Weekly column: US-China relations in the shadow of Saturn-Neptune

Review

Dalio said that while recessions occur regularly, what appears to be occurring is “much more profound,” as there is a “breaking down of the monetary order” involving the dollar, along with a breakdown of the domestic and the world order.

—By Eric Revell, “Billionaire Hedge Fund Manager Warns Tariffs Could Trigger Conditions ‘Worse than a Recession’,” Fox Business, April 14, 2025.

Sentiments are not strong in the markets as we saw all major US indices sell-off into the week, following last week’s corrective rally. The DJIA was down 4.5% following Tuesday’s high. The S&P and NASDAQ formed highs last week and were also down 5% and 6.5%, respectively.

The picture was the same in Europe, where the Euro Stoxx 50 and Germany’s DAX had a muted upweek as investors took stock of what may be unfolding. The UK’s FTSE, on the other hand, appeared a lot more confident, rallying over 4% in the hope of a ‘special relationship’ with the United States. In Asia, the Nikkei and the Chinese markets continued their corrective rallies, closing marginally higher on the week. Australia was the same story. However, India’s Nifty stands out, closing above its multi-month highs and was testing the high of January. Brazil’s Bovespa index is also rallying, but like most other equity markets, the rally appears corrective in nature.

We saw many of the global equity markets drop into and reverse sharply at the Venus station direct (April 12 with an orb of 1 week). Ray provided a timely webinar in which he explained that the short-term lows may be in, and a 4% or greater rally could be expected in the US equity markets! However, the big question is whether this was a low of significance or if markets will reverse back down? For greater insight, I would really recommend getting in touch with the MMA team to gain access to this informative webinar. Amongst the chaos, Gold remains the shining star, reaching a new all-time high of 3,371.90 on Friday. Both Silver and Copper are lagging behind and have failed to take out the highs of late March.

The cryptocurrencies continue to consolidate and have not shown their hands yet. The grains had a good week, with Wheat and Soybeans continuing their rallies, but they still have some way to go before reaching the highs of February and thus confirming the longer-term bullish outlook. Crude Oil closed the week higher, climbing to 64.18 as the US increased the sanctions on Iran ahead of the second round of talks this Saturday.

Short-term geocosmics

President Trump is threatening to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell unless he cuts interest rates to cushion the blow from his tariffs.

— By Nick Timiraos, “Trump and Powell on Collision Course Without Easy Escape,” Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2025.

In the Forecast 2025 book, Ray wrote a chapter on The Federal Reserve Board (FRB). I thought it would be timely to share a few sentences that really got my attention, “The Fed seems destined to be vulnerable to power plays from the federal government. At any moment, the Fed’s independence as the nation’s central bank can be revoked by the government. That vulnerability is shown by the Sun in Capricorn in opposition to Pluto in Cancer.” He goes on to explain, “So we may have a case where someone, or some entity, is slandering the Fed or its Chair as part of a maneuver to gain power and control of the nation’s central bank by eliminating the Chair or the institution (bank) itself… The message here is that a powerful force may try to take away the independence of the Fed and do so in a very underhanded and deceptive manner.”

When I read this, I immediately pulled up the chart of President Trump, who has his Sun in the 12th house of ‘hidden enemies’ for the FRB. He also has his natal Saturn placed prominently on top of the FRB’s Ascendant, suggesting a desire to take control of or restrict the Boards’ ability to operate! With the US Dollar trading at multi-year highs in January, I share the opinion of my great colleague and currency analyst, Ulric Aspegren, who provided an astounding analysis on the US Dollar at the 2024 Investment Retreat. Ulrich felt that a long-term crest may have formed in the US Dollar in 2022. Putting all of that together, the sharp decline of over 10% in the US Dollar does not come as a surprise to the MMA community and really goes to show the beauty in the methodology and the rich insight astrology can provide in many aspects of life.

Looking at the week ahead, The Sun will leave Aries and ingress into Taurus on Saturday. As the Sun changes signs, we will see a shift in trading psychology. We may see the optimism of the Aries fire sign hit the cold skepticism of the Taurus earth sign. We are also at the April 18-21 CRD and anticipating an important reversal in markets within a 3-day orb of Easter Weekend. You can follow the implications of this on the various markets we cover within the MMA Weekly Report.

Longer-term thoughts and opinion

During his nomination hearing in January, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that Nvidia chips drove the development of DeepSeek’s model and that such American assistance had to end. “If they’re going to compete with us, let them compete, but stop using our tools to compete with us,” he said.

— Liza Lin and Amrith Ramkumar, “U.S. Tries to Crush China’s AI Ambitions with Chips Crackdown,” Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2025.

.This is not the first time the United States has taken deliberate steps to shield its domestic workforce from the perceived threat of a more efficient Chinese labor force. In researching the upcoming Saturn–Neptune conjunction—reaching near-exact alignment this summer and culminating on February 20, 2026—I was struck by how deeply rooted this theme is. It has surfaced repeatedly during past Saturn–Neptune cycles, revealing a long-running pattern. One of the reasons I find synodic cycles so powerful for studying history is their ability to reveal enduring energetic patterns that transcend any single nation’s birth chart. This cycle, therefore, remains highly relevant—despite China’s political and ideological transformation following the Communist Revolution of 1949.

U.S.–China relations began on economic, rather than political, terms. In the late 18th century, the United States was eager to participate in the lucrative tea, silk, and porcelain trade. The first American ship to reach China—the Empress of China—docked in Canton (Guangzhou) in 1784, marking the beginning of commercial contact. However, formal diplomatic ties were not established until after the First Opium War, culminating in the Treaty of Wanghia in 1844. This treaty, which granted the U.S. “most favored nation” status, came into effect during the 1846 Saturn–Neptune conjunction and reflected a spirit of idealist expansionism and diplomatic goodwill—archetypal of Neptune’s influence.

By the next conjunction in 1882, the tone had shifted dramatically. It had moved into a more Saturnian phase, characterized by fear, exclusion, and boundary-building. In the decades leading up to this point, tens of thousands of Chinese laborers migrated to the U.S., enduring grueling conditions, particularly in railroad construction. Following the Panic of 1873 and the resulting economic downturn, Chinese immigrants became convenient scapegoats—accused of undercutting wages and taking jobs. This culminated in the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the first major U.S. law to ban immigration based on ethnicity. It also denied Chinese residents the right to naturalize as citizens. Notably, this law remained in effect—at least in part—until just before the 1952–53 Saturn–Neptune conjunction. The 1882 cycle ended with deep economic resentment, legal exclusion, and racialized mistrust—hallmarks of Saturn’s shadow.

The 1917 conjunction brought a renewed sense of Neptunian cooperation. Under pressure from the U.S. and its allies, China declared war on Germany, hoping its support would be rewarded at the peace table with the return of lost territories. This marked one of the earliest instances of U.S.–China alignment in a global military and diplomatic context. The Neptunian theme of idealistic alliance and shared purpose prevailed.

Yet by the time of the 1952–53 conjunction, darker Saturnian energies resurfaced. Amid the early Cold War, the U.S. imposed strict trade embargoes on China, especially after the Korean War. Mao was consolidating power, and the ideological divide between capitalist America and communist China became a defining rift. The U.S. responded by forging strategic alliances throughout East Asia—Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore—as part of a containment strategy aimed at isolating China. It was a classic Saturnian maneuver: build walls, draw lines, and limit influence.

Fast-forward to the 1989 conjunction, and we witness yet another shift. Despite the Tiananmen Square crackdown, the U.S. imposed only limited sanctions. Instead, American corporations began investing heavily in Chinese manufacturing, ushering in an era of economic cooperation. The Neptunian ideals of globalization and free trade gained traction—even within the framework of Communist China. This cycle marked the beginning of a complex and enduring economic entanglement, where ideological differences were set aside in favor of market-driven interdependence.

I hope I have been able to demonstrate the rhythmic pendulum swing between Neptune’s idealistic, unifying energies and Saturn’s darker tendencies toward fear, division, and control—a dance that has long shaped the course of U.S.–China relations. As we approach the next Saturn–Neptune conjunction, it seems we are once again leaning into Saturn’s shadow: suspicion, protectionism, and rising walls (trade barriers).

Yet today, these two nations are no longer peripheral players—they are the twin engines of the global economy. The consequences of their friction will not remain confined to national borders; they will reverberate across the globe. Fittingly, this conjunction will unfold along the Vernal Axis, emphasizing that what is at stake is not just bilateral diplomacy but the future trajectory of humanity itself.

On this Easter weekend—a time of renewal and resurrection—I pray that the United States might break free from the gravitational pull of its past and choose not to repeat the patterns of fear, exclusion, and confrontation that have defined prior cycles in its relationship with China. At the same time, I pray for the evolution of the great Neptunian experiment—communism—which was seeded under the 1848 Saturn–Neptune conjunction with the birth of The Communist Manifesto. This Neptunian dream has evolved and been marked by important turning points in human history at every Saturn-Neptune conjunction. Perhaps now, in the light of emerging technologies, this dream might finally shed its shadow and grow into something more inclusive and more humane.