Weekly Forecast

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Global equity markets slid further on Thursday after the US Federal Reserve stopped short of promising changes to its massive bond-buying program… Investors were left uneasy even after the Fed on Wednesday signaled it would hold US interest rates at historic low levels until at least the end of 2023 – Adam Samson and Camilla Hodgson, “Global Equities Slip After Federal Reserve Comes Up Short on QE Plans,” Financial Times, September 17, 2020.

Fighting against the Fed has not been a winning strategy since the pandemic market bottom in late March. But when the Fed announced last week that it will leave rates unchanged, around zero percent, through 2023, world equity markets did not cheer. Has the Fed run out of weapons to stimulate the stock market, especially heading into the U.S. Election? Or is this just Mars retrograde in its ruling sign of Aries doing what it normally does when it goes retrograde in its ruling sign, which is to shift from robust aggression and confidence to fears of undesirable consequences from having been too aggressive and confident. Under Mars retrograde, the aggressor is usually the loser. It’s going to remain that way with the heavens until November 13. Don’t start something if you have doubts it will succeed.

Just two weeks ago, within one day of our September 4 three star critical reversal date, many of the world stocks markets were at their highest level since the market crash lows of March 16-23. The NASDAQ and S&P were even making new all-time highs. On our two-star critical reversal date of last Monday, September 14, some others were still making new post-crash highs, like the Japanese Nikkei index. By Friday, September 18, many of these same markets were making new monthly lows. It seems that Mars turning retrograde in Aries on September 9 is indeed correlating with the reversal of optimism that was suggested in this column.

However, some commodities have also reversed, but sharply to the upside. Mars in Aries is hot, as noted by run-away fires underway in the western U.S. This is also correlating with the unexpected warming conditions, and increased demand, causing a rally in grain prices, consistent with Mars square Saturn and Pluto too (crop damage) Corn and Wheat are at their highest price since March. Soybeans are at their highest levels in two years. Crude Oil has also spiked back up. From its primary cycle low of 36.13 one week ago, on September 8, as Jupiter and Mars were both readying for a change of direction, Crude Oil has rallied 15% in one week to a high of 41.49 as of Friday, September 18.

Mars retrograde will be with us through November 13. But that is only part of the story as we approach September 28-October 19, which could be a major tsunami for world matters, which in turn may sharply influence financial and commodity market prices.

Short-term geocosmics

Over the past few decades, we have seen many factors related to happiness trend in the right direction. Economic prosperity is rising; access to critical resources and services has broadened; and people are more connected than ever, at least in the digital sense. Despite these trends, mental health concerns are mounting. In the US, teen depression rose 63% from 2007 to 2017, according to a Department of Health study. And the World Health Organization’s report on mental health and COVID-19 estimates the global economy loses USD 1 trillion every year to depression and anxiety. “What Does the Future of Happiness Look Like?” UBS Chief Investment Office, www.ubs.com/global/, September 17, 2020.

Maybe we get a little peace this week before the cosmic storm hits the following week.

The Sun enters Libra, the sign of agreements and diplomacy, for one month starting September 22. Mercury enters Scorpio, the sign of investigations and exposures of matters that have been hidden, on September 27, where it will remain through most of October due to turning retrograde, October 13 through November 3. Given that President Trump is a Gemini, ruled by Mercury, this retrograde period will be critical for him. I remember in 2008 when John McCain, a Virgo (which is also ruled by Mercury) saw his election fortunes totally reverse to the downside once Mercury went retrograde during the election season. He had been ahead, but during the retrograde, as the economic crisis exploded at the time, he made errors in judgment, and he fell too far behind to recover in the election won by Barack Obama.

The concern about another possible economic crisis and stock market collapse heading into the 2020 election cannot be dismissed, even though that is historically a rare correlation, 2008 notwithstanding. In 2008, the crisis exploded as Saturn started approaching its opposition to Uranus right on Election Day, November 4, 2008, lasting through July 26, 2010. We have another hard aspect between Saturn and Uranus coming up, but it doesn’t make its first passage until February 2021. However, we do have another powerful cosmic indicator of a possible economic crisis and stock market hysteria arising in two weeks. Retrograde Mars in Aries will form its second (of three) waxing squares to the Capricorn Stellium of Saturn, Pluto, and Jupiter, September 28-October 19. The conjunction of Mars to these three planets was present at the time of the stock market crisis earlier this year (March 20-31). In fact, it timed the bottom of the stock market collapse on March 23. The first quarter square of Mars to these same planets indicates that similar dynamics of that time are returning. COVID-19 is still without a cure, and lockdowns in various communities of the world are also returning with the closing of many businesses.

With Mars retrograde in Aries through November 13, and already within orb of the square with Saturn and Pluto, has anyone noticed how everyone seems under pressure with not enough time to do everything? This can be a very stressful dynamic in societies everywhere. The solution is simple, however. It involves pacing oneself, not taking on too many tasks that have deadlines all at once. It is essential to your mental and physical well-being to forcefully create a balance in all of your activities, from work, to rest, exercise, diet, and social matters, and to refrain from entering into unnecessary disputes. If you can do this, and not allow yourself to be in a dependent relationship where duties are concerned with anyone prone to procrastinate, you can not only get something done, but you can feel a huge relief in completing these projects on time because you have taken control, rather than giving it away to others. If you fall behind, especially because others are not doing their part to assist in the completion, you may feel bitter resentment along with a sense of being disrespected and unappreciated. If you focus all your time on your work or a particularly stressful issue, you are subject to physical burnout, and mental/emotional exhaustion. Use this time to take better care of yourself and lighten up on the obsession that you have to complete everything right now, if possible. You can’t breathe, I can’t breathe… this is Mars to Saturn and Pluto. It’s been there since late March and it’s both literal and figurative. Allow yourself to breathe and allow others to breathe. Otherwise, someone could get hurt.

Longer-term thoughts

“The only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged.” President Donald Trump’s astonishing remark last month — and his escalating efforts to sow doubts about the integrity of November’s vote — have highlighted a growing concern: can the United States, one of the world’s oldest democracies, assure a free and fair election in 2020? – The Economic Times, “Losing Faith: In Bastion of Democracy, Worries over US Election Integrity, September 13, 2020.

President Trump has now edged to a one-point lead over Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the latest Rasmussen Reports’ weekly White House Watch survey. While statistically insignificant, it’s the first time Trump has been ahead… The race has narrowed over the past two weeks. Biden had a two-point lead last week, but that survey also marked the first time Trump had edged above 45% over the past two-and-a-half months. Prior to this week, Biden has bested Trump in every weekly survey since White House Watch began at the beginning of July. Rasmussen Reports, “White House Watch: Trump Takes First Lead,” www.rasmussenreports.com, September 16, 2020.

Here he comes.

For those who missed it, I hosted a fascinating online discussion on the USA 2020 President Election with four other internationally respected Mundane Astrologers (Lynn Bell of Paris, France, Caroline Casey of Washington D.C., Dr, Lee Leaman of Asheville, NC, and Christeen Skinner of London, UK). The presentations were a combination of quantitative studies involving all past U.S. presidential elections, combined with astrological insights regarding specific charts believed to best reflect the dynamics of this election. In all the presentations, studies showed a race with mixed historical results, and the possibility of either a very close election, or a disputed election in which the results are not known for days or even weeks afterwards. The possibility of another split between the popular and Electoral College results was seen again.

During the introduction, I posted the results of the latest Real Clear Politics (RCP) Average, showing Joe Biden ahead by an average of 7.5 points over President Donald Trump. However, the Rasmussen Poll was highlighted in the RCP table presented because it was the most accurate in 2016. Last week it showed Biden still ahead by 2 points, which was the best showing of all the RCP polls for Donald Trump. This week, Trump has made strong improvement. His RCP average versus Biden has improved from down 7.5 points to 5.9 points. And in the Rasmussen Poll, Donald Trump has actually pulled ahead of Biden by one point for the first time this polling season. Rasmussen is the only poll showing Trump ahead, but it is clear that he is gaining momentum heading into the final 6 weeks. One more point that I have observed: the candidate that was ahead 3-5 weeks before the election usually lost. Think Mitt Romney in 2012, John Kerry in 2004, Al Gore in 2000. All were ahead in most polls 3-5 weeks before the election.

Will there be an upset again in 2020? Will the election be contested, and the results not accepted and even not known on election night? It is possible. The Sun will be in opposition to Uranus, on the day of the full moon, 4 days before the November 3 election. And Mercury will be retrograde, turning direct midday on November 3, with the Moon in Gemini, Mercury’s rulings sign, the same day. These are indicators of a result going up and down, back and forth, in the last 100 hours before the election day voting ends. The Moon conjoins its North Node on Trump’s natal Sun, a sign of success. But it also conjoins Kamala Harris’ natal Ascendant and her own North Node then, also a sign of success. These are just a couple of points discussed in last weekend’s webinar. To purchase a video recording of this very insightful discussion, with keys on how to connect the dots for those who wish to make forecasts based on astrological factors, click The USA 2020 Presidential Election Webinar Recording.