MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING MAY 12, 2025

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President Trump said Thursday his administration and the U.K. agreed to the outlines of a deal on trade, the first in what the White House hopes will be a series of agreements in the wake of U.S. tariffs imposed on allies and adversaries alike. “It’s very conclusive and we think everyone’s going to be happy,” Trump said.… The U.K. says the pact isn’t comprehensive and will focus on reducing tariffs in specific sectors.

• Natalie Andrews and Max Colchester, “U.S. and U.K. Unveil Framework for Trade Deal,” www.wsj.com, May 8, 2025

If anyone deserved a good trade deal with the U.S., it was Britain. It actually runs a trade deficit with the U.S., buys a lot of manufactured U.S. products, spends plenty on its own defense and has a leader whom President Trump likes. And yet the agreement announced Thursday was, for Britain, a bad deal, not a good deal. Its exports to the U.S. will now face a minimum tariff of 10%, up from less than 2% in 2023, with some exceptions.… The U.S. is now a high-tariff, protectionist country. Trade deals will be judged not by how much barriers go down, but by how much they go up. This qualifies as British victory only insofar as other countries will probably come out worse.

• Greg Ip, “With U.K. Deal, U.S. Signals That 10% Tariff on World Is New Baseline,” Wall Street Journal, May 8, 2025

Last week was a relatively positive and mild week for stock indices, which is not unusual given that there were no major geocosmic reversal signals in effect. In fact, the geocosmic climate has been relatively benign since our three-star geocosmic critical reversal zone (CRD) of April 21, which coincided with a successful retest of the April 7 multi-month bottom. That could all change with the Full Moon as well as Sun/Uranus conjunction and Mercury/Mars square taking place next week, May 12-17.

The prior week opened up with a case of intermarket bearish divergence in the U.S., as the DJIA soared to a new monthly high on Monday, May 5, unaccompanied by the NASDAQ or S&P. Each market pulled back to their weekly lows on Wednesday. But in the absence of any hard aspects, this bearish divergence trigger was negated as prices rallied again to new monthly highs by Thursday, with the first significant trade deal announced. This agreement happened as the Moon ingressed into the safe and supportive sign of Libra, which rules agreements and partnerships. The idea to “Sell in May and go away” in the stock market has therefore been postponed. It could resurrect again by May 19.

The fact that the U.S. stock market has now continued higher for four weeks following its mini-crash, trade war-inflicted low of April 7, is a bullish indicator by itself. Usually, if the market is bearish, a rally in the middle of a primary cycle will not last more than 1-3 weeks (there have been exceptions to this rule, however). What it suggests is that the low of April 7 was not a half-primary cycle low, but rather a 12-week contracted full primary cycle (primary cycles are usually 18 weeks +/- 3 weeks, sometimes +/- 5 weeks). So, the cycle’s pattern is now giving a bullish alert, which will be confirmed if prices continue to make new cycle highs after the 8^th week. Until then, there remains a possibility this rally is still a bearish correction, especially since the S&P continues to struggle to exceed our bearish price objective target for a corrective rally of 5700-5750, given in our recent options webinar.

In other markets, Gold had a nice bounce following a $300 decline from its all-time high of $3509 on April 22 (one day after our last three-star CRD), to its low of 3209 on May 1. It rallied back to a secondary high of 3448.20 on May 7, before starting another decline down to a low so far of 3279 on Friday, May 9. In other words, it was an inside week, which neither confirms the market is still bullish nor turning bearish. In lieu of any major geocosmic signatures last week, Silver was also just as non-committal as Gold, trading between a high of 33.48 and a low of 32.16, well within the range of the prior week.

The star of last week was Bitcoin. The weekly low was 93,383 on Tuesday, May 6, the day I issued a Special Bitcoin Report, calling for a minimum rally to 105,00-115,000 soon (with expectations of rising to even higher levels this year). By Friday, Bitcoin was already testing 105,000. This report is still very much valid and valuable for the timing and price targets given ahead. The report also provides two affordable ETFs that could benefit from the overlap of two cycles now underway as of April 7-9. To order a copy of this special report ($35), click here.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

His tariffs, tax cuts, and deregulation make up a coherent strategy to benefit Main Street. Tax cuts and cost savings from deregulation raise real incomes for families and businesses. Tariffs provide income-tax relief and create incentives for reindustrialization. Deregulation complements tariffs by encouraging investments in energy and manufacturing.

— Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury secretary, “Trump’s Three Steps to Economic Growth,” Wall Street Journal, May 4, 2025.

How do we avoid this messy doom loop? It doesn’t take a degree from Harvard to figure it out. Zero tariffs. A Treasury secretary who promotes a strong dollar. Cut marginal tax rates to stimulate investment. And a push for deregulation (instead of tariffs) with real laws instead of executive orders. Either way, the next few months could be ugly. How we emerge will define this era.

— Andy Kessler, “The Economy Is In a Pickle,” Wall Street Journal, May 4, 2025.

It’s been a nice ride for U.S. and other world stock indices over the past four weeks. Will it continue? We may get our answer next week as the first hard aspects (Level 1 types) are due next weekend. There are other temperamental signatures unfolding as well that can trigger either an explosive breakout to new monthly highs in several markets (stocks, Gold, Bitcoin) or an intense reversal and sell-off. Or both.

The major geocosmic focus will be on the Sun/Uranus conjunction of May 17 in Taurus, the same day that Mercury in Taurus will form a somewhat rare waning square to Mars in Leo. That is quite a chaotic combination, and immediately, one may speculate what it means for President Trump, who is born under the inventive but disruptive Sun/Uranus conjunction, with a strong Mars on his Ascendant in Leo. Is he going to pull a rabbit out of the hat and announce a really big trade deal? Or will he plunge the world equity markets into another rabbit hole by torpedoing a much-needed big trade deal?

With the Sun/Uranus conjunction in Taurus, financial markets are likely to experience steep price moves within four days of next weekend. The Sun/Uranus conjunction is one of the strongest Level 1 signatures we have uncovered, whether using an orb of ten trading days for primary or half-primary cycle culminations, or within four trading days, where very sharp and sudden reversals have been noted in 83% of cases reported in Volume 3 of the Stock Market Timing series. There are many cases where both a high and a low of significance have occurred during that 4-day orb. As the stock market is currently rising into this orb of time, the expectation is for a high to be followed by a sharp decline and a low. As Uranus (and even Mercury) pertains to technology, the idea is that the NASDAQ and leading tech companies will be most affected. Last week, we already saw the sudden change announced in Sam Altman’s Open AI, where the plan to become for-profit was given up in favor of remaining a non-profit entity. This was discussed in our January and February webinars in detail for this exact period of time (May).

The week will start with a potent Full Moon in Scorpio on Monday, May 12. This is followed by the volatile Sagittarius Moon, May 13-15 (Tuesday-Thursday). The week ends with the worrisome Moon in Capricorn, right as we head into those powerful planetary signatures of Sun/Uranus (chaos), and Mercury/Mars (potentially explosive incendiary rhetoric) on May 17. Hold onto your seats. I don’t know exactly what will happen, but I suspect all eyes will be on President Trump, who is the embodiment of these types of cosmic dynamics. My guess is: the start of a new round of turbulence due to an unexpected, disturbing announcement. If I was his advisor (which clearly I am not, for he is doing everything exactly the opposite of what I would suggest based on my understanding of planetary themes and their likely outcomes), I would advise him to chill out, go golfing, stay away from the media, and avoid making any public statements, claims, or complaints.

LONG-TERM THOUGHTS

The U.S. benefits when the world prospers. “We should be looking to trade with the rest of the world, and we should do what we do best and they should do what they do best,” Buffett said.

— Karen Langley, “Buffett Puts Berkshire in Abel’s Hands,” Wall Street Journal, May 5, 2025

Now he has had his first hundred days in his second term. They confirm what we learned in the first administration. He goes too far. He’s a fearless man with bad judgment. He lacks internal calibration. I imagine him with an eager aide. “On this issue, Mr. President, there are two clear choices. We can make history by moving forward 6 inches, in which case we’re guaranteed to secure victory and improve America. Or we can try for 12 inches, but the opposition will be aroused, the battle long and bloody, the outcome uncertain.” Trump looks, blinks. “Twelve is bigger than 6, right? Go 12.”

— Peggy Noonan, “When Establishments Fail: Trump’s 100 Days,” Wall Street Journal, May 1, 2025

Looking further out, we are focused on June 9-24, when a slew of hard planetary aspects occur, including Jupiter square both Saturn and Neptune, the most significant planetary cycles of the year. This time band also includes the ingress of Jupiter from Gemini to Cancer, Venus square Pluto, and Mars square Uranus. This is all important for at least two reasons. First, the middle of this range is Donald Trump’s birthday and hence it reflects the planetary dynamics of the year ahead for him. This is meaningful because, in his own words, he controls the U.S. and the world, and in his view of reactions to his trade policies, everyone is lining up to “kiss my ass.” The stated intent of his globally disruptive trade policies is to create a more morally balanced trade reciprocity between the U.S. and the rest of the world. Judging by the deal worked with the UK, it doesn’t seem that a fair trade reciprocity is as important as “kissing my ass,” which the UK has now willingly performed.

Second, from the cosmic point of view, it is important to note that the current round of trade issues falls under the Jupiter (world) in Gemini (commerce) theme. Furthermore, Jupiter in Gemini is currently transiting President Trump’s natal Sun sign. That 12-year “high”  cycle ends when Jupiter moves into Cancer on June 9. It would be a very good sign if these trade deals could be completed by then (for his sake and our sake). He needs to bring home bigger agreements than just the UK and Argentina. He needs the European Union. He needs India, China, and also Japan. Can he do it by June 9? Can he do it before Mars crosses his natal Mars, on his Ascendant, squared also by transiting Uranus (June 15, one day after his birthday)? And all of this is taking place just a couple of weeks before the 90-day “grace” period that he proclaimed comes due in early July. This deadline is not good timing, IMHO.

As I see it, this process is going to get very intense. The president will be prone to reacting on his basic, primal, impulses, which are not always in the best interests of attaining his goals (which are now also comingled with our best interests and goals, whether we like it or not). This is why I think investors and traders alike need to remain careful about becoming overconfident (just yet) about the appearance of a new bullish trend for U.S. stocks. The charts look good, very good. The market cycles are beginning to look positive, as if the low of the year is in as of April 7. However, the unfolding patterns of planets in the solar system, as seen from Earth, are flashing warning signs of another impending disruption, and probably centered on the actions and reactions of the president, as well as the reactions of other world leaders to his impulses.

This doesn’t mean that he will fail. There are many reasons to believe he can pull this off if he just stays the course. But if instead he does go off the rails and fails, it won’t be Joe Biden’s fault.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: THE MAY ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly Cycles Report will be released this week on May 13. With the Sun/Uranus conjunction cycle due the following weekend — May 16-19 — and the important Jupiter square Saturn/Neptune conjunction in mid-June, this will be an important issue for intermediate-term investment planning, especially regarding the U.S. stock market and Gold. Each issue includes our outlook for the U.S. stock market, 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 position traders.

If you would like to try a one-month subscription, you can sign up for the May report for only $35, or save by ordering a three-report or twelve-report subscription.

 NOTE 2: THREE MORE WEEKS!!! MMA’S SPECIAL SIX-WEEK COURSE ON “THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GEOCOSMIC STUDIES FOR FINANCIAL MARKET TIMING” BEGINS MAY 31. This course is designed to teach attendees 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 will also explain which planets and signs rule various sectors of the economy and financial markets. In addition, it will cover how to use an ephemeris and an astrological software calculation program (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.

This course is especially useful for those interested in taking the MMTA4 program, which begins on September 27, and who feel their astrological knowledge is at a beginner level. However, it is open to all interested participants. The instructor will be MMA market analyst Gianni Di Poce, author of the newly released book Esoteric Economics, an excellent resource on the correlation of geocosmic cycles with economics and financial markets. The cost for this six-week introductory course is $300. Classes will be held online on Saturdays at noon Eastern time through July 12, with a break on July 5 (no class that day). Each session will be recorded and made available for download within two days of the live meeting. This is a great opportunity to learn basic astrology from a master economic astrologer! Click here for registration information!!!

 NOTE 3: REGISTRATION FOR THE TWO-YEAR MERRIMAN MARKET TIMING ACADEMY (MMTA4) IS NOW UNDERWAY!!! SIGN UP BY THE FIRST CUT OFF DATE (JULY 1) AND SAVE BIG BUCKS!!! This highly valued 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 to eight 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, 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 two- to three-month summer break. The program also includes at least one live, in-person (or optional online) weekend session, plus a voluntary review session after each course, held prior to the exam for those wishing to receive a certificate of completion. There is nothing else as comprehensive in the field 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, please let us know, and we will schedule a time to talk. To register or inquire about the MMTA4 program, click here. The cost for the entire two-year course is $25,000. A 10% discount is available for those who sign up by July 1. 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 being gifted the privilege of joining MMTA2. 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

NOTE 4: THE ANNUAL MMA “MID-YEAR MARKET UPDATE” will take place on Sunday, June 15 — just in time for the powerful Jupiter square Saturn/Neptune event the following week. Save the date! Registration details will be announced next week.

 NOTE 5: 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 6: THE MMA Solar-Lunar App now offers reversal signals on the NASDAQ to all subscribers! The app now provides daily weighted values for four markets: the DJIA, NASDAQ, Gold, and Silver. This app 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 the DJIA, NASDAQ, Gold, and Silver markets. It 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.

 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. A recent special guest was Joni Patry, a well-known Vedic Astrologer with an interesting outlook on Bitcoin.

NOTE 8: 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 podcast episode will be 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 9: MUST READ!!! A NEW BOOK, “ESOTERIC ECONOMICS” BY GIANNI DI POCE, IS NOW AVAILABLE!!! This is an 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 was personally tutored by Raymond Merriman in the MMA methodology from 2019 through 2020 in preparation for this role. Gianni 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 required). To order, click here.

EVENTS

 MAY 31, 2025: SPECIAL SIX-WEEK COURSE ON “THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GEOCOSMIC STUDIES FOR FINANCIAL MARKET TIMING” BEGINS. The cost is $300. For registration information, click here!

JUNE 15, 2025: THE ANNUAL MMA “MID-YEAR MARKET UPDATE” will take place on Sunday, June 15 — just in time for the powerful Jupiter square Saturn/Neptune event the following week. Save the date! Registration details will be announced next week.

 THE NEW MONTHLY MMA CYCLES CRYPTO REPORT will not be ready to launch in June, as originally planned. The research is still in progress. This new monthly report is now scheduled for release between October and February. The editor will be MMTA graduate and former Bitcoin miner Jeremy Osting. The report will cover the cycles and geocosmic outlook for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Details will be announced shortly — stay tuned!

SEPTEMBER 27, 2025: MMTA4 begins!!

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 cycles 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 as 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.