The use of Astrology to measure market tops and bottoms is another form of technical analysis that can be exploited in your trading, notes Susan Gidel editor of the Red Letter Trading Days newsletter.

The position of planets in the sky as they relate to their positions when a market first began trading can provide clues to potential trend changes. The energy is strongest on the days noted below, but it is not unusual for the effect to be seen a day or two either side.

The week of March 11-15 is a good one to wrestle with defining goals and then getting the plan rolling, with Thursday, March 14 as the key day for putting it all together. Note that China releases several economic reports in the Wednesday overnight trading session that could provide clarity on trade issues with the United States.

There is tension with actually defining goals and aspirations because both the Sun (leaders) and Mercury (ideas) are in a 90-degree square aspect to Jupiter (optimism) all week, with the Sun in a make-or-break spotlight on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Mars, Saturn and Pluto—often seen as zodiac’s tough guys—are working together well to help take action on a plan that is not only long-lasting, but also transformative. The Mars/Saturn energy peaks at 6:02 am EDT on Thursday.

Finally, be open to “aha” moments of clarity on Thursday from 6:16 pm EDT to 1:28 am EDT Friday. That’s when the Sun and Mercury are so tightly together in the sky that it gives Mercury superpowers of clarity. Because Mercury is retrograde, the flashes of brilliance could be about a previous idea that now seems to have found its time.

Monday, March 11—Low in 10-year Treasury-note

Look for a low in the 10-year Treasury-note as the Moon and Mars are aligned with the contract’s first-trade Sun, the dominant planet in play at previous market lows. The June contract has planetary price support at 118-08 (Ascendant), with nearest resistance at 125-1 (Moon).

Wednesday, March 13—High in Soybeans

The Moon’s participation is the most important in spotting potential highs in the soybean market, and both the natal and transiting Moon are in play on Wednesday, March 13. First, the transiting Moon and Venus are completing a “grand trine” with the market’s natal Sun and Moon, which provides extreme ease. Second, the transiting Moon is aligned with the natal Moon, which happens once a month, but not necessarily when Venus is in the picture as well. Nearby May has planetary price resistance at $9.38 per bushel, with support at $9.12 and $9.03.

Friday, March 15—High in Gold

Transiting Mars and the Moon are in positions relative to three sensitive planets in the first-trade horoscope chart of the gold market to be on alert for a potential high on Friday, March 15. Mars is in a supportive relationship with Mercury and Venus, while the Moon is opposite the first-trade chart’s Sun. Nearby April gold has major resistance at the Venus conversion price of $1,372 per oz., with support first at $1,328 to $1,330 (midheaven and Neptune conversions), then $1,291 (Uranus).

Keep Double-Checking Orders
The planet that rules communications, computers, phones and transportation—Mercury—began its first of three retrograde periods this year on Tuesday, March 5 at 1:19 pm EDT. When Mercury is retrograde, it appears to be moving backward in the sky, and the things its rules can go haywire. It turns direct in motion on March 28 at 9:59 am EDT.

This could be an especially nasty Mercury retrograde because it is in the sign of Pisces, the planet’s absolute least favorite. Pisces is good for day-dreaming, but not so much for details. Keep double-checking your trading orders, particularly those entered online, in order to avoid any fat finger disasters! 

Last Week’s Scorecard (through Thursday’s close)

Bullseye!

  • Uranus in Taurus made its seven-year entrance into disrupting the financial status quo with a bang on March 6. That day, the Fed said it would end big bank stress tests, put in place after the 2008 financial crisis to measure their ability to lend during a financial crisis. The next morning, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced it would once again be making economic stimulus efforts, just three months after phasing out of its bond-buying program.

Pretty Darn Good

  • Soybeans made a high on Monday, March 4 rather than Wednesday, March 6. But, nearby May did find support near $9.03 on Wednesday and Thursday, with closes at $9.02 and $9.01½, respectively.
  • The S&P 500’s low on Wednesday of 2768 was just above the planetary price support area of 2763-2764. But, the ECB’s refreshed stimulus news on Thursday sent U.S. stocks down further—but still finding support at the secondary level of planetary price conversions at 2732-2736, with Thursday’s low of 2739.
  • The 10-year T-note didn’t wait for Uranus to hit 0 degrees of Taurus as it made a low on Monday, March 4 rather than Wednesday, March 6. However, Venus (ruler of Taurus) was in range of the contract’s natal Mars and Mercury all week.