Astrological Forecast September October, 1995 By Terry Lamb, M.A. Letting Go of the Past It's time for the last gasp of what we have been experiencing for the past 13 years—whether we want to or not. The Oklahoma City bombing is a part of this old material, a part of a vicious past that (we hope) is transcended in the coming times. The astrological world is replete with idealistic epithets about the coming transformation—and it's true everything is for the good. Trouble is, it may not look so good to us, especially to those who experienced that holocaust on April 19th. These sorts of things happen around the world on a daily basis—their holocaust, their apocalypse is as complete as ours. Americans—whether in Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, Oakland, New York City, South Carolina, or Oklahoma City—struggle to overcome the day their world stopped long after the story has faded from the news. I read a book on spiritual evolution recently which gave me hope that there is a reason for all this. It said that, as citizens of this planet, we have taken on the task of undergoing stimulated evolution. Stimulated evolution means that we are, at the bidding of our Souls, rushed a bit through the spiritual growth process. This is not without our choosing, and the evolution would take place anyway without the triggers. The triggers accelerate the process, however, and with it comes a certain level of risk to the individual in incarnation at the time (but not to the Soul). Principal among these risks is the danger of losing perspective, of getting caught up in a dissolving cloud of darkness. This is what many people on the planet are doing now in creating wars, schisms, terrorism and so on. Not that this is an excuse for their behavior, but perhaps, if you accept its validity, it helps us to understand what is happening from a more universal perspective. This would account for the polarization amongst factions, political or otherwise, around the world, not the least of which is occurring in Congress. It is, by the way, in keeping with what I see as the dark side of the new, more adventurous, independent and radical wave that Uranus and Pluto will carry us on as they move into Aquarius and Sagittarius (respectively). These two signs conspire in a one-pointed focus to keep us from considering other options and concerns. While the warrior consciousness they bring may be good for getting things done, we need the energies of the feminine to make sure that what gets done is the best thing for all concerned. We are sure to see more polarization of the sorts already too evident in the coming 7-13 years. Keep an eye on Ralph Reed, by the way (Pat Robertson's protégé). He's ruthless and ruthlessly immoral. If the religious right can organize more effectively than the spiritual left, they will be the winners of the `90's ideology wars, and our rights will be but memories of the liberal 20th century. The key is organization and focus. By this fall, we open the door to new ideas, new directions and new truths. What we hope is a gale-force wind blowing away the negativity of the past is more likely to be a breath of fresh air out of the most recent storm. Still, the theme of this fall is already apparent, and shades of the new glimpsed in April and May reenter our lives slowly as the sun's light wanes in strength. The freshness that breezes into our lives informs us that it is no longer possible to relate to others as we have in the past, in ego-centered, conflict-producing doubt and fear. Instead, we must seek higher ground, the spiritual bond, and with grace allow it to fulfill itself. September and October will show us what's wrong. From November, we will get to heal it. SEPTEMBER: Relationships Begin Anew September finds us ready to harvest the fruits of our spring-summer efforts, taken as an outgrowth of insights gained last winter. Yet, even as we anticipate the unfolding of the expected, the new theme of relationship and balance (entered at the beginning of August) assumes much more importance as September wanes. The beginning of the month is no exception. The first part of September finds us taking action in relationship, choosing whether to move toward the future or stick with the past. The desire for something different was never stronger than it is on the 2nd; but if we haven't already grasped what it is that we want to change, we may only fly off the handle to seek to escape the old with no real idea of where to go. We may see this trend in politics and among factions in general. These are not times when agreement and compromise run strong. Yet, if you need a fire under your behind to get you to do something new, it will be lit on the 2nd, and you may actually be willing or able to make an earnest change for the better. And the phase of the cycle that is entered now lends itself to the use of foresight to create something that has long been in the works. This is by the way, the 4th part of a 4-part cycle that began on January 18, 1994. This cycle will end January 7th next year. The 2nd begins the period of gaining insight into what we've experienced from the cycle—what we can apply in our life to make it work better for us. The events of the 3rd support this action mode, and the 4th offers opportunity for continued effort. On the 7th, our drive deepens and intensifies, our feelings more powerful. Our force to act may go underground for as long as six weeks. The Full Moon on the 8th may coincide with a thoughtfulness that spills harmoniously into other areas of our lives. Insights may lead to taking responsibility in relationship and focusing on financial structures. At the same time, we begin to focus on relationship from another, more internal level. Here we may begin to heal the wounds that inhibit our ability to form truly equal relationships and enter fully into the spiritual bond that underlies all fulfilling relationships of whatever nature. We embark upon this journey on the 9th, and it lasts until Christmas 1996. Our idealism will run high on the 10th and 11th, and little will happen to burst the bubble until the 13th, when reality may hit hard—or is what we're seeing on the 14th really real? Already, the gears of life may seem to be shifting. A perceptible change in the pace of life will emerge around the 15th (the first chance we've had to notice)—it will either speed up or slow down, depending on your need! On the 22nd, things will tend to come to a standstill—your car, your drains, your relationships—but only if they need to. Our perceptual abilities may be strong around the 23rd if we take the opportunity to be receptive. We may tend toward pensiveness at this time anyway, since the New Moon is on the 24th. When the Sun enters Libra on the 23rd, our pursuit of balance receives our full intent and focus. This is the time of Mabon, the Fall Harvest, and the time when once again darkness begins to exceed the light. It signals the beginning of a time of completing, a preparation for the going inward of the wintertime. Lay your plans for the time of restoration and retirement to come, and let go of things that you wish to release from your reality. The remainder of September finds us experiencing the beginning of a new yearly cycle associated with the healing and balancing process mentioned above. Action and change in relationship will be a focus for the next few days. The last day of the month finds us at a crossroads, with the potential for a truly new way of balancing the components and experiences of our life from a new perspective born of an enlightened self interest which takes others into account. OCTOBER:
Consciously Tipping the Scales It is not appropriate to build our relationships on dominance structures any more. If this theme, repeated in the heavens many times over for the next two weeks, were not already evident, it would become so on the 1st through the 4th of the month. If problems seem unsolvable on the 1st, they will open up on the 2nd. Surrendering to the prevailing energies as we approach the 4th will be a necessary component to a successful outcome, however. Observe what occurs on this date, because the issues that the events of the day represent will tint your focus for the next 4 months. What occurs at this time has significance on a much deeper level as well, because a yearly cycle that began in mid-January is reaching a resolution point on the 4th through the 6th. We may not gain a complete sense of release until after the 13th, so don't let doubts cloud your attitude when things seem to take longer than they should. Rest assured that important processes are taking place, even if you can measure no progress. Keep in mind that this yearly cycle partakes of a much larger 176-year cycle which all must hearken to on the soul level. We can correlate this cycle, which began in 1993, with the prevailing social, political and cultural chaos (the Berlin Wall came down about the time the new cycle began to be felt). So the events of this time will carry deeper implications and broader effects than your typical daily experiences, both at home and on the national and international scenes. We could expect to see (positive) changes in the political hot spots around the world (Chechnya, China, Japanese trade relations) and likely some flare-ups in other parts of the world. In your own life, look to what started in mid-January, when you were no doubt less effective in dealing with the energies. Much water has passed under the bridge since then—oh, how much wiser we seem! Use this time to do one last purging of the old influences in your life—anything that you don't want around for another 13 years. You may find that you act more effectively after the 13th, and your actions get more positive results. On the 7th, loved ones may reveal previously hidden facets of themselves unexpectedly. Making sense of it all from a broader perspective will help in making bold moves toward a future that had never been seriously considered before. The Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on the 8th will assist in this process, again emphasizing the relationship focus. Balance your tendencies to take things personally or act out of impatience or frustration. The 9th through the 13th will be like coasting downhill, although you will become more aware of the emotional content of all that has transpired over the past few months. By the time we reach that release point on the 13th, the air will be a lot clearer and you will have much more awareness of the factors that will be necessary to fulfill your goals for the next six months. Indeed, action is the key word for the next week, culminating in an explosiveness which may be felt `round the world on the 19th. This begins a new two-year cycle that pertains to the strong, sometimes forceful, use of power. Obviously, this rules terrorism and other acts of violence, but many people use this energy in positive ways, to project a force of good into the world, or to empower others. The Sun enters Scorpio on the 3rd, the same day as a solar eclipse (the last we will have in Scorpio for nine years). We will have six more months to transform ourselves by accessing those deep levels of Self that we have been at pains to ignore for the past two years. Not that we can't attune to them in the future (and hopefully we will), only that we will not be driven to. The movies may move somewhat away from depicting life-death transformation (violence, action films) and move more toward romances and romantic comedies, perhaps introducing the fine arts and the subtle art of diplomacy into our consciousness. For now, we must be content to live intensely, emotionally in order to understand how to change what doesn't work for us. About this time, we get a harbinger of the next decade. Watch what energies appear for us over the next six weeks, for they will foreshadow the next 13 years. The rest of the month gives us the opportunity to shift our focus and look at something in a new way. We may see how we have been in a power struggle, or how we may learn and grow to empower ourselves. We may find ways that our ideals may harmonize with our values and infuse our relationships more than we thought possible. If we feel momentarily confused, it is so that we can see the inner truth, even if it is after the fact. We can be healed; we do not need to carry the shadow of the past forever. The 31st brings us the Wiccan New Year, Samhain! Get ready for another time of celebration, another year well lived! Then sober yourselves for a pensive peek into next year. Give thought to that which you do not wish to carry with you into the new cycle and banish it; gather the seeds of what you wish to grow for next year and hold them for the next growing season. This begins a time of welcome rest and recovery, a time to relax and consider. (Could this be the holiday season I'm talking about?) Note that the solar cross quarter, which Samhain celebrates, does not occur until November 7th. September brings us another level of freshness and insight, new challenges still give the opportunity to clear out past patterns, and October brings out this theme in living color. The challenges glimpsed this spring begin to return to us now like a breath of fresh air. Whatever it brings, polish up your optimism and you will be able to approach the unfamiliar territory with renewed vigor. The millennium light is dawning, and now is the time to get ready. Blessed Be! | 
