Louise McWhirter’s Forecasting Theory: The US Stock Market Through 2028

Louise McWhirter first presented her theory in her 1937 book "Astrology and Stock Market Forecasting." The model in the chart below demonstrates her claim that primary trends in business volume, finance, and stock prices are systematically delineated by the retrograde motion of the lunar North Node (NN) through the twelve signs of the zodiac. 

The draconic period of the true (osculating) lunar North Node is 18.612958 years (6,798.383 days). On average, 
each 30° zodiac sign is traversed in 566 days, or one year, six months, and nineteen days (1.55108 years).

 

The zodiac wheel is divided into four quadrants: "above normal," "normal," "below normal," and directional zones marked "prices up" (Leo through Libra) and "prices down" (Aquarius through Aries). Prominent arrows labeled "NODE TREND" and "TRANSITION PERIOD" indicate the clockwise retrograde flow, with gradual shifts occurring across defined transition zones near Scorpio–Sagittarius and Taurus–Gemini. Four pivotal turning points occur when the North Node enters the fixed signs, corresponding symbolically to the four heads of the cherubim in the Book of Ezekiel:

 

■ Aquarius represents the extreme low of business activity and the bottom of the cycle.

■ Leo signifies the extreme high of business activity and the top of the cycle.

■ Taurus marks the point at which business activity reaches a normal level while the overarching trend remains downward.

■ Scorpio indicates business activity reaching a normal level while the trend is upward.

 

The intervening signs provide precise transitional and amplifying effects:

 

► Aquarius: Extreme low of business activity, the bottom of the cycle.
► Pisces: Business activity approaches the bottom of the cycle.
► Aries: Business activity starts to fall below the normal level.
► Taurus: Business activity reaches a normal level, but the trend is going down.
► Gemini: Business continues to fall lower towards the normal level.
► Cancer: Business activity fades from the top.
► Leo: Extreme high of business activity, the top of the cycle.
► Virgo: Business activity goes even higher.
► Libra: Business activity starts to go above the normal level.
► Scorpio: Business activity reaches a normal level, and the trend is going up.

► Sagittarius: Business continues to go higher towards the normal level.
► Capricorn: Business activity turns up from the bottom.

 

These phases are not instantaneous but unfold within the broader nodal transit and transition periods shown on the wheel. The following ingress dates, drawn directly from the established nodal cycle, demonstrate the theory’s practical application across recent and forthcoming years:

 

► November 11, 2015: NN enters Libra. 

► May 9, 2017: NN enters Virgo. 

► November 6, 2018: NN enters Leo. 

► May 5, 2020: NN enters Cancer. 

► January 18, 2022: NN enters Gemini. 

► July 17, 2023: NN enters Taurus. 

► January 11, 2025: NN enters Aries.  

► July 26, 2026: NN enters Pisces.

► January 27, 2028: NN enters Aquarius. 

► August 2, 2029: NN enters Capricorn. 

► January 26, 2031: NN enters Sagittarius. 

► October 2, 2032: NN enters Scorpio. 

► April 2, 2034: NN enters Libra. 

► October 25, 2035: NN enters Virgo. 

[The intervals reflect the variable motion of the true North Node, ranging from 542 to 623 days while averaging to the theoretical 566.532-day mean.] 

As of March 2026, the North Node resides in Aries, a phase in which business activity begins to fall below the normal level within the “prices down” quadrant. This downward pressure persists until July 26, 2026, when the Node enters Pisces. Throughout the remainder of 2026 and the entire year of 2027, the Pisces transit prevails, during which business activity steadily approaches the bottom of the cycle. The subsequent ingress into Aquarius on January 27, 2028 will mark the extreme low, completing the descent that commenced in Aries.

 

Louise McWhirter’s Nodal Cycle theory
parallels Gann’s Financial Timetable.

 

McWhirter’s model suggests subdued business volumes, contracting financial activity, and a prevailing downward bias in prices through 2027. While this part of her theory does not specify intra-sign turning points and acknowledges that secondary factors (such as other planetary cycles or policy interventions) may modify outcomes by up to 20%, it supplies a disciplined structural overlay that contextualises shorter-term technical, fundamental, and sentiment indicators. 

 

See also:

TPR (2018) - Louise McWhirter's Theory of Stock Market Forecasting. 

Louise McWhirter (2018) - S&P 500 Short-Term Forecasting Method.

TPR (2015) - S&P 500 vs North Node: Louise McWhirter's Theory of Stock Market Forecasting.

TPR (2025) - 2026 in W.D. Gann’s "Financial Time Table." 

 TPR (2012) - W.D. Gann's "Financial Time Table" Extended and Adjusted ( 1784 - 2121).

    Graham Bates (1994) - US GNP vs North Node: A Projection into 2025.

2026 in W.D. Gann’s "Financial Time Table"

W.D. Gann’s Financial Time Table from 1784 to 2008 is based on the 18.612958-year lunar nodal cycle (6,798.383 days, the time for the Moon's north node, also referred to as the True Node, to complete one orbit relative to the ecliptic). Compiling his Financial Time Table in 1909, however, Gann approximated the lunar node's period without an ephemeris by simply alternating 18- and 19-year intervals to achieve an average of 18.5 years—an error of 47.33 days per cycle, meaning Gann's cycle is lagging behind the node's true position.

 

» Gann himself was quoted as saying that this was his greatest market discovery. « 

 

Fast-forward to late 2025, Gann's error sums up to 300 days. Hence, the exact criteria and starting date to which he anchored his cycle, including his annotation: "Dec. 25, 1989 revises to Mar. 13, 1934," remain unclear and subjects of debate. The table’s basic conceptual congruence with Louise McWhirter's 1937 "Theory of Stock Market Forecasting" led analysts to suspect "Louise McWhirter" was merely a Gann alias used to correct the flawed astronomy of his 1909 Time Table and provide an elaborated astrological theory of the lunar node's 18.6-year cycle and its impact on the US business cycle and stock market.

 

US GNP vs North Node: A Projection into 2025, Graham Bates, 1994.

 

 » "W. D. Gann" and "Louise McWhirter" share the same numerological root of “9”. « 

Regardless, even though the extended version of the original table into 2121 did not correct Gann's error, it forecasted a market panic in 2020 (accurate), and high stock prices in 2022–2023 (accurate?). For 2024, 2025, and 2026, Gann's table warns about a "major panic CRASH! 4 years of falling prices, business stagnated, breadlines, soup kitchens, despair, unemployment." Correct? For 2027 to 2031, the table announces "extreme low stock prices, strikes, repression, [and] despair" to be followed by the "beginning of [a] new business generation of 18.6 years. 4 years of rising stock prices and improving business. Markets bare of goods. Young men becoming prominent." Time will tell.

 

Gann claimed his time table accurately forecasted over a century of significant events, including the 1907 Panic, the 1929 Crash, and the post-World War II boom. This framework has shown continued relevance in modern validations, such as the 2020 COVID-19 market panic, which aligned with a projected low year in the table. Furthermore, the 2022–2023 stock highs preceded an anticipated downturn, also fitting the established pattern. 

  

 » Major crash in 2024–2026 with prolonged economic stagnation, and a recovery by 2028–2030. «

W.D. Gann's original "Financial Time Table" adjusted and extended into 2121.

 

While appealing, the table’s predictions should be approached cautiously, considering external factors and the debated accuracy of Gann’s methods. 

 

» Maybe Gann’s table should be shifted for a few months in view of 18.5M approximation vs 18.6M desired value. « 

Branimir Vojcic, 2025.

 

Branimir Vojcic is right: For higher degrees of conviction, diehard Gann aficionados may want to re-anchor the exact lunar nodal period to a specific date (e.g., sign ingress, natal chart, crash low), and derive further clues from "Louise McWhirter."

 

 S&P 500 vs Lunar North Node moving through the Zodiac, 1950-2028.

» We shall find out soon enough. « 

2026 in J.M. Funk’s "56-Year Cycle of Prosperity and Depression"

J.M. Funk’s theory, first articulated in his 1932 pamphlet "The 56-Year Cycle in American Business Activity", posits a recurring 56-year rhythm in US economic and business conditions, driven by a chain of cause-and-effect events influenced by human behavioral traits—such as aspiration, greed, and intemperance—and modulated by external rhythmic forces akin to solar cycles.

 

The cycle transcends intervening factors like wars, technological advancements, or monetary policy changes, manifesting as three major panic periods within each 56-year span, spaced at intervals of approximately 20, 20, and 16 years. The cycle's structure is visually represented in a circular chart, originally drafted by Funk and redrawn by financial astrologer David Williams in 1959 and 1982, which delineates key phases: "Accumulating Surplus" (thrift and investment buildup), "Absorbing Surplus Production" (rising prices and sales), "Panic and Dumping" (market collapse and liquidation), "Industrial Stagnation" (depression and low activity), and "Uncontrolled Production" (overexpansion leading to renewed prosperity).

Funk's chart illustrates historical alignments across centuries, with years marked along concentric rings and "needles" connecting equivalent points in successive cycles. For instance, sequences such as 1801–1857–1913–1969 and 1817–1873–1929–1985 highlight recurring panic epochs, while subcycles (e.g., 9-year intervals) link shorter-term fluctuations. Prosperity emerges from post-panic thrift, fostering confidence and investment; however, extended booms breed overproduction, fictitious credit, and speculation, culminating in collapse. The depth of ensuing depressions mirrors the prior expansion's scale, with stock market drawdowns historically ranging from 25% to 40% during panic phases.

According to the cycle's alignment, late 2025 corresponds to the "Panic. Dumping." phase, characterized by high prices giving way to forced selling, bank strains, and commodity price collapses—echoing historical precedents like the Panics of 1857 (30% NYSE decline amid railroad overextension) and 1913–1914 (40% drop triggered by European liquidations). The chart's central long needle explicitly ties 2025 to this vortex, projecting a major bear market. An outer-ring marker at 2024 signals "High Prices. Sell Save," aligning with the S&P 500's peak on November 29, 1968, and suggesting a comparable crest in late 2024. This transitions into 2026, marked on the inner ring as "Low Prices. Buy," corresponding to troughs in January and May 1970 and indicating the onset of recovery.

Observed drawdowns during prior "Panic and Dumping" epochs:
■ The Panic of 1857, corresponding to the 1857 position on the chart, saw the New York Stock Exchange decline by approximately 30%, driven by bank failures, railroad overextension, and commodity price collapses.
■ The 1913–1914 crisis, linked to the 1913 marker, resulted in a roughly 40% drop in stock prices by August 1914, precipitated by European liquidations and heightened geopolitical tensions.
■ The 1968–1970 bear market, directly analogous to the 2025–2026 projection via the cycle's 56-year rhythm, featured a 37% decline in the S&P 500 from its peak on November 29, 1968, to its trough on May 25, 1970.

Quantitative projections draw from the 1968–1970 parallel, shifted by precisely 20,454 days (equivalent to 56 solar years): The S&P 500 declined 37% from its November 1968 high to its May 1970 low. Despite the panic designation, the decennial pattern of US stocks introduces nuance: 2025, as the fifth year in a decade, historically yields positive returns (breaking a rare negative streak seen in 2005), potentially mitigating the downturn's severity. 

 

Supplementary analyses from related frameworks, such as Hurst cycles and seasonality (not part of Funk's original model), suggest the most probable initiation of a sustained contraction in late 2025, extending into Q1 2026—specifically January—with potential acceleration from seasonal weaknesses before stabilization. Magnitude remains speculative but could mirror the 37% 1968–1970 precedent, moderated by contemporary factors like Federal Reserve policy. 

See also: 

 TPR (2024) - 2025 in J.M. Funk’s "56-Year Cycle of Prosperity and Depression".

TPR (2015) - 2015 in J.M. Funk’s "56-Year Cycle of Prosperity and Depression". 

S&P 500 1969 vs 2025 | Yuriy Matso

 S&P 500 1969 vs 2025.

S&P 500 1969 vs 2025.

 

In J.M. Funk's chart of the "56-Year Cycle of Prosperity and Depression," the year 2025 belongs to the sequence of 1801-1857-1913-1969. This sequence is [...] labeled "Panic. Dumping."

 

S&P 500 2025 vs 1969 = J.M. Funk’s 56-Year Cycle.

 Not always exactly to the day, but often close. Directions are more important than levels.

 

Note: Hurst cycles point to a mid-April low and a major mid-May low.

Reference:

2025 in J.M. Funk’s '56-Year Cycle of Prosperity and Depression'.

» We are currently in a bearish 80-day cycle, with a downside target set at 4,660. «

2025 in J.M. Funk’s "56-Year Cycle of Prosperity and Depression"

In J.M. Funk's chart of the "56-Year Cycle of Prosperity and Depression," the year 2025 belongs to the sequence of 1801-1857-1913-1969. This sequence is connected by a long clock hand or needle to the center of the chart, labeled "Panic. Dumping." 

 

2025 in the 56-Year Cycle of Prosperity and Depression.

(J.M. Funk's original chart of 1932, redrawn by David Williams in 1982)

 

» A knowledge of the present and history is therefore a key to the future. Until Government Standards are based upon the recognition of exterior forces (which govern human conduct) history will repeat itself. THE CHART WILL PREDICT THE FUTURE because the human make-up includes, aspiration, greed, intemperance, fickleness, etc., which traits are governed by endurance; 

endurance is governed by exterior forces which fluctuate in rhythm and tempo 

as constantly as the Sun in its journey through the heavens. «  

James Morris Funk, 1932.

 

• The Panic of 1801 marked the end of the first phase of the Napoleonic Wars and brought an abrupt halt to the prosperity the US had been experiencing from the carrying trade. Stock prices on the NYSE fell by about 25%.
• The Panic of 1857 was caused by bank failures, railroad overextension, and falling commodity prices, leading to a financial collapse. The stock market lost about 30%, and numerous businesses and banks failed. The crisis resulted in a severe recession, which lasted until 1859.
• The Panic of 1913-14 was triggered by the Balkan Wars (1912-13), which foreshadowed war among Europe's major powers. This resulted in a gradual liquidation of US securities by European investors, culminating in a 40% loss by August 1914, when the NYSE closed for four months.

 

 DJIA (daily closes) 1912-1915.

• Throughout 1969, the S&P 500 continued to decline from its November 29, 1968 peak, falling by 37% to its low on May 25, 1970 (18 months)—marking the worst bear market since 1937-38.  

 

  DJIA (daily bars) 1965-1973.

 Through the 9-year subcycle, 2025 is also related to 2016, 2007, 1998, etc. 

 

There are two other long needles extending from the center of Funk's chart, pointing to the sequences 1817-1873-1929-1985 and 1837-1893-1949-2005: According to Funk, in each 56-year period three major panic periods occur at 20-20-16 year intervals.  

 

So, was there a panic or significant decline in 1985? No. The DJIA closed the year up by 28%. But then in fact, 2005 was the first "fifth year" of any decade in the history of the DJIA to close in the negative, with a shocking decline of 0.6%. Since the 1880s, the fifth year in each Decennial Cycle has been, on average, the most profitable year of the entire cycle, and this pattern may well repeat itself in 2025 as well. The best argument against a positive outlook for 2025 is the fact that the US stock markets have already surpassed the crest of the 42-month cycle, which is expected to bottom out in the first quarter of 2026.

 

 Dow Jones industrial Average 1985 and 2005 (weekly bars).

Then there is this needle from the outer white ring, pointing to 2024, with the label "High Prices. Sell Save" (which corresponds to the major high of November 29, 1968 and, as expected, a major high in December 2024), and another needle from the inner white ring, pointing to around the cusp of 2026-2027 is labeled "Low Prices. Buy" (which corresponds to the January and May 1970 major lows in the S&P 500 – for more details, see the monthly chart below).

 

Since the 1760s, all major financial crises in the US and Western Europe have consistently clustered around Funk's 56-Year Cycle and its subcycles, which all appear to be closely connected to Moon-Sun tidal harmonics. David Williams concluded: "The results show conclusively that regardless of wars, rebellions, population changes, industrialization, technological, and monetary changes, American business has been dominated by a 56-year rhythm." 

 

The 56-Year Pattern of American Business Activity since 1761 vs. Planetary Cycles & Table with the

Accuracy of Major Planetary Aspects of the Jupiter-Uranus Cycle and the Jupiter Saturn Cycle at 

Business Cycle Turning Points 1929-1982 (Williams, 1982).

  

However, also note that the projections of the Four Year Presidential Cycle (see also HERE), the Decennial Cycle (see also HERE), and the Benner Cycle present distinctly different scenarios and outcomes for 2025 and the coming years. And, by the way, BlackRock just canceled the Business Cycle.

 

Reference:

J.M. Funk (1932) - The 56-Year Cycle in American Business Activity. Privately published. Ottawa. IL.

LCdr. David Williams (1947) - Rhythmic Cycles in American Business. 

LCdr. David Williams (1959) - Astro-Economics.
LCdr. David Williams (1982) - Financial Astrology. 

 David McMinn (1997) - The Sun, the Moon, and the Number 56.

David McMinn (1999) - Astrology and the 9/56 Year Cycle. 

David McMinn (2018) - 9/56-Year Cycle and Financial Panics. 

David McMinn (2019) - J.M. Funk and the 9/56 Year Cycle.

Lars von Thienen (2022) - Cycles of Financial Crisis: Using Long Term Static Cycle Models. (video)

 

 S&P 500 Index (daily bars) vs 56 Year Cycle.
December 11, 1968 to December 11, 2024 = (365.2422 * 56) = 20,454 days apart.

Blue line = S&P 500 daily closes shifted forward 20,454 days = Funk Cycle.

  S&P 500 Index (monthly bars) 1966 - 1972.

» Throughout 1969, the NYSE continued to decline from its December 1968 peak 

[= December 2024], falling by 37% to its low in May 1970 [= May 2027]. «

See also: 

TPR (2015) - 2015 in J.M. Funk’s 56-Year Cycle of Prosperity and Depression.

Tom McClellan (December 6, 2024) - Presidential Cycle Effects with a New President.

Lars von Thienen (November 1, 2024) - The 41-Month Kitchin Cycle Topping Patterns in US Stocks.
Richard Smith (October 29, 2024) - Equities Endgame? Spectrum Cycle Analysis of US Indices.

TPR (2022) - Periods When to Make Money: Samuel Benner's Cycle Projection into 2026 High.
TPR (2012) - 2025 in W.D. Gann's Financial Time Table (1784 - 2121).

 

Google Search Result: "Funk Cycle"

The 18 Year Economic Cycle │Akhil Patel

Akhil Patel was the special guest presenter at the Foundation for the Study of Cycles' June 3 'Masters Working Group' interactive session. Author of 'The Secret Wealth Advantage', Patel discusses how the 18 year cycle affects the markets and how it can transform investing strategies. Patel is one of the world’s leading experts in economic, financial, and property cycles. He has been working for over a decade to produce unique research that combines an in- depth understanding of business, real estate, and stock market cycles. 

 

Reference:
Akhil Patel (June 4, 2024) - Significance of the 18-Year Cycle. (video)

 

See also:
The 18.6 Year Real Estate Cycle.  

2024 in W.D. Gann's Financial Time Table.

Sunspots, Lunar Cycles and Weather Cycles | Louis M. Thompson

The occurrence of an 18- to 20-year cycle in weather in the U.S. Midwest is no longer controversial. The controversial issue is the cause. This article will present both sides of the issue, and will indicate why we will know more about the cause after the 1990s.

[...] The sunspot cycle has been associated with the “20-year drought cycle” in the western U.S. since about 1909, when A.E. Douglass started publishing his tree-ring studies. This scientist became so well known that he was able to establish the Laboratory for Tree Ring Research in Tuscon, Arizona, in 1938. 

 

[...] The sunspot cycle has averaged about 11 years since 1800. As the sun rotates on its axis, it makes a complete turn in about 27 days. Large and persistent spots appear to move from left to right for about two weeks, disappear, and return after about two weeks. The leading edges of spots or clusters of spots have a negative charge in one 11-year cycle and a positive charge in the next cycle. Hence, the term “double sunspot cycle.”

The conventional wisdom is that the drought cycle of about 20 years occurs near the end of the negative cycle and at the time of low solar activity. The drought periods of the 1910s, 1930s, 1950s, and 1970s occurred at the end of the negative cycle. The drought periods did not consistently follow that pattern from 1800 to 1900, although the severe droughts of the 1820s and 1840s occurred at the end of the negative cycle.

Quoted from:
Louis M. Thompson (1989) - Sunspots and Lunar Cycles: Their Possible Relation to Weather Cycles.
In: Cycles, September/October 1989, Foundation for the Study of Cycles.
 
See also:
William Stanley Jevons (1875) - Sunspots and the Price of Corn and Wheat.

Raymond H. Wheeler (1943) - The 100 Year Cycle - Climate, Regime Change and War.

 Donald A. Bradley (1950) - Cycles Write World History.

Michael G. Zahorchak (1983) - Climate, the Key to Understanding Business Cycles: With a Forecast of Trends Into the 21st Century.
Jasper Kirkby (1998) - Sunspot Cycle Length vs Temperature Anomaly.
Henrik Svensmark (2007) - The Cloud Mystery.
Tom McClellan (2012) - Sunspots - The Real Cause of Higher Grain Prices.
TPR (2016) - Inigo Owen Jones. The Weather Prophet.
Valentina V. Zharkova et al. (2017) - The Heartbeat of the Sun.

 Peter Temple (2017) - The Wheel of Time: Raymond H. Wheeler's Drought Clock.

Peter Temple (2019) - An Introduction to Climate Cycles.