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. 

Sell in May and go away?

(29 April 2019)  The stock market remains buoyant after Friday's 3.2% US GDP number and generally positive earnings reports.  Some US indexes have made new all-time highs although the large cap Dow and the small cap Russell 2000 have yet to follow the S&P 500 and NASDAQ into record territory.  Corporate America is thriving in Trump's low-tax, low-regulation environment, albeit with a helping hand for the Fed and its ultra-loose monetary policies that encourages leveraging through higher debt levels.  We're probably living in an asset bubble that is not sustainable in the long run, but as Keynes said, "in the long run, we are all dead."

There is an old adage in the stock market to "sell in May and go away" since historical returns from May to September are lower than through the rest of the year.  That may well prove to be wise advice this year given the series of planetary alignments that lie ahead.  As I have noted previously, April could be a month of transition in the wake of the Jupiter retrograde station on April 10th and the transit of Mercury through sidereal Pisces for the rest of the month. So far, we haven't seen any downside from that Mercury in Pisces transit although there are a few days left this week.








But bearish Saturn turns retrograde late today (Monday, Apr 29) so that could coincide with another shift in sentiment.  Even more problematic are the series of Mars alignments this week that could act as a trigger to the Saturn-Ketu conjunction.  I thought we might have seen a hint of anxiety from some lesser aspects of the Sun, Venus and the Moon last week but US stocks saw only a very small decline on Wednesday and Thursday at the time of these lesser 75 and 105 degree alignments.

This week's alignments look more potent.  One reason is because the potential triggering planet is Mars, a natural malefic, which is more likely to coincide with negative outcomes than the Sun or Venus.   Mars also forms a more negative angle with Saturn and Ketu through its 210-degree quincunx.  So this is a full-strength, 8th house aspect that will fall on Saturn and Ketu during midweek, right around the time of the latest Fed statement on Wednesday.  Nobody really expects the Fed to change rates this week, but they could change some of their wording in the statement which may move markets. 

It should be an interesting week in the markets.

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.

Aspects in focus ahead of possible Saturn trigger sequence

(22 April 2019) Aspects are one of the central building blocks of astrology.  Briefly stated, an aspect is an astrologically significant angle between two planets that is said to produce an observable real-world outcome.  If Jupiter is conjunct your Moon with no degrees of separation, then that's good.  If Mars is square and therefore separated by 90 degrees from your Moon, then that's bad.

And yet as fundamental as aspects are, there is a wide range of opinion about them.  As a continuous written body of knowledge, Vedic astrology has a more specific set of rules governing planetary aspects.  While all planets cast a full-strength aspect on the planets opposite, different planets have the capacity to cast different aspects.  For example, Saturn casts a forward sextile (60 degree) and a backwards square (270 degrees) but not a forward square (90 degrees), nor a trine (120 degree aspect). 

Western astrology has a far less unified view of aspects.  Depending on one's preferences, aspects can consist of any grouping of angular divisors of the 360 degree circle.  So conjunction, opposition, square, trine, etc. are almost universally used but many astrologers also use the septile (51.4 degrees), and quintile (72 degrees) and so on.  Other 15 degree divisions derived from the circle are also commonly used such as the semisquare (45 degrees), the sesquiduadrate (135 degrees).  Sometimes this 15-degree multiple grouping is extended to include the unnamed 75, 105, and 165 degree aspects.

But the higher the number of possible of aspects, the greater the possibility for confusion.  This can create a situation where there are too many variables which increases the risk of false positives: aspect hits with no obvious real-world manifestation.  If every planet is always in aspect with some other planet, then how is it possible to predict anything?  Good question! 


Weekly Market Forecast

This week could be a useful test of some of these ideas on aspects.  As I have written previously, the stock market looks ripe for a decline soon.  The slow-moving Saturn-Ketu conjunction at 26 Sagittarius is one very obviously bearish indication that is now in place.  It will remain within range for the next four to five months.  But before stocks can make a significant move, there usually needs to be a trigger by a faster-moving planet which can release some of the energy held within the pattern of the slow-moving planets.  We will get a potential trigger sequence this week. 

First off, the Moon will conjoin Saturn and Ketu (aka. South Lunar Node) on Thursday during the US trading day.  That looks quite negative on paper as the Moon combines poorly with both Saturn and Ketu and can create an atmosphere of fear and pessimism.  Just from that basic conjunction alone, we would expect stocks to fall fairly close to the time of day of the conjunction.  And yet, we can also see that there are two "minor" Western aspects to Saturn-Ketu: 1) Venus forms a 75 degree angle with Saturn-Ketu on Wednesday the 24th during US trading hours and 2) the Sun forms a 105 degree angle with Saturn-Ketu on Thursday.  Thursday then has a double whammy with both the Sun and Moon forming some kind of alignment with the malefic Saturn-Ketu pairing.  Perhaps if Wednesday is also lower than that would partially validate the negative impact of the 75-degree Venus-Saturn aspect.

So it seems the cosmic dice are loaded for a pullback this week around the time of these potential triggering aspects.  The presence of Thursday's Moon conjunction means the test of these lesser 15 degree multiples isn't perfect.  If stocks do fall on Thursday, then it will still be possible to cite the obvious role of the Moon in the whole set up.  And yet I would suggest that many different two-planet angular separations involving Saturn will tend to be bearish, even if the Moon isn't present.  Saturn is a bearish planet, full stop.

In addition, we can see that Mars will form a 45-degree semisquare aspect with Uranus on Friday.  Mars will also be very close to a typical square with Neptune on that day, so as usual, these are not ideal experimental conditions.  This will be another theoretically bearish influence on market sentiment, even if it is from a minor aspect.  So if stocks fall on Friday then that Mars-Uranus may be part of the reason. 

While we could see further market gains tomorrow (Tuesday) on the Moon-Jupiter conjunction and 30-degree Sun-Venus alignment, I think the week will be more challenging for financial markets.

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. 

Saturn conjoins Ketu: the calm before the storm?

(15 April 2019) Financial markets appear to be on auto-pilot these days as the grind higher continues.  After its scary Christmas low, the bull market would appear to back on track against a background of easy central bank money (i.e. debt) and the promise of a US-China trade deal that, like Godot, never seems to arrive. The strength of the rebound in the first quarter was not unexpected from the astrological point of view given the extended dominance of Jupiter. 

When Jupiter is strong through alignment with other planets or by sign placement, stocks usually rise.  That was definitely the case as Jupiter aligned with Neptune in January and then with Pluto in February and March.  Jupiter then stationed retrograde last week on April 10 in Sagittarius, a sign in which it does particularly well.  But now that Jupiter is moving backwards towards Scorpio, we may be on the verge of a shift in the terrain. 

If the winter was all about Jupiter, it seems more likely that the spring will be focused on Saturn.  Saturn is the yang to Jupiter's yin and is typically a bearish influence when it is prominent.  The bear may be wakening from hibernation when Saturn turns retrograde on April 30 and begins its annual four-month backward journey through the sky.  While the Saturn retrograde cycle is neither bullish or bearish for stocks, collective sentiment can become more negative if Saturn forms tense alignments with other planets. 

As it happens, this is very much the case here in 2019.  Saturn will turn retrograde while in a very close conjunction with the South Lunar Node. (aka Ketu).  In traditional astrology, both Eastern and Western, Ketu is considered to be an influence that undermines the material world in favour of the spiritual or transcendent realms.  In market terms, Ketu is bearish.  So the question is: what happens when two naturally bearish planets like Saturn and Ketu are in conjunction?


Saturn-Ketu conjunctions: pessimism and the disruption of structures

While markets are not always bearish when these two planets combine, there is a greater risk of declines during the time of their conjunction.  As Saturn conjoins Ketu about once every 11-12 years, this malefic pairing has coincided with some notably negative events.  The last time Saturn conjoined Ketu was in October 2007, right at the time of the market peak before the financial meltdown.  The top of market took place on October 11, while Saturn was conjunct Ketu (True South Node) less than two weeks later on October 23.   Stocks were beginning to weaken under this conjunction and US stocks would eventually fall more than 50% over the next 18 months.  While we certainly wouldn't say it was only because Saturn was aligning with Ketu, it is an appropriately bearish planetary pattern for the start of a recession and a bear market.

The previous Saturn-Ketu conjunction took place in early January 1997.   Stocks were actually pretty flat during the approach and separation of this conjunction.  This is a useful counter example which reminds us that no single factor is enough to determine outcomes.  Each factor therefore becomes necessary, but not sufficient.  Stocks were also mostly flat in the previous conjunction in January 1985.  Actually, the market finally began to rally again after Saturn had begun to separate from Ketu in mid-January.  So we should be aware that there are benign versions of this conjunction that can point to non-bearish outcomes in the markets.

But before that, the Saturn-Ketu conjunction was front and center in the 1973-4 bear market.  Due to the Saturn retrograde cycle, the Saturn-Ketu conjunction occurred twice -- once in September 1973 and then again in February 1974.  Much of the world was in the grip of the Middle East oil embargo, inflation, and deep recession while the US suffered the added burden of the ongoing Watergate scandal which would eventually see President Nixon resign in August 1974.  And yes, history could repeat itself in 2019 with Trump coming under pressure to leave office as Saturn again conjoins Ketu.  Since Saturn symbolizes society's structures and institutions, Ketu's influence undermines them and can bring about sudden changes. 

The parallels with 1973-4 are worth taking seriously since Saturn is also going to have an extended conjunction with Ketu in 2019 because of its retrograde cycle.  Saturn is conjunct with Ketu now and will remain in very close proximity to Ketu until October.  This means there will be a longer time window for any latent negative sentiment to be triggered by passing alignments with other bad planets, such as Mars.  "Sell in May and go away"?  Or maybe sell in April to beat the rush to the exits.

Just to round out this brief historical survey, it is worth recalling that the preceding Saturn-Ketu conjunction took place at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962.  Stocks fell 7% during the critical period of geopolitical uncertainty of October 16-28 when the world was teetering on the precipice of a nuclear confrontation.

And while the October 1950 conjunction was a nothingburger in terms of stocks (although the Korean War had just begun in June of that year), the previous Saturn-Ketu alignment occurred in late August 1939, less than a week before World War Two began.  As in 1973-4, Saturn would undergo its entire retrograde cycle while in close conjunction with Ketu during the second half of 1939 and into January 1940.  US markets were actually flat-to-positive for much of this Saturn-Ketu period, even if they would eventually go on to lose 40% of their value in the coming two years in the depth of that conflict.

As we can see, not all Saturn-Ketu conjunctions are created equal.  It seems that the ones where Saturn is retrograde and thus the conjunction is extended for a period of months instead of weeks are particularly troublesome.  Since we will experience one of those potentially more damaging extended conjunctions in 2019, I would think the chances for significant declines in stocks are much higher, if not in the April-October period, then in the months following the conjunction period. 

While this isn't quite bullet-proof actionable evidence, it should still be a warning to investors who are heavily invested in this bull market rally.  Maybe this really is the calm before the storm. 


Weekly Market Forecast

US stocks have been 'melting higher' over the past two weeks since my last post while other global markets have also stayed fairly buoyant.   It is possible the upward bias may shift toward a more sideways or indecisive market for a little while here before things begin to fall apart.  This week is shortened for Good Friday and will likely feature some downside.  I think Wednesday's Moon-Mercury opposition could coincide with some selling as Mercury is more vulnerable due to its transit of Pisces, its sign of debilitation.  The nervousness could begin to manifest on Tuesday afternoon, however.  I wouldn't expect too much damage just yet but it may begin to get the attention of some market participants. 

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.

Can the market rally continue after Mercury enters Pisces?

(2 April 2019) Stocks have moved higher over the past week on hints that the long-awaited US-China trade deal may be getting closer to completion.  As the month of April begins, the Dow has again pushed above 26,000 matching its February high.  Indian stocks have fared even better as the BSE Sensex set a new all-time record high today of 39,056.  While economic growth threatens to stall the economies of the US and Europe, Indian stocks have outperformed because of a significantly higher growth rate and improving investment climate under the Modi government.  While it is possible the results of the upcoming elections could change that favourable equation, the default expectation is for Modi to return to power.

These gains are in keeping with expectations as I suggested that last week's entry of Jupiter into sidereal Sagittarius was likely to correlate with some upside.  The bullish outlook was even more likely due to the midweek Venus-Uranus-Chiron alignment.  This prevailing optimism is a reflection of the approaching Jupiter retrograde station on April 10.  As I have noted previously, stocks were likely to trend higher leading into that date due to the generally bullish influence of Jupiter. 

But all this optimism may not last.  Jupiter's influence is likely to wane fairly soon after April 10.  And as it happens, Mercury begins its transit of sidereal Pisces on April 11.  (Please note that I use the traditional Indian sidereal zodiac and not the Western tropical zodiac to calculate sign transits.)  This is a potentially negative influence on the stock market because Mercury is said to do poorly in the sign of Pisces (the Fish).   Mercury is the planet of logic and analytical discrimination and is closely associated with commercial activities such as trading and investing.  Pisces has an almost diametrically opposite symbolism of empathy, sensitivity, intuition, and transcendent knowledge.  Since the energies of Mercury do not fit well in Pisces, it is said to be debilitated in this sign. 

In terms of financial astrology, Mercury's transit of Pisces has a somewhat bearish effect.  To be clear, this transit is only one factor out of many and therefore is usually not the determining factor of whether the market rises or falls.  But recent transits through Pisces suggests the market does relatively worse during its two or three week transit period.  And even if it finishes higher by the end of the Pisces transit, there is often a pullback of some size during the transit.

 

 

Year	Mercury in Pisces (entry/exit)	Net result
2014	April 4 - 19	-1.5%
2015	Mar 28 - Apr 11	+2.0%
2016	Mar 19 - Apr 2	+1.3%
2017	Mar 10 - 26	-1.5%
2018	Mar 1 - May 9 (incl. Rx)	-1.0%
2019	Apr 11 - May 2	???

Indeed, some Pisces transit periods have been positive as in 2015 and 2016.  And yet there is usually a good reason why stocks might rise in those anomalous Mercury-in-Pisces periods.  In 2015, Mercury was conjunct the Sun and Uranus alongside Ketu and all of those planets were aspected by bullish Jupiter in Cancer, its sign of exaltation.  Overall, that is a classic astrological signature for a rising stock market.  In 2016, Mercury was also conjunct the Sun and Uranus so this set up a more bullish baseline for Mercury's transit through Pisces.

Fast forward to today.  From April 11 to May 2, Mercury will again transit Pisces.  Besides the approaching Saturn retrograde station in late April, this is another reason to expect a rise in volatility.  Also we can see the situation of Mercury will be quite mixed.  Uranus has moved out of Pisces and into Aries now so it lacks that bullish co-factor.  Mercury's dispositor, Jupiter, is strong in its own sign of Sagittarius, so that could support sentiment somewhat.  However, we should note that Jupiter will move back into the less commodious confines of Scorpio on April 24 so that could have somewhat negative knock-on effect upon Mercury.

The bottom line is the stock market will be more prone to declines in April, especially after the Jupiter station on the 10th and Mercury enters Pisces on the 11th.

 

The outlook for this week is also not looking great.  We could eke out another up day on Wednesday (Apr 3) but the late week looks less positive as Mercury is aspected by Saturn while the Sun and Moon are in a tense 90-degree alignment with Saturn.  Friday's US jobs report is therefore more likely to correlate with some downside.

For a more detailed analysis, 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, as well as currencies, gold and oil.

Mueller finds no evidence of Russia-Trump conspiracy; Jupiter enters Sagittarius

(24 March 2019) They don't call Jupiter the Great Benefic for nothing.  Just ask President Donald Trump.  Today, US Special Counsel Robert Mueller finally handed down his report into the possible conspiracy between the Russian government and Trump campaign during the 2016 election.  Mueller found that there was no evidence for a conspiracy although he did not exonerate Trump for possible obstruction of justice charges.  While the full details of the report are not yet known, the initial impact has been positive for Trump and his beleaguered administration.

While I still expect the other shoe to drop for the Trump administration later this year, I was not surprised by this finding.  Trump's horoscope is looking pretty good these days, mostly due to the favourable placement of transiting Jupiter.  Jupiter (29 Scorpio) is slowing down now ahead of its retrograde station on April 10.  It is in close conjunction with his Moon (28 Scorpio) and also activates his Sun (29 Taurus) by opposition.  So this Jupiter transit was doubly positive for Trump since it aligned with both the Moon and Sun.  And with the upcoming station so close at hand at 0 Sagittarius, the transit was more likely to coincide with significant developments that would elevate his status and power.  The conjunction of Mars (1 Taurus) with his Midheaven (10th house cusp) was a very appropriate accent on the events of the day as Mars/10th house transits are often positive.

So is that it?  Is Trump now free and clear?  I don't think so. The summer still looks like his most difficult period as the protective effects of Jupiter diminish as it moves into the background in his chart.  Saturn will become more dominant once again as it will align with his Ascendant for several months around the time of its direct station.

Trump may well fall back into the soup later this week when Mars squares its natal position on Wednesday and Thursday. Interestingly, Mercury will end its retrograde cycle at the same time in an unusual conjunction with Neptune.  This will align with Trump's Ascendant and could coincide with some deception or confusion regarding communication.  Mercury-Neptune conjunctions are notorious for situations of confusion and deception and the particular placement of this conjunction at 22 Aquarius makes me think that Trump will suffer in some way.  New evidence against him may well come to light.

Any new developments this week are unlikely to completely undo the feeling of relief in the Trump camp but it could well indicate that the other investigations by the SDNY and the House of Representatives will get new life.  Whatever happens, I would expect his situation to significantly worsen by June.  His next solar return chart (June 14 2019) is extremely tense and suggests that his job may well be at stake. As astrology teaches us, what Jupiter gives Saturn can take away. 


Weekly Market Forecast

Jupiter's entry into Sagittarius could also help the stock market this week.   Stocks looked shaky last week following a fairly downbeat Fed statement on Wednesday.  While Jay Powell promised no more rate hikes in 2019, his more pessimistic tone about the US economy caught some investors off-guard.  The fragile state of the economy suggests the low rate environment will remain in place indefinitely and a rate cut could happen as soon as June.

Jupiter enters sidereal Sagittarius on Wednesday according to the Krishnamurti ayanamsha (Friday according to Lahiri) so I would expect some upside this week.  Tuesday's Moon-Jupiter conjunction may be the most bullish day on paper in that respect. Venus aligns with Uranus and Chiron on Wednesday so that may also provide a boost to sentiment.  The late week Mercury-Neptune conjunction is more of a question mark, however.  If stocks are up by Wednesday, then that might translate into some profit taking later in the week.  At this point, next week also looks somewhat more bearish as Mars aligns with Uranus and Chiron while Mercury is aspected by Saturn.  Gains may therefore be short-lived.

The end of this impressive post-Christmas rally may be getting rather close now.  Jupiter turns retrograde in early April (on April 10th) so that could prove to be significant.  I would not expect a reversal exactly on that date, however, but rather look as the month as a whole as having a higher potential for a change in the up trend.

For a more detailed analysis, 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, as well as currencies, gold and oil.

Markets await Fed decision tomorrow

(19 March 2019) The Federal Reserve meets tomorrow to issue its latest policy pronouncements on the state of the US economy.  Financial markets are not anticipating any changes in interest rates but Chair Jay Powell's language will be watched carefully as usual.  Since the Fed suddenly reversed itself in early January to a more dovish stance (i.e. no more hikes), stock markets have risen sharply as the low current interest rate environment can keep the debt-driven expansion afloat a while longer. 

While the continued low rates are good news for the markets, the economic data is starting to show signs of a slowdown.  A recession in the US is looking increasingly possible within the next 6-12 months.  Investors now have to weigh the relative benefit of the Fed's cheap money with the likelihood of lower corporate earnings. 

It is unclear what tone Powell will strike.  If he chooses to emphasize the slowdown in the economy, it could scare investors out of stocks.  He may also announce an end to QT (quantitative tightening) which has been reducing the Fed's balance sheet by selling the assets it bought during QE (2008-2014).  The end to the QT unwinding would be bullish, as long as the rest of his message didn't stray too far from his previous upbeat remarks about the economy. 

The planetary situation for tomorrow suggests a likely emphasis on prudence and caution.  Retrograde Mercury will fall under the exact aspect of Saturn tomorrow and this is more likely to symbolize cautious actions based on methodical analysis.  It is possible to see this both ways.  Caution may mean he is still very dovish with a possible end to QT.  But caution may also mean a bias towards prudent fiscal management which would tend to suggest a more hawkish approach in keeping with his preference for rate normalization (i.e. rates could rise again later in the year).  I should note that the Saturn-Mercury aspect also tends to be bearish in terms of overall sentiment.

But the picture is complicated due to the simultaneous alignment of the Moon, Venus, Mars and Jupiter, and the Lunar Nodes, Rahu and Ketu.  (We can throw in the Full Moon as well.)  While such multi-planet alignments tend to be bullish, the presence of Mars and Ketu in the mix here reduces the probability of gains tomorrow and for the rest of the week.  This increases the odds somewhat of a negative market reaction to the Fed decision.  While it appears bearish,  I would not say I have high confidence in that outcome as there are too many variables in play.  Nonetheless, the unusually high number of alignments raises the possibility for a large price move.

From a technical perspective, today's intraday reversal at 2850 on the SPX was a possible sign of some downside to come, depending on what the Fed does tomorrow.  

Even if we get some downside this week as I expect, the prospect for a rebound is quite good, since Jupiter will station retrograde on April 10th.  The time around Jupiter stations have a bullish bias which could offset any possible late March decline.  However, Saturn is also due to station retrograde on April 30th.  This tends to be bearish in the days around the station and may well undermine any preceding gains made under Jupiter's influence.

Taken together, this suggests there could significant moves in both directions in the weeks ahead.

For a more detailed analysis, 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, as well as currencies, gold and oil.