Dear Fellow Star-Gazers,

Happy Full Moon and Happy Valentine's Day.

It's a Friday (Venus' day of the week) and Mercury is retrograde: good planetary ingredients for romantic mischief-making. Hope you have fun.

I hope also that you are all safe, warm (but not too warm if you're in Australia)  and dry (but not parched if you're in California).

It seems that my last letter forecast of continuing dreadful weather proved accurate. Here in the UK, where vast swathes are under water and news bulletins feature journalist and commentator after commentator speaking of the conveyor belt of storms headed our way, we have been treated to pictures of gigantic waves crashing against the coast line. It has been remarkable that whilst 'high, low and spring' tides are frequently mentioned, I have yet to hear the word 'Moon', its position or phase being mentioned.  Amazing: we really do seem to have lost contact with the language of nature.

The Moon is at perigee on February 27th. This is not the closest that the Moon will be to Earth this year but, with Mercury coming to its station within hours of this event, the weather could be dramatic wherever you are.

No less important is the condition of the Sun which, at this point in its cycle 'ought' to be extra-busy. The opposite is true: this is an unusually quiet Sun. Should this continue, then we may well be in the early days of a period similar to the Dalton and Maunder minimums when weather in Europe was much, much colder and wetter than in previous years.

It is quite possible that the formidable alignment of Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto is affecting solar energy - in which case, perhaps there will be improvement in a few months when the formation is less angular. It's as likely though that our entire solar system is moving through a 'dangerous' area of the galaxy and that solar energy is reduced as a result.

You will recall that last month I mentioned the April lunar eclipse and the planetary formation of which it is just part. I think now that we should all be as prepared as possible for natural catastrophe. - though I fervently hope this is one forecast I get totally wrong.

Where I do seem to have been on target is in identifying the turning point marked for equities  by  the January 30th New Moon (that coincided with Venus' station and the Jupiter-Pluto opposition). Again, as expected, equities went lower again on February 3rd but have risen since. My other forecast was for the silver price to rise around February 5th which it did. The next date of some significance for silver could be March 14th.

The next period of note is February 28th to March 7th when first Mercury, then Mars, followed by Saturn and finally Jupiter each reach 'stations': pivotal points in their orbits as viewed from Earth. That should prove a most interesting week with the probability of markets testing resistance levels.

This period encompasses the Pisces New Moon (March 1st) which this year is close to the planetoid, Chiron. It may be that this marks the start of a period of intense problem-solving with battalions of 'company doctors' at work. It might also be that there are fast-paced developments in bio-science between that New Moon and the Full Moon on March 16th.

Designers and inventors particularly should find the first week of March a heady period - which may in part be due to the fact that Neptune and Pluto are exactly a seventh of a cycle apart at the end of February. A whole chapter, (if not a book!),  could be written about this aspect. As we know, the 500 year cycle between these two planets marks a shift in emphasis from West to East and back again. This time it might also mark (commercially) a shift from Northern to Southern hemispheric dominance.

Investors should be aware of the numerous opportunities arising in emerging markets in early March. Given that star-watchers share a trait for thinking 'out of the box', this might also be the moment to be a contrary investor and to put energy and time into studying those markets that some shun (look at Africa, South America, Greece and Cyprus).

We are now less than a week away from the Sun's move into Pisces where, within days, it aligns with Neptune. Years ago when researching the influence of this planet on financial affairs, it became apparent that even so-called 'bad transits' involving Neptune gave rise to creative surges that eventually became useful revenue streams.

Of course, we talk about the 'flow (Neptune) of money and recognise that when it is stored too tightly, it stagnates and becomes a burden. It is worth remembering that lucrative ideas develop from creative thinking:  though true, the real art is in turning the dream into reality.  That requires practical management of those ideas. With Saturn stationing so soon after the Sun-Neptune alignment, March to late May could yet provide good conditions for grounding  dreams and creative ideas.

If you are a Pisces - or have a friend born under that sign - it's perhaps time to buy (them) some gorgeous notebooks (yes, more than one) so that dreams and ideas can be written down, sifted through and developed.

My node is in Pisces which might explain why my own notebooks are full presently. This is, in part, the aftermath of teaching my first six-week astro-finance course but is also due to the many rewarding conversations I've had with traders and clients in recent weeks. I am certainly not short of material for my various lectures and meeting in Florida in two weeks' time.

This first astro-finance course has given birth to many ideas - which I'll announce once they are more fully developed. What I can say is that the second course will run from Sunday May 4th (time to be confirmed once time zones are taken into account). The first places are already taken. You can find full details on the website: www.financialuniverse.co.uk and email to reserve a place if you are interested.

Neither course would have been possible without the valuable assistance of the team at Market Analyst. It's super working with them and the developments they are making to their astro-module show their commitment to creating a marvellous astro-trading tool. www.market-analyst.com

The next Full Moon -March 16th - is at near right-angle to the Galactic Centre. Markets could enjoy a good week leading into that.  Market sentiment is unlikely to change much before the Equinox (20th). Traders might like to note these dates however. If anything, I am negative about the period post the Equinox.

I will be giving my Spring Webinar, looking at world events and markets for the three month period between the March Equinox and June solstice, at 16.00 GMT on Sunday March 16th. The cost is £20. If you would like to reserve a place, please email.

Until next time,

Do please keep in touch,

As always,

Yours from the stars

Christeen