Gold and Silver, which trade in U.S. Dollars, also broke long-term support

REVIEW AND PREVIEW

White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow confirmed Thursday that the U.S. and China will resume trade talks later this month… Stocks surged at Thursday's opening after headlines broke that the two sides again were trying to resolve their differences. Kudlow also said U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is "getting close" to a trade deal with Mexico. And he said the strong dollar is a "sign of confidence" in the United States. – Jeff Cox, “White House Confirms Trade Talks to Resume with China Later This Month,” https://www.cnbc.com, August 16, 2018.

There are two other geocosmic factors to consider in this analysis to be careful of committing oneself to the idea that the bull is completely dead… Given that the next major aspect will be Jupiter trine Neptune on August 19, the same day that Mercury turns direct, there are multiple cosmic reasons to think the markets can recover quickly. After all, Mercury is commerce and Jupiter is world trade. So, it was no coincidence that late last week the Trump administration issued positive messages that tariffs against its European partners and Mexico may be cut back considerably. Next up, going into or shortly following August 19, may be the rift with China. With Jupiter soon to move into Sagittarius (November 8), there is plenty of cosmic potential for the threats and fears of restrictive world trade to be lifted. Last week’s “MMA Free Weekly Column,” https://mmacycles.com, August 10, 2018.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped on Friday after a report said President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping hope to discuss U.S.-China trade in November.  – Fred Imbert, “Dow Rises More than 100 Points After Report Trump and Xi Hope to Discuss Trade in November,” https://www.cnbc.com, August 17, 2018

All it took was Uranus turning retrograde to finally manifest the power inherent in the July 24-August 9 time band in which several geocosmic signatures converged at once. Until the stationary Uranus event on August 7, there were five other planets already retrograde, which seemed to have more of a paralysis effect on financial markets. Instead of breaking down, these markets moved back and forth every 1-4 days with several technical signals of a reversal that never materialized. It was a period of several false signals, except in Treasuries, which made an important low right on August 1 (the midpoint of July 24-August 9).

The stock markets of the world, on the other hand, meandered back and forth with a tilt towards higher prices into August 7, the day Uranus turned retrograde, and the day the world blinked. Well, Turkey blinked as President Trump tweeted, and out came new trade restrictions and tariffs, sending the Turkish Lira down to new multi-year lows, along with the Euro and then precious metals. Investors rushed into the safe havens of the U.S. Treasuries and the U.S. Dollar. What followed was a waterfall down in commodities and currencies, below well-defined price support levels, which is more typical of strong Uranus signatures. As discussed several times before in this column, Uranus has no regard for long-term levels of support or resistance. They are just magnets of attraction waiting to be violated when Uranus is in the neighborhood. In this case, it was Uranus turning retrograde, but also within the 4-month, three-passage, transit of Mars in a square aspect to Uranus (May 15-September 18), due to the already present retrograde motion of Mars (June 26-August 27). Uranus once again lived up to its reputation as a disruptor of the status quo, a force that exacts a payment from those who are not prepared for sudden changes in nature and/or political and economic policies. In addition to Trump’s new object of fury - Turkey – that led to the crash in currencies, precious metals, and crude oil, the world also suffered through record-breaking heat waves in Europe, wildfires in California, and earthquakes in Indonesia that coincided with several fatalities during this period.

Yet, as if to be reminded that there are indeed six (of a possible 8) planets in retrograde, all of that suddenly changed on the morning of Thursday, August 16, when the DJIA opened up over 300 points higher. Why? Because the White House announced that trade talks with China would resume later this month. One day later, they announced that Trump and Xi might formally meet to discuss trade in November. This was an almost perfect reflection of the writing on the walls of the heavens. As stated in last week’s column, “Given that the next major aspect will be Jupiter trine Neptune on August 19, the same day that Mercury turns direct, there are multiple cosmic reasons to think the markets can recover quickly. After all, Mercury is commerce and Jupiter is world trade. So, it was no coincidence that late last week the Trump administration issued positive messages that tariffs against its European partners and Mexico may be cut back considerably. Next up, going into or shortly following August 19, may be the rift with China.”

After falling hard into Wednesday, down to 24,965, its lowest level in a month, the Dow Jones Industrial Average suddenly reversed and soared the next two days to its highest level since February 27. It was all based on the announcement on renewed trade talks soon to begin with China. But wait. Even as the DJIA soared to a new multi-month high, and the Australian ASX surged to its highest level since January 2008, and the Indian Nifty stock index tested its all-time high, it was a completely different story in Europe and China. European indices cracked hard, falling to new monthly lows after strong rallies into cycle crests as recently as July 26. Trade might be looking up between the USA and China (and Mexico), but the chaos in Turkey is a major wall of worry for all of Europe. And just to make sure that we understand the irrationality, insensibility, and unpredictability of so many planets retrograde at once, the fall from grace of China’s stock index with investors, amidst the announcement of new trade talks, is par for the course. The Shanghai Index fell to its lowest level in almost 2-1/2 years on Friday, August 17. Perhaps investors think that any kind of deal with the USA is going to be bad for China’s economy. However, six retrograde planets at once is not usually indicative of a time when people think clearly.

Lest anyone think that this period has been truly remarkable and strange only in regards to the stock indices arena of world financial markets, it may be instructive to also look at currencies and precious metals. The turmoil now hoisted upon Turkey (by the USA, in response to Turkey’s own dogmatic position regarding a U.S. clergyman they accuse of conspiracy in the coup attempt against Erdogan’s evolving dictatorship) caused pandemonium, not just in the Turkish Lira, but also in the Euro currency. The Euro broke the important double bottom support of 1.1500 late the prior week (right after Uranus went retrograde, which by itself warned that important support or resistance could break). By Wednesday, August 15, the Euro had plunged to 1.1297, a level not seen since June 2017. The U.S. Dollar soared to its highest level of the year.

The carnage didn’t stop with the Euro. Gold and Silver, which trade in U.S. Dollars, also broke long-term support. Gold fell to 1167 on Thursday, August 16, its lowest price since January 5, 2017. It was worse in Silver, which fell to $14.31 the same day, its lowest level since February 3, 2016. Yet this possibility, and this time frame, is exactly what was discussed in MMA’s recent Special Gold Report presented in the July issue of the MMA Cycles Report. If we get the right set up in this time band identified as a high potential for long-term cycle low in Gold, we will be issuing special alert to subscribers of all MMA reports, possibly next week. If you are not a subscriber to any MMA Cycles Reports, and wish to receive this special Gold and Silver update alert if that signal develops, now would be a good time to subscribe (see Announcements below).

In other markets, crude oil fell to its lowest price since June 21. Bitcoin dropped to 5876 on Tuesday, August 14, a double bottom to its primary cycle low of 5762 made on June 24.

 

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS AND LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS

In retrospect, one cannot be blamed for thinking that things have been a little unusual, even a little crazy, as of late. It’s not just that six planets are retrograde right now. It is bigger than that to students of astrology.

Pluto is in 18-20° of Capricorn (2018-2019, as it lasts a while). This is the sector of the heavens in which the 171-year cycle of Uranus and Neptune conjoined in 1993. On top of that, Uranus has now moved to its first 45° semi-square to Neptune, or said another way, these two planets are now in the first 1/8 of their “new” cycle that started in 1993. The 8th harmonic is a powerful phase in the study of geocosmics related to cycles in human activities. When a long-term synodic (or planetary pair) cycle occurs, it is as if that sector of the zodiac is charged, or infused, with the characteristics of those two planets. The quality of that dynamic is touched off when future transiting planets cross that degree. Thus, we are now in a very rare and strange period where the three outermost planets are being highlighted (perhaps “bombarded” would be a more apt word) in the collective consciousness: Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus. With Pluto as the current transit, it’s all about transformation. That is, tearing structures, concepts, belief systems – and really, the very concept of reality - down, with the hope of rebuilding it better. But with Pluto, you never know if it will be rebuilt, or just terminated altogether. Pluto is symbolic of death and rebirth. It is the symbol of power, a force that few can withstand without making some kind of adjustment in life.

Uranus and Neptune are the dynamics subject to this transformational power of Pluto. But what is that? Uranus is something entirely new, revolutionary, and usually very disruptive. Its immediate effect is often one of chaos, as the status quo is shaken to its core. Neptune, on the other hand, works mostly in the dimension of intuition, faith, and trust. So, Pluto blows all that up. Putting all of this together, and one can see how the masses are undergoing a powerful period of – for lack of better term – “reality deconstruction.”

Now put that all together within the context of six retrograde planets underway right now, and you get a sense of why these last two year., and especially these last two weeks, have been so dramatic and bizarre. Yet, one can take heart, because the first of these planets – Mercury, the trickster – is about to turn direct on Saturday-Sunday, August 18-19. One week later, on August 27, Mars will turn direct. Then it will seem somewhat more normal because there will only be four planets retrograde, which is more of the norm – well, as much of a norm as can be expected with Pluto transiting 18-20° Capricorn.

One final note. Why is the Trump administration agreeing to wait until November to host a meeting on trade between Trump and Xi Jinping? Is it really to the President’s advantage to wait until after the mid-term election to have such an important meeting? What if his party loses the Senate? Or the House? Or both? It makes you wonder if he really is the smartest man in the world. If his party maintains the majority in both branches, then you have to give him credit. Maybe he really is the smartest player in the game. In the meantime, Jupiter moves into Sagittarius on November 8, right after the election. That is our (cosmic) reality projecting a turn for the better, as it implies an expansion of world trade for the following year.