Weekly Market Scope

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Related Articles of Interest:

Shanghai Stock Exchange Meltdown
London FTSE Bear Market
Long Term Financial Outlook
Mumbai's Magnificent Monday
Past Forecasts Mar/07 - Aug/09




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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