Israel draws a red line on Iran

The long-simmering tension between Israel and Iran was in the spotlight again this week as the leaders of both countries addressed the United Nations.  Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a stern warning that Iran was getting dangerously close to having an operational nuclear weapon.  Both Israel and US are on record saying that such a development would be unacceptable and would be sufficient grounds for launching a military strike, regardless of the consequences. For his part, Iranian President Achmadinejad was no less forceful in his speech and defended his country's nuclear program as a peaceful one that was directed towards energy production.  Any bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities would likely destabilize the Middle East and cause a spike in oil prices and a significant decline in the stock market.  While Achmadinejad reiterated his pledge to retaliate in the face of a of Israeli or US strike, it is somewhat less clear how strong any Iranian counter strike might be.  While a full-fledged war is possible, a limited exchange of air strikes on strategic targets is probably a more likely outcome.   But just how close are these two countries to some kind of military action? 

The horoscope of the Iranian Islamic Republic (Apr 1 1979 3 p.m.) definitely looks more active these days.  The close Mercury-Mars conjunction is currently under the aspect of transiting Rahu (North Lunar Node).  Mars symbolizes war and aggression of course, while Mercury is connected with communication and speech.  Perhaps this conjunction is one reason why bellicose speeches are the natural tendency of Iranian leaders.  The Rahu influence here is destabilizing, however, and needs to be taken very seriously.  Rahu is often associated with situations that break the boundaries and seek to upset the status quo.  To be sure, this includes any sort of military incident since an attack would interrupt the status quo.  At the same time, it's important to remember that it isn't necessarily an astrological signature for war.  It may simply reflect the war (Mars) of words (Mercury) that has flared up once again at the UN in recent days.  On the basis of this aspect, there's a good chance that October will likely see rising tensions as transiting Mars will oppose the Moon (the people, national emotion).

The real problem here is that the Rahu transit is quite slow moving so it will influence that Mercury-Mars conjunction in the Iran chart for several months.  This affliction therefore increases the likelihood for some kind of eruption of violence over the next four or five months.  While the chart looks pretty stressed now, I would think the early part of 2013 could be a more likely window when some kind of attack or conflict occurs.  Transiting Saturn will station in February in a close semi-square aspect to this Mercury-Mars conjunction.  Saturn will also exactly conjoin the IC (unequal 4th house cusp) in the proclamation horoscope.  This increases the probability of some kind of destructive event around that time frame.  The nodes are also angular at this time.  Overall, the Iran chart looks more troubled in early 2013 than it does now.  I would therefore expect an attack and an exchange of hostilities is more likely to happen then. 

The Israel horoscope also looks agitated in October.  While Mars (5 Leo) is not closely afflicted by any transiting planets, we can see that transiting Saturn is approaching the ascendant suggesting a time of heavy responsibility.  We can also see that the Sun (government, leaders) is under stress at the moment in this chart as Ketu is approaching its conjunction in the 1st degree of Taurus.  Transiting Mars is also opposite the Sun so this may reflect some criticism of Netanyahu's over-the-top presentation at the UN with a red marker and a cartoon-like diagram of a bomb.  Perhaps bellicosity knows no borders. 

On Friday 6 October Mercury will join Saturn on the ascendant of this chart while Mars and Neptune will aspect natal Mars.  This suggests a significant event, although I'm less inclined to be it will be a military action.  Mars-Neptune is often connected with harm and damage, but it is often indirect.  Embarrassment or some kind of scandal is common under this transit.  This does not seem like it would suggest an imminent attack.  It does not look positive, however, so I wonder if it will be diplomatic setback or some other lesser problem. Israel's chart also looks active at the end of October when the Sun and Saturn conjoin very close to the ascendant at 7 Libra.  Libra is the sign of debilitation for the Sun, so it is possible that Netanyahu may come under increased pressure at that time.  Again, this does not really look like a physical attack on the country but rather some situation that calls his leadership into question. 

Meanwhile, most financial markets slipped last week as anti-austerity protests in Europe raised doubts about the implementation of the bailout program.  US markets fell more than 1% with the Dow closing at 13,579. Indian stocks fared somewhat better, however, as hopes for further reform bolstered sentiment.  The Sensex was largely unchanged closing at 18,752.  I thought we might have seen a little more upside around the early week Mercury-Jupiter aspect but my overall expectation for a mixed market was not too far off. The negative influence of the Venus-Mars aspect broadly coincided with the intraweek low on Wednesday in the US and Thursday in India.

This week looks like we could see bigger moves in both directions.  That Mars-Rahu conjunction is likely to depress the mood in the early going, with Monday looking especially vulnerable.  The Venus-Neptune aspect on Tuesday and Wednesday would appear to offer a more positive spin on things, although the presence of Saturn is a bit of a wild card.  Thursday looks somewhat less positive as the Moon-Mars opposition spells trouble and hassles.  Friday's Mercury-Saturn conjunction creates a similar multi-planet pattern with Neptune and could produce a significant news event and large market reaction.  Friday will see the release of the latest monthly US jobs report, so that will likely be the catalyst.   While Saturn is usually negative, it can switch sides when it is associated with more positive planets. 

Transits for Monday 1 October 2012 9.30 a.m. New York

The Astrology of QE3: third time the charm?

Is the third time the charm?  The debate continues about QE3 as investors weigh the implications of the Fed's latest round of stimulus announced on September 13.  Will it really give a boost to employment or is it destined to be swamped by the forces of global recession and simply cause more inflation? Despite the fact that its stated aim is to increase asset values like stocks, US markets were fairly tepid last week as traders took a wait and see attitude after the initial show of enthusiasm on the day of its launch.  Not exactly the rousing reception that Ben Bernanke might have hoped for as the Fed is now playing for keeps.  If QE3 does not kick start employment in the next 3-6 months, then the Fed will begin to lose credibility.  It will increasingly be seen as "out of bullets" and unable to do anything to help the economy after trying three different QE programs.  Some analysts are already suggesting that the Fed is fighting a losing battle of diminishing returns and can only hope for a very limited growth effect with QE3.

In last week's market post, I offered a few ideas of why this latest round of QE was less likely to have the same big impact on markets as its predecessors did.  I wanted to expand that idea this week by going right to the astrological source, as it were: the horoscope of QE3 itself.  Ben Bernanke publicly launched QE3 in Washington at 12.30 pm on September 13.   This is the chart of the "birth" of the Fed's policy to buy $40 Billion of mortgage-backed securities every month until unemployment improves.  It may seem a bit of a stretch to capture the essence and future trajectory of this program simply by examining the planets at the time of its announcement.  There are so many possible other astrological factors involved, as I alluded to last week. And yet if astrology works at all, the planets at the beginning or "birth" of any project should reveal of the nature of the thing. It may not say everything we need to know about QE3 but it should reflect something about its both its 1) essential character and 2) possible futures and eventual outcome. 

 

QE3 Announcement: 13 September 2012 12.30 pm Washington, DC

A quick look at the chart shows why I bothered to risk my readers' scorn at yet another examination of this somewhat over-hyped and tired subject.  At the time of its announcement, Rahu, (the North Lunar Node) was exactly rising in early Scorpio.  The primary symbolism of Rahu includes 1) exaggeration and boundless acquisitiveness and 2) distortion and disruption.  Well, that is about as good a description of QE3 as one can imagine.  The stimulus measure aims to boost economic activity and pushing money out of otherwise safe assets like bonds and CDs into risky assets like stocks and commodities.  QE3 aims to depress interest rates and thus penalizing savers with near zero percent interest rates.  In other words, the road to recovery is through more borrowing, spending, and buying risky assets.  (That's funny - I thought that's how we got into this mess in the first place)  That is the perfect picture of Rahu's penchant for greed and unlimited ambition.  Bernanke doesn't want Americans to put money in the bank or in savings bonds; he wants them to invest it in a more active way such as the stock market.   What could be more Rahuvian than that?

Scorpio is ruled by Mars and Mars is placed in the 12th house of loss with Saturn.  To put it politely, this is a challenging placement.  Worse still, Saturn sits almost exactly on the equal 12th house cusp (4 Libra) thus intensifying the affliction to the 12th house of loss and isolation. On one hand, this placement may describe some of the fundamental nature of QE3 as a program which will by definition increase the debt load of the US government, a possible implication of the 12th house.  QE3 also owes its very existence to the fact that the economy is in trouble, which is very much a 12th house matter.  But these placements may also describe not just the nature of QE3, but the outcome of the thing also.  In other words, the clear 12th house emphasis in this horoscope suggests that it is more likely to fail to achieve its stated intentions.  The fact that there are two malefics in the 12th house suggests that efforts to stimulate growth may only end up increasing losses.  But we also need to examine the rest of the chart.

To see the probable success or failure of any endeavour we also have to look at the 11th house of gains.  If the 11th house and its ruler are strong, then there is a better chance that efforts will be successful.  If the 11th is unremarkable, however, and there is weakness or affliction to the 1st house and the Sun and Moon, then success is less likely.  Here we have Mercury in the first degree of Virgo -- a very good placement since Mercury is said to be exalted in Virgo. However, Mercury comes under the fairly close trine aspect of Ketu (South Lunar Node).  Like its nodal brother Rahu, Ketu also is an unreliable planet that can introduce an element of change and disruption.  In terms of ascertaining QE3's essential character, the influence of Ketu on the 11th house ruler Mercury suggests "gains through unusual means".  This seems like an apt description of trying to stimulate growth by printing money.  The Fed can no longer lower interest rates since they are at zero already.  Quantitative easing is therefore a kind of desperate last resort to avoid a deflationary spiral and liquidity trap that ends in depression.  But since Ketu is considered a malefic planet, its influence on Mercury may not be positive and therefore we can surmise that this affliction may impact the outcome of QE3 also.  This is where quality can evolve into quantity and the essence contains the seed of the outcome. (hat tip to Hegel!)  Given the difficult 12th house emphasis, this Ketu influence should be seen as unhelpful to the long term viability of QE3. 

On the plus side, both the Sun and Moon are in the their signs and in favourable houses, the 10th and 9th respectively.  At minimum, this says something about the high profile that QE3 may enjoy.  The Fed's moves are increasingly dissected and discussed in mainstream media, so there is a growing familiarity with this previously arcane term from economics.  While both the Sun and Moon are strong in this chart, I'm not sure that they provide enough strength to affect the future outcome.

 

The other way to assess possible future outcomes, of course, is to look at transit hits to this chart. At the outset, we should consider what transit hits may mean in real terms.  At the most general level, one would expect transits involving benefic planets like Venus and Jupiter to bring success to QE3.  Success could be measured in different ways, but one would think it includes boosting asset values (e.g. stocks) as well as boosting growth rates (GDP) and employment.  Transit hits by malefic planets like Saturn may signal troubles with QE3.  These would presumably involve failure to achieve its stated goals and could be associated with falling stock prices and falling or stagnant employment.  At the same time, it may also mean that QE3 is coming under criticism for other reasons such as obstacles to implementation, theoretical justification or other facets that may not be directly related to economic results.  In this sense, it is possible that afflictions to the QE3 horoscope may not directly correlate with more economic problems.  Bottom line, I think there should be some correlation but I do acknowledge that it is conceivable that outcomes may need to be defined quite generously.

That said, the upcoming transits to this chart do not look good at all.   Transiting Saturn will exactly square Venus in December.  Venus represents social connections and possibly popularity in this case, so we should expect QE3 to come under greater attack under this Saturn transit.  Since Venus is placed in the 9th house of higher knowledge, this Saturn affliction could correlate with a questioning of its theoretical basis and legitimacy.  At the same time, transiting Ketu will exactly aspect Mercury, the lord of the all-important 11th house of gains. This definitely could mean some headwinds for QE3.  A decline in economic activity or the stock market is definitely one possibility at this time. Saturn will then move past and then go retrograde in early 2013 and station very close to an exact square in July 2013.  Interestingly, this will coincide with another double whammy as transiting Rahu conjoins Mars in the 12th house.  This may correlate with a sudden or shocking loss (12th house).  The extended Saturn transit to Venus in the 9th house may well symbolize more questions about the wisdom of the whole notion of quantitative easing and money printing.

Overall, the transits look difficult for the next year or so and would tend to argue against a quick or effective turnaround in the US economy.  Bernanke has already stated that if QE3 does not produce results, he will take additional measures.  In other words, QE4.  Given the prolonged stress of the QE3 horoscope in mid-2013, it may be necessary for Bernanke to make another such move around that time.  Perhaps he will finally get that helicopter.

Thus far, most global markets have not taken QE3 to heart.  After an enthusiastic rally on QE3's inaugural day, US Stocks edged slightly lower last week as many investors are pondering the likelihood of a slowdown in China.  The Dow closed at 13,579 while the S&P 500 finished the week at 1460.   Indian stocks fared better, however, as the government's reform of the retail sector put investors in a buying mood on Friday.  The Sensex rose 2% closing at 18,752 while the Nifty ended the week at 5691.  I thought we would get more downside on the midweek Sun-Rahu-Saturn pattern, although Indian stocks did trend lower into Thursday.  Friday's gain coincided closely with the Venus-Jupiter aspect. 

This week looks fairly mixed.  Mercury and Jupiter form a bullish looking aspect on Tuesday and Wednesday so that could push stocks higher in the early going.  But the Venus-Mars aspect looks more troublesome and may produce some down movement, especially around Thursday when the aspect is closest.

 

Transits for Tuesday 25 September 2012 9.30 a.m. New York

 

Bernanke launches QE3; but will it work?

After months of hints, testimony and warnings, Ben Bernanke finally pulled the trigger and announced QE3.  This latest attempt to kick start the US economy will buy $40 Billion of mortgage-backed securities every month in an effort to lower interest rates and help boost the moribund housing market.  Perhaps most importantly, Bernanke committed to this program indefinitely until there was significant employment  growth and the economy was back on its feet.  In this sense, QE3 is not a one-time thing.  It is QE Forever now as the Fed is showing signs of frustration (or perhaps desperation?) with the inability of the economy to get going.  Such quantitative easing measures are intended to lower interest rates to boost lending and help to move money into riskier assets like stocks.  According to theory, this should boost the housing market and increase economic activity and thereby boost employment.  It may also boost the stock market and thus enhance the overall 'wealth effect' of the population and stimulate more consumer spending. 

Well, that's the theory anyway.  In practice it may have not have much of an effect.  Interest rates are already near historic lows, so a few tenths of a percentage point difference is unlikely to further entice prospective home buyers. The latest estimates are that QE3 may only end up increasing GDP by half a percentage point over the next year.  That is unlikely to make a major difference to hiring.  And inflation is likely to become more of a problem both domestically and around the world now with this latest bit of money printing.  While narrowly defined (and carefully massaged) official "core inflation" may stay fairly low, food and fuel prices are likely to rise and will make the lives of lower income people more difficult.  And of course, quantitative easing increases America's debt load. Where does the $40 Billion come from after all? Well, the Fed prints it "out of thin air" as the saying goes, and it goes on its balance sheet as a liability. 

While Bernanke may have had little choice, one wonders where it will all end.  The US looks increasingly vulnerable to another recession as the Fed is quickly running out of financial instruments to prop up the economy.   From an astrological perspective, the US horoscope should not give Ben Bernanke much reason for optimism. At the outset, I should note that there is no consensus about the correct birth time for the USA.  It is one of the most contested horoscopes there is.  I tend to default towards the 6.30 p.m. chart pioneered by James Kelleher, although I am open-minded about it and do refer to the 5.10 pm and the 2.21 pm chart also.  Given the uncertainty about the exact time of the chart, it is usually a good idea to focus more on planet-to-planet influences, rather than house placement and other chart features that are more dependent on the precise time.

Looking at the the 6.30 pm chart, we can see that QE3 was launched just as both Saturn and Rahu were aspecting Mercury, the planet of commerce and communication.  It is hard to imagine a more inauspicious planetary set-up as both Saturn and Rahu are considered malefic influences.  Saturn often has a depressive effect on the planets it aspects, so its square aspect to Mercury may be a reflection of ongoing pessimism about the economy and the prospects for success from this latest QE3 program. Indeed, there has been more questions raised about the effectiveness of the Fed's actions this time around.  While most acknowledge it will likely boost stocks and commodity prices, there is also more skepticism about its ultimate effects to actually increase employment and improve the lives of ordinary people.  Saturn may also be undermining the economy and the stock market in the short run while this aspect is still quite close. 

The Rahu aspect to Mercury suggests distortion and exaggeration, a probable reflection of the impact of QE3 on the whole notion of free markets.  As Senatorial candidate Elizabeth Warren recently noted in a speech at the DNC, "the game is rigged" against the average person.  Wall Street gets first dibs and leaves only crumbs for everybody else.  QE3 similarly puts money in the hands of bankers who are all too happy to unload non-performing loans to the Fed, while there is very little trickle down benefit to Main Street.  Bernanke would likely get a more stimulative effect if he simply gave the $40 Billion every month directly to the American people rather than funnel it to the banks.  QE3 therefore can be seen as a distortion of the real economy through central bank intervention that punishes savers and those on fixed incomes in an effort to reduce an onerous debt burden through inflation.  If you owe someone $100 and inflation is running at 10% per year, next year you will only have to repay him the equivalent of $90.  Inflation is a good deal for borrowers, but not for creditors.  This is what Germany tried to do in the 1920s after it was saddled with huge war debts.  It led to an inflationary spiral and economic collapse and ultimately paved the way for fascism.  That's not to say that the US will follow the same path, but debt-ridden countries are usually seduced by the inflation solution.

But Saturn and  Rahu will soon move past their aspects with Mercury.  The real longer term problem for the US economy is the combined effect of the Uranus and Pluto transits to Venus and Jupiter in the US chart.  Both are more difficult square (90 degree) aspects and promise a significant amount of dislocation and disruption of the status quo.  While we can't be sure what house Venus and Jupiter are really in, we do know that both of these benefic planets are associated with wealth and economy, among other things.  Therefore transit afflictions to Venus and Jupiter will tend to coincide with major adjustments in the economy.  Uranus and Pluto both represent change, albeit in somewhat different ways.  Uranus is sudden and energetic while Pluto is more plodding and deliberate.  Both Uranus and Pluto move very slowly, so these aspects have two or three more years before they will fully manifest.  Another recession looks fairly likely with these aspects, and we can also expect some re-organization of the economy.  If recession takes hold in the next year as I think it might, then the Fed will likely step up its efforts and print even more money.

Not surprisingly, stock markets rallied strongly on Bernanke's announcement.  US markets rose 2% on the week as the Dow closed at 13,593 -- it's highest level since 2007.  Indian markets were also buoyed by the news as the Sensex surged 4% finishing the week at 18,464.  Commodities also jumped 3% as crude oil touched $100 and gold closed near $1775.  This positive outcome was pretty much what I expected as the Venus influence last week was quite prominent.  I wasn't sure about the reaction to the Fed decision, although I thought the favorable sentiment could spill over into the end of the week.  Enthusiasm only faded somewhat by midday on Friday in the US.   While I thought the Fed would likely announce something. I was somewhat surprised by the extent of the Fed's commitment to debt purchases indefinitely.  Perhaps Bernanke was seeking to avoid another single, large number as in past QEs ($750 Billion) in favor of something that sounded more politically manageable ($40 Billion).

This week looks less positive for markets.  I am watching two things.  First, there is a Pluto direct station on Tuesday that happens to coincide with an exact square aspect with Uranus.  On paper, this has disruptive potential although it may require a third planet as catalyst.   Wednesday and Thursday will see a nasty-looking alignment of the Sun, Rahu and Saturn that would seem to foster pessimism.  Interestingly, Mercury will move into mutual aspect with Uranus-Pluto on Thursday and Friday.  There is a lot of energy there.  Overall, I would think there is a good case for a decline this week.

Transits for Thursday 20 September 2012 9.30 am New York

ECB's Draghi delivers; iPhone launches with Venus Wednesday

Stocks moved higher last week as the ECB's Mario Draghi delivered on his promise to intervene in the European bond market.   In New York, stocks rose by more than 2% with the Dow closing at 13,306 and the S&P 500 making a new high for the year finishing at 1437.  Indian markets followed suit as the Sensex gained 300 points on the week closing at 17,683 while the Nifty finished at 5342.  I thought we might have seen a little more early week downside on the Venus-Saturn aspect, although I did caution that the negativity could be fairly muted.  As expected, the second half of the week was more bullish as the Venus-Rahu and Sun-Jupiter aspects coincided closely with gains on Thursday and Friday. 

The ECB fulfilled market expectations last week as its bond buying program offered some hope that Europe could yet contain its ongoing debt crisis.  I had been fairly skeptical about the size of any major new stimulus program, so it's worth noting that Draghi did not produce the bazooka-like program that some analysts suggested with hard yield caps and the like.  He remained well within the ECB's stated mandate.  Moreover, the bond purchases will be sterilized and will not worsen the ECB's balance sheet.  In this way, Draghi was taking a page from the Bernanke playbook as the Fed Chair's Operation Twist in 2011 similarly embarked on sterilized bond purchases rather than an outright buying program as had characterized the more ambitious QE1 and QE2. 

All eyes are on Ben Bernanke and the Fed this week as many are expecting QE3 to be announced at its Thursday meeting. Friday's disappointing US jobs report has increased the likelihood for some Fed action, although it is unclear just what will be announced.  Will Bernanke unleash a bazooka?  Or will be attempt a more cautious and limited intervention?  Or indeed will be announce anything at all?  As I have suggested previously, I think a full-fledged bazooka-like QE program is quite unlikely at this point.  Jupiter does not seem strong enough at the moment for such a move. That leaves the two other options. Given his recent speech at Jackson Hole and the anemic jobs report, it would be somewhat disingenuous for him not to do anything.  So I suspect he will go with some kind of modest plan, perhaps limited in size and scope.  More politically safe sterilized bond purchases are therefore a possible route he could take.  I'm not certain what Bernanke will announce on Thursday, but I do think it is quite possible that the market reaction could be fairly tepid.

This week looks fairly bullish on paper.  Monday's Sun-Mercury conjunction is often a bullish influence, albeit with some caveats.  It usually signals a strong directional move, although it is less reliably bullish than aspects involving Jupiter or Venus.  The main planetary aspect this week occurs on Wednesday and Thursday as the aforementioned Venus forms a nice alignment with the Uranus-Pluto aspect.  This is one reason why we can expect stocks to stay fairly buoyant leading into the Fed meeting.  It is perhaps no coincidence that the long-awaited iPhone 5 release occurs on Wednesday just as the Moon (people, masses) conjoins Venus (happiness, luxury) and therefore highlights this wider combination with Uranus (technology) and Pluto (corporations).  This is a favourable planetary alignment that should make this a successful product.  The planets at the time of the Fed announcement on Thursday are somewhat equivocal.  Venus is just reaching its closest aspect while Mercury has just entered sidereal Virgo.  These are very bullish indications but it doesn't leave much left over for Friday.  So it is possible that the market could rise into the announcement and even extend its gains into the close. But it's harder to make that case for Friday.  I would therefore not be surprised if the market showed some weakness in the aftermath of the Fed announcement.

Ben Bernanke: The Most Powerful Man in the World

Ben Bernanke was in the spotlight again on Friday as he delivered his annual speech on the state of the economy from Jackson Hole, Wyoming.   While Bernanke argued forcefully for the necessity for further stimulus measures to bolster the weak US economy, he stopped short of actually announcing anything concrete.  Nonetheless, Bernanke's QE3 talk was enough to lift stocks higher on Friday.  Without risk of exaggeration, Bernanke and the Fed governors are perhaps the most powerful people in the world these days, as their decisions affect almost everyone on the planet in some way.  If the Fed decides on more stimulus, it will certainly raise the price of commodities like gasoline and food all over the world.  Stimulus measures like QE3 are inflationary by design as they create money "out of thin air" in an effort to boost economic activity.   But as we know, inflation is not benign.  Rising food prices have been indirectly blamed for much of the civil unrest and popular uprisings in the Middle East over the past two years.  Food inflation is also worsening the lives of the poor who no longer have sufficient income to buy even the bare essentials of life.  On the other hand, if Bernanke and the Fed decide not to embark on QE3, the stock market is likely to decline sharply and this will hit anyone with investments, 40lk, or any kind of pension fund.  The knock-on effects of a stock market decline are somewhat harder to measure,  although they could conceivably spark another recession as consumer spending dries up.  Bernanke therefore shoulders an enormous burden of responsibility at the moment as his next move will directly and indirectly impact the lives of literally billions of people.

Ben Bernanke's horoscope reveals the huge amount of pressure he is currently living under.  While we do not have his birth time, we know he was born on December 13, 1953 in Augusta, Georgia.  We can see that transiting Saturn (2 Libra) is exactly conjunct his Mars-Neptune conjunction.   This is a very apt planetary influence since Saturn to Mars transits are often associated with hard work and increased stress.  Saturn symbolizes burdens and responsibility while Mars embodies the notion of action and decision-making.  Clearly, Bernanke must be trying to cope with an almost unimaginable amount of responsibility for the actions he will take in the next Fed meeting on September 13.  In some cases, this Saturn to Mars transit can lead to very damaging outcomes.  Both planets are considered malefics so there is always that possibility, especially when other chart factors confirm.  In Bernanke's case, Saturn is exalted in his natal chart in Libra, so this may reduce the likelihood of negative fallout from any actions he makes.  In addition, the dispositor of Mars and Saturn in Libra is Venus, and it is placed in Scorpio in the natal chart.  Venus is currently under the strengthening influence of transiting Jupiter so this may help to support the outcomes of this Mars-Saturn transit.

We can see that there will be an interesting mirroring of transit influences this weekend in Bernanke's chart.  Not only is transiting Saturn conjunct his natal Mars, but transiting Mars is conjunct his natal Saturn this weekend.  This likely represents situations of maximum intensity and pressure as if the key decisions about QE3 may be made this weekend.  There is an awful lot of malefic energy in this rare mirroring of transits.  It looks like there may be some significant amount of upset and discomfort along the way, as if Bernanke may be forced by external circumstances into making a decision.  Perhaps this is related to developments in Europe as the ECB attempts to cobble together its own stimulus package.  In fact, some analysts have suggested that Bernanke's decision on QE3 may ultimately be determined by what happens in Europe over the next two weeks rather than by any new US economic data.

On the day of the expected announcement on September 13, Venus will move to 13 degrees of sidereal Cancer.  This will put it on a collision course with his natal Saturn at 12 Libra.  Venus-Saturn aspects tend to be somewhat difficult and often reflect situations that are disappointing or produce unhappiness.  Venus will be a bit past exact, so that is one potential saving grace. On the plus side, both Mercury and the Sun will form larger t-squares with Bernanke's natal Sun-Jupiter opposition.  T-square patterns are still somewhat untrustworthy, however, even when they involve positive planets as they do here.  In any event, the pattern highlights the importance of that period around September 13.  Overall, there are some problematic possibilities here that suggest that Bernanke's decision may not have a warm welcome.  This would likely be the case anyway, since he does harm to consumers by launching QE3, while he does harm to asset owners if he does not launch it.

Bernanke may encounter even more problems starting in October as transiting Rahu will tightly aspect Ketu.  At that time, Rahu will station near 1-2 degrees of Scorpio for a period of two months.   This  Rahu to Ketu transit is often difficult and usually involves situations that are outside of our control.  I would therefore expect this transit could translate as a particularly uncertain and disruptive time for the Fed Chair.  What makes this transit especially troublesome is that it will also activate his natal Mars-Neptune conjunction that is also at 2 degrees of its sign of Libra.  While September looks like a time of increased pressure and stress, October to December may actually prove to be more negative in terms of outcomes.  Perhaps this may mean that Bernanke is losing control of his fellow Fed governors who must collectively decide on policy.  Or it may mean that the economy is not responding in a way that he has expected.   It looks as if there are circumstances or people beyond his control that may be creating some headaches or obstacles for him.

Despite Bernanke's encouraging words from out on the Wyoming range, stocks edged lower last week as Euro worries continued to weigh on sentiment.  The Dow was off by less than 1% closing at 13,090 while the S&P 500 finished at 1406.  Indian stocks also declined as positive GDP numbers reduced the likelihood of a rate cut. The Sensex lost 2% closing at 17,380 while the Nifty ended the week at 5258.  I thought we might get more upside around Thursday's Sun-Uranus-Pluto alignment but that energy showed up somewhat later than expected on Friday in the US.   Gold also benefited from the Sun aspects late in the week.  As expected, we did see some downside early on in the week, however.

This week appears to have some significant negative aspects in play, especially in the early part of the week.  Venus is aspected by Saturn on Monday so this is likely to depress buying.  US markets are closed for Labor Day, so it is possible that the negative mood could extend into Tuesday.  Mercury and Mars form a fairly powerful alignment with Uranus and Pluto on Tuesday and Wednesday so that is another potential trouble spot for markets.  I'm less convinced that it can produce much downside though.  The second half of the week may be better as Venus is aspected by Rahu Wednesday and Thursday and the Sun teams up with Jupiter in a square aspect on Friday.