This week will end a very impressive Venus retrograde period. As forecasted in this weekly report, on the basis of historical studies, many markets made a primary or greater cycle trough on or near May 17, when this retrograde period began. And, as also forecasted in this report on the basis of historical studies, many of those markets that made a significant trough on or around May 17, reversed and trended higher throughout the Venus retrograde period. As of late last week, we have seen this clearly in evidence in many of the world’s stock indices, as well as in U.S. Treasury Bonds and Notes, the Japanese Yen against the U.S. Dollar, and precious metals. All of these markets have made post May 17 highs as of Thursday, June 24. The significance of this of this is obvious: there is a God, and He expresses Her perfect order in the Cosmos through Astrology J. It is just a matter of us mere mortals learning how to correctly interpret this divine plan. And part of that success lies simply in going back through history and studying, or observing, what happened before under similar geocosmic signatures. Just as skeptics are fond of expressing their beliefs that astrology doesn’t work because it shouldn’t work, so too do we as Astrologers need to understand how astrology has actually worked historically, and not impose our beliefs on how it should work in the present and future without doing any real homework of that past correlation. And this past Venus retrograde period is a perfect example of how astrology has worked in the past, and continues to work in the present.

Now comes the task of trying to identify the end to this rally that has taken place in the past 6 weeks in so many markets. Historically, a low nearby to the retrograde date is followed by a crest within ten trading days of the direct date. That means we should expect to see many of these markets make a significant top by July 15. Ideally the top would be within three trading days of June 29, because that is the date midway between two Level One signatures, as discussed last week. Three trading days of June 29 covers the period of June 24-July 2. And already we see many of these markets indeed making new high post-May 17 highs as of last Thursday, June 24.

This coming week not only contains an important critical reversal date (June 29), and the important Venus direct date (June 30), but it is also a holiday week, and the week that Iraq’s sovereignty will be transferred to an interim government. These may both be important fundamentals events to consider in this week’s trading. Typically U.S. stock markets will rally into a holiday week, like the July 4th Independence Day. Will it happen this time? Well, history is on its side that it will. But technical analysis studies are now pointing to a very oversold and exhausted condition in the U.S. equity markets. In fact, it is saying the same thing in many of the other world stock indices that also made new post May 17 highs last week. So, we can assume that the top either just came in, or it will continue to inch up this coming week in anticipation of the holiday week markets that will be in effect. Either way, please take heed our comments of last week. That is, June 15-July 15 is the first of a couple of geocosmic time bands between now and August 2005 in which the potential exists that a new bear market will commence. We are now looking for the 4-year cycle crest to be completed during one of these time bands, after which the 18-, 36- and 72-year cycles will resume their down trends. It is my belief that each of these cycles topped out with the all-time highs in January-March 2000 in U.S. markets. The first leg down ended with the 4-year cycle trough of October 2002-March 2003. The corrective rally, to the crest of the new 4-year cycle, is in effect right now, and due to be completed soon. Once that crest is in, all the cycles of m4-year and greater in length will be turned down into the end of this decade, when Saturn-Uranus-Pluto form a T-Square for the first time since 1931.

One would think that the transfer of sovereignty from the U.S. to Iraq this week would be met with great joy in the world stock indices. So far that seems to be the case. But is that optimism and anticipation already “in the markets?” Perhaps so. If we look at astrological signatures to the chart of the United States, we might be amazed (as astrologers) at how the stock market has continued to rally. Transiting Saturn has been conjunct the U.S.A. natal Sun in 11-13 Cancer (as well as the Sun of President George W. Bush). At the same time, it has been square to the U.S.A. natal Saturn. Such a transit is indicative of much criticism and struggle, and surely that has been the case for the past 9 months while this transit has been operative. But interestingly enough, that “hard aspect” from Saturn ends this week too, as the transfer of power to the interim government in Iraq takes place. It take place amidst a renewed increase of terrorism in the region, which itself is consistent with the transit of Pluto in opposition to the U.S.A. natal Mars. This later aspect will remain in effect all year, indicating that threats against the U.S. and its servicemen and citizens will likely continue.

But what about the prospects for a self-governing Iraq? Will they be successful? I would think yes, based primarily on the presence of Venus turning direct as Iraq assumes self-rule again this week (to some extent). Venus stationary means Venus is strong. And Venus refers to allies and support from others. Iraq, it seems, will have the possibility of developing strong allies and financial success in the future, with or without the United States. Of course I hope the United States will be one of those allies that helps Iraq successfully attain its rightful role in the free world markets, as it has so far been attempting to do. But whether the U.S. stays on or not cannot be denoted by astrology. The date of the transfer only says, to me, that Iraq will have much help and will develop strong allies to its purpose.

As far as it how it affects markets, we can only say that geocosmics indicate that a large reversal of the trend of the past few weeks may be in order. It doesn’t make sense that the markets should pull back now, as this historical transfer of government is about to take place that the world has long anticipated. But markets do not always move in a sensible fashion. And, as we look further at the U.S.A. chart, we note that transiting Uranus makes a favorable trine to its Jupiter for the balance of this year, indicating that America’s standing with the other countries of the world could soon be appreciating. After so many months and even years of harsh criticism and unpopularity, the Untied States appears ready to bounce back into the good graces of those allies who were recently so critical. So why, with all of this good news, would U.S. and other world equity markets start a decline in the next few days?

Maybe it is because the basis for the economic revival in the past year has been mainly related to the government’s military spending. Maybe it is because the job growth has not been in areas of society that are historical important indicators of long-term growth. I don’t know the answer. But this is what the geocosmics and technical and cyclical studies of the market are suggesting to me. It may not be wise to be long the equity market for too many more days, for we are indeed now entering one of those time bands, between now and July 15, when an important top may be at hand.

Disclaimer and statement of purpose: The purpose of this column is not to predict 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 oftentimes report 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 will likely affect human activity in the times to come. The author (Merriman) will do this from a perspective of a cycle’s 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 these psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) the news events and hence financial markets of the day.

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