Weekly column: When planets align the world responds

Review

Oil prices cooled after President Trump held off on taking action against Tehran. The White House said late Thursday Trump would make a decision on whether to strike Iran within two weeks—a duration he often cites when faced with difficult situations—easing fears of imminent military intervention. “

—Oil Prices Drop After Trump Signals He’ll Give Iran Negotiations Time,” www.wsj.com, June 20, 2025

 Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said in a Friday interview on CNBC that he believes the central bank is in a position to start lowering rates starting next month. “I think we’re in a position that we could do this as early as July,” Waller told the outlet. “That would be my view, whether the committee would go along with it or not.”

—Eric Revell, “Fed Governor Breaks Ranks with Powell, Signals Rate Cuts Could Begin Next Month,” www.foxbusiness.com, June 20, 2025.

Our June 9-27 powerful cosmic configuration has stopped the advance of global stock indices right on time. On June 11, most stock indices recorded their highest price since the mini-panic sell-off into April 7. However, in typical Neptunian fashion, the high was not a “spike,” and the decline since then has not (yet) been a real collapse. With Jupiter squaring both Saturn and Neptune June 15-19, the chart pattern has been one of a broadening top formation, with both bullish and bearish forces struggling to break out, but so far resulting in a standoff of congestion. However, momentum to the upside, which had been so dominant since MMA’s three-star critical reversal date of April 21, has run out of gas over the last three weeks. Are the markets exhausted and starting a serious decline? Or are they recharging and about to roar ahead in another surge upwards?

In Asia and the Pacific Rim, the ASX (Australia), SSE (China), Hang Seng (Hong Kong), and Nifty (India) all peaked on June 11. Most then fell to new 2-week lows. Japan’s Nikkei was an exception, continuing to rally into June 18 for its highest mark in four months.

The pattern was similar in Europe. Most interesting was the German DAX, which had made a new all-time high on June 5, only to be followed by a drop to its lowest price in seven weeks on June 19. The Netherlands AEX, London FTSE, and Zurich SMI also declined to multi-week lows on June 19-20.

In the U.S., it was the same story. The DJIA, NASDAQ, and S&P all peaked on June 11. Each then sold off modestly into 2-3 week lows on Friday, June 20. The rallies weren’t spectacular at their end. The declines were not spectacular either. Like Neptune, the markets seemed confused, as if in a surreal dream state, waiting for a signal to move one way or the other. Instead, they had to balance the prospect of a new major war breaking out versus the uncertainty that a still unresolved trade policy might have on the economic growth. Both matters have been given a 2-week time window for a presidential decision.

One market that has benefitted from the outbreak of war is Crude Oil. In the past week, it has soared to its highest price since mid-January. Silver also rallied to a new 13-year high one week ago. Gold also had a nice rally, but not to new multi-year highs like Silver. But unlike Gold and Silver, which sold off into Friday, June 20, Crude Oil has retained much of its recent gains. Perhaps it is not surprising given that both Jupiter and Neptune rule Crude Oil, and their 13-year waxing square aspect was on Thursday, June 19.

The world may be in a state of confusion and uncertainty about the future, typical of Jupiter square Neptune. But the cosmos is not.

Short-term geocosmics

If Mr. Trump moves boldly and it’s a clear success, he’s a world-class hero. Nobody loves Iran, many want to see it humbled. If he moves boldly and it yields some kind of failure, his own supporters will never feel the same about him. If he doesn’t move boldly and Tehran limps back and, in time, develops nuclear weapons, he will suffer with some of his base and in the eyes of the world. Presidents try hard to keep themselves from situations in which the political outcomes are so stark. They don’t like those choices—“hero,” “politically dead.” It feels like an epochal decision because it is.

—Peggy Noonan, “Iraq’s Shadow Over the Iran Debate,” www.wsj.com, June 19, 2025.

“The politics of an authoritarian country are structured in a very primitive way: you are either for the regime or against it. All other political options have been completely obliterated.”

—Alexey Navalny, “Patriot: A Memoir,” Published by Alfred A. Knopf, October 22, 2024.

Not a word was spoke between us, there was little risk involved
Everything up to that point had been left unresolved

Try imagining a place where it’s always safe and warm

Come in, she said

I’ll give ya shelter from the storm

Bob Dylan, “Shelter From the Storm,” Universal Music Publishing Group, 1975

There are other important movements now underway in the cosmos, in addition to the powerful Jupiter square Saturn/Neptune of June 15-19. For instance, Mars is now entering Virgo as of June 17, which is an excellent combination indicating efficiency in planning. It would seem that well-thought-out military strategies, and not the bravado and machoism of Mars in Leo, will be front and center. Whoever is the smartest, most efficient, and most precise with their strikes will likely prevail this season.

This week will also begin summer (in the northern hemisphere) as the Sun moves into the sign of Cancer. It will join Jupiter, which just ingressed into Cancer on June 9. Loyalty and patriotism are inclined to rise in social value. But the question will be asked: what exactly is patriotism, and who is a patriot? One who follows the leader blindly, or one who resists because they feel they are the ones really defending the values of a nation? With Jupiter in Cancer just coming off its square to both Saturn and Neptune and the Sun doing the same by translation this week (June 20-24), both sides (loyalists versus resistors) may claim the mantle of the patriot.

After this week, another surge of turbulence leading to a change of the script erupts July 4-18, just in time for the President’s pronounced deadline on both tariffs and the future of the U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict. The President has stated he doesn’t want the U.S. to be dragged into a war. At the same time, he has also stated Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Astrologically, Venus will conjoin Uranus as both ingress into Gemini (July 4-7). Heliocentric Mercury will ingress into Sagittarius (July 8-18). Neptune, Saturn, and Mercury will all turn retrograde (July 4-18). Something is apt to break. Decisions will be made suddenly and probably have shock value, which can be an asset in war situations. Many of these signatures also have strong historical correlations to reversals and major moves in stocks and metals.

My guess? The U.S. enters the war unless Iran makes a complete and unconditional surrender regarding their nuclear ambitions. They may claim it is for peaceful purposes, but with Jupiter square Saturn and Neptune, lies and propaganda by governments and their leaders are the order of the day. The transiting lunar nodes at 19-22 Virgo-Pisces are making a grand square to the Mars/Neptune squares in the charts of both the U.S. and Iran. President Trump has his natal Sun/Moon opposition at 21-23 Gemini-Sagittarius, also in grand square to the transiting lunar nodes.

President Trump has also stated that no one knows what he is going to do. He will make his decision(s) with maybe only a one-minute notice, depending on how he feels at the moment. But with Saturn in Aries and Mars entering the precise planning sign of Virgo, I think he knows exactly what he is going to do. Maybe he just doesn’t know exactly when he will act, but when his instinct says now is the time, it will be time. And when Uranus is highlighted, as is the case in the first half of July, sudden decisions can be made that rock the world. I would expect Gold, Crude Oil, and perhaps Silver to spike up then, especially if they make a multi-week low during these next two weeks.

Stay tuned. We are in the middle of the tornado/hurricane/tsunami now, known as the “Aries Vortex.” We’ve been preparing for this for over a year now, and here we are. You can feel it, especially with Jupiter moving into Cancer. Know your safety zones and those you trust. That’s what Cancer wants and needs. It is also what Cancer can provide – shelter from the storm. And remember, this is the bottom of the abyss, the end of the cycle, which might last until early next year (2025-2026), when Saturn moves past its blocking of Neptune. In conjunctions, the faster-moving planet blocks out the light of the slower one. The end of every cycle is a time for creative thought and visions. The end of a cycle is also the beginning of a new cycle. And new cycles are times for growth.