Review and Preview

The Saturn-Uranus opposition reversal continues. This is yet another example of the effectiveness of Financial Astrology as a valuable tool for market timing. The third of five passages of this powerful 45-year geocosmic cycle unfolded on September 15. As demonstrated in "The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing, Vol. 3: Geocosmic Correlations to Trading Cycles,” this signature has an outstanding correspondence to primary cycles (usually crests) in the U.S. stock market within 10 trading days, and usually six days or less. What is more impressive, however, is that it has a 100% historical correlation to 4-year or greater cycles in U.S. stock indices during the entire period it is in effect. Along with the conjunction, it is the only signature we know of that has a 100% correlation. And since a 4-year cycle low occurred on March 6-10, 2009, this signature is again accurate. But it now begs the question: what was the significance of the recent high in world stock indices? Will the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunge approximately 2000 points in the next couple of weeks as it did on the first two passages of November 4, 2008 and February 5, 2009? It has already lost about 5% and 500 points from its high the prior week.

Many stock markets of the world started to rally early last week, with a large number testing their yearly highs of September 17-23. In a couple of cases, new highs were actually made, thus creating multiple instances of intermarket bearish divergence. This occurs when one index in a region makes a new high, but others in that same region do not. This is particularly noteworthy when it happens nearby to a geocosmic critical reversal date, or a major geocosmic signature, such as the Saturn-Uranus opposition of September 15.

In the Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim, we note that yearly highs occurred early last week in the Australian All Ordinaries and India’s Nifty indices. But rallies in the Hang Seng of Hong Kong and the MICEX of Russia failed to exceed their yearly highs of September 17. In Japan, it was even worse, as the Nikkei gapped down. By the end of the week, it was at its lowest level since July, and well off its yearly high of August 31. Except for the NIFTY, all indices sold off sharply into Friday, thus confirming the bearish divergences, and probably the crest of this current primary cycle.

In Western Europe, the London FTSE made a slightly higher new high for the year last Wednesday. But the rallies into Tuesday of last week in the Netherlands AEX, Switzerland SMI, and German DAX fell slightly short of their yearly highs of September 18-22.

In the Americas, the markets also rallied to into Tuesday-Wednesday of last week. But here too, only the Merval index of Argentina made a new high for this year. The Bovespa of Brazil, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average and NASDAQ Composite of the USA fell slightly short of their highs recorded on September 23, six trading days after the Saturn-Uranus opposition.

In other markets, the September 17 highs in Gold and Silver held as well, as did the September 23 high in the Euro and Swiss Franc currencies. However, most disturbing was the U.S. Dollar falling to its lowest level against the Japanese Yen in over 14 years. Market commentators are trying to put a positive spin on this development, saying that it helps our trade balance throughout the world. But at some point other nations will complain that it adversely affects their trade balance, as well as their desire to invest in U.S. markets. In fact, the complaints have already begun, and with transiting Pluto and Saturn to soon adversely aspect Jupiter (trade) in the USA chart, this disturbance could grow if something isn’t done soon to support the Dollar. Pluto is already in opposition to Venus (currency) in the USA chart, with Saturn to begin the same in November. Could there be a run on the U.S. Dollar, with a serious movement to remove its status as the world currency standard? The principles of Financial Astrology indeed support such a possibility in the next 2 years. But as always, just because you have a "bankruptcy aspect" doesn’t mean you have to go bankrupt. You just have to make sure you don’t take on too much debt – more than you can afford – and avoid risky financial decisions. I can’t say that the United States government has adhered – or is adhering — to such discipline, so there is cause for concern.

Short-Term Geocosmics

This past week has begun another tight time band of heavily populated geocosmic signatures, in effect September 29-October 16. As stated last week, "In fact, in those 18 days, there are eight important aspects. Of most importance, however, may be the translation of Venus to the Saturn-Uranus-Pluto T-square of October 9-15. Readers will note that the Sun just finished this same translation September 17-23 and that coincided with the highs for the year in most world equity indices, and the break that happened right at the end. The first thought is that perhaps the move down that just began could end October 9-15. But then a closer look at that period will reveal that the Sun will trine the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction October 10-16, while Jupiter ends its retrograde motion and goes stationary direct date on October 12. These later signatures would appear to be bullish, for the nature of Jupiter and Neptune is akin to "irrational exuberance." However, as pointed out before, sometimes so much Jupiter and Neptune can coincide with periods of panic and hysteria, even when in a favorable trine aspect. Since the technical picture seems to be deteriorating, traders must be alert to this possible manifestation."

Although equity markets sold off last week, they didn’t break critical support yet (9100 in the DJIA), so there remains a possibility of yet another rally – unless panic sets in. With transiting Neptune on the Pluto of the New York Stock Exchange (founded May 17, 1792), and square the NYSE Mercury through the end of the year, there is also the possibility of market manipulation from behind the scenes, a troubling interference that may not be discovered for 1-2 years. Maybe we will find out that the urban legend of a "Plunge Protection Team" is not so urban after all.

Longer-Term Thoughts

In the next few weeks, I would like to use this part of the column to discuss the importance of each of the 4 furthest-out planets in our solar system, and how their current position in the heavens might provide insight into these remarkable times we are now experiencing. Let’s start with Pluto, that little dwarf star currently embroiled in an argument as to whether or not it is really a planet. So far, only the state of Illinois – plus almost the entire community of worldwide astrologers — recognizes it as a planet these days. But it does have a 248-year orbit around the Sun and it does correlate with profound changes in the lives of individuals – and nations – when it forms a "hard aspect" (spatial mathematical angle) to one’s natal planetary positions. On January 26, 2008, it entered the tropical constellation of Capricorn, where it will remain mostly through 2024. This is a good place to start our discussion because Pluto’s transit into Capricorn was the start of the important "Cardinal Climax," which peaks in 2010, but is very powerful from 2008 through 2015. For more on "The Cardinal Climax," visit our website at www.mmacycles.com.

As discussed many times in the past, Pluto is the principle of death, debt, taxes, termination, removal, revelation, and rebirth. Capricorn relates to the principles of authority, government, structure, responsibility and accountability. Think of Pluto as power and force, while Capricorn as resistance and control. But Capricorn also represents ethics and honor. When Pluto makes its 16-year journey through Capricorn every 248 years, it is a time when structures and controls can break down, especially in government, but as well in banking and business. It is a time of cleansing anything that no longer works, but also a time of purging anything and anybody who has tried to abscond with control in a forcible but usually dishonest manner. This is a time when you see dictators rise to power, build clandestine armies and "goon" squads to spy on and control its citizens (or subjects) through fear. They secretly organize assassinations of their rivals. It is a time when control-hungry leaders may attempt to override a nation’s constitution and garner total control of that nation’s resources, and government. But it is also a time when the populace becomes aware of these egoistic drives. They reveal the clandestine efforts, and oftentimes succeed in overthrowing these dictatorial leaders – sometimes before and sometimes after they create great damage and havoc. The thing to understand is that corruption is rampant, but corruption is exposed, and before it is all over, a purging of those who have used fear and violence to attain their status is usually accomplished. But the question to ask as Pluto enters Capricorn is: how and why does the majority of a population lose their power? Why do they accept the leadership of someone who does not have the best interest of the community in mind?

There is a cliché that has become annoyingly popular amongst market and political commentators lately. It is where so many begin the sentence with, "At the end of the day…" Well, at the end of the day, darkness comes. This is symbolic of Pluto entering Capricorn. It is as if it is "the end of the day," or "the end of an era." It is not much better than the previous mantra of Pluto in Sagittarius (the previous sign of Pluto), which began each sentence with the term, "Clearly," when nothing "clear" ever turned out the way the speaker suggested it would. What we are finding out is that "words matter,"… sometimes. As Pluto enters Capricorn, we may find out that "words matter" only insomuch as they reveal an opposite intention on the part of the speaker who utters them. What matters more is behavior and actions, because we are finding out that "words matter" only when they are truth, and backed up with intention and actions that support the words. With Pluto in Capricorn, you can be certain that leaders will be held accountable for the words they speak these days. If they "walk their talk," they will be given power. If they continually break their promises and agreements, especially to their citizens and allies, they will lose their power. It will bring down an era, and there will be a "rebirth of necessity."

To be continued…