The Spring Equinox hits on Friday, which usually leads to heavy trading, reports Susan Gidel.

The trading week kicks off on Monday, March 16, when Mercury goes back into the sign of Pisces at 3:42 am EST after having been retrograde in its most favorite sign of Aquarius. In Pisces, Mercury doesn’t see clearly—so trust your intuitive feel more than your data when trading.

Friday, March 20 is the first full day of spring, with the Sun entering Aries on Thursday at 11:50 pm. Mars and Jupiter team up in the same degree of Capricorn at 7:35 am, just in time to influence a big-volume trading day that already is likely because it is Quadruple Witching day.

As it is the spring equinox, this is one of W.D. Gann’s 10 favorite days to watch each year for a change in trend.

Wednesday, March 18

High in Crude Oil: Transiting Moon and Mars join Jupiter and Pluto in making a 90-degree square to the crude oil market’s natal Mars and Pluto, a T-square configuration that often appears at market highs. Venus, however, connects directly with its natal position in the crude oil futures horoscope for the first time since June 2017, when it was making a low in the $42 to $45 per barrel range. I give the Moon the nod in which way prices might sway. Look for potential resistance in the May contract at these planetary price conversion levels: $36.90, $37.30 and $38.50.

Low in S&P 500: Although the Moon is back hanging out with Jupiter and Pluto in an easy trine to natal Mars in the S&P 500 horoscope like it was when the record high was set on Feb. 19, the Sun has moved on from its uplifting connection then with natal Mercury and Venus. Now, the Sun is opposite the market’s natal Jupiter, a time when optimism is weak; transiting Saturn is in a helpful trine to Jupiter. All together, there is energy to be uplifting from a depression, hence establishing a low. Given recent volatility, here are several areas of potential support, based on planetary price conversion levels: 2404 to 2414, 2318 to 2338, 2283 to 2290, 2176, and 2133 to2143.

Low in 10-year Treasury note: Prices are under pressure with major transits to the market’s natal Sun, Saturn and Pluto. Venus is conjunct the Sun for the first time since June 2017, when the market was making an interim high near 127-00; also suggesting a peak is that transiting Sun is conjunct natal Venus. However, heavyweights Saturn and Pluto are both receiving harsh 90-degree aspects from Mars and Jupiter; Pluto also is squared by the Moon, Saturn and Pluto. In the June contract, potential support, based on planetary price conversion levels, exists at 134-06 and 132-03.

Friday, March 20

High in Gold: Strong, exact transiting aspects to the gold market’s natal horoscope Venus and Mercury call for a culmination in price. The strongest connection is that both Jupiter and Mars are in the same degree as gold’s natal Venus, which could produce huge trading volume or a huge price move. The other strong connection is a 120-degree trine from transiting Venus to natal Mercury. The transiting Moon is opposite the natal Moon, and the Sun is at 00 Aries—both factors often seen at highs. In the April contract, planetary price resistance exists at $1,629 per oz., $1,651 and $1,688 to $1,694.

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

Pretty Darn Good

  • High in Euro FX on Wednesday, March 11: The rally in Euro FX March futures peaked two days earlier at 1.15020. However, Wednesday’s high of 1.13695 was smack dab in the middle of “formidable plenary price conversion resistance” at 1.1360 to1.1380, and preceded the big drop on Thursday to 1.10560, near the Saturn conversion level of 1.107.  

Off the Mark

  • High in Soybeans on Monday, March 9: I second-guessed myself and called for a high in soybeans rather than stick to my call for a low on this day in my book, “Trading In Sync with Commodities,” that I published in 2018. Indeed, this was a low (albeit a short-lived one), not a high. May beans bottomed at $8.67 per bu. on March 9, rallied to $8.85 (just shy of the Neptune planetary price conversion level) the next day, then fell to $8.52 ¼ by Thursday, March 12.

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 in this post, but it is not unusual for the effect to be seen a day or two either side. See backgrounder “Market Analysis with Astrology” for further information. 

Susan Gidel is editor of the Red Letter Trading Days newsletter.