Previous Forecast

I stand by what I wrote in my May 2018 Updateposted on my website on May 13: “…a worldwide economic recession will begin next year (2019) and last for at least a year…the forthcoming recession will not be severe, and there will be a decline, but not a meltdown in the stock market…The Stock Market has entered its bear mode… It will decline most of the time through April 2020. By that time, the losses are likely to amount to 30-50% from its all-time high. Meanwhile, the price of precious metals will dramatically increase by 2021.” And here is why:

For over nine years, the U.S. economy has been expanding. Its performance was particularly stellar during 2017 and again in 2018 following Trump’s inspired tax cuts. Unfortunately, it began to show signs of slowing down at the end of 2018. Is it just a temporary phenomenon caused by our trade war with China? Will our economy continue expanding with low unemployment and salaries rising once President Trump manifests his miraculous The Art of the Deal in the trade negotiations with China? Or will the U.S. join the rest of the world in a worldwide economic slump?

Planetary Influences in 2017-18

Uranus and Neptune entered their semi-square (45°) in June 2016 and will remain in or within 3° of this semi-square most of the time through June 2020. (To read more go to Planetary Influences in 2017-18.) Uranus/Neptune semi-squares always coincide with economic calamities. The influence of the current one has already brought about severe economic problems in many areas of the globe, including Brazil, Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and Venezuela, while the rate of economic growth has slowed quite a bit in the EU and China. Until recently, the United States economy was not affected at all. Instead, the U.S. has enjoyed robust economic growth, low unemployment not seen in decades, low inflation and a dramatic rise in home prices. Why has the U.S. been so fortunate?

The main reason for the U.S. economic expansion in 2017-18 was the positive influence of Chiron/Uranus semi-sextile (30°), Saturn/Uranus trine (120°) and Saturn/Chiron quincunx (150°), which historically coincide with economic expansions. (Planetary Influences in 2017-18.)

The combination of these three harmonious aspects overpowered the stressful influence of Uranus/Neptune semi-square and saved the major world economies from a recession. The U.S. economy was especially blessed since Saturn, Chiron, Uranus and Neptune were forming harmonious aspects to the astrological chart of the United States in 2017-18. (Planetary Influences in 2017-18.)

Managing the U.S. Economy

Hopefully, it has become obvious to my readers by now that our economy is no longer a wild capitalist economy with cutthroat competition, where only those able to produce the best products for the lowest prices prosper, while the losers go bankrupt. As a matter of fact, such a pure capitalist economy never existed. Since the dawn of history, governments have always attempted and usually succeeded in managing national economies in favor of the ruling elite. In recent years, the U.S. government has been especially successful in managing the economy, and the current economic expansion of nine years is a testimony to it. Unfortunately, only the upper middle class and the notorious 1% were the beneficiaries of this management. At least half of the nation has not benefited at all from the current economic boom. (To read more, go to Rigged Economy.)

Planetary Influences in 2019

In spite of the positive influence of the harmonious aspects discussed above, the U.S. economy began to show signs of the forthcoming recession in the second half of 2018, the stock market decline being the most obvious of them. This occurred due to the influence of stressful aspects from Saturn, Uranus and Pluto to the U.S. chart coming into effect at the end of 2018. Even more of such stressful aspects will be formed in 2019. (To read more, go to Planetary Influences in 2019.)

Conclusions

Under the influence of these stressful aspects, a worldwide economic contraction will begin in 2019 and end in 2020 or 2021. Fortunately, this recession will not be severe, and most Americans will experience only minor financial limitations. Unfortunately, the economic hardships experienced by the most vulnerable people, such as the poor and seniors, may linger through 2023. This recession is likely to be more severe than the one in 2001, but less severe than the recession that occurred in 1973-75. By the end of 2019, the U.S. GDP is likely to decline by 1.5% while unemployment may reach 6%.

Besides the U.S., this recession will affect many nations, especially China, Canada, Australia, UK, Japan, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. Russia, Eastern Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union will be affected the most.

Fake News and Creative Accounting

It was not just a coincidence that Donald Trump called most of the mass media fake news, while the reporters of these fake news denounced most of his statements as lies. Trump’s propaganda war with the liberal media began in 2016 when Uranus/Neptune semi-square just came in effect, and this conflict will continue as long as the semi-square is at place (until 2020).

The influence of this semi-square in 2019 is likely to politicize the reporting of the forthcoming recession. Governments may even try to use creative accounting to deny that the recession is happening, explain it away, or manipulate the statistics that reflect its severity. Meanwhile, the opposition parties will try to exaggerate its impact on the population.

On a Positive Note

Fortunately, the worldwide economic collapse equal to the Great Depression or worse will not happen. The prophecies of economic nightmares forecasted on YouTube by some prominent economists will not materialize. At least not in the U.S. The economy will not reset, the U.S. government will not expropriate bank accounts or confiscate gold of the citizens, and the mighty dollar will still remain the reserve world currency for eighty more years. This is what I posted in my article, Post Election Syndrome, on December 6, 2016: “In reality, this planetary aspect (Uranus/Neptune semi-square-45°) cannot produce any great disaster.” “It can only invoke in some the false sense of forthcoming doom; this doom will never materialize…” Economic recessions, like earthquakes, hurricanes or forest fires are part of life. The U.S. and other industrialized nations have lived through them all and will easily survive the forthcoming in 2019-21.

I would like to end this update by paraphrasing a quote from my previous newsletter: “Your successes and failures in 2017-21 will depend on your Karma reflected in your astrological chart and on your own free will, and Donald Trump, or anyone else for that matter, will not be able to do anything about it.”

Your comments and questions are welcome: ilya78536@earthlink.net.