MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING MARCH 16, 2026

REVIEW

By Ray Merriman

In the absence of a coherent U.S. strategy to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, investors are likely to focus on Iranian actions as the market driver.

—Dr. Paul Donovan, UBS morning audio comment, www.ubs.com/cio, March 12, 2026.

The lack of clarity on the goals or the direction of the U.S./Israel/Iran conflict is weighing heavily on world stock indices. Global equities want to rally, but Iran’s success in restricting the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz is pushing Crude Oil prices higher. Oil surged to $119.48 on March 5, followed by a huge drop to $76.73 on March 10, and back up to test $100 on Friday, March 13. This, in turn, is deterring central banks from lowering interest rates, driving up the U.S. Dollar, which is suppresses the risk appetite for precious metals and equities.

In Europe, all indices fell hard into March 9, the midpoint of the Mercury retrograde cycle. This was the lowest price since the primary cycle began on November 21, as we expect to see when a 50-week cycle trough is forming. Equities tried to rally but couldn’t gain much traction by the end of the week.

In Asia and the Pacific Rim, it was similar. The Japanese Nikkei, Shanghai SSE, Hang Seng of Hong Kong, and the Australian ASX all made multi-week (if not multi-month) lows on March 9, but didn’t rebound that much afterwards. The NIFTY Index in India was even weaker, closing on Friday at its lowest level since April 2025. It had also reached an all-time high recently, on February 3. Things moved fast and south in one month.

It was the same story in the U.S. All the indices fell hard into Monday, March 9, to their lowest point of the primary cycle that began in November. They tried to rebound, but by Friday, the DJIA was making new multi-month lows. The indices are looking for some good news to reverse back up.

It wasn’t much better in Gold or Silver, which continued trading range-bound all week, with Silver between 79.00 and 90.50. It may take the Trickster turning direct before it breaks out of this range. Bitcoin attempted a rally but still struggles to move above 75,000. The clear winners last week were in Crude Oil and Soybeans, right in line with our Saturn/Neptune themes and studies.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

 The Pentagon is moving a Marine expeditionary unit and more warships to the Middle East, as Iran steps up its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump said that it is unlikely Iranians will rise up soon against the regime and that he would “feel it in my bones” when the Iran war should end.

—The Wall Street Live, “Pentagon Is Moving Additional Marines, Warships to the Middle East,” www.wsj.com, March 13, 2026.

 We are still in the midst of the Saturn/Neptune whirlwind, February-April 2026. The actual conjunction of this important 36-year planetary cycle happened on February 20, 2026, the very day that the Supreme Court ruled the U.S. tariff policies enacted on “Liberation Day” in April 2025 were, in fact, illegal. But now there are a series of transits “translating” over Saturn and Neptune as they separate, which keeps the themes of uncertainty and dissolution of norms highlighted through mid-April.

The first instance was March 7-8, when Venus “translated” Saturn and Neptune. The second will be the Sun crossing into Aries and over Saturn and Neptune March 20-25. And then Mars will do the same as it crosses into Aries April 9-19. This suggests that fighting might continue until then, for with Neptune, it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, especially when decisions depend upon the man calling the shots “feeling it in his bones.” With Saturn conjunct Neptune being active through April, it’s not clear that “feeling it in my bones” is really a good metric for making a judgment call of this importance.

All of this uncertainty, of course, has been compounded by the presence of another Mercury retrograde cycle (“the Trickster”), which began on February 25 and lasts through March 20. Usually, this cycle would be useful for gathering information before making an extremely consequential decision. But as it began with the impatient and impulsive (some would say “reckless”) Mars/Uranus square on February 27, the choice was made then to strike Iran. As “fate” would have it, Iran’s leadership just happened to convene for an in-person meeting of its top decision-makers at that time, and it was an “opportunity” to strike with dramatic effect that may not have been offered again.

LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS AND OPINION

 Whatever you think of the wisdom or efficacy of the president’s policies, their effectiveness is almost always vitiated by an inability to articulate and communicate goals in a way that helps make them achievable.

—Gerald Baker, “In a War of Words, Trump Always Defeats Himself,” The Wall Street Journal, March 10, 2026.

“Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?”

—the Marx Brothers in the movie, “Duck Soup,” (1933).

 Iran’s closing of the Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes, affecting 15-20% of the world’s Crude Oil deliveries, is a classic example of Saturn (limits and loss) conjunct Neptune (Crude Oil) in Aries (war). It also fits the symbolism of not being able to articulate clear objectives or an endpoint to this conflict, other than when someone’s bones might rattle. Saturn wants to know what the goals are and the plan to accomplish them. Neptune hasn’t a clue other than a list of “hopes and wishes.” This combination can lead to unintended consequences, such as a rapid increase in energy costs (inflation) that delays plans to lower interest rates.

There needs to be a pause in the fighting and a reopening of the shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz to lower oil prices. My best estimate is that this will happen sometime between April 20 and July 25. And when it does, a great wave of euphoria will hit the stock and Treasury markets, and rates will come down going into the midterm U.S. elections. The elections will become the focal point for major White House decisions and policy changes between now and August. However, my call in the “Forecast 2026” book still stands: “at least one of the chambers goes Democrat, and maybe both.”

In the meantime, we will continue to closely observe the chart of Donald Trump, aka “The Man Who Would Be King.” Love him or hate him (there doesn’t seem to be any in-between), he is now in the position of steering the ship of our destiny right now. Therefore, what he “feels in his bones” dictates whether this ship is headed towards an unseen iceberg or some miraculous achievement towards prolonged world peace.

He’s writing the script right now, and it is a challenge for him to convey a clear message. This is reflected in transiting Saturn about to form a T-square to his natal Mercury/Neptune cardinal square, April 3-28. He wants to make decisions and act upon them. But his decision-making skills are being questioned sharply.

This is all very interesting because the square to Neptune is the only major aspect involving his natal Mercury. This planet rules the mental processes of gathering, assimilating, and dispersing information. Rather than relying on facts or evidence, this aspect may create a parallel reality (or a fabrication of reality) of its own, in which everyone else has to adjust and fit in, rather than the other way around. But there will be times when the two realities are not complementary. The message may get lost, garbled, or contradicted, causing confusion and uncertainty about what one is doing and what is to come next. No one, not even the president himself, really knows, despite rhetoric to the contrary.

One’s reputation for truthfulness, accuracy, and “good judgment” may be under attack under such an aspect. Transiting Saturn in a hard aspect to one’s natal Neptune can do that itself, but with natal Mercury also involved, unwelcomed problems in communication may be self-created. One must be careful about what is said, and any communication or decision must be clear and transparent, for there is a possibility of being exposed as “covering up” or “hiding” something. Scandals can erupt from this mixture. For this reason, I don’t think a claim that the “war is over” and “the objectives have been met,” or that the Epstein files have all been released, will be accepted during this time. And given that Saturn will come back and go stationary direct in square aspect to Mercury again in November-January, means similar conditions may return. Note how this transit revolves around the mid-term elections. Bones will surely be rattling then.

If you read Pouyan Zolfagharnia’s excellent special MMA report on the USA/Israel/Iran conflict sent out last week, then you know that the astrology points to two paths in this war. In one, the Saturn/Uranus waning sextile is underway. Still, it is already separating as these two powerhouses move towards their waning semi-square and balsamic period (April 2027-January 2028), and eventually to their conjunction on June 28, 2032. The Islamic Revolution took place on the last Saturn-Uranus waning sextile, which occurred in September 1979 and July 1980. Thus, based on that correspondence, there is a possibility that this current war or regime shift could occur quickly. However, 1979-1980 “… also marked the start of the Iran-Iraq war, which would not end until the 1988 Saturn-Uranus conjunction, which also saw the mass execution of Iranian political dissidents. The conjunction ended with the death of the supreme leader and revolutionary, Ayatollah Khomeini,” according to Pouyan’s report. Thus, new leadership may happen here, but the actual war and final determination of a new regime replacing the current one may not be in place until we get closer to the Saturn/Uranus conjunction early in the next decade.

In the meantime, the price of oil may remain elevated but exhibit wide swings. While it is rising, it will be difficult for the Fed to cut interest rates. But they will likely try anyway, especially during one of the down periods for Crude Oil, which could unfold between May and September (July 18-22 is the center of this convergence involving Jupiter to the outer planets). If that happens, it may be an excellent buying opportunity, as it doesn’t appear that the tension between the U.S. and Iran will end anytime soon. It doesn’t appear that Iran is going to “unconditionally surrender.” Their resistance may be even more apparent in April as the president is challenged on his rendition of reality versus everyone else’s. The split in his base may widen if he is not careful with his words and attentive to their concerns. Under hard transiting aspects to a Mercury/Neptune natal hard aspect, the best course is to be authentic and speak the truth. Any attempt to obfuscate the truth will only escalate disapproval. And there is an election coming up.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: THE MARCH ISSUE OF THE MMA MONTHLY TECH REPORT BY WIEBKE HELD WILL BE RELEASED THIS WEEK, ON MARCH 14. With the NASDAQ declining as we enter a new conflict with Iran, at the same time that the time band for both a primary and 50-week cycle low is starting, this will be a very timely report. This report provides an outlook not only for the NASDAQ but also for the QQQ ETF, NASDAQ futures, and specific technology stocks, including Microsoft, Google, Nvidia, Tesla, and Apple. It also includes CRDs (critical reversal dates) specific to the NASDAQ, based on Wiebke’s meticulous research. Focusing on the NASDAQ is crucial because of the outsized role technology will play in financial markets — especially with Pluto already in Aquarius for nearly 20 years and Uranus re-entering Gemini on April 26, 2026, for nearly seven years. If you would like to try a one-month subscription, you can sign up for the March report for only $35 — or save by ordering a three-report or twelve-report subscription.

 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 cover a cyclical and macro overview by Gianni Di Poce on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, and one other cryptocurrency that will change over time, depending on which cryptocurrency is in greatest demand, starting with Cardano. Pouyan Zolfagharnia will then provide the geocosmic overview and explain how it ties into the cycles, using his stunning graphics.

Are you new to the crypto world? Do you wonder how to trade cryptos via wallets, futures, or ETFs? These and other subjects will be covered in a special instructional webinar to take place at 2 PM EDT on the launch date of the new monthly report (April 8). This FREE WEBINAR will also cover how to use the new monthly crypto report for maximum value. Ray Merriman will host this webinar, which will include Gianni, Pouyan, and MMA President Wyatt Fellows. The webinar is free, but you must sign up ahead of time to receive login instructions. An invitation to join this FREE WEBINAR will be sent shortly (around March 24) to everyone on the distribution list for this free MMA Weekly Column. SAVE THE DATE — APRIL 8!!! You won’t want to miss this if you are interested in cryptos!

 NOTE 3: THE MMA 2026 TRADING AND INVESTMENT RETREAT WILL TAKE PLACE MAY 20–24, 2026, AT LAKE BLED, SLOVENIA!!! Pre-register by April 1 and save $300!!!

 This special four-day event 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).

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, with special discounts for early-bird registration. The early-bird pre-registration discount ends April 1 (save $300). The presentations 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 as of March 10, all 45 rooms being held for MMA have already been reserved at the Rikli Balance Hotel. We have a list of other hotels within walking distance, and we are compiling a waiting list at the Rikli Balance Hotel, as we expect other rooms to open up, which happened with the MMA September 2024 Retreat. In other words, you can book a room at another hotel and cancel it within 72 hours of arrival when we are able to open a room for you at the Rikli Balance Hotel. However, please note that the retreat will be offered via Zoom as well for those who cannot attend in person, and recordings will be available within 24 hours of each presentation.

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

NOTE 4: A SPECIAL REPORT ON THE U.S.–ISRAEL–IRAN CONFLICT BY POUYAN ZOLFAGHARNIA, MMA MARKET ANALYST, was issued on Wednesday, March 11, to all those on the MMA free weekly column distribution list. If you did not receive this fascinating analysis and would like to read it, please click here. There is no charge. Pouyan is one of the most knowledgeable mundane astrologers we are aware of. We are very pleased to have him share his analysis on this current — and future — topic, using the correlation of historical events with astrological factors now in effect.

 NOTE 5: THE MMA DAILY OPTIONS REPORT WITH DEREK PANAIA continues to perform extremely well, with additional successful trades just realized involving Bitcoin (IBIT), T-Notes, and the rise in both Crude Oil and Soybeans. 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), Gold, Copper, T-Notes, Soybeans, Bitcoin, ETFs, and other markets where special situations 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! We are expecting new option opportunities to arise in the forthcoming March 20–23 three-star CRD zone. Be ready as we report the setups unfolding then and the option strategies to apply, via Derek and Ray.

NOTE 6: MONTHLY REPORTS ON THE GERMAN DAX AND ZURICH SMI INDICES IN ENGLISH will now be available. These reports continue to be offered in German, along with the entire monthly MMA Cycles Report, through AstroData at https://www.mma-europe.ch/. However, we have had requests from clients who wish to read our outlook on the DAX and SMI in English every month, so we now make these reports available later in the same week that the MMA Cycles Report is released. The cost to receive the English version of the monthly reports on the DAX and SMI is $35 each, or $325/year. To subscribe, click here.

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 a master 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.

 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 Eastern Time. Details for registering coming soon.

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

Registration is now open, with a special early-bird $300 discount for those who register by April 1. 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, 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 to sign 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. 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, “The U.S. Stock Market: Timing Tools and Outlook,” on September 7 (Labor Day). 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.