Trump impeachment pressure increasing

(24 June 2019) The clock could be ticking on the Trump presidency as Democrats appear to be moving closer to opening impeachment proceedings.  In a weekend interview, House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff suggested that the ongoing refusal of the White House to cooperate with several House investigations could lead to a constitutional crisis.  While Schiff stated that he does not support impeachment now, he was clearly open to the idea if the Trump administration continues its stonewalling.  Speaker Nancy Pelosi is still against impeachment but Schiff's change in tone is potentially significant.

As I have been suggesting for some time, the summer of 2019 looks extremely stressful for Trump and the US as a whole.   Trump's horoscope is burdened by the Saturn square aspect to his Jupiter.  Jupiter is a key source of Trump's power and good fortune, so this Saturn influence is likely to weaken him.  Saturn has been retrograde and thus in a close square with Jupiter since late April.  Saturn will remain in this damaging square aspect until it turns direct in September and then for another two months after that.  Trump's Solar Return (Varshphal) chart on June 14 was also heavily afflicted by the exact Mars-Saturn-Jupiter-Neptune-Rahu-Ketu alignment.  This bodes poorly for the year ahead for the controversial US president. 

The ongoing Saturn-Ketu conjunction will also impact the USA national horoscope.  Saturn and Ketu (22-23 Sagittarius) currently oppose the USA's Sun (22 Gemini).  The Sun symbolizes government and the president so this transit is likely to see the status and strength of the government/presidency undermined over the next two months or so.  There are a few possible time windows for when impeachment proceedings could be declared.

One possibility would be the upcoming July 2 Solar Eclipse and the subsequent conjunction of the transiting Sun with the natal Sun on July 7-8.  Interestingly, this pattern will occur just as Mercury turns retrograde conjunct Mars while sitting atop the equal house cusp of the 8th house.  The 8th house is arguably the most malefic house of the horoscope and symbolizes scandals, embarrassments and obstacles, among other things.

The first days of August also stand out as a possible time when impeachment could be announced.  Mercury will station direct while conjunct Trump's Saturn (= bad news) while Mars (26 Cancer) will fall under the aspect of his natal Ketu (27 Scorpio) (=uncontrolled anger/conflict).

While formal impeachment proceedings looks quite possible this summer, it is important to remember that it is unlikely to remove Trump from office due to the Republican control of the Senate.  For the House impeachment vote to be confirmed, 67 out of 100 votes in the Senate are required.  That would mean that at least 20 GOP senators would have to vote to impeach.  Unless there are some new revelations against Trump -- and his polls numbers start to decline sharply -- the Senate will not convict Trump on impeachment charges.  


Weekly Market Forecast

US stocks pushed higher to new all-time highs following a very dovish FOMC statement in which Chair Jay Powell strongly hinted at cutting interest rates at the next meeting on July 31.  Most stocks rose in anticipation of cheaper credit and more market liquidity.  Indian stocks fared less well, however, as worries over the monsoon and the rising cost of oil hurt sentiment.  I thought we might have seen more downside last week given the Mercury-Mars conjunction but other more positive influences had the final say.

The rally seems unlikely to continue this week.  The bearish Saturn-Ketu conjunction could still be largely offset by the bullish Jupiter-Neptune pattern, but the entry of Mars into Cancer this week with Mercury could change things up somewhat.  Mercury, the planet of commerce, tends to do less well when in the vicinity of Mars.  While Mercury is now a few degrees in front, it may or may not be far enough away to keep the optimism flowing.  Bulls should proceed with caution.  The Mercury-Mars alignment with the Moon on Thursday also looks a bit tense as does the Moon-Saturn-Ketu alignment on Wednesday.  While I won't be surprised if stocks somehow manage to walk between the raindrops this week, the bias would seem to be to the downside.

For a more detailed analysis of the markets, please check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   I outline the key technical and planetary influences for US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, as well as currencies, gold and oil.

Trump trails Biden in polls; markets awaits Fed

(17 June 2019)  Predictably, the past few days have been sub-par for US President Donald Trump.  New polls released last week for the 2020 election show Trump well behind all Democrat contenders with Trump 13 points behind former Vice-President Joe Biden.  Trump's leaked internal polling confirmed that he is well behind, including in most swing states. After hearing of the leak of bad poll news, Trump promptly fired his pollsters. 

This bad news for Trump coincided closely with the Mars-Saturn alignment I had noted last week .  It hit his natal Jupiter almost exactly and strongly incline him towards difficulty since Jupiter is his dasha ruler. I thought he may have also had some additional legal or financial troubles with this transit but aside from the usual tales of corruption, malfeasance and obstruction, nothing stood out.

Joe Biden is emerging as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.  As Barack Obama's popular Vice-President, the 76-year old Biden is well-known and positions himself as a moderate in the increasingly left-leaning Democratic party.  He is seen to be the most electable Democrat against Trump since his policies can appeal to a wider part of the electorate.  Biden currently polls around 32 percent, well ahead of Bernie Sanders (15) and Elizabeth Warren (12) and the rest of the field.   So what are his chances for winning the nomination?

Biden's horoscope is very strong over the next year.  He is currently running the Jupiter-Mars dasha period.  Jupiter is an extremely favourable influence for him since it is in its highest degree of exaltation in the 3rd degree of sidereal Cancer (actually 2CN10) and placed in the 9th house of good fortune.  Mars is looking somewhat less uplifting, however, as it is placed in the 12th house.  One saving grace may be its conjunction with Mercury which can yield high intellect and greater speaking ability.  Plus, Mars' dispositor Venus is very well placed in the 1st house with the Sun.

I would call Biden's campaign dasha set-up as sub-optimal, although it may still be enough.  It is worth noting that Biden enters his Jupiter-Rahu dasha period on April 9, 2020 in the middle of the primaries.  While Rahu has a decidedly mixed reputation, it is usually quite good for career and material pursuits like politics.  Moreover, Biden's Rahu is placed in the 10th house of status and career, very close to the equal 10th house cusp. 

In my experience, whenever Rahu is placed in the 10th or 11th houses, it creates positive outcomes.  Overall, Biden's Rahu is a very positive influence for him.  If he is not doing that great in the early part of the primaries, I would think the shift to the Jupiter-Rahu dasha period in early April could help him get over the top towards the end of the primary season. 

Without having looked at the charts of the other candidates, I would nonetheless lean towards Biden winning the nomination.  There are a couple of trouble spots worth tracking, however.  One is in late September or early October when transiting Rahu (19 Gemini) aspects his natal Mars (19 Libra).  This could reflect some frustration and conflict which may find him losing his control and poise as frontrunner.  The 12th house hints as possible problems from foreign connections, including romantic dalliances. 

The other potential source of difficulty is in late November or early December.   Mars will transit Libra, his 12th house, and will therefore oppose his Aries Moon and then conjoin his natal Mars and Mercury.  There is a lot of tense and potentially negative Mars energy during this series of transits.  Since Mars rules the 6th house of health and the Moon is placed in the 6th opposite the 12th, Biden may have some kind of health concern during that Nov-Dec time frame.  It is hard to say how serious it will be, although I think he will continue to pursue the nomination.  I hope to post something on Biden's chances for winning the presidency in the coming weeks.


Weekly Market Forecast

Stocks are treading water today (Monday) ahead of the Federal Reserve's FOMC meeting on Wednesday.  While some global markets (e.g. India) did pull back in the second half of last week on the Mars-Saturn-Ketu alignment, US markets basically went sideways.  

Fed Chair Jay Powell has been adept at issuing reassuring dovish pronouncements in order to support the market (which is the unstated Fed mandate as we all know), the planets do not paint a clearly bullish picture this week.   This makes me wonder if he may disappoint expectations or if any intended boost for stocks fades rather quickly.  The astrological problem here is that Mercury conjoins malefic Mars and both will opposes Pluto during midweek very close to the time of the FOMC decision at 2 p.m. EDT.  Powell is unlikely to cut rates in any event, so his language will be parsed for possible changes in emphasis.  This planetary pattern is potent and could provoke a big reaction, or at least in terms of volume, if not in price.  Friday's Mars-Moon aspect adds a bit to the bearish side of the ledger this week.

For a more detailed analysis of the markets, please check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   I outline the key technical and planetary influences for US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, as well as currencies, gold and oil.

Markets rally as Trump claims victory in Mexico border deal

(10 June 2019) Nobody said that the Trump presidency was going to be boring.  After threatening to impose tariffs on Mexico, US President Donald Trump appeared to get a win after a deal was struck to try to reduce the number of Central American migrants headed for the US-Mexico border.  Trump's tariff threat had caught financial markets off-guard last week, but markets quickly recovered and then extended their gains today (June 10) with news of the weekend agreement. 

If anything, Trump has become more unpredictable and combative in recent weeks amid growing calls for impeachment proceedings to begin in the House of Representatives.   Tariff talks with China seem to be going nowhere as the trade war has escalated further.  US economic data has started to weaken as last Friday's poor jobs report confirmed the emerging down trend in growth.  A recession is looking more likely by next year which also happens to be an election year.  The stock market is still close to its highs due to the jawboning from the Fed and its promise to cut interest rates if the economic uncertainty continues.

We can see Trump's recent troubles in his horoscope.  While the Jupiter station in April coincided with the non-event of the release of the Mueller report, Trump is coming under the influence of Saturn and Mars here in June.  Both of these planets are malefic influences and usually bring situations of frustration, disappointment, loss and conflict. 

Mars and Saturn align in opposition with each other this week and therefore both planets will exactly aspect Trump's natal Jupiter at 24 Virgo.  Mars (24 Gemini) will cast its full-strength forward square aspect (90 degrees) while Saturn (24 Sagittarius) will cast its full-strength backward square aspect (270 degrees). Jupiter symbolizes optimism, wealth, and knowledge so the double affliction this week could coincide with some major negative developments for the US president.  

Jupiter's association with wealth suggests there could be some significant fallout related to Trump's personal wealth and investments (e.g. SDNY investigation) or even the wealth of the country as a whole since the president symbolically embodies the nation during his time in office.  We should also note that Jupiter rules the 5th house relating to investing and children.  Both of those areas are more likely to come under pressure in the next week or two. 

Interestingly, this Mars-Saturn transit will occur exactly on Trump's birthday on Friday, June 14.  Therefore, Trump will turn 73 on a day with some extremely tense and difficult alignments.  It does not bode well for his next 12 months.  This is yet another reason why I think the next several months will be especially difficult for him.  


Weekly Market Forecast

US stocks have rallied strongly since last Monday's post.  The entry of bullish Venus into sidereal Taurus played out as expected early in the week.  The midweek proved to be more bullish than expected, however, although Friday's rally coincided closely with the bullish Moon-Jupiter alignment. 

This week has started on a positive note as the Sun aligns with Jupiter today.  The effect of this alignment may not last too long, however, as the Sun slips past Jupiter and into a lesser configuration with Pluto. Meanwhile, Mars will conjoin Rahu (North Lunar Node) starting on Wednesday and through the second half of the week and then oppose Saturn late in the week.  Jupiter and Neptune will be in the mix here and could offset some of the negativity of Mars, Rahu and Saturn.  But there is some major bearish potential this week, especially later.  Bulls should stay on their toes.

For a more detailed analysis of the markets, please check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   I outline the key technical and planetary influences for US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, as well as currencies, gold and oil.

Google plunges 6% on antitrust fears

(3 June 2019) As it turns out, maybe size does matter.  Large US technology stocks fell sharply on Monday on reports that the Department of Justice is undertaking an antitrust probe of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple.  While there are no concrete measures in place yet, the US government is looking into increasing regulatory oversight of "big tech" as a means of restoring fair competition.  Investors fear that greater regulation will cut into bottom line profitability and may even go so far as breaking-up some of these huge companies.

News of the investigation hit Google shares especially hard which fell 6% today to $1038.  This latest decline comes after a large correction in the month of May which saw shares of the search engine giant down 20% from its April 29 high of $1296.  

We can quickly spot the problems in the Google IPO horoscope.  One of the basic rules of financial astrology is that transit hits from bad planets like Mars and Saturn usually correspond with declines.  This is more likely when a weakened natal planets is involved. 

Today we see that Mars (17 Gemini) was exactly conjunct natal Venus (17 Gemini) in the 10th house.  Generally, Venus fares poorly with Mars transits and perhaps even more so since it is damaged by virtue of its conjunction with Saturn in the natal chart. Venus is therefore less able to withstand the impact of Mars on the day of its conjunction.

The medium term issue with this chart is that natal Saturn (28 Gemini) has been afflicted for several weeks.  Tr. Pluto (28 Sagittarius) is exactly opposite while Tr. Saturn stationed retrograde on April 30 at 26 Sagittarius just one day after the disappointing Q1 earnings report was released.  Rahu (25 Gemini) is also very close to that Saturn.  All of the above planets are considered natural malefics, especially when in opposition alignment.

The current 20% correction was made much worse because the Saturn-Ketu conjunction at 25-26 Sagittarius was exactly 135 degrees from the Mercury-Mars conjunction in the Google horoscope.  This is a nasty aspect, especially when receiving the double dose of pessimism from Saturn and Ketu, the South Lunar Node.

I would expect Google to continue to trend lower as the Saturn-Ketu influence remains in force for several more weeks at least. 


Weekly Market Forecast

Global stock markets are in retreat these days as recession worries are taking center stage.  Trump's tariff threat against Mexico last week was only part of the story as economic data is showing more weakness in US, Europe and China.   The decline was in keeping with my general bearish expectations as Mercury and Venus aligned with bad old Saturn and Ketu in the second half of last week. 

This week looks more mixed.  Monday's session was mostly negative in the US, China and Japan while Europe and India were more positive.  I think we could see further gains across the board as soon as tomorrow as Venus enters sidereal Taurus.  There are a couple of potential trouble spots on Wednesday and Thursday (see timeline chart below) that could well correlate with some selling, however.  The latest US jobs report is released on Friday when there are actually some decent alignments in play (e.g. Moon aligned with Jupiter) so I would not be surprised to see some upside.  But the underlying alignment of Jupiter, Saturn, Ketu and Neptune doesn't look bullish.  This alignment of slow moving planets will remain more or less intact well beyond this week.

For a more detailed analysis of the markets, please check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   I outline the key technical and planetary influences for US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, as well as currencies, gold and oil.

Is China losing the trade war?

(27 May 2019) Trump's sunny tweets notwithstanding, it may be that US-China trade war is just beginning.  Financial markets are unsettled after last week's escalation of rhetoric as China doubled down on its refusal to submit to US demands regarding intellectual property and technology transfer.   Once we pass this tit-for-tat tariffs stage, there are any number of options the Chinese could consider.  They could sell their US Treasury bonds thus forcing up US interest rates.  Or they could make it more difficult for US companies like Apple to manufacture in China.  Or they could even initiate an outright ban on US products entering the country.  Chinese media have already begun a soft campaign to embarrass owners of the iPhone.   

If a compromise deal is not reached soon, then China could begin these Phase 2-type actions against the US.  And let's not forget about the possibility that the trade war could morph into a more aggressive geopolitical confrontation.  Taiwan would be an obvious target in the event that the trade war escalated further. 

For now, I think China is losing the trade war.  Its stock market is down 25% since it began whereas the US market is only down 2%. since Trump launched the first tariffs in January 2018.  Recent Chinese economic data has generally been lower than expected suggesting slowing growth.  Moreover, the slower growth in recent months has occurred despite a $1 Trillion government stimulus undertaken in late 2018 and early 2019.  The Yuan has seen a significant decline in value, partially by design as the government is looking for any way to boost trade, even if it means depreciating its currency. 

A look at the national horoscope of China shows the problem.  In the first months of 2019, Pluto, Saturn and Ketu (South Lunar Node) were in an approximate conjunction with Jupiter (29 Sagittarius).  Saturn is the key planet in this respect.  Whereas Jupiter is the planet associated with optimism, expansion and growth, Saturn is its polar opposite.  A Saturn conjunction with Jupiter suggests constraint and pessimism.  Another negative influence of growth in early 2019 was Saturn's square 90-degree aspect with Mercury in Virgo, as well as the Sun, Neptune and Ketu.   The Ketu transit influence upon Jupiter hints at how sudden and surprising this slowdown has been.  Pluto's role in this triple conjunction indicates the role of power and coercion (i.e. Trump) in the slowdown in the Chinese economy.

The trade war is causing many middle class Chinese to worry about their future.  This has caused an increase in capital flight as money goes offshore in search of safer assets (e.g. Western real estate).   The chart suggests the trade war and the economy is likely to worsen in the months ahead as retrograde Saturn moves back into a very close square aspect with Mercury (20 Virgo) in the late summer.   Mercury is the planetary significator of trade and commerce so its affliction by Saturn in the August-September period is a very dark omen indeed.  Saturn will station direct at 19 Virgo at that time and therefore subject Mercury to an unusually long negative influence. 

An additional problem is that Ketu will exactly aspect natal Saturn (20 Leo) since the Saturn-Ketu conjunction will remain in force from now until September.  This is a very damaging configuration.  The Ketu influence on natal Saturn could reflect the destabilization or transformation of major institutions in China. 

I would expect China to at least enter a recession by this time, and it could be much worse than that.  Of course, official statistics in China are notoriously unreliable.  Some China observers insist that official GDP growth figures have been overestimated by at least 2 percent a year for the past decade.   The irony is that the possible collapse of the Chinese economy may well take the US economy down with it.   So if there is a recession in the US later in 2019 and 2020, who will have won the trade war then?  We will have to see how it all shakes out. 


Weekly Market Forecast

The stock market outlook this week still doesn't look very good, at least not in the US.  The early week Mercury-Venus alignment is somewhat positive but it may not last long.  Monday was generally positive in global markets while US markets were closed for Memorial Day.   However, Mercury and Venus will move into an alignment with Saturn and Ketu later in the week that looks likely to correspond with some downside.  Thursday in the US in particular may have a greater risk of some selling as the Moon enters Ashwini nakshatra around midday while aligning with Mars and the Sun.

For a more detailed analysis of the markets, please check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   I outline the key technical and planetary influences for US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, as well as currencies, gold and oil. 

Modi to return as PM: Indian exit polls

(20 May 2019) Exit polls suggest that India's PM Narendra Modi is likely to return to power.  While India's Lok Sabha election result will be formally announced on Thursday May 23, Sunday's closely-watched exit polls pointed towards an even bigger majority this time for Modi's NDA alliance.  Markets soared on the exit poll news as the BSE-Sensex gained almost 4% in Monday's session.

The national horoscope for India shows why Modi is likely to return as Prime Minister.  In my experience, sitting incumbent leaders are typically re-elected if the Sun is well-aspected in the national chart.  The Sun represents the government as a whole as well as the head of the executive branch.   The 10th house should also be strong at the time of the election or the announcement of results. 

Immediately, we can see why the planets favour Modi at this time: Jupiter (27 Scorpio) is closely aspecting the Sun (28 Cancer) within one degree of a benefic 120-degree trine aspect.   That is a very solid indication of a return to power for a sitting PM.  I would also note a helpful Sun-Mercury conjunction to the India Ascendant at 7 Taurus.  These transits highlight this particular week as significant for the country in a general sense and give added weight to the Jupiter-Sun alignment.

However, we should note that there are some intriguing alignments in play this week.  Specifically, Rahu (26 Gemini) is exactly trine natal Jupiter.  As a natural malefic, Rahu (the North Lunar Node or 'Dragon's Head')  is often associated with confusion, deception and disruption of the status quo.  In a national chart, Jupiter symbolizes law and legal matters, and secondarily as wealth and the economy.  This Rahu-Jupiter aspect could bring some unexpected developments into the political mix this week. 

In legal terms, it could indicate some significant disputes or conflict that come to the surface around this election result.  In that sense, Rahu's tendency to erase boundaries integrates poorly with Jupiter's legal side which seeks to uphold stability and order.  However, Rahu works better with Jupiter's economic side since it symbolizes acquisitiveness and materialism.  It is possible that this aspect could also reflect the rising India stock market as investors welcome the BJP's promise of greater reforms and less regulation. 

In addition, Mars (10 Gemini) is prominent on Thursday May 23 as it aligns with Jupiter through its 135-degree aspect.  (This is the degreewise Rasi expression of the D-8 Asthamsa chart where Mars is aspected by the transiting Rahu and hence also with the natal Jupiter in the India chart.)   A positive interpretation of this Mars transit to natal Jupiter would simply be that Thursday is the decision (action) day for the central legal institutions of the country as the result is formally announced.

However, a negative interpretation is also possible, especially given the placement of Rahu.  Since Mars is negatively associated with conflict, we have to be open to the possibility that the election result may generate significant opposition.  This is perhaps always the case to some extent as the losing party inevitably cries foul.  And yet the positioning of Mars and Rahu here suggests some unexpected developments are, at least, possible and worthy of consideration.

Ultimately, I don't know what the final result of the election will be.  Probably Modi and the BJP will return to lead a majority government.  But this week's position of Mars and Rahu in the national horoscope opens the door to some potential surprise or disappointment on Thursday.  Maybe the exit polls overestimated the NDA seat totals, or perhaps Congress will challenge the result.


Weekly Market Forecast

While Indian stocks soared Monday, most other global markets went sideways or lower.  The Dow in New York suffered a modest loss on Monday, after posting another losing week last week.  In last week's Monday update, I thought markets might have some further difficulty given the alignment of Mercury with the Saturn-Ketu conjunction.  That proved incorrect as stocks generally rebounded after Monday's big sell-off on the deepening US-China trade war. 

Collective sentiment seems to be caught between the bearish Saturn-Ketu conjunction and the bullish Jupiter-Pluto alignment. Given the low velocity of all the planets concerned, these are ongoing influences lasting several weeks at least.  I tend to think that the Saturn-Ketu alignment is more dominant (hence it has a greater width in the timeline chart below) so this could be a time for caution.  Some passing influences this week could also induce some selling, especially around midweek as Mercury aligns with Mars.  It is unclear how close Indian markets could follow these global transits given the separate logic of the election results, however.

For a more detailed analysis of the markets, please check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   I outline the key technical and planetary influences for US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, as well as currencies, gold and oil. 

Trump surprises markets with new China tariff threat

(6 May 2019)  He who lives by the Trump, dies by the Trump.  Some market participants may have been contemplating some adapted biblical wisdom today as stocks fell sharply after the mercurial US President tweeted Sunday that tariffs on Chinese goods would be raised to 25% on Friday.   Despite months of reassurance by the White House that a US-China trade deal was just around the corner, Trump has suddenly decided to play hardball after accusing China of reneging on what had already been agreed upon.

While stocks partially recovered by Monday's close in New York, confidence has been shaken.  It is unclear where the trade deal stands now as the China delegation is due in Washington for another round of negotiations on Wednesday. 

One perspective on this question can be found in the combined horoscopes of Donald Trump and  Xi Jinping.  We can combine the charts by taking the midpoint in time and space and arriving at a relationship chart cast for 14 December 1949.  It should be noted that we don't have a birth time for Xi so his noon chart is used as an approximation.
 
Immediately, we can see the source of today's tensions.  The Mars-Jupiter opposition sets up exactly on the natal Sun (29 Scorpio) of this combined chart.  Jupiter is usually a positive and harmonious influence especially in matters involving wealth and money, while Mars symbolizes frustration, anger and conflict.  The role of Mars here essentially overrides the Jupiter influence and makes outcomes worse, at least temporarily.  Interestingly, the two men were born one day apart in different years on June 14 (Trump) and June 15 (Xi). 

The ongoing Saturn-Ketu conjunction at 25-26 Sagittarius is setting up in a close 120 degree alignment with the natal Saturn in this combined chart.  This is an indication of heavy burdens and stress that can expose fundamental differences.  This Saturn-Saturn-Ketu set up has been within range for weeks and will only lessen its effect very slowly.  The fact that Saturn is barely moving in the days following its retrograde station (Apr 30) makes this Saturn-Saturn alignment all the more onerous for the Trump-Xi relationship.  It's definitely not a good time for US-China relations.

Mars will likely remain an source of problems this week as it will square its natal position at 1 Virgo 55.  Tomorrow (Tuesday) could see another spike in tensions as the Moon transits over the Mars and will reinforce the Mars-90-Mars alignment.  But I would be surprised if this represented a deal-breaker.  Mars transits are usually bad, but they don't last long and probably won't' symbolize irrevocable differences.  Indeed, we could see hope building again towards the end of the week as Venus aligns with Jupiter and the natal Sun.

But just as Mars probably isn't strong enough to deny a deal, Venus is likely not strong enough to bring forth a final deal either.   The bigger question mark concerns the role of Jupiter as a possible source of an agreement.  Jupiter retrograde gradually moving away from its conjunction with the Sun, so I'm not sure the necessary planets are in place for a deal in the near term.  And later in May Mars will oppose Mercury (May 24) and then square the Moon (May 31 approx.)  This will likely reflect another rise in conflict between Trump and Xi.  It's possible it could reflect other relevant situations like North Korea, but the risk of more trade problems will remain high. 


Weekly Market Forecast

Markets reacted quickly to the latest Trump trade tweets as futures plunged on Sunday night and then global equities fell sharply on Monday.  US stocks were down to start the week but largely recovered by the close of trading.  This decline was in keeping with expectations as it occurred just as Mars opposed Jupiter.  Last week was quite mixed as the Mars-Saturn-Ketu alignment didn't really cause too much damage when all was said and done.  I thought we might have seen a few more cracks in the bull market rally although Wednesday's Fed statement on Wednesday was bearish as expected and we got some follow-through on the downside on Thursday.  Friday's recovery was a bit disappointing but not wholly unexpected given the proximity of the Mercury-Jupiter alignment. 

This week could see more volatility.  Tuesday has a bearish bias as Mars enters sidereal Gemini while Venus squares Saturn and Ketu.    The Moon will conjoin Mars in the afternoon (EDT) so that could further elevate risk. But market bulls may get some relief along the way with the aforementioned Venus-Jupiter aspect on Wednesday and Thursday.  Perhaps this will reflect some constructive trade meetings in Washington.  Friday's Sun-Saturn-Ketu alignment may be more problematic, however. 

For a more detailed analysis of the markets, please check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   I outline the key technical and planetary influences for US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, as well as currencies, gold and oil.