Weekly column: Investor fears deepen as geocosmic cycles signal reversals

Review

Consumer sentiment took another hit in March as worries intensified over inflation and a slumping stock market, according to the University of Michigan’s latest sentiment survey released Friday. The survey posted a mid-month reading of 57.9, which represents a 10.5% decline from February and was below the Dow Jones consensus estimate for 63.2. The reading was 27.1% below a year ago and was the lowest since November 2022…. Though the measure is often prone to disparities between parties, survey officials said sentiment slumped across partisan lines along with virtually all demographics.

— Jeff Cox, “Consumer Sentiment Slumps in March,” www.cnbc.com, March 14, 2025.

It was another wild and whacky week for global stock indices. It was also a week that clearly illustrated the importance of geocosmic signatures as a valuable market timing indicator for trend reversals. March 11 was a three-star geocosmic critical reversal date highlighted in our recent market reports (monthly, weekly, and daily). In our Forecast 2025 book, it was given as March 7-10, one trading day earlier. March 11 happened to be the exact date that many global indexes made their new multi-month lows, with several registering double-digit declines from their recent highs for the first time since 2022, which was another forecast highlighted in this year’s Forecast 2025 book.

In Europe, the major indices we track made important weekly lows on March 11, down somewhat sharply from all-time highs made on March 3-6, right after Venus turned retrograde on Sunday, March 2.

In Asia and the Pacific Rim, the Japanese Nikkei and Australian ASX indices bottomed on March 11-12, respectively, plummeting to their lowest levels since August- September 2024. India’s NIFTY index had already done the same the prior week when it fell to its lowest level since June 2024. The story was different in China and Hong Kong, where the Shanghai Composite rallied to its highest mark since early December, and the Hang Seng soared to its highest price in three years during the previous week. The Hang Seng paused last week but didn’t turn bearish. What is this saying about the shift of economic power in the world?

In the U.S., the NASDAQ dropped to its lowest level since September 11 last week, on March 11. The DJIA and S&P did the same two days later. Brazil’s Bovespa staged a powerful rally on Friday after making a multi-week double-bottom low on March 7 and 11.

Gold was a star last week, exploding to a new all-time high of 3017 on Friday, cutting short its primary cycle low as of February 28, one trading day before Venus turned retrograde and only 4 trading days after its primary cycle crest on February 24, which was just the first trading day after Mars turned direct. That was perhaps the shortest decline to a primary cycle low from a primary cycle high in the history of Gold, but it fits the nature of Mars and Venus changing directions so close in time to one another. Silver also had a great week, soaring to its highest price since October 24 after putting in a half-primary cycle low on February 28 as Venus turned retrograde that weekend.

Other financial and commodity markets also performed in accordance with geocosmics. Venus rules Soybeans, and they made an important low and double bottom on March 4 and 12, respectively. Crude also made a double bottom and muti-month low on March 5 and 11. Bitcoin also dropped to its lowest levels in six months on March 11, while Ethereum bottomed the same day but at its lowest level going back to October 2023.

The question now is whether these lows (and highs) are temporary, or will they resume their counter-trend moves into April 12 when Venus turns direct?

Short-term geocosmics

Here comes that Trickster again. Mercury turns retrograde at 9° 35’ Aries on Saturday, March 15, lasting through April 7. This may be a particularly badass cycle for two reasons. First, the planet of communication and ideas is not only retrograde, where miscommunication and misunderstandings are often highlighted more than usual, but it is taking place in the “badass” sign of Aries, where rhetoric may be pointed and sharp, as if in a mood for an argument. In Aries, Mercury can think and respond very quickly. In retrograde, an overly quick reply can happen before one thinks things out clearly, coming across more as an insult than intelligence. Don’t mess with anyone who is not in the mood for a civil discussion.

Second, this 3-week Mercury retrograde cycle is taking place within a greater 6-week Venus retrograde cycle that also started in Aries, another badass combination. Here we have the planet that thinks in terms of partnerships, alliances, agreements, and “we,” trying to make peace with the sign that thinks in terms of “me.” In  other words, it can come across as “I want us to do what I want.” It can be manipulative if the other person’s needs are not given equal weight to one’s own needs. The result can also be argumentative in those cases, with one side leaving the party alone. No friendship with benefits here unless we do what I want us to do!

There is actually a third issue at work as both planets will retrograde over Neptune, which is straddling the border of Pisces and Aries. This will be exact during the last week of March. Mercury retrograde itself often has communication issues (not enough facts or information to make an informed decision or response). However, with Neptune involved, this issue of misunderstanding or misdirection in communications is likely compounded. Be careful what you think is real. Things may not be as they appear, and false theories or propaganda may cloud one’s judgement of truth. Markets may be prone to rumors, so be alert for the “buy the rumor, sell the fact” phenomenon – or the opposite. It’s possible that the last week of March may determine if the stock market has really turned back up or if it is in the midst of an ongoing bearish trend.

I have often referred to the period of November 25, 2024, through April 12, 2025, as “retrograde chaos” as all the personal planets (Mercury, Mars, and Venus) enter their retrograde cycles back-to-back. Yes, this can be an excellent time to review and adjust plans for the future. But it can also be a time of great turbulence and disruption that follows a pattern of start-stop-start again-stop again. It can make for a climate of “What the heck is happening?” It can be very confusing, even surreal. It can be fine for meditation and exploration of inner awareness. But for functioning in the external world, not so much.

The point I want to make is that this period when both Mercury and Venus are retrograde and conjoining Neptune, which is changing signs from Pisces (the last sign) to Aries (the first sign), is probably a peak in confusion and uncertainty. Generally speaking, global stock financial markets do not like this, although a case can be made that they represent a period of counter-trend moves. We note that many market cycles are more prone to distortions during this overlap period as well (say late February through mid-April), where cycles end early (contraction) or later (expansion) than the norm (80% of historical cases).

Longer-term thoughts (and opinion)

The trouble with trade wars is that once they begin they can quickly escalate and get out of control. All the more so… when Mr. Trump behaves as if his manhood is implicated because a foreign nation won’t take his nasty border taxes lying down. We said from the beginning that this North American trade war is the dumbest in history, and we were being kind.

— The Editorial Board, “How Do You Like the Trade War Now?” Wall Street Journal, Review & Outlook column, March 11, 2025.

Tariffs are import taxes paid in the importing nation. Canada, Mexico, China and the European Union won’t be pouring billions of dollars into U.S. coffers. The Trump administration will be taxing American importers, who won’t be able to absorb fully the increased costs and must shift some of the burden to consumers by increasing prices. Despite his professed business acumen, it has never been clear that Mr. Trump understands this.

— William A. Galston, “Trump Bets the Economy on Tariffs,” Wall Street Journal, March 11, 2025.

 “Tariffs” is not the most beautiful word in the English language. Instead, it has now become synonymous with coercion and as a policy, it is leading to the “dumbest trade war in history,” according to the Wall Street Journal and other leading economists. How do we astrologically explain the obsession with tariffs by the U.S. president?

Trade and commerce are ruled by Jupiter (world) and Mercury (distribution networks and supply routes). Their ruling signs are also important (Sagittarius and Pisces for Jupiter, Gemini and Virgo for Mercury). To gain insight into this phenomenon, we look at the current transits to one other and their signs, plus the chart of the creator of this highly chaotic policy, President Trump.

To start with, Jupiter is in its detriment sign of Gemini. Mercury, ruler of Gemini, is now turning retrograde in Aries. This is not necessarily bad (it can be badass, though), but it can indicate over-reach and over-confidence in one’s ideas involving messaging and trade policies, which can be riddled with conflicts.

On the one hand, the Trump tariffs are supposed to lead to a more level playing field, where the amounts charged by one country are equal to the amounts charged by the other. So there is that, which most people understand and support. On the other hand, if the U.S. increases tariffs on imports, companies will have to pay more to receive foreign goods, and that increase will be passed on to the consumer, resulting in either higher prices or a shortage of materials needed to produce goods in demand by the public. A shortage of goods and materials needed for production will also increase prices. Although the “purpose” of tariffs is said to protect American manufacturing, the result may actually lead to a slowdown in the economy and, hence, layoffs and rising unemployment as consumers pare back their purchases. The stock market sees this and does not like what it sees on the horizon.

Mr. Trump and his followers apparently do not give any weight to this possibility. They think he is a genius, the smartest man in the room. Perhaps this is due to his Sun in Gemini (intelligence) conjunct Uranus (off the charts, a bent towards arrogance, but could be either incredibly brilliant or whacko, or both depending on the day). Plus, he is born under a lunar eclipse with the Moon in the confident or over-reaching sign of Sagittarius (“never enough, always too much”). It is not a combination lending itself to consistency and common sense despite claims to the contrary.

Going back to the astrology of current transits, we note that the cosmos is fast approaching the most important aspect of the year in mid-June when Jupiter (expansion and exaggeration) will square (challenging) Saturn and Neptune (conflict between reality/truth versus wishful thinking/propaganda). This would appear to be the height of confusion regarding a trade war, which could (if not contained and moderated) lead to a financial mini-panic (orb can be as much as 4 months).

But the cosmic seeds of this disruption and potential hysteria will already be in effect this month, as both Mercury (commerce) and Venus (love and money) will retrograde over Neptune (confusion, illusion, and delusion) as it enters Aries (attempted coercion or even bullying, in this case) in the last week of March. During this same month, transiting Saturn (criticism, skepticism) will square President Trump’s natal lunar eclipse (Sun/Moon), suggesting dissatisfaction and delays with his policies. It is not usually a time of growing popularity, but rather the opposite.

If these policies are not revised, the president risks being the first Republican in office of the 20th and 21st centuries not to see the DJIA make an all-time high. He also risks joining other Republican presidents who oversaw a stock market crash exceeding 30%, something that no Democrat has experienced. If that happens, he will join George W. Bush and Herbert Hoover as the only U.S. presidents who oversaw two financial crises under their watch, during which the stock market fell over 35%.

Do I think a stock market crash or recession is likely? I believe the odds have increased substantially since January 20. As mentioned in Forecast 2025, I also think the U.S. stock market will register at least two double-digit declines by November. The last double-digit decline in U.S. stock indices was three years ago. And now, one of those double-digit stock market declines is underway as of last week.