Mercury Rx and the ASX 200 2015 Overview

Randall Ashbourne, an associate of Astrological Investing, posts reports and articles on his web site at  theidiotandthemoon.com  The following is a copy of his recent report and a link to download his ASX 200 Targets and Technicals 2015

We are currently in the middle of the first Mercury Retrograde cycle of the year.

It happens a few times, for a few weeks, each year and they tend to be periods where stock markets are choppy ... with changes in direction every few days.

Communications can easily become miscommunications during Mercury Rx ... and not because the planet is "doing" things.

Rocks and giant gas balls Out There are just ... there.

The astrological symbolism is that WE tend to become inattentive and prone to making silly mistakes during these periods.

For the moment, I have nothing to add to the 2015 Forecast published in January. However, I am slowly working on reports for individual indices and can now include the 2015 outlook for the Australian stock market.

The report includes long-range, intermediate and short-term targets and is a PDF download.
ASX 200 Targets and Technicals 2015
http://www.theidiotandthemoon.com/asx2002015.pdf    

NB: It contains one black chart. So don't print, without excluding that page!  

Safe trading - RA

 (Disclaimer: This article is not advice or a recommendation to trade stocks; it is merely educational material.)
Copyright: Randall Ashbourne - 2011-2015

Astrological Investing's associate, Randall Ashbourne, is the author of the eBook, The Idiot and The Moon,  Ashbourne's Galactic Trader planetary charts are revealing illustrations of exactly what has occurred in the market and the probability of what to expect.


The Idiot and the Moon, Compleat & Utter Lunatic Idiot's Guide to Trading Stocks,
 

Fleshing out the 2 main scenarios

Randall Ashbourne, an associate of Astrological Investing, posts a weekly market report on his web site, theidiotandthemoon.com  The following is this weekend's Eye of RA report: Week beginning October 20, 2014 


 Stock markets began bouncing late last week, but it is likely only a relief rally which will be relatively short-lived.

We have a couple of key astrological aspects taking place during the coming week.

The most powerful of these is the solar eclipse New Moon due to occur on Thursday evening in Euro-America and early Friday morning in Asia.

It will take place in Scorpio just after both the Sun and Venus enter the sign.

It's the presence of Venus which will make this eclipse particularly powerful. Scorpio rules debt, taxes and most especially really BIG money. Venus rules material wealth and, according to traditional astrology, tends not to act benignly when travelling through Scorpio.

The other significant aspect is that next weekend Mercury will finish its current retrograde phase.

I indicated last weekend that Mercury Rx can manifest as a head fake. However, I also outlined the two main scenarios now facing markets ... either the Bull is dead and we are now in a new, long-running Bear ... or, this is a major correction likely to run for weeks or months before this post 2009 Bull phase puts on another major rally leg.

So, we'll spend a little time this weekend fleshing out those two main scenarios. I said last weekend that under the major correction scenario, the target for the decline could be as high as $1878 or as low as $1776 on the Pollyanna index, Wall Street's SP500.

I should have said "this" decline, meaning the first leg of of a three-legged decline. It can morph into a five-legged triangle pattern, but that is a level of Elliott Wave complexity which tends to be more confusing than helpful.

In any case, I showed you the long-range planetary price targets which should prove to be important throughout the correction and here's the update.

We now need to see exactly what sort of completed bounce we get before we can even think about predicting targets for the next major leg down.

What we do know is that this is now the second biggest correction on Pollyanna since this Bull market launched itself in 2009.

A lot of commentators are all Awoe! Alas! because the index has broken down below its long-term trendline. Well, yes and no at this stage. Personally, I think log-scale charts tend to be more accurate for an "eyeball" look at the long-range ... and on that chart, Polly is trying to cling on.

The log-scale chart shows how the price has been constrained within a rising wedge ... the thin, red topside trendline and the thick, blue support trendline.

I don't think there's any question that blue trendline is going to be broken decisively. The MACD signal line has gone negative and the peaks in the histograms have gone from mountains to molehills over a long period while the price went higher. Negative divergence.

But, even when the trendline is finally broken, it doesn't necessarily stop the Bulls from launching a rally to do what's called a "kiss back" of the underside of the line before it all then starts really crashing.

Turning now to my home market, Australia. I said last weekend: "Regular readers will know that Auntie is a strongly Neptunian index over the long term, even as she responds to Saturn lines during weekly moves.
 
The next potential Neptune "rescue" level is very nearby, priced around $5150. Note that the index topped out at the $5650 level, so $5150-ish is both a legitimate target and potentially quite strong as a Support level."

And the old bat did exactly as expected ...

The break of the 5150 Neptune level was very short-lived. I'll show you on my daily All Planets chart for the ASX200 below. Now, do NOT try to print this chart, dear reader. Your printer will run out of black ink. Right-click the chart and save it as an image ... and then you'll have a ready-reference guide to help you through the bounce.

As you can see, Auntie topped out with some dithering around the Neptune line in the 5600s and then followed Sun and Venus lines down into the pile-up of coloured spaghetti near the lower 5150s Neptune.

But there were were only intraday breaks below Neptune on Monday and Tuesday. Even Monday managed a close above the line, setting us up for what I'd indicated was a potentially strong Support level.

For a bounce, dear reader, but probably not a complete change in trend.

And finally for this weekend, a quick look at gold and the Sun-Pluto chart most of you will be familiar with.

Earlier in the year, greenback gold found Support at the 1248 Pluto line ... which is now Resistance. However, on the bright side, notice the performance of the Big Bird oscillator.

While the price plunged lower, Big Bird has been steadily making higher troughs. It's a build-up of positive divergence which should have enough power to drive gold prices higher over the next few weeks.

Now I still haven't created a 4Q Archives page ... so you can access the previous two October editions of the Eye from the buttons below.  In the meantime, if you missed the previous two October editions, or want to re-read them, you can access them from the website http://www.theidiotandthemoon.com/eyeofra.html or scroll down in this web site's blog.

Safe trading - RA

 (Disclaimer: This article is not advice or a recommendation to trade stocks; it is merely educational material.)
Copyright: Randall Ashbourne - 2011-2014

Astrological Investing's associate, Randall Ashbourne, author of the eBook, The Idiot and The Moon, and The Idiot and the Moon, Forecast 2014, writes a free weekly column titled, The Eye of Ra on his web site in  which he explains the potential impact of astrological aspects and the current state of technical conditions. Ashbourne's charts are revealing illustrations of exactly what has occurred in the market and the probability of what to expect.

Important reading:  Randall Ashbourne's The Idiot and The Moon, Forecast 2014  

The 2 main scenarios and a head fake

Randall Ashbourne, an associate of Astrological Investing, posts a weekly market report on his web site, theidiotandthemoon.com  The following is this weekend's Eye of RA report: Week beginning October 13, 2014 

For the past few weeks we've been discussing the turmoil and volatility likely to be on display during this period.

I warned that the Grand Trine between Mars, Jupiter and Uranus in Fire signs would break boundaries. That is the true nature of a trine.

We also talked about how the symbolism of the Fire trine would be further exacerbated by the Sun and Venus rocking the Libran scales.

And how last week's lunar eclipse Full Moon had the power to bring it all to a spectacular climax.

Mercury is Retrograde for most of October, so there is a chance it's all a head fake. However, we still have the solar ecipse New Moon to come ... on the 23rd.

Western-allied markets are in turmoil. Not so much so for a lot of the Asian indices.

We now need to put aside The Spooky Stuff and look at what has happened from a more technical point of view.

And there are only two main scenarios. We are either in a secondary correction before another rally produces a final High to the Bull run sometime next year. Or, we are already in a new Bear.

The good news is that the extreme nature of the cosmic energy explosion should now begin to subside ... at least temporarily. The bad news is that we are probably in a correction due to run for weeks, possibly months.

In Elliott Wave terms, it would be a major Wave 4. Elliott theorised that stock markets run in 5 waves, where Waves 1, 3 and 5 are major rallies and Waves 2 and 4 are rather severe downturns within the overall structure.

So, let's begin this weekend with a look at what we might expect as reasonable and "normal" if that scenario is in play. The chart below is a monthly of the SP500, using Bi-BBs (the use of which is outlined in The Technical Section of The Idiot & The Moon) and an Andrew's Pitchfork.

The current correction has so far run $113 ... so it is roughly on a par with three earlier corrections during this Bull phase. They were $118, $155 and $112.

The big correction, which EW acolytes believe was a Wave 2 downturn, ran for 6 months from start to finish and sliced $295 off the price of the index.

So, if we are now in Wave 4, this downturn will not be short-lived and there is more downside still to come. Normalcy dictates there should be a relationship with Wave 2, either in Time or Price, but not necessarily both.

Elliott Wavers use a rule-of-thumb that a major Wave 4 tends to decline into the same price territory as the previous Wave 4 of a lower level. Yes, I know ... it can be very difficult to get your head around if you haven't spent a lot of time trying to understand the theory.

So, let me try to cut out the gobbledegook for you. It means, on our planetary prices chart below, that the target for the decline could be as high as $1878 ... or as low as $1776.

Now remember, that's the relatively optimistic scenario ... that this is just a significant downturn in a Bull run which still has another major rally to run.

The second scenario is that this is a screaming klaxon warning the Bull is dead and the Bear is back. Even if that's the case, there will be sharp and swift bouncebacks in the price as the central banks, the hedge funds, the fund managers try desperately to drive prices higher ... even if it's only to unload their toxic holdings onto poor mug punters who buy the media line that it's "a great time to buy".

Caveat emptor!

Now to my home market, the ASX200 and its routinely reliable Weekly Planets chart. Regular readers will know that Auntie is a strongly Neptunian index over the long term, even as she responds to Saturn lines during weekly moves.

The next potential Neptune "rescue" level is very nearby, priced around $5150. Note that the index topped out at the $5650 level, so $5150-ish is both a legitimate target and potentially quite strong as a Support level.

The Big Bird oscillator has gone into a death dive on the weekly. Poor little thing seems to be buried in the dirt on the mineshaft floor. We'll get no sustained bounce in Auntie's price levels until he manages to pop his head back above the lowest red line in the panel.

And that's it for this weekend. Long-range charts and other stuff for the European indices have been published in previous weeks and if you didn't do a cut-and-paste of them, you can have a wander through the Archives.

Since we're in the final quarter for the year, I still have to do some housekeeping to create the 4Q Archives page. In the meantime, if you missed last weekend, or want to re-read it, you can access it from the website http://www.theidiotandthemoon.com/eyeofra.html or scroll down in this blog.

Safe trading - RA

 (Disclaimer: This article is not advice or a recommendation to trade stocks; it is merely educational material.)
Copyright: Randall Ashbourne - 2011-2014

Astrological Investing's associate, Randall Ashbourne, author of the eBook, The Idiot and The Moon, and The Idiot and the Moon, Forecast 2014, writes a free weekly column titled, The Eye of Ra on his web site in  which he explains the potential impact of astrological aspects and the current state of technical conditions. Ashbourne's charts are revealing illustrations of exactly what has occurred in the market and the probability of what to expect.

Important reading:  Randall Ashbourne's The Idiot and The Moon, Forecast 2014  

An Astrological Trip Around the New Moon in Pisces 2014

Astrological Investing New Moon forecasts show general trends and financial outlook for the month. The New Moon in Pisces, 2014 - Chart from the point of view of Wall Street and the NYSE. 

The
New Moon in Pisces, March 1, 2014
Chart from the point of view of Wall Street and the NYSE.

 “If you're not confused, you're not paying attention.” Tom Peters

This has been a season of not only extreme weather, but extremely unpredictable markets. So many planets changing direction! And there's more! On the day of the Pisces New Moon we find Mars stationing retrograde just the day after Mercury turned Direct, and then the next day, Saturn begins to station retrograde, and Jupiter changes direction on March 6!  Whew! With so many changes of direction we can only anticipate market confusion.

"Retrogrades cause confusion,"wrote Randall Ashbourne in his Eye of RA report for the week of January 27. And he sure wasn't kidding!

Knowing the outlook for the lunar month can give only a broad picture of the potential astrological energy that may affect the market; however, knowing both astrology and technical analysis is your best bet for successful trading.  Randall Ashbourne's "Idiot Method" outlined in his eBook, The Idiot & the Moon, is the most successful approach to trading I have ever used.

The upcoming March Equinox Chart will set the astrological tone for the Spring season. I will send an announcement when my Equinox article will be available online.

 An Astrological Trip Around the New Moon in Pisces Chart
The New Moon (Sun/ Moon) brings matters of the second house to the forefront. Mercury and Neptune are in the second house as well. More importantly, however, the New Moon is trine Jupiter. This is very fortunate.

The New Moon in the second house in it's "natural influence, is beneficial to business, trade, the money market and financial affairs generally"(H.S. Green). Because is it aspected by a trine to Jupiter, it is even more beneficial.

Mercury in Aquarius is stationing Direct in the second house - We always feel a sense of relief when Mercury stations direct - it is time to get back to business! Usually whatever havoc Mercury seemed to cause during it's retrograde phase has worked itself out. The market is about in the same situation (normally) as it was when the retrograde period started. However, this isn't a typical time with so many planets changing direction!

What we can count on, however, is that wherever Mercury is found in the New Moon chart we will experience a great deal of activity in the affairs of that house during the lunar month. This month there will be a concentration of discussions regarding finance and financial regulations, regulations connected to means of transit, and the Post Office. The stock market will react negatively if there are real (or false!) reports concerning problems in the banking sector.

Neptune in Pisces in the second house - Fluctuations in the stock market and a failure to realize expectations may be the result of this Neptune placement. Even free from affliction, it is always uncertain how well the market can perform with Neptune in the second.

Saturn in Scorpio rules the rising sign of Capricorn in this chart. Because Saturn is the chart ruler, Saturn is especially influential this lunar month. This is good for stocks, national funds, investments, banking...but not because of growth or increase as in the case of Jupiter, but rather through method, and prudence.
To read the newsletter in its entirety Click to read newsletter . 

When reading the newsletter on the web site, be sure to take note of the Moon Phases section and get the "Head's Up" - upcoming astrological events list.

Understanding the potential of planetary cycles and what the technical charts tell us is our best bet for successful trading. We need to see the whole picture! I encourage all of you to look at the weekly technical charts by Randall Ashbourne (posted weekly on this blog).

 

***

FORECAST 2014, an eBook by Randall Ashbourne -
If you have been following the blog, or reading the Eye of Ra at, www.theidiotandthemoon.com, you already know by now that Randall makes what can be a very dry and difficult subject - Financial Astrology - easy to understand, quite interesting, and sometimes amusing! With his witty and wry sense of humor, Randall never holds back, giving us his experienced professional opinion on how the markets are performing.

His latest eBook The Idiot & The Moon, Forecast 2014 has predictions, price targets and trend change dates - it is the perfect companion to his book, The Idiot & The Moon, Compleat and Utter Idiot's Guide To Trading Stocks.

The Idiot and The Moon, FORECAST 2014 by Randall Ashbourne

NOTE: Planetary price targets for gold are contained in Forecast 2014 - as are the targets for the major stock indices.

Randall is working on a special report on gold which will include the exact timing of gold's most important transits for the year ahead. This report won't be published in his free weekend reports, but will be emailed to everyone who has bought a copy of Forecast 2014.

            FORECAST 2014 CHAPTERS INCLUDE

• 2014 ... and let slip the dogs of war
• Jupiter Square Uranus ... and the danger of déjà vu
• Mars ... the mover of markets
• Bradley Model - 2014 major and minor trend change dates
• Moods of the Moon - Lunar phase trading performance in 2013
• Month by Month - monthly astrological transits in time map form
• Technical conditions and planetary price targets

***

13 months of Astrological Investing Calendars! - The monthly transit calendars published on the blog are available to purchase as a full 2014 calendar through January 31, 2015 - for New York, London and Sydney. Download these handy PDF calendars to your iPad, or other electronic reader and/or and phone, and of course, to your computer to read. (They are printable as well.)

Included are transit to transit aspects; dates of Moon Phases, Planets Stationing (changing directions) and Eclipses; and a schedule of open hours and days for each market, New York, London, and Australia.

These calendars can be purchased individually for $8.00, but all three are available for $16.00 Click to purchase.

An Astrological Trip Around the New Moon in Scorpio - A Solar Eclipse

Astrological Investing New Moon forecasts show general trends and financial outlook for the month. The New Moon in Scorpio, Solar Eclipse, 2013 - Chart from the point of view of Wall Street and the NYSE.

In mundane astrology it is the entrance of the sun into each of the four cardinal signs that determine the astrological framework of each season.  New Moon charts work within the energy woven into the fabric of these charts.  Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto dominate the Equinox chart and the Fall season - Expect challenge and uncertainty. Read the Autumnal (Fall) Equinox, September 22, 2013

The New Moon in Scorpio, SOLAR ECLIPSE, November 3, 2013 - Chart from the point of view of Wall Street and the NYSE. Note: When reading a chart for the NYSE, my interpretations are modified to take into consideration location and the economic and political conditions that impact the market. The meanings of the planets and house are adapted to these circumstances.

As Above - So Below - Stress from the challenging aspect Pluto square Uranus keeps things heated up politically at home, and world wide.  Economically, this difficult energy in concert with any combination of transiting planets, has been driving global markets on a wild ride.  On any particular day investors react as one crisis follows another.

"This week brings the 4th exact hit of Uranus square Pluto ... and with it, an increased danger of turning the tide... This week's Uranus square Pluto aspect, the 4th exact hit in a rare series of 7, is likely to mark the start of an important turning point, though it might not become obvious for a few months." - The Eye of Ra, week beginning October 28. by Randall Ashbourne

The Solar Eclipse strongly suggests an overall increased volatility in the financial market. Near the date of the eclipse, before and after,  there will be a marked increase in volatility.  Eclipses have coincided with market reversals in either direction, and with Mercury just barely past the first half of its retrograde period, the chances of extreme volatility increases.

Whenever there is an eclipse the influence of energy is intensified; and longer lasting if in a fixed sign such as Scorpio.

Read more about eclipses and how they can impact the market in the newly posted article on the website. Eclipses and Their Impact on the Market.

"Fortunate or unfortunate events follow according as to whether benefics are prominent or malifics, and whether the aspects among the planets are good or evil." H.S. Green

An Astrological Trip Around the New Moon in Libra Chart

The Solar Eclipse New Moon is in the twelfth house involved in a stellium (more than three planets conjunct). The Sun, Moon, Saturn, Mercury and the North Node are conjunct in 12th house. These five are sextile the rulers of the Scorpio rising chart, Mars and Pluto, activating the Uranus-Pluto square. (Though not shown in the chart above, the North Node is at 7° 21' Scorpio and the South Node is at 7°21'. Taurus.  An eclipse is always characterized by a conjunction to the Nodes of the Moon.)

Events governed by the 12th house will come to the forefront this lunar month -  The twelfth house is a place of shadows, secrets and hidden enemies. An eclipse in the 12th house suggests discredit and misfortune in areas that are governed by the 12th house. More scandalous revelations regarding the National Security Agency surveillance may be revealed which may have a disastrous financial impact on U.S. technology companies.  Presently, greater transparency is being called for from companies such as Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook. Their role in NSA surveillance has been questioned and trust has been lost. US technology companies are likely to suffer the backlash from any further NSA revelations.

Mercury rx in the twelfth house - Internet activity has much to do with the 12th house, and wherever Mercury is found in the chart there is much activity. Reforms to the healthcare site need to be reviewed and the site re-done. More information will be revealed regarding why the site has so many problems.

Note!"... The middle of the (Mercury retrograde period) will be on Thursday, October 31. Any market that has not made a cycle turn around the retrograde date of October 21 is likely much to do so within 1-2 days of the center of the retrograde zone, which is October 31." Raymond Merriman

Saturn in Scorpio in the twelfth house - Trouble due to mal-administration and the people responsible suffer consequences.

To read the interpretation of  all the planets, and what DJIA stocks are impacted by aspects of this Solar Eclipse in Scorpio,  Click to read newsletter . 

When reading the newsletter on the web site, be sure to take note of the Moon Phases section and get the "Head's Up" - upcoming astrological events list.

Commentary - Read this week's Eye of Ra Report by Randall Ashbourne (click here), or read it on his web site -  "Week beginning September 30, 2013"

Understanding the potential of planetary cycles and what the technical charts tell us is our best bet for successful trading. We need to see the whole picture!
I have been reminding readers at the end of each New Moon interpretation that astrologicalinvesting.com strives to teach financial astrology as a timing tool to use. Although the mundane reading I give each New Moon gives us a broad picture of the astrological landscape we expect to encounter during the month, I encourage all of you to look at the weekly technical charts by Randall Ashbourne.

FORECAST 2013  - 1/2 price off!  - Includes an index-by-index analysis of Moon Trading across major American, European, Asian and Australian stock indices showing variations in the performance which can help traders time Entry and Exit levels for greatly enhanced profitability - the analysis also identifies those of the major indices where following the phases of the Moon can dramatically cut profits, or even result in large losses.

Read Randall Ashbourne's 2011 article, The Moods of the Moon - Trading the Mood Swings of the Monthly Lunar Cycle

Safe Trading! Marley

Murky Wrecks ... and more gold mystery

Randall Ashbourne, an associate of Astrological Investing, posts a weekly market report on his web site, theidiotandthemoon.com The following is this weekend's Eye of RA report: Week beginning October 21, 2013

There are a couple of astro events this week likely to have an impact on stock markets ... Mercury goes Retrograde and the Sun shifts from Libra into Scorpio.

Firstly, the usual warning about Merc Rx - Murky Wrecks - make sure you double-check everything you do and expect some data feeds to go haywire.

Most of us make a few mental blunders during the Merc Rx periods; like hitting the Buy button when we actually meant to Sell.

It's just a lack of concentration, which is easy to overcome if we're aware of the tendency and adopt a policy of double, even triple, checking.

There is also a general tendency for stock markets to start a move in the few days around the Merc Rx date which reverses course halfway through the phase (normally about 3 weeks long).

It doesn't always happen, but it does more frequently than not ... and since the last Mercury Retrograde phase in June/July launched a strong rally throughout the period, the coming phase probably has a higher chance of returning to "normalcy" mode.

We'll take a look at a chart on the topic in a moment. We'll also be taking another look at gold, where mysterious big money buyers have replaced the mysterious sellers, and I'll start the process of updating the Weekly Planets charts for a range of indices ... starting this weekend with India's Nifty, London's FTSE and Singapore's STI.  

There is great joy across America as its politicians vote to send the nation deeper into debt while refusing to do anything about its profligate spending.

This is good. It means we can all get back to the really important stuff ... like why Miley persists in sticking her tongue out so far when it's always covered in white fuzz ... or whether there should be a law compelling Kim Kardashian to wear a full burqa so we are all spared another one of those endless "selfies" displaying buttocks that would shame a dairy cow into going on a diet.

And speaking of vacuous trolls ...

Miss Pollyanna, the SP500, gapped up on Friday into the Full Moon date, which statistically tends to be a low point in market mood. This inversion of the normal also happened at the last Full Moon - prompting a 3-week decline.

The new Price high has received an approving nod from the Big Bird oscillator, which has also recorded a higher peak ... though not as high as it recorded in May.

Next, we will look at a Mercury/Node chart for the index. In the left third of the chart I've marked the previous Merc Rx phase with two black verticals. The index rallied all the way through the phase, which is a little unusual.

Miss Polly has a tendency to travel between Node price lines, which are the orange horizontals on the chart above. And there's one of those immediately overhead.

The astrological symbolism applied to Mercury Retrograde periods is that it denotes time for a RE-think about what's happening. I showed you a few weeks ago that the Sun in Libra tends to be a bit chaotic. Libra symbolises balance and a drive to reach agreement and an harmonious outcome.

I also said it can just mean the iron fist is wrapped in a velvet glove. We had that sort of stuff happening in Washington. Nevermind. We got the agreement, which kicks the whole mess down the road until early next year.

The Sun's shift to Scorpio, in conjunction with the Merc Rx phase for the next few weeks, means it's very likely there'll be a national re-think about how to handle all the debt (Scorpio) issues.

So, we do need to be aware that the breakout could be subject to a reversal. However, it is a breakout and the next highest level of long-range planetary price resistance doesn't come into effect until the $1770s.

The optimism displayed by Pollyanna is not universally shared.

London's FTSE index remains below its May highs; in fact, it's still below its August and September highs.

The daily Big Bird is crawling higher, even with the price lower. There's not quite the same level of agreement from weekly Big Bird on the FTSE's Weekly Planets chart (below).

Still, either on this rally or the next one, the FTSE seems to have its target set at the upside Saturns - in the 6700s.

Mumbai's Nifty Weekly Planets is below and the index has been playing those close to perfection. Big Bird likes the bounce and breakout is likely to target the 6400s.

The Straits Times Index has been constrained by Saturn for many weeks - and its Big Bird is not giving clear signals for a move in either direction.

Similar to the Nifty, Auntie - the ASX200 - is playing almost perfect WP touches. We have preliminary indications of a break northwards ... and it's open space all the way to around 5500.

I'll try to update more European and Asian WP charts over the next couple of weekends. But now, let's turn our attention to the latest shenanigans in the bullion bazaar.

And bizarre it was again last week when, in the wee hours of New York's Thursday morning, a wave of Buy orders worth over $2.3 billion surged onto the markets, causing a 3% jump in prices in a matter of minutes. The manipulation continues unabated.

Let's look first at my planetary price chart for greenback gold. We got the lower prices when gold slumped down into the 1250 Pluto level early in the week and rebounded with all those mysterious early-am Buy orders on Thursday to finish the week capped by a falling Sun line.

 

Thursday's raid also produced a breakout above the red downtrend line which has controlled the market since it peaked in August. Fast Bird (green) likes the move and so does the red Medium Bird.

So, despite Friday's stall it appears higher prices are ahead. So go consult the planetary chart.

But remember that there's still a lot of overhead resistance which has yet to be overcome before we can be sure gold has embarked on a sustained rally.

Safe trading - RA

Astrological Investing's associate, Randall Ashbourne, author of the eBook, The Idiot and The Moon, and The Idiot and the Moon, Forecast 2013, writes a free weekly column titled, The Eye of Ra on his web site in  which he explains the potential impact of astrological aspects and the current state of technical conditions. Ashbourne's charts are revealing illustrations of exactly what has occurred in the market and the probability of what to expect.
Important reading:  Randall Ashbourne's The Idiot and The Moon, Forecast 2013
(Disclaimer: This article is not advice or a recommendation to trade stocks; it is merely educational material.)
Copyright: Randall Ashbourne - 2011-2013

Mercury musings

by Marlene Pfeifle

Mercury is RX and nothing can be assumed. Even astrological expectations!
 
Randall Ashbourne's Eye of RA report for the week beginning July 15 discusses "Targets for the Top of the Bull Market," and that the normal Mercury Retrograde spurt-and-reverse cycle has not played out. He reminds us that astrological expectations never over-ride technical conditions.

Markets are usually volatile during Mercury Rx, and Mercurial Mishaps may occur to shake up the market. It is a time when normal price support and resistance lines fail. Randall discusses the technical conditions in his weekend report.

Upcoming this week is the powerful Jupiter-Saturn-Neptune grand trine, July 17-19.

Additionally, on July 27, 2013, as the Moon transits Taurus, another powerful and very rare astrological pattern called a Grand Sextile, or Star of David, will occur. A sextile is an astrological pattern that presents us with opportunities - this Grand Sextile should highlight the influence of two very powerful Grand Trines.

I wrote in my New Moon newsletter that this upcoming Grand Trine between Jupiter-Saturn-and Neptune by itself, is fortunate, and should add a stabilizing effect for businesses in the gas, oil, and chemical sector - Jupiter and Neptune have rulership over Crude. This aspect also benefits service organizations, hospital and charities.

But I also warned that Saturn changing direction (stationing direct)may create volatility in the market. Saturn changing directions in the market has in the past coincided with market reversals.

ASTROLOGY SHOP SALE! Click here.

Randall Ashbourne's eBook, The Idiot and The Moon, FORECAST 2013, on sale $10.00

Astrological calendars that are posted each month on the blog,  now are on sale - available for $10.00 for all three calendars, or $4.00 for individual calendars. Click here.

An Astrological Trip Around the New Moon in Cancer Chart

Astrological Investing New Moon forecasts show general trends and financial outlook for the month. The New Moon in Cancer,  2013  - Chart from the point of view of Wall Street and the NYSE.

The New Moon in Cancer, 2013
Chart from point of view of Wall Street and the NYSE

Summer has arrived - and its time for a vacation!

Mercury is retrograde, and that is always a great time to rest, relax, slow down and take a vacation.  Previous to this New Moon,  Americans celebrated July 4th  - the USA's Independence Day- typically a time for family vacations in the USA - a time for picnics, celebrations, and grand fireworks displays.

In fact, as I write this newsletter I am on a family vacation!

AN ASTROLOGICAL TRIP AROUND THE NEW MOON IN CANCER CHART

SEEING THE WHOLE PICTURE
A mundane horoscope for the lunar month using the longitude and latitude of the NYSE gives us a broad picture of the astrological landscape we expect to encounter in the financial market during the month.

Financial astrology is a useful timing tool that gives us a "heads up" on what to expect - knowing the potential energy how the market is affected by various planets and the aspects they make, in addition to what technical charts tell us, helps us to reduce the risk we take in the market.

Astrological Investing's Associate Randall Ashbourne's Eye of RA weekly report sheds additional light on the markets - I urge you to read these weekend stock market reports. They are published on his web site, The Idiot and the Moon, as well as on Astrological Investing's blog.

The week of July 1, 2013 is particularly informative as Randall discusses "The Dangers of Trines" !

NEW MOON IN THE SECOND HOUSE WITH MERCURY RX

Trade, money matters, increasing national expenditure, and legislation in Congress is the focus of attention for this lunar month. (Mundane Astrology: The Astrology of Nations and States by H. S. Green) With Mercury Rx, media may be reporting corrections of previous reporting on all these topics!

Markets are usually volatile during Mercury rx, so if you are in the market trading, "take profits too soon!" as Raymond Merriman likes to say. Mercurial Mishaps may occur to shake up the market. Stocks may suffer from false or incorrect reporting.

It is a time when normal price support and resistance lines fail, especially a few days before and after the stationing periods (when Mercury changes direction). Kaye Shinker always taught that usually about half way through the retrograde cycle you will see a change in the direction in the market only to return to where it started 90% of the time. Raymond Merriman says that "sharp swings of at least 4% tend to happen within only 4 days trading days , and usually within only 3 days of this signature." (From his book, The Ultimate Book On Stock Market Timing, Geocosmic Correlations to Trading Cycles.)

To read this newsletter in full  - Click to read newsletter .

When reading the newsletter on the web site, be sure to take note of the Moon Phases section and get the "Head's Up" - upcoming astrological events list.

Moon Phases
FORECAST 2013 has an index-by-index analysis of Moon Trading across major American, European, Asian and Australian stock indices showing variations in the performance which can help traders time Entry and Exit levels for greatly enhanced profitability - the analysis also identifies those of the major indices where following the phases of the Moon can dramatically cut profits, or even result in large losses.

Read Randall Ashbourne's 2011 article, The Moods of the Moon - Trading the Mood Swings of the Monthly Lunar Cycle

Safe Trading! Marley

Beware Merc Rx spurt-and-reverse

Randall Ashbourne, an associate of Astrological Investing, posts a weekly market report on his web site, theidiotandthemoon.com The following is this weekend's Eye of RA report: Week beginning July 8, 2013

"..long as Big Bird - monthly, weekly, or daily - fluctuates ABOVE
the +100 line, your Long positions are reasonably safe."
The Idiot & the Moon,  Randall Ashbourne

We should find out in the next couple of days whether the bounce in stocks is over.

There is a strong chance, at least from an astrological viewpoint, that the next downleg of the multi-week correction is due to start.

We'll look at why that might be the case in a moment. Before we do, a brief recap. In the May 27 edition, I indicated there was a strong chance stock indices had gone into a multi-week correction.

Then, in the June 24 edition, I highlighted the potential for a bounceback. There is some chance the correction is over and the bounce will continue. July tends to be a stronger month for the Wall Street indices than June.

However, there are several things happening. We are now at the midrange of the current Mercury Retrograde phase and we have discussed in the past the general tendency of markets to start a trend at the Rx date which goes into reverse halfway through the cycle, to end the period within about 1% of where it all started.

On top of that tendency, we kick off with a New Moon ... Venus trining Uranus ... and Saturn changing from Rx mode to Direct.

However, it's the combination of the potential high point of a New Moon and the Mercury Rx spurt-and-reverse tendency which poses the biggest risk to further gains in the next week or two.

Venus trine Uranus is an important aspect since Venus rules money and Uranus rules stock markets - and the trine suggests a peak of money flow into the markets.

However, it's an aspect that occurs a couple of times a year and, on its own, doesn't regularly and reliably turn markets. Nor does Saturn changing to Direct mode.

The chart below shows past behaviour of the SP500 in the weeks following Venus-Uranus trines (the blue bars) and Saturn Direct (the red bars).

There are a few instances where the trines have produced a near-term low ... a few more where they've coincided with highs ... and some which seem to have virtually no impact on the prevailing trend direction. And I'm not sure, from an eyeball glance, we can expect the Saturn change of direction to have much impact at all on stock prices.

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Should we get the "normal" behaviour - a New Moon to Full Moon stall or decline and a reversal halfway through the Merc Rx phase - the correction should complete in the next couple of weeks.

I'll just go briefly to the ASX200 Weekly Planets chart. I used this late in May to outline what I expected would happen and, for the most part, many stock indices have followed the general pattern. Some, like Pollyanna, didn't go deep enough fast enough to convince me that the correction ended a fortnight ago.

So far, the ASX seems to be repeating the same pattern it made during the correction in early 2012 - a fast plunge south followed by several weeks of bouncing around within a relatively narrow range.

There was negative divergence in the oscillator peak at the index price high and we're now seeing it start to record some positive divergence. But we can't be sure the correction is finished until we see a clear weekly close above the Saturn line in the mid-4800s.

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I've put the opinion in the past few weeks that I think this correction IS a correction ... and that it's the last major one before Western stock indices make their final price high before a Bear market resumes.

And the reason I think the final Bull high is not yet in is the state of the oscillators in the chart below. Last year, I had expected markets to top out with Jupiter in Taurus. That has been a very strong tendency for many decades. But I did indicate there was what I called an "elephant in the room" threatening to poop all over my Bear rug.

It was the lack of negative divergence in the Big Bird ... the long-range Canary ... the 50CCI. It is the blue line in the oscillator panel and I highlighted the negative divergence obvious at the 2007 highs with the complete lack of such a signal during last year.

However, we are now seeing what is probably the start of such a set-up ... and I do emphasise the word "start" because topping tends to be a process, rather than an event.

The blue line Big Bird has started to roll over and there is a strong chance now that a new price high would occur with a lower peak in that oscillator. We're already starting to see it with the two faster Canaries. The medium-range Bird, the red line, actually peaked in March ... and the short-range green line peaked-out in January.

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 We're also starting to see the same signatures in other indices. Below is the long-range planetary price chart for Germany's DAX. Price has fallen into a Neptune/Pluto range which put a stop to the two previous Bull runs ... and the Big Bird oscillator is rolling over quite distinctly.

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And it's pretty much ditto with London's FTSE in the chart below. The important point to remember here is that the danger of a new Bear getting underway is relatively muted until the Big Bird loses the +100 upper red horizontal in the oscillator panel.

Check it out for yourself in each of these charts - including the ASX200 Weekly Planets. So long as Big Bird - monthly, weekly, or daily - fluctuates ABOVE the +100 line, your Long positions are reasonably safe. But! Once that barrier is broken to the downside, any plunge has a tendency to accelerate sharply.

click for larger image

And that's why I've been nagging you lately to go through your portfolio stocks very closely and, at the very least, put rigid loss stops in place.

I think the danger sirens are starting to wind-up. I seriously doubt we're at the stage where we need to run for the bomb shelters ... or get the hell out of Dodge. But, as we can see on the Pollyanna chart, two of the Canaries have started to croak. They're very much the early Birds.

But that's why we keep them ... to give us early warning that the internal strength of the Bull is starting to wane much more obviously than appears on the surface.

Safe trading - RA

Astrological Investing's associate, Randall Ashbourne, author of the eBook, The Idiot and The Moon, and The Idiot and the Moon, Forecast 2013, writes a free weekly column titled, The Eye of Ra on his web site in  which he explains the potential impact of astrological aspects and the current state of technical conditions. Ashbourne's charts are revealing illustrations of exactly what has occurred in the market and the probability of what to expect.
Important reading:  Randall Ashbourne's The Idiot and The Moon, Forecast 2013 , Jupiter's cycle and its effects on Wall Street and a posting of the weekly Eye of Ra report in this blog, titled A look at the Venus Retrograde effect
(Disclaimer: This article is not advice or a recommendation to trade stocks; it is merely educational material.)
Copyright: Randall Ashbourne - 2011-2013

The Idiot and the Moon, Forecast 2013

• Major trend change dates for the full year, plus a month-by-month breakdown of high-energy trading dates and critical reversal dates.

• An index-by-index analysis of Moon Trading across major American, European, Asian and Australian stock indices-

• Identifies the major indices where following the phases of the Moon can dramatically cut profits, or even result in large losses.

• Old Gods & Gold ... a Eureka! discovery about exactly what drives gold prices during rallies and corrections and charts showing highly-reliable target levels to both the upside and downside.

These price charts are individually-tailored to each index and cover Wall Street, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, India, England, Germany and France.

You will not see these charts anywhere else on the Internet!

And much more...

It is NEVER too late in the year to have this monthly information!