Weekly Forecast for the week beginning November 30, 2020

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average vaulted above 30,000 for the first time, a remarkable rally that lifted the stock market to records even in the midst of a devastating pandemic. Tuesday’s advance came after President Trump said his administration would cooperate with President-elect Joe Biden’s transition to the White House, giving investors hope that the country would have a smooth transition of power. More broadly, much of the market’s rise has been powered by building hopes that scientists are on the brink of pushing out vaccines effective enough to fight the novel coronavirus. – Arkane Otani, “Dow Eclipses 30,000 for the First Time,” Wall Street Journal, November 25, 2020.

It was a very nice Thanksgiving gift for investors. It also correlates with the movement of the Sun into Sagittarius last week, the sign that just loves to break records and give cause for celebration. With Sagittarius, everything is enlarged. And even if its not, just the proclamation that it is will often suffice. It is the spirit of something that matters in Sagittarius, not the facts, although facts that are supportive can certainly add to the spirit of optimism that is the trademark of Sagittarius. It also helps that Neptune is turning stationary direct this weekend. A little irrational exuberance is always good for the holiday spirit.

When Neptune is highlighted, especially when Jupiter or its rulings sign of Sagittarius are also highlighted, markets (and people) do not always make sense. Logic is not part of that package. An example of that was very evident last week as the U.S. Dollar fell on Friday, November 27, to 91.75, re-testing its low of September 1, 2020, which was its lowest price since April 2018. A falling dollar is supposed to be bullish for Gold, right? But not last week, as Gold fell to 1770 intraday on Friday, November 27, its lowest price since July 2.

Bitcoin was another example of what can happen when irrational exuberance is present. The cybercurrency soared toa record high of 19,5120 on November 25. But when the irrational exuberance of Neptune and Sagittarius being highlighted is faced with reality, panic can set in quickly. Within 24 hours, Bitcoin sold off over $3000 to a 16,200, November 26.

Speaking of Neptune and Sagittarius, Crude Oil (ruled by Jupiter and Neptune and their ruling signs of Sagittarius and Pisces) also had a spectacular week. Crude rallied to 46.26 last week, its highest price since the Pandemic Crash of March. Other commodities turned in multi-year highs last week, such as Corn and Soybeans.

However, the world’s attention was mostly on the stellar performances of equity markets around the globe. In addition to the DJIA, record highs were also posted in India, and post-crash highs (after March 2020) were noted in the Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong (not sure that makes sense either), and Brazil. The NASDAQ cash index made a new all-time high as well, but not its futures market. The S&P fell a little shy of its all-time high in both its cash and futures market. There is not a lack of intermarket bearish divergence signals in any region at the moment, which means a pullback is certainly possible to begin at any moment. I wonder what that would mean with Sagittarius and Neptune highlighted? Better ask the Bitcoin market. Maybe it can all last until Capricorn starts on December 21, the same day that the much anticipated 20-year Jupiter/Saturn conjunctions occurs.

Short-Term Geocosmics and Longer-term Thoughts

“There are two different ways to living your life: cultivating differences and deepening communion.” – Andre Malraux, from the same book as the next quote.

In the exploration of planetary cycles and their relationship with history, it seems to me that the brazen rejection of astrology is daringly audacious. It is true that “It’s harder to crack a prejudice than an atom” (Einstein).– Andre Barbault, “Planetary Cycles: Mundane Astrology,” The Astrological Association CIO, London, UK, 2016, from the French publication “Les Cycles Planetaires Astrologie Mondiale, 2014.

In a forceful and eloquent victory speech, President-elect Joe Biden vowed to usher in “a time to heal” in America. – Charlotte Alter, “President-Elect Joe Biden Vows to Usher in “A Time to Heal America,” https://time.com, November 7, 2020.

A time to heal…. that could also fall under the heading of a highlighted Neptune in Pisces this week, and as we approach to critical solar eclipse of December 14, the very date that that the electors of the Electoral College meet and vote, thus confirming the next president of the United States. It is also the date that the solar eclipse at 24° Sagittarius falls on the natal Moon of Donald Trump, who was born on a lunar eclipse, which means this solar eclipse will also be in opposition to his natal Sun. This also happens to be the same degree as the natal Descendant in the chart of Kamala Harris, as well as her progressed Sun. A solar eclipse eon such critical degrees of one’s chart usually corresponds to a major change in one’s life, whether via residence, career, relationships, or even health. The path one was on is disrupted, and a new path in life is born. But the new path comes with challenges one is not always prepared for. One is forced to learn new coping skills, new tools to enhance success, and sometimes even survival. The more one holds onto the past, the more difficult it becomes to benefit from the start of the new path.

Last week’s column generated a lot of responses from readers of all political preferences. I was stuck by those of the liberal persuasion who wanted to know if Donald Trump will be prosecuted or pardoned, or if he will continue to control the Republican party and run again in 2024. First off, I refer to Joe Biden’s own words. He vowed to usher in “a time of healing.” Do you accomplish that by pardoning the outgoing president from any legal consequences for perceived illegal actions? Or does the nation heal from exacting a punishment –“justice” they call it – for these wrongdoings if they can be proved to be illegal? Furthermore, as Trump supporters also allege, what about the potentially unlawful dealings of Joe Biden in regard to financial favors to and from his son Hunter Biden while he was VP? Or Hillary Clinton and her missing emails containing classified government information, or the alleged unlawful dealings of the Clinton Foundation? Or for that matter, the role the Obama Administration played in approving the spying on the Trump campaign and the fabrication of the Russian Conspiracy theory that could never be proven? How is that much different or legal than Nixon’s Watergate intrusion into the election of 1972? Is Republican Senator Lindsay Graham’s alleged attempt to have Georgia’s election officials toss out thousands of mail-in votes to help Trump gain those electoral college votes legal and “above the law?”

The point is: are we serious about healing our country’s division or not? It seems to me that if we are, we must begin with another Neptunian theme: forgiveness. It would be great if we could apply the cure that Neptune demands in order to move forward: acknowledge the truth, see reality for what is, and get past the habit of denial, as if negotiating reality is actually possible.

As a nation, even as a global community, we have a lot of work ahead. This weekend finds the lunar eclipse taking place on Monday, November 30, following Venus in opposition to Uranus on Friday, November 27 and Neptune turning direct on Saturday, November 28. That’s enough fire power (well, with Neptune and the full moon eclipse, it’s more like vapor power) to start the next week with a change of investor sentiment. We saw that with Bitcoin late last week. It can happen with other markets this week, for with Uranus, trends can change suddenly, without much warning. And with Neptune passing out of influence, the allure of irrational exuberance could quickly give way to new bouts of alarm and even hysteria, especially as we move from the lunar to the solar eclipse over the next two weeks. In Sagittarius, everything is exaggerated. Try to keep it focused on charity and fun. Sagittarius likes that too.

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Disclaimer & State 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 Schogt Market Timing & 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.