NMR ISSUE 1

Astrological Forecast 1
Beltane
Closer Look at the Tarot: Aces
Earth's Coronation
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Guardians of the Four Gateways
How to Eat Meat
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The Oldest Magick
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Astrological Forecast

May & June 1989

By Terry Lamb, M. A.

Major Planetary Events

Sun opposite Pluto 13° 48' Tau/Sco May 4

Taurus New Moon 14° 57' Taurus May 5

Mars opposite Uranus 5° 00' Can/Cap May 7

Mercury station. retro. 6° 51' Gemini May 12

Mars opposite Neptune 12° 05' Can/Cap May 18

Mars opposite Saturn

&trine Pluto 12° 03' Can/Cap May 20

Tau. Blue (Full) Moon 29° 42' Tau/Sco May 20

Sun enters Gemini 0° 00' Gemini May 20

Sun conjunct Mercury 2° 30' Gemini May 23

Gemini New Moon 13° 12' Gemini June 3

Mercury station. direct 28° 09' Taurus June 5

Sun conjunct Jupiter 18° 30' Gemini June 9

Gemini Full Moon 27° 59' Gem/Sag June 18

Alban Heruin

(Summer Solstice) 0° 00' Cancer June 21

Saturn conj. Neptune 11° 16' Capricorn June 23

Sun opposite Uranus 3° 21' Can/Cap June 24

Many events light up the skies during the months of May and June. To gain proper perspective on these, we must look into the past few months, when the seeds for the rest of 1989 were planted.

The premier experience of 1989 is the conjunction of Saturn and Neptune. This occurs three times, the first of which was on March 3rd. This conjunction, occurring only once every 36 years, sets the tone for the year in the sign of Capricorn. Capricorn is well populated (with Saturn, Neptune and Uranus) this year for the first time since the eclipses of 1981 and '82. It has not been activated so thoroughly since Saturn and Pluto left Libra in 1983 and '84, respectively. This activation also stimulates the other cardinal signs: Aries, Cancer and Libra. Those of you with these signs emphasized can wake up from your long winter's nap and get ready for the challenges which are now around you.

Saturn requires us to face our responsibilities. For many of us this means paying off those credit cards, getting our loan balances down to a minimum. Uranus asks us to connect with our Higher Selves in a new way—through a consciousness of the totality of history, with an awareness of politics. We can no longer run and hide and hope that bad leadership and poor judgment will just go away! Neptune asks us to redefine spirituality in terms of personal responsibility and an ethical and moral code. This can lend itself to a civilization where religion and State are sharply divided. They all combine to signal a return to a civilization structured around power-within rather than power-over, to the times when the Goddess was known everywhere. The major cultures of our modern world are in for some major changes.

Saturn and Neptune request of us the elusive alchemical combining of spirit and matter. Saturn is crystallization; Neptune is dissolution, the unformed mass of unseen energy or the etheric ocean in which the bodies of the universe are suspended. Somehow we must bring Spirit-Matter into our lives and this year (and the conjunction's location in our charts) will unfold that somehow for each of us.

By the time we reach May, we will have a strong feeling about how we should use this energy. When Saturn, Uranus and Neptune turned retrograde in April, we discovered what challenges lay ahead. In May we are actively developing our ways of meeting those challenges. When the Sun opposes Pluto, we reach of culmination of energies involved in a yearly cycle of deep transformation. This cycle began in early November, but came into most people's awareness only on or around February 16th, when Pluto turned retrograde (started going backwards). Look at events and experiences around those times for a clue of what will culminate on May 4th.

With the New Moon on May 5th, Pluto's opposition energies may not be felt fully until the Full Moon on May 20th. This could be explosive! The New Moon is the time to plant the seeds of the coming lunar cycle. Look for ways in which you are ready to accept changes in values and foundations—this is what you need to build.

From May 7th through the 20th, we see Mars making oppositions to each of the planets in Capricorn. This will activate the challenges of Uranus, Saturn and Neptune but on an effective, powerful level, since Pluto trines Mars at the same time. Those two weeks are likely to be very eventful on a world level and a personal level. We will be likely to resolve important issues and meet our challenges effectively. However, Mercury turns retrograde in the middle of this time. Thus, you will see many people scrambling to adapt to a new understanding, an "unexpected" problem or an increase of activity. The best way to get through this time is through planning: know when to expect pressure and when those less aware may have difficulties. Others' lack of understanding may require your understanding and compassion. Also, expect a miracle!

Mercury in retrograde motion tends to hold other energies until it moves back to direct motion. So you can expect the theme established during May 7th through 20th to be incomplete until after June 5th, when Mercury goes direct. However, the new Mercury cycle, beginning May 23rd, will mitigate this. Use that time to get in touch with what you want out of the next 4 months. Communication and networking will be the theme of that cycle.

Backing up a little bit to the Taurus Full Moon, this is an astrological blue moon, since this is the second Full Moon in Taurus/Scorpio. Since the Taurus Full Moon is the time of the annual Wesak festival, one of the largest celebrations on the globe, we have the opportunity for two Wesak festivals. It appears that the secular celebration will have been on the first Taurus Full Moon (April 20th), while the Wesak Full Moon Meditation will be on the Blue Moon. This magical time celebrates the yearly infusion of Buddha and Christ's consciousness into the earth realm. We can participate in this energy by observing the traditional Tibetan rite over the seven days surrounding the Wesak Full Moon: Three days before the Full Moon, purify and transform the self. The day of the Full Moon, orient yourself to beauty, goodness and truth. On then following three days, bless others with love, compassion and joy. At the moment of the Full Moon (11:16 am PST, May 20th), be in meditation and accept the energy that flows through the Christ and Buddha. If you can meditate with others, form a circle, equal-armed cross or pentagram to receive this spirit power.

After Mercury goes direct, we can all breathe a sigh of relief—for a few days. On June 9th, make a yearly plan to coordinate the use of Jupiter's energy in your life. Jupiter rules expansion, travel, prosperity and its uses, exploration and higher understanding.

On June 18th, we have the follow-up Full Moon that will complete the manifestation of the Wesak energies into the planet for another year. The Full Moon in Gemini is the Moon of Right Human Relationship. In this time when relations rely so much on domination and power-over, there is much to gain from dedicating one's energies on this Moon. Keeping this goal in mind, be in meditation and aware at the time of the Full Moon (June 18, 11:57 pm PST). This is the time when the energies gathered at the Wesak Full Moon are dispersed throughout the planet. By participating in this, either alone or in a group, we potentiate the spirit life of our planet and reaffirm our own spiritual paths.

Shortly thereafter, on June 21st, is the Summer Solstice. The Sun God reaches his brightest day and begins to fall. Three rays are cast to light the world. Although the light still reigns for 5 more months, the Dark Lord begins to return once more. Now is the time of culmination, when we prepare to reap the rewards of the coming harvest time.

Saturn conjuncts Neptune for the second time this year on June 23rd. A revisitation of the situations established on March 3rd will bring us closer to resolving the use of these energies in our lives.

The opposition of the Sun and Uranus comes close on the heels of this conjunction. Look for a culmination of events begun on or around December 22nd and revealed around April 9th. This time will be an indication of what's in store for the rest of the summer, when the Sun also opposes Neptune and Saturn.

We are in the middle of a Great Transformation of mankind and the life of our planet. We have much work to do to get back in harmony with the Mistress and Mother of Life. May we find our own way to the light and the way to communicate to those still in darkness.