Does History Rhyme?

What the last 2 North Node cycles tell us...

As 2026 dawned, I could see that many commodities had been driven higher in price over the past 12-18 months and were now easing. Data from the St. Louis Fed suggested that the US Housing market had peaked. Data from here in Canada showed likewise. But yet the stock market continued to be rangebound. Where was the end of the 18.6 year cycle? Was it going to be different this time? Was the 18.6 year cycle dead in the water? Did I just read Phil Anderson’s amazing book for nothing?

Was the work of Louise McWhirter from her 1937 book going to be rendered obsolete?

I got my answer early on February 28th while in Portugal. I got up at 7:00 am, flipped on the television and saw a tired, worn looking Donald Trump reading a prepared script announcing that military action had started against Iran. There it was! The straw that would break the proverbial camel’s back and send us hurtling to the end of the cycle.

Here and now, the stock market is breaking under the weight of yields on the US 10-Year Treasury Notes pressing up against 4.5%, yields on British 10-Year Gilts pressing up against 5% (highest in over 10 years) and yields on German 10-Year Bunds pressing up against 3.10% (highest in over 10 years). Brent Crude prices above US$100 per barrel and WTI Crude prices in the high $90s are adding to the misery.

I recently wondered what the two previous endings of 18.6 year cycles looked like. Could those endings tell us anything about how this cycle might end?

Let’s take a look at what I discovered….