MMA Free Weekly Column for the Week Beginning March 9, 2026

REVIEW

With the Saturn-Neptune conjunction on the world axis degree, the Strait of Hormuz has closed. This sent Crude Oil prices sharply higher with cascading effects across the global economy. Higher energy costs feed into nearly every product, raising inflation expectations. Global equity markets and risk assets sold off accordingly, while Crude Oil rallied over 30%. A resulting rally in the Dollar followed as oil supply-demand dynamics shifted towards the U.S.

With Neptune strongly activated, confusion surrounds the war’s causes, objectives, and which side holds advantage. All countries involved have placed heavy restrictions on journalists, making report verification difficult. Depending on your news source and social media algorithms, you may believe the ‘other side’ faces obliteration. Over coming weeks, Crude Oil prices will serve as the best barometer of how either side fares. A sharp price drop should occur once the United States and Israel gain control of the conflict.

The forecast for equity markets to sell off into the 50-week trough is in play. The one positive signal is bullish intermarket divergence between the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and DJIA. The Nasdaq has not taken out the February 6 low, whilst the other two have.

All global equity markets sold off this week, but the surprise has been the drop in precious metals, often considered the “safe-haven” trade. At one point on Tuesday, Gold dropped 7.8% and Silver 19.1%, demonstrating that even in times of financial distress, precious metals are not immune to market forces.

The only other asset class that appears to have escaped unscathed is the grains. Subscribers to the grain report, written by MMA President Wyatt Fellows, are well-positioned for the anticipated rally in these assets.

SHORT-TERM GEOCOSMICS

The following section from the Crude Oil chapter of Forecast 2026 summarizes the past week well:

“As noted in Forecast 2025, ‘The important geocosmic events relating to Crude Oil during 2025 will be the fact that Saturn will leave Pisces, and the ingress of both Saturn and Neptune over the vernal axis, which will take place numerous times during 2025 to 2026, going out with a bang at the Saturn–Neptune conjunction on February 20, 2026. With heavy and restrictive Saturnian energy lifting as early as May 2025, we should see a rally in Crude Oil prices.’ We got a preview of what is to come, between May and June 2025, with the Iran–Israel 12-day war, which sent Crude Oil rallying 41.8%. It’s worth noting that Israel did not target any of the Iranian petroleum infrastructure during the attacks. However, Iran immediately threatened to block (Saturn) the Strait of Hormuz (Neptune), should the war escalate. These concerns remain heightened as we enter 2026.”

It certainly went out with a bang, and Crude Oil prices have now rallied by over 60% since the recommended entry point (late November to mid-December 2025). The Middle East was also highlighted using astrocartography as a key region within the Capricorn ingress chart, since the Saturn-Neptune conjunction was on the MC of this region of the world.

Over the coming week, Venus translates the Saturn-Neptune conjunction on March 7–8, and Jupiter stations direct on March 10. With both Jupiter and Neptune as co-rulers of Crude Oil activated, this market is likely to continue dominating the headlines.

LONGER-TERM THOUGHTS AND OPINION

Is it possible to determine whether a leader is more likely to take a nation into war using astrology? In the Forecast 2026 book, Ray Merriman analyzed the chart of Donald Trump in relation to the U.S. founding chart and noted: “Donald Trump’s natal Sun-Lunar North Node and Uranus are in a conjunction to Mars in the U.S. chart, as shown in the enclosed figure… This is a powerful combination and describes the president’s role as Commander in Chief. One could say this is his primary role, even destiny, as president of the U.S. His destiny is closely aligned with that of the U.S. military.”

This observation raised an interesting question: Do strong contacts between a leader’s natal chart and their nation’s chart activate the planetary symbolism within the national horoscope? To explore this idea, an examination was made of U.S. presidents who initiated major offensive wars and checked whether their natal planets formed hard aspects (0°, 90°, 180°, 270°) to the U.S. natal Mars at 20° Gemini. In mundane astrology, Mars represents military power, aggression, conflict, and the nation’s capacity for action. The sample population included:

1. James Madison – War of 1812 against Britain

2. James Polk – Mexican-American War of 1846

3. William McKinley – Spanish-American War 1898

4. Woodrow Wilson – World War I

5. Franklin Roosevelt – World War II

6. Harry Truman – Korean War

7. Dwight Eisenhower – Vietnam War

8. George H. W. Bush – Gulf War

9. George W. Bush – Iraq and Afghanistan War

The results were striking. In every case, the U.S. natal Mars was activated by a hard aspect from the president’s natal planets or nodes. In 78% of cases (7 out of 9), the contact was a conjunction, directly igniting the nation’s Martian principle. A particularly interesting pattern appears in the charts of the two Bush presidents and Donald Trump. Trump’s Sun, Uranus, and North Node are conjunct the U.S. Mars. George H. W. Bush had his Sun conjunct U.S. Mars, while George W. Bush had Uranus and the North Node conjunct U.S. Mars. In all three cases, the same natal planets activate the same point in the national chart. Notably, each president initiated military action in the Middle East. Another timing pattern also emerged: all three presidencies coincided with Jupiter transiting Cancer and Leo, as examined in the Jupiter in Leo chapter of Forecast 2026.

An additional observation is that presidents more often associated with diplomacy and peace had natal planets conjunct the U.S. Venus, the planet of harmony, diplomacy, prosperity, and social cohesion. Examples include:

• John F. Kennedy (natal Pluto conjunct U.S. Venus) – resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

• Gerald Ford (natal Pluto conjunct U.S. Venus) – the final phase of the Vietnam War and détente with the Soviet Union.

• Barack Obama (natal Venus conjunct U.S. Venus) – recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran, restoration of relations with Cuba, and the end of the Iraq War combat mission.

These correlations suggest that planetary contacts between a leader’s chart and the national horoscope may symbolically activate specific themes within the nation’s psyche. Mars symbolizes war and Venus diplomacy, the two opposing forces shaping the destiny of nations. Perhaps the best combination would be both planets activated together.