Ray Merriman

Review and Preview:

Last week’s new moon in opposition to Pluto was filled with classical issues related to the principles of Mundane and Financial Astrology. In these studies, Pluto pertains to debt, financial crisis, scandals, death, and the threat of removal. The new moon was conjunct the USA Venus (loved ones), and with transiting Pluto in opposition, the country grieves over the death of two of its most famous entertainers of the past 30 years: Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. In politics, South Carolina Governor - and former 2012 GOP Presidential hopeful – Mark Stanfored disappeared for several days, only to reemerge with a confession of an affair with a woman from Argentina. And the financial world experienced a jolt when the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (how’s that for a Plutonian title?) took the venerable Federal Reserve Board chair to task for his alleged cover-up and abuse of power in the handling of the financial crisis where Bank of America “took over” Merrill Lynch, supposedly against BofA’s will (but because of the strong arm tactics of Ben Bernanke and then Treasury Secretary Hank Paulsen).

Yet all of these profound and disturbing events did little to roil the equity markets of the world as they continued to behave as if relaxing in a floatation tank, gently gliding up and down in the soft breeze of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction. “What me worry?” Most of these markets fell to new two-three week lows last Tuesday or Wednesday, which was well within three trading days of the June 19 three-star geocosmic critical reversal date. But these declines were not steep enough to fulfill the usual price targets for primary cycle lows. By the end of the week, most indices were near their weekly highs. Crude Oil and precious metals followed the same course, bottoming early in the week, and then rallying modestly into the end of that same week. It is classical Jupiter-Neptune: “big fog,” wondering when the landscape will become clear. Talk about “climate control.” Two more weeks, as the second passage will be completed on July 10. The big question is what the social, financial, and political landscape will really look like after that fogs lifts. The realization is sinking in that this is not the same world we once knew, for better or worse. We are already realizing that the “green shoots” of economic recovery don’t seem to be continuing. Was it all a mirage and “wishful thinking?” Jupiter and Neptune.

Short-Term Geocosmics

The peak of the Jupiter-Neptune experience may be most evident in the next two weeks – not that anything involving Neptune is ever too evident. Well, let me correct that. The feeling of “love” may be evident. But it is not likely to be real, except insomuch as one “feels” it. Neptune rules infatuation, not necessarily the “real deal.” And with Jupiter involved, infatuation with something may be way over the top, for these two in combination is not considered a dynamic of good judgment. For this week, we find Venus making a waxing square to the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction on July 1, followed Mars doing the same on July 6. The second Jupiter-Neptune conjunction itself takes place on July 10. So the first ten day of July are a lot of Jupiter and Neptune, or exaggeration of dreams and tears. There are going to be at least two high profile funerals. And with Uranus changing directions in Pisces also on July 1, there may be another sudden shock to the world during this period. Uranus rules high winds, tornadoes, and earthquakes. But taken within the context of Jupiter and Neptune, the symbolism is more like a tsunami. It may be way off from land as it starts. People may not be aware of the power that is about to be unleashed. But by the time it ends (say the second half of the month, or even second half of this year), the force of a tidal wave may be too great to ignore. For now, we can only observe the decisions being made and hope that they are well-thought out and wise.

Longer-Term Thoughts

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” - Thomas Jefferson, 1802 (per email from M. Tamoroff of Tamoroff Dodge/Chrysler dealership).

Last week’s new moon was in opposition to Pluto. It was on the natal Venus in the U.S.A. chart (July 2, 1776) and natal Pluto of the Federal Reserve Board (December 23, 1913). As stated in last week’s column, “The theme of this new moon, therefore, will be the transformation of the role and power – and even survival – of the entity (Federal Reserve Board) itself.”

So what happened last week? The headlines of Friday’s Wall Street Journal blared out: “Bernanke Blasted in House: Political Heat Mounts on Fed as Grilling over BofA Shows Ire at Its Interventions.” On Thursday, FED Chairman Ben Bernanke was interrogated intensely by Congressmen who were highly critical of his role in the handling the of financial crisis last September and the subsequent reshaping of the banking system, which attempts to grant the Federal Reserve (and Bernanke) more powers. This development is not a surprise to readers of this column or those familiar with the Forecast 2008 and 2009 books, or even the recent webcast given on May 2 about this very issue. Pluto is crossing the Federal Reserve Board’s Sun now – at 1 degree of Capricorn, and opposite its own natal Pluto at 0 degrees of Cancer. This past week’s new moon at 1 Cancer touched off this configuration. Venus in the USA chart rules its currency and net worth.

FED Chairman Ben Bernanke was born December 13, 1953, Augusta, GA, time unknown. As stated in the Forecast 2008 (written November 2007, one year before the crisis began) - and repeated in the 2009 - book, “In 2008-2009, the Saturn-Uranus opposition will make a Grand Square to Mr. Bernanke’s natal Sun-Jupiter opposition (possibly involving his natal Moon too). In any event, such a planetary configuration implies a period in his life where everything may seem to come apart. With Uranus, things do not go as planned. With Jupiter too, things can spin wildly out of control…. With Uranus and Saturn T-squaring it, his status suddenly comes under questioning. This can become a very troubling time, leading to impulsive decisions and actions that end up affecting his position…. Whatever the case, it seems that the Federal Reserve Board, and in fact the entire banking system of the United States (and possibly the world) are in store for a crisis in late 2008 through early 2011.” The Saturn-Uranus opposition forming a grand square to Bernanke’s own Sun-Jupiter opposition (21 degrees of mutable signs) is probably peaking within a few months in September 2009.

Will Bernanke and FED survive this? No one knows for sure, but the planetary configurations strongly suggest a major shake-up in the powers of the FED. We already know that one side wants to expand his powers and that of the FED, whereas another side want to kill the FED altogether. The USA has been through this once before, in 1834, when President Andrew Jackson abolished the nation’s central bank. It happened at a time when the Federal Government finally attained a budget surplus for the first time in the country’s history. Saturn was in opposition to Pluto at the time, a point in the cycle that tends to coincide with peaks in economic activity from whence things then fall apart. Within eight years, as Saturn formed its waning square to Pluto, the USA was mired in its worst Depression ever up until that point. From the surplus of 1834, it proceeded to acquired its highest debt ever by 1842, to the point that it could not pay its treasury bond obligations (yes, the USA defaulted at the time).

So here is the similarity this time. As Saturn made its last opposition to Pluto in 2001, the USA government also had a budget surplus for the first time in many years. But now, as we enter the waning square in 2009-2010 eight years later, we have our worst deficit in history (again). Back in 1834, at the height of prosperity, the central bank of the USA was abolished. Now we are in the midst of a financial crisis, and once again the existence of the central bank is being called into question (House Resolution 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, sponsored by Congressman Ron Paul). It is like the economic circumstances are reversed this time as the central bank’s survival is being debated. For investors, the only thing that seems certain is this: if the uncertainty of the existence of the central bank (FED) grows, it will probably lead to a sharp sell off in equity markets around the world, and probably the U.S. dollar as well.

In the meantime, we watch as the USA banking system is entering a very critical juncture. We watch as history is being made, as the chairman of the Federal Reserve is being accused of a cover up and abuse of power, two powerful themes associated with the transit of Pluto over the FED’s natal Sun, opposite its natal Pluto. We watch as the FED tries to explain what it did and why it did it, and where trillions of dollars have disappeared. We watch as the FED – the central bank of the United States and arguably the most powerful bank in the world - may be audited. But by who? Who can really audit the FED? It’s independent. At least for now.

Announcements:

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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.

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 assume any responsibility at all for those individual decisions. Reader should understand that futures and options trading are considered high risk.