Recent planetary patterns can provide a useful template through which to see fluctuations in price.  Much of the recent pullback occurred during the rare simultaneous retrograde cycles of Mercury and Venus from Jan 14 until Jan 29.  The Venus retrograde cycle (Dec 19-Jan 29) actually coincided with a huge range of price as the start of the retrograde cycle marked an interim bottom.  The Mercury retrograde cycle (Jan 14-Feb 4) coincided more closely with the Jan 17 interim top although stocks staged a significant rebound before the culmination of the cycle on Feb 4.  The overlap of the two cycles (Jan 14-Jan 29) actually captured the bulk of the pullback fairly well.

Volatility has risen in recent days, in part due to the ongoing conjunction of Venus and Mars.  While the Mars influence is somewhat bearish, this conjunction typically only lasts for a couple of days and may only have a passing effect on prices.  However, here Venus is moving more slowly than normal since it has recently resumed its normal forward motion.  Therefore, Venus and Mars will experience an unusually long period of conjunction.  Using a strict one-degree maximum range between the two planets, the conjunction began on Feb 11 and will last until March 12.  While other factors also exert an influence, this extended conjunction of Venus with Mars is nonetheless a significant headwind for the stock market.

Looking further ahead, the early April conjunction of Mars and Saturn is also something to keep an eye on.  This looks like a fairly difficult combination, especially given the broader alignment with Rahu, Jupiter and Neptune.