As you can see we have gotten pretty darn low at 12%.  My only question is how is something that is so disapproved of, remember 18% approve which means the other 82% disapproval, still in operation?  They battle like children.  Which ironically is the front cover of Bloomberg business week in which they are mocked for acting like children.

I find it rather funny that as much as Americans disagree on issues from abortion to the president we still allow the government that serves us to operate in a fashion we disapprove of.  Here is another graph from the Gallup people…  This dislike of congress even transcends party lines! OMG the humanity! We agree on something! I’m so happy!  Whats even funnier is we have agreed on this since 2011.  Did we hear the presidents talk about this during the debates? No! why would they?

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The post American’s Agree: We disapprove of Congress appeared first on Integrative Market Psychology.

Today’s Market Tarot is less about the market and more about my Trading this morning.  I had a great number of losers and nearly reached my daily lock out for the day.  In the afternoon I asked “what happened this morning, What can I change.”  These are the cards I drew.  Again,  the set I use is The Wild Wood Tarot created by Mark Ryan & John Matthews with illustration by Will Worthington.

20. The Great Bear – This card is about judgment.  These includes judgement of self and others.  It teaches us to be compassionate and loving to self.

5. The Ancestor – Represents your inner guide, the part of your unconscious that knows everything. She is leading you to a new path.

17. The Pole Star – Is about guidance, again from your inner self.  Knowing that the stars are aligned so that you may follow.

I saw this layout as The Great Bear crawling towards the other two cards.  That my judgement is attacking if you will my inner guidance.  Both from a feminine & male perspective.  While the Ancestor leads you into the woods with her heart, the male depicted in the pole star follows point A to B.  Knowing how my morning went I understand this as following my intuition, my trading ideas, and to stay away from judgement.  That being kind and forgiving to self is most important.

In turn, I had a successful afternoon

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The post Market Tarot January 7th appeared first on Integrative Market Psychology.

Today’s Market Tarot I drew two cards.  The set I use is The Wild Wood Tarot created by Mark Ryan & John Matthews with illustration by Will Worthington.  There is no path way to be read it is just to gather an understanding of what may occur today in the market.

Nine of Arrows: Dedication – Staying focused, knowing that it may take hard work and discipline to achieve what you desire.

Seven of Arrows: Insecurity - This card talks about instability and panic due to un-grounded fears.  The woman in the card looks as though she is entangled and being attacked and has footing on an unstable surface.

What this said to me in the morning was that the market would be focused, dedicated to staying on whatever path it chose.  At 8:30 AM judging from yesterdays afternoon price action, I thought this would be a focused path lower.  However we have been pretty much flat.  The second card said to me that this dedicated move would be based on insecurity on ungrounded fears.  Yesterday the Fed came out and said “We may raise rates.” Whether they do this in 2013 or 2015; it is mere speculation by the fed.  In turn investors begin to speculate.

In the end there has been a focused moved to no where and after such a huge rally from January 2nd, the government has throw insecurity into the market based on speculation of what they “may” do.

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The post Market Tarot January 4th appeared first on Integrative Market Psychology.

Aces of Stones: The Foundation of Life – This card discusses manifesting your dreams, wishes etc into reality.
Six of Stones: Exploitation – This card speaks of an imbalance of resources that are damaging to yourself or the environment.
The Ancestor – Represents your inner guide, the part of your unconscious that knows everything. She is leading you to a new path.

How does this relate to the market? The reading was done around 1:00pm EST. Aces of Stones represents the base that was built in the AM. This is also related to the large significant up move we had on Wednesday. Six of stones I believe speaks to the grind higher all afternoon. This was not a healthy move and we have damaged ourselves in the process. The last card, The Ancestor talks about a new path. I would think that this card speaks that the close of today / afternoon trading will represent a new trend in the market.

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The post Market Tarot January 3rd appeared first on Integrative Market Psychology.

It’s all about the approach and mental confidence prior to the trade.  When you approach an event with fear that energy gets transferred into it.  I’ve talked about how The Energy of Fear is Consumption in this prior post.  So if you’re feeling nervous before a trade take note of this.  Where is this fear coming from? Is it related to money? Lack of confidence in yourself? Lack of self worth? It could be a million different things but you need to find and focus on the one that resonates with you.  I’m currently working on a meditation that will assist you through the process of finding this fear and making it your ally.

Remember the emotion will come during the “approach.” Keep track of how you feel, as this will set the course of how the rest of your interaction with the trade will go.  Keep in mind that magnificent woman: Do you approach her as nervous, not confident, and fearful of reject or strong, confident and full of love?

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The post Confidence in Trading: The Approach appeared first on Integrative Market Psychology.

I’ve discovered a simple Mantra in the morning works for me. I tell myself and the energy around me the following “Let my ideas come from within my divine self and let all negative energies trans-mutate into positive energies that serve my idea.”  I can’t tell you how much of a difference this has made for me in two areas:

1) I am no longer influenced by nay sayers unless their idea is able to serve mine.
2) I am able to stay within myself and be confident in my idea.

Here is a fun example I like to tell.  A great trader has been on tilt recently.  Everyday we hear “I should just go home, Down 500… Down 1,000… F*&k it. I’ll trade to 1,200 nothings working today. Who cares.”  Because this individual has had a solid reputation and track record for over 5 years his opinion is respected.  When he says, “There is nothing going on, there is no opportunity today,” unfortunately people listen.  He then goes on to cite who else is down today to confirm that it’s the market making the mistakes not him…  There is a great amount of cursing himself and the market.  Hearing this rant everyday can be draining, not to mention exhausting.  It can also pull you out of your space (whatever that may be).

Using a simple mantra in the morning can help your mind stay focused on YOUR ideas and learn that trusting yourself is where success comes from.  I’ve wrote about trusting yourself here in The Holy Grail of Trading.  Remember learning to trust in yourself is a great traders edge in a any market.

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The post Traders Edge: Trust in yourself Mantra appeared first on Integrative Market Psychology.

In all the psychological literture there is a technic that has been proven again and again: Exposure Therapy.  However, you’re sitting there saying I am exposed to this everyday!  It is not getting any better!  You’re correct cause you have been consumed by this energy and have yet to step outside of it to see it for what it is. I am currently working on a meditation which will allow you to greet your fear, understand it and let it become your ally, no longer your enemy.

In the mean time when you begin to have this feeling step back, step outside yourself and have a laugh!  Look at what you are experiencing.  Does it feel like truth that you should be so afraid?  Take 3 deep breaths.  On the first breath tell your physical body it’s OK to relax.  On the second breath tell you emotional body it’s OK to relax.  On the last breath tell you trading mind that it’s OK to relax.

Fear is here to consume, it may serve a purpose while defending  yourself or the ones you care for, but even in that it’s purpose is still the same.  Let your body & mind feel what is truth & know that it is OK to relax.

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The post The Energy of Fear: Consumption appeared first on Integrative Market Psychology.

The post Trading Journal appeared first on Integrative Market Psychology.

To take a math example… Most mathematical concepts are very intuitive such as the pathageon theory (a^2 + b^2 = c^2). Socrates, the great philosopher, explained this very concept to a uneducated slave boy in his dialog with Meno. However, without Socrates how long would it have taken the slave boy to understand this concept? In parallel, how long will it take you to understand how to be successful in the market without guidance? Some people will be able to do this, but as history demonstrates most will not. How can you be that candidate who drops a few years of successful trades on the table? Here are some basic ideas that I will expand on in future posts.

• Find other traders immediately! There are groups on meetup.com, put an ad in the local paper, and scour the web (craigslist for starts). Find traders interested in improving their trading skills. Where there will be a participatory process of reviewing trades, open honest communication, and dedication to improvement. Remember profitable trades do not always equal to good trades.
• Be Mindful! Review your trades from one, two, three weeks ago and see if you would make that trade again. Was the Risk/Reward inline with your comfort level? Is this a setup you will be able to find again? Did you make this trade on nerves? Be conscious of how you feel and what you are thinking always. Write these down in your journal
• Journaling. Keep a journal of your trading history. The thoughts, feelings, ideas that were coming through your head as you took each and every trade. This practice will make you aware of your thoughts and ideas that worked and didn’t work.
• Having a Plan. Simple put… Where to enter, where to exit, and where you’ll take a loss. ALL three must be present. 2/3 do not equal to a good trade.
• Play Book. What setups do you have ready each day as you sit down to trade each morning.

These are the ideas that I believe are a formula for success. Being a daytrader is so F-en hard because we are usually alone, lack insight into our behavior, and do not have a plan or a plan we truely believe in. Having two arms and two legs that can make fists and kick does not qualify you to fight in the UFC. Likewise having money does not qualify you to trade in the market. Would you fight Wanderlei Silva, Mirko Filipovic, or Fedor Emelianenko during your first year of training? You’re trading against some of the best in the industry we can’t forget that.

Train hard… cause he/she did

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The post Why Being a day trader is so F-en Hard appeared first on Integrative Market Psychology.

Below I have a pre-written letter in which you can send to New York Police Commissioner Kelly and Micheal Bloomberg urging them to reconsider their current policies.  Feel free to edit, personalize, and let your voice be heard.

Send a message to Raymond W. Kelly, Commissioner

Dear Commissioner Kelly,

 

It has brought me great dismay learning the recent tactics of the NYPD to keep protesters away from Wall St.  Violent arrests, barricading public streets and capturing U.S. Citizens, with the right to protest, in orange police nets is never acceptable.  Enforcing injustice and unlawful regulations is not the standard of which the NYPD is capable of.
I ask you to please reconsider your position on these topics, to work with not against this great movement of American people.  For we engender the very spirit of which this country was based on, patriotism.  Thank you for your time.

Send a Message to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg

Dear Mayor Bloomberg,
It has brought me great dismay learning the recent tactics of the NYPD to keep protesters away from Wall St.  Violent arrests, barricading public streets and capturing U.S. Citizens, with the right to protest, in orange police nets is never acceptable.  Enforcing injustice and unlawful regulations is not the standard of which the NYPD is capable of.
I ask you to please reconsider your position on these topics, to work with not against this great movement of American people.  For we engender the very spirit of which this country was based on, patriotism.  Thank you for your time.

Thank you for taking the time to send this letter! You are helping the thousands of protesters and NYPD officers build a safer more peaceful protest environment.  Remember personalizing the letter always makes a difference

YouTube.com Videos
NYPD Police Pepper Spray Occupy Wall Street Protesters (Anthony Balogna)
Occupy Wall Street Police Abuse
Arrested For Talking to a Cop
Unbelievable protest footage. NYPD drag girl across the street

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The post Occupy Wall St. Taking Action: Stop Violence appeared first on Integrative Market Psychology.