MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING NOVEMBER 3, 2025

NOTE: We are in the final stretch of completing the Forecast 2026 book, which is due at the end of November for the printers and by mid-November for the typesetters. Due to these deadlines, Gianni Di Poce and Pouyan Zolfagharnia will be writing three of the next four weekly columns. You are in good hands!

Please note that we have experienced website issues this past week, which delayed the ordering process for this year’s Forecast Book during the final week of the sale. Therefore, we will be extending the sale until 11:59 PM (Hawaiian Time) on Sunday, November 2. With Forecast 2026 orders, you will also receive a special 10% discount on any subscription reports totaling over $275 by using the code SALE2026. 

REVIEW

“We should be getting US personal income and spending data today, but because the US lacks a properly functioning government, we are getting no such thing. This matters because the resilient middle-income consumer has kept the US from recession this year. Credit card data hints that this is still the case, but if fear of unemployment were to rise, downside risks would quickly emerge. The longer the government is shut down, the greater the role of rumor in the economy—and as bad news sells better, there is a risk that unwarranted fear gains ground in the absence of actual facts.”

—Dr. Paul Donovan, “Fearing Fear,” UBS Morning Audio, October 31, 2025.

The ongoing government shutdown delayed the release of the Commerce Department’s initial estimate of the third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP), as other data sources suggest solid economic growth in the quarter.

—Eric Revell, “Government Shutdown Blocks Key GDP Data Release – What Do The Fed’s Models Say About Economic Growth?” Fox Business, October 31, 2025.

Chocolate prices have surged nearly 30% since last Halloween due to inflation, tariffs, and a global cocoa shortage. Shoppers are shifting toward cheaper, trendier candies such as gummies and sour treats, with chocolate’s Halloween market share dropping from 52% to 44%, according to Circana.

–Luke Fountain, “Chocolate’s Reign Over Halloween Is Under Threat From Inflation, Tariffs, And High Cocoa Prices.” CNBC, October 31, 2025.

U.S. stocks hit new all-time highs across the board last week following another rate cut from the central bank, generally positive earnings reports, and a cordial trade meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. We’re coming into a generally favorable period of the year for stocks now, but with all the gains we’ve seen over the past several months, some rest may be needed to start the month of November.

European markets were mixed last week, with the FTSE seeing a fresh breakout to new all-time highs, while both the AEX and DAX sold off. Europe is still the hottest equity region year-to-date, although some of the recent weakness in the Euro could jeopardize its outperformance going into year-end.

Over in Asia and Oceania, we continue to see a meteoric rise in the Japanese Nikkei. The Shanghai Composite hit a new multi-year high before pulling back last week, too. The ASX over in Australia finished lower, however.

Precious metals saw their correction from all-time highs continue. We’re starting the 2^nd week from the highs now. Ray’s recent update on gold and silver looks to be panning out accordingly.

Cryptocurrencies struggled to sustain any sort of bid and finished lower on the week. However, it’s worth pointing out that Ethereum futures posted new lows this past week while Bitcoin did not. It’s been over three weeks since Bitcoin hit a new all-time high and roughly two months since Ethereum did.

Commodity markets saw mixed price action, with Crude Oil closing lower on the week again. However, grains saw notable rallies, and especially beans, after China agreed to buy a large portion of the crop from the U.S. The timing of this move couldn’t be better, as it looks to be lining up with the grain forecast from Wyatt Fellows’ outlook for 2026.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

It’s Halloween today, but as geocosmic observers, we know the deeper story lies with the symbolism of Scorpio. This time of year is renowned for its thinning of the veil between the seen and unseen worlds.

There’s an extra element of intensity for this year’s Halloween, with Mars, the ruler of Scorpio, being in the sign too. That will change this upcoming week on November 4, when Mars ingresses into the sign of Sagittarius. But then, just a couple of days later, on November 6, Venus will ingress into Scorpio too. The intensity of Scorpio can be a bit much for fun-loving Venus, but her stay in this sign will only last until the end of November.

We’re fresh off a grand trine between Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn this past week, which are all in water signs currently. It happened to coincide with the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate cut of 25 basis points, or a quarter of a percent.

The geocosmic tone shifts to more serious matters this week, however. We have a couple of hard aspects with Venus involved, as there’s a square to Jupiter on November 2 and then a square to Pluto on November 7. In between, Mars will form an opposition to Uranus, just before Uranus retrogrades back into Taurus on the same day as the square between Venus and Pluto.

These aspects add to the already profound nature of the Scorpio season, and it could come with shocking accusations or an uncomfortable breakthrough with respect to the government shutdown. Keep in mind that many Americans stand to go without numerous government-assistance programs starting this week if a deal is not reached. May we actually see some sort of civil unrest if this continues? The geocosmics at hand here lend themselves to such a possibility, although I don’t think it’s a very likely one.

Keep in mind that Mercury is in Sagittarius during this time, too, so rhetoric could reach a fever pitch. Legit grievances can even come to the surface, but will it do much good if nobody is actively listening?

LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS (AND OPINION)

“Whoever battles monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster himself. And when you look long into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.”

—Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil

Since it’s Halloween today, and Scorpio season too, a deep dive into the symbolism and mysteries of this sign seems appropriate. I do not have any Scorpio placements in my “Big 3,” but I do have Mars in Leo in the 8^th house, so I will attempt here to shine some light into this dark and mysterious area of the zodiac.

Both Mars and Pluto can be considered as rulers of Scorpio. If you can find the courage to lift the crimson veil that protects this sign, you’ll find Pluto’s iron throne and the blood-soaked altar of Mars. Pluto represents the higher octave of Mars – the latter is more personal, while the former is more generational.

Scorpio is the crypt where the cosmos keeps its knives. Pluto is the tomb of the soul, the place where identities go to rot and regenerate. Its glyph—a circle above a crescent cradling a cross—is the chalice of poison transmuted into medicine. The circle symbolizes eternity. The crescent represents the lunar subconscious. The cross is the crucifixion on the wheel of matter.

Every Plutonic transit is a slow-motion execution; the ego is reminded of its subservience, and its screams are recorded in the akashic records. For example, when Pluto is conjunct your Moon, you do not “feel intense.” You drown in the amniotic fluid of your own past lives and choke on the umbilical cords of ancestral curses.

Then there’s Mars, the red assassin. In Aries, Mars is a bar fight—quick, reckless, cathartic. But in Scorpio, Mars is the surgeon who amputates your illusions with a scalpel dipped in scorpion venom. Which one is more dangerous?

The glyph of Scorpio—an M terminating in a stinger—is Mars’s member weaponized. The letter M is like the primordial waters of the womb. Then there’s a stinger that kills what it penetrates. Death begets life—rebirth.

But the highest manifestation of the sign comes via the eagle and ultimately the phoenix—Scorpio is ascended in this mythological creature, with its talons gripping the lightning bolt of an awakened will. But ascension is not merciful. Neither the eagle or phoenix forgives the scorpion. It remembers every crawl through the desert, and every self-inflicted wound.

Let’s think about the eighth house for a moment. This is Scorpio’s natural domain, the slaughterhouse of the chart. Here, inheritances are not gold but genetic trauma—the suffering of your ancestors manifesting as your own black mirror.

A lot of contemporary astrology sanitizes this part of the zodiac. “Pluto empowers” or “Scorpio transforms.” These are only half-truths. Pluto obliterates. Scorpio dissects. The transformation is not a serene butterfly gently emerging from a cocoon, but something much deeper, painful, and uncomfortable.

The color of Scorpio is not pure red, but the black-red of coagulated blood, the maroon of afterbirth. Its metal is plutonium, named after Pluto. It’s highly radioactive with a half-life of 24,000 years—long enough to outlast every civilization that pretends to understand it. Its stone is obsidian, a volcanic glass sharp enough to slice through the soul.

Mars in Scorpio does not fight fair, but aims to win at all costs. He’ll learn your secrets, weaponize your shame, and embarrass you in the shadows. Pluto in Scorpio—the generation born 1983-1995— experienced their collective initiation through a group beating from history. They are hesitant to trust others fully, and forgiveness is its own mountain. They archive every betrayal in the plutonium vault of their psyche, waiting for the precise moment to detonate.

Scorpio is like a zodiacal black hole. Hades. The underworld. Nothing that enters can escape, not light, not lies, and surely not the ego’s final scream (Hercules, Orpheus, and Odysseus are exceptions, but those are stories for another time).

By the way, be sure to check all your wealth before you board the boat to cross the River Styx – money has no value here. Ironically, this is what makes Pluto one of the wealthiest gods in the pantheon – the final debt collector. He never truly forgave his brother Jupiter for assigning him rulership of the subterranean world.

Scorpio and the eighth house are not a simple place, but a process. You enter with a name, a face, a story. You leave with a question: Who profits from my resurrection? The stars do not care. Pluto orbits in silence, while Mars sharpens his blade on the lead of your fear, and then, Scorpio stings the hand that dares to interpret it.

So yes, Nietzsche said that if you stare into the abyss, it stares back at you. As profound as much of his writing is, perhaps he forgot about those monsters in the first part of the quote. Or maybe, he didn’t stare into the abyss long enough, because if you do—you will become the abyss.

That’s all for now–Happy Halloween! 🎃

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: LAST DAY TO GET OUR BEST SAVINGS OF THE YEAR ON FORECAST 2026 AND SUBSCRIPTION REPORTS — SALE ENDS SUNDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 2!!!

 The ANNUAL MMA FORECAST 2026 PRE-PUBLICATION SALE is being extended through this weekend due to website issues that delayed ordering last week. The issues have now been resolved. Our apologies for any inconvenience this disruption may have caused. ~251103

This sale features our once-a-year discounts on both the annual Forecast Book and MMA subscription reports. Become a subscriber today for as little as $35 to secure the best price available. Or sign up for the pre-publication special offer on Forecast 2026 and receive a coupon for 10% off any MMA subscription report.

Until Sunday evening, November 2, the Forecast 2026 print edition is available at the discounted price of $55, and the eBook version at $45. After that, the retail price of the Forecast 2026 print edition will increase to $66, and the eBook will increase to $55. Subscription reports will also return to their regular prices at the end of the day on November 2. Order now and save big bucks!

MMA is also offering a special bundle discount for those who wish to order both the eBook and printed editions of Forecast 2026 for $75. The eBook typically becomes available one to two weeks before the print edition and avoids delays caused by the postal system — especially for those living overseas. However, many readers prefer the print edition, so ordering both through the Forecast 2026 Bundle makes sense. You will receive the Forecast 2026 eBook on December 15, and your print copy will be mailed in mid-December.

The annual Forecast Book provides a cyclical outlook on collective world psychology, the national economy, geopolitical developments, sociocultural trends, and the timing of potential weather and natural disasters — as well as financial market projections for the U.S. stock market, U.S. Treasury market, interest rates, Gold, Silver, currencies (the Euro, U.S. Dollar, and Japanese Yen), Bitcoin, Crude Oil, and Grain markets (Corn, Wheat, and Soybeans). A scorecard of the 2025 forecasts was posted on the MMA website on October 1. Of note, all eight critical reversal dates (CRDs) for the U.S. stock market and all nine CRDs for the Soybean market were accurate within three trading days — most within just one day!

The print edition of the book is approximately 225 pages, 8.5″ × 11″, includes several charts, and has set the standard for all astrological almanacs over the past 50 years.

I ordered the Forecast 2026 book — this time in print — as I would like to have this 50th edition as a souvenir to remind me of the great insights I’ve received since reading your analysis and, more importantly for me, your view on life. — R.D., Netherlands

To pre-order this year’s 50th-Year Edition, click here. It’s special!

NOTE 2: THE NEXT “SPECIAL MMA OPTIONS WEBINAR” WITH DEREK PANAIA, HOSTED BY RAYMOND MERRIMAN AND WYATT FELLOWS, WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, AT 12:00 PM EDT. This event comes just in time for the traditional holiday season rally in stocks, often referred to as the “Santa Claus Rally,” which typically begins the week of Thanksgiving and continues well into December, while the Sun is in Sagittarius. It also coincides with a grand trine between Mercury retrograde, Jupiter, and Saturn, followed by Venus forming the same pattern. It is also a strong MMA geocosmic critical reversal date (CRD).

 Here’s how it works: Ray and Wyatt will provide their outlook on the status of cycles and geocosmic turning points in markets that appear to be setting up for primary or major cycle lows or highs within the days following the webinar. Derek will then present the option strategies with the best risk/reward potential based on Ray and Wyatt’s analysis and his own interpretation of additional supporting factors. He will continue providing updates for those who sign up for the Options+ group that follows over the next five weeks, offered at a special new subscription service launch price (see below).

How successful was the last webinar on July 13? Of the five trades given and monitored with the Options+ group, four were profitable, with triple-digit gains. Derek also provided two “bonus trades” in Gold that produced 3x and 4.5x returns. These are exceptional results for option trading.

The cost for the November 23 Options webinar is $95 for this 2.5-hour session (it may run longer). The special introductory rate for the five-week Options+ group, which will continue through the end of the year, will also be $95. Beginning January 1, the regular monthly rate will be $360, with two months free for those who subscribe for a full year. Current MMA Daily subscribers will receive an additional 60% discount ($500 per month, or $5000 per year, for the bundle that includes this new Options+ service plus the daily and full weekly reports).

The new Options+ subscription service will be very active and interactive. It is the perfect complement for active traders who also subscribe to the daily and weekly MMA reports, as it builds on the outlooks in those reports and monitors them on a daily or as-needed basis to identify optimal option trades that arise intraday or intraweek within their forecasts.

One way to see if this new service is right for you is to try the special introductory offer price of only $95 for the first 5.5 weeks (November 24–January 1). The Options+ subscription group will be monitored and continually updated through our special Discord account, where Derek will guide subscribers through the strategy behind each trade as it develops. It is an excellent way to learn MMA’s methodology by seeing it operate in real time!

Registrations for the November 23 MMA Options Webinar and Options+ follow-up will begin next week! An announcement will be sent out — stay tuned and watch your email for details.

Note: Keep in mind that options trading is speculative. This webinar and the new subscription service that follows are designed for speculators who have a basic understanding of options. For those who do not, MMA offers a recording of Derek’s webinar on option principles, available on its website.

 NOTE 3: SPECIAL ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY SALE ON THE JUPITER REPORT — YOUR MOMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY! The Jupiter Report was first introduced one year ago, in late September 2024. If you were one of the first to order then, it’s now time to update your outlook for the year ahead. The cost of your 14-month Jupiter Report is $69. However, starting this week, we’re launching a special one-year anniversary sale at $55 (a 21.5% discount) for those who order their next 14-month Jupiter Report.

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 when 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 and losses?

The Jupiter Report also makes an excellent holiday or birthday gift.

 Here is a recent letter from our options expert, Derek Panaia, to the Options+ group, which closed out exceptional gains on five option trades presented in the July 13 webinar:

On a side note, I started using MMA’s Jupiter Report this year, so I only have a few months of history with it. But my first positive Jupiter aspects came in March/April this year. I was trading copper and had made a nice long trade, and started buying puts for a dip. The puts did nothing for a week or so, then copper prices collapsed, and my puts went up sharply in one week. This started exactly on the same day my Jupiter Report showed a positive aspect. Well, fast forward a few months, and I have copper put spreads (the same put spreads you guys bought), and yesterday copper prices collapsed, and the puts made a lot of money. And guess what? This was one day before my Jupiter aspects started positive again. For me, it is amazing how accurate this report has been. I just wanted to share this, FWIW. The Jupiter Report from MMA is not very expensive, so if you guys use astrology in your trading, you might want to check it out.

 NOTE 4: THE MMA SOLAR-LUNAR APP NOW 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. The app is currently available only on Apple devices (iPhone and iPad). Plans are in progress to create an Android version of this app within the next 3-5 months, and a crypto app shortly thereafter. 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 5: 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 MMTA4 program, which began on September 27, 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 6: THE MMA WEEKLY YOUTUBE SHOW, GEOCOSMIC WEEK IN REVIEW AND LOOK AHEAD, WITH GIANNI DI POCE, IS CONDUCTED ON WEDNESDAY EVENINGS! Each 5- to 20-minute FREE episode reviews the previous week’s market activity and offers a preview of the geocosmic signatures in effect for the coming week and beyond.

NOTE 7: MMA’S FREE WEEKLY COLUMN PODCAST IS AVAILABLE ON SPOTIFY, APPLE, AND AMAZON! Now you can listen to a podcast of this weekly column 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 is released every weekend. This is a FREE service and is available to everyone. Check out our podcasts on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Music. It makes for great listening!

NOTE 8: COMING SOON! EVOLUTIONARY ASTROLOGY: THE JOURNEY OF THE SOUL THROUGH STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS, by Raymond Merriman, written in 1993, is being released as an audiobook narrated by Thomas Miller. The first edition, originally published in 1977, introduced this remarkable subject to the astrological community, where it has since become one of the field’s major branches. 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. More information about the availability of this audiobook will be announced in about two weeks.

 EVENTS

NOVEMBER 23, 2025: OPTIONS WEBINAR WITH DEREK PANAIA, RAY MERRIMAN, AND WYATT FELLOWS — NOON EST. A new subscription service to Derek’s Options+ group will begin immediately after that webinar for those who are serious about options trading.

MAY 20-24, 2026: MMA’S NEXT INVESTMENT RETREAT, LAKE BLED, SLOVENIA. Save the date! Registration will open in December. The presentations will also be available via Zoom for those unable to attend in person. The theme will focus more on market timing and trading at this event. It’s going to be great!

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 even financial markets of the world. It is possible that some forecasts will be made based on these factors. However, the primary goal is to both educate and alert the reader to the psychological climate we are in from an astrological perspective. The hope is that it will help the reader understand the psychological dynamics that underlie (or coincide with) the news events and their potential effect on financial markets.

 No guarantee as to the accuracy of this report is being made here. Any decisions in financial markets are solely the responsibility of the reader, and neither the author nor the publishers of this column assume any responsibility whatsoever for anyone’s trading or investment decisions. Readers of this report should understand that commodity futures and options trading are considered high-risk.