MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING MAY 25, 2026

REVIEW by Thomas Miller

MMA warmly welcomes our guest contributor this week, Thomas Miller, an MMTA4 student and the podcast voice of the MMA Free Weekly Column on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Music. This is Thomas’s first appearance as a guest columnist for the Free Weekly.

 NOTE: Monday, May 25, will be the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. Markets will be closed.

News that Iran has allowed some ships to cross the Strait of Hormuz encouraged a modest drop in the oil price. The volume of oil exiting the Gulf is a fraction of pre-war levels, but allowing some flow might diminish physical shortages. Assuming Iran benefits economically, it also lessens the pressure on Iran to deal with the U.S. In terms of the Wile E. Coyote trajectory, this implies the economy is still over the edge of the cliff, but might continue running through thin air for longer.

— Dr. Paul Donovan, “Trickle or Treat,” UBS On Air Podcast, May 21, 2026
Contrasting Headlines Observed in Major Publications This Week:

Thursday — Sun Enters Gemini — “Oil Prices Fall — Iran Claims Deal Is Hours Away” — YahooFinance.com
Friday — Sun Conjuncts Uranus — “Oil Prices Jump — Impasse Over Strait of Hormuz Reopening” — The New York Times

A classic Gemini/Uranus reversal of narrative!

The MMA 2026 Trader’s Investment Retreat this weekend is now at its midpoint at the stunning Lake Bled, Slovenia. As MMA analysts and clients have been exploring market cycles and geocosmics, back at home on Wall Street, markets seemed to be minding the conference lineup almost like a script.

The week began with a modest pull-back from April’s parabolic run-up. Then, as the week’s packed calendar of geocosmics kicked in, stocks pivoted, ending the week with a continuation of the uptrend, which is pretty much what you would expect from a market dominated by a major Sun-Uranus conjunction in the driver’s seat.

Perhaps one reason the Street wasn’t more euphoric this week is that inflation spiked again with a double whammy: Tuesday’s CPI year-over-year hit 3.8%, and Wednesday’s PPI came in at 6.0%, the biggest annual jump in four years.

Good ol’ Wile E. Coyote must indeed be walking through thin air, as U.S. markets ignored the war’s effect and inflation—again—broadly posting weekly gains, with the small-cap Russell 2000 leading the way, up nearly 2.7% for the week. Blue Chips also fared better than tech, with the Dow up just over 2%. The NASDAQ and S&P 500 were both up around 1%.

A mid-week oil tumble brought Crude Oil back under $100 per barrel, closing down 4.6% to $96.30. Metals were both lower; Silver led the way, off 2.25%. Gold closed at $4,508, off barely 1 percent. Bitcoin was also down slightly for the week, off 2%.

The Nikkei was the dominant market internationally again, with a strong 3.14% gain, outpacing most other indices.

The concern now is whether the Federal Reserve may be forced to raise interest rates before the end of the year, or is the bond market doing that bidding organically on its own anyway?

Last month, the markets were closely linked to Crude Oil. Oil prices up; stock prices down, or vice versa. Now, it’s all about bonds. The benchmark 10-year Treasury topped 4.6% early this week before pulling back. Rates down, market up.

The 10-year Treasury yield has never sustained above 5%, although it reached 5% in October 2023, only to fall short of holding. Wall Street doesn’t like 5% 10-year bonds, not one bit.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

Not only are critical reversal dates working in the market, but what was really interesting was that they actually coincide with major global geopolitical events, which makes sense. If a sudden reversal is happening, that means there is a sudden change in investor psychology, which usually makes sense because a major event often triggers it. I began to observe, even in my personal life, that things were suddenly happening around critical reversal dates. So, you could use them for your personal life, global events, and the markets.

— MMA Analyst Pouyan Zolfagharnia from the MMA Investment Retreat, “Calculating Critical Reversal Dates (CRDs),” May 21, 2026

Geocosmically, this week in the sky is more of an extension of last week from a financial markets perspective. In the opening session of the Lake Bled Investment Retreat, MMA analyst Pouyan Zolfagharnia presented Ray’s methodology for determining his Critical Reversal Dates, which you hear so much about here and in the monthly, weekly, and daily MMA Cycle Reports. Pouyan said he particularly likes reversal dates that carry over weekends, because they extend the effect. Such may be the case this extended Memorial Day weekend.

The past week was stacked with planetary activity, with the pinnacle being Friday’s Sun-Uranus conjunction in Gemini, a powerful geocosmic signature. The cosmic waterfall continues next week as the Sun squares the lunar nodes on Monday and trines Pluto on Tuesday, while Mars squares retrograde Pluto that same day, and Venus squares Saturn on Thursday. That means there is more potential for reversals under Gemini’s watchful, albeit often wandering, eye.

During a remarkable live trading session while the U.S. market was open, Pouyan and Ray co-presented, showing the audience how they analyze intraday and shorter-term swing trades using combined MMA techniques. It was mesmerizing to watch these two approach a live market in real time. Ray’s consensus on the markets this week was to be cautiously optimistic about mid-week upside, followed by the potential for more volatility into next week.

Pouyan added another interesting observation during his opening day presentation. He said these Critical Reversal periods are not only highly accurate for trading or timing the markets (above 80%), but he has also observed a similar effect in his own life. As an analyst, always looking for correlations, Pouyan said these time bands outlined in the MMA Cycle Reports often correspond to directional changes in his own life. An intriguing observation!

Therefore, from now on, when you hear “Critical Reversal Dates” in this column or in the cycle reports in the future, you might want to make a side note that your own path may be affected in some way as well. The MMA methodology is highly effective, and obviously in more than one area: “As Above; So Below!”

LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS (AND OPINION)

There was a captivating, forward-looking presentation on Thursday’s opening day of the MMA Investor Retreat at Lake Bled. Dr. Christof Niederwieser is a German-born, now Switzerland-based, PhD economist and astrologer often quoted in Ray Merriman’s annual Forecast books, including Forecast 2026. His observations of the shift of the Jupiter/Saturn synodic cycle into air signs, which began December 21, 2020, have been uncannily accurate.

We are at the midpoint of the first phase of this “New Aira,” a term coined by Kat Powell, an MMTA graduate, analyst, and graphic artist. Thus, Dr. Niederwieser presented his updated outlook on what he calls the “Acceleration Phase” of the New Aira, now unfolding between the years of 2025 and 2030.

Dr. Niederwieser believes we are entering a period in which technological, economic, political, and social changes are moving exponentially faster as the long-term Jupiter/Saturn synodic cycle continues its transition into air signs. As he described it: “What has been hidden before, what has grown under the surface before, now just bursts out and everything goes extremely fast.”

 He believes this shift is being amplified by the movement of the outer planets from the inward earth and water signs into outward air and fire signs. In his view, this is one reason the world suddenly feels more unstable, accelerated, and psychologically fragmented.

Niederwieser pointed to artificial intelligence, blockchain technologies, and digital systems as the dominant “air technologies” of this era. He stated, “Fifteen years ago, most of the world‘s largest companies were still rooted in old Earth Age industries. Today, technology and AI-related companies dominate global market capitalization and wealth creation.” But alongside the rapid technological acceleration comes social fragmentation. As Niederwieser explained: “Everybody makes up his or her own rules, their own guidance, and follows them. This is a huge struggle over values.”

He described this period as potentially becoming a “battle of all against all” at the lower expression of these planetary cycles. However, he also stressed that the higher expression is cooperation, not conflict: “The sooner we as people understand it, the sooner we can get out of this play,” he noted. “In the end, success comes through cooperating.”

 One particularly interesting point involved the future role of AI and automation. Niederwieser suggested that much of today’s mental and analytical work may eventually be automated, creating a growing need for more emotionally centered and intuitive forms of human work and connection. As he described it, the Air Age may dominate the world technologically. Still, humanity may ultimately need something else to balance it: “Now we are dominated by the element of air, but we can be redeemed by the element of water.”

 That may turn out to be one of the most important long-term themes of this entire new era. Then, as I was finishing this column on the day the Sun conjoined Uranus, a friend texted asking why everything felt so odd this week, including a broken finger from opening a box. If ever there were a reminder of Uranus’s influence in all our lives — including the markets — this was it. A good dose of caution may be wise over the next two weeks.

 ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: THE MMA 2026 TRADING AND INVESTMENT RETREAT is currently underway. Recordings will be available this Monday.

This special four-day retreat started off with Ray Merriman’s introduction to the “Post–Aries Vortex Era” that officially began with the geocosmic setup on February 20, 2026, and the political event of April 7, 2026.

This retreat includes special presentations and interactive discussions on current and future world conditions through 2032 that are likely to affect financial markets and is being led by world-class mundane astrologers Claude Weiss (Switzerland), Christeen Skinner (UK), Christof Niederwieser (Germany), Pouyan Zolfagharnia (UK), and Raymond Merriman (USA). Joining them to discuss MMA timing methods and short-term trading strategies are 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).

The retreat covers the unique, research-based MMA methods for identifying primary, half-primary, major, and trading cycles. It also covers the setup and steps to take for applying MMA’s solar/lunar reversal dates for very short-term aggressive trades in Bitcoin, stock indices, and precious metals.

 To order the recordings of this special event, please click here.

 NOTE 2: THE ANNUAL MMA MID-YEAR MARKET WEBINAR WITH MMA MARKET ANALYSTS WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY, JUNE 20, AT 1:00 PM EDT!!! In the comfort of your own home or office, you can tune in to MMA’s annual Mid-Year Financial Markets Update Webinar. This year’s webinar will be in a slightly different 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 Bitcoin (Merriman), NASDAQ (Wiebke Held), S&P 500 and T-Notes (Gianni Di Poce), Euro (Ulric Aspegrén), Silver and Crude Oil (Pouyan Zolfagharnia), and Gold and Soybeans or Wheat (Wyatt Fellows). This webinar/workshop will last approximately three to four 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 3: WE HAVE JUST COMPLETED A NEW UPGRADE FOR THE FAR FOR GALACTIC TRADER SOFTWARE PROGRAM!!! We can now conduct solar/lunar weighted value studies for any market by isolating or omitting any planet that is retrograde! For instance, we can now compare solar/lunar values for any market when Mercury (or Venus, Mars, or any planet) is retrograde or direct, or both. This is important because we have noticed that when Mercury is retrograde, the lunar values for Bitcoin perform differently in many cases than when Mercury is direct. If you don’t own the FAR for the Galactic Trader program, which is key to conducting MMA research studies to identify turning points in any financial market, and you wish to know more about it, please click here. The cost is $1895 (end-of-day version) and includes Jeanne Long’s Galactic Trader software, featuring extensive W. D. Gann trading tools that she created.

 NOTE 4: 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.

 NOTE 5: 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.

 EVENTS

 JUNE 20, 2026: MMA’S ANNUAL MID-YEAR MARKETS UPDATE WEBINAR. Save the date! Note that the date has been moved up one day to Saturday, June 20, at 1 PM EDT.

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.