MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING DECEMBER 23, 2024
December 20, 2024
NOTE: This will be our last weekly column of the year, as we are taking a week off during this holiday season. We would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year! We look forward to another excellent year of trading and analyzing financial markets using our unique MMA market timing methodology in 2025. Thank you for all of your support over the past 40+ years—it is greatly appreciated.
REVIEW
The personal consumption expenditures price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, showed an increase of just 0.1% from October. The measure indicated a 2.4% inflation rate on an annual basis, still ahead of the Fed’s 2% goal, but lower than the 2.5% estimate from Dow Jones. The monthly reading also was 0.1 percentage point below the forecast.
—Jeff Cox, “Key Fed Inflation Measure Shows 2.4% Rate in November, Lower than Expected,” www.cnbc.com, December 20, 2024.
That was one crazy week in financial markets. Yet it was so typical of Jupiter (exaggeration) retrograde in Gemini (volatility), headed towards its second of three waxing square aspects to Saturn (too much, not enough) with Mars retrograde (let’s do this…oh wait a minute, let’s not do that…! Note: this is regarding a government shutdown). We are clearly (well, maybe nothing is very clear) entering the retrograde chaos period that will likely define (well, something may be defined, but then it isn’t so defined after all) the first half of 2025 (see Short-Term Geocosmics below).
Welcome to the end of the year that precedes a year of such cosmic complexity that you will need the Forecast 2025 Book to make any sense out of what is happening or about to happen. Yet when you see through it all, it could turn out to have a positive ending. Or could it be a positive beginning to something that may have a strange and unexpected ending?
Last week’s U.S. stock market and political behavior was a perfect example of what the cosmos (or is it just me?) is trying to convey, which is a little like trying to rationalize the antics of the Keystone Cops. It is a good thing this is the holiday season, where everyone will try to be happy and put a positive spin on everything. The DJIA had topped out on December 4 with an all-time high of 45,173. After declining for two weeks, it looked like it was ready to bottom and reverse as the Fed was poised to announce its next interest rate cut. It did make the announcement, as expected, and instead of continuing a bounce up, it promptly reversed and sold off again, closing down over 1100 points. It continued to a new monthly low on Friday of 42,146. That’s a decline of 2927 points in two weeks, the largest decline of the year. But then the PCE report (the Fed’s favored inflation gauge) came out much lower than expected, and just like that, DJIA reversed and rallied 1000 points before giving back nearly half of that by the close.
Is the decline over? Technicals say it could still be happening. However, the market is in the time band for a primary cycle low, and we are in the midst of the second Jupiter/Saturn waxing square (December 24), where primary cycles most often happen within one week. It’s a powerful Level 1 geocosmic signature.
Metals also had a heavy week. The prior week, Gold was trading as high as 2761 on December 12, looking like it might be headed to a new all-time high. After Powell’s disappointing Fed speech on December 18, it broke below 2600. By the close on Friday, it was testing 2650. Silver fared even worse. Following Powell’s remarks, it tested 29.00 for the first time in three months. By Friday’s close, it was back above 30.00. Bitcoin had a similar ride as stocks and metals last week.
It’s chaos time. It’s Jupiter in Gemini square Saturn in Pisces. It’s Mars retrograde. Next week, it will be Venus square Uranus. As expected, this holiday season is not likely to be boring. So, let’s try to be merry and embrace the excitement of … the unexpected and the chaos and entertainment that comes with it.
SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMIC
Optimists tend to think the right, nice thing will happen, and I don’t necessarily. But I have faith and I have hope. Life takes guts. Don’t let all the bad news enter you and steal your peace. Keep the large things in your head.
—Peggy Noonan, “What Is Your Attitude Toward Trump 2.0?” www.wsj.com, December 19, 2024.
Let’s start by noting the importance of this particular winter solstice taking place on December 21, 2024. It always takes place on December 20-21, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Or, said another way, the darkest day of the year. From here onwards, darkness will decrease north of the equator, and light will begin to increase. By itself, this alone conveys symbolic importance.
However, in 2024, it contains even more symbolic importance when taken in the context that it is a potent phase of the Jupiter/Saturn cycle. It was four years ago, on the winter solstice of December 20-21, 2020, that the “New Aira” began with the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn at 0° Aquarius. For the next nine of ten occurrences, this 20-year synodic cycle will occur in air signs, which hasn’t happened since the last air epoch began some 800+ years ago. That was around the time of the creation of the Magna Carta, which basically proclaimed that rulers were not above the law. Everyone, even kings and queens, must be held accountable to the law, as is everyone else. The Magna Carta was the inspiration behind the creation of the United States Constitution. Jupiter and Saturn specifically refer to rules and laws in mundane astrology.
The element sign of the Jupiter/Saturn conjunction changes approximately every 200 years, and there are four elements. We have left the earth element (central government controls, status based on material wealth) as of December 2020, after approximately 200 years. We are now in the air element for the next 200 years, highlighting values and status based on intellect and creativity.
Thus, Jupiter and Saturn conjoined in a new element (air) exactly four years ago. And now they are in their first quarter cycle phase (known as a waxing square aspect), with the second of three passes taking place on December 24, 2024. In other words, the winter solstice of 2020 was historic because it started the “New Aira,” a term coined by MMTA graduate and analyst Kat Powell. And now, four years later, it meets its first quarter cycle challenge, a time when the visions conceived during the conjunction symbolically go through a painful “birthing” process. Laws of the land and policies of large governmental entities are likely to be tested and challenged. Jupiter has a tendency to desire to do “too much” to be too grand and too large. Saturn has a tendency to do too little and to be too worried that it won’t have or do enough. The solution is the middle path, the path of moderation and compromise, although the square can be reluctant to compromise (which is why you have courts to settle these matters). To not be moderate and measured in one’s actions during this square (August 2024-June 2025) is a recipe for difficulties (trying to do too much too fast, or too little and too slowly).
In terms of market behavior, Jupiter/Saturn waxing squares have a very high correlation to primary cycles (troughs or crests), usually within one week. Thus, we sent our subscribers a special report last week to advise them to use this period as a market timing key for position trading opportunities as multi-week lows unfold (as they may be doing in stocks and metals). That report is available to those wishing to sign up as subscribers, even for a one-issue trial of the monthly MMA Cycles Report. It still has value.
For those who entered bearish put strategies given in the MMA Options webinar on December 8 with Derek Panaia and myself, the special reports issued by both Derek and I on the evening of December 18 evening advised subscribers to take profits, as those positions had tripled in value, and look to enter the bullish call options strategies given in that webinar and the follow-ups on our Discord channel. This is the value of the MMA market timing methodology, combining the studies of geocosmics with cycles.
Looking ahead, Jupiter is still in the volatile sign of Gemini into June 2025. The first half of 2025 is likely to be volatile. In many ways, I suspect markets may reflect the personality of the newly returned U.S. President Donald Trump, who is a Gemini with his Sun conjunct Uranus and both in opposition to his Sagittarius Moon. He is the Jupiter part of the Jupiter/Saturn square. This can be a positive thing, or it can turn out to be difficult, but probably a combination of each, depending on one’s point of view.
It’s not just Jupiter in Gemini that is likely to be a time of volatility for markets. We are also in a series of consecutive retrograde cycles involving first Mercury (November 25-December 15), then Mars (December 6-February 23), then Venus (March 1-April 12), then Mercury again (March 15-April 7). This implies a period of considerable chaos as everything seems to be changing, but no one seems to know exactly how to manage it all. Decisions are made, efforts are initiated, and then reversed or significantly modified because of matters not foreseen or considered.
It doesn’t end there, either. We then find all the outer planets changing signs between November 19, 2024 (Pluto) and May through to September 2025 (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune). This hasn’t happened in 300 years and before that time, it was another 300 years. This also portends a period of great chaos and a changing of directions. Think of the next few months like a huge tide coming in—and then the riptide starts as the waves go back out. In the U.S., the efforts may be to “drain the swamp.” The results may instead feel like a man-made tsunami, for there is Jupiter (too much) still square to Saturn (too little), and Neptune (the sea of confusion colliding with the dream of utopia creating a sense of disillusionment). Here, we have all the cosmic elements that lead to huge swings in financial markets.
In 2024, in the U.S. and many other global stock indices in Europe, there were no double-digit declines. In 2025, I expect we have at least two stock market reversals exceeding 10%, maybe even up to 25% in one case. The next year looks like a great environment for short-term and options trading. However, it may be more stressful than usual for buy-and-hold investors and position traders who may feel the need to sell. Since the MMA methodology has rules for each type of trader/investor, we look forward to working a lot more with the trading community in 2025. It should be quite exciting! Hold on. Hang tight. The tide is now rising. It may be a fine time to learn the principles of surfing.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: FORECAST 2025 IS NOW AVAILABLE!!! The arrival of overseas orders may take additional time, and the exact date depends on the mailing house of the receiving nation.
The Forecast 2025 eBook and M4B Audiobook are also now out! If you ordered either of these, you should have received them by now. Here is a note received by one reader who has already read the eBook:
“I had preordered the 2025 Forecast earlier this summer and was so excited to receive the book yesterday that I finished reading it within two days. Your work, along with the contributions of many members of your team, is invaluable to the collective understanding of mundane astrology, financial astrology, and the global climate. I couldn’t imagine investing in the stock market now without ordering your forecast each and every year. Thank you for providing valuable insights into the world and national economy, the current political climate in the U.S., and the overall stock market. You approach difficult topics in our current climate with honesty, compassion, and deep respect for humanity.”
MMA’s annual Forecast book is an astrological-themed almanac that has served students of cycles and markets since 1976. It provides a cyclical outlook on the collective world psychology, national economy, geopolitical overview, socio-cultural trends, weather and natural calamity potential, as well as financial market projections for the U.S. stock market, the U.S. Treasury market, interest rates, Gold and Silver, currencies (the Euro, U.S. Dollar, Swiss Franc, and Japanese Yen), Bitcoin, Crude Oil, and Grain markets. Additionally, it provides the three-star critical reversal dates for each market for the year, which have historically achieved over 80% accuracy for trading cycle highs and lows within an orb of three trading days. The book is 200 pages, 8.5″ x 11″, and has set the standard for all astrological almanacs written today.
The cost for the print edition of FORECAST 2025 is $66, but copies are limited. There are no second printings. When they are out, they are out. The eBook version is available for $55 and does not have a limit. The Forecast 2025 Audiobook is also now available for $29.99, has no limit and can be ordered by clicking here. This audio version will not include the financial markets nor the ephemeris and geocosmic calendar for each month that will be included in the print and eBook versions. It covers the first part of the book. It makes an excellent companion when working out or driving and you can listen at your convenience.
MMA also offers a special “bundle” discount rate for those who wish to order both the eBook and printed editions of Forecast 2025 for $86.
To pre-order Forecast 2025 now, please click here.
NOTE 2: THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT! YOUR PERSONAL “JUPITER REPORT“ — YOUR MOMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY. This newest product is written by Raymond Merriman. It is a 30-40 page report that all traders (and even non-traders) will find to be of great value. It identifies the times during the year when Jupiter transits are highlighted in your natal chart. It delineates the meaning of Jupiter’s transits to your natal planets and angles over a 14-month period (including one month before your order and one month after the year ends). Why is this valuable? Because transits of Jupiter identify special opportunities for financial gains, success in one’s career and social life, popularity, and good fortune (luck) when under harmonious aspects and used correctly. However, they can also indicate periods of misjudgments leading to losses if Jupiter is afflicted and one is not properly prepared. As an added bonus, each transit is ranked from –3 to +3 in terms of favorability for trading. Traders may find this most valuable! Would you like to know when you are under a +3 transit and, therefore, most likely to experience trading successes? Or a –3 transit with stronger-than-usual potential for misjudgments and losses? You betcha! The cost for your 14-month Jupiter Report is $69. Click here to order!!!
NOTE 3: THE MMA Solar-Lunar App now offers reversal signals on the NASDAQ to all subscribers! The app now provides daily weighted values for four markets: the DJIA, NASDAQ, Gold, and Silver.
This app is an ideal tool to have in your back pocket if you are a short-term swing trader looking for high-probability dates that identify isolated lows and highs in the DJIA, NASDAQ, Gold, and Silver markets. Since it was first introduced three months ago, it has been uncannily accurate in identifying swing lows and highs in each market. It is available only on Apple products (iPhone and iPad) at this time, although we are getting close to developing it for Android phones, too, possibly by the end of this year.
How does it work? Based on historical frequencies, the higher the weighted value, the greater the probability of a swing trade reversal in the next 1-7 trading days (usually 2-5 days). Built into the app are instructions for ideal setups and explanatory FAQs. It’s pretty amazing!
P.S. The MMA Solar/Lunar App gives each market an average of one trade per week every five trading days. It is designed for “swing trades” looking for 2-5% moves from isolated lows or highs. If you like active trading signals based on solar/lunar combinations, the MMA App is for you!
To learn more about the MMA App, click here. To order it, go to Apple’s App Store and type in Merriman Solar/Lunar Reversals.
SPECIAL ALERT: We are working on a Bitcoin and Ethereum Lunar App. The projected release date is late January-February. Stay tuned for information on how to order.
NOTE 4: We conducted an in-depth interview on Forecast 2025 with Thomas Miller, who also broadcasts our weekly columns. This discussion offers a fascinating look at the complex year ahead. You can access the interview through the following links. We are confident you will find this interview insightful and engaging!
Audio MP3 download:
Video download:
Video link to the Fun Astrology Podcast YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tODsFw5OlEM&t=273s
NOTE 5: 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.
NOTE 6: 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! Thomas has an excellent voice and brings the weekly column to life in a personable and, at times, humorous fashion. 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! Please note that this podcast will be on vacation for the next week.
EVENTS
February 16, 2025: The 2025 Forecast Webinar. Save the date!!! Details are coming soon (after our winter break).
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 several other well-known professional astrologers speaking, including Lynn Bell, Charlotte Benson, Georgia Stathis, 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). SIGN UP NOW for the best rate before the next cutoff date.
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 of educating the reader on the relationship between astrological factors and collective human activities as they occur. 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 those movements 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, 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.