Financial Astrological Techniques For Investing
by Jeffrey SpringerJeffrey Springer of Norwood, New Jersey is a graduate of Noel Tyl’s “Master’s Degree Certification Program” (August, 2002). During his work in the Course, Jeffrey began studying in earnest financial astrology and the financial markets in general. Jeffrey passed the Series 65 exam in early 2003 to become a Registered Financial Advisor. He then developed a web site (www.stock-compass.com) that facilitates selecting stocks by means of first-trade astrology charts. He has also been producing a monthly stock newsletter for the past 13 months.
“Buy low, sell high” is investment advice almost everyone is familiar with. However, few appreciate its difficulty: after stocks have been falling for a while, fear builds up, frequently ending in a climax of selling. Buying “low” means buying as close as possible to this point of maximum fear. Conversely, after stocks have been rising for a while, optimism and complacency increase until there are very few buyers left and stocks go down. Selling “high” means selling when is seems like everyone else is saying “BUY BUY BUY”.
Financial Astrology can help us in the following ways: Astrological cycles can help to isolate major turning points in the markets and help to reveal appropriate investing strategies. The movements of the planets through the signs help us to select different sectors in the market. First-trade astrology charts facilitate selecting stocks and timing investments.
The danger of investing at the wrong time cannot be overstated. For example, there was a stock market high in March 1991 as the DOW topped 3,000 after making a low in the 1987 crash. If one had bought IBM on March 4, 1991 for $130 a share, there would have been no profit until November of 1996 5 ½ years later!
Planetary Cycles: Pluto Saturn The conjunction of Pluto and Saturn occurred on November 8th, 1982, a few months after the DOW’s bottom of 781 on August 6th, 1982. The top came in 2000 (nearing the opposition of these planets beginning in 2001) with the DOW at 11,750 on January 14th, 2000 for a 1,404% move!
Contrast this gigantic move with the almost negligible move during the period of the Saturn-Pluto opposition in 1966 to the conjunction of 1982: From the DOW’s February 9th, 1966 high of 1,001 (the actual opposition was July 1st, 1966) to the conjunction of 1982, the DOW gained only 7.7%. The prior period of conjunction to opposition was also very bullish. This lasted from May 19th, 1947 (actual conjunction August 11th, 1947) to February 2nd, 1966 (actual opposition July 1st, 1966). The DOW went from 164 in 1947 to 1001 in 1966 for a gain of 510%!
This alternating pattern of good times for stocks during the conjunction to the opposition and bad times for stocks during the opposition to the conjunction has held during the entire history of our stock markets. But, we have also seen how the exact date of the aspect (either conjunction or opposition) has been months off from the actual high or low in the markets that we were looking for.
Technical analysis (i.e., analysis of stock graphs) is required for closing in on the turning points in the markets. It’s important to change investment strategies during the different phases of this cycle. During the conjunction to the opposition an investment strategy of “buy and hold” can be used wherein stocks are bought and held onto for a long period. –But that method would clearly be inappropriate during the period of the opposition to the conjunction. At that time, we would be better off buying and selling stocks on a much shorter time horizon. [For more information about astrological planetary cycles and the financial markets see “The Ultimate Book on Stock Market Timing Vols 1-4” by astrologer Ray Merriman.]
Sector Analysis: Planets through the Signs The movement of the planets through the signs helps us select bullish and bearish sectors in the market. Here are a few examples.
Gold rose 121% from its bottom of 43.25 on July 26th, 2002 (just before Jupiter went into Leo on August 2nd, 2002) until its high of 95.43 on January 6th, 2004 (Jupiter went into Virgo on August 28th, 2003).
Saturn in Gemini (August, 2000 through June, 2003) mirrored the washout of technology, airline, communications stocks. Even after the strong rebound starting in October 2002, the high of the NASDAQ (the NASDAQ is dominated by technology stocks) in January, 2004 of 2154 is 58% lower than its all-time high of 5,132 in March, 2000.
Jupiter in Virgo suggests a bullish push for department store stocks. Department store stocks improved by a whopping 68% from their August 12th, 2003 low (Jupiter went into Virgo on August 28th) until their crest on February 10th along with the rest of the market! This compares with only 18% for the S&P500 during the same time period.
First-Trade Astrology Charts First-trade charts are constructed for the time that the stock starts trading, with the location always in New York City for U.S. stocks (NYSE, Amex, NASDAQ are located there). Astrologer Michael Munkasey offers a CD of most of the stocks in the US markets including their first-trade date and incorporation date. My website, www.stock-compass.com, encompasses a search engine using Michael’s data that makes it easy to produce lists of stocks that meet specific astrological criteria. Solar Arcs have proved to be much more effective than transits when using first-trade charts. Transits seem to suggest short, small moves while Solar Arcs seem to mirror more substantial moves. Solar Arcs that are reinforced by the same or similar transit work even better (e.g., SA Jupiter = Sun with TR Jupiter conjunct Sun). [Jeffrey’s use of a combination of first-trade date astrology along with technical and fundamental analysis reported in his newsletter has compiled an excellent record over its first 13 months: cumulative return of 52.7%, average monthly return of 4.05% and overall performance versus the S&P500 of 174%.]
Long Term Prediction The two most important planetary cycles are Saturn-Pluto and Saturn-Uranus. In 2009 through 2011 Saturn in Libra will be opposite Uranus in Aries while Pluto in Capricorn squares them both. The last time these three planets were in hard aspect to each other in Cardinal signs was in the Great Depression. Baby boomers will start to be at retirement age in 2006. Soon after, Social Security will be a drain on the Federal budget. We can anticipate social crises of a much lower stock market bottom than we had in 2002 along with a Federal government without meaningful resources or palatable political solutions.
Closing Note: Financial market cycles are measured from bottom to bottom. For example, the four-year financial-market cycle that began on December 9, 1994 ended four years later on October 8, 1998. This was a bullish cycle as the low of 1998 was higher (in this case more than double) the low of 1994. Cycles can be either bullish or bearish, but let’s keep in mind that they begin and end on their lows. The four-year financial market cycle that ended in October 2002 (cited just above) was clearly bearish. It ended much lower than it began in 1998.
–I think the current four-year financial-market cycle is also bearish (2006 will be lower than October 2002). Since the big bottom of October 2002, all three markets have rallied until their recent tops (January for the NASDAQ and early March for the S&P500 and DOW). Technical indicators suggest that the current correction will last into July, at least. Astrology underlines the current bearish condition: Transiting Saturn conjoined the USA Sun and George Bush’s Sun at the end of May 2004, and transiting Neptune will conjoin the USA MC for the 2nd and 3rd times on August 19th and December 25th. The current downturn in the S&P500 and DOW was mirrored by the first “hit” of Neptune conjunct the USA MC on February 23rd.
What to do next: While both the long-term and short-term outlooks are bearish, it’s important to keep in mind that markets don’t move in straight lines either to the upside or the downside. But because there are no long-term bullish moves on the horizon, long-term conservative investors should be in cash or CDs at a strong bank. For a list of strong banks, see www.weissratings.com. Short-term investors can greatly enhance their gains by combining technical analysis with financial astrology. Between now and 2010, there will be much more money to be made shorting stocks (making money from stocks that go down in price) than by buying them “long”. The next short-term “long” buying opportunity will occur when the current downdraft ends, probably somewhere between July and November. But, there will be a wonderful “shorting” opportunity when the next bullish correction ends and we head into 2006.