NMR ISSUE 43

Antilion Fly, Abalone & Grouse
Astrological Forecast 43
Chant for the Goddess
Colm and the Unicorn
Dark Passages
Editorial 43
Esoteric Symbology of the Tarot
Evolution
Healing for Mild Depression
In the Fire
Meditation
Meditation is the Key
Midsummer's Eve
Mouse
Namaste Part I
Pathworking
Ravel Magick
The $ Word
The Deserted Castle
Working with Your Shadow, II

Articles
Authors
Rituals
Book Reviews
NMR Issues
NMR Covers

Astrological Forecast:

May & August 1996

By Terry Lamb, M.A.

Moving to a Peacetime Economy
and a Peacetime Ethic

The calm is over, the time to deal with old issues and old clutter behind us. It's not that we haven't been busy, perhaps too busy to replenish ourselves as our ancestors might have done. We have been preparing for the new burst of energy that will be—is now being—required of us. While it's not that we can't tweak things as we go along, if you haven't laid a good foundation in principle and direction, you may find yourself overwhelmed as you attempt to catch up. I well imagine that most of the world will be playing catch up—the interminable budget battle, the result of the ultimate in childish ego, forcing others to take a parenting role that doesn't allow for sincere negotiation. If you negotiate with petulant children, they end up being spoiled, and that is what our Republican-majority congress is right now. In fact, while the dreamers, Jupiter and Neptune, are our hook into practicality (i.e., our sole planets in Capricorn), it might be more appropriate to call Congress' dealings negotiations for their shameless ambition, their willingness to try to butt their heads through the reasonable objections of others without stopping to listen.

Don't get me wrong. The time has come for a leaner government. Easy does it is the key phrase, however. One thing they forget to tell us, though, is that government cutbacks mean the loss of JOBS. No harm done if the cuts are compassionate—done gradually and with plans for assimilating these often career civil service employees back into society at large. But this is not the case, at least as far as I know. There ought to be something like the Truth in Lending Act—the Truth in Politics & Government Act.

All this began with the end of the Cold War. What we are doing, whether we know it or not, is moving to a peacetime economy and the government to match it. The statistics and daily reality say that Japan and Germany won the Cold War. They were willingly prevented from putting large sums of money into national militias, so all their extra money (or the borrowed money they didn't have) went into business development and socially motivated research. These two economies are in the best shape now, as they bear the fruits of these more practical labors. Is this not a message to those of us in the more opportunistic and violent nations of the world? Our national debt and budget deficit are largely due to military spending, and the military honchos have too much clout to be totally ignored. But if you look at the problems that arose in the Great Depression, they were solved only through deficit spending related to WWII. We spent money we didn't have then, putting people back to work in factories making bombs and planes and racing to develop nuclear power. All we did was put off dealing with many of the effects of the economic difficulties of the 30's. We did begin to provide support for the vast underclass that existed as a result of the combined forces of immigration and financial mismanagement at the top end of the economic scale. The demon Credit was unleashed, and it bankrupted many people. However, the way we supported the underclass was to give them a fish rather than to teach them to fish. It would have been much better then if we had trained them to work rather than giving them a handout. (It boils down to education—the theme that Pluto in Sagittarius will reveal to others as well as myself.)

Now we are remedying some of these past wrongs. Workfare is replacing welfare, but it will work only if money is poured into training. In a dream world, we would improve education at all levels. And in 30 years we would emerge with new strength, an immunity from drugs and crime, and beyond mere tolerance, a true love and compassion for each other that would transcend racial and ethnic boundaries. We could improve the health of the planet and overcome many health issues of our times in the bargain. But we would have to develop new relationships with business, the media, and the military. Government would redefine itself.

Government cannot impose wisdom or values upon the society it serves (or professes to serve). All such changes, if they are sincere, must rise from within. The only way to get business to stop pushing us to buy things we don't need is for us to stop buying them. The only way to eliminate negative campaigning is for us to stop letting it work. The only way to eliminate drugs from our society is for the people to stop using. The only way to eliminate crime is to give people a chance to be gainfully employed in healthier ways and train some in a whole new way of thinking. The homeboy in an L.A. street gang knows nothing of the assurance with which a white male prep school graduate can go into an Ivy League school—rubbing elbows with the creme de la creme and virtually guaranteed to do so for the rest of his life. Whether the preppie will develop altruistic values or the ability to handle money and power well is another thing, but his security was virtually assured from birth because his family knew the protocol.

We have to teach the protocols of success to the homeboy. It may not involve Ivy League schools, but there are other protocols of success out there. Only then will we have a free society at peace with itself. In order to preserve our freedom to commit a crime (and suffer the consequences), we must develop the will not to within every person.

As we rectify these past wrongs, we have to make sure that the remedy isn't worse than the disease. The Congress wants to address these problems—we all do—but I believe that they are going about it in the wrong way; and I think that most of the American public agrees with me, but perhaps for less coherent reasons. It's not easy to understand our society, our culture. I'm sure that I don't, although I work very hard at it?

In the long run, all these problems will be self-correcting. A population that is treated unfairly by its government, not given a chance to make its way, will rise up against those that have the power. The 1992 elections illustrated to many people the power that they have through voting. It also illustrated the power of disinformation and the insidious strength of organized manipulative campaigning—a frightening prospect in the face of a gullible and relatively uneducated public. The media must take more of a stand to present the truth. Ultimately, the self-correction could come in the form of a planet which will no longer support the life-form homo sapiens.

Hopefully, it will not come to that. In fact, I have great hope as we enter a new Saturn cycle through the zodiac. I think we will find more palatable and truly helpful ways out of the welfare system. Somehow we have to give workers rights (and responsibilities) on a par with those held by business. We can't continue to prevent them from getting gainful employment and then punish them for not getting it. We (the media/government) can't continue to lie about the state of our economy. Yes, the unemployment rate is 5%, but are the people employed at what they were doing before, at the same standard of living? Are they full- or part-time employed?

In our move to a peacetime economy, we will encounter many shortfalls and awkward spots in our personal lives as well as in the larger trends as our culture struggles to grow. We must not blame ourselves if we have done the best we could but still appear guilty in the eyes of the financial institutions or other bastions of society. Our society is run on a materialist—and a materialistic—ethic. If we have accepted the role of being here to show the way to a new way of life, that path will not be without its difficulties. Still, we will make it through. We may be designed by timing and location to fulfill a certain purpose, one that we may have had a hand in choosing; but how we fulfill it is a function of focus and attitude—things within our direct control. The difference between a miserable life and a happy life in spite of everything lies in these things we can control.

Over the next four months, the cosmos will keep us hopping. There's scarcely a moment's rest to catch our breath, but there's also progress!

MAY: What Did I Get Myself Into?

If in April we boldly marched forward into action on the dreams we carried with us into the month; in May we may be wondering how we are going to cope with what we have started. This is because two planets turn retrograde (backward) right at the beginning of the month, after the full moon.

If you have planned well, you may find yourself ready to execute your plans, set to stabilize them through four months of sustained effort. This will have to do with efforts begun in January. Did you pick up something right at the first of the year, determined to start out fresh and really accomplish something? Perhaps it was something you had put off for a long time like me. Then, full of hope and optimism, you embark on the process. Now you find out what else is required next on the way. Perhaps your plan needs some fine-tuning, or perhaps you have proceeded as planned, and it's time to begin executing the next step. The whole process, whatever it holds will take 13 months to complete; but you will see its real potential begin to be fulfilled in early July, and its greatest potential reached in October and November. This cycle has to do with processes and issues of personal fulfillment—career advancement, love, money, education, enterprise, and the development of status.

During the next four months, you will be dealing with issues of the earth and how to bring dreams into reality. Progress may seem slow, but it needs to be that way—slow and steady. However, for the next three weeks, until the end of the month, it may seem as if life is throwing you a few curves. You may be asking yourself questions like, Are my values in the right place? Do I have enough money/love/resources/skills to do this? You will also be likely to be taking actions of completion—taking care of that filing, making those put-off phone calls, and suffering the effects of procrastination and lack of focus. If your focus has been good for the last four months, this is a time of miracles. At no other time in our lives (as these quarterly three-week periods) are we closer to the Source, to receiving and understanding communications from the inner realms. It's as if what's inside us is an open book and we can read it easily where other times it is a mystery. This is also the time to redress issues that have gone unsatisfied. Fervent prayers are answered if they are sent forth. This is also a good time to reverse your priority list. Get some things done on the bottom of the list that you just never seem to get to.

With the full moon coming right at the time that the planetary reversal occurs, you may feel a lot of tension. You may feel as if a lot of activity needs to be squeezed into a small space and time. This comes on the heels of Neptune's station to retrograde at the end of April, tension on the heels of disillusionment (another word for clarity). Disillusionment is necessary to break through illusion. The sooner we let go of our emotional attachment to what is not or cannot be, the sooner we can get on with what is or can be. This is the time to eliminate what you no longer need, so follow the example of the planets—clarity/disillusionment to elimination to release—and you'll have made it through yet another one of life's little passages.

This process can be codified into the cellular level of consciousness through ritual—at the new moon, full moon, and at Beltane, since you want to assist both a monthly and a yearly process. Beltane occurs on the first of the month, traditional May Day, but the astrological event upon which Beltane is based falls late on May 4th for the Pacific Time Zone. As you might suspect, you may not feel like taking a pause to smell the roses, but that's the time when it is most necessary. This festival of flowers and the splendor of spring is a time of feeling the fertility of growth within us, for each of us partakes in the growth process every year according to the cycles of the sun. By the way, remember that it is not spring everywhere. This is the time of the Samhain experience in the Southern Hemisphere—it's important to balance our awareness with what else is happening on the globe.

You may think it's too early in the year for fireworks, but you can bet there'll be some on or around the 8th. In terms of the cycles of violence, actions based on explosive emotionalism will be evident now. But if you want to use the energies a different way, meditate, move slowly, don't get ahead of yourself. Accidents due to haste and losing one's center can occur at this time. Otherwise, it can be an awakening of a more uplifting nature; kundalini experiences (a.k.a. spiritual growth) may occur at this time, whether or not you know what's happening. (The symptoms can run the full range of internal human experiences, but their main characteristics are that they shift constantly, seeming to relate to energies rather than cells and organs. They also do not show up in standard medical diagnostics, responding primarily to more subtle energy healing techniques.) People around you are not likely to be very centered; reaction times will be quick, and people may jump to conclusions or act in haste, repent in leisure. If you have pent up anger, it will surely want to surface now. This is a good time for awareness, to be sure, but use that energy wisely, through gentle physical exercise, energy clearing practices, or meditation and therapy.

On the 14th, the new four-month cycle begins which rules our daily commerce and activities. If you feel the urge to start something new at this time on this level, you won't be alone. However, feel free to continue the completion processes begun at the start of the month if necessary.

As usual, we will get a well-deserved rest at the new moon on the 17th. Be sure to take some time to replenish. You'll be working smarter, not harder, as a result—and I assure you, you'll still get as much done! By taking the time to go inside now, you'll be able to get focused on those issues of love, respect, value, and beauty. What is beautiful to you? What do you want out of life and how can your focus over the next month help you to fulfill that?

On the 19th a seemingly minor event will occur that will undoubtedly pass unnoticed by all but the most alert, yet it is a milestone of sorts and provides the framework for some of the events we are experiencing now, bespeaking a process 9 years in the making thus far and about 44 years in length. Obviously, this carries a deep significance because of its length. It has to do with the balance of the old and new, the traditional and the innovative. Now we have an opportunity to open the door to new ways for these to blend together, to find cooperation between these apparently opposing forces. It's also a time when we can assimilate changes more easily into our lives. However, those of us with planets in Pisces may find ourselves in a dilemma that is not easy to solve, but which will gradually dissipate if we are patient. We can hope that, in spite of terrorist events, threats and disasters, government and other institutions will take this opportunity to move toward balance, peace, and the good of all.

Have you felt lately like buying things? Maybe that car or piano you've been putting off getting? Or maybe you've been thinking of breaking up with your lover, or you're finally thinking you might be ready to meet someone. Or you could just be thinking of taking better care of yourself. Well, you're in time with the season—it's Venus' time to cover old territory. She will turn retrograde on the 19th. Any and all of these themes will crop up for all of us, with an emphasis on communication, and on getting to know what we really are instead of just what we want to believe that we are. We may get in touch with our dark side, which isn't so bad, because we need to know all of ourselves, and until we do, we can't really love ourselves. Usually we're not so flawed as we think.

Venus' cycle lasts for about 18 months; the last one began in October. Its retrograde period lasts for about 7 weeks. Most difficulties that arise during that time are due to relationship interactions, the underlying difficulty being a lack of self-confidence. This could be a hard time for Geminis if they fear self-discovery, for Virgos if they are too attached to their reputation, for Sagittarians if they think all their relationship problems are because of their partner, and for Pisces if they like to hide from their feelings.

The sun enters Gemini on the 20th—time to lighten up and enjoy, if that's possible when so many things are changing. Sometimes we need to start thinking of things a new way during this time, especially with all the planets leading us to rethink right now. Give it a try, dare to be different!

There's no escape on the 22nd. At least, it's not wise, and we are learning about our escape issues right now. We all have them. In the past, we would have heard about someone who's gotten mad as hell and they're not taking it any more. Now, however, they're more likely to see what's coming and run for the hills. Issues arising at this time have to do with a new cycle begun just before Thanksgiving. You can look forward to them resolving themselves rapidly after August 10th. You may feel as though you have arrived after many months of hard work. This is likely to impact those with mutable placements (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces). Scorpios, you finally get a rest!

On the 27th, Mercury returns to its normal direction, and we can return to normal consciousness, normal levels of commerce. This comes just before the full moon, on June 1st, so this full moon may release some pent up energies. New insights will pop up like spring flowers, and you will be able to apply your new ingenuity with renewed vigor, since your energy levels should be up now too.

JUNE: Romance Is In the Air

Relationships are the issue for the month of June. Learning to communicate better, to know ourselves better so that we can be more truthful, becoming more direct but with compassion are all components of this process. We have experienced a lot of confusion since the breakdown of traditional courtship and male/female roles which began in the 60's—and I don't know that even the old ways were so healthy. What precepts, what attitudes should we take into a relationship to succeed in the 21st century? You can get some good ideas from a book called Love, An Inner Connection, by Carol K. Anthony. Although she is a student of the I Ching, she takes a universal approach suggested by its deepest philosophy. Taking the time to build trust is the most important factor in a strong relationship, in her view.

The planetary hits are less concentrated in June, but we will be involved in dealing with the effects of the events of May throughout the summer. On the 4th, we may notice a focus on health and healing, tying in with experiences and issues begun around September 25th and escalated on about January 28th. Here, relationships and balance are strong themes, for we may have recognized ways in which we are wounded and ways to find better harmony within ourselves. Idealism will run high as we pour our energy into healing the past to create a better present.

On the 10th, we start that new Venus cycle which will carry a theme of emphasizing the equality in relationship. There may be more awareness of the importance of sibling relationships in our early development, and twins may be in the news. At the beginning of this 18-month cycle, we start new and renew old relationships. Whether conscious or unconscious, we all consider: What needs to be accomplished in this relationship over the next 18 months? What are our goals together? Since it is better to be conscious than unconscious of these processes, discussing these questions with your partner and others in close relationship to you will go far toward improving your chance of success. This cycle also has to do with purchasing cycles, and you may set goals for some lofty economic ends now.

On the 13th, we get another one of those potential terrorist/violence triggers. It could also precipitate changes that have been pending, the peak of a cycle begun October 19th. If you thought zealotry was strong before, you find a new and possibly more ominous meaning of the word in the events around this date. I don't want to cast doom and gloom, but we know how those who have fallen prey to dark forces can succumb to the worst manifestations of these energies at such times. The shooting of the 28 kindergartners in Dumlane, Scotland came under a planetary configuration of similar impact. That it was in an educational system suggests the new, horrifying possibilities of Pluto's new Sagittarian message with those who are already imbalanced. For yourself, be aware of what's happening deep inside you as much as possible; it will emerge to the surface at this time. The alert and aware will be able to weather the storm quite easily, and it can have beneficial effects—it is a time to bring about a shift in the flow of energies, to tip the scales in favor of a new balance, because transformation is in the air (and Fire!). The ancient alchemists would have rejoiced at such an occurrence, because it is a good time to use ritual to precipitate change. (But be careful what you ask for—you will get it! You must be able to control your thoughts when dealing with Pluto.)

Coming near to the new moon, the impact of this energy will be dispersed over the coming month, and a good thing, too. For a dispersed energy is a less concentrated energy, and it may be released through negotiations and reflection. This lunar cycle will emphasize communication leading to emotional well being. Intuition will play a major role, and positive changes will be possible throughout the month.

The sun enters Cancer on the 20th, the beginning of summer and the time of Midsummer celebrations. This is the time of the Goddess' fullness—still before the harvest, but when Her growth is most resplendent. Similarly, in our affairs, we can rejoice in the fullness of the moment and in anticipation of what is to come, even though our own personal harvest has not yet fulfilled itself. This is the beginning of the month when family affairs assume greater prominence in our lives. The kids are out of school, and the days and vacations are long and warm. We gather together more to share in the joys of comfort and pleasure and to nurture each other.

Relationship issues really grab our focus on the 29th, and it may bring to us unusual and perhaps inappropriate attractions and unions with others. You won't know right away what the outcome will be—it will take until September 3rd for that. It'll all be in a fog, with lots of fantasy and romance, if human nature runs true to course.

Ah, the full moon, a heady experience under the best of circumstances, will add to the emotional fervor on the 30th. New awareness and some awkward truth(s) may emerge.

JULY:
The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

As Venus turns to direct motion on the 1st, our fantasy romances may crumble. We may see in the coming months the real hard work which the new relationships require of us, and which renewed old relationships require to be a success in their own, new way. We may be chastened, even chagrined, by our past foolishness and feel as if we are moving forward into a strange New World. In the myth, Inanna (Venus) was stripped of Her flesh by the Queen of the Underworld during the 7 weeks of the retrograde, yet She is reborn and emerges a warrioress, ready to move forward in Her quest for Her love. And so we must be.

On the 4th, we reach the midpoint and culmination of the cycle of personal fulfillment begun around January 1st. You may be able to anticipate the answer to the question; Will my efforts at personal fulfillment and expansion be achieved? You won't have reached that plateau in your efforts until after the 3rd of September, but you may see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Actually, you will never be busier than you are right now.

After some tension on the 8th, you will need to make some decisions about what projects to put more effort into and which to drop around the 10th. You're probably overextended, and you need to specialize more or pull in the reins in some other way.

The new moon comes on the 15th, bringing the questions, What do I need to nurture? What will best nurture it? Ingenuity mixed with a romantic or imaginative approach will color the answers to these questions that we have at this time. Our minds can receive input over the next week to the inner realms, so open up and receive! On the 18th we will need to address two separate cans of worms (or better, if you do well with Saturn and Neptune). We began to -er- read the label on the Saturn can on March 17th, considering its contents. The contents are just popping out now, and they have to do with plans, obligations and responsibilities. Although we made plans and projections in mid-March, we were unable to see the change in playing field, in the game that occurred in April. Since then we've made major adjustments, and now we will see how effective these adjustments may be. The other event on this date involves Neptune, the dreamer of dreams. The issues encountered here relate to ideas and experiences on or around January 21st which we became more fully aware of about May 8th. This Neptune peak may bring us more awareness of illusion, or the culmination of well-used spirituality and imagination. This will be fulfilled by October 8th.

On the 22nd, the sun enters Leo. Summer's heat is here, and we all want to stretch and yawn and let someone else do the work. This is a month for languishing and playing. At the water, the antidote for heat, is where you'll find anyone who can get to it.

Remember the fireworks promised on May 8th? We reach the culmination of this yearly cycle on the 24th. The weather promises to be extreme, and our feelings may be, too. But there was never a better time for understanding and upliftment, for optimism in the face of certain change.

The 27th suggests a theme of healing relationships by moving in new directions. All this is in the midst of the other concerns triggered during the month—you can bet your plate will be full. However, dealing with the relationship issue forthrightly could make all the other situations easier to deal with successfully. The full moon comes on the 30th and universalizes our personal interests and pursuits. We may be more objective now, more sociable and ready to smile.

AUGUST:
Coasting Into Fall

Get ready to roll up your sleeves in the first two weeks of August, because the work has just begun! It will bring its reward, however, because the harvest time is upon us! The early harvest comes now, with Lammas. It's time to celebrate and give thanks for this time of return for your efforts. There is more to come, and we must be mindful of preparing for the time of darkness not too far off, for the sun is fading in its brilliance even now.

Sustained effort will get you through the first ten days of August—the planets will not remove your attention from your goals by presenting any major new issues or hurdles to get over. On the 10th we get a release of the transformational energies related to the cycle begun before Thanksgiving and culminating in late May. Look forward to a quick resolution to these situations now. You can see what you will gain quite clearly now.

The new moon on the 14th focuses on the use of personal initiative to succeed, the best ways to take advantage of the position we now find ourselves in.

On the 22nd, the sun enters Virgo. The days are shorter, the nights cooler, and we become more industrious in preparation for the activities of the fall. In traditional cultures, we would be busy preserving the crops that inundate us at this time. In modern cultures twice removed from the earth, we buy school clothes and register students, but it's still getting ready for the quiet and inward focus of winter.

The full moon comes on the 28th, bringing dreams of frosty nights and crisp winter days to give a context for our reality at this time. We can pour these new insights into our efforts at this time, made practical by the earthy routines we will naturally turn to.

August is a sleepy month, a time to get a handle on the events up to this point in 1996. The fall will see the pace pick up again, and we will once more be called upon to move forward at the edge of our comfort zone. It is only in placing our trust and faith in the Goddess and Her mighty consort that we can move into our fullest potential in these uncertain times. (Have there ever been anything else?) Just remember to tie your camel, too!

Blessed Be!

Terry Lamb is an astrologer, writer, speaker and instructor living in the San Diego area. She may be reached at (619) 589-1774 or TerryLamb1@aol.com for bookings, appointments, and information on local or correspondence courses.