Gold traded below 1250 and Silver below 1600

REVIEW AND PREVIEW

The cosmos was under a high alert firestorm warning last week, with fiery Mars turning retrograde on June 26, one day before the full moon conjunct the authoritative Saturn. Every effort of world stock indices to break out of their trade-war-rhetoric-induced slump was followed by more demands and threats that thwarted most rally attempts all week. By the end of last week, many world equity markets had declined near to their lowest levels of the year and were sharply down from their highs of May 21-22 or June 11.

The charge-and-retreat character of Mars retrograde was especially noticeable in the U.S. stock market. Every day made an attempt to rally, and every day the market had a sharp selloff by the end of the day, if not early on. The lowest low was on Thursday, June 28, right after the full moon conjunct Saturn, when the DJIA briefly fell below 24,000 for the first time since May 4. By early Friday, it was back up above 24,500, only to sell off and close at 24,271, very close to the low of the day at 24,269. Closing near the low of the day on Friday seemed to be a common theme with most stock indices on Friday, except in Asia. However, China’s Shanghai Index did drop to a new 2-year low late last week before recovering smartly into the close on Friday.

Repressed market prices were also witnessed in precious metals and bitcoin last week. Both Gold and Silver fell to new lows for this year, as Gold traded below 1250 and Silver below 1600. But both closed up on Friday, which in the case of Gold, is a key reversal up signal that will mean something if Monday is also up nicely. Bitcoin closed below 6000, which breaks the lower line of a contracting triangle, which is usually a bearish indicator. The full moon on Saturn, and Mars retrograde seemed to place a lot of pressure on these markets last week.

However, hope for the precious metals may be on the way if the currency markets are any indication. The Euro held above its double bottom on pullbacks last week and ended Friday on a very bullish note. It formed a triple bottom around 1.1500 late last week, which may be a spring board to the start of a new 17-month cycle, which is due. It all fits well with last week’s column, stating, “We may see behaviors start to shift by (or shortly after) the full moon in Capricorn at the end of this week, June 27-29. That full moon is also conjunct Saturn (Sun/Saturn opposition), just a day after Mars turns retrograde. We already see a heavy Venus grand square in force, combined with a strong Neptune, stationary. To that, the cosmos will now add a heavy Saturn/Capricorn influence with a powerful Mars stationary. This brings to mind the pressure cooker reaching an extreme boiling point. Then this offensive dynamic gradually recedes, as the Moon begins to wane over the following two weeks, and Jupiter starts to assert his dominance. The mood probably becomes lighter, although there is a possibility that everything becomes even more exaggerated, and morphs into hysteria. I am thinking that we may get a break, and conscientious acts of kindness and efforts exhibiting goodwill may become noticeable.”

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

This will be the July 4, Independence Day, holiday in the USA. Markets will be closed on July 4, and there will likely be low volume days all week.

It also begins a period of soft and harmonious aspects involving the Jupiter/Neptune trine. On Thursday, July 5, the Sun will make a waning trine to Jupiter, followed by a waxing trine to Neptune on July 8. Trines are considered the most favorable of planetary energies in the study of astrology. The following week, on July 10, Jupiter will end its retrograde motion and begin turning direct. It is interesting to note that a similar Jupiter period unfolded March 5-13, 2018, when the Sun made a waxing trine to Jupiter, followed by Jupiter turning stationary retrograde. There was a modest rally in many world stock indices at that time, followed by another steep decline immediately afterwards. This type of pattern could happen again.

We note that Venus will also be making a grand trine, to the Saturn/Uranus trine in earth signs, July 11-14. Basically, the cosmos is signaling that if you wish to get something accomplished and feel good about what you are doing, this is the time to do it (July 5-14). This may bode well for stock indices, but not necessarily for precious metals. It may also indicate some favorable movement on trade issues that have recently been troubling world equity markets.

The cosmic pressure is off now, following the full moon period of June 26-28, until the new moon and solar eclipse of July 13. Enjoy these next two weeks as much as you can, for it will start getting dicey again as we head into the powerful lunar eclipse, Mercury retrograde, and second passage of Mars square Uranus, July 27-August 1.