Wall Street Weather

The union of the Moon (sentiment) and Sun (speculation) at the New Moon represents a new beginning each month. The planetary energies present at the New Moon influence the entire lunar cycle (August 17 – September 14, 2012).

The New Moon occurs on August 17 at 11:54 AM EDT in Leo, the sign of the Sun. The Sun is our life force. Without its energy the world would not survive. The Sun and the sign Leo represent physical vitality and self-identity.

The New Moon in Leo is all about nurturing creative self-expression. That means having the self-confidence, courage, and pride to allow who you really are to shine like the Sun! The Sun and Leo rule the heart and matters of the heart. Its energy represents life’s central focus: to love and be loved. All the fun stuff - entertainment, leisure pursuits, romance, and children are part of Leo and the Sun’s domain.

Leo and the Sun are part of the fire element; this energy has an enthusiasm for life and an appetite for taking risks. Leo and the Sun rule all forms of speculation and gold.

In my previous Forecast, I explained why I thought the stock market is plateauing. The Leo New Moon squares the Taurus Sun of the founding of the New York Stock Exchange, and the major averages are poised to make new highs for 2012 during this cycle.

As described in this post, Venus in its morning star phase tends to exert a bullish influence on the market. But I also noted that Venus emerging as a morning star in Mercury-ruled Gemini could result in dual outcomes in which the high and the low for 2012 would likely occur during the second half of the year. In an early July Forecast I wrote that the timeframe for this year’s low would likely occur “between mid September and November.” Because the major indices have traded in a fairly narrow range this year, reaching new lows for the year would put them in corrective territory but not a bear market.

Understanding the mechanics, fundamentals, and cycles of the market together with your personal financial situation are essential ingredients when it comes to investing and speculating. But it is equally important to know and acknowledge who you really are – your strengths and weaknesses. Knowing your tolerance for risk and having the courage of your convictions means you are in charge of your ego. You have the courage to cut your losses and learn from them; acknowledging the losers just as freely as the winners. (Something the ego would never be willing to do.) When you know yourself, you can act with confidence when all of your personal “leading indicators” signal it’s time to buy or sell.

The New Moon is the time each month to begin anew. The Leo New Moon’s aspects to Mars and Saturn in Libra provide the energy to go the distance and can assist in overcoming any fears holding you back from taking action to work on achieving long term goals. This is a good time to improve physical appearance and vitality and take the initiative to form new relationships, alliances and agreements. Economic fundamentals (underlying conditions) are slowly but steadily gaining strength.

Mercury, the planetary energy of communication, commerce, and movement has been in Leo since June 25 due to being retrograde from July 14 to August 8. The retrograde period provided an opportunity for review. Now is the time to begin to implementing new initiatives emanating from when Mercury was retrograde.

Mercury’s third and final alignment to Uranus in Aries on August 18 (previously July 4 and 25) is good for brainstorming new ideas. Mercury aspecting Jupiter in Mercury-ruled Gemini August 22 (June 29 and July 24) facilitates putting those ideas into action and communicating them to a broader audience as Mercury is now moving beyond where it turned retrograde on July 14. (See the Mars in Scorpio section further below.)

Neptune in Pisces blurs the boundaries to show how everyone and everything is interconnected with one another. The New Moon’s opposition to Neptune indicates we can be inspired through our relationships with others, regardless of the ease or difficulty they may bring. Having the confidence to be who you really are is about having the faith to go with the flow of your intuition, even if it’s in opposition to what others believe. As the New Moon’s aspects to Mars and Saturn can assist in building new relationships and alliances, the opposition to Neptune can indicate that other relationships and situations need to be released.(1)

Neptune’s energies can be elusive and confusing, but during this Moon cycle we are likely to gain a better understanding of its energies as the Sun exactly opposes Neptune on the day of the August 24 First Quarter Moon, and the August 31 Full Moon is in Pisces conjoining Neptune opposed by Mercury and the Sun in Virgo. (The Pisces Full Moon is called a Blue Moon since it’s the second Full Moon in the same month.)

Credit, oil, gas, chemicals and poisons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, music, films, virtual games/worlds, hospitals, mental institutions, rehab centers, spas/retreats, prisons, charities, and R&D are ruled by Neptune and Pisces. Imprisoned by our own ego, addictions and addictive behaviors become ways to “escape” from the world which in its worst manifestation can lead to suicide.

Neptune’s magic can convey the illusion that things are not what they appear to be in order to deceive. That certainly describes the financial alchemy concocted by the wizards of Wall Street. A scandal ensues when the veil of illusion is lifted and it becomes clear those gains were made through insider trading, deception, and fraud.

When Mercury entered Leo June 25 on the same day that Jupiter in Mercury-ruled Gemini squared Neptune in Pisces, and Saturn in Libra (regulatory authorities) stationed direct with the Moon in Mercury-ruled Virgo, it signaled there would be multiple enforcement actions and lawsuits against the world’s largest global financial institutions.(2) The Libor scandal and banks processing transactions for the enemy are two notable examples.

The period between the New and Full Moon represents the growth phase of the lunar cycle. Planetary oppositions are akin to a Full Moon. Conditions are peaking and emotions are heightened as the Full Moon illuminates circumstances and situations that need our full attention and awareness.

The market continues to get high on the hope of more global central bank stimulus, particularly from the Fed and the ECB. But as I’ve written before and in this post, the market could be setting itself up for a letdown. Pisces is symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions. One fish represents hope and euphoria that the market will always be rescued (the so-called “Put”). The other fish represents the panic that can ensue when those illusions burst.

The market is trading at prices that have been artificially inflated by the Fed. Even though the Fed has pushed investors in search of higher yield into stocks and other risky assets, the market needs a major catalyst to breakout into new territory. Additional QE and talk therapy has been priced in. Mixing the Leo New Moon with Neptune in Pisces indicates the bulls have come to expect a miracle in this muddle through environment.

Pisces is part of the water element and rules the seas. The strong Neptune influence during the Leo New Moon cycle can create more humidity and steamy conditions. The chance for precipitation could increase particularly after Mars enters Scorpio. The Moon in Pisces from the early evening August 30 until September 2 combined with Venus, Mars, and Neptune in water signs can increase the potential for precipitation and storms that could cause flooding as the parched ground is unable to absorb it fast enough.

IN THE USA, the Leo New Moon opposes the USA’s natal Moon in Aquarius. The public could decide during the next month which presidential candidate possesses the best capabilities to lead the nation.

Born with the Sun in Leo, the New Moon conjoins President Obama’s natal Uranus in Leo. The USA Moon’s opposition to Uranus in Leo describes Barack Obama’s sudden and rapid rise in the 2008 election. Uranus is the planetary energy of extremes. The President went from being elevated to rock star status to becoming a lightning rod for Republicans to rally against his “radical agenda.” President Obama is likely to be quite assertive at counteracting the rumors, falsehoods and deceptive advertising put out by his political opponent and his associated PACs.

The Leo New Moon squares Gov. Romney’s Moon/Jupiter conjunction in Scorpio; both square his progressed Sun in Taurus.(3) In “Plutocrat for President,” I explained that Gov. Romney’s Moon/Jupiter conjunction in Scorpio describes his secretive stance on disclosing his income tax returns and making his fortune in leveraged buyouts which unlike venture capitalism is the opposite of being a “job creator.” The opposition between Gov. Romney’s progressed Taurus Sun opposing his natal Moon and Jupiter in Scorpio describes the disconnect between paying so little in taxes in relation to his wealth.(4)

Gov. Romney will officially become the GOP’s presidential candidate at the time of the Blue Moon which conjoins his natal Mars in Pisces. Now’s he’s going to have to have the courage to reveal what he believes in as focusing solely on attacking his opponent is unlikely to garner enough votes to win.

I will be writing more about the candidates and the 2012 election in upcoming posts.  In the meantime, here is a link to a post I wrote last year about Gov. Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan.

Sun in Virgo: August 22 – September 22
Wednesdays are ruled by Mercury, and the ability to focus and control your message is strong on August 22 when the Sun enters Virgo (1:07 PM EDT) as Mercury in Leo moves past where it went retrograde as it favorably aspects Jupiter in Mercury-ruled Gemini. The Sun and Mercury transiting each other’s signs between now and August 31 enhance self-expression through your work. The central focus shifts to matters connected to health, work and daily routine.

Mars in Scorpio: August 23 – October 6
Mars is the planet of action, energy, and aggression. The Moon in Scorpio on the same day Mars moves into its home sign Scorpio provides the desire and determination to accomplish what you really want. There is an intense and obsessive focus to uncover secrets. At its lowest level, the energy of Mars in Scorpio is an extremely manipulative energy that will stop at nothing for personal power and financial gain at the expense of others.

Debt, financial extremes (wealth/poverty/bankruptcy), interest rates, derivatives, M&A, insurance, taxes, entitlements, mining, nuclear energy and weapons, sex/reproduction, and death/rebirth are matters demanding our energy and attention.

The energies of Mars in Scorpio combined with the Sun in Virgo and Mercury in Virgo (August 31 – September 16) help provide the stamina to work on the tasks and issues that individuals and world leaders would prefer to avoid. Mars in Scorpio is a good time to purge all types of toxins as death must occur before transformation and rebirth. This is the time for leaders to formulate a detailed course of action concerning Scorpio stuff that is unsustainable in its current form. Two examples being the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis and the U.S. “fiscal cliff” that can only be solved by gutting the current tax code, severely slashing military (Mars) spending, and deeply cutting the bulk of Medicare and Medicaid money spent during the last three months of life.

Mars in Scorpio virtually insures the already heated rhetoric spewed out in the election campaigns into an all out war of which side can be the first to reveal things their opponent is trying to keep secret. Gov. Romney might regret not releasing his tax returns before this transit begins.

August 26: Mars harmonizing with Neptune in Pisces can facilitate cutting through illusions. Put your detective cap on and allow your intuition to take the lead. These energies facilitate solving problems that have been elusive and favor R&D. This energy is carried over through the August 31 Pisces Blue Moon which harmonizes with Mars.

September 3-5: Mars was the sole planetary ruler of Scorpio until the discovery of Pluto in 1930. Interactions between Mars and Pluto in Capricorn and Mercury and Mars can make it easier to adapt to any unexpected adjustments that need to be made arising from a stressful alignment between Mars and Uranus in Mars-ruled Aries.

September 16: Border, trade, or contractual disputes could arise as Mars makes an uneasy alignment to Jupiter in Gemini. There’s likely to be a whiff of hypocrisy and a lot of heated rhetoric in the air as what people say and what they do might not be on the same page. Acting in the heat of the moment now could necessitate the need to make amends later.

September 19: The energies of Scorpio, Mars, and Pluto are deeply integrated and especially powerful now with the Moon in Scorpio as Pluto in Capricorn stations direct (September 18) after being retrograde since April 10.

Mars also rules Aries. As Pluto turns direct, it makes its second frictional alignment with Uranus in Aries. These energies generate shockwaves that necessitate change and transformation in economic, governmental, and societal structures.

The Moon occults Mars in Scorpio. What has been kept secret from the public erupts to the surface. There could be action relating to mortgage putbacks.

Fires and explosions, military coups, power grabs, violent acts of jealousy and revenge could be ignited under these influences. There is an increased potential for earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mining and nuclear accidents, high winds and severe storms around this time.

(Mercury in Libra impacts Uranus and Pluto on September 20, followed by the Aries Full Moon on September 29.)

September 25: Mars provides a preview of coming events when it activates the energies of the November 13 Scorpio Solar Eclipse.

September 27: It’s the so-called “battle of the sexes” as Venus in Leo squares Mars.
There could be enforcement actions financial institutions over trading profits.
(This is the third square between Venus and Mars this year; Venus in Gemini squared Mars in Virgo April 7 and June 4.)

October 5: Mercury and Saturn shift into Scorpio as Mars spends its last full day in Scorpio. Saturn in Scorpio until 2015 combined with Pluto in Saturn-ruled Capricorn will work in concert to force governments to make the difficult decisions they refused to face up to since Saturn entered Libra on October 29, 2009. (Libra energy would prefer to avoid dealing with anything that could get ugly and messy.)

More on Saturn in Scorpio in an upcoming post.

Sagittarius First Quarter Moon: August 24 at 9:54 AM EDT
The midpoint between the New and Full Moon indicates it’s time to accelerate work and initiatives that were seeded at the New Moon.

Global issues and geopolitical tensions tend to dominate with the Moon in Sagittarius. Beyond the global issues and hot spots that dominate the news on a daily basis, North Africa especially Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia could flare up. There could also be turmoil in Nigeria and a continued escalation of violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter which is also the planetary ruler of Pisces before Neptune was discovered. The Moon’s square to Neptune the day of the Sun/Neptune opposition could generate bigger market moves related to the Neptune themes described earlier. Which direction the market goes depends on whether leaders can meet the market’s overinflated expectations.

The First Quarter Moon opposes the May 20 Gemini Solar Eclipse which squared Neptune. At that time the market rose in “hopes” the Chinese government would initiate efforts to boost its economy, along with hopes for political progress in Greece. The Iranian oil minister wrongly predicted crude prices could rise as high as $160 a barrel once the EU embargo began July 1. In my previous Forecast I noted that aside from the temporary impact of geopolitical and weather conditions or additional central bank stimulus, oil prices could be peaking out under the Sun/Neptune opposition. This influence culminates with the August 31 Pisces Blue Moon.

A major suicide bombing in Yemen and a 6.0 earthquake occurred in Italy at the time of the May 20 Solar Eclipse, and conditions now increase the potential for similar incidents, together with powerful storms that could create flooded conditions.

Pisces Full Moon: August 31 at 9:58 AM EDT
These energies are similar to the First Quarter Moon only now the Full Moon conjoins Neptune in its opposition to the Virgo Sun. Whether the Pisces Blue Moon has the market feeling blue following Chairman Bernanke’s speech at Jackson Hole today depends on whether talk therapy is enough to keep hopes high until September 13.

To be continued in Part II of the Leo New Moon cycle forecast...

Biggest potential market moving days: August 24 and 31

Monday, August 20
Positive and strongest in the morning, but weakens and could potentially reverse in the afternoon.

Tuesday, August 21
Negative.

Wednesday, August 22
Negative.

Thursday, August 23
Negative to mixed conditions.

Friday, August 24
Negative.

Monday, August 27
Mixed to moderately positive.

Tuesday, August 28
Positive.

Wednesday, August 29
Mixed to positive.

Thursday, August 30
Mixed to positive.

Friday, August 31
Negative.

(1)Readers interested in exploring the dominant planetary themes of the Leo New Moon cycle from a deeply personal perspective might be interested in the book, ”Courage: Overcoming Fear and Igniting Self-Confidence” by Debbie Ford. (This is a self-help/psychology type book and is not about planetary cycles.)

(2)The energies of Venus in Mercury-ruled Gemini was also prominent as the planetary energy of money and banking was about to turn direct two days later after being retrograde since May 15.

(3) Progressions move the natal planets and chart positions forward in time, symbolizing the individual or entity’s progression through life.

(4)See my book review of “Venus Star Rising” on Barack Obama and Mitt Romney’s Venus Star Points.

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