NMR ISSUE 44

Astrological Forecast 44
Celtic Perspective on Samhain
Editorial 44
Empowering Your Imagination
Esoteric Symbology of the Tarot
How to Vote for Your Kids
Jaguar
Letters 44
Murry Hope
Namaste, Part II
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Pagan Safety
Ritual for Samhain
Spirit's dance
The Angel's Kiss
The Corn Wolf
Things That Go Bump in the Night
Wasp, Bobwhite & Barracuda

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Astrological Forecast

September November, 1996

By Terry Lamb

Unraveling the Threads of the Past

I don't know about you, but for me, life has changed dramatically. It's not a matter of externals, because little has changed there on the surface. It's all internal, and I have found that perspective is everything. For years, I have worked on this inner/outer thing (and if you're reading this, chances are you have too). Now there seems less of a split. I can look at my chart and say that some of the planetary experiences I have had would suggest this, particularly with Pluto transiting my Mars in the 9th house in, of course, Sagittarius. I think, however, that this is part of the effect of Pluto in Sagittarius, which anyone may be experiencing or be able to experience. Sagittarius is opposite Gemini, and signs in opposition show opposite qualities. Gemini, the Twins, is about splits in understanding, and coming to terms with and mending them. Sagittarius blends them all up in one soup, universalizes them. Under Sagittarius, all things become One, as we transcend the logical mind and its linear process.

Under this influence, I have an emerging feeling that everything is proceeding as it should be. (I suppose I would feel differently if _________ won the election!) The storms in my life may be only a day away, but they are not here yet, so I am at peace.

This quarter we take several seemingly small steps that can give us clues to a much bigger picture if we know where and how to look. Several planetary events occur which are part of much larger cycles that started some time ago, the most exciting of which is the sextile between Uranus and Pluto. In fact, all the planets beyond Jupiter are dancing together right now apace. If Jupiter seems the interloper, out of step with the other slow-movers, he's just the roving Zeus, wreaking havoc in his own way but sowing seeds of growth everywhere. He'll join in the cotillion this winter and for most of next year. To the deux—deux (deus—deus?) of the heavies, Jupiter will add a note of renewal, a new melody but enough of that for now. Let's look at what the others are contributing to this cosmic suite.

The dancers are Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. For several years now, Uranus and Neptune have been speaking as nearly one voice, indistinguishable from each other, but in the past nine months, they have started to differentiate as Uranus entered Aquarius. The pas-de-deux of Uranus and Neptune has been receiving all the fanfare of the last few years, with the falling of the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the reinvention of everything from soup to nuts. Technically, they have been conjunct each other, an event which occurs every 176 years, surely a cycle of great importance and about which I have written in previous forecasts at length. Although they are separating, they are still dancing together; their stations and solar oppositions are still within days of each other. We often experience the effects of the Moon's aspects to them on the same day, and the angles trigger them each day within 20 minutes of each other (that's four times a day, about 8 hours apart). That amounts to thousands of opportunities to re-think, re-invent, re-do, re-model, or completely jump off the cliff of your current reality!

During 1993 and 94, Uranus was reaching out to catch Pluto (by sextile), and in 1995 he finally succeeded. We are still enjoying this synchronization this year, but with a new flavor, since both planets are in their new signs, with fresh flourishes to their signatures, teaching novel lessons as they go.

But none of this would be quite as spectacular if we didn't have that old manifestor himself, Saturn, stepping in time with the others. With a trine to Pluto, a sextile to Uranus and a quintile to Neptune, much can be accomplished now! Things that we have had to put on hold, felt a lack of direction about, couldn't seem to get around to all of them, just seem to be falling into place. It's as if, for me, I'm finally removing the rocks from my head! Things that seem in retrospect as though they should have been self-evident now are. Somebody turned the lights on!

Finally, Saturn is opposing Chiron, challenging us to ground those inner experiences that usually remain a whisper in the backs of our minds. Now we are being asked to bring them to the forefront and make them a part of who we are. The arena for this is self vs. other, or if we get it right, self and other. We must use this grounding of our transformational and transitional experiences to blend selfhood and otherness, whether that is in a person or place or simply what is not inside us. If we can do this, the healing of old wounds takes place.

In addition, we have one more planetary phenomenon that is of a more frequent and more personal nature. It involves an unusual series of Venus-Mars conjunctions, one involving Venus retrograde. While normally Mars and Venus conjunct about once every two years, about once every six years three conjunctions take place over nine months because of the Venus retrograde. As I write this, Venus has just turned direct and made the 2nd (retrograde) conjunction to Mars, and the third will occur this Fall. This cycle has to do with relationships, values, and (on a direct, more personal level) how we go about getting what we want, dealing with desire and objects of desire.

All these phenomena provide background to the more common occurrences that we experience on a more regular basis that we rely on. This Fall is a mixture of the warp and woof of the dependable and the extraordinary in planetary phenomena, making this a time to unravel the threads of the past in the present so that we can co-create our future with the God/dess within.

SEPTEMBER:
Reaping a Harvest of Balance

If you're a bit foggy-headed anyway, you'll be in top form on the 2nd! Never was there a better time to romanticize blindly about something, like a relationship, for instance. Nor was there ever a better time to get in touch with the inner connectedness that you share with another person that found on a soul level. How can you tell the difference? It's not easy, but generally, the sense of connectedness occurs just before the ego rushes in to blow it out of proportion with our emotions, creating exhilaration at the thought of somebody loves me or fear at the thought of what if it doesn't last. I know you'll be able to take it from here!

This is, unfortunately, a good time to get conned, forget to lock your car and find your tape player missing, these sorts of things. For this reason I issue the caveat, uttered by a Sufi sage some long time ago, Trust in God, but tie your camel.

On the 3rd, we get the famed 3rd of three conjunctions of Venus to Mars. For the record, the first two occurred on November 22nd last year, and on June 29th. This should bring about a final realization about what you have experienced over the past nine months with respect to your relationships specifically and your desires more generally and how to fulfill them. I know for me, it was time (over the past 9 months) to turn the cosmic roto-router on and clear out the dregs of some old relationships, feelings and behaviors that I was still holding on to.

As if that weren't enough, on the same day we get the burst of revelation and perhaps foolish optimism that only Jupiter can bring! Jupiter makes its final station of its yearly cycle, turning direct in Capricorn. Previous dates of some significance where Jupiter is concerned are December 18th, May 4th, and July 4th. By now, issues that come up on or around these dates should be resolving themselves. If you want to move ahead while Mercury is direct, though you'll have to be able to wait until after September 26th, because it turns retrograde today as well. However, I never recommend letting Mercury run your life. It's a little like waiting for the rain in southern California: if it ever happens, it will probably be too late. (Don't get me going on my philosophy about embracing life.)

Instead, I have found Mercury retrograde periods (the 3 weeks every 4 months when Mercury appears to go backward through the Zodiac) to be excellent for getting in touch with that inner voice that we all have, listening within, because the doorway is wide open during this brief period. Since many people don't know how to listen to that voice (or don't even know that they have one), Mercury retrogrades have gained a reputation of something to be feared and avoided if possible. However, that is not the intention; in fact, intention is the key word here, because whatever you set your intention to is what is fulfilled during Mercury retrogrades! Since most people don't know about setting intention, life flies at them willy-nilly during that time, trying to send them a message, give them a hint of what the possibilities are. However, if you do know how to set your intention (and what good Pagan doesn't?), Mercury retrogrades can be times of magical occurrences and insights. In accordance with the cycles, your intention may have been set as long ago as the last Mercury retrograde; and if it is a big issue governed by other, slower moving planets, you will receive confirmation of progress on the path during the retrograde, but closure will wait until the relevant slower-moving bodies complete their process (es).

Happily, the next few days give us a chance to catch our breath, although relationship changes are likely to occur through the 11th, perhaps unexpectedly on the latter date. With the New Moon on the 12th, we may internalize what has happened, and after that the drive to act will have left. We may find that we want to spend some time adjusting to the changes we've made, or if we didn't act, wishing we had.

On the 19th, Uranus and Pluto reach their exact sextile. Although this aspect has been in the heavens for about a year and a half, there may be signals of what this cycle holds for us at around this time. They should be signs of encouragement and warning coming through reports of trends, not dramatic events. The seeds of this time were planted back in the mid-sixties, when Uranus and Pluto conjuncted. Their conjunction occurs about once every 127 years. The last conjunction occurred at the last degrees of Aries in 1850-51, the time when slavery became a critical issue in the U.S. The energies of this conjunction strongly suggest emancipation. There is an explosive force which those who lived during the sixties or were born then are very familiar with. On the macro scale, this is a time when the path to equality of all peoples could be advanced through changes in awareness of how this may be achieved. Although we're groping in the darkness because the cycle is still relatively new, some insights will be gained. I have seen three issues arise as a part of this struggle for freedom and equality: the debates over affirmative action, (de)segregation, and ethnic segregation (as in Bosnia, Chechinyitsa, etc.). I would expect to see further debate over these issues, and perhaps a little light shed on them around this time. In our own lives, we have the opportunity to emancipate ourselves in some way. It is a doorway that is opened but a crack, so we must be alert to the subtleties of life at this time to take advantage of it. (With Mercury retrograde at this time, we may be better able to tune in to the crack in the cosmic egg here.)

On the 22nd, the Sun enters Libra, and day and night are equal in length. This is the time to celebrate Mabon. Get ready for the darkening of the Light: get your harvest and give thanks for what the yearly cycle has brought to you. Now the Sun King gives way to the Crone energy, and we begin our time of rest, restoration and gathering of wisdom and understanding. Seeking balance in your life has never been more appropriate than now. Set your intention for peace and renewal during the coming months of relative darkness.

The 26th is another red-letter day. We have three planetary events: Mercury returns to direct motion, we reach the peak of the Saturn cycle, and we experience a Full Moon/lunar eclipse. The eclipse is total and will provide great evening viewing for the western half of the U.S. (You kiddies on the east coast will have to stay up a little late to see it.) If I had to say in a few words what this pile up of energies means (and I do), I'd choose the buck stops here. Mercury's station suggests a return to externalizing its energy that means a return to normal consciousness (whatever that is), speaking out on the basis of the new insights we've just gained. The Saturn cycle peak relates to events that occurred on or around March 17th and July 18th. This is a time of relative enlightenment regarding your Saturn process. Unfortunately, Saturnian enlightenments tend to hit us rather hard over the head! However, if you have done well with Saturn, you will be able to see the statue forming within the stone. Yes, there's still work to do, but a chip here, a chip there, and bit by bit you have it. That's Saturn's process. Finally, the Full Moon puts everything out in the open, on the table where everyone can see it. This could be a crisis in the making, especially if you talk yourself into it, which is what happens most of the time anyway, right?

At the end of the month, you may feel more confident than usual and be willing to push the envelope, to leave your comfort zone for some new adventure or challenge in life. There is lots of relationship (or values) stuff going on at the same time, so your boldness may move you someplace new in that arena.

OCTOBER: The Release of the Arrow

You'll be looking for deeper values and searching for more depth in relationships as October begins. You may experience a process on the 4th (new euphemism for the old euphemism growth experience). Something may come out into the open that needs to be understood better, or it may just be a good day for sex! No matter what, things resolve on a good note, but maybe not until tomorrow.

The biggest events of the month are Neptune's and Uranus's stations to direct motion on the 6th and 9th, respectively. With their changes in direction so close together, they form a single event in our experience, although there are surely two layers to that experience. There is nothing blocking our direct experience of their energies at that time, so be prepared for the big release to occur on and around these dates! Related dates which tie into events at this time are for Neptune: January 15th, April 29th, and July 18th; and for Uranus: January 21st, May 8th, and July 24th. Whatever situation(s) came up at these times should carry a theme, and will be resolved in some way during this part of October.

There are other major events in October as well, but they are fewer and further between. On the 12th, the New Moon/solar eclipse in Libra occurs, the last one of the series that we've been experiencing for the last 18 or so months. (Us Virgo/Pisces types get our turn next!) When there is an eclipse on the New Moon, the energies are very strong. A great time to set an intention for the next six months. Your focus will be naturally drawn to the area(s) that need (re) working for you. The New Moon is always a time to focus on personal growth, so take advantage of the available power for your own use at this time because on the 13th, we begin a new cycle of transformation and healing. This energy can be added into your process at the time of the eclipse. The balance of the masculine and feminine, or of any two oppositional energies that you can imagine, is a good focus for the coming year.

New understanding can lead to more changes in relationships through the 17th. You may be stimulated to start a new project on that date as well. However, over the next few days, you may have a tendency to overdo the action part a little, in particular on the 21st.

The Sun moves into Scorpio on the 22nd, a time of going deep within and experiencing the power and intensity of our source energies. We feel our emotions more now and are less likely to be satisfied by surface explanations or distracting detail.

The Full Moon on the 26th brings us to new insights into how to bring the power within us into manifestation into the world around us. It is a good time to affirm the inner-to-outer process that governs our experience of the universe. The energies of Mercury are strong over the next few days, so be prepared for new insights, a period of studiousness, and maybe some of the side effects of overdoing Mercury; anxiety, nervousness, muscular tension.

Relationships receive a boost at the end of the month. Unlike earlier this Fall, changes will flow smoothly this time. However, on the 30th through the 1st, we have a rather difficult energy that carries the potential for frustration and violence and given the record of events surrounding secular Hallowe'en (Devil's Night and so forth), we may see more than the usual shenanigans this year. However, it could also mean that law enforcement will be extra prepared and head off the problem before it occurs (which may increase the frustration).

On a lighter note, Samhain, the Pagan celebration, is usually a sober ritual of letting go, banishing what is not wanted for the future, allowing to die what needs to go (and we all need some of that!). It is the time when the Crone reigns supreme; the power of ancient wisdom is available. Although most celebrate Samhain on October 31st, it is meant to celebrate the solar cross quarter that occurs on November 7th.

NOVEMBER: A Little Bit of Everything, But Not Too Much of Anything

November could be called astrology lite. There's not a lot going on this month, but if the 2nd is any indication, it will be a challenging month all the same. As I often remind my clients and readers, sometimes a breather for the planets just means that we have time to feel the impact of what's been going on before, and we may be busier than ever. But the 2nd will give us much food for thought. Do you remember what you experienced on June 13th? Well, it will be more of the same, involving Mars and Pluto. Mars and Pluto are a powerful combination. Whether as an inner process or an external event, Mars pierces the shell protecting us from Pluto's intense force, unleashing its energies into our lives. For me, in June, I experienced a series of powerful spiritual energies and awakenings. It was the right time for that with what was going on in my chart. My mother, on the other hand, had emergency surgery, and my youngest son suffered a broken arm. Not everyone has such dramatic experiences! This event is the third part of a four-step, two-year cycle.

There are, however, some very nice planetary events which occur before and after the Mars-Pluto event, which will soften its impact and make any explosiveness be likely to come out verbally or perhaps on a macro level in commuter transportation (train station bombings and so forth). However, deep awareness can bring new insights, and that is what's most likely for most people now, if they want to take advantage of this time. These energies last through the New Moon on the 10th, and if there's a little trifling with ponderous thoughts on the 7th, it only adds impact and depth to the communications which occur in its aftermath. There will be some slight escapist tendencies on the 10thtry to get them out of your system on the weekend with a drive in the country. Expect more emphasis on thought, insight and communication through the 18th, with some intensity surfacing on the 15th and 16th. (As for me, I'm planning to turn off the TV until after November 5th!)

On the 10th, another set of planetary partners step forward for their own pas de deux. Saturn and Uranus, usually perceived as archrivals, are in step with each other for once. Now the energies of tradition and structure can actually harmonize with those of innovation and intuition. This should suggest some kind of outcome for the election, but I'm not sure what. Only that the winners should be able to get along with each other fairly well for at least the next 2 (if not 4) years. For ourselves, use these energies to gently and smoothly replace old patterns with new, more relevant ones in your life. In terms of the cycles I spoke of earlier, this planetary event ties in with one which occurred in 1987-88, part of the energy which brought down the Eastern Bloc and the Berlin Wall. This 45-year cycle brings about shifts in power and structure in institutions at all levels.

On the 18th, we get one of our planetary infrequent flyers, a once-in-sixty-years event involving spiritualization and healing processes. This has to do specifically with bringing soul energies into manifestation in the three-dimensional world we live in, as well as the uplifting of our earthly energies to the level of soul. Allow these energies to penetrate over the next few days, since we will be connected to Neptune during this time. On a mundane level, we may see poisons, toxins, illnesses, or epidemics in the news. This is a great time to do a personal working to bring the energies of soul through more firmly into your being. If you are ill, doorways will be open to deep healing processes at this time, for a few days.

When the Sun enters Sagittarius, we may feel a shift of our energies to the more abstract, away from the intense. Transcendence is more the theme here, and we may feel like just lifting up out of the ashes of the phoenix, dusting ourselves off and going out for a cup of triple strength cappuccino.

The 23rd and 24th, however, promise to make the weekend before Thanksgiving a wild time. We once again have a pile up of events, this time the beginning of the new Sun-Pluto cycle coupled with the Full Moon in Sagittarius! Recall that the bombing of the Marine barracks and other such events occurred on days of the Sun's conjunction to Pluto. The World Trade Center bombing also occurred under an emphasis of Pluto's energies (its retrograde station). While I've seen worse, we can expect some people to have difficulty handling these energies. On a personal level, we might mitigate some of this by being as aware as possible of what's happening deep within us and take care not to leap to conclusions and take a position on whatever arises as the Full Moon approaches. Of course, this is a prime time for an intense Esbat, bringing in the power of truth and clarity and the strength to communicate it.

And there is no better time to attune to our sense of inner truth and clarity than during the rest of the month, when the planets are pushing us in that direction already. November ends with a reminder of the power of truth, as Jupiter connects with Pluto and takes us back to what we experienced two years before, when Jupiter and Pluto conjoined in Scorpio. A new truth will begin to emerge at this time, so tune in to your inner being to see what message lies there.

This Fall has its challenges, but we've seen those before. Challenges never come without blessings, and they abound this Fall. Take these energies with you as you set your intention in various ways during this season. Remember that when we work on ourselves, on bringing divine energies through us, we do the work of the Goddess on our planet much more profoundly than anything else we can do. So let the light shine through you, and

Blessed Be!

Terry Lamb is a Pagan and a nationally known astrologer and healer specializing in facilitating others to develop their focus and gain clarity from the perspective of the soul. She is available for presentations and consultations at (619) 589-1774.