MMA FREE WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE WEEK BEGINNING APRIL 21, 2025

Note to Subscribers from Ray;

I’ll be traveling today and again next Friday, so in the meantime, we have some excellent contributors stepping in for the Free Weekly Column.

This week’s column is brought to you by MMA analyst and editor of the popular MMA+ Report, Pouyan Zolfagharnia. This report will be hot off the presses and issued this week. It covers Gold, Silver, Nasdaq, and Crude Oil. Next week, you’ll hear from MMA analyst and newly printed author Gianni di Poce. We’re excited to announce Gianni’s new book in that issue—it’s a fantastic read.

I’ll be back with the column in two weeks. Ray  😎

 REVIEW

Dalio said that while recessions occur regularly, what appears to be occurring is “much more profound,” as there is a “breaking down of the monetary order” involving the dollar, along with a breakdown of the domestic and the world order.

—By Eric Revell, “Billionaire Hedge Fund Manager Warns Tariffs Could Trigger Conditions ‘Worse than a Recession’,” Fox Business, April 14, 2025.

Sentiments are not strong in the markets as we saw all major US indices sell-off into the week, following last week’s corrective rally. The DJIA was down 4.5% following Tuesday’s high. The S&P and NASDAQ formed highs last week and were also down 5% and 6.5%, respectively.

The picture was the same in Europe, where the Euro Stoxx 50 and Germany’s DAX had a muted upweek as investors took stock of what may be unfolding. The UK’s FTSE, on the other hand, appeared a lot more confident, rallying over 4% in the hope of a ‘special relationship’ with the United States. In Asia, the Nikkei and the Chinese markets continued their corrective rallies, closing marginally higher on the week. Australia was the same story. However, India’s Nifty stands out, closing above its multi-month highs and was testing the high of January. Brazil’s Bovespa index is also rallying, but like most other equity markets, the rally appears corrective in nature.

We saw many of the global equity markets drop into and reverse sharply at the Venus station direct (April 12 with an orb of 1 week). Ray provided a timely webinar in which he explained that the short-term lows may be in, and a 4% or greater rally could be expected in the US equity markets! However, the big question is whether this was a low of significance or if markets will reverse back down? For greater insight, I would really recommend getting in touch with the MMA team to gain access to this informative webinar. Amongst the chaos, Gold remains the shining star, reaching a new all-time high of 3,371.90 on Friday. Both Silver and Copper are lagging behind and have failed to take out the highs of late March.

The cryptocurrencies continue to consolidate and have not shown their hands yet. The grains had a good week, with Wheat and Soybeans continuing their rallies, but they still have some way to go before reaching the highs of February and thus confirming the longer-term bullish outlook. Crude Oil closed the week higher, climbing to 64.18 as the US increased the sanctions on Iran ahead of the second round of talks this Saturday.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

President Trump is threatening to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell unless he cuts interest rates to cushion the blow from his tariffs.

— By Nick Timiraos, “Trump and Powell on Collision Course Without Easy Escape,” Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2025.

In the Forecast 2025 book, Ray wrote a chapter on The Federal Reserve Board (FRB). I thought it would be timely to share a few sentences that really got my attention, “The Fed seems destined to be vulnerable to power plays from the federal government. At any moment, the Fed’s independence as the nation’s central bank can be revoked by the government. That vulnerability is shown by the Sun in Capricorn in opposition to Pluto in Cancer.” He goes on to explain, “So we may have a case where someone, or some entity, is slandering the Fed or its Chair as part of a maneuver to gain power and control of the nation’s central bank by eliminating the Chair or the institution (bank) itself… The message here is that a powerful force may try to take away the independence of the Fed and do so in a very underhanded and deceptive manner.”

When I read this, I immediately pulled up the chart of President Trump, who has his Sun in the 12^th house of ‘hidden enemies’ for the FRB. He also has his natal Saturn placed prominently on top of the FRB’s Ascendant, suggesting a desire to take control of or restrict the Boards’ ability to operate! With the US Dollar trading at multi-year highs in January, I share the opinion of my great colleague and currency analyst, Ulric Aspegren, who provided an astounding analysis on the US Dollar at the 2024 Investment Retreat. Ulrich felt that a long-term crest may have formed in the US Dollar in 2022. Putting all of that together, the sharp decline of over 10% in the US Dollar does not come as a surprise to the MMA community and really goes to show the beauty in the methodology and the rich insight astrology can provide in many aspects of life.

Looking at the week ahead, The Sun will leave Aries and ingress into Taurus on Saturday. As the Sun changes signs, we will see a shift in trading psychology. We may see the optimism of the Aries fire sign hit the cold skepticism of the Taurus earth sign. We are also at the April 18-21 CRD and anticipating an important reversal in markets within a 3-day orb of Easter Weekend. You can follow the implications of this on the various markets we cover within the MMA Weekly Report.

LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS AND OPINION

During his nomination hearing in January, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that Nvidia chips drove the development of DeepSeek’s model and that such American assistance had to end. “If they’re going to compete with us, let them compete, but stop using our tools to compete with us,” he said.

— Liza Lin and Amrith Ramkumar, “U.S. Tries to Crush China’s AI Ambitions with Chips Crackdown,” Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2025.

.This is not the first time the United States has taken deliberate steps to shield its domestic workforce from the perceived threat of a more efficient Chinese labor force. In researching the upcoming Saturn–Neptune conjunction—reaching near-exact alignment this summer and culminating on February 20, 2026—I was struck by how deeply rooted this theme is. It has surfaced repeatedly during past Saturn–Neptune cycles, revealing a long-running pattern. One of the reasons I find synodic cycles so powerful for studying history is their ability to reveal enduring energetic patterns that transcend any single nation’s birth chart. This cycle, therefore, remains highly relevant—despite China’s political and ideological transformation following the Communist Revolution of 1949.

U.S.–China relations began on economic, rather than political, terms. In the late 18th century, the United States was eager to participate in the lucrative tea, silk, and porcelain trade. The first American ship to reach China—the Empress of China—docked in Canton (Guangzhou) in 1784, marking the beginning of commercial contact. However, formal diplomatic ties were not established until after the First Opium War, culminating in the Treaty of Wanghia in 1844. This treaty, which granted the U.S. “most favored nation” status, came into effect during the 1846 Saturn–Neptune conjunction and reflected a spirit of idealist expansionism and diplomatic goodwill—archetypal of Neptune’s influence.

By the next conjunction in 1882, the tone had shifted dramatically. It had moved into a more Saturnian phase, characterized by fear, exclusion, and boundary-building. In the decades leading up to this point, tens of thousands of Chinese laborers migrated to the U.S., enduring grueling conditions, particularly in railroad construction. Following the Panic of 1873 and the resulting economic downturn, Chinese immigrants became convenient scapegoats—accused of undercutting wages and taking jobs. This culminated in the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the first major U.S. law to ban immigration based on ethnicity. It also denied Chinese residents the right to naturalize as citizens. Notably, this law remained in effect—at least in part—until just before the 1952–53 Saturn–Neptune conjunction. The 1882 cycle ended with deep economic resentment, legal exclusion, and racialized mistrust—hallmarks of Saturn’s shadow.

The 1917 conjunction brought a renewed sense of Neptunian cooperation. Under pressure from the U.S. and its allies, China declared war on Germany, hoping its support would be rewarded at the peace table with the return of lost territories. This marked one of the earliest instances of U.S.–China alignment in a global military and diplomatic context. The Neptunian theme of idealistic alliance and shared purpose prevailed.

Yet by the time of the 1952–53 conjunction, darker Saturnian energies resurfaced. Amid the early Cold War, the U.S. imposed strict trade embargoes on China, especially after the Korean War. Mao was consolidating power, and the ideological divide between capitalist America and communist China became a defining rift. The U.S. responded by forging strategic alliances throughout East Asia—Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore—as part of a containment strategy aimed at isolating China. It was a classic Saturnian maneuver: build walls, draw lines, and limit influence.

Fast-forward to the 1989 conjunction, and we witness yet another shift. Despite the Tiananmen Square crackdown, the U.S. imposed only limited sanctions. Instead, American corporations began investing heavily in Chinese manufacturing, ushering in an era of economic cooperation. The Neptunian ideals of globalization and free trade gained traction—even within the framework of Communist China. This cycle marked the beginning of a complex and enduring economic entanglement, where ideological differences were set aside in favor of market-driven interdependence.

I hope I have been able to demonstrate the rhythmic pendulum swing between Neptune’s idealistic, unifying energies and Saturn’s darker tendencies toward fear, division, and control—a dance that has long shaped the course of U.S.–China relations. As we approach the next Saturn–Neptune conjunction, it seems we are once again leaning into Saturn’s shadow: suspicion, protectionism, and rising walls (trade barriers).

Yet today, these two nations are no longer peripheral players—they are the twin engines of the global economy. The consequences of their friction will not remain confined to national borders; they will reverberate across the globe. Fittingly, this conjunction will unfold along the Vernal Axis, emphasizing that what is at stake is not just bilateral diplomacy but the future trajectory of humanity itself.

On this Easter weekend—a time of renewal and resurrection—I pray that the United States might break free from the gravitational pull of its past and choose not to repeat the patterns of fear, exclusion, and confrontation that have defined prior cycles in its relationship with China. At the same time, I pray for the evolution of the great Neptunian experiment—communism—which was seeded under the 1848 Saturn–Neptune conjunction with the birth of The Communist Manifesto. This Neptunian dream has evolved and been marked by important turning points in human history at every Saturn-Neptune conjunction. Perhaps now, in the light of emerging technologies, this dream might finally shed its shadow and grow into something more inclusive and more humane.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 NOTE 1: REGISTRATION FOR THE TWO-YEAR MERRIMAN MARKET TIMING ACADEMY (MMTA4) IS NOW UNDERWAY AS OF LAST WEEK!!! This is MMA’s highly valued two-year educational and training program, created by Raymond Merriman (CTA) — 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 instructor Wiebke Held and MMA analysts such as Pouyan Zolfagharnia, Gianni Di Poce, Wyatt Fellows, Derek Panaia, Kat Powell, and, of course, Raymond Merriman (with others to be announced).

The classes will meet on Saturdays, approximately 20 times per year, at noon, starting 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) session, plus a voluntary review session after every 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 and aggressive short-term trading.

Acceptance into MMTA requires an interview prior to enrollment. If you are interested in exploring whether 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.

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

 So, thank you, Ray and Gianni, for the fantastic course material and support, because that’s why 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

 NOTE 2: THE “SPECIAL MMA OPTIONS WEBINAR” with Derek Panaia, hosted by Raymond Merriman, that took place on Sunday, April 13, was a great success!!! The first option trade recommended was to buy a Gold call spread that would have been filled by this next morning, elected at 18-20. By Wednesday, three days later, it met our target, and traders were advised to cover at 42 or better (it went even higher that day) for a triple-digit gain in just three days. The next trade in Gold was then elected as Gold soared to 3371 that week. Our entry point was based on “… targets for a high at 3275 and 3370.” So, the webinar has already paid for itself and more.

Recordings of the webinar are now available, and so is the option to enter the “Options Plus” Discord group, where Derek updates and refines entry and exit points continuously. Limited-risk option strategies were provided on the S&P, T-Notes, Gold, Silver, and Soybeans, and these entry positions are being monitored by Derek as well.

For a recording of this excellent three-hour presentation and/or to join the Options Plus chatroom with Derek, click here.

NOTE 3: The NEW monthly MMA Technology Cycles Report by Wiebke Held will be issued this week, on April 26. The first issue was launched two months ago and prepared readers for the imminent decline in the NASDAQ, which started immediately after. Wiebke’s excellent two-year research papers were based on extensive studies of long-, intermediate-, and short-term cycles in the NASDAQ spot index (not futures). This report provides an outlook not only for the NASDAQ but also for the QQQ (ETF) and specific technology stocks such as Microsoft, Google, NVIDIA, Tesla, and Apple. It will also include unique CRDs (critical reversal dates) specific to the NASDAQ, based on Held’s meticulous research. Focusing on the NASDAQ is crucial because of the outsized role technology will play in financial markets — especially with Pluto already in Aquarius for the next 20 years and Uranus about to enter Gemini for seven years starting in July 2025. Additionally, much of this report will be generated by Wiebke’s own AI applications. Truly, this is an exciting report, highlighting many new features of our technology renaissance. This is the future of market timing applications in this “New Aira.”

If you would like to receive the next issue of this new report, sign up now by clicking here.

 NOTE 4: THE APRIL ISSUE OF THE MMA Monthly Cycles Report was issued last week, on April 14/15. With the “Retrograde Chaos” cycle finally over now that Venus has turned direct, this is an important issue for intermediate-term investment planning, especially regarding the U.S. stock market and Gold. Both are due for important three-year cycle lows this year (for Gold, it’s a 31.3-month cycle low). Each issue includes our outlook for the U.S. stock market, Gold, Silver, Copper, Treasuries, the Euro, 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 to the MMA Monthly Cycles Report, you can sign up for the April Report for only $35! Or save by ordering a three-report or twelve-report subscription.

 NOTE 5: THE RECORDING OF THE APRIL 6 MICRO-WEBINAR, WHAT THE &%#@ IS HAPPENING: PART 2, is available and still very relevant! The presentation went extremely well and received very positive feedback. Ray described geocosmic conditions unfolding at this time, correlating with the acceleration of confusion and uncertainty in the political and financial worlds. He also explained what these rare cosmic periods imply for individuals, world leaders, and the world at large. Most importantly, he discussed the outlook for the U.S. stock market, Gold and Silver. The cost for this two-hour recording is only $35. To order, click here.

 NOTE 5: THE “JUPITER REPORT“ — YOUR MOMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY — IS NOW AVAILABLE. This newest 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 available only on Apple products (iPhone and iPad) at this time, although we are getting close to developing it for Android phones as well, possibly by the end of this year.

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 reviews of the geocosmic signatures in effect for the coming week and beyond.

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: SPECIAL SIX-WEEK COURSE ON “THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ASTROLOGY FOR FINANCIAL MARKET TIMING.” This course, starting in late May, is designed to teach attendees the basic principles of planets, signs, and aspects (plus retrograde and direct stations) used in MMA’s market timing methods. It will also cover which planets and signs rule various sectors of the economy and financial markets. The course will discuss how to use an astrological calculation program (Solar Fire) for important routines, such as calculating charts and transit “hit lists.” This course is intended for those interested in taking the MMTA4 program, which begins September 27, and feel their astrological knowledge is at a beginner stage. However, the course will be open to others as well. The cost will be $300, and attendees will meet virtually on Saturdays at noon Eastern Time. The classes will be recorded and made available for review within two days after each online session. This is a great opportunity to learn basic astrology for those looking for a beginner-level course taught by a master astrologer!

EVENTS

 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 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. 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 activities.