GOP postpones Senate healthcare vote

(28 June 2017) The Trump agenda suffered a major setback yesterday after GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell was forced to postpone the vote on the controversial Better Care Reconciliation Act.  The GOP had drafted its bill to repeal Obamacare in secret and allowed less than a week for public scrutiny, a move with later backfired after a damning report from the CBO on Monday compelled several Senators to remove their support. While McConnell intends on bringing it to a vote by mid-July, it is unclear if the differences between the moderate and conservative wings of the party can bridged by that time. 

The failure to get the much-hoped for "big win" for Trump's legislative agenda has again put this administration back on its heels. There are large fissures in the GOP which not even the famously deal-making Trump can easily fix.  The larger problem for Trump and the GOP is that without passage of the health care bill, the more important tax reform bill likely cannot move forward either. 

Last week, I suggested that Trump's fortunes were improving in the month of June as evidenced by the special Congressional election wins and the absence of any personally damaging revelations in the Comey testimony and the Russia investigation.  I also thought that his luck could carry over into this week and help the Senate GOP pass the health care bill.  Well, I guess even Jupiter's beneficence has its limits.  Jupiter is still a positive planetary influence for Trump because 1) he is running the Jupiter-Jupiter dasha period and 2) transiting Jupiter is in conjunction with his natal Jupiter and aspects his Sun.  He is still subject to some very afflicting transits by malefic Rahu (North Lunar Node) to his Mars and then of course the Saturn conjunction to his Moon-Ketu (South Lunar Node) combination. These are both very stressful patterns that strongly suggest he will be under significant pressure for several more months. 

But the ongoing double Jupiter influence may be one reason why he is surviving in the White House to the extent that he is, albeit with an approval rating below 40%.  The Jupiter influence may be why the Russia investigation is less likely to find an impeachable smoking gun this year, and therefore why he can avoid resigning.  When Jupiter shines down on you, it acts as a kind of protective shield against those kinds of worst-case scenarios. 

Trump did earn a win on Monday, however, as the Supreme Court partially allowed his travel ban to go into effect thus restricting immigration and travelfrom majority Muslim countries. Trump didn't hesitate to claim victory and, indeed, it was a major shift for travel ban which had experienced nothing but judicial resistance in the lower courts.  So the week hasn't been a complete write-off for President Trump.

One reason why I thought the GOP health care bill had a decent chance of passing was that the Obamacare horoscope looked to be under pressure at this time.  The Mercury-Mars conjunction lines up very closely with Ketu (South Lunar Node) in the chart for the moment when President Obama signed the ACHA into law.  I thought the Mars and Ketu components in this alignment would reflect a very stressful situation with respect to Obamacare and its survival.  I therefore assumed that it might have equated with the successful Senate bill passage.  This was a misinterpretation on my part, however, as it may have only highlighted a near-death experience for Obamacare.  Stressful yes, but not fatal.

There are more difficult transits in the Obamacare chart this summer so we cannot rule out a successful Senate vote.  The interpretative challenge for astrologers is to try to distinguish between various events that may impact the viability of Obamacare.  Obviously, if the Senate bill is passed then that would show up in the Obamacare chart as a negative influence.  But so would news of another insurance company pulling out which would hasten its underfunded "death spiral". 

The last week of July and first week of August could also reflect a stressful period for Obamacare.  The Sun-Mars conjunction aligns with the natal Mars on July 24th and then Mercury opposes Neptune on the natal MC/IC on August 9th.  Although this may not look overly terrible, but it is not positive.  Whether or not it is sufficiently negative to coincide with something as significant as a GOP Senate health bill passage is harder to say. 

Even if the Senate does eventually pass the GOP health bill this summer, there would still be several important steps before Obamacare was formally repealed.  It's a very complex legislative labyrinth that I don't pretend to fully understand.  As I wrote back in March, the Obamacare horoscope looks more afflicted in 2018, especially in the late summer and fall.  This is the time when Saturn will station retrograde in Sagittarius directly opposite the Ascendant and Moon.  This seems like a more likely astrological alignment we would expect for a major or even final defeat for Obamacare.  Formal repeal could well happen then, just before the critical mid-term elections in November 2018.


Weekly Market Forecast

Financial markets have been fairly mixed over the past week as investors are weighing the possible fallout of a delayed or failed Trump agenda.  US stocks have pushed higher in Wednesday's session as the Dow is again trading near its all-time high.  European and Indian stock markets have been somewhat weaker, however, on concerns about a possible withdrawal of central bank liquidity from both from the Fed and the ECB. 

In last week's market forecast, I thought that stocks would be more prone to declines.  This hasn't quite panned out as expected as the Mars-Jupiter square aspect may be seen as a bearish influence.

The rest of this week could actually be somewhat positive as Venus enters sidereal Taurus.  It may even be enough for a positive weekly close.  Next week also has some bright spots as the Sun aligns with Jupiter and Neptune in the middle of the week.

For more details and analysis on market trends for this week, this month and this year, please check out my weekly MVA Investor Newsletter.  The newsletter is published every Saturday and includes extended discussion of US and Indian stock markets, as well as gold, oil and major currencies.

GOP wins Georgia special election: charting Trump's ups and downs

(21 June 2017) Donald Trump scored another "win" yesterday as the Republicans narrowly won the hotly contested special election in the Georgia 6th Congressional District.  The election was widely seen as a referendum on the Trump administration as Democrats were hoping for an upset in the traditionally GOP district.  The victory will help boost the GOP's legislative agenda including the controversial healthcare bill that is currently in the Senate.  A Senate vote on the bill is expected before the recess at the end of June although it is unclear if the GOP bill can pass given its secretive and controversial nature.

Trump's improving fortunes likely began with the Comey hearings where the former FBI chief did not provide clear evidence of a smoking gun with regard to Trump's alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 election campaign.  While the investigation is far from over, the absence of any shocking revelations at that time was seen as a plus for Trump as it took a lot of the pressure off.

In a May 10th post, I offered that June could bring some improvement for Trump as Jupiter stationed direct on June 9th.  I suggested that since he was running the Jupiter major and minor Vimshottari dasha periods, the return of Jupiter to its normal direct motion could bring some benefits to him.  The Comey testimony took place the previous day on June 8th.  And we can see how this favorable special election result also fits with a more positive transit picture. 

The Sun (self, ego) and Mercury (communication, work) were conjunct at 5 Gemini on Tuesday which is almost exactly on the equal cusp of Trump's 11th house signifying gains and wishes fulfilled.  It's very unusual to have things go against you when those two planets sitting on the 11th cusp.  Transiting Mars (16 Gemini) was just one degree past Trump's very strong 11th house Mercury (15 Gemini) and this should also be seen as generally favorable placement.  Mars is often negative by square or opposition aspect, but its conjunction here in the 11th house is more a symbol of energy and action, or an action that brings good results.

Amazingly, this Sun-Mercury conjunction is also in a very positive place for Trump in the chart of President-Elect of the United States (PEOTUS).  The conjunction at 5 Gemini sits at the very top of the chart on the 10th house cusp reflecting an achievement and increase in status.  And if we want to dig deeper, we can see that the Moon-Venus conjunction was in a very close 135 degree alignment (8th harmonic) with the Ascendant.  Although it is now moving forward slowly, transiting Jupiter (19 Virgo) is still closely conjunct its natal position at 18 Virgo.  It's definitely not a bad set up of planets.

So how long can Trump ride this little wave of momentum?  I think these more positive planets should extend into early or perhaps mid-July.  That means that the chances look good for the Senate to pass the GOP health care bill if it happens next week before the July 4th recess.  Trump's natal chart looks quite good towards the end of next week (June 28-30) as Venus conjoins his unequal 10th house cusp (=success) while the Mercury-Mars conjunction at 22-24 Gemini aligns with his Jupiter by square aspect.  The transiting Sun will conjoin his 11th house Mercury (=gains) around the same time. 

The PEOTUS chart also places the Mercury-Mars conjunction in a powerful position aligning with the Sun (23 Libra), Saturn (21 Scorpio) and Pluto (21 Sagittarius).  This isn't necessarily an alignment for a shining success as Saturn and Pluto imply coercion and the blunt application of power but it still seems like it fits better with the vote being forced through one way or another.  The Venus (0 Taurus ) opposition to Mercury (0 Scorpio) seems somewhat indicative of a desirable outcome for Trump.

Trump's string of good luck may end in July, especially once Mars enters sidereal Cancer on July 11th.  Mars is debilitated in Cancer and it will enter his 12th house of losses and isolation.  It will also conjoin both his Saturn and Venus in mid-July.  This looks like a time of fresh conflict and disputes, possibly involving women in some way.  The period from late July to late August looks very difficult for him and the White House.  I should also note that it may also reflect problems for the US as a whole. 

Since the Sun-Mars conjunction will conjoin Rahu (North Node) in the USA chart in early August, it is possible that we could see some kind of secret (8th house) violent action involving foreigners (Rahu).  Alternatively, news may emerge of some kind of scandal along those lines (e.g. Russia) which could damage Trump.  As I have pointed out previously, the impending Saturn station on August 25th will sit right on Trump's Moon-Ketu conjunction.  It is a very heavy and burdensome combination that indicates intense pressure and stress and a high level of emotional instability.

To add to this picture of intensity and stress, the solar eclipse of August 21st occurs right atop Trump's Ascendant and Mars.  And Mars will conjoin Rahu in late Cancer just a few degrees behind the eclipse degree.  Conflict and possibly violence may be the prevailing themes at that time.  Since the USA chart is also impacted by the Mars-Rahu conjunction, it seems more likely that Trump's troubles may be less likely to be ethical or political and perhaps more military in nature.   We shall see. 

I don't think there is much chance of Trump resigning or getting impeached before the 2018 midterms.  The GOP are still supporting him and that probably won't change.  But Trump's horoscope looks terrible in the fall of 2018 so it should mean that the GOP loses control of at least one house of Congress.  His charts are so bad that it could coincide with something worse than just losing the midterm elections.   That broadly fits with the dasha periods also since he is running Jupiter-Jupiter until November 2018.  After that time, he will run Jupiter-Saturn until 2021.   This is more likely to be difficult for him since his Saturn is placed in the 12th house, the house of loss and sorrows.  If impeachment is going to happen, it still seems more likely to take place in 2019.


Weekly Market Forecast

World stock markets remained firm over the past week after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates in a widely anticipated move.  While US stocks fell modestly after the Fed hike, the Dow bounced back strongly on Monday and is still trading near its all-time high above 21,000.  Indian stocks also stayed buoyant despite the Fed hike as the Sensex is still above 31,000.  In last week's market forecast, I thought stocks would be weaker on the Sun-Saturn opposition after the Fed statement and this was largely the case although the declines were small.

I thought we might have seen more downside so far this week as Mars approaches its square aspect with Jupiter so it remains to be seen if I will be proven wrong on that score.  Falling crude oil prices have introduced some uncertainty into the market after Monday's rise but stocks are fairly flat so far in Wednesday's session in the US.  The Mars influence here still seems to be the most noteworthy.  For that reason, I think the path of least resistance may still be down for the stock market over the next several sessions.

For more details and analysis on market trends for this week, this month and this year, please check out my weekly MVA Investor Newsletter.  The newsletter is published every Saturday and includes extended discussion of US and Indian stock markets, as well as gold, oil and major currencies.

UK politics in chaos as May loses majority in early election

(14 June 2017) UK politics has been thrown into a state of chaos after last week's unexpectedly close election has resulted in a hung parliament.  Conservative PM Theresa May had called an early election in order to strengthen her hand ahead of Brexit talks due to begin this month.  But the gamble backfired with May's government losing its comfortable majority so now it has to form a coalition with the far right Northern Ireland DUP in order to cling to power.  Even if May manages to secure a functioning agreement (likely but not a certainty, especially given the pro-Labour planets on June 19-20), her status as leader is now in jeopardy as other Tories are now positioning themselves for a new leadership contest.  She has been described as a 'dead woman walking' as both her leadership and her government may not last another election.

How did it all go so wrong for her?  One reason lies in the respective planetary alignments for both her and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The stars aligned against Ms. May and shone brightly on opposition leader Mr. Corbyn who was seen as a surprise winner of sorts.  As is often the case when we suffer failures or setbacks, Saturn was front and center in Theresa May's chart (1 October 1956, no time).  Saturn (0 Sagittarius) is casting its full strength square aspect to her Mercury and Sun in Virgo. 

Yes, the aspect is quite wide but I would suggest that it was intensified by the simultaneous square aspect of Mars (9 Gemini) to the Sun and Mercury.  Mercury was probably more pivotal in this respect since it is the dispositor of the Sun as rule of the sign of Virgo.  As it happens, the midpoint (4 Virgo) of the transiting Mars and Saturn was almost exactly conjunct Mercury at 5 Virgo.  Overall, it's a very difficult double-barreled transit by malefic planets.

But by contrast Jeremy Corbyn (26 May 1949, no time) saw the light of benefic Jupiter shining on him.  Jupiter (19 Virgo) was near its direct station at the time of the election and was in a close trine aspect to his Venus (22 Taurus) which would also play a disproportionately important role here because it is the dispositor of both his Mercury and the Sun in Taurus.   One of the most fundamental rules of astrology is that a Jupiter station is a time of increased good fortune when it forms a close alignment with a key planet or planets in the natal chart.  In Corbyn's case, his good luck was likely enhanced by the transit conjunctions of the Sun to his Venus-Mercury conjunction as well as Mercury's conjunction to his natal Sun.

Most observers do not expect the new Theresa May government to last very long.  Some are even suggesting the coalition with DUP may collapse this year and trigger another election.  I'm uncertain we could see another election in 2017 but certainly Theresa May's chart looks very difficult through to 2018 due to the ongoing transit of Saturn in Sagittarius.  I would think there may be an increase in her political problems in early 2018 when Saturn approaches its retrograde station at 15 Sagittarius in April.  This will exactly square her Sun and could coincide not only with her being unseated as leader but quite possibly also as an election defeat at the hands of Labour. 

Interestingly, the horoscope of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party also suggests that early 2018 could be a time when Ms. May's problems will multiply.  Corbyn won the leadership of the Labour Party at 11.46 a.m. on 12 September 2015.   As we can see, it's an excellent horoscope in its own right with a powerful 11th house of gains tenanted by Sun, Moon and Jupiter in Leo.  Regardless of timing specifics, we should expect his leadership to be successful by any measure and he would be more likely to win an election eventually on the strength of this chart. 

Last week's election saw stationary Jupiter (19 Virgo) conjunct natal Mercury (20 Virgo) which is a very nice placement indeed and fits well with his party's surprising gains.  But now that Jupiter is moving forward again, it will enter the 1st house of Libra in this chart later on this year and will provide further energy to his leadership chances in the coming months.   Jupiter is due to station direct again in July 2018 at 19 Libra which will be in an exact conjunction with this natal Ascendant.  That looks like a very good alignment that should boost the fortunes of Corbyn and Labour even further. The bottom line here is that I think the chances are good that Corbyn will be elected the next Prime Minister of the UK sometime between March and July 2018.

This instability and eventual change in government is likely to make the road to Brexit even more unpredictable.  In fact, Brexit may not even happen if Labour gets into power and it finds more sympathetic negotiating partners in Germany and France. 


Weekly Market Forecast

Stocks have been slightly bullish since my last post two weeks ago.  While I thought we would likely see some further gains up to the Jupiter direct station on June 9th, stocks have generally been positive this week as well.  As usual, the stock market is defying gravity but now it is happening somewhat paradoxically at the same time that the bond market is also rallying. The falling yields in the bond market is telegraphing a slower US economy (lower inflation, etc) but this seems difficult to square with the resilient optimism in equities.  One of these markets is likely wrong.  But which one? 

I would make a case that the equity market is "wrong", at least for now, as the planetary alignments are still looking bearish.  While I thought we would have seen more in the way of downside in late May on the Mars-Saturn opposition, we are again confronted with a potentially important alignment of malefic planets.  The Sun opposes Saturn today and Thursday just in time for the latest Fed policy statement.  The Fed is widely expected to raise interest rates but the market will wait to hear what its plan is to unwind its massive balance sheet.  Also, Mars will gradually tighten its aspect to Jupiter this week and next week so that is another potential source of pessimism and caution.  As I have indicated previously, the main event is still the approaching Saturn-Lunar Node alignment which will be within range for several months this summer.   It is not an alignment to be taken lightly. 

For more details and analysis on market trends for this week, this month and this year, please check out my weekly MVA Investor Newsletter.  The newsletter is published every Saturday and includes extended discussion of US and Indian stock markets, as well as gold, oil and major currencies.

Trump pulls US out of Paris Agreement on climate change

(1 June 2017)  Well, climate change just got Trumped.  President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the US from Paris Agreement today fulfilling a key campaign promise.  The US joins a tiny group along with two other nations (Syria and Nicaragua) out of 190 which has rejected the climate agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to reduce global warming.  Trump intends to renegotiate the deal on more favourable terms to the US.  Early reaction from other signatory countries suggests this may be wishful thinking. 

There are several interesting astrological angles worth exploring here.  The most important is the horoscope of the Paris Agreement itself which was passed by unanimous vote at the COP 21 conference on 12 December 2015 at 7.26 p.m CET.   With the future of the agreement now in doubt after the withdrawal of the world's greatest contributor of greenhouse gases, we should expect to see malefic planets like Saturn and Mars more prominently placed.  And that is exactly the case. 

The horoscope for the Paris Agreement currently has Saturn sitting on the cusp of the equal 6th house of conflict.  Saturn (1 Sagittarius) is in an almost exact alignment with the Ascendant (0 Cancer) and reflects intense stress as a consequence of the US abandoning its global leadership on this issue.  Saturn symbolizes setbacks, delays, and disappointments and its exact conjunction with the 6th house of disputes is very fitting this latest development.  Saturn is also squaring the Jupiter-Rahu conjunction suggesting an obstacle to the wisdom and reputation (Jupiter) of the accord. 

The Lunar Nodes are also within range of their respective house cusps as Rahu (4 Leo) conjoins the 2nd house (= distortion or interruption of voice) and Ketu (4 Aquarius) conjoins the 8th house (=sudden scandals or setbacks).  Mars (4 Gemini) is the triggering planet as it aligns almost exactly with the MC/IC or unequal 10th and 4th house cusps.  While these cusps are not widely used in traditional Vedic astrology, they nonetheless are sensitive points that often correspond with significant events when under close aspect.  Mars typically brings shocks and disputes as President Trump has called into the question the future of the entire deal.  Without US participation, some commentators wonder if the accord can now survive and if so, if it will be effective.

The planets this summer indicate that the Paris Agreement will be under intense pressure now more than ever.  Transiting Saturn is due to station at 27 Scorpio in late August.  This will be very close to the natal Sun (26 Scorpio) in the horoscope.  So we should expect more doubts about the viability of the agreement over the next few months.  Even if China, India and the EU countries pledge to uphold its terms in the coming days, the Saturn transit to the Sun may mean that the legitimacy of the agreement will in flux.  We may see another setback for the accord such as another major nation opting out in the summer.  Alternatively, we could a movement towards the possibility of some renegotiation which would be in line with Trump's thinking.  A change in the original agreement could manifest as a serious affliction to the horoscope since it would entail an injury or amendment to its current form. 

The Nodes will also intensify its problems as they will conjoin the cusps of the 2nd and 8th house.  Nodal influences are often indicators of uncertainty and sudden or difficult changes that require major adjustment. The nodal affliction to this horoscope will continue through to November when Rahu will exactly aspect the Sun.  This could well signify an additional setback for the deal in its current form. 

An additional underlying problem is that Pluto forms a t-square with the Mars-Uranus opposition for the rest of 2017.  No doubt, the US withdrawal is already a manifestation of this troublesome energy.  But since Pluto moves very slowly, we should interpret this Pluto influence as representing powerful and possibly hidden forces that are working to undermine the agreement.  Things do not look much better in early 2018 as Saturn is due to station retrograde while in close conjunction with the Moon-Mercury conjunction in Gemini.  Since the Moon rules the chart as a whole (i.e. the Cancer Ascendant), it is quite possible that the deal will suffer further setbacks.  I would not be surprised if it goes on life support in early 2018. 

But the outlook should improve by the spring and summer of 2018 as Jupiter transits through Libra and will conjoin the natal Venus.  It is very possible that the accord will have new life at that time, possibly as a result of Trump's declining fortunes.  I have previously predicted a serious setback for Trump in the fall of 2018.  Given the time frame, it seems likely that the GOP will lose control of Congress in the midterm elections.  Without GOP control of Congress, the complex legal process for quitting the agreement may be delayed or even stopped altogether.  Early 2019 also looks very good for the Paris Agreement as Jupiter will station retrograde in close conjunction with the natal Sun.  This could well represent a Democrat-controlled Congress decisively blocking Trump's withdrawal plan or maybe even impeaching him.  I'm not prepared to go out on the impeachment limb just yet but the planets are sufficiently bad for Trump that it is definitely in the conversation.  More on that question soon.


Weekly Market Forecast

Meanwhile, the stock market has resumed its upward march this week.  US markets rallied on a positive jobs number today as the Dow closed at 21,144.  India's Sensex has been slowly climbing since last week as the benchmark index finished Thursday at 31,137.  I thought we might have seen more negative sentiment around the Mars-Saturn opposition earlier in the week.  This proved to be something of a misfire, however, as US stocks only fell fractionally on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Friday's Venus-Uranus conjunction looks bullish enough, especially given the larger alignment with Saturn and Rahu (North Lunar Node).  Next week also offers some upside potential as Venus will align with Mercury and Mars in the first half of the week.  Alignments containing the planet Mars may be less reliably positive than ones involving only benefic planets like Mercury and Venus.  Nonetheless, there is some reason to expect more gains next week, at least in the early going.  Things may get murky by the end of the week as Jupiter stations direct on Friday the 9th.  This could alter some of the growth assumptions in financial markets and produce a reassessment of asset values.  It may also encourage reallocation of assets into different asset classes  e.g. moving out of stocks and into bonds, etc.

For more details and analysis on market trends for this week, this month and this year, please check out my weekly MVA Investor Newsletter.  The newsletter is published every Saturday and includes extended discussion of US and Indian stock markets, as well as gold, oil and major currencies.

ISIS bombing kills 22 at Manchester concert in UK

(24 May 2017)  As the planet of violence, Mars has no mercy.  On Monday, the UK became the latest target of ISIS as a suicide bomber blew himself up in the Manchester Arena shortly after a pop concert.  The attack was apparently perpetrated by a UK citizen of Libyan descent, Salman Abedi, and arrests have made in both in the UK and Libya.  The UK is now on high alert with troops stationed at key locations in the aftermath of this second attack of 2017.

There are several possible ways to look at this event.  It is possible to focus solely on the transits for the time of the explosion (10.30 p.m.), but in my experience this provides only limited information.  In hindsight, we can see whatever we want to see in transits and the resulting chart is usually not conducive to prediction.  In my view, a more compelling approach is to use the relevant national chart, in this case, the UK national chart, dated 1 January 1801 at midnight.  While hindsight is always 20/20, at least we can make a better assessment of how the chart is operating and whether such an event was predictable. 

For all violent attacks, we should see Mars very prominently placed in the chart by transit.   And we do.  At the time of the attack, Mars was just one degree past an exact opposition aspect to Mercury.  Mars-Mercury aspects usually coincide with tense or stressful situations of all kinds.  In the UK chart, however, Mercury takes on a greater importance since it rules the 1st house through its rulership of Virgo.  The first house (i.e the body) represents the nation as a whole so this Mars aspect was an act of violence against the whole country. 

Significantly, we can also see this Mars-Mercury theme through the transit of Mercury (13 Aries) which is widely conjunct Mars (20 Aries) and also close to the 8th house cusp (16 Aries).  The 8th house is a malefic dussthana house and symbolizes misfortunes and death-like situations. This repeated Mars-Mercury connection is one reason why a fairly common once-a-year Mars-Mercury opposition would have produced a major terrorist attack.  Natal Mercury was under pressure from Mars by transit but Mercury, in turn, was substantially weakened in its ability to resist the violent nature of Mars because it was so afflicted by its transit of the 8th house and Mars.  This is a kind of planetary chain reaction.  As a general rule, weak or damaged planets are more likely to produce hardship when they are transited by malefics like Mars.  That is definitely the case here in the UK chart. 

I should also add that Mars is approaching its maximum declination (24N19) in early June so it may be stronger than usual at this time. This is likely to manifest as a background effect that increases tension and frustration and could allow simmering disputes to boil over into outright conflict.  There is an increased risk of more violent incidents generally.

A couple of other difficult set ups are evident.  Transiting Rahu (4 Leo) was conjunct the natal Saturn (2 Leo) in the 12th house of loss.  This Saturn affliction by Rahu is a classic indicator of sorrows and negative outcomes involving disappointment and sadness.  It may have provided the necessary underpinnings for the fast-moving triggering transit of Mars.  Rahu moves quite slowly so it should not be surprising if the country remains very somber and introspective for several more weeks during this transit of Saturn.

The Moon and Venus were transiting Pisces at the time of the bombing, in an exact conjunction with natal Rahu (22 Pisces).  This Moon-Venus-Rahu alignment may be symbolic of an event which distorted and disturbed (Rahu) national emotions (Moon) and happiness (Venus). 

There is now talk in the media about whether the upcoming election on 8 June will be postponed due to security concerns.  That seems unlikely in any event even if the planets look difficult for several weeks to come.  For what it's worth, Mercury (= elections) will conjoin natal Mars on 26-28 May so that may be a time when tensions are running high again.  This is probably not another attack or the postponing of the vote but there could be more conflictive and tense developments in the UK.  Interestingly, this is the same time window when Mars opposes Saturn by transit. This is likely to mark a period of high stress and anxiety generally.


Weekly Market Forecast

Stocks have largely moved sideways since last week.  US stocks drifted higher higher late last week on the Venus-Jupiter alignment but have been stronger thus far this week.  Indian stocks have been weaker on profit taking after several previous record highs. 

As noted in last week's market forecast, I have been expecting more downside from the approach of the Mars-Saturn opposition which is exact on Monday 29 May.   So far we haven't seen much fireworks from this nasty planetary pair.  However, the rest of this week looks more vulnerable to declines.  Friday stands out in this respect as the Moon conjoins Mars and opposes Saturn.  The Moon-Mars conjunction is closest during the US trading day.  While Monday is closed for Memorial Day in the US, the shadow of the Mars-Saturn opposition may well extend into early next week. 

Perhaps all this Mars-Saturn related anxiety is what is driving up Bitcoin to record highs.  It now trades at $2500 and has doubled its value over the past month.  There are a couple of plausible horoscopes for Bitcoin out there: 1) the first electronic trade on 12 Jan 2009 and 2) the first real world trade/purchase for pizza on 22 May 2010.  Both charts look fairly negative this summer so I would think a major decline is likely.  That is perhaps not a stunning prediction given that the current parabolic rally is unsustainable over time.  But the summer Saturn-Rahu alignment does look bad for Bitcoin as it activates a few key points in both charts.   I hope to post a more in-depth analysis of Bitcoin by next week.

For more details and analysis on market trends for this week, this month and this year, please check out my weekly MVA Investor Newsletter.  The newsletter is published every Saturday and includes extended discussion of US and Indian stock markets, as well as gold, oil and major currencies.

Stocks fall as Trump crisis deepens

(17 May 2017) When it rains, it pours.  The embattled presidency of Donald J. Trump appeared to enter a new and more tumultuous phase yesterday with the revelation that he may have asked FBI chief James Comey to stop his investigation into pro-Russia former cabinet member Michael Flynn.   If proven true, the attempted intervention in the FBI's work could amount to an obstruction of justice.  This would be an impeachable offense under US precedent as president Richard Nixon was forced to resign for a similar intervention during the Watergate cover-up.  And tonight there is word that a Special Counsel has been appointed to Russia inquiry to clear the air.

The possibility that Trump obstructed justice comes after a very difficult week following the firing of James Comey after he asked for more resources for Russia-Trump probe and the controversial sharing of classified intelligence with Russia during an unprecedented visit by Russian officials to the White House.   All this turmoil in DC is finally taking a toll in financial markets as stocks fell sharply today as markets began to factor in the possibility that Trump may be unable to push through his pro-business tax and regulatory reforms.   For the first time, investors (and betting markets) are now seriously assessing the odds that Trump will be impeached.  Of course, the irony is that Wall St. would likely prefer a President Pence anyway.

The worsening political crisis in Washington is in keeping with the troubled planetary alignments in the key horoscopes: 1) Trump's natal chart; 2) the USA national chart; 3) the Nov. 9th PEOTUS chart and 4) the Jan. 20th Inauguration chart.  As I noted more recently last week, Trump was likely to come under increased pressure in the month of May from the transit of Rahu, the North Lunar Node.  In Trump's personal natal horoscope, Rahu (4 Leo) is conjunct his natal Mars (3 Leo) which is, in turn, very close to his Ascendant (6 Leo).  Rahu-Mars alignments tend to reflect times of increased stress and agitation and are often implicated in serious or uncontrolled conflicts.  This is very much the case here as the Trump presidency appears to taking on water like a sinking ship, seemingly too dysfunctional to right itself.  Something has to give, and soon. 

The position of Rahu at 4 Leo also hits the exact 12th house cusp of the PEOTUS chart dated from the moment Trump was declared elected in the early morning hours of November 9th.   The Rahu-12th house connection is a classic textbook indicator of illegal or immoral behavior that produces scandal and embarrassments.  Trump's words and actions are increasingly indefensible even among notoriously partisan Congressional Republicans.   The GOP control of both houses of Congress has protected Trump so far but this week's development has set off alarm bells as Republicans are beginning to distance themselves from Trump as more are calling for an independent Russia investigator and for the FBI to disclose Comey's notes. 


Trump's Downward Spiral

So what comes next? I would expect Trump's fortunes to hit a temporary bottom at the end of May when Mars opposes Saturn.  This Mars-Saturn opposition happens once every two years but this one may bring some serious implications for the President since it aligns with most of the key horoscopes.  Trump's natal chart will be activated forcefully as Mars conjoins his Sun while Saturn sits very close to his Moon-Ketu conjunction.  The alignment with his natal chart is closest on May 29th although the days leading up to that date are likely to see increased frustrations and stress as Mars first conjoins Trump's natal Rahu on May 22-23.  The Mars-Saturn opposition similarly activates the Trump Inauguration chart as Mars will align with the Mars-Saturn square.  This is a kind of maximum pain alignment for the Trump presidency as all the malefics will be in a close aspect with each other. 

Hopeful Democrat and other anti-Trump readers may ask if Trump might even resign under this difficult Mars-Saturn opposition.  It's conceivable although I would not predict it.  There is an absence of planetary affliction to the USA chart that really should accompany a presidential resignation.  We saw that Nixon resigned in 1974 under serious transits to the USA chart.   Saturn (=loss) conjoined the Sun (=leaders), Ketu aspected Saturn in the 10th house of government (=change to authority), and Uranus conjoined the unequal 10th house cusp (MC) (=change in government).    Currently, both Saturn and Ketu are aspecting not the Sun or Saturn but rather Mars.  On the other hand, Uranus (2 Aries) is opposite the 10th house cusp (MC) so that may be one reason why the US government is so unstable in 2017. 

Whatever opposition there may be to Trump's presidency, the affliction to Mars would seem to point more to some significant military engagement.  Perhaps this will be a diversionary tactic from a besieged Trump presidency to bomb or attack an geopolitical adversary.  It's definitely more likely in the next few months under this double affliction of Saturn and the Ketu.  Alternatively, since Trump is so closely associated with the planet Mars (i.e. it was on the horizon at the time of his birth), we cannot completely dismiss the possibility that the Saturn-Ketu affliction to Mars could somehow translate into the elimination of Mars from the USA, i.e. the removal of the Mars-ruled Trump.

But I do not want to give out false hope to readers who are hopeful for a swift end to the Trump presidency.   If Trump was going to resign this year, then the chart of VP Mike Pence should be very strong as he would take over the Presidency.  As I see it, it isn't that strong.  Pence's chart (N.B. time unknown) looks stronger in mid-2019 just around the same time that the Sun in the USA chart comes under a powerful double affliction by Saturn and Rahu.  2019 is therefore a more likely time when Trump could be impeached or forced to resign.  On the face of it, this makes more sense since it would be after the 2018 November midterm elections which could turn the control of Congress over to the Democrats if current trends continue.  While the current GOP Congress could vote to impeach Trump if the situation got too out of hand, I would think it is quite likely that the powers-that-be will find a way to paper over the cracks and keep Trump in power until the last possible moment.

I should note a second nadir in the Trump chart in the late summer in August/September around the time of the Saturn direct station on August 25th.  This will conjoin his Moon-Ketu conjunction and could coincide with a period of isolation, disappointment and defensiveness.  Trump's Moon is debilitated in Scorpio in the sidereal Vedic zodiac system so it fits very well with a person who takes umbrage at any personal slight.  No wonder his co-writer for The Art of the Deal noticed that in boardroom settings during his real estate career no one dared to challenge his views on anything.   His delusional emotional immaturity is further reflected by the close conjunction of the Moon with Ketu which accentuates changeability and fickleness.

But I'm less confident that this summer alignment could translate into resignation or impeachment.  It does look bad for him to be sure and some kind of new setback is likely based on his natal chart.  But the PEOTUS chart looks less afflicted so without that confirming evidence, I would not expect a resignation from Trump.  One possible scenario may be that we will still be in the impeachment preliminaries at that time, as Trump plays cat-and-mouse with the Special Prosecutor or some other such defensive scenario. 

I should also note that I was off in my timing for this kind of major Trump setback.  Shortly after the election, I noticed that Trump's chart was heavily afflicted throughout the first months of his presidency and that both Hillary and Bill Clinton's chart were quite strong in March and April.  I assumed that any Clinton gains would be offset by Trump's losses.  That really didn't happen for the Clinton's although Trump's presidency has been beset with controversy from Day 1.  Now I don't know what may be occurring behind the scenes with the Clintons, but so far they have yet to enjoy any obviously positive developments.  That seems more likely to change here in May with this possible impeachable offense for obstruction.  If impeachment talks grows louder in the coming days as I expect, it will boost both the Clintons and the Democrats fortunes as their allegations of election interference will carry more weight.   While any upside for the Clintons may be largely symbolic at this point, it may still help to boost the sagging fortunes of the Democratic Party.  So we will have to see how things play out now. 


Weekly Market Forecast

As mentioned above, US stocks fell sharply Wednesday as markets finally realized that there are consequences to Trump's capricious style of governance.  And yet for all the political media hype, the Dow is only 3% below its all-time high.  Indian stocks have continued to rally higher as investors anticipate more domestic reforms.  The Sensex  has  moved steadily higher since my last post as it closed Wednesday at 30,658.  As expected, I thought we were likely to see some downside last week although that was only the case in US and Europe.  I expected some gains this week on the Venus-Jupiter alignment although they appear to have manifested in the first half of the week already. 

More broadly, I had cautioned about late May as a time when stock markets were likely to decline given the Mars-Saturn opposition and then also the larger alignment with Rahu, the North Lunar Node.   While we could see some brief upside tomorrow or Friday in the US on the Venus-Jupiter opposition, I would think the down trend will continue at least through next week.

For more details and analysis on market trends for this week, this month and this year, please check out my weekly MVA Investor Newsletter.  The newsletter is published every Saturday and includes extended discussion of US and Indian stock markets, as well as gold, oil and major currencies.

Trump fires FBI's Comey: Nixon revisited?

(10 May 2017) The Trump presidency took an unexpected and disturbing turn on Monday with the surprise firing on FBI chief James Comey.  Comey has been a controversial figure on both sides of the aisle in Washington since his very public investigation of Hillary Clinton and her private email server and then later with his unprecedented intervention in the election.  It now seems likely that Comey's letter to Congress on October 28th cost Hillary Clinton the presidency.   Recently, Comey and the FBI had been leading an investigation into the alleged links between the Trump campaign and Russia.  It has now come to light that Comey's dismissal came just days after he requested additional resources to probe more deeply the Trump-Russia connections.

While his firing of Comey may solve one of Trump's imminent problems, it is unlikely to boost his political fortunes in the short run.   The optics are terrible for Trump as it now looks like he is a man on the run desperately trying to silence further questioning about possible collusion with Russia.   Where this all is leading is hard to say although the astrological perspective suggests that Trump is unlikely to find solace for the rest of the month of May at least.   The problem would appear to center on Rahu, the North Lunar Node. 

Trump's horoscope is strongly influenced by Rahu at the current time.  Rahu is a malefic planet by nature and is symbolically linked to situations that disrupt the status quo.   That's why Rahu (and Ketu) is always close by whenever there is an eclipse, the time that the Lunar Nodes step in and interrupt the constant light of the Sun or the Moon.   When the chart is afflicted, the bad side of Rahu may predominate and this can burden the native with secrecy and scandal. 

Transiting Rahu (5 Leo) is closely conjunct Trump's Ascendant (6 Leo).  Rahu is undermining Trump's sense of self (1st house) and may be a source of confusion for him.  The added problem for Donald Trump is that Rahu is also conjunct Mars (3 Leo) and hence there will be more areas of his life that will be subject to disruption and uncertainty.  Mars is related to action and leadership, so it seems appropriate that Trump's summary firing of Comey should have caused such a storm of upset in the halls of power in DC. 

Previously, I've written about how the Saturn station in the first two months of the Trump presidency coincided closely with many of his current problems.  Saturn tends to deny or delay rewards so it was not surprising that Trump's approval rating would be hitting rock bottom at 40% or below during his first 100 days.  For all the bluster and talk, his presidency got off to a poor start.  Even the passage of the much-vaunted GOP health bill has done little to change perceptions as he may find the Senate a less cooperative body.

But now Rahu seems to have taken the baton from Saturn.  The other first-class malefic could be focusing our attention on the shadowy nature of Donald Trump and his presidency.   Trump's natal chart will sustain a Mars transit (27 Taurus) starting the week of May 22nd which could further intensify public scrutiny.  Mars is due to conjoin the natal Rahu on the 22nd and will then oppose his Moon (28 Scorpio) on the 23-24th.  These are unlikely to be times of triumph for the President as his enemies may become more active against him.

Rahu was similarly prominent in the chart of disgraced former President Richard Nixon at the time that he was on the defensive and fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox in the "Saturday Night Massacre" on October 20, 1973.  Cox had been appointed to investigate the Watergate break-in earlier that year in May but Nixon pulled the plug on him in an effort to short-circuit the investigation.  While Transiting Rahu (8 Sagittarius) wasn't close to Nixon's Ascendant, it was conjunct the key stellium of Mars-Mercury-Jupiter at 7-9 Sagittarius.  This stellium of planets was the most important feature of Nixon's chart and could be said to act like a de facto second Ascendant.  Rahu's transit of these planets introduced typically Rahuvian qualities of scandal, intrigue and secrecy into Nixon's political career.  Just one week after Cox's firing, the American public largely turned against Nixon and would remain opposed to his presidency until his resignation in the following August.

So maybe my previous analogy with Nixon might not be far off.  I had suggested that Trump inauguration chart bore certain common qualities with the Nixon inauguration chart in 1973.  I didn't think the afflictions in the Trump chart were quite as stark but there were some similarities given the close Mars (power) and Saturn (authority) alignments.  The raw, self-serving exercise of power may be the common thread in both inauguration charts although I am still uncertain about whether Trump will be able to serve out his term. 

The upcoming Mars-Saturn opposition on May 28th may serve as another focal point for additional troubles for "45".   It is quite possible we could see voices grow louder for an independent investigation of his Russia links leading up to this time, perhaps including the appointment of a special prosecutor. 

Interestingly, the chart of the President-elect of the United States (PEOTUS) also suggests that Trump will likely suffer further from the placement of Rahu in early Leo.  As I previously suggested, the transit of Rahu to the equal house 12th house cusp (= secrets, loss through unscrupulousness) in late April and May was likely to bring more problems to Trump.   I would expect the furor surrounding this latest Trump move to last into early June when Mars opposes Saturn and opposes the natal Venus in the PEOTUS chart and squares the Ascendant.  The Sun's transit (21 Taurus) opposite natal Saturn (21 Scorpio) on June 4th may be another hint that Trump's authority will be further questioned at this time. 

Trump could catch a break around the Jupiter direct station on June 9th.  He is running the Jupiter dasha period so its forward motion may straighten out some ongoing questions.  And yet it is difficult to imagine Trump suddenly becoming successful and wildly popular this summer since Saturn will station direct in close conjunction with his Moon-Ketu conjunction in late August.  It's a very difficult combination which suggests isolation and disappointment.   Could the Trump presidency somehow get even worse this summer?  It seems it may.  But I would be surprised to see his resign with these transits.  It will likely be bad for him but it's not that bad.  Or at least, not bad in that way.  Given the double affliction to the USA's Mars (0 Gemini) this summer, it seems more likely that some major military action will become foremost on Trump's agenda. 


Weekly Market Forecast

All of this political intrigue has yet to affect financial markets,  as stocks are still trading near their record highs.  The Dow finished Tuesday's session largely unchanged from the previous week at 20,943.  Meanwhile, Indian shares have pushed higher this week as the Sensex finally made a new all-time high above 30,000.  I thought there was some bearish potential in the Saturn influence on the Mercury direct station late last week and early this week.  We did get some very modest downside last week, but sentiment looks somewhat better so far this week. 

The rest of this week looks mixed.  Friday stands out for its difficult Moon-Mars opposition, especially in the US.  A decline is more likely on this aspect.  Thursday looks less problematic for its part.  Next week could see more gains around the Venus-Jupiter aspect.  This is exact on Friday in Asia and Europe although its positive effects may manifest a day or two earlier.

For more details and analysis on market trends for this week, this month and this year, please check out my weekly MVA Investor Newsletter.  The newsletter is published every Saturday and includes extended discussion of US and Indian stock markets, as well as gold, oil and major currencies.