Euro currency soared to its highest level in a year

REVIEW

To succeed as president, Mr. Trump has to show he can govern, and it looks like that may require separating himself from a Republican Party disabled by a permanent blocking minority with no interest in governing. – Daniel Henninger, “Should Trump Abandon the GOP?” Wall Street Journal, June 29, 2017.

“Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year’s Eve and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift…” Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump, June 29, 2017.

“Mr. President, your tweet was beneath the office and represents what is wrong with American politics, not the greatness of America,” wrote Lindsay Graham (R., S.C.) in a tweet. Ms. (Mika) Brzezinski offered her own response via Twitter, posting an image of a Cheerios box showing a toddler reaching for cereal with the caption, “Made for Little Hands.”– Eli Stokols, “Trump Tweet Prompts Backlash,” Wall Street Journal, June 30, 2017

Last week was predictably unpredictable and erratic, based upon an understanding of geocosmic patterns, with equity markets sharply down, then up, then down, then up again, often during the same day. In the study of Financial Astrology, that can be attributed to the grand cardinal square, described in last week’s column as, “… nothing got out of control last week (June 19). But that could start to change as both the Sun and Mars move through Cancer, forming wide cardinal grand squares with transiting Jupiter (Libra), Pluto (Capricorn), and Uranus (Aries), June 25-July 20. And that is just a prelude to the Sun/Mars conjunction of July 26, followed by Mars with the solar eclipse, August 21.”

But, as also discussed last week, “As Trump goes, so go the markets these next months.” Up until last week, President Trump had been uncharacteristically stable - even presidential - for nearly two weeks. But by late last week, he was acting out with erratic, unstable, but entertaining twitter rants, directed to MSNBC co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough. In psychology, we might call this behavior an example of “projection.” Some might even think it is an obsession with women’s blood, the same image he unleashed towards Megan Kelly during the 2016 debates

The point to be made here is that 1) Mr. Trump is under some serious Mars transits through August, during which he is very vulnerable to “losing his cool” and behaving impulsively in ways that end up harming himself and maybe the nation, and 2) this will likely coincide with very erratic market behavior. We saw both last week, and we still have about two more months to deal with this trickle-down, circus-like, political atmosphere. He is a political risk, this is the greatest risk to the stock market right now. That’s the downside of the Mars message mucking up his cosmic blueprint (natal horoscope). At the same time, his vision for economic reforms represents the great hope for the stock market. Which will prevail? His optimistic economic vision for growth and deregulation, or his unsteady and undisciplined personal behavior? The market has so far been counting on the former, but that faith may be severely tested by the faults of the latter these next two months

In other markets, the Euro currency soared to its highest level in a year. Gold and Silver fell sharply before U.S. markets opened on Monday morning, June 26 to their lowest levels in a month, supposedly due to an accidental “fat fingers” sell order. But, given that this was shortly after Neptune turned retrograde, I don’t buy that explanation. I think it has more to do with central banks trying to combat talk by Fed officials last week that inflation needs to rise more. This kind of talk is bullish for Gold, and to nip the problem quickly before it gets any traction, I think central banks may have been the ones with the “fat fingers.” They don’t want Gold becoming strong – ever. It will harm the value of the Federal Reserve Notes (US Dollars). And, as discussed before, the Fed is under a transit of Neptune T-square its natal Mercury/Saturn opposition, so I am skeptical of what they say they are doing versus what they are really doing.

In the meantime, sit back and watch the cosmic play underway that coincides with the sudden changes in financial market prices and erratic behavior of President Trump, due to persist through July 20, - and maybe all the way into the Great Solar Eclipse of August 21, 2017, conjunct Mars, and conjunct Mr. Trump’s natal Mars and Ascendant. Somewhere in here is a market top and a very possible 10% decline beginning, courtesy of the Sun/Mars conjunction history, +/- 6 weeks.

 

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS AND LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS

Global debt has hit a record level in the first quarter of this year, mainly driven by emerging markets, raising questions of whether there will be another financial crisis in the near future… On Tuesday, U.S. Fed Chair Janet Yellen told an audience in London that banks are in a "very much stronger" position and another financial crisis is unlikely "in our lifetime." But Yellen's remarks aren't' consensual. "I think Yellen's comment - if I am interpreting it correctly -- is a huge hostage to fortune. The words Titanic and unsinkable spring to mind," Erik Jones, professor of international political economy at Johns Hopkins University, told CNBC via email. – Silvia Amaro, “China’s Debt Surpasses 300% of GDP, IIF Says, Raising Doubts Over Yellen’s Crisis Remarks,” www.cnbc.com, June 28, 2017.

This week, the United States of America will celebrate its 241st birthday. It is almost as old as me. I remember when… wait a minute. Did I say I had Neptune rising? It is true. I have a great imagination and – and memory.

But back to the USA and its solar return, which – according to the chart I use – will take place on Sunday, July 2, at 6:17 PM, in Washington D.C. Now don’t argue with me about the date July 2. I was there (well, I read about it), and they signed the Declaration of Independence just before noon on that day in 1776. The message was delivered to George Washington two days later (I remember we didn’t have cell phones then) and that is when the War of Independence started. But the vote to go to war for such an original idea – freedom – took place before the War. Sometimes, when I read some Twitter and Facebook messages, I wonder if it was worth it. But I get distracted from the point again… it is so common of Neptune rising folks like me. I really don’t know what would have happened to me if I didn’t have the Sun, Moon, and Mars in the grounded sign of Capricorn. I am sure I would struggle to remember what happened 24 hours ago, let alone 241 years ago. As it is, I have a very good (but selective) memory. For markets.

Nevertheless, this year’s solar return for the USA finds that cardinal grand square in full power. There is the Sun, Mars, and Mercury in Cancer, opposite Pluto in Capricorn, squaring Jupiter in Libra (on the USA’s natal Saturn), which is in wide opposition to transiting Uranus. This is a setup promising radical, bold changes, which is exactly why many Americans believe they elected Donald Trump. They wanted change, however unorthodox and bizarre it would be.

But did they want more debt? Did they want a world in which danger increases? It is not what they voted for, nor was it what was promised during the campaign season. But that is what the solar return chart – the chart for the next 12 months – indicates.

First, let us consider that on July 2, at the time of the Merriman USA solar return, Mars will be in an opposition to Pluto, 18 degrees Cancer/Capricorn. Talk about blood (Mars) … this aspect, in a very close T-square with Jupiter in Libra, provokes an image of a lot (Jupiter) of blood. With Pluto, there is no middle ground - only an underground. The battle (Mars) is to the end – no compromise, no win-win option. And Pluto is also debt. In this chart, the Moon is in Scorpio, which also rules debt – domestic debt – thus highlighting its ruling planet Pluto, which (with Mars) is in the houses of money and finances (2nd house) and debt (8th house), no less.

What does this mean? Two things come to mind. The Democrats and the Republicans will not compromise. They will fight one another for power until “death (election) do us part.” They are willing to risk default, so when the debt ceiling limit is due to expire in September, it will be a war. Second, I think Mars/Pluto portends more danger, not less, despite (or maybe because of) an insistence of threatening war-like rhetoric over diplomacy. Yet, the major positive aspect in this chart is Neptune in Pisces (believe it or not), which trines the Sun and Mars in Cancer. The strongest positive is therefore the very thing that is apt to be looked down upon – diplomacy. Neptune can work out anything with good will. But “good will” is low on the value scale for Mars/Pluto, where instead, power and force dominates. But in this case, it is a choice between the power to heal (Neptune and Pluto) versus the power to destroy (Mars and Pluto when angry and out for revenge).

You know, I am Neptune rising as stated before, and ultimately I want to believe the best in everyone, and the optimistic possibility. So here is hoping that the USA and its leadership will tap into its awesome power, and choose to use that power shown in this year’s solar return chart to heal this divided nation, and work towards the healing of the entire world. That’s the tweet – and path of action - I think most Americans want to see from its president on this Independence Day.