Mercury-Mars-Pluto may set the tone

Stocks edged higher for yet another week as positive US economic data suggests that the recovery may be taking root. In New York, the Dow ended the week less than 1% higher at 10,927 while the S&P finished at 1178. The gains were more fractional in Mumbai as the Sensex closed at 17,692 and the Nifty at 5290. Last week, I had noted the possibility of gains on the multi-planet aspects involving Venus on Monday and Mercury on Wednesday. This is more or less what happened as Monday rose on the Venus (3 Aries) aspects to both Uranus (3 Pisces) and Neptune (3 Aquarius). Wednesday's favourable Mercury alignment was apparently delayed as stocks ended up gaining in Thursday's session. The delay may have resulted for Mercury "waiting" for the nice Moon-Jupiter-Ketu grand trine. Nonetheless, in the absence of these positive aspects, the market sagged -- a possible sign of background weakness from the stronger influence of Aries and Mars. So while this shot of negative Aries energy did plausibly weaken sentiment, it was not enough to lower prices overall. Since Venus transits sidereal Aries until April 19 and Mercury until June 6, we will have to pay close attention in order to track these more latent effects. We should also note that the Sun will transit sidereal Aries from April 14 to May 14 so that could is another potentially disruptive energy for the financial markets.

On paper, this week looks more bearish than last week as Monday's alignment of Mercury with Mars and Pluto suggests a rise in fear and frustration. While this should incline stocks towards lower prices in the early part of the week, the key square aspect between Mercury and Mars is nonetheless a little past exact. This may reduce its capacity for damage somewhat, especially in US markets. We can also note that this is only a partial strength square aspect since Mars' 270 degree aspect does not pack the same punch as its more damaging 90 degree aspect. Even with those caveats, however, it will be interesting to see how the market responds to thse tense planetary energies. Towards the end of the week, a minor Sun-Jupiter aspect may lift sentiment somewhat, with commodities like gold perhaps enjoying special benefit.

As the Saturn-Uranus opposition draws closer -- now less than three degrees -- we can be attuned to more clues about its eventual impact on stocks. While it is often a tense and difficult combination as evidenced by its role in the October 2008 meltdown, it is not always going to correspond with negative outcomes. Its ultimate effects depend on secondary and tertiary factors such as transit contacts, and the condition of planetary dispositors. While Saturn is a natural malefic, its energy can be made more benign if its dispositor, i.e. the ruler of its sign, is strong. In November 2008, Saturn was in the sign of Leo, which is ruled by the Sun. At the time of the sharp sell-off, the Sun was debilitated in Libra. This weakness in the Sun was therefore transfered onto Saturn to some extent and was another factor why the Saturn-Uranus opposition corresponded with such a large decline. In February 2009, Saturn was again in Leo but its dispositor Sun was now in Capricorn. The Sun is in an enemy's sign in Capricon and moreover Capricorn is six signs from Leo, which suggests tension. The market fell another 15% after this Saturn-Uranus opposition. Finally, in September 2009, Saturn was in sidereal Virgo at the time of its third opposition with Uranus. Saturn's dispositor was therefore Mercury. But Mercury was also in Virgo, which is its sign of exaltation. With a strong dispositor, Saturn created less of an atmosphere of difficulty as stocks generally rose through this particular aspect. There are other factors to consider, of course, but dispositors are nonetheless an important part of the overall equation.

This time around the Saturn-Uranus opposition occurs on April 26th with Saturn in sidereal Virgo. Saturn's dispositor Mercury will be retrograde in Aries conjunct and combust the exalted Sun. This seems less favourable than the September 2009 circumstances although perhaps not a grievous as the opposition in November 2008. While Mercury (and hence Saturn) may receive some benefit from its association with an exalted planet (the Sun), Mercury will be six signs from Saturn. In astrology, 6, 8,and 12 are generally seen as unfavourable house/sign relationships. The relatively difficult condition of Saturn's dispositor would tend to support the view that this Saturn-Uranus opposition will accompany lower stock prices. Let's see how it all plays out.

Venus and Mercury enter sidereal Aries

Stocks continued to melt higher last week as positive US employment data was enough to offset worries about European sovereign debt. In New York, the Dow gained less than 1% to close at 10,850 and the S&P finished at 1066. Mumbai stocks were also higher as the Sensex made a fractional gain to close at 17,644 with the Nifty ending the week at 5282. Monday's Sun-Saturn aspect did little to curb the enthusiasm for stocks although it is worth noting that Indian stocks did decline on Monday just before this aspect became exact. However, New York's session began just after the Sun was separating from the aspect and hence the negative Saturn influence was already on the wane at the open. The result was falling prices at the open followed by a modest rally. Despite this recent series of aspects, we have yet to see Saturn assert itself here as specified down days have seen only orderly and controlled pullbacks.

This week we may see more of Mars in the equation as Venus and Mercury enter sidereal Aries on Saturday and Tuesday, respectively. This stronger Aries influence invokes Mars since Mars is said to rule Aries. Aries is associated with bold action and courageousness but here we note that since Mars is debilitated in Cancer, planets transiting through Aries may be adversely affected. Therefore, there is a greater chance we could see the more negative side of Aries, such as sudden and rash moves motivated by ego and bravado. While we cannot rule out investors staking out new long positions taken on faulty reasoning, the more likely manifestation is selling out of self-preservation and thus falling prices. Nonetheless, there are a couple of favourable aspects this week that suggest some possibility of gains. Monday will feature a Venus-Uranus-Neptune alignment that may increase risk appetite. This is more likely to manifest in Asian trading since the aspect will be separating by the time US markets open. Similarly, Mercury will slip into the same spot on Wednesday and that could incline stocks towards more gains than chance might otherwise suggest. But the effects of Aries and hence Mars would appear to undermine whatever positive consequences these specific aspects might promise.

With Saturn opposing Uranus on April 26, it seems very unlikely that this rebound rally can continue indefinitely.

Week of March 22 - 26

Stocks continued their upward drift last week as Fed Chair Bernanke promised to keep handing out free money indefinitely. The Dow made new highs for the year and added another 1% to close at 10,741 while the S&P finished at 1159. Ahead of Friday's surprise rate hike by the RBI, Indian markets advanced more than 2% as the Sensex climbed to 17,578 and the Nifty to 5262. This rise was in keeping with general expectations since the Sun-Mercury-Uranus conjunction was likely to increase risk appetite. Interestingly, we did not see much of a fall in the wake of Wednesday's Sun-Uranus conjunction and the opposition aspect between Mercury and Saturn also did not generate much selling. US markets imbibed in Saturn's bitter austerities as Thursday was flat and Friday was negative, albeit only modestly. The rate hike by India's central bank is a reflection of the growing influence of Saturn as inflation is becoming more of a concern. Saturn is the planet of limits and tightening in the face of runaway optimism and spending so it is possible we may be seeing a changing of the planetary guard here.

This week will feature the third of three quick transits to Saturn as the Sun opposes it early on Monday. With Mars also forming a minor angle here, there is good reason to expect bearish sentiment to increase. The more important question, however, is whether this activation of Saturn will fundamentally shift the mood of the market and start a downtrend as these aspects separate. Certainly, a trend change is more possible here since Saturn is now fast approaching Uranus for the fourth of five oppositions in this series. This occurs on April 25 and while the exact date may not be significant in terms of market dynamics, it does underline the importance of the current period. The 2008 low was created very near the first Saturn-Uranus opposition (Nov 4) , as was the March 2009 low (Feb 5). The third opposition in September 2009, however, saw the market continue its rally without significant interruption. So it is not certain that the market will form lows near this aspect but we can nonetheless make a plausible case.

Sun and Mercury conjoin Uranus

US Stocks extended their winning streak as stocks edged 1% higher last week on reduced sovereign debt worries and some encouraging retail data. Erasing all the losses of the recent correction, S&P matched its January high and finished Friday at 1149 while the Dow played laggard closing at 10,624, some 100+ points below its previous high. Indian equities largely followed suit as the Sensex added another 1% to close at 17,166 while the Nifty finished at 5137. I had expected a little more volatility, especially early in the week on the Venus-Saturn aspect. But the gains were not entirely unexpected given the clustering of Sun and Mercury between the benefic bookends of Jupiter and Uranus which has largely propelled stocks higher off the early February bottom.

With many US indexes at or near highs for the year, can Jupiter's optimism and Uranus' restless energy push the market even higher? As the Sun and Mercury conjoin Uranus early this week, we could get a glimpse of the future trend. This triple conjunction may correspond with sudden or unforeseen developments, with technology and innovation being the short term benefactors. It may well be market positive in the (very) short run. But we must remember that once the Sun and Mercury move past Uranus it could alter sentiment since the bullish Jupiter-Uranus pairing will be de-emphasized. And as the Sun and Mercury leave Uranus behind, they may begin to activate the caution and pessimism of Saturn as they move into closer opposition aspect later in the week. Saturn is generally unkind to risk takers, the only beneficiaries of its influence would be safe havens such as the US Dollar or government bonds. Let's see how much Saturn is brought into the planetary mix this week.

Venus meets Saturn this week

Stocks jumped higher last week as positive US employment numbers convinced more investors that the recovery could actually be real. Stocks in New York were 3% higher with the Dow closing at 10,566 and the S&P at 1138. It was much the same story in Mumbai as Sensex added 3% to close at 16,994 while the Nifty finished at 5088 as investors basked in the afterglow of the union budget. This bullish outcome was largely in keeping with expections as the midweek Venus-Uranus conjunction kept the bears at bay and fueled enough optimism to take prices to within a few percent of their January highs.

Interestingly, once Venus began separating from Uranus, the post-budget rally in Mumbai stalled while New York enjoyed more gains on Friday. As always, transit influences form a foundation from which the relevant natal charts pick and choose to resonate different energies. Last week I wondered if the recent rally might stumble as Venus left the friendly confines of sidereal Aquarius and the clustering of benefic planets there. The jury is still out on that hypothesis, although the strong showing of US and European markets on Friday would suggest that the Aquarian bulls are doing just fine, thank you, even without Venus. New York continued to rise despite the departure of Venus, probably due to favourable midpoint activation among the stellium of Mercury, Jupiter, Sun and Uranus.

There is a genuine chance for a shake up this week as Venus (7 Pisces) moves into opposition aspect with Saturn (7 Virgo) early in the week. Given Saturn's well deserved reputation for all things gloomy, this is not a positive influence and the proximity of Mars (6 Cancer) by degree to both planets has the potential to seriously interrupt the prevailing mood. To make things more interesting, Mars ends its retrograde cycle and turns direct on Wednesday. This will inject an additional layer of Martian energy into the mix and could exaggerate moves in either direction. However, the fact that Mars is, by nature, a malefic planet tips the probabilities towards the bears here. At the same time, the clustering of planets in the second half of Aquarius is still a potential source of optimism here so some up days are still likely, especially later in the week as Mercury approaches the Sun.

Venus meets Uranus this week

US Stocks were mostly unchanged last week as Ben Bernanke's promise to keep interest rates low was offset by news of more woes in the bottomless housing market. The Dow lost less than 1% to close at 10,325 while the S&P finished at 1104. In Mumbai, investors reacted favourably to the tax relief in Friday's union budget as prices rose by 2% on the week. The Nifty edged towards 5000 at midday Friday before closing at 4922 while the Sensex stood at 16,429. This outcome was more or less in keeping with last week's comments since I had suggested that the early part of the week would be weaker with strength returning by Friday. In New York, Monday and Tuesday were both down days after which the bulls once again took the S&P back above 1100 for the rest of the week, albeit including Thursday's morning shake out. Mumbai reflected the bullish bias of Friday's Sun-Jupiter conjunction more closely as Indian markets moved higher after trading in a narrow range in the lead up to the budget.

This week sees Venus leaving Aquarius on Tuesday as it prepares for its conjunction with Uranus. As I speculated last week, the multi-planet stellium in Aquarius may offer a partial explanation of the recent rally off the February 5 lows. Since Venus and then later the Sun have entered Aquarius to join Jupiter, prices have steadily risen. However, once Venus leaves the company of the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter, we should be careful to detect any reduction in optimism. Certainly, the conjunction of benefic Venus with energetic Uranus is a fortuitous combination that should offer further support to stocks for at least the first half of the week until the conjunction is exact. As an added bonus, we should also note that Venus is entering Pisces, the sign of its exaltation. So there is the potential for significant and sudden gains. However, we can also see a potentially troubling alignment between Mercury, Mars and Saturn at the same time. This may siphon off some of the optimism and produce a down day somewhere along the way, but there is good reason to expect the bulls to stay in control this week.

Once Venus passes Uranus on Wednesday, however, the dynamics may begin to shift. After Uranus, Saturn looms as Venus' next dance partner. As the planet of austerity and limitation, we may see a reduction of risk appetite before too long.

Sun-Jupiter conjunction on Saturday

A sense of calm returned to financial markets last week as fears over Greece temporarily subsided and positive US economic data pointed to stronger growth down the road. Despite Bernanke's surprise late week move to raise the discount rate, the Dow added 3% to close at 10,402 and the S&P at 1109. Mumbai enjoyed a more modest gain as the Sensex finished the week at 16,191 and the Nifty at 4844. Much of the planetary credit for rise should go to the conjunctions of Sun and Neptune on Monday and then the Venus-Jupiter conjunction on Wednesday. While the Sun-Neptune influence can create unrealistic demands on governments to solve problems, its immediate effects are often positive. Venus-Jupiter are naturally positive planets that encourage optimism and we saw markets move up smartly on Tuesday immediately prior to the conjunction. Interestingly, any residual sense of privation and duress from the early week Mars-Saturn aspect was overwhelmed by these twin sources of confidence.

All eyes this week are on the Sun-Jupiter conjunction that becomes exact on Saturday, the 27th. This is another combination that usually spurs risk taking and spending so there is good reason to expect a bullish bias here, especially later in the week. We should also note that the Indian budget will be announced on Friday very close to this conjunction and that should see further stimulus spending and government largesse since the Sun represents government and Jupiter represents generosity. The early week period may be more difficult, however, as both the Sun and Mercury form minor aspects with Saturn on Monday and perhaps into Tuesday.

As long as the clustering of planets in sidereal Aquarius continues, there is good reason to expect the relative strength to continue. The February 5 low occurred just before Venus entered Aquarius to conjoin Jupiter, the bullish planet of expansion. Once Venus joined Jupiter in Aquarius, markets began to bounce. Now that the Sun has made it a planetary threesome, prices have continued to recover. Mercury is about to enter Aquarius also on Thursday, so that could well be another positive influence that might support prices. But this grouping of three inner planets with Jupiter will be short-lived since Venus will leave Aquarius and enter Pisces on March 2. We should pay close attention to how Jupiter's changing planetary dance partners might affect sentiment as March unfolds.