is the capacity to endure uncertainty." -- John Finley

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Week of June 21 - 25

One more time: Jupiter-Uranus this week

Stocks continued to rebound last week as Europe showed hints of stabilizing with bond yields stepping back from the brink. In New York, the Dow closed almost 3% higher at 10,450 while the S&P finished at 1117. Mumbai also continued its winning ways as the Sensex ended the week at 17,570 with the Nifty at 5262. Gold also made news as it climbed to a new all-time high of $1260. Overall, the bulls took the reigns and took the key indexes over their 200 day moving averages, a key technical indicator. While I expected some upside last week, I thought it might be confined more to the early week and the Venus-Jupiter-Uranus alignment. Certainly, that did lift markets here but I overestimated the negative effects of the Sun's entry into Gemini later in the week. Markets were mostly flat after Tuesday, so while gains were harder to come by, the selling has yet to materialize.

Transits for Monday, June 21, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

It's important to note that the Sun will transit sidereal Gemini for the next four weeks until July 16. I believe that this will mean that rallies will tend to be shorter and selloffs steeper during the duration of this transit. Again, my reasoning here is based on very basic astrology: Saturn at 4 degrees of Virgo casts its full strength square aspect to Gemini and while Ketu (South Lunar Node) currently sits near the middle of the sign at 18 degrees of Gemini. This is a double dose of potential bearishness that is likely to act as a drag on optimism. Besides the powerful aspects involving slow moving planets (Saturn to Neptune; Saturn to Uranus, etc), the upcoming Gemini transit of the Sun and then Mercury demands close attention.

This week will see the Sun form square aspects to the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction early in the week. The Sun will first aspect Uranus on Monday, and then follow suit with Jupiter on Tuesday and into Wednesday. While square aspects are not the most positive angles, this trio of planets work quite well together so we should expect buyers to outnumber sellers and hence prices should rise. Mercury enters Gemini on Tuesday so that may complicate matters somewhat, although any negative fallout from this ingress may take a few days to appear. Mercury comes under the aspect of Saturn on Thursday so that increases the likelihood of a decline near that day.

All this increasingly feels like the calm before the storm.

"Life was always a matter of waiting for the right moment to act." -- Paulo Coelho

Week of June 14 - 18

Jupiter-Uranus props up market but for how long?

Markets teetered near their recent lows before bouncing higher last week as Euro concerns moved to the back burner on more hopeful economic data. In New York, the Dow climbed back over the 10k level and ended almost 3% higher at 10,211 with the S&P coming in at 1091. The situation was a little less rosy in Mumbai, however, as markets edged lower with the Sensex finishing at 17,064 and the Nifty at 5119. US markets survived a near-death experience on Tuesday as the key indexes flirted with recent May low, a violation of which would have likely sparked near panic selling. Astrologically, this coincided with the high-energy alignment of Mars with the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction. The move by Venus into Cancer introduced a measure of optimism midweek which got a further boost Thursday and Friday when Mercury joined the party with Jupiter-Uranus. While we are currently trapped in the vice-like grip of some very heavy and portentous planets, I did expect some relief rally here so it was nice to see that come to fruition.

Transits for Monday, June 14, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

Meanwhile, the nightmarish never-ending oil spill in the Gulf is reaching a point that it may be affecting overall US market sentiment. Revised leak rates and more dire predictions of environmental damage are contributing to the overall gloomy mood on Wall Street, even if there may be relatively little direct impact on the economy as a whole. As we know, the markets are driven by sentiment in all its glorious "animal spirits" irrationality, and this is where understanding planetary influences can become so helpful for gaining extra insight. So while there may an increase of entrepreneurial enthusiasm from the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction here, it is important to note that Jupiter is now separating from Uranus, so this effect may be prone to weakening in the days to come. Furthermore, Saturn will begin to replace Jupiter as the primary interface for Uranus. It was Saturn and Uranus that started this latest negative phase in the market back on April 26 when it last formed its opposition aspect. Yes, folks, its coming back for yet another return engagement. In other words, we cannot expect too much smooth sailing anytime soon.

This week begins with a text book instance of favorable planets. Venus, the planet of love, luxury and enjoyment, will come under the aspect of Jupiter-Uranus on Monday and Tuesday. Since Jupiter is the very embodiment of bullish optimism, one would tend to think a positive result would be likely. Of course, all the background influences are looking unsettled at best, so we should not become too complacent even with bullish patterns. On Tuesday, the Sun enters sidereal Gemini. This may result in more sober thinking (hint: this is a euphemism for gloom) since the Sun will come under the aspect of plodding, deliberative Saturn. Later in the week Mercury, the planet of commerce and communication, forms an aspect with Ketu, the planet of sacrifice and renunciation. Not a good combination for financial markets I should think.

"Caution is the eldest child of wisdom" - Victor Hugo

Week of June 7 - 11

Mars inflicts pain on stocks; hopes pinned on upiter-Uranus

Another week of fear and loathing in the financial world amidst a sea of less than cheery news. Hungary's potential for default pushed the Euro below 1.20 for the first time since 2006, a US employment report that showed precious little in the way of new jobs, and the never-ending oil Gulf spill threatens to put the entire US eastern seaboard in a choke hold. After gamely pushing back to its 200-day moving average on Thursday, Friday's jobs report sent the Dow below 10,000 closing at 9931 down more than 2% on the week. In Mumbai, the picture was somewhat rosier since Indian markets were largely spared Friday's carnage. The Sensex closed at 17,177 while the Nifty finished at a respectable 5135. Mars over-fulfilled its role as the planetary villain last week as the Mars-Saturn aspect coincided with Tuesday's decline worldwide. The Mars-Neptune opposition manifested a little later than expected (but still right on time), as Friday's selloff occurred when Mars (4 Leo 41) was almost exactly opposite Neptune (4 Aquarius 47).

Transits for Monday June 7, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

Of course, these Mars aspects have become extremely potent here because the planets being aspected (Saturn, Neptune) are involved with larger and more clearly negative celestial alignments. It is critically important to recognize that these aspects are going to hang around for while and will create more tension and anxiety in financial markets for much of 2010. For example, Saturn and Uranus are in close opposition aspect until late July. Saturn and Neptune will form a quincunx aspect until the beginning of July. And by the time August rolls around, Pluto will join in and square Saturn. All told, this sequence of aspects this year is among the very the worst imaginable.

This week begins with Mars aspecting the conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus. This looks like a very energetic and intense combination that suggests major moves are possible. Jupiter and Uranus are often seen as optimistic and risk-taking planets but against the larger backdrop of all that Saturn energy, it will interesting to see how these divergent impulses play out. Mars is not an energy that is easily integrated into an already tense environment although Jupiter can be a very forgiving planet. Later in the week, Venus enters Cancer and Mercury will move in sync with Jupiter and Uranus which suggests that despite the gathering gloom, the cup may actually be half full -- if only for a short while.

Week of May 31 - June 4

Mars-Saturn-Nepune may bring more uncertainty; Jupiter-Uranus awaits

After a near death experience early in the week, stocks regained their footing later on as some improved economic data and soothing words about Europe from the Chinese government induced buyers to part with their money. For all the volatility, stocks in New York closed mostly unchanged as the Dow closed at 10,136 and the S&P at 1089. Indian markets fared somewhat better as shares added more than 2% as the Sensex ended Friday's session at 16,863 while the Nifty finished at 5066.

The approach of the twin stations of gloomy Saturn (May 30) and sickly Neptune (May 31) did not disappoint as our prediction for more market mayhem and intensity was more or less realized. Tuesday's plunge revisited levels last seen in February and thereby became a basis for a fledgling low volume rally into the end of the week. While current prices are still perilously close to the 200 day moving average, there may be a ray of hope emerging on the sense that the markets may have dodged a bullet -- at least for now.

Transits for Tuesday, June 1, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

Mars will be a key player in the planetary soup this week as it forms a minor aspect with Saturn and Neptune early in the week. Mars is often a bitter taste, especially when combined with malefics such as Saturn and Neptune. This appears to be a destabilizing influence that will reflect some kind of dysfunctional quality in the economy. This does not seem like a positive combination at all. Towards the end of the week, Mars will leave the negativity behind and move towards Uranus and Jupiter. This is an entirely different sort of cosmic picture where risk, action and restlessness will be the watchwords. In fact, the trio of Mars, Jupiter and Uranus would seem to be the perfect planetary profile of "the speculator".

Week of May 24 - 28

Markets continue to fall ahead of Saturn-Neptune reversal

It felt like 2008 all over again last week as markets teetered over mounting fears surrounding the Euro and the Eurozone economies. As volatility spiked in New York, stocks fell more than 4% for the week with the Dow closing at 10,193 and the S&P at 1087. The sell-off also took hold in Mumbai as the Sensex closed down 3% to 16,445 and the Nifty at 4931. The market looks to have broken down here as psychology has undergone a fundamental shift. This is very much in keeping with the extremely tense and powerful alignment of planets that marks the sky at the present time. While I thought we might have seen more gains later in the week -- only Friday's session was higher in the US -- the overriding pessimism out there was not surprising as we approached the extremely nasty Saturn direct station on May 30.

Transits for Monday, May 24, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

Interestingly, the Euro did manage to rebound, although it was mostly fueled on the belief that the European Central Bank had begun to intervene in the market and was buying up unwanted Euros. As the turbulence has grown, even gold has fallen out of favour as investors are wary of another deflationary spiral like we saw in 2008. Gold's weakness is very much a reflection of the recent weakening of the planet Venus. Its parabolic run-up occurred while Venus was transiting sidereal Taurus, a sign that Venus is said to rule and do well in. It left Taurus and entered Gemini on May 14 -- the very same day of its all time high at $1250 on the futures contract. Gemini is a less favourable sign for Venus and it has been in retreat ever since that date. The prospect of Mars entering Leo on Wednesday this week may deliver another blow to gold. Leo is a sign with a strong affinity for gold and when it is connected with a malefic planet like Mars, it may make it even more vulnerable to declines.

Market analysts point to the breakdown of the 200-day moving average last week as a technical sign that we may have entered new territory here. Whenever the key stock indexes are above this moving average, the market is said to enjoy positive momentum as most people believe it to be a bullish condition. But when prices fall below this line, gloom descends and investors become more fearful. What is interesting is that this new and dangerous situation is very much reflected in the stars. The twin stations of Saturn and Neptune on the 30th and 31st are quite unusual and, when combined with their tense aspects to Uranus and Jupiter, quite portentous of difficult events and outcomes. All told, the next two weeks or so could be quite intense.

Week of May 17 - 21

Euro worries plague stocks; Sun and Venus to join Big Alignment this week

Despite the EU's munificent $1 Trillion bailout package, markets ended the week with another bad case of the shakes. For all the reassuring talk and seemingly endless supplies of paper money, a growing number of investors are not convinced that the high debts levels in Europe are compatible with economic growth. Nonetheless, stocks did finish higher on the week as the Dow climbed 2% to close at 10,620 while the S&P finished at 1135. A similar story unfolded in Mumbai as equities ended higher on the week but left a bad taste in the mouth. As of Friday, the Sensex stood at 16,996 with the Nifty at 5093. While I thought we would see some supporting sentiment form after the flash crash, I thought much of it would follow Wednesday's Mercury direct station closer to the exact aspect between the Sun and Venus. As a probabilistic enterprise grappling with the vicissitudes of the human condition, the only thing we can say about astrology is that it is about as scientific as economics. As I noted last week, the growing influence of Jupiter over the second half of May could well buttress stocks somewhat in the face of an otherwise harsh planetary environment.

To be sure, this correction has found a close correlation with the planetary geometry in the current sky. Most global equity markets formed a top on April 26, the same day as Saturn (4 Virgo) formed an exact opposition angle with Uranus (4 Pisces). These incompatible energies have manifested in struggles over austerity and regulation (Saturn) at odds with the desire for risk and freedom (Uranus). As troublesome Neptune (4 Aquarius) joined this extremely rare alignment in May, the market has undergone a significant correction which threatens to bring the recovery rally of the past 13 months to a screeching halt. These are very powerful planets that can signal not only changes in investor mood, but can serve to disrupt and ultimately reorganize some of our most fundamental human institutions. The current Saturn-Uranus-Neptune configuration is just the most recent phase in the much more complex planetary pattern that will unfold from 2008 to 2013. Just to give some indication of the kind of significant economic and societal changes that might be in store, we have not seen an alignment of this many outer planets since the early 1930s.

Transits for Monday, May 17, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

This week features the transits of the Sun and Venus into the thicket of the Big Alignment on Monday and Tuesday. This is likely to coincide with at least another down day, although we should note that the tell-tale Saturn aspect only occurs on Tuesday as the more comforting Jupiter aspects to Venus and the Sun hit exactly on Monday. Given the close degree proximity of Jupiter (2 Pisces) to Saturn (4 Virgo), these transit effects may become blurred as the market gyrates in both directions in the early part of the week. After Venus and the Sun escape from Saturn, they will have the opportunity to form aspects with Uranus and Neptune starting on Wednesday. These appear to be much more risk-positive influences that we often associate with rising stocks. Jupiter's tightening aspect to Saturn could bring further relief here although that picture may not last as Saturn ends its retrograde cycle and turns direct on May 30.

Week of May 10 - 14

Mercury turns direct on Wednesday; Sun joins Venus by Friday

The party on Wall Street came to (flash) crashing halt last week as stocks sank 6% on fears that the European sovereign debt problem may not be solved by the Greece bailout. Out the nowhere on Thursday, the Dow plunged almost 1000 points by mid-afternoon below the 10,000 level, albeit recovering somewhat by the close to end the week at 10,380. Mumbai was also down by 5% on the week as the Sensex finished at 16,679 and the Nifty closing at 5018.

It was a strange and tumultuous week to be sure as investors were left wondering if they had returned to the financial storm they thought they had left behind in 2008. This outcome was pretty much in line with expectations given the raft of aspects involving malefic planets. Last week I had warned about the possible effects of the Sun-Mars square aspect, especially since it would feed into the larger, more powerful aspects of the Saturn-Uranus-Neptune alignment. And so I wrote: "This appears to be a tense combination of fiery energy that may coincide with sudden or instinctive reactions". The Sun-Mars aspect therefore acted as a trigger for the Saturn-Uranus opposition which was exact back on April 27th. All that conflicting energy between Saturnian control and restriction and Uranian freedom and rebellion created an situation without easy resolution. While the Saturn-Uranus-Neptune alignment has altered the financial terrain here, this does not mean that the downturn will unfold imminently. It may take several more months and the next (and final) Saturn-Uranus opposition aspect in July to move the situation to the next level of crisis.

Transits for Monday, May 10, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

Now it seems that no amount of Saturnian discipline and austerity can solve the situation in Greece or indeed in other Club Med economies such as Portugal and Spain. The debts levels may simply be too high relative to the amount of revenue those economies are capable of generating. Risky assets are taking the hit as investors seek to protect their capital from any possible downdraft in the future by moving them to safe havens like US Dollars, US Treasuries, and gold.

As I have been suggesting since 2008, the financial crisis didn't end in 2009, it was merely put on hold through massive infusions of liquidity (i.e. money to you and me) from central banks such as the Federal Reserve. The reduction of interest rates to zero has made borrowing pain-free once again so the bubble has re-inflated all over again. Why would Ben Bernanke think you could fix the first bubble with another bubble? All it will do is delay the inevitable flushing of bad debt out of the system. The stock rally of the past 13 months has been predicated on easy money. Now it is dawning on people that all that bad debt from the sub-prime housing crisis in 2008 didn't simply go away. It merely re-appeared like a shape-shifter as sovereign debt in the guise of numerous government bailouts to prevent bankruptcies. So now we are finally waking up the reality that these heavy government debt levels are not sustainable either and Greece is currently the weak link in the chain.

This week will see Mercury change direction as its retrograde cycle comes to an end on Wednesday. It will station at 8 Aries in fairly close quincunx (150 degree) aspect with Saturn (4 Virgo). This is not a good angle for these planets so more weakness seems possible ahead of this direction reversal. More positively, the Sun has moved away from the Mars influence and will form a supportive aspect with Venus towards week end so some recovery seems more likely. With Jupiter approaching Uranus over the next few weeks, we may see some of the extreme negativity mitigated somewhat. Looking down the road, there are two large alignments that warrant our attention. The first one May 18-20 will involve the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune and looks more benevolent than last week's combination. The second one arrives on June 2-4 and will feature Mars in aspect with Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. As we saw last week, Mars is often a harsh influence, so this alignment may prove more difficult.

Week of May 3 - 7

Sun-Mars aspect intensifies energy this week

Stocks slumped last week on renewed worries over European sovereign debt and the possibility of criminal charges against Goldman Sachs. In New York, the Dow closed down 2% to 11,008 while the S&P finished at 1186. In Mumbai, equities also lost ground as the Sensex finished at 17,558 and the Nifty at 5278. As the planetary drama between Saturn, Uranus and Neptune played out last week, markets responded negatively as Tuesday's exact Saturn-Uranus opposition coincided with a major decline in US markets. This manifested on Wednesday in Asia and effectively bumped the more bullish sentiment implied in the Wednesday's Sun-Mercury conjunction to later in the week. The good vibes then lasted until Friday in Asia but US markets turned lower again on more Goldman Sachs developments as Neptune joined the party in force. With the Sun's condition boosted by the passing Mercury, gold climbed to $1179.

Transits for Monday, May 3, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

The current Saturn-Uranus-Neptune alignment is quite rare and has the capacity to produce some major structural changes in the world. We can see this is happening already as there is widespread recognition of the need for greater government regulation of the financial industry. Capitalism itself may be undergoing a kind of overhaul in the aftermath of the 2008 meltdown. Thus far, however, these three planets have not generated much in the way of market reaction. Saturn and Uranus may have sparked the initial crisis in 2008 on their first opposition aspect in this series, but subsequent aspects have been less momentous. Last week's decline was potentially significant in that it may have marked a kind of turning point but we will have to wait for events to verify that claim.

The highlight this week will likely be the Sun-Mars square that is exact on Tuesday. The Moon may act as a catalyst here when it forms a t-square with Sun and Mars on Wednesday. This appears to be a tense combination of fiery energy that may coincide with sudden or instinctive reactions to undesirable or even violent events. While it is conceivable the market could rise in this outburst of frenetic activity, the more likely outcome would appear to be greater anxiety. To make matters worse, the Sun and Mars will form minor aspect with malefics Saturn and Rahu. Jupiter entered sidereal Pisces over the weekend so that could provide some kind of temporary boost to the overall equation but it seems unlikely to radically alter the dynamics. Jupiter's approach to Uranus over the next few weeks will be interesting to watch since it could shore up excessive pessimism from Saturn's aspects. Alternatively, Jupiter may simply serve to hasten and clarify the larger changes reflected in the Saturn-Uranus aspect.

Week of April 26 - 30

Saturn-Uranus aspect exact on Tuesday

Stocks drifted higher last week as positive earnings reports gave hope that the economic recovery would continue. In New York, the Dow closed at its highest level for the year at 11,204 while the S&P finished at 1217. In Mumbai, gains were more modest as the Sensex ended Friday below its 2010 highs at 17,694 with the Nifty closing at 5304. Gold futures also rebounded last week closing at $1157. Last week, I had cautioned about Monday's alignment of the Sun, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune and this did in fact correlate with a decline of 1% in Asia and Europe. However, once the fast moving Sun had passed its exact aspect with Saturn early on Monday morning (EDT), the tense bearish influence diminished and US markets ended higher. The entry of Venus into sidereal Taurus (the bull!) on Tuesday also appeared to correspond with a boost in prices as Asian markets generally reversed higher while US markets continued their winning ways into Friday. Interestingly, the approach of Friday's aspect between Venus and Saturn saw prices rally even further. While this was somewhat counterintuitive, it nonetheless offered evidence that Venus was now in a stronger position to engage with the troublesome energy of Saturn.

Transits for Monday, April 26, 2010 9.30 a.m New York

The highlight this week is the exact opposition aspect between Saturn (4 Virgo) and Uranus (4 Pisces) on Tuesday. Saturn symbolizes control, discipline, caution and fear and its energy often does not blend well with the more libertarian and rebellious urges of Uranus. In some instances, this aspect can underline internal structural conflicts in the world such as what we are now seeing with Goldman Sachs. Regulatory agencies such as the SEC assume a Saturnian role of enforcer that seek to limit the freedom of Goldman Sachs who are represented by Uranus. With Neptune (4 Aquarius) also forming an important leg in this alignment, there will also be some element of deception and illusion. The fraud charges against Goldman Sachs are emblematic of this Neptunian energy and suggests that the role of deception will be an ongoing theme in any future reordering of the financial industry. With Jupiter soon to conjoin Uranus in June, we could see legal and judicial issues to play a larger role in the weeks to come.

As if to punctuate the the importance of the Saturn-Uranus opposition, a powerful Full Moon occurs on Wednesday in Aries. This pattern is made more noteworthy due to the close conjunct of the Sun with retrograde Mercury. This is often a bullish pattern for increasing risk appetite such as stocks and commodities, although it is likely to be short lived. Ahead of the Full Moon, Mercury will form a difficult square aspect with Mars early on Monday morning (IST) that could cast a pallor over the market. At the other end of the spectrum, there is a nominally positive mix of planets late on Friday between the Moon, Mercury, and Venus.

Given the continuing strength of stocks, we should pay close attention to the possibility that the exact Saturn-Uranus opposition this week will form an interim peak in prices.

Week of April 19 - 23

Goldman Sachs and the Sun-Saturn-Uranus-Neptune pattern

A potential trend changer emerged last week with the fraud charges against financial giant, Goldman Sachs. Stocks in New York tumbled over 1% as the story surfaced, although the were unchanged on the week with the Dow closing at 11,018 and the S&P at 1192. Indian stocks lost almost 2% on interest rate worries as the Nifty closed at 5262 and the Sensex at 17,591. It seems as though the short term positives like the late week Venus-Jupiter aspect was overruled by the medium term influences. As I noted last week, the culmination of the long-standing Uranus-Neptune aspect on Tuesday and the Sun's entry into sidereal Aries on Wednesday may both be interpreted as increasing negative sentiment. While neither of these influences is amenable to precise predictions, they nonetheless add weight to the bearish case. Of course, back here on Earth the SEC attack on Goldman Sachs may well serve a similar purpose as Wall Street's "business as usual" model comes under threat and markets react accordingly.

Transits for Monday, April 19, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

This week begins with a planetary alignment of considerable heft as the Sun (5 Aries), Saturn (5 Virgo), Uranus (4 Pisces) and Neptune (4 Aquarius) are all situated around 4 or 5 degrees of their respective signs. Saturn's presence in any multi-planet aspect needs to be watched carefully, as the planet of caution and restraint is often implicated in declines. The combination of the Sun with Saturn in this instance may reflect intransigence and inhibitions involving government and large firms. Uranus here suggests a frustrated desire for freedom and lack of regulation (= Wall St) while Neptune may represent the deceit employed by Goldman Sachs on an unsuspecting public. While Venus enters the more friendly confines of sidereal Taurus on Tuesday, it, too, will form a pattern with Saturn, Uranus and Neptune by week's end. While this is unlikely to have the same effects as the Sun's Monday alignment, it could still see tensions increase as the appetite for risk wanes.

The Saturn-Uranus opposition becomes exact next week on Tuesday, April 27. Last week, I suggested that this combination of incompatible planets often creates troubles, especially where the markets are concerned. Outcomes may vary due to other factors, such as the conditions of Saturn's sign dispositor. I mentioned last week that since Saturn was in Virgo, the condition of its ruler, Mercury, was heightened in its importance. Mercury is currently in a tense 6th house relationship with Saturn, so that is one reason to expect the current Saturn-Uranus aspect to correspond with lower prices on the markets and with an increase in general mayhem in the world. The eruption of the Icelandic volcano that has interrupted air travel across Europe is perhaps a reflection of this difficult aspect.

But Neptune (4 Aquarius) is also present in this alignment and that only ratchets up the potential for damage especially since it sits exactly 6 houses away from Saturn. In Vedic astrology, 6 is not a fortunate number so we are more likely to experience some uncomfortable Neptunian consequences from this aspect. In its negative iteration, Neptune governs illusion and deception so those themes are likely to become more prominent over the coming weeks. Certainly the Goldman Sachs' fraud episode can be seen as having a Neptunian component so it seems that this issue will not be resolved quickly or easily.

Week of April 12 - 16

Sun enters Aries, Uranus waves good-bye to Neptune

Taking cues from encouraging US employment data, stocks extended their seemingly somnabulant ascent with another modest gain. In New York, the Dow added less than 1% to close at 10,997 while the S&P finished at 1194. Foreign investors were similarly enthralled with Indian economic prospects, as stocks in Mumbai climbed almost 2% with the Sensex closing at 17,933 and the Nifty at 5361. While I thought we might see more negative Mars energy become manifest last week, it wasn't too surprising to see Monday begin positively as the Mercury-Mars was past exact hence much of its bearish energy had already been drained away. And the late week Sun-Jupiter aspect did appear to coincide with more confidence as stocks and commodities mostly moved higher. Gold was perhaps the main beneficiary of this aspect as it climbed back to $1160, and this was in keeping with my comments from last week.

Transits for April 12, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

We have yet to encounter any planetary pattern that has sufficient strength to reverse the prevailing trend. I had wondered if the gradual build up of planets in sidereal Aries might be enough to activate the nastiness of Mars (which, of course, rules Aries) but there is precious little evidence for this hypothesis thus far. The Sun enters Aries on Wednesday this week so that could provide more celestial material for the bearish side, but sign placement alone may not be enough to shut down this liquidity party. This week will also be significant since the long term aspect between Uranus (4 Pisces) and Neptune (4 Aquarius) finally becomes exact. It is possible that some of this rally may be linked to the geometric connection between these distant outer planets since they have been in fairly close orb for several months. With the faster moving Uranus now moving beyond its aspect with Neptune, we should pay close attention to any changes that may occur here.

The early week features a Venus-Rahu aspect which may entail some speculative buying and higher prices, but given the other influences at work here, buying may be a short term distraction this week. The late week period features the Moon conjoining benefic Mercury and Venus and then Venus approaches an aspect with Jupiter on Friday. Both of these influences would appear to be congruent with higher prices.

And waiting in the wings is the latest iteration of the Saturn-Uranus opposition that comes exact on April 27. So it may finally be time for the bulls to take a breather after all.

Week of April 5 - 9

Mercury-Mars-Pluto to start the week

Stocks edged higher for yet another week as positive US economic data suggests that the recovery may be taking root. In New York, the Dow ended the week less than 1% higher at 10,927 while the S&P finished at 1178. The gains were more fractional in Mumbai as the Sensex closed at 17,692 and the Nifty at 5290. Last week, I had noted the possibility of gains on the multi-planet aspects involving Venus on Monday and Mercury on Wednesday. This is more or less what happened as Monday rose on the Venus (3 Aries) aspects to both Uranus (3 Pisces) and Neptune (3 Aquarius). Wednesday's favourable Mercury alignment was apparently delayed as stocks ended up gaining in Thursday's session. The delay may have resulted for Mercury "waiting" for the nice Moon-Jupiter-Ketu grand trine. Nonetheless, in the absence of these positive aspects, the market sagged -- a possible sign of background weakness from the stronger influence of Aries and Mars. So while this shot of negative Aries energy did plausibly weaken sentiment, it was not enough to lower prices overall. Since Venus transits sidereal Aries until April 19 and Mercury until June 6, we will have to pay close attention in order to track these more latent effects. We should also note that the Sun will transit sidereal Aries from April 14 to May 14 so that could is another potentially disruptive energy for the financial markets.

Transits for April 5, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

On paper, this week looks more bearish than last week as Monday's alignment of Mercury with Mars and Pluto suggests a rise in fear and frustration. While this should incline stocks towards lower prices in the early part of the week, the key square aspect between Mercury and Mars is nonetheless a little past exact. This may reduce its capacity for damage somewhat, especially in US markets. We can also note that this is only a partial strength square aspect since Mars' 270 degree aspect does not pack the same punch as its more damaging 90 degree aspect.   Even with those caveats, however, it will be interesting to see how the market responds to thse tense planetary energies.   Towards the end of the week, a minor Sun-Jupiter aspect may lift sentiment somewhat, with commodities like gold perhaps enjoying special benefit.

As the Saturn-Uranus opposition draws closer -- now less than three degrees -- we can be attuned to more clues about its eventual impact on stocks.   While it is often a tense and difficult combination as evidenced by its role in the October 2008 meltdown, it is not always going to correspond with negative outcomes. Its ultimate effects depend on secondary and tertiary factors such as transit contacts, and the condition of planetary dispositors. While Saturn is a natural malefic, its energy can be made more benign if its dispositor, i.e. the ruler of its sign, is strong. In November 2008, Saturn was in the sign of Leo, which is ruled by the Sun. At the time of the sharp sell-off, the Sun was debilitated in Libra. This weakness in the Sun was therefore transfered onto Saturn to some extent and was another factor why the Saturn-Uranus opposition corresponded with such a large decline. In February 2009, Saturn was again in Leo but its dispositor Sun was now in Capricorn. The Sun is in an enemy's sign in Capricon and moreover Capricorn is six signs from Leo, which suggests tension.   The market fell another 15% after this Saturn-Uranus opposition. Finally, in September 2009, Saturn was in sidereal Virgo at the time of its third opposition with Uranus. Saturn's dispositor was therefore Mercury. But Mercury was also in Virgo, which is its sign of exaltation. With a strong dispositor, Saturn created less of an atmosphere of difficulty as stocks generally rose through this particular aspect.    There are other factors to consider, of course, but dispositors are nonetheless an important part of the overall equation.

This time around the Saturn-Uranus opposition occurs on April 26th with Saturn in sidereal Virgo. Saturn's dispositor Mercury will be retrograde in Aries conjunct and combust the exalted Sun. This seems less favourable than the September 2009 circumstances although perhaps not a grievous as the opposition in November 2008. While Mercury (and hence Saturn) may receive some benefit from its association with an exalted planet (the Sun), Mercury will be six signs from Saturn. In astrology, 6, 8,and 12 are generally seen as unfavourable house/sign relationships.   The relatively difficult condition of Saturn's dispositor would tend to support the view that this Saturn-Uranus opposition will accompany lower stock prices.    Let's see how it all plays out.

Week of March 29 - April 2

Venus and Mercury enter Aries

Stocks continued to melt higher last week as positive US employment data was enough to offset worries about European sovereign debt. In New York, the Dow gained less than 1% to close at 10,850 and the S&P finished at 1066. Mumbai stocks were also higher as the Sensex made a fractional gain to close at 17,644 with the Nifty ending the week at 5282. Monday's Sun-Saturn aspect did little to curb the enthusiasm for stocks although it is worth noting that Indian stocks did decline on Monday just before this aspect became exact. However, New York's session began just after the Sun was separating from the aspect and hence the negative Saturn influence was already on the wane at the open. The result was falling prices at the open followed by a modest rally. Despite this recent series of aspects, we have yet to see Saturn assert itself here as specified down days have seen only orderly and controlled pullbacks.

Transits for Monday March 29, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

This week we may see more of Mars in the equation as Venus and Mercury enter sidereal Aries on Saturday and Tuesday, respectively. This stronger Aries influence invokes Mars since Mars is said to rule Aries. Aries is associated with bold action and courageousness but here we note that since Mars is debilitated in Cancer, planets transiting through Aries may be adversely affected. Therefore, there is a greater chance we could see the more negative side of Aries, such as sudden and rash moves motivated by ego and bravado. While we cannot rule out investors staking out new long positions taken on faulty reasoning, the more likely manifestation is selling out of self-preservation and thus falling prices. Nonetheless, there are a couple of favourable aspects this week that suggest some possibility of gains. Monday will feature a Venus-Uranus-Neptune alignment that may increase risk appetite. This is more likely to manifest in Asian trading since the aspect will be separating by the time US markets open. Similarly, Mercury will slip into the same spot on Wednesday and that could incline stocks towards more gains than chance might otherwise suggest. But the effects of Aries and hence Mars would appear to undermine whatever positive consequences these specific aspects might promise.

With Saturn opposing Uranus on April 26, it seems very unlikely that this rebound rally can continue indefinitely.

Week of March 22 - 26

Stocks continued their upward drift last week as Fed Chair Bernanke promised to keep handing out free money indefinitely. The Dow made new highs for the year and added another 1% to close at 10,741 while the S&P finished at 1159. Ahead of Friday's surprise rate hike by the RBI, Indian markets advanced more than 2% as the Sensex climbed to 17,578 and the Nifty to 5262. This rise was in keeping with general expectations since the Sun-Mercury-Uranus conjunction was likely to increase risk appetite. Interestingly, we did not see much of a fall in the wake of Wednesday's Sun-Uranus conjunction and the opposition aspect between Mercury and Saturn also did not generate much selling. US markets imbibed in Saturn's bitter austerities as Thursday was flat and Friday was negative, albeit only modestly. The rate hike by India's central bank is a reflection of the growing influence of Saturn as inflation is becoming more of a concern. Saturn is the planet of limits and tightening in the face of runaway optimism and spending so it is possible we may be seeing a changing of the planetary guard here.

Transits for March 22, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

This week will feature the third of three quick transits to Saturn as the Sun opposes it early on Monday. With Mars also forming a minor angle here, there is good reason to expect bearish sentiment to increase. The more important question, however, is whether this activation of Saturn will fundamentally shift the mood of the market and start a downtrend as these aspects separate. Certainly, a trend change is more possible here since Saturn is now fast approaching Uranus for the fourth of five oppositions in this series. This occurs on April 25 and while the exact date may not be significant in terms of market dynamics, it does underline the importance of the current period. The 2008 low was created very near the first Saturn-Uranus opposition (Nov 4) , as was the March 2009 low (Feb 5). The third opposition in September 2009, however, saw the market continue its rally without significant interruption. So it is not certain that the market will form lows near this aspect but we can nonetheless make a plausible case.

Week of March 15 - 19

Sun and Mercury prepare to leave congenial energy of Uranus

US Stocks extended their winning streak as stocks edged 1% higher last week on reduced sovereign debt worries and some encouraging retail data. Erasing all the losses of the recent correction, S&P matched its January high and finished Friday at 1149 while the Dow played laggard closing at 10,624, some 100+ points below its previous high. Indian equities largely followed suit as the Sensex added another 1% to close at 17,166 while the Nifty finished at 5137. I had expected a little more volatility, especially early in the week on the Venus-Saturn aspect. But the gains were not entirely unexpected given the clustering of Sun and Mercury between the benefic bookends of Jupiter and Uranus which has largely propelled stocks higher off the early February bottom.

Transits for Monday March 15, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

With many US indexes at or near highs for the year, can Jupiter's optimism and Uranus' restless energy push the market even higher? As the Sun and Mercury conjoin Uranus early this week, we could get a glimpse of the future trend. This triple conjunction may correspond with sudden or unforeseen developments, with technology and innovation being the short term benefactors. It may well be market positive in the (very) short run. But we must remember that once the Sun and Mercury move past Uranus it could alter sentiment since the bullish Jupiter-Uranus pairing will be de-emphasized. And as the Sun and Mercury leave Uranus behind, they may begin to activate the caution and pessimism of Saturn as they move into closer opposition aspect later in the week. Saturn is generally unkind to risk takers, the only beneficiaries of its influence would be safe havens such as the US Dollar or government bonds. Let's see how much Saturn is brought into the planetary mix this week.

Week of March 8 - 12

Venus opposes Saturn; Mars turns direct

Stocks jumped higher last week as positive US employment numbers convinced more investors that the recovery could actually be real. Stocks in New York were 3% higher with the Dow closing at 10,566 and the S&P at 1138. It was much the same story in Mumbai as Sensex added 3% to close at 16,994 while the Nifty finished at 5088 as investors basked in the afterglow of the union budget. This bullish outcome was largely in keeping with expections as the midweek Venus-Uranus conjunction kept the bears at bay and fueled enough optimism to take prices to within a few percent of their January highs.

Interestingly, once Venus began separating from Uranus, the post-budget rally in Mumbai stalled while New York enjoyed more gains on Friday. As always, transit influences form a foundation from which the relevant natal charts pick and choose to resonate different energies. Last week I wondered if the recent rally might stumble as Venus left the friendly confines of sidereal Aquarius and the clustering of benefic planets there. The jury is still out on that hypothesis, although the strong showing of US and European markets on Friday would suggest that the Aquarian bulls are doing just fine, thank you, even without Venus. New York continued to rise despite the departure of Venus, probably due to favourable midpoint activation among the stellium of Mercury, Jupiter, Sun and Uranus.

Transits for Monday, March 8 , 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

There is a genuine chance for a shake up this week as Venus (7 Pisces) moves into opposition aspect with Saturn (7 Virgo) early in the week. Given Saturn's well deserved reputation for all things gloomy, this is not a positive influence and the proximity of Mars (6 Cancer) by degree to both planets has the potential to seriously interrupt the prevailing mood. To make things more interesting, Mars ends its retrograde cycle and turns direct on Wednesday. This will inject an additional layer of Martian energy into the mix and could exaggerate moves in either direction. However, the fact that Mars is, by nature, a malefic planet tips the probabilities towards the bears here. At the same time, the clustering of planets in the second half of Aquarius is still a potential source of optimism here so some up days are still likely, especially later in the week as Mercury approaches the Sun.

Week of March 1 - 5

Venus enters Pisces and conjoins Uranus; last chance for bulls?

US Stocks were mostly unchanged last week as Ben Bernanke's promise to keep interest rates low was offset by news of more woes in the bottomless housing market. The Dow lost less than 1% to close at 10,325 while the S&P finished at 1104. In Mumbai, investors reacted favourably to the tax relief in Friday's union budget as prices rose by 2% on the week. The Nifty edged towards 5000 at midday Friday before closing at 4922 while the Sensex stood at 16,429. This outcome was more or less in keeping with last week's comments since I had suggested that the early part of the week would be weaker with strength returning by Friday. In New York, Monday and Tuesday were both down days after which the bulls once again took the S&P back above 1100 for the rest of the week, albeit including Thursday's morning shake out. Mumbai reflected the bullish bias of Friday's Sun-Jupiter conjunction more closely as Indian markets moved higher after trading in a narrow range in the lead up to the budget.

Transits for March 1, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

This week sees Venus leaving Aquarius on Tuesday as it prepares for its conjunction with Uranus. As I speculated last week, the multi-planet stellium in Aquarius may offer a partial explanation of the recent rally off the February 5 lows. Since Venus and then later the Sun have entered Aquarius to join Jupiter, prices have steadily risen. However, once Venus leaves the company of the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter, we should be careful to detect any reduction in optimism. Certainly, the conjunction of benefic Venus with energetic Uranus is a fortuitous combination that should offer further support to stocks for at least the first half of the week until the conjunction is exact. As an added bonus, we should also note that Venus is entering Pisces, the sign of its exaltation. So there is the potential for significant and sudden gains. However, we can also see a potentially troubling alignment between Mercury, Mars and Saturn at the same time. This may siphon off some of the optimism and produce a down day somewhere along the way, but there is good reason to expect the bulls to stay in control this week.

Once Venus passes Uranus on Wednesday, however, the dynamics may begin to shift. After Uranus, Saturn looms as Venus' next dance partner. As the planet of austerity and limitation, we may see a reduction of risk appetite before too long.

Week of February 22 - 26

Venus-Jupiter coincides with bounce; Sun-Jupiter conjunction due Saturday

A sense of calm returned to financial markets last week as fears over Greece temporarily subsided and positive US economic data pointed to stronger growth down the road. Despite Bernanke's surprise late week move to raise the discount rate, the Dow added 3% to close at 10,402 and the S&P at 1109. Mumbai enjoyed a more modest gain as the Sensex finished the week at 16,191 and the Nifty at 4844. Much of the planetary credit for rise should go to the conjunctions of Sun and Neptune on Monday and then the Venus-Jupiter conjunction on Wednesday. While the Sun-Neptune influence can create unrealistic demands on governments to solve problems, its immediate effects are often positive. Venus-Jupiter are naturally positive planets that encourage optimism and we saw markets move up smartly on Tuesday immediately prior to the conjunction. Interestingly, any residual sense of privation and duress from the early week Mars-Saturn aspect was overwhelmed by these twin sources of confidence.

Transits for Monday, Feburary 22 9.30 a.m. New York

All eyes this week are on the Sun-Jupiter conjunction that becomes exact on Saturday, the 27th. This is another combination that usually spurs risk taking and spending so there is good reason to expect a bullish bias here, especially later in the week. We should also note that the Indian budget will be announced on Friday very close to this conjunction and that should see further stimulus spending and government largesse since the Sun represents government and Jupiter represents generosity. The early week period may be more difficult, however, as both the Sun and Mercury form minor aspects with Saturn on Monday and perhaps into Tuesday.

As long as the clustering of planets in sidereal Aquarius continues, there is good reason to expect the relative strength to continue. The February 5 low occurred just before Venus entered Aquarius to conjoin Jupiter, the bullish planet of expansion. Once Venus joined Jupiter in Aquarius, markets began to bounce. Now that the Sun has made it a planetary threesome, prices have continued to recover. Mercury is about to enter Aquarius also on Thursday, so that could well be another positive influence that might support prices. But this grouping of three inner planets with Jupiter will be short-lived since Venus will leave Aquarius and enter Pisces on March 2. We should pay close attention to how Jupiter's changing planetary dance partners might affect sentiment as March unfolds.

Week of February 15 - 19

Dueling Planets: Mars-Saturn vs. Venus-Jupiter

The EU sent Greece an early Valentine's Day gift last week in the form of loan guarantees that would prevent any sovereign debt default. Markets were appropriately impressed by this declaration of true Eurozone love, however expedient, as stocks broke their string of declines and posted their first winning week in a month. In New York, the Dow rose a little under 1% to close at 10,099 while the S&P closed at 1075. Despite China's attempts to choke off any emergent financial bubble by raising bank reserve requirements (Oh, the liquidity!), Mumbai followed the trend higher as the Sensex added more than 2% before finishing at 16,152 with the Nifty at 4826. Gold futures also joined the relief rally as it added 3% to close at $1093. In keeping with expectations, the early week Venus-Neptune aspect provided some support for prices as did the Mars-Jupiter-Saturn alignment midweek as Thursday posted a strong gain. Friday's decline in New York coincided nicely with the Mercury-Mars aspect, although this affliction turned out to be more anemic than expected as the sell-off at the open was countered by bargain hunting for the rest of the day. The gain was a reflection of good (Neptunian) faith, however, as investors await details of the EU bailout before they can put their debt paranoia to rest -- at least until the next victim comes out of the shadows.

Transits for Tuesday, February 16, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

We may see another display of Neptunian faith this week as the Sun conjoins Neptune on Monday. While US markets will be closed for a holiday, this combination of planets may be an expression of government (Sun) action that inspire hope (Neptune). While this may give the credulous some reason to put pressing existential questions aside, Neptune can often lead to disillusionment and illness, another unfortunate manifestation of the mythical God of the Sea. The Mars-Saturn aspect is an ongoing concern this week also since both planets are moving very slowly through their retrograde cycles. This is generally not a positive influence although in the right circumstances the two malefics can symbolize "doing what is necessary" no matter how onerous or painful it may be. In the present situation, that could mean extending some kind of lifeline to profligate Greece, but Mars-Saturn rarely offers solutions without someone enduring some suffering. The EU-enforced austerity measures will obviously mean some suffering on the part of the Greek people.

But the picture is made more complicated by the fact that Venus and Jupiter will conjoin on Wednesday. In planetary terms, Venus and Jupiter is a bit like someone eating a seven-course meal with champagne next to person with on a Mars-Saturn diet of stale bread and water. Perhaps Wall St vs. Main St is a more apt description. So there are some opposing energies at this week as the financial world comes to terms with the realization that credit markets may be a little less robust than previously thought. Bond yields are starting to rise to reflect this emerging nervousness and it may well be only a matter of time before Ben Bernanke's version of Pump It Up comes back down to earth.

The high number of simultaneous aspects makes direction harder to call this week. It may result in an unsatisfying stalemate, albeit with a day or two of large moves. Wednesday's Venus-Jupiter conjunction looks a little more suspicious than other days so if there's a hangover from the EU bacchanalia bailout, it may show up around this combination. Even if the market moves lower, there is likely to be a bounce that should extend into early March on the strength of the conjunctions of Sun-Jupiter and Venus-Uranus. After that, the planets are again dominated by Saturn, the cruel teacher of necessary lessons.

Week of February 8 - 12

Eurozone debt weighs on stocks; Mercury approaches Mars on Friday

Stocks retreated for the third week in a row last week as fears over European sovereign debt pushed investors out of riskier asset classes and into the safety of treasuries and the US Dollar. After Friday's afternoon rebound, the Dow was down less than 1% at 10,012 while the S&P finished at 1066. The losses were steeper in Mumbai as emerging markets bore the full brunt of the rising risk aversion. The Nifty closed down 4% to 4712 while the Sensex ended the week at 15,790. The aftermath of Wednesday's Mercury-Rahu conjunction appears to have increased volatility towards the end of the week as Jupiter's aspect to Saturn and Pluto coincided with the sell-off.

Since mid-January's Solar Eclipse, financial markets have been in correction mode as the the voices of caution have grown louder about rising debt levels from government stimulus spending. Greece and now Portugal are now under scrutiny as governments attempt to conform to the EU standard of 3% debt to GDP. The threat of default is causing a run of the Euro which has lost 10% of its value in the past two months. Stocks and commodities have also suffered as the carry trade in cheap US Dollars has perhaps begun to unwind.

Transits for Monday February 8, 2010 9.30 a.m New York

From an astrological perspective, debt -- and losses in general -- is said to be ruled by Saturn. When Saturn is prominent in the sky, we are confronted with the notion of loss in some way. Certainly, Saturn has been prominent for the past year or two. In 2008, Saturn (loss) formed an opposition aspect to Uranus (shock) . That was one of the critical planetary correspondences of the economic meltdown that led to the Great Recession. Now Saturn is in a square aspect with Pluto, the planet of change and power. Since the optimism of Jupiter and Neptune has largely dissipated, the negative fallout of Saturn and Pluto may now be more dominant. Notions of Saturnian debt is now undergoing some painful Plutonic transformation through the application of power. The European Central Bank is forcing financial compliance on its lesser lights like Greece, despite growing public opposition to the austerity measures and rising taxes. Since this Saturn-Pluto square will last throughout most of 2010, this issue of government debt and loss will be a recurring theme. Will there be any actual government defaults from this crisis? Well, nothing says "Plutonic transformation" quite like erasing or re-structuring of debt so it's very possible that we could see some major defaults in the weeks and months to come. And with the prospect of a Grand Cross looming this summer, there is every reason to expect the financial crisis to deepen.

This week will see a number of close planetary angles involving Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto. The week may begin pleasantly enough on a Venus-Neptune conjunction which might correspond with the articulation of a vision or plan for creating wealth. Actually, this aspect is exact before the open on Monday so some of the positive energy may already be done. By contrast, the end of the week may see the effects of a difficult Mercury-Mars opposition which looks quite nasty, especially since it may tap into the larger reservoir of Saturnian pessimism. A gain is possible this week, but the overall tone of the markets still looks shaky. And even if February produces some temporary gains (e.g. the Venus-Jupiter conjunction Feb 16 or the Sun-Jupiter conjunction Feb 26), the month of March offers no relief as Mars completes its retrograde cycle on March 10 while is close aspect with Saturn.

So it looks like there won't be any quick fix for global financial markets here. We may have to wait until the spring equinox before the markets are once again on solid footing.

Week of February 1 - 5

Decline extended by Mars; Mercury conjoins Rahu this week

Stocks continued their losing ways last week as worries over China's tightening credit and a possible debt default by Greece cast a shadow over the market. Despite the successful reappointment of Fed Chair Ben Bernanke, US stocks lost 2% as the Dow closed at 10,067 and the S&P at 1073. It was a similar story in Mumbai, as the RBI warned of inflation down the road and stocks fell 3% as the Sensex closed at 16,357 and the Nifty at 4882. This negative outcome was in keeping with expectations given the plethora of Mars aspects last week. Most of the bearish sentiment in the US occurred towards the end of the week on the Sun-Mars opposition whereas Indian markets experienced its deepest decline on Wednesday on the Venus-Mars opposition. One possible explanation for the slightly different timing around the Mars energy could be that the Venus-Mars aspect also coincided with a specific affliction in NSE natal chart. As always, transit afflictions need to be interpreted through the template of relevant natal positions.

This week will feature a Mercury-Rahu conjunction on Wednesday and a very close alignment of Jupiter with Saturn and Pluto on Friday. Rahu (North Lunar Node) is normally seen as a malefic and unpredictable planet, and its conjunction with Mercury, the planet of commerce, suggests volatility and excessive speculation. We should not be surprised to see uncertainty about global financial markets to persist leading into the Wednesday conjunction, so that may well increase the likelihood for down days early on. Jupiter's influence on the Saturn-Pluto square later in the week will be an intriguing blending of optimism and pessimism. Generally speaking, Jupiter's influence is a positive one, even on planets that may symbolize difficulty or contraction.

The current corrective phase in the markets has coincided with the near-simultaneous reversal in direction of Mercury (forwards) and Saturn (backwards) that occurred in mid-January. As if to give these reversals added oomph, the Solar Eclipse of January 15 may have punctuated their importance in marking a shift in sentiment. Of course, we may also note the potential role of other planetary measurements. While stocks continued to rise around the time of the Mars retrograde station on December 19, the fact that Mars is still moving backwards in the sky is nonetheless significant. Mars retrograde periods have a historical correlation with negative price trends in the market, so this should give investors added caution for the duration of its period of retrograde motion which concludes March 10.

Week of January 25 - 29

Saturn increases caution; Mars aspects loom this week

Storm clouds gathered over the financial markets last week as China tightened lending rules and Obama's new banking plan put things in a new light. Much of the new reality in the US was brought about by the upset victory of Republican Scott Brown in the special Massachusetts Senate election. This has meant a loss of the Democrats 60 seat supermajority and has forced Obama to adopt a more populist anti-Wall St stance. The new-found Republican confidence will also likely mean increase concerns over the growing government deficit and will therefore diminish any future stimulus measures. The new political reality in Washington has also jeopardized the confirmation of Fed Chair Ben Bernanke for a second term as more senators are reluctant to be seen to be too close to Wall St in a mid-term election year. The net effect was negative on stocks as investors wondered if the days of easy government bailout money was now over.

Transits for January 25, 2010 9.30 a.m. EST New York

The Dow closed down 4% on the week to 10,172 while the S&P closed at 1091. The story was similar in Mumbai as the Sensex backed off its recent highs to close at 16,859 with the Nifty finishing at 5036. While I did not foresee the extent of the decline I correctly noted last week that we could see new highs put in early in the week on Jupiter's influence. I also warned about growing pessimism later in the week on the Venus and Sun aspects to Saturn. Since Saturn is a planet of caution and limitation is seems that these aspects have played an important role in the losses.

This week may well extend the dark mood as Mars forms a series of aspects through the week with Mercury, Venus and the Sun. Given the proximity of the aspects, declines could occur on any day this week. Gold is also likely to come under further pressure since both Venus and the Sun, two planets that symbolize gold, will come under the malefic aspect of the debilitated Mars in sidereal Cancer. Despite the heavy Mars influence, we should still see some up days this week. But the overall tone of the market will likely reflect the sense of Mars -- urgency, quick action, agitation and possibly more fear.

Last week's sell-off and the prospect of all those Mars aspects this week increases the chances that we saw an important top in the market with the Solar Eclipse and twin reverses of Saturn and Mercury on Jan 13-15. Whether or not it can stand up as high water mark in the medium term will depend on how low the market corrects in the coming weeks. With Mars staying retrograde until March 10, there is some reason to remain cautious here. And we will also have to integrate the effect of Jupiter aspecting both Saturn and Pluto in the first week of February. This is a very close three planet alignment that could provide additional input into sentiment.

Week of January 18 - 22

Jupiter and then Saturn

Stocks mostly treaded water last week as mixed earnings reports did not provide a sufficient push in either direction. In New York, the Dow closed at 10,609 while the S&P finished Friday at 1136. It was much the same story in Mumbai as investors were reluctant to extend the rally further. The Sensex ended the week at 17,554 and the Nifty at 5252. It seems we had something of a celestial saw-off, as the series of apparently positive aspects involving the Sun and Venus with slower moving planets was offset by the stations of Saturn and Mercury and Friday's disruptive solar eclipse. While I had been agnostic about the overall outcome here, I was a little disappointed by the relatively small moves on most days, with Friday being a significant exception as the New York market declined. The loss was in keeping with the general tone of a Mercury Direct station conjunct Pluto square Saturn. This definitely qualified as a "not very nice" combination, especially when you factor in the simultaneous solar eclipse. Whether these changes in planetary directions may mark a top to the market remains to be seen. Certainly, the market did not advance after Wednesday's Saturn station, but it's early days so we will have to wait and see.

Transits for January 18, 2010 9.30 a.m. EST New York

This week again offers broadly offsetting influences. The early week seems to be dominated by the double aspecting of Jupiter by the Sun and Venus. Whenever Jupiter is involved, we can expect optimism and expansion to be more prominent. These are only minor 30 degree aspects so we may not see much in the way of upward lift here. But is there enough planetary fuel for stocks to rise to new highs? Hard to say, but if it going to happen, it will likely happen by Wednesday. That's because later in the week Saturn looks to be more the focus as Venus will form a trine aspect on Thursday and the Sun will follow suit on Friday. Saturn inclines towards caution and pessimism, so it is often correlated with declines.

Gold made another rally attempt last week but failed to go anywhere. As I expected, Gold was a little higher on Monday's Sun-Venus-Rahu conjunction but sellers moved in after that. Interestingly, prices started to slump as soon as Venus began separating from the Sun. Since the Sun is generally viewed as the planetary significator for gold, the gradual loss of the favourable influence of Venus coincided with falling prices. Not even some positive aspects with Uranus and Neptune were enough to put gold back into the plus column. This week could see another day or two of good gains on the Sun-Jupiter aspect but gold has lost an important planetary ally now that Venus has moved on so it's unclear how much of a rebound it can have this week.

Stocks started 2010 on a positive note as encouraging US retail numbers brought in new buyers eager to participate in the economic recovery. In New York, the Dow was up 2% to 10,618 while the S&P fared somewhat better and closed at 1144. In Mumbai, the enthusiasm was a little more subdued as valuation worries kept a lid on things with the Sensex edging higher to 17,540 and the Nifty to 5244. Certainly, I had expected some upside from the close Sun-Mercury-Venus conjunction in the early going since Venus usually brings some element of joy to the proceedings. But the extent of Monday's gain in New York was definitely food for thought as the positive Venus energy manifested before its exact conjunction. Another reminder perhaps that no matter how precise we can do the mathematics in planetary geometry, there are always other unknown and largely unknowable "X" factors that are part of the equation that make forecasting such a challenge. I wonder if Donald Rumsfeld ever pondered astrology's "unknown unknowns". The latter part of the week saw a little more negativity and this correlated fairly well with the minor Mars aspect to the Sun and Venus. Overall, last week's extension of the rally showed how little the medium term influences have changed. The recent Mars and Mercury retrogrades have not provided enough counterbalance to the pervasive optimism of the rough alignment of Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus (and Chiron) near the same degree of their respective signs. Jupiter is now moving away from Neptune so this should eventually weaken the bullish pattern, but it is not clear when the supports will fall away.

Transits for Monday January 11, 2010 9.30 a.m. New York

This week will be an interesting test of that status quo optimism as we will see two planets change direction very close to a solar eclipse. With the Sun now conjunct Venus, we can see how this can produce a happy mood which could correlate with rising prices. On Monday, however, the Sun-Venus tandem will conjoin Rahu (North Lunar Node) at 27 degrees of sidereal Sagittarius. Rahu can be a disruptive influence although if it is in proximity to benefic planets like Venus, it can often be swayed to go over the bright side of life. Sun-Venus will also form supporting aspects to Uranus and Neptune early this week so that is another positive influence. Since gold is represented by the Sun, the ongoing conjunction of Venus will likely take gold prices higher in the short term. Once Venus begins to pull away, however, gold's fortunes may become more uncertain.

Saturn will turn retrograde on Wednesday and begin its five-month backward journey through early sidereal Virgo. When planets change direction, there can be a subtle shift in mood and purpose so these retrograde stations need to be watched carefully for clues of new market trends. If the market has been rising going up leading into a significant retrograde station, then stocks may be more vulnerable to pullbacks afterwards. While there is a certain deductive and holistic appeal to this position, it's important to remember that the correlation is very loose in practice. Like most probabilistic astrological measurements, it is only one factor out of many. What makes this Saturn station more noteworthy, however, is that it occurs just as the Moon, Mercury and Pluto are all in tense square aspect. This is an unusual circumstance and may well indicate some sudden increase in pessimism or misapplication of authority in some area. Friday is no less interesting as Mercury ends its retrograde cycle in square aspect with Saturn on the same day as a solar eclipse. That is also quite an unusual circumstance and warrants close attention in terms of potentially marking any changes in market direction. All in all, it should be a very compelling week as several positive aspects are tightly intermingled with a couple not-very-nice patterns.

Week of January 4 - 8

Sun-Mercury-Venus conjunction starts off 2010

As if to underscore the resuscitation of the global economy in 2009, stocks hit their highs for the year last week in advance of the New Year's holiday. In New York, the Dow finally settled off its highs Thursday at 10,428 while the S&P closed at 1115. In Mumbai, equities were up over 80% for the year as the Sensex finished the year at 17,464 while the Nifty closed at 5201. The strength of the market through the second half of December presents a real puzzle, as the number of bearish influences appeared to be growing while the bullish influences were on the wane. In addition to the Mars retrograde cycle which began on Dec 20, Mercury also turned retrograde on Dec 26. Neither of these is usually considered favourable for stocks, although it should be noted that their direct temporal effects are more amorphous than, say, a planetary aspect. The Venus-Saturn-Pluto alignment on Dec 28-29 corresponded with continued strength, although future events may reveal this pattern as pivotal moment where trends were reversed, rather than anything especially bullish. Lurking in the background, the afterglow of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction, now two degrees past exactitude and still apparently fueling the optimism of prevailing market sentiment.

The extended conjunction between Jupiter, the planet of expansion and wealth, and Neptune, the planet of idealism and dreams, has been a key part of the economic recovery this year. Back in late 2008 near the depths of the meltdown, I expected this conjunction to boost the market through much of 2009 and thought that Dow 10,000 would be a possible target. While that target has been achieved, I have to honestly say that I never expected the stock rally to last this long. Between the Saturn-Uranus opposition in September and November's Saturn-Pluto I thought we would see markets subject to greater stress. This hasn't happened as corrections have been relatively mild due in part to the lengthy contact between Jupiter and Neptune, with a close 30 degree aspect from Uranus lending a helping hand.

Transits for January 4, 2010 9.30 a.m. EST New York

2010 begins with a close triple conjunction of Sun, Mercury and Venus early in the week. Sun-Mercury conjoin first on Monday with Mercury and Venus coming together on Tuesday. As the planet of commerce and trading, the condition of Mercury is of particular interest. Its inferior conjunction with the Sun is often difficult as close proximity leads to the affliction known as combustion. By contrast, the Venus influence is often positive, as harmonious feelings are more likely to pervade commercial transactions. Later in the week the Sun and Venus form a minor aspect with retrograde Mars. Contacts with a debilitated and retrograde malefic such as Mars are often problematic and this aspect may coincide with sudden events or a sense of urgency. At the same time, the aspect is not a full strength one, so that would tend to mitigate its effects. While the net effect of these short term aspects may well be negative, what is more important is how they will interact with some of the patterns that occur next week. On the 13th, Saturn turns retrograde in close aspect to President Obama's natal Moon (housing market issues?). Then just two days later, Mercury's direct station occurs on the same day as a annular Solar Eclipse at 1 degree of sidereal Capricorn.

January offers more difficult planetary energies that should put pressure on stocks over the near term, but the planetary aspects generally look more difficult later in the year. April and May will see a very awkward looking Saturn-Uranus-Neptune pattern that will likely prove inimical to further gains. Then the Saturn-Uranus-Pluto t-square will dominate the summer and fall period. This unholy trinity of slow moving bodies is evocative of a state of pessimism and hardship. Although Jupiter will be a frequent visitor in this t-square configuration, it's unclear if its optimism will be enough to induce prices to move higher. Overall, 2010 seems destined to undermine many of the economic gains that were achieved in 2009.

Week of December 21 - 25

Jupiter conjoins Neptune; Mars turns retrograde -- a turning point?

Despite the Fed's promise of continued low (or no) interest rates for the foreseeable future, the market failed to mount a meaningful rally. Investors appear to be growing uneasy with the yin of a continued weak economy and high employment and the yang of a rising Dollar and the end to the carry trade . Stocks were largely unchanged for the week with the Dow closing at 10,328 and the S&P at 1102. Mumbai fared somewhat worse as inflation fears forced the markets south with the Sensex closing at 16,719 and the Nifty finishing at 4987. I thought we might see more upside on the early week Sun-Jupiter aspect but we saw only modest gains in New York on Monday. As expected, the market turned more negative as the week progressed. Friday brought a small gain in New York which was not too surprising given the fairly close Venus-Jupiter aspect that I noted last week.

With the conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune on Monday December 21, the planets may be indicating an important pivot point in the market here. The hope embodied in the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction has underwritten much of the stock rally of 2009. As the conjunction comes exact this week, we are confronted with the very real possibility that the celestial source code for optimism may becoming more scarce. The UN climate conference in Copenhagen was perhaps a reflection of this hopeful idealism and yet it has been heavily criticized for lacking any specifics. For all the good intentions provided by Jupiter and Neptune, the whole conference may have been more of an exercise in public relations. One wonders if the stock rally could fall prey to the same lack of follow up and practical considerations as the limits of Jupiter and Neptune are revealed by the unforgiving light of day.

Transits for Monday, December 21, 2009 9.30 a.m. New York

Besides Jupiter-Neptune, Mars turns retrograde on Sunday, December 20. This is another potentially malefic influence that could make it more difficult to sustain current levels. Thomas Reider's statistical study of Mars retrograde periods found they significantly correlate with major market declines of more than 10%. This is not a perfect correlation but one that nonetheless merits attention. Reider also found that declines were more likely to occur when Mars was in hard aspect to two outer planets, where one aspect is a conjunction. This isn't the case here, but we do note that Mars is in a hard semi-square (45 degrees) Saturn while Saturn is squaring Pluto. Venus makes a sextile aspect with Jupiter-Neptune on Monday so there's a possibility for gains in the early going, but exact aspects between benefics can just as much spark sell-offs upon their perfection. The other significant aspect occurs Thursday when Sun is conjunct Pluto. While we will see light trading volumes ahead of the Christmas holiday, this pattern seems to be difficult, especially for gold.

Stocks flat as gold falls further; Sun-Jupiter aspect on Tuesday

Week of December 14 - 18

Stocks were mostly flat last week as positive US retail data was offset by renewed worries over government debt levels in vulnerable jurisdictions like Dubai and Greece. Blue chips performed a little better than the broader market as the Dow closed at 10,471 while the S&P finished at 1106. It was much the same story in Mumbai where equities again failed to punch above resistance levels as the Sensex closed at 17,119 and the Nifty 5117. While the early week Mercury-Saturn-Pluto alignment was bearish as expected, the relative easy rebound later on the Sun-Mars aspect demonstrates how much positive planetary energy is still available.

No doubt part of the story is the approach of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction which comes exact December 21. These two planets have played a huge role in this rally that dates back to March. Jupiter symbolizes optimism and expansion and Neptune embodies notions of idealism and image. Together, they are a potent combination that says "hope" for the future. It's not a coincidence perhaps that the Copenhagen climate conference is meeting just a few days ahead of the exact conjunction of these idealistic and hopeful planets. President Obama will address the meeting on December 18 at a time when Jupiter and Neptune will be separated by less than half a degree -- sounds like it could be a hopefest -- albeit one motivated by quasi-apocalyptic concerns as Saturn squares Pluto (death and suffering) and Mars (conflict and violence) is almost stationary. In market terms, the presence of this underlying force of Jupiter-Neptune optimism has prevented the more negative aspects from taking the market significantly lower.

Transits for December 14, 2009 9.30 a.m. New York

This week offers more positive short term aspects as the transiting Sun will form a complex alignment with Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune early in the week. This could well boost stock prices temporarily as well as give a lift to gold, which has been recently beaten down by the rising Dollar. On Wednesday, a New Moon occurs in the first degree of sidereal Sagittarius and is another possible "reset" button for the market. Given that the Sun will be separating from those outer planets, some declines are more likely as the week progresses. That said, Venus is close on the Sun's heels at the moment so by Friday it will be within just two degrees of its minor aspect with Jupiter. These are two bullish planets so it's not unreasonable to expect an up day towards the end of the week.

Besides the upcoming Jupiter-Neptune conjunction, Mars goes retrograde the previous day on Sunday, December 20. We are fast approaching the apex of these two important medium term influences. Financial markets may therefore undergo a substantial re-organization in the very near future. A similar re-ordering of the currency markets just occurred with the Uranus station on December 1 when the Dollar finally reversed its decline as Gold topped out above $1200. With the carry trade now in jeopardy, we could see other important ramifications from the appreciation of the US Dollar.

Gold plunges on Dollar strength ahead of Mercury-Pluto conjunction

Week of December 7 - 11

The US Dollar showed signs of life late last week as a better than expected jobs report created increased the likelihood of higher interest rate hike. Stocks were generally higher with the Dow trading near 10,500 on several occasions before closing at 10,388 with the S&P at 1105. In Mumbai, positive growth numbers from September lifted shares almost 3% for the week with the Sensex finishing at 17,101 and the Nifty at 5108. While I had been more bearish, the market did generally follow expectations as most of the gains came early in the week on the Mercury aspects to Uranus and Neptune with declines occurring later as the harmonic aspect between Mars and Saturn tightened and Venus came under Saturn's sextile aspect. The most interesting day was Friday as the jobs report brightened the outlook for the Dollar. While stocks were up sharply at the open, profit taking took over and markets slumped after that. This was the first hint perhaps that more good economic news may longer be good for the markets since it risks ending Bernanke's low interest rate regime and the cheap dollar and the resulting carry trade that has fueled the bubble of 2009. After making a high of $1227 on Thursday, Gold plunged over 5% on the renewed enthusiasm for the Dollar.

Transits for December 7, 2009 9.30 a.m. New York

This week looks more clearly negative, at least in terms of fast moving transits, as two transits will dominate the sky. First, Monday's Mercury-Pluto conjunction may trigger a lot of pessimism due to its 90 degree aspect with Saturn. It's possible that the bearishness may spill into Tuesday since Mercury will still be close enough. The Moon transits Leo early on the week and that may not help matters any since it will be hemmed in between malefics Mars and Saturn. Wednesday's Virgo Moon applies to Saturn is another source of worry since it will again release that problematic Saturn-Pluto energy. The second pattern of significance will be more prominent later in the week as the Sun will form an exact 120 degree aspect with Mars on Thursday. While both planets are natural malefics, it's not clear if this will generate negative market sentiment. It seems there will be enough malefic energy to generate one down day at the end of the week, but we should expect a bounce day here also.

As optimistic Jupiter slowly makes it way towards idealistic Neptune and their conjunction on December 21, it seems likely that we will see another manifestation of this hopeful planetary combination. Off the top, we can see that the Copenhagen climate conference from Dec 7-18 is an embodiment of this idealism and hopefulness as world leaders will once again come together with the best intentions and grapple with this seemingly intractable policy problem. It remains to be seen, however, if anything of substance can be achieved from this meeting. In market terms, the huge bubblicious rally that began back in March can be understood in terms of the initial conjunction between Jupiter and Neptune. Due to retrograde motion, these two planets have been in fairly close proximity with each other for the past eight months. Previously, this optimism manifested as hope for an economic recovery which, in turn, sparked a rally in stocks as investors looked forward to improved corporate earnings. While it is very possible that the December 21 conjunction could coincide with another move higher, there is another plausible interpretation. This time hope for economic recovery may only translate into a higher Dollar since continued good news will boost the greenback. This is exactly what happened on Friday as the Dollar soared against most other world currencies on good employment numbers which increased the likelihood for a rate hike sooner rather than later. But what's good for the Dollar may be bad for stocks because much of the recent rally is rooted in the dollar carry trade. If the dollar continues to appreciate on hopes for a recovery, the carry trade will unwind and this will generate a mass exit from equities. Needless to say, gold is also extremely vulnerable here as the Dollar gets its mojo back.

Markets shudder on Dubai fears

Week of Nov 30 - Dec 4

Stocks ended down last week as worries over the Dubai debt crisis brought back uncomfortable memories of the meltdown of 2008. After moving higher in the early going New York was mostly unchanged as the Dow closed Friday at 10,309 and the S&P at 1087. Mumbai was lower by 2% as the Sensex ended the week at 16,632 and the Nifty at 4941. I had been more bullish on the Venus influence here and, indeed, the market was generally higher through Wednesday, especially in the US. I was correct in expecting gains Monday in the US on the Moon-Venus-Jupiter aspect, and the market even backed off on cue in the afternoon as the aspect separated. Tuesday did see some of the predicted selling in the morning come to pass on the bearish Sun-Saturn aspect, although I thought the decline might have lasted more into the close. Instead buyers moved back in and bid up prices in the afternoon. Wednesday also went more or less according to plan as stocks rose modestly on the Venus-Uranus-Neptune influence. However, I missed the extent and precise timing of the late week Dubai decline. While I correctly expected Friday to be down on Venus' ingress into Scorpio and the Moon-Saturn-Pluto pattern, the Dubai news broke Thursday. One possible explanation here is that Thursday's Mercury-Mars "trine" (120 degree) aspect also played a key role in changing sentiment. Although the trine is often thought of as a positive aspect, Mars may have been particularly damaging in this instance since it was 1) debilitated in sidereal Cancer and 2) moving more slowly than usual ahead of its retrograde station in mid-December. Given the plausible role of a Mars aspect in this unfolding of the Dubai crisis, this may be a clue that the upcoming Mars retrograde cycle may not be kind to markets.

Transits for November 30, 2009 9.30 a.m. New York

The main question on investors' minds this week concerns whether the Dubai problem can be contained or whether it will spread like a contagion and expose other areas of financial instability in the global economic system. The planets this week point to the latter scenario as the tense aspects appear to have the upper hand in the near future. Monday could be fairly mixed as we see both negative and positive aspects at work simultaneously. Moon transits Aries in square aspect with Mars but Mercury forms a nice angle with Uranus. The negative may carry the day here, especially in the US, but stocks should move higher going into midweek as the Moon is exalted in Taurus opposite Venus. But even if we see a day or two of gains, I think the overall bias seems negative, with the possibility of a big down day at some point. Mars' minor aspect with Saturn is exact on Friday so that identifies the late week as a potential danger zone.

The potential Dubai default has emerged here as a reasonable catalyst for a significant market correction. Certainly, the planets over the next few weeks would support some kind of pullback. The upcoming Mars retrograde cycle occurs during a tight Saturn-Pluto aspect and even aspects it quite closely if minor aspects and divisional charts are used. This are a very bearish confluence of measurements. At the same time, we still have to try to make sense of the conjunction between Jupiter (growth, wealth) and Neptune (hope, illusion) conjunction that is exact on December 21. This planetary combination of "growth" and "hope" is often correlated with gains and rallies as indeed we saw the rally in spring 2009 largely coinciding with this conjunction. One possible interpretation is that the Jupiter-Neptune rally will occur but it will be squeezed into a relatively short time span in mid-December. It may still be fairly strong in terms of amplitude but its overall effects may be mitigated by losses that occur before and after. Just how this source of positive energy manifests will be an important question in the days ahead. It's conceivable that it won't be enough to move markets very much at all. Instead it may only reflect the role of inflationary (Jupiter+Neptune) spending from huge deficits in the current economic circumstance. We will have to watch this aspect closely as it moves into position in the coming days.

Venus influence abounds

Week of November 23 - 27

After another strong Monday that pushed the market to new highs, enthusiasm for stocks in New York faded last week as the indexes ended mostly flat. President Obama's midweek comment on the possibility of a double dip recession appeared to tipped the scales in favour of the bears as the Dow closed at 10,318 while the S&P finished at 1091. Indian stocks fared a little better as Friday's late day rally came on reassurances that the government would not tax foreign investment capital. The Nifty gained 1% on the week to close at 5052 while the Sensex stood at 17,021. Tuesday's Mercury-Saturn-Pluto alignment turned out to be a non-event as stocks showed only mild intraday weakness. This outcome gave some support to the idea that not all aspects are created equal. Last week I had wondered if the third house, sextile aspect was less malefic than the conjunction or square. In the current circumstance, this relatively benign result supported that view, my own bearish forecast notwithstanding. Empirical reality can be a cruel teacher. The second main aspect for the week was the Venus-Mars square which arguably created more problems. With Mars in debilitation in sidereal Cancer, even a strong Venus in Libra was put under significant stress by this aspect which coincided with modest selling in global markets Wednesday and Thursday. Even there, one could argue that the Thursday's decline was not the result of the Venus-Mars square but rather the Moon-Pluto-Saturn alignment. As I noted last week, this was the same pattern that sent stocks lower on the previous Thursday also. With declines coming on consecutive Moon-Saturn-Pluto patterns, we have a better sense of what kind of reservoir of bearish sentiment may be contained within the Saturn-Pluto combination. I believe we have only begun to tap into the possibilities in this malefic aspect.

Transits for November 23, 2009 9.30 a.m. EST New York

With holiday-shortened week due to US Thanksgiving, markets are usually fairly quiet and show a bullish bias. This is likely to be the case also this year as benefic Venus will make its presence felt through several aspects. Monday features a Moon-Venus-Jupiter pattern that ought to encourage optimism, at least at the outset. Once the aspect is exact around midday, there could be some erosion of confidence. At the same time, the Sun will come under Saturn's aspect Monday and especially Tuesday, so that is a potentially bearish influence. There ought to be enough negative planetary energy there to generate several hours of selling which ought to be good for one down day. Wednesday appears to be a return to the happy influence of Venus as it forms close aspects to both Uranus and Neptune. This could well carry over into Thursday in many global markets. Friday could signal a change in the mood as Venus enters sidereal Scorpio and will therefore weaken somewhat. The Moon will oppose Saturn and may bring out the bleakness of Saturn-Pluto once again. Friday may be worse in Asian markets since the Moon-Saturn angle will be that much closer.

In the wake of Obama's trip to China, there is increasing concern to do something about the falling US dollar. China has invested heavily in US treasuries and they can't be too pleased with their tumbling value. Chinese banking officials are now openly complaining about the loose US monetary policy that lies behind the dollar's ongoing weakness. The Fed's near-zero interest rate policy has produced a new speculative bubble in equities and commodities may lead to another crash in the near future. While a crash may be overstating things, markets are certainly vulnerable to substantial correction in this upcoming period of the Saturn-Pluto square and the beginning of the Mars and Saturn retrograde cycles over the next two months.

Stocks extend gains; Mercury-Saturn this week may have "depressing" effect

Week of November 16 - 20

Stocks bubbled higher last week as the US Dollar continued to teeter on the edge of oblivion at its key support level of USDX75. The Dow pushed to new highs midweek before closing at 10,270 while the S&P matched its October highs and finished at 1093 (beware the double top). In Mumbai, the indices shook off the recent correction as the Sensex climbed 4% to close at 16,848 and the Nifty finished at 4998. So the midweek Mercury-Uranus-Ketu pattern was mostly bullish, no doubt aided by the simultaneous Sun-Jupiter aspect. It's noteworthy that the high point for the week coincided with those two aspects after which there was a slight retreat. Thursday was an important statement of the bearish potential of the Saturn-Pluto aspect as the Moon acted as trigger during its tight conjunction with Saturn in sidereal Virgo. The release of this Saturn-Pluto energy pushed global markets down across the board. As precise as the timing of this aspect was, it's worth noting that the Moon is the fastest moving planet in the astrological pantheon and therefore is a fairly weak trigger. Usually, planetary power is inversely related with velocity: the slower the planet, the greater the capacity to manifest in human sentiment and action. If the market dropped 1% with the fast-moving Moon, I wonder how much it could drop with a slower moving body like the Sun, Mercury or Mars, to say nothing of Uranus, Rahu or Ketu?

Planetary positions for Monday, November 16 at 9.30 a.m New York

This week may provide some useful data that may answer that question as Mercury falls under the full strength sextile (60 degree) aspect of pessimistic Saturn. Mercury represents the mind and intellect so the Saturn influence here may bring mental labour, intense thinking, fear, and depression. This planetary combination is bearish enough, but the fact that Saturn is in a close square aspect with cold, cruel Pluto increases the potential for a significant move. The three-planet alignment makes its closest angle on Tuesday. One possible saving grace is that the sextile is probably not as strong as the conjunction or square so its damage may be mitigated somewhat. Nonetheless, this is still a dangerous combination.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Mars forms an exact square aspect with Venus. Since Mars is debilitated here in sidereal Cancer, it has considerable potential to do harm. Readers may recall the damage Mars did through its square aspect with the Sun back in late October. The market dropped about 5% in a three-day pullback. While there is some bearish potential here, it's important to note the differences. The Sun was also debilitated in Libra at the time, so that may have increased the bearish potential of the aspect. By contrast, Venus here is in its own sign (Libra) and hence much stronger. As a result it may be able to better withstand Mars' unwelcome overtures. We should also note that this Thursday will see an echo of last Thursday's bearish pattern as the Moon may once again activate the Saturn-Pluto square. The Moon will conjoin Pluto at 8 Sagittarius (Lahiri) during the afternoon in New York. History needn't repeat exactly since the Moon will be conjoining Pluto instead of Saturn, but it will nonetheless bear watching.
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Markets rise on Sun-Mercury conjunction; Mercury-Uranus-Ketu this week

Week of November 9 - 13

Stocks bounced back last week on some less-than-awful US employment data and more cheap money happy talk from Fed Chair Ben Bernanke. In New York, the Dow climbed 3% to 10,023 while the S&P finished at 1069. In Mumbai, equities rallied back after Tuesday's thumping as the Nifty ended Friday at 4796 and the Sensex at 16,158. The midweek conjunction of Sun and Mercury delivered higher prices as expected, although the early and late week downside did not quite deliver the goods. While New York was quite solid in the early going, Mumbai was down Tuesday on the Aries Moon and Mercury-Mars square, probably because of Mars afflictions to key placements in the NSE natal chart. Despite a minor Mercury-Saturn aspect, Friday saw the bulls once again carry the day. All in all, it was a victory for the bullish short term aspects over more challenging and shadowy medium term influences. In other words, another edifying lesson in empiricism.

Transits for November 9, 2009 9.30 a.m. EST New York

This week could make or break the correction as the Mercury-Uranus-Ketu grand trine configuration takes root around midweek. Both Uranus and Ketu are planets that symbolize change and sudden events and their close aspect here would seem to incline towards new and unforeseen developments. As a fast moving planet, Mercury may be able to act as a trigger to release whatever surprises Uranus and Ketu have in store. By itself, the Mercury-Uranus combination is often bullish, and all the more so given Neptune's additional harmonic influence there. But Ketu changes things up considerably, and it's unclear if stocks can handle so much uncertainty and suddenness. The background influence of the Saturn-Pluto square should also be seen as a negative factor, although it's precise due date is still up in the air. Venus forms an alignment with Saturn and Pluto before trading on Monday, so that could generate some fear and disappointment. However, this aspect clears out fairly quickly so it's conceivable that Monday may not be too bad. Tuesday features the Sun-Jupiter square, a classic symbol of unfounded optimism and excessive expectations. The market could rally briefly but it's perhaps more prone to quick pullbacks once it separates. Thursday will be an interesting measure of the Saturn-Pluto square as the Moon will conjoin Saturn in sidereal Virgo before the close in New York. This combination of energies represents solitude and isolation so it may be more difficult for investors to feel comfortable with their positions. In addition, I think the hardship symbolized by the Saturn-Pluto aspect may correspond with a rebound in the US dollar very soon. All that coldness and cruelty could have investors rushing back to safe harbours.

Stocks get beat up on Sun-Mars aspect

Week of November 2 - 6

Stocks moved lower last week on recovery worries and poor US consumer data. Despite Thursday's rally on the upbeat Q3 GDP numbers, the New York market fell 4% as the Dow closed at 9712 and the S&P at 1036. Meanwhile, Mumbai tumbled 6% on disappointing Q2 results as the Nifty closed at 4711 with the Sensex finishing at 15,896. This bearish result was in keeping with last week's forecast as the double dose of malefic debilitation from the Sun-Mars square contributed to the anxious mood. The tension inherent in the Sun-Mars tandem was powerful enough to counter much of the optimism of the passing Venus-Jupiter aspect. Monday started higher in New York on the Moon-Jupiter conjunction but selling soon engulfed the rally faithful. Thursday's 2% bump came on the same day as the exact Venus-Jupiter aspect so that is one possible explanation for it. Not surprisingly, its effects didn't last long as the market sold off sharply on Friday as the Moon set up a nasty t-square pattern with Saturn and Pluto.

This volatility is likely to continue this week as we will see more potential planetary trouble spots. Monday's Full Moon in sidereal Aries occurs at the tail end of a difficult Mercury-Mars aspect, a very dangerous combination that could prove anathema to investor confidence. At the same time, however, Venus will form an aspect with Rahu, Uranus and Neptune which may offer some support. While otherwise positive, its simultaneous occurrence here may not be enough to bring sellers back into the market. As the Moon enters Taurus late Tuesday, the Sun and Mercury will form a conjunction at 18 degrees of sidereal Libra in midweek. This is normally a favourable combination for stocks so some kind of bounce back is to be expected. Of course, the other medium term influences look less positive so it's unclear how much lift this configuration can generate here. Friday looks like more skittishness as Mercury will fall under the minor aspect of Saturn, especially in New York.

The long-awaited correction seems to be fully underway now. The bearish promise of the Saturn-Pluto and Ketu-Uranus aspects would tend to suggest that we're going to see a decline that is larger than a standard-issue 10% dip. Even with some optimism returning for the Jupiter Neptune conjunction in early December, there's good reason to think this 7-month rally is undergoing some fundamental transformation.

Market eases back after earnings reports

Week of October 26 - 30

Stocks slipped last week as investors took profits on positive earnings news.   In New York, the Dow backed off its highs and closed Friday down about 1% for the week at 9972 while the S&P finished at 1079. In Mumbai, stocks retreated 3% as the Sensex closed at 16,810 and the Nifty at 4997.    No surprises here really given the mix of aspects in play, although as always the exact timing defied an easy logic. The bullish Mercury-Jupiter aspect manifested a day early in Monday's gain while the midweek Sun-Saturn minor aspect similarly arrived somewhat ahead of exactitude as the market pulled back on Tuesday and Wednesday. Interestingly, Friday's apparently bullish Mercury-Uranus-Neptune aspect did not pay off as stocks fell in New York, albeit after a positive open. The failure of the market to hold onto its initial gains on this configuration is a possible sign of developing weakness.

This week's planets seem somewhat more difficult and will be an important test of the underlying sustainability of the rally. For the bulls, Venus comes under the benefic influence of Jupiter early in the week, with gains possible on either Monday or Tuesday.   The Moon may play the role of midwife here as it conjoins Jupiter in Capricorn for both these days, although I am skeptical if we will see gains both days.   Actually, the aspect is exact early Thursday but it seems more likely to manifest early all things considered.

For the bears, the Sun is entering into a potential tense square aspect with Mars, also on Thursday. These fiery planets can produce a lot of energy for good or ill but the square aspect can mean that there is an uncontrolled or harmful element present here, particularly since Mars is debilitated in sidereal Cancer and the Sun is debilitated in Libra. While it's conceivable that this combination may not reflect problems in investors sentiment, it's nonetheless an aspect to take very seriously. In addition, Mercury is in a minor aspect with Saturn midweek so that is another potentially bearish energy. By the time Friday rolls around, Mercury (10 Libra) will be close to coming under the influence of that debilitated Mars (12 Cancer) so that is definitely a hazardous aspect for stocks. It's still two degrees short of exactitude but that may not be enough to prevent fear from taking hold in the market.    As a special bearish bonus, on Friday the Moon forms a t-square with Saturn and Pluto, now just one degree away from an exact 90 degree aspect. While these two slow moving planets will be in aspect for several weeks in November, this may be a possible early activation by the transiting Moon. It will definitely bear close watching.

Stocks hit new highs on Jupiter station

Week of October 19-23

Euphoria is back in fashion as the Dow hit 10,000 last week on a parade of encouraging earnings reports.   A double shot of Intel and JP Morgan on Wednesday was the big market mover coming just one day after Jupiter's direct station. Despite the danger implied in the Venus-Saturn-Rahu pattern, Jupiter's extra dose of stationary energy prevailed as the Great Benefic did the heavy lifting this time around. After Friday's retreat, the Dow finished the week at 9995 and the S&P at 1087. In Mumbai, stocks were also buoyant as the Nifty climbed to 5142 and the Sensex hit a 17-month high of 17,322. Heady days indeed for this rally that has bounced back from every correction thus far. I had thought the Saturn-Rahu might have been enough to nullify the Jupiter station but again my best laid bearish plans were thwarted.

What may be occurring here is a kind of planetary inversion where some apparently negative patterns are corresponding with highs rather than lows. One of the most prominent features of the October 2008 crash was an alignment of mostly malefic planets -- Sun, Saturn and Rahu. Negative sentiment and market declines correspond with "bad" planets in close aspect. The lows are typically marked by the exact aspect after which prices rebound and move higher.   The March 2009 lows also occurred in a similar way as malefic Saturn was in close aspect with a stationing Venus.   The negativity of the aspect manifested at the same time as the market low. But since this is the unknowable world of astrology, there are many exceptions to this pattern. In fact, global stock markets made their highs in October 2007 very close to a rare triple conjunction of Venus, Saturn, and Ketu. While Venus is a benefic planet, Saturn and Ketu are first class malefics and thus render the pattern quite harmful. So in that case, bad planets corresponded not with a low, but with a high. Where did all that negativity go? Perhaps some negative combinations only mark the beginning of a negative trend, like opening up a black door of bearishness. Once the market made its highs in late 2007, it plunged 40% over the next 12 months.

So it may be that some of these difficult patterns we've seen in September and October may actually be marking significant highs for the market.   While the market has rallied going into these patterns, the Saturn-Rahu and Saturn-Uranus aspects may well have opened the black door once again and some significant declines are about to unfold.

This week holds some promise for the bulls as Tuesday's Mercury-Jupiter aspect usually brings optimism and good news. And Friday sees Mercury moving into a minor aspects with Uranus and Neptune so that also augurs positively for stocks. But on the other side of the ledger, Mars is in a harmonic aspect with Pluto on Monday and the Sun receives a minor aspect from Saturn on Wednesday and Thursday. We could well see an increase in volatility this here leading into the very difficult Sun-Mars-Mercury square next week.

US stocks move higher on Mercury-Saturn conjunction; Venus-Saturn is next

Week of October 12 - 16

Taking cues from some positive earnings reports and the Australian central bank hike, stocks in New York erased last week's losses and gained 4% last week as the Dow closed at 9864 while the S&P finished at 1071. This result was a bit of a head-scratcher given the apparently bearish Mercury-Saturn-Rahu configuration and the multi-planet sidereal ingress. One possible explanation for the rise might be the relative strength of Mercury entering Virgo, its sign of exaltation. While I noted this as a positive influence, I did not expect it would have the power to transform the outcome. The array of minor aspects from this strong Mercury to Uranus and Neptune may have also played a role in throwing the bulls a lifeline for another week. By contrast, investors in Mumbai finally took some profits, although the 3% decline was more modest than expected as the Nifty closed at 4945 and the Sensex at 16,642. Like meteorology or economics, astrology is all about probabilities and potentialities and one has to forgo scientific certainty and somehow make their peace with working with incomplete data, partially understood theories and, ultimately, a lot of interpretive error.

While last week's decline never materialized, the planetary alignment is still in place and therefore the downside risk remains high. While Mercury may have been strong enough to redirect the nastiness of Saturn and Rahu, this week will see a debilitated Venus in Virgo running the gauntlet as it takes its place in a conjunction with Saturn. A decline is again the most likely outcome here and it could be fairly large, especially earlier in the week when the conjunction is closest. Slow moving Uranus and Neptune are still just minutes from their respective ingresses into Aquarius and Capricorn, so that uncertain energy may still be in play. Some rebound seems more likely at the end of the week as the Sun forms an aspect with Uranus and Neptune.

The current planetary environment strongly points to a major market decline at some point over the next three months. This could begin as soon as this week (or last week!) or it may unfold more gradually as we move into November and December.

Next Forecast: Sunday October 18

Stocks continue retreat on Mercury-Mars; planetary trainwreck looms

Week of October 5 - 9

Last week US markets fell the for second straight week amidst growing fears that the recovery may not be just around the corner. Stocks fell 2% as the Dow closed at 9487 and the S&P finished at 1025. Indian markets bucked the worldwide negative trend in a holiday-shortened week as the stocks moved 2% higher. The Sensex closed Thursday at 17,134 while the Nifty ended the week at 5083. This outcome was mostly in keeping with expectations since I had been bearish on the unusually prolonged minor Mercury-Mars aspect last week. After Monday's gain in New York, stocks fell over the next four days as the retreat from the previous week's highs proceeded apace. So far, the Saturn-Uranus aspect is proving to be a significant signpost for the markets as stocks rose leading up to the exact opposition aspect on September 18, and have fallen as the aspect has separated. This mirrors what happened in the two previous oppositions in November 2008 and February 2009. Mumbai is an important exception to this trend so far, perhaps due to some benefic hits in the relevant natal charts that have offset the transit energy.

The markets now stand on the precipice as we have an impressive array of foreboding planetary aspects this week. Mercury (trading) conjoins Saturn (pessimism) while under the damaging aspect of Rahu (exaggeration). While there is no certain interpretation of this configuration, I believe we are likely going to see increased fears and investor caution which will translate into greater selling and more declines. As an added dimension, I note that we will have no less than four planetary ingresses this week. When planets change signs, there is supposed to be a shift in energy. Usually this is fairly subtle, and often undetectable (read: unfalsifiable) especially on a mundane level. Now once again moving forward, Mercury re-enters Virgo on Sunday while Mars enters Cancer on the same day. Virgo is generally kind to Mercury so that may be construed as a slightly bullish factor. But Mars is debilitated in Cancer and that may increase volatility as aggression and conflict is more likely to come to the surface. Mars is also in a close conjunction with unpredictable Ketu, so that ratchets up the chances for unusual or sudden outbursts of conflict or violent action. (As a side note, the September 11th attacks took place under a Mars-Ketu conjunction). So that's two planets changing energy on the same day and neither in is good planetary company -- Mercury is with grim, old Saturn and Mars is with nutty Ketu. This is quite unusual, and perhaps destabilizing although the ingresses may be less important than the aspects and conjunctions

But we also have two outer planets, Uranus and Neptune, also changing their sidereal signs this week according to Lahiri or Krishnamurti. Unlike inner planets which change signs every month or so, outer planets change signs every few years and hence their ingresses may be more noteworthy. According to the Krishnamurti ayanamsha, Uranus enters Aquarius Monday while Neptune enters Capricorn on Thursday. Since these distant planets move so slowly, their ingresses will vary by a few days depending on which ayanamsha is used. I should also point out that this will not be the initial ingress for either Uranus or Neptune since both are retrograding back to a previous sign, and hence one could argue that the ingress may be less significant. Nonetheless, having four planets changing signs in such quick succession is a very rare occurrence and may serve to amplify any developments we see in the markets or the world over the next week or two. American astrologer Richard Houck noted that outer planet ingresses often coincide with major changes in the status quo. Uranus in particular was associated with major stock market declines. The 1987 US crash occurred the day Uranus entered Sagittarius, and the Dow lost 6% the day Uranus entered Capricorn in 1994. It's by no means a certain correlation or even a probabilistic one since we can point to many Uranus ingresses when the markets were relatively calm. But it should be seen as another potentially negative factor that could weigh heavily on markets, especially combined with the difficult Mercury-Saturn-Rahu and Mars-Ketu patterns.

This week nothing would surprise me. Get ready for anything.

Stocks fall in wake of Saturn-Uranus aspect

Week of September 28 - October 2

World markets staged a modest retreat last week as investors grappled with disappointing economic data coming out of the US. After some early week strength that saw indexes climb to new yearly highs, stocks in New York had three straight losing sessions as the Dow finished at 9665 and the S&P at 1044. Indian markets also pulled back fractionally as the Nifty closed below 5000 to 4958 while the Sensex ended the week at 16,693. This decline was in keeping with our expectations for a significant correction in the wake of the Saturn-Uranus opposition. Tuesday's exact Mercury-Saturn conjunction coincided with gains rather than losses so that was an important anomaly that echoed a similar outcome of the Sun from the previous week. The declines later in the week therefore reflected the dissipation of positive energy following the the exact aspect of these various planetary combinations. Just as we saw a rise into the Saturn-Uranus aspect through the first half of September, the backside of this aspect may well see the market sell off. The addition of trigger planets such as Sun or Mercury may also reflect this before/after dynamic.

The planetary picture appears even more entangled this week as Mercury turns direct on Tuesday while in close minor aspect with Mars. Mercury's normally bearish retrograde period has been overshadowed by stronger bullish energies. However, we should recall that its aspects with Mars can be troublesome for the market, such as in late August when Mars formed a square aspect with Mercury and the market experienced a small correction. While this 60 degree aspect is considered less malefic, it's closeness and long duration of influence this week may well produce bearish results. The close proximity of Saturn to stationary Mercury may not be helpful in that regard either and could well make matters worse. And with Saturn and Rahu moving into closer aspect, there is good reason to be very cautious about this market this week and through much of October.

It's a dangerous time.

Markets rise into Saturn-Uranus opposition

Week of September 21 - 25

Fueled by a seemingly unending stream of positive economic reports, stocks continued their ascent to new 2009 highs last week. In New York, the Dow rose 2%

to close at 9820 while the S&P finished at 1068. In Mumbai, the Nifty added 3% for the week and flirted with 5000 before ending the week at 4976. The BSE Sensex closed at 16,741. Commodities were mixed as crude oil rose to $72 USD while gold gave up midweek gains and ended mostly unchanged at $1007 USD. While I had anticipated some higher highs here, the absence of any significant late week pullback on the Sun-Moon-Saturn conjunction was disappointing. On the whole, the week was somewhat anti-climatic given the exact culmination of Saturn-Uranus opposition aspect. The Venus influence delivered predicted gains into Wednesday when it formed its closest angle to the Saturn-Uranus-Neptune alignment and indeed we saw the biggest gains of the week at that time. Against expectations, equities mostly held their own into the late week, however, as the Sun-Saturn conjunction only modestly damaged gold's prospects.

With the Saturn-Uranus opposition now behind us, we need to pay extra close attention to any new developing trends this week. Previous oppositions in this series have seen the bulk of the bearishness manifest after the exact opposition, so any downward moves this week would keep this correlation intact. Higher prices this week would provide significant evidence against the bearish view of the aftermath of the Saturn-Uranus aspect. With Mercury retrograding across Saturn, we would seem to be confronted with an even more bearish mixture of planetary energies than in past weeks. The exact conjunction occurs Tuesday so the early week may be more prone to selling. Of course, the Sun occupied a similar position last Thursday and we saw only a fractional decline. Nonetheless, Mercury's condition may be more vulnerable given its retrograde status. Some late week gains are likely as the Sun forms a minor aspect with Jupiter Thursday and into Friday. We should also pay attention to the approaching aspect from Rahu to Saturn. While not yet exact, the negative energy from this contact could begin to manifest fairly soon.

Stocks make new highs on Venus-Jupiter aspect

Week of September 14- 18

Against a backdrop of improving economic data, stocks gamely added to their recent gains and made new highs for the year. In New York, the Dow rose 2% and equaled its highs from late August closing at 9605 while the broader S&P500 finished at 1042. In Mumbai, equities rallied more than 3% as the Sensex ended Friday's session at 16,264 while the Nifty broke above some significant resistance at 4750 closing at 4829. This bullish outcome was more or less in line with our expectations as the Sun-Venus-Jupiter configuration strongly pointed towards some gains. What was somewhat surprising was that the lion's share of the gains occurred early in the week, although solid momentum was maintained in the US for Wednesday and Thursday at the time of the tightest orb. Friday saw a modest negative day in the US, probably due to the separation of the Venus-Jupiter aspect.

In astrological terms, this week promises to be a moment of truth of sorts, as the long-awaited Saturn-Uranus opposition aspect will become exact on Tuesday. There is actually a lot more going on in the sky this week and that will only serve to ramp up the torque and increase the potential size of any moves. As a possible triggering mechanism, the Sun will conjoin Saturn on Thursday while the Moon follows suit on Friday. As an added source of planetary energy, Mercury will square Pluto late in the week and this should be seen as a burden on risk taking and optimism. Notwithstanding the fairly negative outlook here, the earlier part of the week holds the possibility for further gains in both stocks and commodities as benefic Venus will enter into alignments with Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

We should also note that this Sun-Moon-Saturn-Uranus-Neptune configuration (all in the first sidereal degree of their respective signs) not only increases the chances for declines, it may also function as a cosmic signal for a trend reversal. Previous Saturn and Uranus oppositions in the current series have also coincided with significant pullbacks, although not during the immediate period around their aspect. On November 4, 2008 Saturn opposed Uranus (along with a helpful square aspect from Venus) and that marked an interim high for the US market. Stocks fell 20% in the subsequent three weeks into the November 21 lows. Similarly, Saturn again opposed Uranus on February 5, 2009 near an interim high and the market fell 25% into the lows of early March. In both instances, it was not the time around the exact aspect which took the market down, but rather the aftermath of the aspect which coincided with the decline. This 'high water' scenario is something to ponder as we confront another Saturn-Uranus opposition this week.

Markets back off highs on Mercury-Mars square

Week of September 7 - 11

Stocks staged a modest retreat last week as more investors entertained second thoughts about the sustainability of the rally. After trading below 1000 earlier in the week, the S&P ended the week at 1016 while the Dow finished at 9441. In Mumbai, caution was also the watchword as stocks fell four sessions out of five with only Friday's gains precluding a rout. The Sensex ended the week at 15,689 and the Nifty backed off last week's highs to close at 4680. While I had been ambivalent about the ultimate outcome last week due to the uncertain impact of Jupiter, the basic contours unfolded as expected with weakness early on followed by gains later. Monday and Tuesday saw the bearish effects of the Mercury-Mars aspect prevail while the approaching positive aspect between Venus and Sun at the end of the week coincided with solid gains. In the end, Jupiter's minor aspect with both Mercury and Mars did not provide enough encouragement for bulls to assume long positions but rather served to magnify the selling pressure, as Tuesday's across the board decline in New York was the sharpest in several weeks. While Jupiter is most often a bullish influence because of its optimistic nature, it is also a planet that can sometimes serve only as an accelerator to prevailing trends regardless of their direction.

With US markets shut for the Labor Day holiday, Monday will feature the beginning of the retrograde Mercury cycle on September 7. Since Mercury is the planet associated with trade and commerce, its reverse motion is often indicative of negative or sideways markets as investors take a 'time out' to review their positions and re-assess their portfolios. The Mercury retrograde cycle will last until Sept 29 and should be seen as an additional bearish factor that will tend to work against the markets extending its rally. With Saturn entering sidereal Virgo on Wednesday, we may see traces of its energy manifest in the world as it changes sign. Saturn represents structure, authority, loss and tradition so some of these themes may be more in evidence in the coming days. This needn't have an immediate effect on the market although the early week period may be more prone to selling. We may see stocks rebound strongly Wednesday and Thursday (and possibly into Friday, esp. in Asia) on the opposition aspect between Venus (24 Cancer) and Jupiter (24 Capricorn). This combination of benefics may promote spending and investing and encourage greater risk taking in the marketplace so we could well see stocks approach their previous week's highs. The fact that the Sun (24 Leo) will be in minor aspect to this opposition may increase its bullish potential. Since Sun symbolizes gold, we can expect gold to continue it recent rally, probably above $1000. Given the preponderance of difficult aspects next week, however, this rally seems very short-lived indeed.

New York holds steady; Mumbai makes new highs

Week of Aug 31 - Sep 4

World markets continued to defy gravity last week new yearly highs were established on many bourses, including US and India. After trading around 9600 in the week, stocks in New York closed mostly unchanged as the Dow ended at 9544 and the S&P at 1028. Mumbai was even more bullish as markets rose in all five sessions, as the Nifty closed Friday at a 2009 high of 4732 while the Sensex finished at 15,922. I had expected more downside on the Mercury-Mars-Rahu-Pluto pattern but it seems the offsetting Venus-Ketu conjunction on Wednesday may have been stronger than anticipated. As expected, we did see some more gains later in the week, especially in India, as transiting Venus improved the overall energy in the Mercury-Mars aspect. And while gold was weaker early on in the week as I had suspected it might be, it also staged a strong recovery by Friday.

This week offers another opportunity for the bearishness of the Mercury-Mars square to manifest, possibly early on when the Moon joins Rahu in Capricorn. By midweek, however, this energy may be redirected by Jupiter's minor aspect to this square. Jupiter is essentially an expansive influence so it has the capacity to enhance whatever trends are already underway. This could conceivably amplify any down move, although given Jupiter's benefic default setting towards gains, one might think it could take stocks higher also. By the end of the week, Venus will be moving into a minor aspect with the Sun, so that is another potential bullish energy source in the face of the negativity of the Mercury-Mars square and Mercury's imminent retrograde station on September 7. As the planet of trading and commerce, Mercury's condition is of critical importance in understanding the market, at least on a short-term basis. When it is strong, markets rise and when it is weak or afflicted, markets tend to fall. Its current placement in sidereal Virgo (which Mercury is said to rule according to astrological tradition) is an indicator of strength and no doubt that is one reason the market has so far been able to continue to rise despite the problematic input from the Mars aspect. But Mercury will likely come under further stress as we move into its retrograde cycle from Sept 7th to 29th.

While the overall planetary picture looks increasingly tense here, I would not be too surprised to see higher highs this week. Much will depend on what role Jupiter is playing midweek through its contact with Mercury and Mars. If Tuesday sees gains, then that will likely tip the scales in favour of more gains overall for the week and a possible new high.

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