Russians push into outskirts of Kyiv as war rages in Ukraine

 (27 February 2022)  As Putin's military adventure in Ukraine enters its second week, markets remain volatile.  After an initial sell-off, last week ended with an oversold reversal from the lows and a short squeeze which actually printed a positive weekly candle for the major indexes.  It was perhaps evidence that limited wars can sometimes actually be bullish, following an initial period of uncertainty.

But the transits this week don't look good.  First, the ongoing Venus-Mars conjunction could get a jolt from its alignment with Rahu (North Lunar Node) early in the week.  Sunday night futures are already down 2% so that could well be the result of this pattern.  Rahu acts as a disruptor, and Mars is an agitator and aggressor, while Venus resides in the more comfortable world of worth and value.  Given the double effect of these malefics, the positive influence of Venus may be overwhelmed and unable to boost sentiment. 

But there are other alignments to watch this week.  On Wednesday and Thursday, the ongoing Venus and Mars conjunction will catch up to Pluto, the planet of power and coercion. The resulting triple conjunction looks quite intense as Pluto has a bearish bias, especially when combined with malefics such as Mars.  Given the current war between Russia and Ukraine, this Venus-Mars-Pluto conjunction suggests an intensification of hostilities.  This pattern not only points to an escalation of the conflict, it also could negatively impact financial markets.

The additional problem with this potent conjunction is that it is conjunct the south node of Saturn at 3 degrees of sidereal Capricorn -- that's about 27 Capricorn in the Western tropical zodiac. The effects of planetary nodes are not fully appreciated by many astrologers but they are definitely worth considering, especially if their symbolism is compounded by transiting planets.  i.e. benefic nodes are transited by benefics, or malefics are transited by malefics.  This week we have a situation where the malefics Mars and Pluto are simultaneously transiting over a malefic node such as Saturn.  This is a dangerous pattern that only serves to increase the probability of an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. 

Another transit pattern worth noting this week is the Mercury-Saturn conjunction at 24 Capricorn.  This is exact on Wednesday and has a decidedly bearish bias.  Saturn represents constraint and loss while Mercury symbolizes communication and trade.  This is often bad for stocks and can also reflect interruptions in transport and communication (including the internet). 

Finally we should note the Sun-Jupiter conjunction on Friday and Saturday.  This tends to be bullish as Jupiter confers optimism and hope upon the Sun which represents the self and the ego.  Wednesday's New Moon actually inserts the Moon into this close Sun-Jupiter conjunction and could offset some of the other negative influences that day. 


For more details, check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   In addition to reviewing the key planetary and technical influences on US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, I also provide an astrological analysis of potential upcoming moves in currencies, gold and oil.

Russia prepares to invade Ukraine

(23 February 2022) To no one's surprise, Russia is now on the verge of invading Ukraine.  After recognizing the independence of the pro-Russian border provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, President Vladimir Putin is likely to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine within the next few days, if not hours.  Despite Ukraine having broken off diplomatic ties with Russia and called up its reservists, Putin appears to be unmoved by the threat the Western financial and trade sanctions.

In a post dated February 9, I suggested that based on the afflictions in the Ukraine horoscope the situation was likely to worsen in late February (Feb 28-Mar 2).  At that time, the Venus-Mars conjunction aligned with the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction and suggested conflict and frustrating events.  That prediction looks likely to be off the mark here, however, as Putin seems likely to strike sooner.  Of course, the main event is likely to remain the approaching Saturn conjunction with Ukraine's natal Moon in early April.  The conjunction will be within range for much of March and will likely coincide with increasing stress and sadness for the Ukrainian people. 

The Russia horoscope (Aug 8 1991, 7.45 pm) places the current Venus-Mars conjunction (27-28 Sagittarius) in an exact square with the 4/10th house axis.  This is therefore a time of high tension as the combined energies of Venus (harmony) and Mars (action) are likely to resonate at the national level.  Transiting Jupiter (18 Aquarius) is well-placed here as it is approaching alignments with the Ascendant (20 Cancer), the Moon (20 Sagittarius) and even the Sun (22 Scorpio) and Mercury (22 Scorpio).  Since Jupiter is benefic and symbolizes wealth and expansion, the Russian actions are likely to be successful, at least in the near term.

If the invasion takes place here in late February, Russia should see some tangible results for its efforts by early March.  The March 5 Sun-Jupiter conjunction (20 Aquarius) conjoins its 8th house and thereby resonates with its Ascendant.  This is 8th house combination carries a symbolism of sudden gains, such as those made through invasion.

However, the time around March 10 (+/- 2 days) looks more tense for Russia as Venus and Mars conjoin with the natal Saturn.  This could be a time of a setback, possibly related to relations with other countries since Saturn is in the 7th house of partners and clients.  Sanctions may begin to bite at this time. 

As in the Ukraine chart, the early April period could prove decisive since the Mars-Saturn conjunction (28 Capricorn) is due to align exactly with the 10th house cusp (MC).   While this conjunction is likely to be a negative influence on Ukraine since it conjoins its Moon, it looks more positive for Russia since it will form a powerful sextile (60 degree) aspect to the 10th house representing goals and status. 

Even though both Mars and Saturn are malefic planets, we should note that they will be part of a larger alignment including Rahu, Jupiter and Neptune.  Taken together, the influence of these planets on the MC suggests a major Russian achievement, such as ending the conflict after territorial gains and/or wrestling concessions from the West.  To be continued.


Weekly Market Forecast

Stocks have largely declined in recent days as investors have sought out safe havens ahead of the uncertain consequences from a likely war between Russia and Ukraine. The decline reflects the tension from the ongoing Venus-Mars conjunction as well as some of the patterns outlined in Monday's Weekly Transits post including the latitude parallels and the conjunction with the Pluto node.

Unfortunately, the planet outlook seems unlikely to improve much in the near term.  More downside is very possible this week as the velocities of Venus and Mars are exactly equal (44' 33"/day) on Thursday.  Even next week should see further volatility as Venus and Mars align with disruptive Rahu and then conjoin Pluto on Wednesday, March 2.


For more details, check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   In addition to reviewing the key planetary and technical influences on US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, I also provide an astrological analysis of potential upcoming moves in currencies, gold and oil.

Canada's Trudeau invokes Emergencies Act against Freedom Convoy

  (16 February 2022) The Freedom Convoy protest may be soon approaching a climax after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act on Monday.  It was the first time the extraordinary measures have been used since his father, Pierre Trudeau, invoked its legal predecessor, the War Measures Act, in 1970 to combat a terrorist threat in the province of Quebec.  For the past three weeks, truckers from the Freedom Convoy have occupied downtown Ottawa, Canada's capital, in an protest to end vaccine mandates and Covid restrictions.

We can easily see the outline of this stressful and unusual situation in Canada's horoscope (July 1, 1867).  Not surprisingly, Saturn (23 Capricorn) is prominent here as the planet of obstruction and disappointment is forming a near-exact 3rd house/60 degree aspect to the Ascendant (24 Pisces).  Saturn's influence reflects the sense of stalemate with the protestors who have clogged the downtown core in front of Parliament with trucks and trailers in an attempt to force the government to remove its stringent policies.  In addition, we can see that the ongoing conjunction of Venus and Mars will conjoin with the 10th house cusp (leadership, govt) and thereby bolster the Saturn aspect to the Ascendant for the rest of the week.  Moreover, the Venus-Mars conjunction will align with Rahu (24 Leo) later this week and suggests a greater likelihood of conflict and strife. 

The other thing to note in this chart is the strength of Jupiter.  Jupiter (16 Aquarius) is just past conjunction with its natal position (15 Aquarius) and is exactly aspecting the Sun-Uranus conjunction at 16 Gemini.  Jupiter symbolizes "right action" and wisdom and its aspect with the Sun (government) is a positive influence on Trudeau's actions.  The Jupiter-Sun aspect therefore suggests the government use of these emergency measures may be justified and could be supported by a majority of Canadians.  That said, there are many observers who are questioning Trudeau's actions and the opposition Conservatives have not signed on to the Liberals' motion in the House of Commons.  Nonetheless, the Jupiter influence here suggests that Trudeau has some judicial and popular support for this move.

While the Canada horoscope is quite afflicted here, I should say that I do not expect a major violent incident from this stand-off between the protestors and the police.  Some conflict is likely given the Mars influence in the coming days, but it looks fairly muted to me. 

Looking ahead, however, Prime Minister Trudeau may pay a political price for his mishandling of the Freedom Convoy.  Trudeau's chart is quite afflicted in the coming months as Saturn approaches its direct station in early June.  Actually, we can see the current drama play out in his chart as Saturn is exactly sextile his natal Moon at 23 Pisces.  This is one reason why Justin Trudeau was initially so popular -- his Moon was just one degree from Canada's Ascendant.  His emotions (Moon) were in sync with the body and soul (Ascendant) of the country.  Therefore, the Saturn affliction to the Canada Ascendant is also his affliction to his Moon.  The Venus-Mars alignment only adds to the current affliction and magnifies his level of personal stress from the convoy protests.  The Mars square aspect to his Moon will be exact over the next 2-3 days and suggest a time of maximum stress. 

The larger problem for Trudeau is that Saturn will soon approach its retrograde station at 1 Aquarius on June 4.  Saturn will therefore form a close square aspect with his MC/IC (10th house/4th house cusp) in May and June.  Hard aspects (0, 90, 180 degrees) involving Saturn to the 10th house are associated with loss of status and possible job loss.  Could Trudeau somehow be forced out, either by his own party or in an election?

It's actually a possibility worth considering.  Besides the affliction in Trudeau's own chart, the Canada horoscope hints at a possible change in leadership.  In national horoscopes, the Sun is generally considered to the planet that symbolizes leaders.  In my experience, transit afflictions by Saturn or the Nodes (Rahu, Ketu) to the Sun often coincide with changes in government.  The Saturn retrograde station on June 4 will form a very close 135 degree alignment with the natal Sun (16 Gemini) in the Canada chart. 

While 135 degrees is not a full strength Vedic aspect, it nonetheless is an intriguing geometric alignment that carries a special resonance.  As an additional affliction, Mercury concludes its retrograde cycle (May 10-June 3) exactly square Saturn right atop his MC.  While I would have preferred to see the Saturn-MC square to be closer for a loss of his leadership, it is nonetheless close enough to warrant serious consideration.

Even if Justin Trudeau manages to resolve this Freedom Convoy debacle, it seems likely that he will remain under continuing pressure in the months ahead..


Weekly Market Forecast 

Stocks have so far bounced this week after last week's sharp sell-off.  As expected, the Mercury-Pluto-Rahu alignment coincided with last week's decline.  However, this week's gains have come despite the ongoing Venus-Mars conjunction.  While the conjunction is bearish, its extended alignment means that its effects may be felt at different times between February 11 and March 12.   Rallies are therefore quite likely but vulnerable to quick reversals as the Mars influence asserts itself.



For more details, check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   In addition to reviewing the key planetary and technical influences on US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, I also provide an astrological analysis of potential upcoming moves in currencies, gold and oil.

Russian troops mass at Ukrainian border

(9 February 2022) Tensions continue to rise on the Russia-Ukraine border as the Russian army has amassed 100,000 troops in preparation for a possible invasion. While diplomatic talks are ongoing between President Vladimir Putin and various NATO officials, most Western governments have issued calls for their citizens to leave Ukraine in the event of a possible attack in the coming days.  Clearly, it is an unstable situation that could well lead to war.

An astrological assessment of the stand-off suggests that war is likely.  Using the Ukraine horoscope (Aug 24, 1991, 5.31 p.m. Kiev), we can see how the planetary storm clouds are gathering.  The main affliction in the chart is that transiting Saturn (loss) is approaching its conjunction with the natal Moon (home, land) at 28 Capricorn.  The exact conjunction of Saturn to the natal Moon is due to occur in late March and early April.  Saturn will then proceed to enter sidereal Aquarius in late April and early May where it will oppose Mercury and Jupiter at the time of the Saturn retrograde station.  Let's unpack this a bit to see how these alignments might correlate with real-world events. 

While the chart is already under stress now, a full-blown invasion seems less likely in the near term.  The ongoing Venus-Mars conjunction will be activating natal Rahu next week (Feb 14-20) but this does not look significant enough to suggest a military confrontation.  A small border incursion is possible perhaps, or some other frustrating development that puts Ukraine back on its heels.

A more important window to watch may be Feb 28-Mar 2 when Venus and Mars switch signs and enter Capricorn.  Mars will therefore align with Mercury and Jupiter in early Leo (by 8th house aspect) and also align with natal Mars (1 Virgo).  The Mars-Mars alignment is a better indicator of some kind of explicit conflict.

But the focus of energy appears to be in April when both Mars conjoins Saturn at 28 Capricorn, exactly conjunct the Moon in the Ukraine chart.  This double conjunction to the Moon occurs on April 5. This affliction to the Moon looks likely to coincide with a loss and disappointment felt throughout the country.  Given the Moon's association with land, a loss of territory seems very possible in early April. 

We should also note that transiting Uranus (19 Aries) will be exactly conjunct the unequal 4th house cusp (IC).  The Uranus-4th house conjunction suggests possible major changes which disrupt the status quo.  

The outlook doesn't get any better in May and early June as Saturn stations at 1 Aquarius, almost exactly opposite Mercury and Jupiter in early Leo.  Since Saturn moves very slowly around the time of its stations, this affliction to the Moon, Mercury and Jupiter will persist for several months.  Therefore, even if military actions end by this date, Ukraine is likely to be on the losing end. 

While some loss of territory looks more likely than not, it is difficult to say how much territory will be lost and if the capital, Kiev, will remain in Ukrainian control.  We may have to revisit this topic as events unfold.


Weekly Market Forecast

Stocks have generally been positive over the past trading sessions.  The gains likely reflect the ongoing alignment between Jupiter (15 Aquarius), Uranus (16 Aries) and Chiron (15 Pisces).  While there are no full-strength aspects in play here, the degreewise alignment nonetheless is the more plausible reason for the upside this week. 

The rest of this week looks less positive, however, as Mercury conjoins Pluto on Thursday and Friday.  The fact that this conjunction occurs while in alignment with Rahu (North Lunar Node) is an additional reason to be skeptical about further gains. 

Next week will see a tightening of the ongoing Venus-Mars conjunction. This is less likely to be a bullish pairing, although the current conjunction is quite unusual since it last for up to fours weeks due to the recently retrograde Venus returning to normal forward motion. 

For more details, check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   In addition to reviewing the key planetary and technical influences on US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, I also provide an astrological analysis of potential upcoming moves in currencies, gold and oil.

Facebook falls 20% after-hours on earnings disappointment

 (2 February 2022) Facebook shares plunged 20% in after-hours trading today as earnings and forward guidance came in below analysts' estimates.  The tech-heavy Nasdaq futures also fell 2% on the earnings disappointment.  The steep decline comes after the stock market has staged a powerful rebound following the last Monday's low.  Markets had seen a rise in volatility in January following the Fed's promise to raise rates in order to fight rising inflation.  The prospect of higher rates are kryptonite to this market since investors have relied on the Fed's ultra-loose monetary policy since the pandemic began in 2020. 

We can see this sharp sell-off quite clearly in the Facebook horoscope (first IPO trade at 11.30 a.m. May 18, 2012).   Typically, major declines coincide with transits from either Saturn, Rahu/Ketu (the Lunar Nodes) or a hard aspect from outer planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.  In this case, the Facebook Ascendant (22 Cancer) is almost exactly opposed by Saturn (21 Capricorn).  Moreover, The Sun (19 Capricorn) is approaching its conjunction with Saturn and thus served as a trigger which released Saturn's reservoir of negative energy.

Also, we should note the bearish alignment involving Mercury (0 Capricorn) which is square the natal Saturn (29Virgo56). While Mercury-Saturn aspects are reliably bearish, this one was likely to be very bearish since Mercury is moving slowly ahead of its direct station on Friday, Feb 4 (UTC).  As a rule, the slower the planet, the bigger the impact.  Mercury will station at 00Cp18 -- just 22 minutes of arc from an exact square with natal Saturn. 

This suggests that Facebook's stock is vulnerable to fall further.  The twin afflictions of the Mercury-Saturn square and the Sun-Saturn opposition to the Ascendant suggest the pullback lasting until Friday at least.  With both bearish alignments separating (i.e. weakening) next week, there is a better prospect for a rebound in Facebook shares. 

The larger question is what effect these alignments will have on the market as a whole.  Friday's Sun-Saturn conjunction looks bearish and could coincide with some weakness.  The Mercury direct station may have a less predictable effect, however.  Unlike the Facebook horoscope, Friday's Mercury station will not form any close alignments with other transiting planets.  This suggests a more uncertain influence.  That said, the closest aspects are nonetheless negative ones as it conjoins Pluto within three degrees and is aspected by Rahu within four degrees. Taken together, these two patterns look more negative than positive and could give bears the edge to end the week. 

Next week looks mixed with some upside likely from Jupiter's alignment with Uranus and Chiron.  And yet as Mercury returns to normal forward motion, it will again form a closer, more bearish alignment with Rahu and Pluto.  The mix of these opposing energies could translate into some volatility but also significant moves in both directions.


For more details, check out my weekly subscriber newsletter which is published every Saturday afternoon (EST).   In addition to reviewing the key planetary and technical influences on US and Indian stocks for the short and medium term, I also provide an astrological analysis of potential upcoming moves in currencies, gold and oil.



Photo Credit: Anthony Quintano