Weekly Finstrology Update for August 22: Moving Week

It’s a week of shifting energies in the markets as they absorb three planets changing signs and one turning retrograde in motion.

The biggest shift in energy adjustment is to Mars entering Gemini over the weekend (at 3:56 a.m. (ET) on Saturday). Mars is the action-taker and in Gemini, it can get an overload of information and not know which path to follow. That can lead to increased trading volatility as traders take a position on one story and then quickly change their minds when another bit of information is revealed. 

Normally, Mars is in one sign about six weeks. But, because it will turn retrograde in late October, Mars will be in Gemini for seven months—until March 26, 2023. So, get used to increased market volatility across the board. 

There could be a noticeable downshift in energy as the sun leaves its ruling sign of Leo and enters Virgo on Monday at 11:16 p.m. (ET), during overnight trading hours for Tuesday’s trade. Instead of the strength and boldness of Leo, the sun (and the leaders it represents) now takes on Virgo characteristics of service to others and focusing on the details.

In addition to the sun’s shift, other transits point to potential highs in the Nasdaq-100 on Monday and the Standard & Poor’s 500 on Tuesday. 

In the Nasdaq-100, transiting Venus is opposite first-trade sun, with Mercury opposite the first-trade Venus/Mars conjunction at 29 Pisces on Monday. On a rally, watch for resistance at 13,881, a planetary price conversion level that has been both support and resistance in the past. 

The S&P 500’s high could wait for the transiting moon to square its first-trade position on Tuesday, with the sun aligned with the first-trade opposition between Mercury and Pluto. Emphasizing exuberance is the grand trine in the sky among Mercury, Mars and Pluto that is aligned with the market’s first-trade Jupiter. Expect stiff resistance in the S&P 500 at 4303, the end-of-cycle planetary conversion level. If that is surpassed, the next two higher levels of significance are 4336 and 4450. 

Also, in early week trading, Mercury transits could add some flavorful details. Mercury is strong in its ruling sign of Virgo. On Sunday, it opposes an equally strong Neptune in its ruling sign of Pisces, which helps bring clarity and detail to an otherwise foggy situation. After the markets close on Monday, Mercury trines Pluto in Capricorn. This connection could bring out the details of business and government transformation, perhaps on the Inflation Reduction Act or the January 6^th committee. This week is Mercury’s last hurrah in its rulership. It enters Libra at 9:03 p.m. (ET) Friday, where it must begin to weigh the pros and cons of all the information it processes. 

It’s time to review financial matters when Uranus turns retrograde in Taurus at 9:54 a.m. (ET) on Wednesday; it stays retrograde for nearly five months, until January 21, 2023. Uranus represents disruption to the status quo and Taurus is ruled by money planet Venus. So, these next several months are a good time to review any changes made to finances. On a grand scale, that covers the Fed’s approach to interest rates and details of the Inflation Reduction Act. On a personal level, use the Uranus retrograde to review your portfolio and see which investments have disrupted its performance—either good or bad. 

Markets on the Move

Now that the United States has earmarked $369 billion to support green energy initiatives via the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), let’s take a look at some of the stocks that might benefit. 

NEE NextEra Energy 

NextEra Energy began life as Florida Power & Light in December 1925, which listed its stock under FPL on the New York Stock Exchange in 1950. When the company name settled on NextEra Energy, to reflect its reality as the largest producer in the country of wind and solar power, its stock began trading under ticker symbol NEE on June 23, 2010. 

Watch for a potential high on Monday, August 22 when transiting Venus is conjunct its first-trade position. That connection was present when NEE rallied into an “island top” in September 2020; that’s when prices form an island when they gap higher one day and then gap lower the next. 

Two dates to watch for potential lows this fall are September 23 and October 27, both of which feature transits to first-trade Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus. In September, transiting sun, Mercury and Venus are the main players. The October date looks like a stronger potential and/or a more prominent low. That’s because three transiting planets make connections to the same degree as the first-trade planets: (1) Mars conjunct Mercury; (2) moon trine Jupiter; and (3) Jupiter conjunct Uranus. 

Note that Mars stations retrograde on October 30 just 20 minutes of arc less than NEE’s natal Mercury, so will only be exact just once next year after its retrograde is over. But, stationing at the same degree as first-trade Mercury definitely could provide stronger-than-usual trading and volume in the stock while Mars is at 25 Gemini from October 22-November 8. It revisits 25 Gemini on March 15-17, 2023, so look for similar activity then. 

RUN  Sunrun Inc.

Sunrun is a California-based company founded in 2007 that provides residential solar energy systems. As befits a solar energy company, the stock began trading on August 5, 2015, when the  sun was in its ruling sign of Leo; in total, the stock has six of 10 planets in fire signs. Interestingly, first-trade Venus and Jupiter are both at 28 Leo (ruled by the sun), and portend a natural propensity for the stock to create big money. 

At the record high of $100.93 in January 2021, Mars was trine this pair of benefics; at the November 2021 high of $60.60, it was Venus that was trine. However, a grand trine from the sun and Uranus set the low in 2018 at $8.81.

Watch for a potential high on Monday, August 22, when the sun is conjunct first-trade Venus and Jupiter. At the same time, transiting Venus is conjunct first-trade sun, which could mean a peak in likability with the stock. Meanwhile, moon opposite Pluto and Mars opposite Saturn could add pressure.

Longer-term, there could be price pressure into a low on November 15, when first-trade Venus/Jupiter are squared by the sun, Mercury and Venus on the same day as the moon is partile conjunct first-trade sun.

PLUG  Plug Power Inc.

Plug Power—focused on developing hydrogen fuel cell systems—was founded in 1997, and its stock was listed on October 29, 1999, at the tail end of the dot.com craze. Indeed, the stock price rallied from below $200 to a record high of $1565 within three months of launch. But, its bubble burst with the dot.com stocks and it had fallen to $91.30 by year-end 2000. 

Over the next dozen years, the stock’s price slowly declined and moved sideways until it found a bottom at $0.12 on February 14, 2013 as transiting Jupiter was conjunct its first-trade moon and opposite first-trade Mars. In the last two years, PLUG has traded in a range of $75.49 in January 2021 to $12.70 in May 2022.

PLUG gapped higher on July 28 (when negotiations over the IRA had a breakthrough) with the sun, moon and Jupiter forming a grand trine with its first-trade Pluto; the August 15 high came in with the moon, Venus and Jupiter in a similar grand trine. Thus, prices could be heading lower for a bit. Watch September 20, 2022 for a potential low, when first-trade Venus is activated by four transiting planets. Mid-February 2023 could be a time for a significant high because transiting Jupiter is exactly trine first-trade Pluto on February 16.

Weekly Highlights

Crude Oil Low on Monday, August 22—This could be a significant low in crude oil prices because transiting Venus is forming a grand trine with first-trade Mercury (exact to the degree), sun, Jupiter and Uranus; Venus also is square to its own natal position. In addition, transiting Jupiter is conjunct the sun with transiting sun in a partile trine with Neptune, the market’s ruler. In October futures, planetary price conversion levels provide potential support at $86.80 per barrel and $80.30. In case of a big sell-off, the Venus conversion level at $76.30 could be significant.

Gold Low on Thursday, August 25—Transiting moon and Venus are conjunct the market’s first-trade moon and trine first-trade Mars and Neptune. Filling out a grand trine is transiting Jupiter. In December futures, look for support at either the ascendant’s conversion level of $1761 per oz., or more significantly, at the Venus conversion level of $1732.

All information in this post is merely the personal opinion of the author and not that of Astrology.com or any other person, company or entity. This information is not to be construed as financial advice, nor relied upon as such. Please contact your broker or financial advisor for trading and investment advice, and use astrological indicators in combination with other trading-decision inputs. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future market behavior.