MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 2, 2024 ©

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Note: Financial markets will be closed on Monday in the U.S. due to the Labor Day holiday.

 Review

 The Commerce Department reported Friday that the personal consumption expenditures price index rose 0.2% on the month and was up 2.5% from the same period a year ago, exactly in line with the Dow Jones consensus estimates…. In recent days, policymakers such as Chair Jerome Powell have expressed confidence that inflation is progressing back to the Fed’s 2% goal. The Fed is expected now to switch from a nearly complete focus on bringing down inflation to at least an equal concentration on supporting the labor market.

—Jeff Cox, “The Fed’s Favorite Inflation Indicator Increased 0.2% in July, As Expected,” August 30, 2024, www.cnbc.com.

It’s over now, but that was certainly a strange Mercury retrograde cycle (August 5-28). It started out with a huge reversal on Monday, August 5, right as the “Trickster Show” (Mercury retrograde) began. It is very unusual for a primary cycle to bottom right as Mercury turns retrograde. It is even more unusual to see a 50-week cycle bottom then. Also strange was that the U.S. stock market rallied sharply for the next ten days, creating a series of bullish technical signals. Usually, the Trickster weaves in and out of swings every 1-4 days, with false buy and sell signals along the way. But this time, the rallies were legitimate.

The Trickster started behaving normally (well, in its usual abnormal way) with 1-4 day swings after it passed the midpoint of its cycle (August 16-17). But even then, some global indices continued to make new cycle (and even all-time) highs while others did not. We call this intermarket bearish divergence, which—as the name implies—has bearish implications. But that conflicts with the amplitude of the rallies that started on the low of August 5. Those rallies indicated a new 50-week cycle, and that’s bullish.

So, we leave this Mercury retrograde cycle with the same frame of mind that we leave most Mercury retrograde cycles: mixed signals, a little bit of uncertainty in the near-term market outlook, but optimistic that normal charting signals will soon return. As far as the longer-term outlook goes, I will stay with my prior views given in the special alerts of two weeks ago that the U.S. (and many global stock indices) are in a new bullish stage. Several global indices confirmed this with their new all-time highs last week.

In Asia and the Pacific Rim, all equity indices rallied into the end of last week, with India’s NIFTY leading the way with another new all-time high on Friday. It was the only major market to do so in this region, although others came close. China’s Shanghai Composite was a bit of an exception as it dropped to its lowest level in six months on Thursday, but then had a sharp rally on Friday.

In Europe, there was also a case of intermarket bearish divergence as the German DAX soared to a new all-time high on Friday, August 30. The London FTSE and Zurich SMI had smart rallies and came close to their all-time highs, while the AEX also rallied but remained well off its all-time high made on July 15.

The United States also exhibited intermarket bearish divergence, with the DJIA making a new all-time high late last week. But this was not matched in the NASDAQ and S&P, which had decent rallies but still well off their highs of mid-July when Mars, Uranus, and Algol all conjoined in late Taurus. The Bovespa index of Brazil also made a new all-time high last week.

In other markets, Gold flirted with a new all-time high but then started to pull back in earnest on Friday. Silver breached the 30.00 mark during the week but couldn’t sustain it as it closed near the lows of the week on Friday. Crude Oil was also a disappointment, rallying nicely early last week, but then also closing near its weekly lows on Friday. Bitcoin started the week looking positive, trading around 65,000. But by Friday, it was trading below 58,000 again, casting doubt on the view that it has turned the corner on its bearish behavior since its all-time high recorded back on March 14 at 73,803. Nevertheless, an overlap of cyclical and geocosmic time bands suggests an important low (or re-test of the August 5 low) may unfold within the next five weeks.

Short-Term Geocosmics

 “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?”

—Buddha, as quoted by the Psyche Wizard in a post on ‘X’ on August 29, 2024.

There goes Mercury retrograde. However here comes its higher octave—Uranus retrograde. We lose the “Trickster” but now get the “Disruptor.” Whereas Mercury represents the mind and communications, Uranus represents the genius mind that often gets ahead of itself when trying to communicate its insights in a logical, believable way. It’s the solution that no one is ready to accept. It can also be the rebel that refuses to accept the logical solution. Think of Mercury as the calculator, and Uranus as the high-speed computer; Mercury as the automobile and Uranus as the space rocket; or Mercury as the wind and Uranus as the hurricane or tornado. In terms of markets, Mercury can indicate short-term fakeouts, whereas Uranus represents breakouts of long-term resistance or support, or sharp corrections against the trend followed by reversals back with the trend. It’s a disruption to a trend or a breakout to new highs or lows in the direction of the underlying trend. In either case, there is the element of surprise, usually in the amplitude of the move. It can also relate to natural calamities, like earthquakes and hurricanes.

However, Uranus turning retrograde may not be the most significant geocosmic signature taking place next week. Also, on September 1, as Uranus turns retrograde, Pluto will re-enter Capricorn due to its own retrograde motion. It will stay there until November 19, when it enters Aquarius for the next 19-20 years. Pluto has been (and will be) dancing back and forth over the Capricorn-Aquarius cusp five times between March 23, 2023 and November 19, 2024.

Pluto is the planet of reformation, transformation, endings, and beginnings. Capricorn represents the past, history, and traditions of the human race or a nation. Aquarius represents the new, the modern, the future, and the need to change things dramatically, even radically. Like Uranus, the planet ruling the sign of Aquarius, new ideas and reforms can be ahead of themselves to the point that others resist, at least at first. It is as if the world is trying to decide if it wants to reform its past and rewrite history going back many, many years, even centuries, or if it wants to reform the radical movements that have disrupted life and customs as they were experienced for many years and even centuries until recently. The old versus the new. The young and restless versus the aged and wise.

Thus, between September 1 and November 19, we are at this crossroads between the two eras, the two dynamics, the two choices of direction, and their potentially vast differences. This seems to be reflected quite clearly in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, which takes place on November 5, between former President Donald Trump and current Vice-President Kamala Harris. To many, they seem to be polar opposites. But if you remove biases and just look at the 2025 ingress charts of the United States and apply the dynamics of the planets and their aspects involved in the 2025-2027 “Aries Vortex,” it is not the end of the world as each side accuses the other of fomenting.

The image that comes to mind is being alone in a room with two doors. You have to choose which door to enter. You don’t know what is on the other side. You have great hope that one will lead to happiness and good fortune. Yet you also fear that the other door will lead to misery and tragedy. But what you don’t know is that whichever door you choose, it reveals a path that leads to the same end result.

As Pluto struggles to define which is more important to the most number of people, the 2024 election is shaping up to be a very close race. Both candidates claim to be the mantle of change. Both are trying to attract the middle from a perceived position of extremes by members of the opposing side. Both have strong charts with transits and progressions showing the potential of a victory. At the time of the election, Pluto will be in Capricorn for the last time in 248 years. Right after the election, Pluto will be in Aquarius, the symbol of a new and electric dynamic that will continue to influence the collective psyche for the next 20 years. In one sense, it doesn’t matter who wins. There will likely be a radical change from the past in how this nation, this world, is governed. There will be a surge towards more freedom and individual rights, which is the hallmark of Aquarius, despite what each side accuses the other of offering. Yes, I know this sounds naïve. But the cosmos doesn’t care about accusations, opinions, or theories. It only cares about truth and necessity—and kindness, if we are ever to attain a collective sense of unity.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: JUST TWO WEEKS TO GO!!! THE MMA 2024 Investment Retreat is fast approaching! This special wealth-building event will be available to attend online and in person.

 The 2024 MMA Investment Retreat will take place September 19-22, 2024, online and live at the Rikli Balance Hotel in the Julian Alps region of beautiful Lake Bled, Slovenia. 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), Rita Perea (USA), Wyatt Fellows (USA), plus special guest speakers Claude Weiss (Switzerland), Aleksandar Imsiragic (Serbia) and (NEW!!!) Christeen Skinner (UK). Special attention will be given to the stock markets of the USA and Germany, plus Gold, Silver, Copper, Bitcoin, Wheat, Crude Oil, Real Estate, and interest rates. At this retreat, we will share our investment plan for entering each market with a “buy and hold” horizon based on MMA’s unique market-timing methodology for creating wealth. At the end of each day, there will also be roundtable discussions so that attendees can interact with that day’s speakers.

UPDATE AND CHANGES: We are very excited to announce that Christeen Skinner, Europe’s leading financial astrologer, will join the MMA Investment Retreat to speak on “Eclipses Related to the NASDAQ and Hong Kong Stock Indices.” She will be replacing Vincent Wang, who has come down with an illness. We are also pleased to announce that Kate Silas of “Profit With The Planets” (Italy and Australia) will attend. Kate is also known for her work on eclipses, financial markets, and crypto markets, and she has a large social media following. We are excited to have both Kate and Christeen with us at the Lake Bled Retreat!

The Rikli Balance Hotel, where the event will take place, is now fully booked. However, cancellations do occur, so we are compiling a waiting list for the Rikli Balance Hotel in case that happens. We also have a list of other nearby hotels where several attendees are staying. The cost to attend the retreat, live or online, is $3500. There is a 10% discount for subscribers of MMA Daily or Weekly reports or one-year monthly reports. For those who attend in person, the rate includes meals, snacks, an opening reception, and the Saturday evening banquet at the historic castle on Lake Bled. For further information and signing up online or in person:

PDF Brochure Link: https://www.mmacycles.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/NEW-MMTA-RETREAT-2024.pdf

MMA Investment Retreat 2024 FAQ: https://www.mmacycles.com/articles/mma-investment-retreat-2024-faq/

MMA 2024 Investment Retreat Product link to purchase: https://www.mmacycles.com/product/mma-2024-investment-retreat/

 NOTE 2: IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN! THE “ANNUAL MMA FORECAST 2025 PRE-PUBLICATION SALE” is now underway!!!! The sale will run through October 31 and includes our once-a-year discounts on both the annual Forecast book and MMA subscription reports.

During this pre-order period, the FORECAST 2025 print edition is available at the discounted rate of $55, and the eBook version is available for $45. AND this is also when we offer the best deal on MMA subscription reports! Save 10% off any subscription ($275+) with the purchase of Forecast 2025. For instance, you can save over $300 on a yearly subscription to the MMA Daily Report, which additionally includes the full weekly report (two reports in one!). After the pre-order event ends on November 1, the retail price of the Forecast 2025 print edition increases to $66, the eBook price increases to $55, and the subscription reports return to their normal prices. ORDER NOW AND SAVE BIG BUCKS!

MMA also offers a special “bundle” discount rate for those who wish to order both the eBook and printed editions of Forecast 2025 for $75. The eBook usually comes out 1-2 weeks before the print edition and avoids delays caused by the postal system, especially for those who live overseas. Yet many readers prefer the print edition, so ordering both via the Forecast 2025 Bundle makes sense. You will receive the Forecast 2025 eBook on December 15, and the print copy will be mailed in mid-December.

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 of the collective world psychology, national economy, geopolitical overview, socio-cultural trends, weather and natural calamities potentials, 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, British Pound, Swiss Franc, and Japanese Yen), Bitcoin, Crude Oil, and Grain markets. Its valuable market timing forecasts are based on the historical correlation of market cycles overlapping with geocosmic planetary cycles. Additionally, it provides the three-star critical reversal dates for each market for the year, which have an 80+% accuracy over the years to trading cycle highs and lows when given an orb of three trading days. The book is approximately 200 pages, 8.5″ x 11″, and has set the standard for all astrological almanacs written today.

The scorecard for Forecast 2024, as of August 15, 2024, is now available for viewing by clicking here.

To pre-order Forecast 2025 now, please click here.

NOTE 3: YOUR PERSONAL “JUPITER REPORT — YOUR MOMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY” IS COMING!!! Due for release in early September, this newest product, created by Raymond Merriman, is a 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 chart. It delineates the meaning of Jupiter’s transits to your natal planets and angles over 14 months (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 potential misjudgment 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 most prone to trading successes or potential losses? You betcha! Stay tuned for an announcement on how to order your personalized Jupiter report for the next year!

 NOTE 4: Ray Merriman was interviewed by Amanda Walsh recently. It was an exceptional interview that covered Ray’s background in psychology, which led him to astrology, then his creation of “Evolutionary Astrology” in 1977, followed by his transition into Financial Astrology and his work in the transformation of astrology from a hobby into a profession with “The Legends of Astrology” in 1980-2010. The interview then covers the New Aira, the Aries Vortex, and the future of astrology within the Technology Renaissance, which is currently underway. Ray discusses how the advent of AI is likely to affect the general workplace, society, governments, and, specifically, the profession of astrology. It is a fascinating interview and can be viewed by clicking here.

 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. A recent interview featured MMA Energy and Silver analyst Pouyan Zolfagharnia.

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! 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 7: THE AUGUST ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly Cycles Report Plus+, edited by Pouyan Zolfagharnia, was issued last 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. For further information and ordering instructions, please click here.

EVENTS

 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 (10% discount for subscribers of MMA Daily or Weekly reports as well as one-year monthly reports). Click here to register! The event will be available in person or online. For a brochure, 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 several 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). SIGN UP NOW for the best rate that ends this weekend (September 1)!

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.