Transits for Monday November 8, 2010Stocks rose sharply last week as Fed Chair Ben Bernanke announced the much-anticipated QE2 stimulus measures designed to boost the listless US economy. In New York, the Dow rallied to new highs for the year and closed at 11,444 while the S&P500 finished at 1225. Indian stocks likewise took a shine to Bernanke's freshly minted rescue package as the Sensex closed at an all-time high of 21,004 with the Nifty coming in at 6312. I thought we might see more downside on midweek Mars-Ketu aspect but the late week Mercury-Jupiter appears to have trumped all other influences. As a result, Wednesday's weakness was quite mild and didn't last long. Monday's Venus-Pluto aspect produced significant gains in Mumbai while Thursday's Mercury-Jupiter aspect sent stocks soaring. Neither of these up moves was especially surprising, although with Ketu's influence largely invisible here, the market rose overall.
An aspect worth watching this week is the conjunction between Rahu and Pluto which is exact on Tuesday. Rahu symbolizes speculation and greed and is considered a malefic planet. It is also connected with situations that break with the status quo and cause uncertainty. Pluto is also a nominally malefic planet and represents power and control, especially as it pertains to large organizations. It is possible that we could see further rally attempts with this intensification of greed, but it seems like a fairly precarious set up. With the G20 meeting in South Korea this coming weekend, one wonders if some significant changes are afoot. Some member nations have expressed frustration with the Fed's stimulus measures since they are devaluing the US Dollar and thus forcing up the value of their own currencies. This is creating problems by fueling inflation and making their exports more expensive. If there was a major change to the current currency regime, it could throw a wrench into the recent stock market rally since much of it has been driven by a falling US Dollar. The combination of Rahu and Pluto certainty has the power to effect such a change, although its full force may take some time to be released. The early December quadruple conjunction of Mercury, Mars, Rahu and Pluto is perhaps the most obvious potential configuration in that respect.
The week begins with a fleeting Mercury-Venus aspect that may boost sentiment and spur some more buying. By midweek, Mercury will form an alignment with Rahu and Pluto and this may correspond with distorted communication and confusion. These conditions would therefore seem to encourage greater caution and lower prices. At the same time, we can see that Mars is gradually coming under the influence of Saturn's full strength sextile aspect, so this may be another drag on sentiment as we move through the week. This aspect is not exact until next Monday the 15th but it will bear close watching.
"A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. "
-- George Bernard Shaw
