MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING JUNE 22, 2026

There is no weekly column this week as we prepare for Saturday’s Mid-Year Webinar starting at 1 PM EDT. Click here to sign up.

 EXCERPT FROM FORECAST 2026, written in October 2025, 

THE UNITED STATES IN 2026: EXCEPTIONALISM VERSUS STATUS DOWNGRADE

 American exceptionalism is an idea that the United States of America is a unique and even morally superior country for historical, ideological, or religious reasons. Proponents of American exceptionalism generally pair the belief with the claim that the United States is obligated to play a special role in global politics. Adam Volle, “American Exceptionalism,” www.brittanica.com.

The past week I’ve talked to two historians, one rightish, one leftish, and both conversations turned toward Thomas Jefferson’s stinging bill of particulars against King George III in the Declaration of Independence. They resonate in unexpected ways: “For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world.” “He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us.” “He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our Legislatures.” “He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people.” “Obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither.” The Founders didn’t want any of that. It’s why they created a republic. Peggy Noonan, “A Republic, But Can We Keep It?” www.wsj.com, October 24, 2025.

 THE CHART OF THE UNITED STATES

 As noted in the annual Forecast books over the past several years, I use July 2, 1776. Previously, I had also used 11:50 AM in Philadelphia as the time of the founding chart of the U.S. for two reasons. First, it fits the history of when the vote for independence was taken, and second, the chart works well from an astrological viewpoint. However, no one really knows the exact time, or even day, the United States actually completed the vote for its independence. Yet due to the vast changes initiated in the United States in 2025, I am adjusting the time of its inception by 35 minutes earlier, to 11:15 AM. I am rectifying the time to 11:15 AM because that will give the U.S. a 0° Libra rising. Given that the Aries Vortex involving Saturn and Neptune is conjunct at 0° Aries, and the Uranus-Pluto trine midpoint is also at 0° Aries, I think this slightly adjusted chart with those outer planet placements highlighting the 0° cardinal signs on the angles, aligns more closely with the events and changes that are occurring at this time in the United States.

The new time still fits within the realm of possibilities as to when the vote for independence was completed. We know that the vote—the decision of the new nation to declare itself independent—was completed on July 2, 1776, according to David McCullough, historian, and author of the book 1776.¹ And according to astrologer Gary Noel, in a discussion in the ISAR e-zine (www.isarastrology.org) several years ago, it is likely that the vote took place before noon because it was announced in the evening newspaper. In order to make the evening edition of the daily news, articles had to be submitted before noon. So 11:15 AM is still close but before noon, as was our previously used time of 11:50 AM.

The adjustment in time does not change the position of the planets relative to their signs. They remain the same. Libra is still rising, which means Venus still rules the chart, but it is now even stronger than before as it resides right on the Midheaven at 0° Cancer. This might make the case for America’s exceptionalism based on democracy, fairness, and the idea that “all men are created equal” even stronger. This revised chart still finds Saturn rising in Libra, where it is exalted, representing the importance of laws that are fair and policies that support equal rights for all citizens, which are also characteristics that have defined the view of exceptionalism often ascribed to the United States. However, these virtues are now being questioned by others both within and outside the U.S. as Saturn and Neptune transit the new descendant.

Vote for U.S. Independence, July 2, 1776, 11:15 AM, Philadelphia, PA

There are a couple of other astrological signatures that stand out in this chart, which are relevant to the idea of American exceptionalism and its foundation, steeped in the principles of democracy. Venus, the chart ruler, is not only on the MC (midheaven, uppermost part of the chart) but also conjunct both Jupiter and the Sun in Cancer. This is a very generous configuration, one that can support the vast amount of foreign aid the U.S. has provided to developing nations or those undergoing reconstruction, perhaps after a war or natural calamity. It is a symbol of patriotism and love for the nation by its people. It is also a signature of great and enduring success and prosperity, combined with its respect for laws, fairness, and opportunities.

Another aspect that stands out is Mars square Neptune. This is a classic conflict between aggression and passivity, between the drive to compete and win versus a tendency to pull back and withdraw. Mars is war, and Neptune represents peace. The nation has a classic conflict between its desire to defend itself and its allies, versus its wish for peace and to avoid war.

Another planetary setup that stands out is the Moon-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn, in opposition to Mercury in Cancer. The Moon’s position is only in conjunction with Pluto in the July 2 chart and not the July 4^th one. I think the Moon-Pluto conjunction in Capricorn is an important reflection of the nation’s deep emotional wound and guilt over its history of slavery and racism. It seems to be forever trying to heal this wound, but every attempt seems to lead it into more and more conflict, guilt, and reproach by others. This configuration was activated in 2021-2024 as Pluto transited over it. The opposition to Mercury also indicates the distrust of the mainstream media (MSM) during that time, when it had to withstand several insults of providing “fake news” or news that was unfairly biased in favor of one political party over another, and not based on objectivity. TV news became “opinions” on current events with a political twist, more than reporting of actual news. Many news organizations suffered a loss of readership as a result, and people started getting their news updates from social media outlets, which led to even false information and a rise in conspiracy theories.

Yet, as stated before, and still this writer’s view, the founding chart given here is a powerful and enduring one. It supersedes all progressions or transits, although those two techniques do indicate periods of trials, tribulations, threats, and successes. The leadership and exceptionalism of the U.S. may be under attack, and it may indeed lose its status as the sole exceptional power on the planet. But it doesn’t mean it will fall outside of a leadership role. It just implies it has to share its formerly lofty status as the most powerful country in the world with others who are growing in stature more quickly.

THE U.S. PROGRESSED CHART – WAR VERSUS DIPLOMACY

 We start our analysis of the United States in 2026 by analyzing the secondary progressions to the founding chart. The date chosen for the progressed chart is July 2, 2026, which would be the 250^th birth date of the nation.

There is one clear planetary configuration that shows up in this chart. July 2026 will find the nation undergoing a progressed New Moon, with both the Sun and Moon conjoining at 19° Pisces. A progressed New Moon represents a new beginning in the life of the nation, especially when it aspects other planets in the natal or progressed chart, which just happens to be the case here. That is, the progressed New Moon will be in an exact square to Mars of the founding chart. Furthermore, it sets off the Mars-Neptune mutable square in the U.S. chart in a configuration known as a mutable T-square, with the focal planet being Mars at 19° Gemini in the nation’s 9^th house of education, courts of law, religion, trade, and foreign affairs.

The most important parts of this pattern involve these planets, for they represent the actions of the nation, or the choice of whether to act or not when faced with issues that have a Mars theme (anger, threats, war). With natal Mars in Gemini, chances are the nation will commence a multitude of many new activities. This is further highlighted by the fact that these planets are in mutable signs, which means the nation is multitasking—performing several operations or tasks at once. The challenge will be to stay focused on one matter at a time, not to get distracted by too many conflicting demands, and to do a complete and thorough job with each issue it takes on. The temptation is to spread itself so thin that nothing seems to be completed adequately enough to please everyone. Everything is hurried. Mistakes and misjudgments occur.

To the majority of the population, it may seem like chaos, where everything starts and then changes midstream. In the process, projects of importance seem to be quickly forgotten in favor of something new that suddenly demands attention. With the progressed New Moon in Pisces, the lack of clarity may be doubly apparent. With the New Moon in opposition to Neptune (the ruler of Pisces) for the next three years, the confusion as to what is really important and the risk of losing the plot may triple in intensity.

USA Progressed chart for July 2, 2026. Progressions on the outer wheel. Inner wheel is the founding chart.

As stated earlier, Mars in Gemini is the midpoint of this T-square. Mars represents the nation’s military might and the threat of war. The founding chart shows there is a natural conflict here between Mars and Neptune, or the urge for power and might and war readiness, versus the urge for peace and a tendency towards withdrawal or dependence on the resolution of conflict through diplomacy. Mars in Gemini can shout and threaten. But with Neptune afflicting Mars, it may experience difficulty or a lack of support from the populace to enter into conflicts with others. Hence the slogan, “Speak gently but carry a big stick.” So, from 2025 through 2029, the U.S. is torn between entering into conflicts with other nations (Mars in the 9^th house), versus attempting diplomacy and avoidance of military action. The result can lead to great confusion about exactly what the mission is and the means to attain its purpose. In some instances, in 2025, for example, the U.S. was an aggressive force that entered into conflict and did very well, dropping bombs on Iran’s nuclear facilities and setting their nuclear ambitions and threats to Israel back several years. They also showed Martian muscle in the Israeli–Gazan conflict, forcing Hamas to surrender and return hostages to Israel. These were great examples of Mars in action, displaying strength in order to achieve peace, which is the positive way these principles can be integrated. In these instances, the U.S. garnered respect and admiration throughout the world.

In other cases, such as the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the U.S. approach has taken a more Pisces-Neptunian course. First, the U.S. would not support Ukraine in its war with Russia. Then it said it would, then backed off and decided it wanted to help resolve the conflict through diplomacy, in which neither nation was willing to give up anything. So, what is the criterion under which the U.S. decides to be the aggressor versus when it decides to be the peacemaker? Under what conditions will the U.S. defend its allies, and when not? No one knows. The progressed New Moon in Pisces is making a mutable T-square to the Mars-Neptune square in the U.S. founding chart, exhibiting this lack of consistency in policy involving international conflicts. But the New Moon in Pisces strongly suggests that it wants to find a peaceful path utilizing diplomacy. Yet that only works when all parties are sincerely interested, which, in this case, with Mars as the midpoint of this T-square, is clearly not happening between Russia and Ukraine.

Another feature of this progressed New Moon in Pisces, forming a mutable T-square to the U.S. natal Mars-Neptune square, is that it continues to activate the mutable Mars-Neptune square of Iran’s chart over the next three years. The conflict with Iran is not likely to end with the June 2025 bombing of its nuclear sites. That conflict is probably just dormant for now and will come back again. The U.S. must be ready.

It is also important to remember that the U.S. progressed Mars is retrograde. That started shortly after Barack Obama became president (2008-2009). It will continue through 2087. Astrologically, this progressed retrograde Mars poses a problem of readiness for the U.S. military, especially as it is in Libra, its detriment. The U.S. leadership will have to be very alert to avoid mistakes, miscalculations, and dangerous indecisiveness when clarity and firmness are needed for success. It also indicates conducting war campaigns only partway, not seeing them through to needed completion. As a result, war successes may have to be entered into a second time with the same actors. The ongoing conflict with Iran may be an example of this.

References

1. McCullough, David, 1776, Simon and Schuster, New York, NY, 2005 (page 135).

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: ONE MORE DAY!!! THE ANNUAL MMA MID-YEAR MARKET WEBINAR WITH MMA MARKET ANALYSTS WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY, JUNE 20, AT 1:00 PM EDT!!! This year’s webinar will be in a different and more interactive format than previous ones. It will be hosted by Raymond Merriman, who will introduce each market and then conduct an interactive interview with the MMA analyst covering that market, discussing its outlook for the second half of 2026. The analysts and markets to be covered this year will include NASDAQ (Wiebke Held), the DJIA (Gianni Di Poce), the Euro (Ulric Aspegrén), Bitcoin (Ray Merriman), Silver and Crude Oil (Pouyan Zolfagharnia), and Gold and T-Notes (Wyatt Fellows). This webinar/workshop will last approximately three hours, with two five-minute breaks. The cost is $66 (a super bargain for a workshop covering these markets), which includes access to the live presentation via Zoom, the presentation slides, and the video recording of the live event within 24 hours after the presentation. This is MMA’s annual mid-year market update webinar. If you are unable to attend live, the video recording will be available the following day. To register, click here.

NOTE 2: A SIX-WEEK SUMMER SCHOOL COURSE ON ESOTERIC ECONOMICS: THE HIDDEN ARCHITECTURE OF WEALTH, BY GIANNI DI POCE, WILL BEGIN ON SUNDAY, JULY 12. This immersive, six-week online course is the complete companion to Esoteric Economics, the financial astrology textbook written by Gianni Di Poce. The course touches on conventional economics, but also reveals the deeper, often invisible currents that truly govern wealth: archetypal forces, temporal rhythms, capital flows, and the ancient principles that have shaped civilizations for millennia. The course blends rigorous historical and technical analysis with esoteric insight, practical tools, and visionary thinking. You will not simply study economics here—you will be initiated into its hidden language and learn to navigate it with clarity, confidence, and creative power. The cost for this six-week course is $300. Registration is now open! Click here to register.

NOTE 3: PRICE INCREASE FOR MMA DAILY OPTIONS REPORT WITH DEREK ON JULY 1. SIGN UP NOW TO LOCK IN CURRENT PRICES. This is currently MMA’s hottest subscription report, and for good reason: it has been incredibly successful since it was launched on January 15, 2026, at special introductory rates of $360/month or $3600/year. Those prices will increase to $420/month and $4200/year as of July 1. However, for those who sign up for automatic renewal, the current rates will be honored (loyalty offer) until the subscription is canceled, at which time these new rates will be applied. Sign up now and lock in the introductory rates for the long term!

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For those who also 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 will be $600 per month or $6000/year. For more information on this new service, or to pre-register, click here. Order now at the special launch price to get in on the action of options trading if you are an active trader!

NOTE 4: COMING SOON: RAY MERRIMAN’S NEW BOOK ON “JUPITER AND SATURN TRANSITS: MASTERING THE CYCLES OF LIFE.” This is NOT the book you would expect from Ray Merriman. But it is a book you will need, use, and value for the rest of your life if you study astrology, and especially if you are also a trader. This 400+ page book covers all the major transits of Jupiter to one’s natal planets and angles, including interpretations of the opening and closing sextile, square, and trine aspects. The Saturn section also includes the opening and closing semi-square and sesquiquadrate transits to all natal planets and angles, plus the “Business Cycle” of transiting Saturn. Each transiting aspect is ranked from –3 to +3 in terms of trading and investment potential, which alone is worth the price of the book.

Here are early reviews by two of the world’s leading astrologers after receiving an early draft of this book:

 Ray Merriman surprises us with a new book on transits! The book covers the delineation of planetary aspects of two of the most important traditional planets: the classical supportive and encouraging Jupiter aspects on the one hand, and the restrictive but also stabilizing Saturn aspects on the other. The descriptions of transits by an experienced and renowned astrologer are, together with his recommendations, of immense value. Going beyond the symbolic meaning of planetary combinations, Ray Merriman draws on his rich experience with planetary transits to provide the reader with practical interpretations and useful recommendations. To these, he adds advice for investors and traders in order to enable them to make the most of specific constellations. A highly recommendable and easily understandable book about transits for modern readers interested in the way astrology works in daily life.

 Claude Weiss, author, teacher, and owner of AstroData, Zurich, Switzerland, as well as one of the most highly respected mundane astrologers in the history of astrology.

 Ray Merriman’s Transits of Jupiter and Saturn: Mastering the Cycles of Life is beautifully and fluidly written, and we know from the first chapter that we are in the hands of a master with his experience of astrology honed over decades. I loved his descriptions of the Jupiter and Saturn cycles in our lives, detailing the transits to all of the personal planets in one’s birth chart. Even being an experienced astrologer myself, I learned a lot through these descriptions in terms of how these transits affect us personally. However, what is unique about this book is that Ray has also written it through the lens of financial market investment potential and timing for each aspect, also differentiating between waxing and waning aspects, which was fascinating. He has used a scale of positive and negative potential for each aspect, also drawing a distinction between that potential for traders and investors. This is invaluable advice. I highly recommend this book to all budding and more experienced astrologers. Thank you, Ray, for this unique contribution!

 Pam Gregory, prominent British astrologer, bestselling author (

The cost for this book is $39.99. However, those who order now, prior to the actual printing of the book, due in mid-August, will receive the special pre-publication price of $33.00 (plus postage for the printed edition; no postage is required for the eBook version). To order at the pre-publication price, click here.

 NOTE 5: 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.

Coming soon! The Saturn Report: Mastering Your Life Cycles. Due out in late summer or early fall.

 NOTE 6: 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). HOWEVER, IT WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE BY SUBSCRIPTION ON THE NEW MMA WEBSITE TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING USERS OF ANDROID PHONES, AROUND JULY 4^TH! To learn more about the MMA app, click here. To order on your iPhone, go to the Apple App Store and search for Merriman Solar/Lunar Reversals.

 EVENTS

 JUNE 20, 2026: MMA’S ANNUAL MID-YEAR MARKETS UPDATE WEBINAR. Save the date! Saturday, June 20, at 1 PM EDT.

 JULY 12, 2026: “Esoteric Economics” course begins with Gianni Di Poce. The cost is $300 for the six-week course, running from July 12 to August 16. See above for further details. Click here to register.

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.