MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 14, 2026

REVIEW by Guest Contributor Pouyan Zolfagharnia

“Houthi militants seized a strategic island in the Bab al-Mandeb strait and a town along its mainland coast on Friday, taking effective control of one of the world’s most important shipping chokepoints after a rapid offensive.”

—Summer Said, Georgi Kantchev and Saleh al-Batati, “Iran-Backed Houthis Take Effective Control of Key Red Sea Chokepoint,” The Wall Street Journal, September 11, 2026.

The dominant story of the week is once again the Middle East conflict, which drove the price of WTI over $100. The key difference from the spring rally is that global bond markets are now selling off as the U.S. 10-year yield approaches 5%. The markets are pricing in the probability of higher interest rates. However, the weakness in Gold is telling, as investors appear to be treating the conflict as an inflation-and-rates shock rather than a flight to safety.

We are in an important September 11 Critical Reversal Date, which includes Uranus stationing retrograde on September 10. Uranus is the planet of sudden disruptions and shocking events. When it is activated, we tend to see rather sharp reversals, as seen with Crude Oil, Copper, and Soybeans, or breakouts from support or resistance zones, as seen in Ethereum, which rallied to 2663.40. I am still undecided on Treasury notes, as either scenario could be unfolding.

Equity markets were relatively benign this week, continuing to consolidate without a clear move in either direction. It was a similar picture for precious metals. Copper stood out, rallying to a new all-time high (ATH) before selling off sharply after reports suggested that U.S. tariffs may be delayed, suggesting stockpiling and trade positioning had become more important than immediate industrial demand. Essentially, the market is trying to price in potential new tariffs as the U.S. continues to pursue its protectionist ideology.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

Over the coming week, we continue in the orb of the September 11 CRD with the Venus–Pluto square forming on September 15. This signature is indicative of a struggle over who controls money, resources, and valuations, leading to an intense repricing or reversal.

Venus represents money, value, currencies, trade, diplomacy, and agreements. Pluto represents concentrated power, coercion, intervention, destruction and regeneration, secrecy, debt, taxes, insurance, monopolies, sanctions and control of strategic resources. This coincides with the Bank of England interest-rate decision on September 17 and the Bank of Japan decision on September 18. A Bank of Japan hike would likely strengthen the Yen and disrupt the carry trade.

LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS AND OPINION

“Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned this week, saying his former employer and its rival OpenAI are racing to build technologies that ‘could kill us all by the end of the decade.’”

—Sam Schechner, “How Would AI Actually Kill Us All? What to Know About the AI Doomsday Debate” The Wall Street Journal, September 11, 2026.

On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, one of the darker moments in recent human history, I found myself reflecting upon the threats facing humanity and the dilemma at the heart of our pursuit of progress. Are we genuinely evolving, or merely placing ever greater power into the hands of those who have not sufficiently evolved to control it?

Over recent weeks, I have been reading Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Written around two thousand years ago, the poem begins with the creation of the universe and travels through mythology and history to the assassination and deification of Julius Caesar.

Its central theme is transformation. Nothing remains permanently what it was. Modern physics offers an interesting parallel: energy is neither created nor destroyed, but transferred or transformed. Change is constant, but the more difficult question is whether change necessarily constitutes progress.

This feels particularly relevant because, within roughly the past two years, all outer planets from Jupiter to Pluto have crossed into new signs. A comparable concentration has not occurred for approximately three centuries. Astrologically, this should result in a significant shift in human society. But where is that change taking us? Are we moving toward a more elevated society, or are we acquiring more sophisticated means of destroying ourselves?

Ovid offers a hopeful and heartwarming image of the universe moving from chaos toward a refined and beautiful world. His creation story begins in primordial chaos. Order gradually imposes itself on the elements, the heavens, the earth, and finally human society. His description of the creation of man by the gods has a striking resemblance to the creation of AI. “So Man came into the world. Maybe the great artificer made him of seed divine in a plan for a better universe…. Prometheus, the son of Iapetus, sprinkled [earth] with raindrops and molded [man] into the likeness of the gods who govern the universe…man was given a towering head and commanded to stand erect, with his face uplifted to gaze on the stars of heaven.”

Ovid’s gods quickly discover that creation brings danger. They had to intervene with the first generation of giants as they aspired to reach the throne of heaven by building a path to the stars. Were they attempting space travel? Not much detail is given, other than the fact that the gods felt threatened by this and resorted to destroying the giants. Later, when humanity becomes violent and corrupt, the gods once again erase almost the entire race through the Great Flood.

In Book II, we get a glimpse of how the universe was put into danger when Phaethon (man) demanded the right to drive the divine chariot of the Sun. He possesses the ambition to command divine power, but not the wisdom to control it.

Yet Ovid’s poem also shows that the danger does not come from humanity alone. When the gods descend into human society, we discover that although they possess far greater power, they remain vulnerable to jealousy, desire, pride, and error. Greater intelligence and greater power do not automatically produce greater virtue. In essence, the gods appear to have found themselves where we find ourselves in relation to AI.

Yet the poem gives me hope. As it moves through time, human society becomes more organized and self-conscious. Cities, laws, religious institutions, art, and philosophy emerge. Human agency increases, and simultaneously, the gods gradually recede from direct intervention and interaction.

But Ovid presents a paradox. During the Golden Age, humanity required no laws because justice existed naturally within the human heart. Laws became necessary only after that harmony had been lost. Their appearance is therefore a mark of both civilization and evidence of moral decline. Society becomes more regulated, but not necessarily more virtuous.

The events of 9/11 confront us with precisely this distinction. Technical advancement has increased human capability without eliminating hatred or fanaticism. This is also the central dilemma of artificial intelligence. Superintelligence itself may not be the greatest danger. The greater danger is likely superintelligence interacting with human beings who still struggle with their own moral evolution.

So, as our lawmakers struggle to devise laws and regulations governing the development of AI and space travel, this raises another interesting dilemma. Such regulation is necessary, but rules can only restrain behavior. They do not elevate character. The Golden Age is not a world in which laws have simply been removed. It is one in which humanity no longer requires external compulsion because order has been established within. Is this what we are seeing with the acts of protest by individuals such as Jacob Coxon? Is the Age of Aquarius the Golden Age?

This brings me back to the current astrological picture. The Uranus–Pluto trine in air signs is suggestive of an accelerated circulation of knowledge, technology, and ideas. Neptune at the midpoint on the world axis adds vision and metamorphosis. Perhaps this is the defining question of the new era: Will the general momentum of Ovid’s poem prevail?

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF THE MMA MONTHLY CYCLES REPORT WILL BE RELEASED THIS WEEK, September 14–15. This issue will be timely because it will cover the importance of Uranus and Venus turning retrograde on September 10 and October 3, respectively. These are two very important geocosmic signatures related to reversals or breakouts in various financial markets. Each issue includes our outlook for the U.S. stock market (DJIA and S&P), Gold, Silver, Copper, Treasuries, the Euro currency, Crude Oil, and Soybeans. The MMA Monthly Cycles Report also provides MMA’s original geocosmic CRDs and solar/lunar reversal dates for the next several weeks, as well as trading strategies for both position and short-term traders. If you would like to try a one-month subscription, you can sign up for the September issue for only $35—or save by ordering a three-report or twelve-report subscription.

 NOTE 2: IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN! THE “ANNUAL MMA FORECAST 2027 PRE-PUBLICATION SALE” IS UNDERWAY!!! The sale runs through October 31 and features our once-a-year discounts on both the annual Forecast book and MMA subscription reports.~

During this pre-order period, the Forecast 2027 print edition by authors and analysts Ray Merriman and Pouyan Zolfagharnia, with additional market analysis by Gianni Di Poce, Wyatt Fellows, and Ulric Aspegrén, will be available at the discounted price of $55, and the eBook version will be available for $45.

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 2027. After the pre-order event ends, the retail price of the Forecast 2027 print edition will increase to $66, and the price of the eBook will increase to $55. Subscription reports will also return to their regular prices. Order now and save big bucks!

MMA will also offer a special bundle discount for those ordering both the eBook and print editions of Forecast 2027 for $75. The eBook typically becomes available one to two weeks before the print edition and allows readers, especially those who live overseas, to avoid delays caused by the postal system. However, many readers prefer the print edition, so ordering both through the Forecast 2027 Bundle makes sense. You will receive the Forecast 2027 eBook on December 15, and your print copy will be mailed in mid-December.

MMA’s annual Forecast book has served students of cycles and markets since 1976. It provides a cyclical outlook on collective world psychology, the economy, geopolitical developments, socio-cultural trends, and potential weather events and natural disasters—as well as financial market projections for the U.S. stock market (DJIA and NASDAQ), U.S. Treasury market, interest rates, Gold and Silver, currencies (the Euro, British Pound, Swiss Franc, and Japanese Yen), Bitcoin, Crude Oil, and Grain markets. For a more personal overview of the Forecast 2027 book, see the recent video featuring Ray and Pouyan in an interview with Alie Schneider on MMA’s YouTube channel by clicking here.

The book’s extraordinary market timing forecasts and insights are based on the historical correlation between market cycles and geocosmic planetary cycles. Additionally, it includes three-star critical reversal dates for each market throughout the year—dates that have demonstrated over 80% accuracy in identifying trading cycle highs and lows within an orb of three trading days. The book is approximately 200 pages (last year’s was 240 pages), measures 8.5″ x 11″, is perfect-bound with a glossy cover, and has set the standard for all astrological almanacs written today. To pre-order the Forecast 2027 book at the special rate, click here.

Here are two reviews of last year’s book:

 I ordered the Forecast 2026. This time in print, as I would like to have this 50th edition as a souvenir reminding me of the great insights I got from reading your analysis and, more importantly for me, your view on life.

—R.D., Netherlands

 Everything Ray touches turns to gold. Why is this? It is because he is relentless in his search for the truth. He is humble and honest. Those like me who have paid for his services for many years are the fortunate ones.

—R.B., USA

NOTE 3: RAY MERRIMAN’S NEW BOOK, JUPITER AND SATURN TRANSITS: MASTERING THE CYCLES OF LIFE, IS OUT! This is Book One, the first of five books that will be written over the next four years on the outer planets as they transit the natal chart. Nothing like this has ever been done before in the history of astrology. This first book, covering the transits of Jupiter and Saturn, is 420 pages and includes all the major transits of Jupiter to one’s natal planets and angles, including interpretations of the opening and closing sextile, square, and trine aspects. The Saturn section also includes interpretations of the opening and closing semi-square and sesquiquadrate transits to all natal planets and angles, plus the “Business Cycle” of transiting Saturn through the natal chart. Each transiting aspect is also ranked on a scale of –3 to +3 in terms of its trading and investment potential, which alone is worth the price of the book.

Ray Merriman, one of the world’s great astrologers, possesses both an innate astrological wisdom and a gift for conveying that wisdom with clarity and accessibility. Jupiter and Saturn Transits: Mastering the Cycles of Life is a remarkably comprehensive book, unique in distinguishing between waning and waxing transits, while offering insightful advice throughout for navigating these transits with awareness. Mr. Merriman has given us a work that is a definitive treatment of the subject as well as an invaluable guidebook. What a great accomplishment this book is!

— Denise Cowing, lifelong student of astrology

To see other rave reviews by several leading professional astrologers, click here. To learn more about this new book, tune in to Ray’s recent podcast interview with Adam Sommer (click here) or his YouTube video interview with Thomas Miller (click here).

LAST CHANCE FOR THE SPECIAL INTRO RATE!!! The list price is $39.99. However, those who order before September 15 (the cutoff date has been extended by one month) will receive the special pre-publication price of $33.00 (plus postage for the print edition; the eBook requires no postage). To order at the pre-publication price, click here.

NOTE 4: 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 bullish or bearish intermarket divergence relative to a related market. The app is currently available only on Apple devices (iPhone and iPad). HOWEVER, IT WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE BY SUBSCRIPTION ON THE NEW MMA WEBSITE TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING USERS OF ANDROID PHONES! To learn more about the MMA app, click here. To download it to your iPhone, go to the Apple App Store and search for Merriman Solar/Lunar Reversals.

 NOTE 5: 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 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 the geocosmic signatures that will be in effect for the coming week and beyond.

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

EVENTS

 MAY 12–17, 2027: THE MMA INVESTMENT RETREAT IN LAKE BLED, SLOVENIA. Save the date and plan to attend! Yes, we are going back to beautiful Lake Bled one more time. If you have never seen this wonder of the world, this might be your last chance to experience it through an MMA retreat. Future MMA Investment Retreats are expected to alternate, beginning the following year, between the U.S. and Europe. More details and registration steps will be forthcoming by year-end, but plan to register early, as our room allotment has sold out in each of the past two years.

 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 worldwide in the past week and discuss those movements in light of the geocosmic signatures in effect. It will then identify the geocosmic factors expected to be in effect over 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 examining the world’s military, political, economic, and financial markets. Some forecasts may be 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.