MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING JULY 7, 2025

REVIEW

 President Trump said the U.S. is poised to inform many trading partners of unilateral tariff rates of up to 70%, putting global investors on the defensive with U.S. markets closed for July Fourth. The notices will be sent to countries by July 9. He said the tariffs would kick in from the start of next month. The renewed trade tensions weighed on markets.

— Ed Ballard, “Trump Says Tariff Letters Imminent, Unsettling Markets,” The Wall Street Journal, July 4, 2025.

“So, what we saw in April was not a real break. A real break is when bonds drop 30 points, and everyone thinks they are really cheap, but they have to sell. If there is an opportunity at some point to buy bonds down say 25 points — and it’s not going to take 25 years, or 10 years or even five years —  I think 2027-2028 is going to be a window of tremendous opportunity because I think by then, the treasury problem will be even more in focus than it is today, and it will weigh upon market behavior…. There are places to hide. You should invest in India and foreign currencies.”

– Jeffey Gundlach, ”Risk of Forced Selling in Private Credit,” Bloomberg Television, Global Credit Forum, You Tube, June 11, 2025.

Global stock markets performed mostly well last week in anticipation of the passage of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB).” It passed on July 3. But one day later, the president announced that his tariff plans would proceed, with rates going up as high as 70%. On that note, many global stock indices went into a tailspin on Friday while the U.S. markets were closed. Prior to that, the S&P and NASDAQ rallied to new all-time highs on July 3. The DJIA did not, which elevates the possibility of an intermarket bearish divergence setup that could lead to a substantial pullback if Friday’s overseas activity is any indication.

In other markets, the Swiss Franc soared to its highest level since its all-time highs in 2011. The Euro also rallied to a new 3-year high, and the Yen is on the verge of a 2-year high, while the U.S. Dollar fell to its lowest level in three years. This had a bullish effect on Gold and Silver, but not as dramatic as one would expect. With Neptune changing directions on July 4, a stronger rally could still commence. Bitcoin rose to $110,585 on July 3, just slightly below its all-time high of $111,965 on May 22, during the Sun/Uranus conjunction. July 4 was the Venus/Uranus conjunction. Bitcoin seems to respond to strong Uranus aspects. Crude Oil was positive last week, rising modestly following its plunge the week before. It still looks good.

 SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

 “If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day,” Elon Musk wrote in a post on X Monday evening, before the bill narrowly passed the Senate on Tuesday and the House on Thursday. “Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.”

— Joe Walsch, “Elon Musk Vows to Start a New Political Party After Trump Feud,” CBS News, July 4, 2025.

The fun starts now.

Well, is it really to be “fun?” Excitement might be a better word. If you thought life has been chaotic since the start of the year (and it has), it may be nothing compared with what is ahead as Uranus now enters the wild and crazy sign of Gemini on July 7 for most of the next seven years. Is Gemini really that wild and crazy? No, not really. But when the disruptive and chaotic planet of Uranus enters the nimble and oftentimes too-flexible and changeable sign of Gemini, things can get interesting. Actions and decisions become more surprising and less predictable. That may seem impossible, given what the world has gone through since January. But that’s what the cosmos is messaging. Uranus moving into Gemini is an 84-year phenomenon. Do the math and see if what happened 84 years ago wasn’t crazier than what happened the prior seven years, which was crazy enough. History may not repeat, but it rhymes (Mark Twain).

Short-term, two important geocosmic signatures unfolded on July 4 (today, as this is being written). The first was Venus conjunct Uranus in the last degree of Taurus, just before both ingress into Gemini between now and Monday. Venus rules money, as in currencies and stocks. It also rules Soybeans and Sugar. Uranus pertains to sudden reversals or breakouts to new yearly highs or lows. Last week, we saw both the S&P and NASDAQ (the latter rules technology) soar to new all-time highs on Thursday, July 3. On Friday, both reversed on the Globex. How long this reversal will last is anyone’s guess, but our “best guess” is that it could start a double-digit fall, which is due sometime before the end of October. Before the end of August would fit even better, as we are getting late into the primary cycle, when sharp declines are most frequent.

The second signature is Neptune turning retrograde, also on July 4. It is not unusual to see Gold make a low 0-5 days before this station, followed by a rally that can last 0-10 trading days afterwards. We got the low on time, June 30, four trading days before. Now we are in the rally stage with a high due anytime this week or next. The extent of this rally will tell us much about the status of the 31.3-month cycle in Gold, a subject that we will discuss in next week’s July 13 special Options webinar. Why is this webinar important? Because I think the next several weeks will offer great trades from both the short and long sides in Gold as we head into one of our strongest geocosmic correlations to big rallies in Gold this fall. But first, I think there will be a big shakeout in both Gold and currencies. If President Trump goes ahead with his tariffs obsession, and they exceed 10%, it will be hard to see how the Fed will lower rates.

Following this week’s fireworks, our focus will be on both Saturn (July 13) and Mercury (July 18) turning retrograde. The entire period between July 4 and 25 is loaded with several geocosmic reversal signatures. And the parade will continue August 1-12 and again August 24-27, as described in our June 15 annual mid-year financial markets webinar, which is still very much in play with many markets.

 Long-Term Thoughts and Opinion

 A thing Mr. Trump doesn’t understand is that regular citizens open to his leadership and willing to judge his actions fairly never feel free to trust or praise him quickly because they fear, rightly, that he’ll do something mad, say things so stupid and destructive they’ll immediately regret their support. So, they say nothing. Every time he lies, brags, accuses and acts insane, he undermines his power and jeopardizes his prospects in the greatness game. This won’t change. He’s unable to change it.

— Peggy Noonan, “Trump Seeks Greatness as Mamdani Rises,” The Wall Street Journal, June 28, 2025.

 Somewhere along the way, we were all taught to say “we.” You were told not to tell your employees, “I made the sale,” even if you were the only person who met with the client. So, you say, “We made the sale.” You were told not to say, “My company.” So, you say, “Our company.” Team-first leaders emphasize teamwork, unity, and collective effort. Team-first leaders celebrate shared success. Great leaders don’t use the pronouns “I” or “my.” When things go well, even if you did all the work? Stick to “we” and “our.” When things go wrong, use “I” and “my.” Because when you’re in charge, it really is up to you.

— Jeff Hayden,  “Sometimes, ‘I’ Is the Right Approach, Especially When You Need to Take Responsibility,” www.inc.com, June 19, 2025.

We have a new market timing indicator. We will call it TUMDI, which will stand for the “Trump Uranus Market Disruption Indicator.

It works like this: whenever there is a time band featuring prominent Uranus signatures, President Trump will make an announcement or encounter an unexpected event that directly influences him (for better or worse), that disrupts financial markets. If an announcement, it will be completely contrary to what the investment community has baked into their future market outlook. For instance, everyone thought that since global stock markets had been rising, President Trump was not going to impose major tariffs fees on trading partners. He was going to go easy, soft, like perhaps a universal 10% rate, which financial analysts believed accounted for the recent rally to new highs in many U.S. stock indices (S&P, NASDAQ, but not DJIA so far). That is not what we thought, as posted in our reports over the past month. But on July 4, as Venus conjoined Uranus, and just before both moved into the volatile sign of Gemini, the president announced that he would, in fact, impose tariffs as high as 70% next week, and they will go into effect on August 1. U.S. markets were closed on Friday, but following this announcement, the Globex markets plunged, in typical Uranus fashion.

Here is why this new indicator works– and students of Mundane Astrology will easily understand this logic. President Trump was born under a lunar eclipse. But it was not just any high-energy lunar eclipse. Like all lunar eclipses, it was a full Moon,  but this time with the Sun conjunct Uranus in Gemini (with the Moon’s North Node), which by itself is a signature of chaos and erratic-but-sometimes-brilliant-ideas. It can symbolize a genius, but not a “stable genius” as he sometimes describes himself. The Moon is full, and in Sagittarius, which can be a sign of optimism, positive thinking, even greatness, but also indicative of exaggeration and inflation of oneself, especially since the Sun rules the chart, the Leo ascendant (with Mars also there, no less). He has boundless energy and belief in himself.

The key to the TUMDI market indicator, however, is Uranus. President Trump is like Mr. Uranus the Disruptor. He is a universal man in a position where his every move potentially affects the world. Thus, as a person largely associated with Uranus (to an astrologer), every major aspect involving Uranus to another planet in the heavens is a ripening of time for President Trump to announce something very Uranian – surprising, shocking, and contradictory to general thought. And that becomes an important market timing indicator. It worked this time. It has worked countless other times. And I fully suspect it will work time and time again as long as he retains his current position of world leadership.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOTE 1: THE NEXT “SPECIAL MMA OPTIONS WEBINAR” WITH DEREK PANAIA, HOSTED BY RAYMOND MERRIMAN, WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, JULY 13, AT 12:00 PM EDT, and coincides with Saturn and Mercury turning retrograde (July 12-18). Saturn retrograde is one of the most significant geocosmic indicators of a potential reversal in financial markets. Two planets turning retrograde within a week is also a powerful reversal combination. You may recall that the week Mercury and Venus changed directions (April 7-13) was the most tumultuous market period of the year! We anticipate this to be another excellent time to make trading plans involving options. ~250707

This will be a special options presentation because it will cover our optimal geocosmic time band for both selling and buying Gold, with a focus on a low by August-September and anticipation of a big rally to follow. This time band for a low and the following crest will be outlined, based on a long-term cycle coinciding with a unique geocosmic signature that has a very high correlation to this pattern in the past. Those who take this webinar will be advised of the specific time band for the expected low and high, and those who sign up for Options+ will be guided through that period and advised of the setup to purchase options and option spreads as they unfold. The last time we had this setup (October 6, 2023), traders made over 1,000% gains in the 3–8-week period from the buy to the final sell signal.

The cost is $95 for this 2.5-hour webinar (it may run longer). The Options+ package, which includes additional follow-ups from Derek over the next ten weeks on the Discord chat forum, provides refined timing for entry and exit points that evolve after the webinar itself and have resulted in handsome profits in each of our past Options webinars. The cost of Options+ is $250 (includes the 2.5-hour webinar). And yes, we are well aware that this type of webinar and its follow-ups would cost ten times as much on other platforms — with far less impressive results. SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, July 13, at 12 PM EDT (that’s 6 PM in Zurich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Paris; 11 AM in Chicago; and 9 AM in Los Angeles). Click here to register! Note: Keep in mind that options trading is speculative, and this webinar is designed for speculators who have some basic knowledge of options. For those who do not, MMA offers a recording of Derek’s webinar on option principles, available on its website.

 NOTE 2: THE NEXT SPECIAL DISCOUNT PERIOD FOR THE TWO-YEAR MERRIMAN MARKET TIMING ACADEMY (MMTA4) IS NOW UNDERWAY THROUGH AUGUST 1!!! SIGN UP NOW AND SAVE BIG BUCKS!!

 This highly valuable two-year educational and training program, created by Raymond Merriman (CTA), is an experience that will change your life and the way you view financial markets. Yes, the course is challenging, but it is also incredibly exciting! Through this program, you will learn how to identify where the market is at any given point in time — and which trading or investing strategy to apply.

The eight-course program includes six Zoom meetings per course — over 100 hours of live instruction and interaction — with instructors Wiebke Held and Raymond Merriman, along with special guest MMA analysts such as Pouyan Zolfagharnia, Gianni Di Poce, Ulric Aspegrén, Wyatt Fellows, Derek Panaia, and Kat Powell.

Classes will meet on Saturdays, approximately 20 times per year, at noon Eastern time, starting on September 27. There are one-month breaks between each course and a three-month summer break. There is nothing else as comprehensive in the subject of market timing as the MMTA program! It covers MMA’s market timing methodology for long- and intermediate-term investing, as well as position trading and aggressive short-term trading.

Acceptance into the MMTA requires an interview prior to enrollment. If you are interested in exploring whether the MMTA is right for you, we will schedule a time to talk (interviews are now open between July 20 and 31). To register or inquire about the MMTA4 program, click here. The cost for the entire two-year course is $25,000, with a $2,500 discount available for those who sign up for an interview prior to August 1. Yearly subscribers to MMA weekly and daily reports receive additional discounts. Other payment plans are available upon request.

Here are just a few of the many very positive reviews from graduates of the last MMTA3 program (2023-2024):

I wanted to express my deepest gratitude for generously sharing your knowledge and teaching it. As you know, I am fairly new to trading and joined MMTA3 to learn a system to approach the stock market. Starting the year, I set myself the goal of doubling the money that I had in my trading account, thinking at the time that this was impossible to do. Thanks to the knowledge and tools MMTA3 teaches, I was actually able to accomplish this goal! In fact, I even exceeded it. —W.H., Germany

 Thank you, Ray, and Gianni, for the fantastic course material and support. I have made money and every dollar for the courses was paid back and more! — J.L., Netherlands

 This course was truly mind-blowing! I learnt in abundance. Thank you all for sharing the excellent trading data and knowledge. This course is worth more than a college degree — and at a fraction of the price, too. — K.L., Australia

My perspective on the markets — and perhaps life — has changed dramatically since taking MMTA. I am extremely grateful for having been given the opportunity to learn directly from you. — K.M., USA

Doing these research projects and really dissecting the markets during this course has allowed me to trade very successfully over the past year. It is extremely rewarding to do the work and then watch it unfold according to plan. — W.F., USA

To watch the most recent informative video interview with Wiebke Held and Raymond Merriman, conducted on June 26 and discussing the MMTA4 program, click here.

 NOTE 3: The MMA Grain Cycles Report by Wyatt Fellows was released on Wednesday, July 2. Wyatt’s analysis has been very accurate, and his writing style is very clear. If you are a trader or producer of grains, this is a wonderful report to read every month — especially now that the 36-year Saturn/Neptune cycle is in effect and coincides historically with big moves in grain prices. Wyatt is an exceptionally gifted analyst of Wheat, Corn, and Soybeans. To order a copy of this excellent report, please click here.

 NOTE 4: The June issue of MMA Monthly Cycles Report Plus+, edited by Pouyan Zolfagharnia, was released last week. This mid-month addendum to the MMA Cycles Report covers Pouyan’s outlook on Gold, Silver, NASDAQ, and Crude Oil. It features stunning graphics and charts (people love it!). It contains more illustrations and references to geocosmics than most MMA Cycles reports and is only available for subscription to those who also subscribe to the MMA Monthly Cycles Report. If you wish to try this month’s addendum, along with the latest issue of the MMA Monthly Cycles Report, sign up online at the link above. A monthly subscription to both reports is $55. That will give you access to the most recent issue of the MMA Cycles Report and the monthly MMA Cycles Report Plus+ addendum. For further information and ordering instructions, please click here.

 NOTE 5: MUST READ!!! A NEW BOOK, ESOTERIC ECONOMICS BY GIANNI DI POCE, IS NOW AVAILABLE!!! This is an excellent introduction to the correlation between geocosmic studies and the fields of economics and financial markets. In many ways, it is the perfect book to launch one’s journey into the world of financial astrology — but it is more than that. Esoteric Economics offers a clear and accessible explanation of how economics and financial markets work, then beautifully ties these fields together through an esoteric lens. It is ideal not only for those beginning this journey but also for readers seeking a deeper understanding of how economics operates on both a practical and esoteric level.

Gianni Di Poce is a well-respected MMA analyst and served as the director and lead instructor of the MMTA2 and MMTA3 (Merriman Market Timing Academy) programs from 2021 to 2024. He also holds an MBA in economics from the University of Michigan. The cost of this excellent 288-page book is $55 for the softcover or $60 for the hardcover (plus postage). It is also available as an eBook (no postage). To order, click here.

NOTE 6: MMA’s Free Weekly Column podcast is available on SPOTIFY, APPLE, and AMAZON! Now you can listen to a podcast of this weekly column, narrated by Thomas Miller, every Saturday! Thomas has an excellent voice and brings the weekly column to life in a personable and, at times, humorous fashion. Just follow Merriman Market Analyst on Spotify or Apple to listen to all our episodes. A new episode is released every weekend. This is a FREE service and is available to everyone. Check out our podcasts on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Music. It makes for great listening!

NOTE 7: The MMA weekly YouTube show, “Geocosmic Week in Review and Look Ahead,” with Gianni Di Poce, is conducted on Wednesday evenings! Each 5- to 20-minute FREE episode reviews the previous week’s market activity and offers a preview of the geocosmic signatures in effect for the coming week and beyond.

 NOTE 8: THE “JUPITER REPORT“ — YOUR MOMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY — IS NOW AVAILABLE. This new product, written by Raymond Merriman, 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. It delineates the meaning of Jupiter’s transits to your natal planets and angles over a 14-month period (including one month before your order 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 successes? Or a –3 transit with stronger-than-usual potential for misjudgments and losses? You betcha! The cost for your 14-month Jupiter Report is $69. Click here to order!!!

NOTE 9: The MMA Solar-Lunar App now offers reversal signals on the NASDAQ to all subscribers! The app provides daily weighted values for four markets: 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. The app is currently available only on Apple products (iPhone and iPad). To learn more about the MMA App, click here. To order it, go to the Apple App Store and search for Merriman Solar/Lunar Reversals.

 EVENTS

 SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2025, AT 12 PM EDT: The next MMA Options Webinar with Derek Panaia, Wyatt Fellows, and Ray Merriman. This will occur in the middle of the Saturn and Mercury retrogrades of July 12 and 18 — a historically important period correlated with primary cycles and market reversals. Save the date! For registration, click here.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2025: MMTA4 begins!! Special rates apply through August 1. Click here for details.

 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’s 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.