MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING APRIL 6, 2026

REVIEW

By Pouyan Zolfagharnia, MMA Analyst

“In a primetime address, Trump said the U.S. is going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We’re going to bring them back to the stone ages, where they belong.”

 He described the war as an investment in the future for Americans and suggested the military operation could end within a month.

 Trump also said allies that depend on Middle East oil that shipped through the Strait of Hormuz—which Iran has effectively shut—should “go to the strait and just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves.”

—By Ronnie Harui and Sherry Qin, “Oil Rises, Asian Equities Fall as Trump Signals Further Military Strikes on Iran,” The Wall Street Journal, April 2, 2026.

Things do not appear to be going his way, particularly as the president turns to increasingly aggressive rhetoric toward both allies and adversaries. Ordinary Americans are feeling the pinch along with the rest of the world when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz. As the conflict continues to escalate and the administration fails to achieve its goals, a series of fundamental themes is likely to follow. Crude Oil prices will continue to increase, driving inflationary expectations higher and, consequently, pushing bond yields upward. In this environment, Gold and Silver may come under pressure as investors gravitate toward assets offering stronger yields, which, in turn, can push up the U.S. Dollar. At the same time, heightened uncertainty is likely to trigger a broader retreat from risk, leading to sell-offs across equity markets and cryptocurrencies alike.

Whilst we have seen a nice bounce in most equity markets, I remain skeptical about how high they will rally in the intermediate term, given the ongoing risk of escalation in the Middle East. The Nasdaq outperformed the S&P 500 and DJIA, rallying by over 6% following Trump’s announcement that negotiations with the Iranians are going well (before his speech above). The European markets fared better as they have been trying to distance themselves from the conflict. These markets found the bottom a week earlier, with the UK FTSE 100 rallying over 8% and the German DAX just under 7%.

The intermarket divergence was present in Asia too, with the Japanese Nikkei and India’s Nifty finding a bottom this week, whilst the Chinese SSE Composite found a bottom the prior week, and Australia’s ASX bottomed two weeks ago. Whilst the markets appear to have formed a primary cycle trough, they are not out of the longer-term bearish territory just yet. The picture is more dovish in the Americas, with the Argentinian Merval rallying over 20% from its low in early March, and the Brazilian Bovespa index rallying over 8% and poised to retest its ATH of late February. In South Africa, the JSE index has rallied by over 12% as well.

Gold and Silver both got a nice rally as heliocentric Mercury transits Sagittarius; however, it is still uncertain whether we have started a new primary cycle or remain within older bearish cycles. From the lows, Gold rallied 17% and Silver 25%, before reversing and giving back some of the gains on Thursday. The grains remain resilient amid geopolitical risks and disruptions to shipping and fertilizer supply. The crypto markets remain weak and continue within their bearish price channels.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

Several markets appear to have formed their primary cycle troughs around the March 20–23 CRD, and others may be forming them at the current April 3–6 CRD. The CRD at the beginning of April should be expanded to April 2–6 due to the Easter weekend.

As we head into April, Mars will enter Aries on April 9 and will go on to translate the Saturn-Neptune conjunction between April 13 and 19. As the planet of warfare enters its own sign and reignites the Saturn-Neptune signature related to the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz blockade, I anticipate further escalation. Therefore, look towards “the war trade”: a rally in Crude Oil and a sell-off in risk assets such as cryptocurrencies and equity markets during this period.

LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS AND OPINION

“The more challenging scenario for the United States, and one that is still a potential policy option, is to mount an invasion of Iran without an outrageous provocation, simply to eliminate Iran as a source of problems in the Middle East. In this situation, Washington would be effectively deciding to “go it alone” because it will be too difficult to create the circumstances that would result in any meaningful aid from other countries… To be blunt, Israel is probably the only country that would publicly support an American invasion of Iran.”

—Kenneth M. Pollack et al., “Which Path to Persia? Options for a New American Strategy toward Iran” (Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 2009).

The policy paper quoted above, written in 2009, presented nine viable options for how any U.S. administration may choose to deal with Iran. The quote I have taken comes from Chapter 3, which is the most extreme option for using full force and invading Iran. Based on the current trajectory, this appears to be the option President Trump has opted for, in parallel with Chapter 5, “Leave it to Bibi: Allowing or Encouraging an Israeli Military Strike.” The authors warn that in the absence of an Iranian attack that produces mass American civilian casualties, the administration is going to have a significantly difficult task of justifying their decision and the costs to both the American public and the international community.

In the Forecast 2026 book, under the Spring Equinox Season section, I noted that “Mercury, the ruler of the chart, is prominently placed in the tenth house. This suggests that the nation’s identity is firmly bound to the executive and the public reputation of President Trump, who seeks visibility and decisive action. Mercury’s placement, however, suggests that miscalculations and miscommunications are likely, increasing the risk of escalation abroad and scandals at home. Such escalations may even be used as a tactic to divert attention from those scandals—a classic Mercurial display of showmanship.

 Mercury is conjunct the North Node and applying to a conjunction with Mars (lord of the sixth house—the military). This configuration indicates an agitated leadership, prone to aggressive or rash decisions, confrontational diplomacy, and the initiation or threat of military action. The presence of the North Node suggests that this will be a highly fated and pivotal quarter for the United States. Taken together, these factors point to an ambitious but risky push by President Trump, involving executive actions that define the nation’s image. On the positive side, this could relate to technological investments in AI initiated by the White House; on the negative side, it could manifest as involvement in geopolitical conflict.”

Mercury was in Pisces, the sign of its fall and detriment. In the murky shadows of the Epstein scandal, a sudden war and rapid escalations followed. Based on the president’s comments, a degree of miscalculation may also have played a role. The United States finds itself isolated, and there is a clear lack of planning, which the policy papers warned against; “If the president can secure support, an invasion of Iran is a viable option. Without such support, the invasion and occupation of Iran would likely be as mismanaged and tragic as it was in Iraq from 2003 to 2006.”

Whilst the astrocartography map for the spring ingress also highlighted the Middle East, the main focal point is Greenland. Therefore, this leads me to believe that there will be further splintering in the NATO alliance and a real risk of escalation over Greenland during the coming three months. Images of the American president openly and distastefully mocking his closest European allies were not what I envisioned when I saw the Sun (Trump) in the eleventh house (Allies) in the spring ingress chart.

Yet the eleventh house is also the house of hope. In a world increasingly defined by tension and uncertainty, Easter reminds us of a deeper and enduring truth: that even in the darkest moments, renewal remains possible. As it is written, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” The message of Jesus of Nazareth was ultimately one of peace, love, and redemption, a message that feels especially vital today.

I wish you and your families a peaceful and blessed Easter, and I pray that the months ahead bring resolution, stability, and a path toward lasting peace, cooperation, and prosperity for the world. Do not underestimate the power of your prayers.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: FREE CRYPTO WEBINAR, APRIL 8, 2:00 PM EDT!!! Are you new to the crypto world? Do you wonder how to trade cryptos via wallets, futures, or ETFs? These and other topics will be covered in a special instructional webinar to take place at 2 PM EDT on the launch date of the new monthly MMA CRYPTO REPORT (April 8). This FREE WEBINAR will also explain how to use the new monthly crypto report for maximum value. Ray Merriman will host this webinar, joined by Gianni, Pouyan, and MMA President Wyatt Fellows. We will take questions, but not on forecasts, as these will be covered in the report issued that evening to those who have subscribed. This webinar is free, but you must sign up ahead of time to receive login instructions. Click here to register at no cost!!! SAVE THE DATE — APRIL 8!!! You won’t want to miss this if you are interested in cryptocurrencies!

 NOTE 2: SUBSCRIPTION TO THE NEW MMA MONTHLY CRYPTO REPORT IS NOW OPEN!!! The first issue will launch on the evening of Wednesday, April 8! Each report will feature a cyclical and macro overview by Gianni Di Poce on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and one additional cryptocurrency selected based on current market interest, starting with Cardano. Pouyan Zolfagharnia will then provide the geocosmic overview and explain how it ties into the cycles. Together, they will share strategies for both position and shorter-term trading in cryptocurrencies. CLICK HERE to subscribe to this new report that begins April 8!!!

NOTE 3: THE NEXT “SPECIAL MMA OPTIONS WEBINAR” WITH DEREK PANAIA, HOSTED BY RAYMOND MERRIMAN AND WYATT FELLOWS, WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, APRIL 12, AT 1:00 PM EDT.

 Here’s how it works: Ray will be the emcee. He will start with an overview of the forthcoming MMA geocosmic critical reversal dates (CRDs), using the geocosmic calendar graph and MMA tables of Level 1, 2, and 3 geocosmic signatures that will be in effect in April and May. He will then introduce Wyatt, who will provide the outlook on cycles and geocosmic turning points in five markets (the S&P, Gold, Crude Oil, Soybeans, and Bitcoin). Derek will then present options strategies with the best risk/reward potential based on Wyatt’s analysis and his own interpretation of additional supporting factors. Ray will ask questions and add input for clarification, as necessary.

This Options Webinar will last approximately 2.5–3 hours. The cost is $125. However, it will be offered at no cost to those who are current subscribers of the MMA Daily Options Report as of April 12. The new MMA Daily Options Report has been very active and successful since it first launched on January 15. It is the perfect complement for active traders who also subscribe to the daily and weekly MMA reports, as it builds on the outlooks in those reports and monitors them on a daily or as-needed basis to identify optimal option trades that arise intraday or intraweek within those forecasts. Derek will guide subscribers through the strategy behind each trade as it develops. It is an excellent way to experience MMA’s methodology operating in real time!

The cost for the April 12 Options Webinar is $125. The cost to subscribe to the Daily Options Report is $360/month, or $3600 per year until June 30, after which time prices will increase. So, lock in these special prices before June 30 and save!!!! To register for the April 12 MMA Options Webinar, click here. To sign up for the MMA Daily Options Report with Derek and Ray, and receive the April 12 webinar for free, click here.

Note: Keep in mind that options trading is speculative. This webinar and the new subscription service that follows are designed for speculators who have a basic understanding of options. For those who do not, MMA offers a recording of Derek’s webinar on option principles, available on its website.

 NOTE 4: THE MMA 2026 TRADING AND INVESTMENT RETREAT WILL TAKE PLACE MAY 20–24, 2026, AT THE RIKLI BALANCE HOTEL IN BLED, SLOVENIA, OVERLOOKING THE STUNNING LAKE BLED IN THE JULIAN ALPS. This is always an incredible event!

 This special four-day retreat will focus on trading strategies for position and short-term traders in 2026. It will cover the unique, research-based MMA methods for identifying primary, half-primary, major, and trading cycles. It will then apply those market-timing techniques (cycles and geocosmic studies) to the current situation in stock markets, Gold, Silver, Bitcoin, currencies, interest rates, and grain markets, with strategies for each on both a short- and intermediate-term basis (one week to 12 months ahead). This retreat will also cover the setup and steps to take for applying MMA’s solar/lunar reversal dates for very short-term aggressive trades in Bitcoin, stock indices, and precious metals.

There will also be special presentations and interactive discussions on current and future world conditions through 2032 that are likely to affect financial markets. These sessions will be led by world-class mundane astrologers Claude Weiss (Switzerland), Christeen Skinner (UK), Christof Niederwieser (Germany), Pouyan Zolfagharnia (UK), and Raymond Merriman (USA). Joining them on MMA timing methodology and trading strategies will be MMTA Director Wiebke Held (Germany) and MMA analysts Wyatt Fellows (USA), Ulric Aspegrén (Switzerland), Gianni Di Poce (USA), and MMA Trading Coach Rita Perea (USA).

Registration is now open. The presentations during this retreat will also be available via Zoom for those unable to attend in person, and recordings (along with PowerPoint slides) will be available immediately after each day’s presentations to all attendees. For the schedule, registration, speaker bios, topic descriptions, hotel information, and the booking code, please click here. Please note that all 45 rooms reserved for MMA at the Rikli Balance Hotel are currently booked. We have a list of other hotels within walking distance and we are compiling a waiting list for the Rikli Balance Hotel. In fact, more rooms have been added recently, and all were filled. If you find that hotel rooms at the Rikli Balance Hotel are filled, you can book a room at another hotel and cancel it within 72 hours of arrival if a room becomes available at the Rikli Balance Hotel (a high probability). Keep in mind that the hotel rates at the Rikli Balance will be increasing as of next week, so reserve now — with MMA or the hotel itself with our booking code — to lock in the special hotel rates now available (very affordable now, under 200€).

The MMA Annual Investment and Traders’ Retreat is an incredible event! Don’t miss it if you can make it!

NOTE 5: THE MMA DAILY OPTIONS REPORT WITH DEREK PANAIA continues to perform extremely well, and additional trades are setting up as we come out of the March 20–23 three-star CRD. Subscribers who followed these strategies have more than paid for the cost of this new service. This new daily options service focuses on the S&P (setting up for our next trade now), Gold (also setting up for the next trade now), Copper, T-Notes, Soybeans, Bitcoin, ETFs, and other special situations that arise that may benefit from options strategies. The service includes intraday updates, sometimes multiple times per day, depending on market conditions. Ray Merriman also provides market-timing commentary within this service. In fact, this is where Ray is spending most of his time discussing trading strategies in 2026 as they arise.

The cost is $360 per month or $3600 per year until June 30, when the special launch price will end. For those who already subscribe to the current MMA Daily Report, which is issued at the end of each trading day for the next trading day, the cost of adding Derek’s new Daily Options Report is only $140 extra per month. For more information on this new service, click here. Order now at the special launch price to get in on the action of options trading if you are an active trader! All active subscribers as of April 12 will get a free invite to the April 12 Options webinar (see above).

NOTE 6: WE HAVE JUST COMPLETED A NEW UPGRADE FOR THE FAR FOR GALACTIC TRADER SOFTWARE PROGRAM!!! We can now do solar/lunar weighted value studies for any market by isolating or omitting any planet that is retrograde! For instance, we can now compare solar/lunar values for any market when Mercury (or Venus, Mars, or any planet) is retrograde or direct, or both. This is important because we have noticed that when Mercury is retrograde, the lunar values for Bitcoin perform differently in many cases than when Mercury is direct. If you don’t own the FAR for Galactic Trader program, which is key to doing MMA research studies on identifying turning points in any financial market, and wish to know more about it, please click here. The cost is $1895 (end-of-day version) and includes Jeanne Long’s Galactic Trader software, featuring extensive W. D. Gann trading tools that she created.

NOTE 7: THE (ORIGINAL) GOLD BOOK: GEOCOSMIC CORRELATIONS TO GOLD PRICE CYCLES is now available as an eBook. This was the first financial market-timing book written by Raymond Merriman (1982) that put financial astrology on the map. It was also the first book to conduct formal quantitative research on any financial market in relation to planetary cycles (there were several earlier studies on lunar cycles, but none on planetary cycles or stations until this book). It brought together Wall Street and astrology and revolutionized the field of financial market timing by demonstrating the correlation between market cycles and planetary cycles as reversal signals. As a result, the topic became one of the most attended subjects at financial and astrology conferences worldwide in 1983. This classic book has been out of print since 1984, except as a collector’s item occasionally available through Amazon. It is now available as an eBook for the first time! 324 pages, $95. Click here to order.

 NOTE 8: THE JUPITER REPORT — YOUR MOMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY! The Jupiter Report is written by Raymond Merriman. It is a 30- to 40-page report that all traders (and even non-traders) will find highly valuable. It identifies the times during the year when Jupiter transits are highlighted in your natal chart and explains the meaning of Jupiter’s transits to your natal planets and angles over a 14-month period (including one month before your order date and one month after the year ends). As an added bonus, each transit is ranked on a scale from –3 to +3 in terms of favorability for trading. Traders may find this especially valuable! Would you like to know if you are under a +3 transit and therefore most likely to experience trading success? Or a –3 transit, with a stronger-than-usual potential for misjudgments that can be costly? The price for a personal 14-month Jupiter Report based on your birth data is $69.

 NOTE 9: THE MMA SOLAR-LUNAR APP OFFERS REVERSAL SIGNALS FOR THE DJIA, NASDAQ, GOLD, AND SILVER. It is an ideal tool to have in your back pocket if you are a short-term swing trader looking for high-probability dates that identify isolated lows and highs in these markets. Please note that this should not be used as a standalone system. It works best as an adjunct tool when cycle lows or highs are due, when a market is in a technically overbought or oversold condition, or when it is exhibiting intermarket bullish or bearish divergence relative to a related market. The app is currently available only on Apple devices (iPhone and iPad). To learn more about the MMA app, click here. To order, go to the Apple App Store and search for Merriman Solar/Lunar Reversals.

 NOTE 10: RECORDINGS OF MMA’S SPECIAL SIX-WEEK COURSE ON “THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GEOCOSMIC STUDIES FOR FINANCIAL MARKET TIMING” ARE NOW AVAILABLE!!! Led by Gianni Di Poce and supported by Ray Merriman, this course is designed to teach students the basic principles of planets, signs, and aspects (including retrograde and direct stations) as used in MMA’s market-timing methodology — one of its most important tools. The course explains which planets and signs rule the various sectors of the economy and financial markets. In addition, it covers how to use an ephemeris and astrological software (Solar Fire) for important routines such as calculating charts, generating transit “hit lists,” and identifying signs, ingresses, planetary stations, and aspects — the essential cosmic features necessary for determining market reversal periods.

The course is especially useful for those interested in taking the two-year program offered by the Merriman Market Timing Academy or for anyone wishing to deepen their astrological knowledge. The cost for these six introductory lessons, each lasting about two hours, is $300. This is a great opportunity to learn basic astrology from an excellent economic astrologer! Click here to order now!

 NOTE 11: THE NEW AUDIOBOOK OF EVOLUTIONARY ASTROLOGY: THE JOURNEY OF THE SOUL THROUGH STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS, by Raymond Merriman, written in 1993, is now available! It is narrated by Thomas Miller, who has a great voice and also broadcasts MMA’s free weekly column. The first edition of Evolutionary Astrology, originally published in 1977, introduced this remarkable subject to the astrological community, where it has since become one of astrology’s major branches of study. Get ready to listen to the original work on Evolutionary Astrology that brought a spiritual perspective to the study of astrology from the late 1970s through today. To order the book (hardcover or eBook) or the audio recording, please click here.

NOTE 12: For a look at MMA’s newest advances in AI, click here.

 EVENTS

 APRIL 8, 2026: SPECIAL FREE WEBINAR ON HOW TO USE THE NEW MMA MONTHLY CRYPTO REPORT!!! Save the date!!! It starts at 2:00 PM EDT. See Note 1 above for registration details.

APRIL 12, 2026: THE NEXT MMA OPTIONS WEBINAR. Starts at 1:00 PM EDT. See details above.

 MAY 20–24, 2026: MMA’S NEXT INVESTMENT RETREAT, LAKE BLED, SLOVENIA.

Registration is now open. The presentations will also be available via Zoom for those unable to attend in person. The theme of this event will focus on market timing and trading, including how to calculate and use solar/lunar reversal cycles. But there will also be coverage of longer-term cycles, with strategies for all! It’s going to be great!

JUNE 21, 2026: MMA’S ANNUAL MID-YEAR MARKETS UPDATE WEBINAR. Save this date, too! Details for signing up will be released soon.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2026: A UAC PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP ON FINANCIAL ASTROLOGY BY RAYMOND MERRIMAN, 1:00–5:00 PM. This workshop will take place at the United Astrology Congress (UAC), the largest astrological conference in the world, which is held every four to eight years. More than 150 world-class astrologers will be presenting, and over 1500 attendees will be present. The conference will be held at the Marriott Downtown Chicago Magnificent Mile hotel. In addition to the workshop, Ray will present another lecture during the six-day event, on mundane astrology, titled “What Is Happening in the World from an Astrological Viewpoint,” on September 5. For more information, visit www.uacastrology.com.

 Disclaimer and statement of purpose:

 The purpose of this column is not to forecast the future movement of various financial markets. However, that is the purpose of the MMA (Merriman Market Analyst) subscription services. This column is not a subscription service. It is a free service, except in those cases where a fee may be assessed to cover the cost of translating this column from English into a non-English language. This weekly report is written with the intent of educating the reader on the relationship between astrological factors and collective human activities as they occur. In this regard, this report will often cite what happened in various stock and financial markets throughout the world in the past week and discuss those movements in light of the geocosmic signatures that were in effect. It will then identify the geocosmic factors that will be in effect in the next week, month, or even years, and the author’s understanding of how these signatures may affect human activity in the times to come. The author (Merriman) will do this from the perspective of a cycle analyst looking at the military, political, economic, and financial markets of the world. It is possible that some forecasts will be made based on these factors. However, the primary goal is to both educate and alert the reader to the psychological climate we are in from an astrological perspective. The hope is that it will help the reader understand the psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) news events and their potential effect on financial markets.

 No guarantee as to the accuracy of this report is being made here. Any decisions in financial markets are solely the responsibility of the reader, and neither the author nor the publishers of this column assume any responsibility whatsoever for anyone’s trading or investment decisions. Readers of this report should understand that commodity futures and options trading are considered high risk.