Last week’s market activity served to remind us of several principles of financial astrology. The first of these is that under Mercury retrograde, one cannot rely upon technical and cyclical indicator with the same confidence as one can during non-retrograde Mercury periods. The same tends to apply to Venus retrograde periods, one of which is coming up shortly. But at least under Venus retrograde, many markets maintain a trend. The second thing this past week reminded us is that multiple Jupiter signatures do not always correspond to a crest. Like all signatures, they indicate reversals, and these reversals can be from a high or a low.

In the prior week’s market commentary, I made the suggestion that the stock markets of the world appeared ready to rally, and would likely form a crest between the time that the Sun formed its trine to Jupiter (April 28) and Jupiter turned stationary direct (May 5). This was based on the idea that last week’s close looked technically bullish, and that prices would likely continue to rally into the astrologically favorable period of the Jupiter signatures April 28-May 5. Typically such signatures, during the season of earnings reports, suggest lots of good news and favorable reports. But it didn’t turn out that way. After continuing last week’s rally to reach a high of 10,537 on Tuesday, April 27, the Dow Jones Industrial Averages then reversed. Instead of rallying into April 28-May 5, the stock market reversed downward, closing the week at 10,225.60, near the lows of the week. Since this period has 5 geocosmic signatures present, including one Level 1 signature, it has a high probability of coinciding with a market reversal. But instead of being a crest, as suggested by last week’s technically bullish close, it is instead more likely to coincide with a trough, as the technical indicators turned out to be a failure, which is consistent with Mercury retrograde periods.

Mercury retrograde now comes to an end as of Friday, April 30. As we look back, we note that the highest price in this primary cycle of the DJIA that began at the low of March 24 has been the 10,570.80 high of April 6, one day after Mercury started its retrograde motion. And the low (so far) has been 10,219 recorded on Thursday, April 29, one day before Mercury turns direct. This Mercury retrograde period was filled with swings back and forth, but the overall direction has been down from the retrograde to the direct date.

But aside from the Mercury direct date of April 30, and the Jupiter signatures of April 28 and May 5, the most important market signature unfolding is the Sun in waxing square Neptune, also on May 5. This is a powerful Level One signature, according to the studies I reported in “The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing, Volume 3: Geocosmic Correlations to Trading Cycles.” This signature has an 83% correlation to primary or greater cycles within 11 trading days, and 78% correlation within just 9 trading days.

Now we have to be concerned about the relationship of the powerful Sun-Neptune square of May 5, with an orb of 11 trading days, and the powerful setup of three important Level 1 signatures that occur on May 17. On that day Venus and Neptune will both turn retrograde, while Mars will form a waxing trine to Uranus. Each of those Level 1 signatures has a 70-86% correlation to primary or greater cycles within an orb of 10-12 trading days. So the question is whether we will see two separate cycles unfold (one right now, and another close to May 17), or one big cycle in the period that overlaps both signatures? The 11 trading days following May 5 takes us out to May 20. Ten trading days before May 17 takes us back to May 3. The overlap period between these two periods is thus May 3-May 20. My best guess is that we will see two cycles form: first a cycle low any day now (this would be known as the major cycle trough), and then a big rally to a crest within 10 trading days of May 17. And that rally could be the primary cycle crest. In fact, there is a possibility (I think) that it could be the 4-year cycle crest already, after which equity prices around the world begin a long-lasting bear market that could last the better part of this decade. Of course, it is impossible, via astrology alone, to make such a prediction with much confidence yet. But this is one of the geocosmic periods that I think could correspond to a new 4-year cycle crest. Another arises between August-October 2004, especially in late September when Sun-Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter all enter Libra within 6 days of one another (September 22-28). And yet another crest is possible during the period that Jupiter in Libra forms a trine to Neptune in Aquarius (November 2004-Auguist 2005). I think peace will breaking out all over during this period, that much progress will made in resolving difficult geopolitical issues. I realize that no one believes this is remotely possible right now, but to me, this is what these geocosmic signatures suggests, along with Uranus and Neptune in mutual reception.

You know, it is funny in a way. I oftentimes mention the polarity between the forces of Uranus and Neptune (2003-2010, representing the mass movement towards world peace) and Saturn-Pluto moving from opposition to waning square (2001-2010, representing the urge of terrorists to gain control of weapons of mass destruction and create chaos and destruction throughout the world). And within this period I will oftentimes point out news items relating to the difficulty that the United States and especially its president George W. Bush are undergoing in terms of worldwide criticism of its decisions and policies – criticisms that are consistent with both being Cancers, and this being a time in which Saturn is transiting through Cancer. And whenever I point out these items, related to astrology, it never fails that my mailbox is inundated by complaints from conservatives alleging that I have an agenda that is liberal and against conservatives. And yet during the days when Bill Clinton was president and I also pointed out various news items that coincided with difficulties of his chart along with the USA’s, I would be inundated with complaints then that I had a conservative agenda that was against the liberals. The fact is that I not a Republican (Conservative) or Democrat (liberal). I am, by nature of my own chart perhaps, an equal opportunity critic of what I perceive to be a failure of my country (USA) to elect leaders who can lead, inspire confidence, and a sense of unity within our population. I continually ask: “Is this the best we can do in electing leaders for our nation?” I am, like many Americans, disappointed in what I perceive to be a lack of character, leadership, or ability to unify or inspire, that has settled in with our elected officials since 1988. It may surprise readers to know that I am not Liberal or Conservative in a political sense, and that the only two presidents that we have elected in the past 40 years that I have not been mostly critical of are Jimmy Carter, a Democrat who sincerely and consciously worked towards world peace, and Ronald Reagan, a Republican who inspired and unified the United States and actually effected a period of world peace during his term.

So, to my many readers throughout the world who read these weekly comments that are translated into five different languages, know that I will continue to write my thoughts of the times that we live in. I will continue to report these thoughts through the lens of an astrologer that I have become, without an agenda that fits any conservative or liberal stereotype. If I have any agenda, it is simply this: I wish for world peace, an end to violence, and the elimination of all weapons of destruction, mass or otherwise. I wish for these things because they are consistent with any philosophy that underlies the basis for astrology. And that is: we are connected to the Infinite. And that connection is shown through the relationship of the planets and all the celestial bodies, which are in a precise mathematical order that is consistent with the quality of that moment of time. If there can be such an order to the cosmos – and the study of astrology demonstrates that there is – then by process of logical thought, we live in a reality in which natural laws exist. And therefore, it is our duty, as conscientious human beings, to understand those laws, and work in harmony with them. We are not here to kill one another, to be in conflict always with one another. We are here to learn to live in peace with one another. And astrology is the one subject, the one voice, that I believe understands this natural law.

We will return to normal analysis of world equity markets next week. Until then, enjoy the presence of these hopeful Jupiter transits that suggest greater good will, that are now in effect. And look forward to the period around May 17, when the strong presence of Venus and Neptune takes hold, as both planets turn stationary retrograde.

Disclaimer and statement of purpose: The purpose of this column is not to predict the future movement of various financial markets. However, that is the purpose of the MMA (Merriman Market Analyst) subscription services. This column is not a subscription service. It is a free service, except in those cases where a fee may be assessed to cover the cost of translating this column from English into a non-English language. This weekly report is written with the intent to educate the reader on the relationship between astrological factors and collective human activities as they are happening. In this regard, this report will oftentimes report what happened in various stock and financial markets throughout the world in the past week, and discuss that movement in light of the geocosmic signatures that were in effect. It will then identify the geocosmic factors that will be in effect in the next week, or even month, or even years, and the author’s understanding of how these signatures will likely affect human activity in the times to come. The author (Merriman) will do this from a perspective of a cycle’s analyst looking at the military, political, economic, and even financial markets of the world. It is possible that some forecasts will be made based on these factors. However, the primary goal is to both educate and alert the reader as to the psychological climate we are in, from an astrological perspective. The hope is that it will help the reader understand these psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) the news events and hence financial markets of the day.

No guarantee as to the accuracy of this report is being made here. Any decisions in financial markets are solely the responsibility of the reader, and neither the author nor the publishers assume any responsibility at all for those individual decisions. Reader should understand that futures and options trading are considered high risk.