MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING JANUARY 12, 2025
January 9, 2026
NOTE: This week’s free weekly column was written by MMA Analyst Pouyan Zolfagharnia.
REVIEW
Growing economic optimism, along with a more cautious view of the artificial intelligence build-out, is prompting a major “rotation trade” on Wall Street, with investors selling technology stocks and buying up the shares of most every other type of business. The shift has only picked up steam in the early days of 2026, pushing the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average toward a big 50,000-point milestone, even as the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has struggled for momentum.
— Sam Goldfarb, “The Stock-Market Rally Isn’t Just About Tech Anymore,” The Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2026.
The DJIA and S&P 500 rallied to new all-time-highs (ATHs) this week, whilst the Nasdaq continues to find resistance below 26,000, retaining the bearish intermarket divergence that has been in effect since the Nasdaq formed its crest in October. We are seeing a similar bullish landscape in the international markets. In Europe, the UK’s FTSE, the German DAX, and the Swiss SMI have all rallied to new ATHs. Japan’s Nikkei tested its ATH of November, but failed to take it out this week. China’s Shanghai Composite Index (SSE) rallied to new ATHs, whilst the tech-heavy Hang Seng index displayed a similar case of bearish intermarket divergence to the U.S. markets. India’s Nifty retested its November ATH, whilst the Australian ASX continues to make lower highs after its October high. It’s a very similar picture in the Americas, with Argentina’s Merval continuing to find resistance at the November high. Brazil’s Bovespa index is testing the December ATH. In South Africa, the JSE index continues its bid for new ATHs.
The precious metals retain their bullish momentum amid a tense geopolitical environment, with Silver forming a double top at the December 29 high of $82.67. It was a very similar picture for Platinum, whilst Copper formed a new ATH at $6.113. Oil also found a bid, rallying by over 6% during the week amid geopolitical tensions in Iran. As U.S. military assets begin to build in the Middle East, traders are paying close attention to the internal protests that have spilled over into the oil industry. The last time the Iranian Oil industry got involved in protests was during the 1978 revolution.
Bitcoin and Ethereum remain bearish, closing the week with an indecisive Doji candle. We are looking for these markets to turn bearish by taking out the November low. The grains remained relatively subdued, and continue to present good opportunities for the longer-term trade if we get the anticipated weather disruptions around the Saturn-Neptune conjunction.
SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS
The White House initially sold its pressure campaign on Caracas as a bid to slow narcotrafficking. Now, it appears to be all about oil. Officials have promised to revitalize the country’s once-vaunted industry through U.S. know-how, sell Venezuelan crude “indefinitely,” and share some of the spoils with domestic companies.
— David Uberti, “The 100-Year History Behind Trump’s Push for Venezuela’s Oil Wealth,” The Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2026.
The first week of January began with a bang! President Trump launched a special operation to “arrest” the president and first lady of Venezuela on January 3. A close friend observed that Trump had also assassinated the Iranian Commander Qasem Soleimani on January 3, 2020. Prompting the question: What is so special about this date? On January 3, the transiting Sun is in exact opposition to the U.S. natal Sun, marking the midpoint from July 4. This configuration is traditionally associated with seventh house themes such as foreign governments, disputes, negotiations, and international scrutiny. Historically, this date has coincided with major moments in U.S. foreign affairs, including the Battle of Princeton in 1777 (when George Washington defeated British forces), Alaska’s admission as the forty-ninth state in 1959, the severing of U.S.-Cuban diplomatic relations in 1961, and the surrender of Panama’s Manuel Noriega in 1990.
With the Saturn-Neptune conjunction now active and approaching exactitude in February, events are increasingly reflecting its symbolism. It started with the U.S. naval (Neptune) blockade (Saturn) of Venezuela. We were told that it was all about narcotics (Neptune), but all of a sudden, the only thing the U.S. White House administration seems to be interested in is oil (Neptune). To the extent that they are trying to eliminate the shadow (Saturn) fleet (Neptune) of tankers being operated by Russia, China, and Iran to circumvent U.S.-imposed sanctions. Was it ever about the flow of drugs to the U.S., or was it about the flow of oil to China? After all, another manifestation of Saturn-Neptune is control or security (Saturn) over global (0 ° Aries) energy or oil (Neptune).
Could we have used astrology to pinpoint Venezuela? There were a couple of strong signs. The natal chart for Venezuela (22 Sep 1830, noon, Caracas) has the Sun at 29 ° Virgo, which is within a 1 ° opposition to the Saturn-Neptune conjunction, which will be taking place on the IC or fourth house cusp of Venezuela. The IC is related to a nation’s land and the natural resources buried deep below its land (symbolically, the IC is the lowest point of the chart). Another indication was the December 21, 2025, ingress chart. In MMA’s FORECAST 2026, I noted, “Looking at the astrocartography map, we tend to see regions of the world that have the Sun on the angles brought to the foreground. The winter Sun (flanked by Venus and Mars) will be on the midheaven (MC) over Greenland and Brazil…” Whilst not exact, the Sun was also in the 10th house of Venezuela. Therefore, we would expect international attention to fall upon this region of the world, especially as the Saturn-Neptune conjunction is in the same house during the Spring ingress.
Was it ever about drugs? This was the debate I was having with friends in December. Looking at the 1830 chart of Venezuela, it’s interesting to see both Jupiter and Neptune, the planets closely associated with both drugs and oil, placed prominently in the first house, an indication of a nation with the world’s largest reserves of crude oil. Yet, I couldn’t use the natal chart to answer this question. President Trump himself seemed to clearly answer this question for us and left little to ambiguity. On December 1, 2025, he granted a full pardon to Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison under the charges of importing cocaine and firearms. The president justified his actions by describing Hernandez as a victim of a political setup. If the true motivations were, in fact, drugs, why was the administration not targeting the countries that are actually producing the drugs?
On the same day that a sitting head of state was taken into custody, the U.S. administration took to social media channels, posting messages concerning crude oil. For many observers, this raised questions about how long-established principles of a rules-based international order are being interpreted in practice. The United States has historically played a central role in supporting that order, symbolically reflected in astrology by the placement of the U.S. natal Sun and Jupiter on the IC of the United Nations founding chart. The U.S. literally underpins world order, and recent developments feel like a potential inflection point, prompting uncertainty about global stability. Even if one assumes the operation was not politically motivated, the decision to also detain the leader’s spouse remains difficult for many to reconcile.
Over the past week, we experienced a multitude of conjunctions as the Sun, Mars, and Venus met in Capricorn. Mercury and the Moon will be joining this stellium over the next 10 days, as all these planets form an opposition to Jupiter. It was interesting to note that the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars were also in a stellium in the military sign of Aries in NATO’s birth chart for 1949. As the planets come together again, it is interesting to see how the existence of this organization is being called into question. As we head into the second half of January, these planets will form an explosive conjunction with Pluto. Geopolitics is at an unprecedented inflection point, and the question we have to ask ourselves is whether the markets will keep pace. As we continue to see new historical highs, could the January 16-20 critical reversal day (CRD) go down in history for more than just the geopolitics?
LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS AND OPINION
“Why do Greenland, the Atlantic Ocean, and South America (especially Brazil) keep showing up?” That was the question I was asking myself in October when I was working on my contribution to the FORECAST 2026. At the time, I did not anticipate a scenario in which the U.S. administration would appear to challenge or move away from established principles of a rules-based international order. In reviewing the winter ingress, my primary focus was on the Saturn-Neptune conjunction as it related to the Middle East and Russia.
When doing my analysis, the obvious threat to world order, Europe, and NATO appeared to come from actors such as Russia, Iran, or potentially China. At no point did I consider that the United States itself might play a destabilizing role in the collective frameworks and values that have underpinned the post-war international order. When examining the natal chart for the United Nations, I could see that the period 2029-2033 was going to be turbulent, as the organization would experience its first Uranus return, whilst transiting Neptune would oppose natal Neptune, and transiting Pluto would oppose natal Pluto. The Neptune opposition suggests a crisis of moral legitimacy and authority, and disillusionment with founding myths. The Pluto opposition suggests an open confrontation with structural power imbalances, a survival reckoning, and a crisis over power, control, and coercion. The Uranus return suggests sudden institutional shocks, radical reform, and possible fragmentation.
This 2030-2032 period also coincides with the Saturn-Uranus conjunction in Gemini. Historically, this configuration has often aligned with periods in which the United States becomes involved in significant military or strategic operations. It would therefore not be surprising to see heightened turbulence in the United States at a time when the United Nations’ institutional foundations are also under strain. Since the end of the Second World War, the United States has played a leading role in shaping the global economic and political order. Yet, the axis of power does not stand still, and recent developments suggest that long-standing moral and normative frameworks may be under increasing pressure from the current administration. With the Saturn-Neptune conjunction, we are on the lookout for the Russian leadership or governing structure to implode. In fact, the Iranian leadership was also on the cards as the prior Supreme Leader passed away during the previous Saturn-Neptune conjunction in 1989. Yet, following the events of the current week, I wonder if the principle of imploding leadership could extend to other nations?
Which brings us back to Greenland. What does astrology suggest? Based on the Winter and Spring ingress charts, the most important aspects are taking place over Greenland. The August Solar Eclipse will also be taking place over Greenland. Added to the mix is the fact that Denmark is considered to be an Aries nation. As I noted in the FORECAST 2026, “In traditional Astrology, the Aries nations are Iran, Palestine, England, Denmark, Germany, and Syria. With the initial ingress of Saturn and Neptune into Aries taking place in 2025, we have seen the Assad regime fall in Syria, the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, and the world’s focus turning to the atrocities taking place in Palestine. On the day of the Solar eclipse in opposition to the Saturn-Neptune conjunction (21 September 2025), we witnessed a significant pivot and new beginning by Western nations, starting with the announcement by Sir Keir Starmer (the British Prime Minister), stating the UK’s formal recognition of the Palestinian state. This was followed by similar announcements from many Western nations ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting that followed the next day. Whilst the Saturn-Neptune conjunction will affect the entire world, the Aries nations are likely to find themselves on the front pages during this period.” As noted earlier, NATO itself was formed with the Sun in Aries. As such, I think the U.S. will make aggressive moves to take control of this territory. The implication of such a move will set global precedence; It is acceptable to take that which you desire if you are strong enough. Maybe I am being naïve, and that rule was always in force?
In the words of Saadi (Golestan, Chapter 1 – On the Conduct of Kings):
“A king who lays the design of tyranny
Digs the foundation of his own kingdom’s fall.
When the mason sets the first brick crooked,
The wall will lean all the way to the stars.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOTE 1: ONE MORE WEEK!!! THE LAUNCH OF THE MMA DAILY OPTIONS REPORT WITH DEREK PANAIA.
Starting this Thursday, January 15, MMA will launch a new daily options service with Derek Panaia. This new service will focus on the S&P, Gold, Copper, T-Notes, Soybeans, and Bitcoin. The service will include intraday updates as necessary, sometimes multiple times per day, depending on market conditions.
This is the next step in the evolution of MMA services, from the yearly Forecasts to the monthly and weekly market updates, and then to the current MMA daily reports issued each evening after the close for the next day’s trading outlook. However, this service will be provided during market hours, as intraday price activity dictates. The focus is on options, but there will also be plenty of commentary on the cyclical and geocosmic conditions currently in effect and those coming up. Ray Merriman will also provide commentary within this new daily service. In fact, this is where Ray will be spending most of his time on trading strategies in 2026.
For more information on this new service, or to pre-register, click here. If you wish to start now with the beta version, you can sign up for the Options+ group, which also includes a recording of the recent options webinar with Derek Panaia, Wyatt Fellows, and Ray Merriman. Here, daily trades and strategies are already underway with Derek and Ray at a reduced price. Order now at the special launch price to get in on the action of options trading if you are an active trader!
NOTE 2: MMA’S 2026 TRADERS’ RETREAT WILL TAKE PLACE MAY 20-24 IN LAKE BLED, SLOVENIA!!! This special four-day event will focus on trading strategies for position and short-term traders for 2026. It will cover the unique, evidence-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-term and intermediate-term basis.
There will also be special presentations and interactive discussions on current and future world conditions that are likely to affect financial markets. These presentations 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, with special discounts for early-bird registration. The presentations will also be available via Zoom for those unable to attend in person, and recordings with PowerPoint slides will be available immediately after each day’s presentations to all who attend. For schedule, registration, speaker bios, topic descriptions, and hotel information, please click here. The MMA Annual Investment and Traders’ Retreats are incredible events! Don’t miss it if you can make it.
NOTE 3: THE JANUARY ISSUE OF THE MMA MONTHLY CYCLES REPORT WILL BE RELEASED THIS WEEK, JANUARY 12-13. This is a timely issue because it is right in the middle of two important geocosmic critical reversal zones (January 9 and January 16), with stock markets and precious metals making new all-time high or secondary highs. Each issue includes our outlook for the U.S. stock market (DJIA and S&P), Gold, Silver, Copper, Treasuries, the Euro currency, Crude Oil, and Soybeans. The MMA Monthly Cycles Report also provides MMA’s original geocosmic critical reversal dates (CRDs) and solar/lunar reversal dates for traders over the next several weeks, as well as trading strategies for both position and aggressive short-term traders.
If you would like to try a one-month subscription, you can sign up for the January report for only $35 — or save by ordering a three-report or twelve-report subscription.
NOTE 4: FORECAST 2026 IS NOW OUT! ORDER WHILE COPIES LAST!
MMA’s annual Forecast book is an astrological-themed almanac that has served students of cycles and markets since 1976. It provides a cyclical outlook on collective world psychology, the national economy, a geopolitical overview, socio-cultural trends, weather and natural-calamity potential, as well as financial market projections for the U.S. stock market (DJIA and NASDAQ this year!), the U.S. Treasury market, interest rates, Gold and Silver, currencies (the Euro, U.S. Dollar, Swiss Franc, and Japanese Yen), Bitcoin, Crude Oil, and Grain markets. Additionally, it provides the three-star geocosmic CRDs for each market for 2026, which have maintained an 80+% accuracy rate over the years for trading-cycle highs and lows when given an orb of three trading days. The book is 240 pages (our largest ever because it’s the special 50-year anniversary edition), 8.5″ × 11″. The price of the Forecast 2026 print edition is $66, and the eBook is $55. To order this year’s 50th-year edition, click here. It’s special!
A Forecast 2026 audiobook is also now available for only $35. It includes all chapters from the Forecast 2026 book except the financial markets and the calendar/ephemeris pages in the back of the print and eBook editions. It provides an excellent overview of what’s in store for the coming year(s) for the world and the nation (the U.S., President Trump, the Federal Reserve Board, the economy, lunar nodal cycles, each outer planet in each sign, and the remarkable “Aries Vortex”). It makes for great listening, narrated by the silky-smooth voice of Thomas Miller. To order, click here.
NOTE 5: 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 6: 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 when 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 and losses? The cost of a personal 14-month Jupiter Report based on your birth data is $69.
NOTE 7: 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 8: 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 MMTA4 program, which began on September 27, 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 a master economic astrologer! Click here to order now!
NOTE 9: MMA’S ANNUAL FORECAST 2026 WORLDWIDE WEBINAR WITH RAYMOND MERRIMAN WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, STARTING AT NOON EST. From the comfort of your own home or office, you can tune in to this live event. This broadcast will address the major themes from this year’s Forecast 2026 book, with updates on financial markets since the book was written in November 2025. This presentation will include trading plans for various financial markets, including the U.S. stock market, Gold, Silver, and Bitcoin. A special guest will be Wyatt Fellows, MMA’s new president, who will speak on the outlook for grain prices for 2026 based on his Saturn-Neptune studies. If you are unable to attend live, the video recording will be available the following day. The cost of this special three-hour webinar is $60. Registration for the Forecast 2026 webinar is now open. Save the date! Sign up now!
EVENTS
JANUARY 15, 2026: The launch of the new MMA Daily Options Report with Derek Panaia.
FEBRUARY 22, 2026: MMA’S ANNUAL FORECAST 2026 WEBINAR WITH RAY MERRIMAN. See above for details.
MAY 20-24, 2026: MMA’S NEXT INVESTMENT RETREAT, LAKE BLED, SLOVENIA. SAVE THE DATE!!
Registration is now open with a special early bird discount for those who register by February 18. 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. It’s going to be great!
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 takes place every 4-8 years. More than 150 world-class astrologers will be presenting. The conference will be held at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Chicago. In addition to the workshop, Ray will present two lectures during the six-day event: one on mundane astrology (“What Is Happening in the World from an Astrological Viewpoint”) on September 5, and another on “The U.S. Stock Market: Timing Tools and Outlook” on September 7 (Labor Day). Discounts are available for those who register by January 20. 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 even 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) the 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.