MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 20, 2025

REVIEW

 The technical and fundamental picture remains strong for Silver, which could even record a new ATH at 53.06 +/- 5.27 within 3 months of the Saturn-Neptune conjunction on February 20, 2026, before a sharp sell-off.

—Pouyan Zolfagharnia, “Silver Market in 2025,” The Forecast 2025 Book, written in November 2024, www.mmacycles.com.

 Okay! So Pouyan may have been one month off as Silver soared to a new all-time high of $53.76 on the evening of October 16, which was within the allowable 3-day orb of our October 14 CRD (geocosmic critical reversal date). But when you consider that Saturn and Neptune came within 13’ of an exact conjunction in July 2025, and the actual high of October 16 was right near the middle of those two conjunctions (mid-July through mid-February), you have to appreciate what Pouyan was looking at. And then the price target being so close to the middle of the price range he provided at a time when Silver was trading around $30.00 was equally remarkable. That’s why he is a valued MMA market analyst!

It’s too early to tell if that new all-time high in Silver will hold or not. Still, we do note that 1) it is late in Silver’s 26.5-month cycle, as covered in the monthly MMA Cycles Report issued last week, and 2) this high is happening in the time band associated with a crest with Mars in the latter half of the sign of Scorpio. As of Friday, October 17, Mars was posited at 17° Scorpio. According to the most recent studies on Gold by Wyatt Fellows, another remarkably accurate MMA analyst and researcher, presented in our September 14 webinar on metals and Bitcoin, Gold most often peaks when Mars is between 15-29° Scorpio. Our call in that webinar was to watch closely for a high in both metals within three trading days of October 14. Not bad! On Friday, Silver topped out at $53.76 and then fell to $49.66, which is a huge drop in one day. Gold peaked at $4392 on the evening of October 16, then dropped nearly $200, below $4200, which may be its biggest one-day decline ever.

The metals were the big story last week, but other financial markets were also active as heliocentric Mercury ended its two-week trek through the wild sign of Sagittarius. Bitcoin, for instance, continued to fall after posting its all-time high of $126,223 on October 6, also within the time band of our call for its all-time high given in that same September 14 webinar. By Friday, October 17, BTC was down to 103,659, its lowest price since June 23.

Another big story was Crude Oil, which plunged to $56.15 on Friday, October 17, its lowest mark since the COVID-19 panic lows of April 2020. This fits as Saturn (loss) retrogrades back through Pisces (sign related to Crude Oil). It also fits with the White House agenda to bring Putin to the negotiating table by creating economic pain for Russia via extremely low oil prices. Crude Oil remains Russia’s primary export-revenue-lifeline, fueling its ongoing campaign to seize as much of Ukraine’s territory as possible. It’s also happening at a time when the Russian government is due to implode according to its correlation to the 36-year Saturn-Neptune cycle +/- 1 year.

In global equity markets, it was a tense week, probably related to the dysfunction of the U.S. government that has led to yet another unnecessary and unwelcome shutdown. The U.S. stock market tried to recover from last Friday’s “tariff tantrum” that marked a huge intraday price range. But remarkably this entire week of trading remained within that one-day price range of October 10.

In Asia and the Pacific Rim, Australia’s ASX and India’s NIFTY stood out as each made a new all-time high late last week. China’s SSE index tested its multi-year high on Thursday, before pulling back. But Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was not so fortunate as it fell to a new 6-week low. Japan’s Nikkei was subdued following its all-time high of the prior week, but it didn’t pull back much in any event.

Europe’s stock indices were more depressed following their all-time highs of October 6-9. The Zurich SMI was the only star performer, rallying to its highest level since March. This is interesting because the SMI was the only index not to make a new all-time high from October 6-9. Maybe it’s catching up now.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

 In its trade standoff with Washington, Beijing thinks it has found America’s Achilles’ heel: President Trump’s fixation on the stock market. China is holding a firm line because of its conviction that an escalating trade war will tank markets, as it did in April after Trump announced his Liberation Day tariffs, prompting Beijing to hit back. China expects that the prospect of another market meltdown ultimately will force Trump to negotiate at an expected summit with Xi late this month, the people said.

—Lingling Wei and Gavin Bade, “To China, Stock Market Is Trump’s Weak Spot,” Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2025.

Mr. Trump backed Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu to the hilt. He made Hamas understand that failing to negotiate would weaken its position. He understood that success on the battlefield is a prerequisite to lasting peace. In other words, the President exerted maximum pressure on adversaries—and it worked. The mystery is why he has for so long refused to show the same strength toward Mr. Putin. The President’s strategy of unilateral concessions—listening sympathetically to the Russian dictator’s catalogue of imperialist grievances—hasn’t worked.

—Editorial Board, “Trump’s Gaza Lessons for Ukraine: Putin Won’t Negotiate Until He Pays a Higher Price for Waging War,” Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2025.

Last week was a worldwide celebration over the commencement of the Gaza Peace Plan, spearheaded by none other than U.S. President Donald Trump. Interesting that his chaotic and unpredictable negotiating style worked so well with Hamas to bring a vision of peace to the war-torn Middle East, but that same strategy isn’t applied to Russia in its violation of international laws in its quest to grab land in Ukraine. Yes, I know the “other side” of the argument, but it doesn’t justify the killing of civilians and kidnapping of children who aren’t part of the warrior class.

Nevertheless, the investment community will wonder when the “peace dividend” will kick in, which might require two further developments: 1) the end to the trade war and tariff tantrums that disrupt world trade, and 2) an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war that is close to drawing in NATO and even the U.S. In this regard, we return to our outlook regarding the Aries Vortex of 2025-2026.

In this writer’s view, the Aries Vortex of 2025-26 will be the bottom of the abyss pertaining to polarization, division, coercion, and propaganda, where truth has been compromised in order to provide a political narrative to harm one’s enemies. However, as will be seen in the Forecast 2026 Book, Saturn will begin to separate from Neptune at the 0° Aries point in March, where it also draws power from its double sextile to Uranus and Pluto. Neptune, the planet ruling peace, however, will remain at the midpoint and in double sextile to Uranus and Pluto after that and into 2028. That means Neptune, not Saturn, will garner the benefits from Uranus and Pluto.

Neptune in Aries is an entirely different theme than Saturn in Aries. In astrology, the planets symbolize the power to act, and the sign it is in represents attitude, which can modify or influence actions. So, Neptune, the messenger of peace, comes into the home of Aries the warrior and says, “I want you to stop your aggression and channel it toward making peace.” Uranus, the planet of inspiration, and Pluto, the planet of transformation and rebuilding, lend their powers now to Neptune more than Saturn.

If we look into the past when Saturn conjoined Neptune, we will see conflicts abound, but they were settled and followed by at least ten years of world peace. No one thought this possible heading into 2025, especially under the leadership of Donald Trump, whose behavior has mostly been seen as polarizing more than unifying to everyone outside of MAGA. But the universe works in mysterious ways, and it is perhaps surprising but now understandable why he was elected president to lead us through this Aries Vortex. Love him or hate him, he was the key to initiating the process of peace in the Middle East. But the question remains: where is the peace dividend? It’s coming, according to my understanding of the Aries Vortex.

Short-term, next week will be a New Moon in the last degree of Libra (29°), which means the degree of indecision is trying to do something with the sign of indecision,  but it’s not sure what to do. So it is best to let the Sun get a couple of days into Scorpio, a sign that makes decisions, even though at times ill-advised decisions that involve too much leverage and not enough liquidity. This may indicate a slew of margin calls forcing people to pay up or sell positions to raise cash. If so, this could lead to a further selloff in those markets affected, such as precious metals.

Next week’s aspects are rather benign, otherwise, suggesting support to stock markets with Mercury trine both Jupiter and Saturn at the end of the week, followed by Mars doing the same the week after. The stock market usually likes favorable Jupiter transits. Gold and Silver, not so much, although Mars is still in Scorpio through November 4, which Gold also likes. Still, Gold is due for an important crest any time with Mars between 15-29° Scorpio, and we are there.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT TO GET OUR BEST SAVINGS OF THE YEAR ON SUBSCRIPTION REPORTS!!! The ANNUAL MMA FORECAST 2026 PRE-PUBLICATION SALE is now underway through October 31 and 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. Check out this video to learn how to lock in the lowest price on Forecast 2026 by becoming a subscriber this month! ~251020

During this pre-order period, the Forecast 2026 print edition is available at the discounted price of $55, and the eBook version at $45. And the best deal on MMA subscription reports is also offered at this time! Save 10% on any subscription of $275 or more with the purchase of Forecast 2026. After the pre-publication period ends on November 1, the retail price of the Forecast 2026 print edition will increase to $66, and the eBook to $55. Subscription reports will also return to their regular prices at the end of the day on October 31. 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.

MMA’s annual Forecast Book is a cycles- and astrology-themed almanac that has served students of cycles and markets since 1976. This will be the Golden 50^th-Year Edition! Autographed copies of the printed edition are available for the first 50 requests at $195, which also includes the audiobook and eBook versions — both of which will be received slightly earlier than the print edition.

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, Swiss Franc, 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 August 27. 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″, including 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 MMA WEEKLY AND DAILY SUBSCRIPTION REPORTS ARE HOT! They have caught most of the moves up in Gold since October 6, 2023, and have been long the stock indices since May 2025. The calls on the Euro and BTC over the past year have also been excellent, not to mention Soybeans, Copper, Dollar/Yen, Swiss Franc, and T-Notes. With our annual sale on these reports ending October 31, this would be a good time to subscribe to or renew these reports. With the Daily report, which also includes the full weekly reports, you will save over $1000 on a one-year subscription! To order, click here.

 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). 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 on the availability of this audiobook will be announced shortly.

EVENTS

NOVEMBER 23, 2025: OPTIONS WEBINAR WITH DEREK PANAIA AND GUESTS, NOON EST. Stay tuned for details coming in mid-October. For now, save the date! A new subscription service to Derek’s “Options Plus” group will begin immediately after that webinar for those who are serious about options trading.

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’s 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.