Review
The Commerce Department said Friday its personal consumption expenditures inflation gauge rose 2.5% in June compared to a year earlier, slowing from its 2.6% pace in May….On the CME‘s FedWatch tool, which uses fed funds data to estimate the pricing of rate moves, odds of rates remaining unchanged next week are 93%, while odds of a 25-basis point cut in September are 90%. Meanwhile, some pundits have called for a cut already next week, in order to avoid an undesired overcooling of the economy.
—Paulo Trevisani, “U.S. Inflation Data Keeps Door Open for September Interest Rate Cut,” Wall Street Journal, July 26, 2024.
Greetings from Amsterdam, where I arrived last night for the first stage of my two-month European tour that will culminate with the MMA Investment Retreat, September 19-22 in beautiful Lake Bled, Slovenia (see link to this event and pictures in Announcements).
It was a stunning week in politics and financial markets as we navigate between the Mars-Uranus-Algol conjunction of July 12-15 and the dual T-squares surrounding August 19, when Mars/Jupiter will be squared by Venus in opposition to Saturn. During the same week, the Full Moon will square Uranus.
The August 19 geocosmic period indicates a very chaotic time, and it just happens to coincide with the Democratic convention. The chaos of the convention may have been reduced considerably this week with the anointment of Kamala Harris as the likely candidate following President Joe Biden’s decision to finally step down. This possibility was discussed in this column three weeks ago. Still, I will elaborate more on it in this week’s Short-Term Geocosmics section, since her probable nomination has created a major buzz (sense of excitement) throughout the world. The election forecast is much closer now with Democrats re-energized. Republicans are also re-energized following the near assassination of their leader, Donald Trump. The only ones not tremendously re-energized are the independents. They are still the majority. They will break this election one way or another. They still do not have what they perceive as a moderate candidate representing a moderate platform.
But back to the markets. Following their highs or secondary highs of the week surrounding the Mars-Uranus-Algol conjunction of July 12-15 +/- 1 week, many global stock indices continued their hard decline into mid-week before starting powerful rallies to end the week. In Japan, for instance, the Nikkei index had plunged 11.35% from its all-time high of 41,426 on July 12 to a low of 37,611 on Friday. The tech-heavy NASDAQ had declined 10% between its all-time high of July 11 and the low of July 26. Our target has been a 15–26% decline from a 4-year cycle crest now due to a 4-year cycle trough due from August to November. So, we captured a good chunk of that on this first dive. And now begins the secondary rally as we approach Mercury turning retrograde a week from Monday on August 5. Will there be a second leg down, and if so, how much from this rally?
Gold, and especially Silver, took a deep dive last week. Gold peaked at 2488.40 on July 17, close enough to our July 12-15 CRD (geocosmic critical reversal date). By Thursday, July 26, it had touched 2351.90. Silver’s break was more painful, falling from a secondary high of 32.01 on July 11 to a low of 27.55 on July 26, a loss of nearly 14% in one week. However, Bitcoin continued to support our bullish call given recently, as it tested our 59,000-62,000 support zone on its pullback to 63,395 on Thursday, then rallied as high as 68,166 the next day. Crude Oil continued to struggle, falling to the 76.00 area on Thursday, July 26. It is still in a time band for a major cycle low, but far off the 85.00 mark it needs to exceed in order to change its pattern to bullish.
Short-Term Geocosmics
I had long thought Kamala Harris couldn’t beat Donald Trump. That’s wrong. She can. But beyond that, something’s happening. Ms. Harris has not, in five years on the national stage, shown competence. She is showing it now, and that is big news. Her rollout this week demonstrated talent and hinted she may be a real political athlete. She was striking and strong in this week’s speeches in Milwaukee and Houston. She knows how to act a speech. When she is “scripted” she is good.
—Peggy Noonan, “The Kamala Harris Surprise,” Wall Street Journal, July 25, 2024.
Taken to their logical end points, the ideas that I encountered first at the POC conference, and then Columbia University, paved the way to a political and social hellscape where skin color, a meaningless trait, is given supreme importance. They have infected all of our key institutions: government education, and media.
—Coleman Hughes, “The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America,” Penguin Random House, 2024.
President Biden finally did the nation and his party a favor by withdrawing his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election race. As mentioned over the past several weeks following the disastrous debate of June 27, it was only going to get harder and harder for his party, family, and the nation to stay on after it became evident he was no longer physically or even cognitively capable of carrying his party to victory in November. The tragedy is how hard the party and mainstream media tried to cover for him when it was his decline was so apparent to everyone who had watched him over the past several months. But now the Democrats have a younger, more vibrant, and articulate candidate in Vice President Kamala Harris to offer voters, and the race immediately becomes more competitive.
Although this is a more financially-based column, it is important to pay attention to politics, especially this year, as the two parties have starkly different economic agendas that will affect financial markets in separate ways. For instance, history shows that a Republican president is likely to oversee both a record high in the U.S. stock market and a stock market crash exceeding 38%. A Democrat in the White House can also oversee record stock market levels, though not as consistently as a Republican White House does. However, Democrats do not tend to be in office when the stock market declines more than 26%. Correlations are also present in the U.S. Dollar, which tends to rise when Democrats are in control and fall when a Republican holds the highest office. It is also a running joke introduced in this column long ago (and now often used by MSM) that Democrats want to control our boardrooms and Republicans our bedrooms.
However, one thing presidents of both parties have struggled with through the years is racial tensions. Although much progress has been made in race relations, there is still the unsettling belief that racism, and now neo-racism, underlies great division in the nation. So, one wonders: what effect will a female Black (and Asian) candidate have on this issue in the U.S.? Will racial tensions increase? Or will they recede, even be eliminated, as the nation slowly continues its progress towards a colorblind America, and even a world where character and humanity matter, and not the meaningless color of one’s skin, as Martin Luther King once dreamed and inspired a whole generation to dream?
Kamala Harris is no stranger to astrologers and astrology. Her birth time has long been known, which suggests that she or her family may have consulted an astrologer long ago. She has a remarkable planetary pattern in her natal chart as described in the Forecast 2020-2021 books, which pointed out that she could one day run for – or even become – president of the U.S. Born October 20, 1964, 9:28 PM in Oakland California, she has her natal Sun in Libra, opposite Moon in Aries (full Moon), and both in harmonious aspect to her Gemini rising, with the Moon’s North Node also rising. In fact, her Ascendant/Node conjunction is very close to Donald Trump’s natal Sun/Uranus conjunction, which is also opposite his natal Moon. Both Trump and Harris were born under Full Moons, and both his Sun/Moon and her Ascendant/Lunar North Node will be highlighted by transiting Jupiter (good fortune) near Election Day. It’s likely to be very close, and perhaps both will receive a record number of votes.
I will address these candidates more in this column as we go forward. But for now, I would suggest that astrologers focus on the debate of September 10. It is my opinion that this debate may tilt the election in favor of one of the candidates. There will be a mutable T-square then between the Sun, Moon, and Jupiter, activating Trump’s natal Sun/Uranus opposite Moon, and Harris’ Ascendant/North Node degrees. Transiting Uranus is also conjunct Harris’ Jupiter and squares her Mars/Uranus opposition, while at the same time conjunct Trump’s Midheaven. Both will be lit. There are going to be more unexpected surprises (this is the promise of a prominent Uranus). Someone (or both) is likely to go “over the top” with exaggeration. It could be just as consequential as the June 27 debate, which ended President Biden’s bid for a second term. At the same time, it led to the opening for Kamala Harris and the real start to the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.
The good thing is that the nation is alive and interested again. Let the good times roll!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: THIS IS THE LAST WEEK TO REGISTER FOR THE MMA 2024 Investment Retreat AT THE SPECIAL RATE!!! Until August 1, the rate is $3000. It will be $3500 thereafter. Sign up now and save big bucks!
This special wealth-building event is available online or in person. To view the new video on YouTube about this special event with views of Lake Bled and the staff of presenters, click here.
The 2025 MMA Investment Retreat will take place September 19-22, 2024, at the Rikli Balance Hotel, located in the Julian Alps region of beautiful Lake Bled, Slovenia. This will be MMA’s first investment retreat in Europe since 2015. You won’t want to miss this chance to hear the outlooks and wealth-building strategies using MMA market-timing methods by top MMA analysts Raymond Merriman (USA), Gianni Di Poce (USA), Ulric Aspegrén (Switzerland), Pouyan Zolfagharnia (UK), Irma Schogt (Netherlands), Matthieu Kaiser (France), Rita Perea (USA), Vincent Wang (Singapore), Wyatt Fellows (USA), plus special guest speakers Claude Weiss (Switzerland) and Aleksandar Imsiragic (Serbia). Special attention will be given to the stock markets of the USA, Germany, China, and Japan, plus Gold, Silver, Copper, Bitcoin, Wheat, Crude Oil, Real Estate, and interest rates. Every one of these markets is entering a time band for a long-term cycle low and outstanding investment opportunity (in our MMA view).
Sign up this week if you wish to attend in person. All rooms at the Rikli Balance Hotel are now filled. We have a list of other hotels nearby where several of the attendees have reserved, and we are compiling a list for the Rikli Balance Hotel in the event anyone cancels. To register for this spectacular event, click here. To see the full brochure, schedule, topics, and speakers’ bios, click here. To see a list of questions and answers (FAQs) regarding the Investment Retreat, click here.
NOTE 2: THE JULY-AUGUST ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly Cycles Report Plus+, edited by Pouyan Zolfagharnia, will be issued this week. This market letter has become a very popular addition to the MMA Cycles Report (it’s less technical, more visual, and contains horoscopes of current importance, high-quality analysis, and updates on MMA Cycles Report markets). The mid-month addendum to the MMA Cycles Report has stunning graphics and charts (people love it!) and is very readable. It contains more illustrations and references to geocosmics than most MMA Cycles reports and is only available for subscription to those who also subscribe to the MMA Monthly Cycles Report. Each issue offers an update on NASDAQ, Gold, Silver, and Crude Oil. If you wish to try this month’s addendum, along with the latest issue of the MMA Monthly Cycles Report, sign up online at the link above. A subscription for a monthly copy of both reports costs $55. That will give you both the most recent copy of the MMA Cycles Report (i.e., July issue) and the monthly MMA Cycles Report Plus+ addendum coming out this week. For further information and ordering instructions, please click here.
NOTE 3: “The Aries Vortex: Timing Financial Markets via Planetary Cycles” workshop with Ray Merriman, sponsored by Kepler College, will be held on August 11, 2024, from noon to 3:00 PM EDT. This workshop consists of two parts. The first part covers the “Aries Vortex,” a one-time-only cosmic configuration that highlights 0° Aries, the “World Degree.” Not only does the 36-year Saturn/Neptune synodic cycle occur there, but it is also the midpoint of the Uranus/Pluto trine (2025-2027). This unusual pattern holds the potential for important global changes. In the second part, we will discuss planetary cycles and their correlation with financial markets, with a focus on the outlook for the U.S. stock market, Gold, and Bitcoin. Special guest Wiebke Held of Bonn, Germany, a top student of the Merriman Market Timing Academy (MMTA), will share her latest research findings on geocosmic correlations to the NASDAQ and what they reveal about the future of this index and AI companies. Kepler College (www.keplercollege.org) is one of the world’s most established and respected leaders in astrological education. The cost is $95. To register for this exciting three-hour workshop, click here.
NOTE 4: The MMA Weekly YouTube show, Geocosmic Week in Review and Look Ahead, with Gianni Di Poce, is conducted on Wednesday evenings! Each 5- to 20-minute FREE episode reviews the previous week’s market activity and offers a preview of the geocosmic signatures in effect for the coming week and beyond. The recent interview with Derek Panaia was excellent and may now be viewed for an insightful look at current financial markets from an options expert.
NOTE 5: MMA’s Free Weekly Column Podcast Is Available on SPOTIFY, APPLE, and AMAZON! Now, you can listen to a podcast of this weekly column by Thomas Miller on Saturdays! Just follow Merriman Market Analyst on Spotify or Apple to listen to all our episodes. A new podcast episode will be released every weekend. This is a FREE service and is available to everyone. Check out our podcasts on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Music. It makes for great listening!
NOTE 6: THE SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER PERIOD FOR THE NEW MMA SOLAR/LUNAR FORECASTING APP FOR IPHONE HAS ENDED! BUT THE SAVINGS ON A ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO THIS INCREDIBLE SHORT-TERM TIMING APP ARE SUBSTANTIAL.
We have now had two months to experience this new app, and at the risk of sounding too boastful, I can say that this new app is the most consistently accurate market-timing product I have ever seen for short-term swing trading. In Gold, for example, there have now been eight dates for potential reversals given, of which seven have fulfilled the setup criteria. All but one have worked beautifully, capturing $50 (2%) or greater moves in Gold within one week of the signal. It is working well with DJIA and Silver, too.
Although the $19.99/mo. rate has ended, a one-year rate of $299 still comes out to a very attractive average of $24.99/mo. Search “Merriman Market Analyst” in the Apple App Store to take advantage of this introductory offer. The monthly rate is now $39.99/mo. But for those who have been using it over the past two months, this is a very low price for the profits returned to date if used as directed in the FAQs and “Setup” features given in the app.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEW MMA APP: One subscriber asked today:
Is the new app only related to precious metals?
No. It covers three markets: DJIA, Gold, and Silver.
Is the app wholly and solely geocosmic CRD dates?
No, the app is based on solar and lunar positions only (not geocosmics like the CRDs — Critical Reversal Dates). Solar/Lunar studies work as excellent swing trader indicators for trades lasting 1-7 trading days. They are not designed for position traders, although all position trades based on cycles will begin with isolated highs or lows as well. It’s just that there will be many of these swing trades within a primary cycle and its phases. CRDs, on the other hand, are based on planetary aspects to one another and are used for position trades based on cycle time bands and their phases, meant to last 2-18 weeks.
Are those different from what you indicate in the weekly report?
They are the same values used in the weekly and daily reports for DJIA, Gold, and Silver. The difference is the app is color-coded when dates stand out, plus you get a notification on your phone at the exact moment the values change (when the moon changes signs), and you can also see the exact time of the next change in a subsection of the app — both for the current date and when the next set of values will occur. So, the app is both convenient and like a timer on the stove when you are cooking — it lets you know when the cooking is done and the meal is ready to be served :-)).
I am curious if the app is useful beyond the very short term, à la daily report style trades? How do the dates/trigger levels in the app differ from, say, the image below? If my goal is to use your work as an additional tool for doing what I do anyway (i.e., capture just the important turning points), is your app useful or could it lead to confusion beyond the below image?
As with all market signals, the challenge is to keep it in perspective with your goals. With short-term timing indicators like the app, it could lead to myopic vision — too much attention on swing trading and thus missing the bigger picture. But if you can control that, it can be useful for picking the date when you are going to enter or exit a position trade, too. It is valuable for hedging if you want to keep a longer-term position but are uncertain about the steepness of a short-term correction, as in where to protect yourself while a mini-storm is underway. In short, its greatest value is for swing trading and even day trading. But it can also be useful for entry and exit of position trades. On average, you will have a signal for 1-2 trades per week per market.
To learn more about the MMA APP, click here.
EVENTS
August 11, 2024: “The Aries Vortex: Timing Financial Markets via Planetary Cycles” workshop with Ray Merriman, sponsored by Kepler College, from noon to 3:00 PM EDT. See details in the Announcements section above.
September 19–22, 2024: MMA’s 2024 Investment Retreat. Save the dates!!! We will be hosting the MMA 2024 Investment Retreat in Europe for the first time since 2015. You won’t want to miss this chance to meet with the top MMA analysts (plus special guest speakers Claude Weiss and Aleksandar Imsiragic) live and hear our long-term investment and wealth-building strategies using MMA market timing methods. Learn when and at what price to scale in on the 18-year cycle in world stock indices, which is now entering the time band for perhaps the best long-term investment opportunities in over a decade. The location is the beautiful Lake Bled in Slovenia, a premier (and affordable) destination in the Julian Alps, with a historic castle nestled in the mountains where the Saturday evening banquet will take place. The cost is $3500, but only $3000 if you register early, before August 1. Registration is now open! The event will be available in person or online. For a brochure of the event, click here.
March 7-9, 2025: Cosmic Patterns Inc. presents its Convergence 2025 conference in Orlando, Florida. This will be one of the top astrological conferences of 2025 and will include a track on “Research and Financial Markets.” MMA market analysts Ray Merriman, Gianni Di Poce, Pouyan Zolfagharnia, Ulric Aspegrén, and Wiebke Held will speak, along with well-known financial astrologer Christeen Skinner of the U.K. There will also be a number of well-known professional astrologers speaking, including Lynn Bell, Charlotte Benson, Öner Döşer, Pam Gallagher, Demetra George, Aleksandar Imsiragic, Dr. Lea Imsiragic, Rick Levine, Darri Low Murphy, Anne Ortelee, Joni Patry, Kathy Rose, Gisele Terry, and Fei Cochrane. For further information, please go to https://cosmicpatternsconference.com/. You can also hear and read about this exciting gathering on YouTube (click here). Looking forward to seeing many of you there!
Disclaimer and statement of purpose: The purpose of this column is not to forecast the future movement of various financial markets. However, that is the purpose of the MMA (Merriman Market Analyst) subscription services. This column is not a subscription service. It is a free service, except in those cases where a fee may be assessed to cover the cost of translating this column from English into a non-English language. This weekly report is written with the intent to educate the reader on the relationship between astrological factors and collective human activities as they are happening. In this regard, this report will often cite what happened in various stock and financial markets throughout the world in the past week and discuss that movement in light of the geocosmic signatures that were in effect. It will then identify the geocosmic factors that will be in effect in the next week, or even month, or even years, and the author’s understanding of how these signatures may affect human activity in the times to come. The author (Merriman) will do this from the perspective of a cycles analyst looking at the military, political, economic, and even financial markets of the world. It is possible that some forecasts will be made based on these factors. However, the primary goal is to both educate and alert the reader as to the psychological climate we are in from an astrological perspective. The hope is that it will help the reader understand the psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) the news events and their potential effect on financial markets.
No guarantee as to the accuracy of this report is being made here. Any decisions in financial markets are solely the responsibility of the reader, and neither the author nor the publishers of this column assume any responsibility whatsoever for anyone’s trading or investment decisions. Readers of this report should understand that commodity futures and options trading are considered high risk.