NMR ISSUE 10

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Astrological Forecast

November—December, 1990

By Terry Lamb, M.A.

Are you ready for the annual holiday frenzy? Neither is anyone else! The next two months will bring a period of endings and beginnings. The theme will be transformation, mortality vs. immortality, patience vs. frustration and avoiding excesses.

NOVEMBER: The Sun begins to make its yearly conjunctions with the outer bodies this month. During the 1980s, we experienced what was popularly called the Jupiter effect—all the planets located in one narrow segment of the sky. They were all clustered in Scorpio through Capricorn in the fall of 1984, a wedge of 72? (Not including Chiron, Transpluto and the asteroids). This meant that we experienced a marked yearly cycle beginning every fall. Now, the planets are dispersing throughout the other sections of the Zodiac. Thus, this "all at once" heavenly phenomenon is dissipating, and our feeling that things have to be "everything at once" is going with it.

In November, we see the beginning of this yearly process of dispersal, which now extends into January, signaled by the conjunction of the Sun to Pluto. This conjunction signals the start of a new cycle ruling concerns of transformation and movements of mass consciousness. It often brings us events of terrorism and (violent) acts of passion, committed by those who find this energy too overwhelming. If we are experiencing a major transit by Pluto, we can expect to feel overwhelmed (at times), transformed, and as if we experiencing the hand of fate in our lives.

This process will begin on November 10th, but do not expect that you will be experiencing the peak of this cycle then. If you are having a major transit, chances are you will experience something. Notice what occurs around this date. Do you have a major argument with your boss? Then maybe it's time to use this Pluto cycle to look for a new job before you are fired or experience pressure to leave. Are your finances in a shambles and the collectors calling on this date? Then use the coming cycle to face your finances and establish a budget, find a way to earn more money and make peace with your creditors. Pluto makes us face our denials, addictions, compulsions and problems. In spiritual circles, it is said that you have to be careful what you ask for because you may get it. Under Pluto's transit, that law is activated, often in ways we hadn't intended.

Before the Pluto-Sun conjunction, however, we will experience the Full Moon on November 2nd. This will carry the themes found on the Taurus/Scorpio axis and affect your life according to the houses that this lunar event falls in. Keep in mind that the Full Moon is the event of the Moon's opposition to the Sun, meaning that they are directly across the sky from each other. On the Full Moon, the Sun is setting as the Moon is rising, and they will be found in opposing signs. Taurus/Scorpio's theme is building and destruction, personal and societal values, death and rebirth, and other forms that regenerational energies can take. If these fall, for instance, in your 4th/10th houses, you may experience a change in your feelings affecting your career direction, or a new job requiring that you relocate your home.

With the Sun square Jupiter on the 5th, this energy will be carried with the Full Moon and become a part of its thrust. Thus, this lunation should produce movement—really shaking things up. If you recall that Mars is also retrograde at this time, you can see that this time could have a major impact on us. To interpret the effect that these energies will have, consider the things that I have told you about them. Use this to produce layers of energy that intermingle to produce a single gestalt, a single effect. We will certainly experience changes in the Gulf Crisis at that time, which I am nearly certain will not be resolved by then. (I hope I'm wrong.)

The true Solar Cross-Quarter, celebrated on Hallowe'en, occurs on November 7th. This is the best time to marshal the forces of the Sun's cycle to banish things you do not want from your life.

Chiron, which was traveling in tandem with Jupiter last year, is now left to interact with Uranus and Neptune without Jupiter's interference. This combination of influences is nothing short of illuminating to personal consciousness, and the effects that occur in this coming year will be far-reaching. Look to things you experienced in mid-July for the seed that was planted to bear fruit on this cycle. When Chiron turns retrograde (with apparent backward motion), we do not have direct access to its energy. The transformational processes we set in motion in July will now be enacted for us—we have (perhaps unconsciously) named the form our energy will take and set it free. In the inexorable way of the universe, it will return to us on its own, faithful to the life we breathed into it.

When the Sun squares Transpluto, we can expect a theme of "so shall ye reap" (as in "as ye sow?") to appear. Transpluto appears to bring us the results of our transformations, and a transformation on a deeper level still. This type of transit can trigger powerful psychotherapeutic processes, especially those relating to past-life experiences.

The New Moon in Scorpio begins a new monthly cycle on November 17th. This will carry with it the power of the Transpluto square as well as the Sun-Pluto conjunction and the events occurring during the remainder of November.

The rest of November is highly eventful. Transpluto makes its station to retrograde on the 19th, taking over energies we set in motion in mid-August, carrying themes such as those suggested above for Transpluto. The Sun enters Sagittarius on the 22nd, suggesting that we turn our focus to goals, travel and philosophy and its application in our lives through morals and ethics.

The Sun opposes Mars on November 27th. You can be sure that whatever was happening in October will come to a head at this time. The critical mass of this transit will carry over to the Full Moon, and situations relating to it will not be resolved until the week following the Full Moon on December 1st. This situation becomes even more powerful when Jupiter turns retrograde on November 29th.

The effect of all these events cannot fail to produce some action in the Gulf Crisis. On an economic level it can produce recession on the stock market, great increases in gold and oil prices, and higher interest rates affecting everyone in some way. The weather may be erratic at this time as well, with recordbreaking cold in the temperate zones causing critical shortages of home heating oil and taxing gas reserves. The time of crisis is likely to be fairly short-term. It is up to us and our collective actions as to whether the effects will be longer lasting. On a personal level, any of these situations may affect us according to our preparedness for their effects. It will certainly increase the general feeling of pressure that we have in our lives. The areas of pressure will depend on where these placements fall in our charts and how we respond to them. If you drive a great deal, an increase in gasoline prices will affect you more than they will another who can walk to work. The pressures of this time of year are already high for many people, since the holiday season has become increasingly materially oriented and socially demanding for many people.

DECEMBER: After the Full Moon on December 1st, affecting the Sagittarius/Gemini-emphasized mental realms, there is a relative gap in the planetary activities that will give us a chance to catch our breath. The way that this often works is that during times of heavy activity, events happen around us that seem to make us feel stuck. When a lull in activity occurs, we often have the opportunity to act, resolve some situations and experience relief. So a lull in planetary activity does not mean a lull in our activity level. It may mean an increase in activity giving us a chance to "catch up" on things.

On December 14th, two events conspire to create a feeling of being stuck. Mars continues in its backward ways and moves back into Taurus from Gemini, tightening the noose of frustration, if this is harmonious with our energy pattern at this time. This is likely to be experienced as only a temporary shift in the energy flow followed by a rapid return to a normal level of energy. You may notice however that until the New Year you are working on completing things, and only after the 23rd is there a thought of new ideas and projects. This feeling will be enhanced by the fact that Yule, the Winter Solstice, occurs near this time, on the 21st. The Sagittarius New Moon, occurring on the 16th, will also account for the upswing of energy we feel at this time. Yule is a time for inviting the light back into our lives. Astrologically, it could be considered the initiation of the yearly cycle, since the Sun then reaches its lowest point and begins it return to the zenith. Use this time for projecting and planning and gathering energy for the lighter times to come. The final event of the year falls on the 31st, when the Sun conjuncts Uranus. This begins a new yearly cycle influencing our relationship to our Higher Self. If it strongly aspects your chart this year, you may experience accidents or miracles, a strong urge for freedom, and feelings of rebellion and unpredictability. Knowing our cultural penchant for excesses on this day, it may be wise to err on the side of caution on New Year's Eve, since Uranus may precipitate more accidents than usual on our nation's highways. This could also bring the promise of peace in the Middle East, as the Earth feels the warmth of the rebirth of Christ Consciousness/the Sun King. We will not feel the heat of the Capricorn planets' breath on our necks until January, for the most part. We can enjoy a brief respite from their theme of responsibility and awakening. With all the heaviness of the "Three Bears," it can almost be refreshing to experience a sense of one's own mortality and immortality through the combined energies of Pluto, Transpluto, Chiron and Jupiter. May the love and warmth of this season reach into the hearts of even the most isolated and fearful, bringing them into the circle of love.