NMR ISSUE 9

An Introduction to Modern Practical Alchemy
Astrological Forecast 9
Birth and Education of a Magician
Calling up the Spirits of Our Ancestors
Editorial
Electric Almanac
Harvest Equinox Sunstead
Obsidian
Protection from the Intoxicated
Raven, Bear and Grizzly Bear
Tarot Images
The Oldest Magick
The Spirit's Dance
The Story of Two Bridges
The Time of Spirits Samhain
The Ugly Witch Figures
Witchcraft: Yesterday and Today

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Rituals
Book Reviews
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ASTROLOGICAL FORECAST

September—October, 1990

Terry Lamb, M.A.

Major Planetary Event

It's been a summer of great changes. The energy of the triple conjunction in Capricorn is beginning to disperse. Oh, there's still a great deal to go, but with Saturn in its New Phase to Uranus and Neptune, we can begin to restructure our lives. We have seen the decay around us. I have finally been able to feel some energy of newness in my life. I feel as if I have spent the last two years of my life in a holding pattern, shuffling and reshuffling, working and reworking my tasks, sense of purpose, priorities, commitments and faith in myself.

The rebirthing has brought beautiful things—a new world in Eastern Europe and the U.S.S.R., a growth of new consciousness in so many people I see. The flare-up of an old festering wound in the Middle East has brought unbelievable solidarity among all superpowers, a situation which at this writing is yet unresolved.

SEPTEMBER: September brings to us the unraveling of the knots tied during the first half of the year. The Full Moon in Virgo falls on September 4th. This will herald a time of harvest, a call to service and study, an emphasis on analysis in our lives. We may be asked to show our dedication to an ideal. The new Mercury cycle officially begins on September 7th carrying a theme forward for 31/2 months of the same Virgoan considerations.

The return of planets to direct motion colors the remainder of September—oh, what a relief it is! Uranus goes direct on September 14th, Mercury on the 18th, Saturn on the 22nd and Neptune on the 23rd. The general impression that this will leave with us is one of rapid activity rectifying situations we may have felt stuck in. In the middle of this (the 18th), the Virgo New Moon falls, so the seeds of these changes will not reach culmination until the Full Moon on October 4th.In the meantime, the Sun enters Libra, marking the Fall Equinox. At this time, Light and Darkness balance. We thank the Lord and Lady that rule these energies for their participation in this cosmic drama and for the harvest that our energies are producing as a result of this year's efforts. September ends, however, with a critical aspect: the Sun's square to Uranus. This is likely to bring more activity in the areas of the world (and our lives) currently experiencing revolution. OCTOBER: During October, we encounter yet another challenge. We face this one every two years, but nearly everyone has difficulty with it. This is the retrograde transit of Mars. This typically brings out the worst in people in a world where aggression and anger are very poorly understood and handled. How can we get the best out of this transit? Keep your energies flowing continuously. Feel what you feel. Allow yourself to express your anger. Forget about how the other person will react. Most importantly, look for the fear behind the anger, irritation or frustration. When we become angry about something, a fear lurks behind our aggressiveness. Are you angry at the guy who just cut you off on the freeway? Did he not also make you fear for your life? Are you angry at your mother for the love she never expressed to you? Perhaps you fear that she really doesn't love you. Use this as a time of revelation about your own personal energies. Because your anger will be closer to the surface, it provides an opportunity to encounter your fears. Once you have done this, you will have uprooted the need to express anger because you will not feel it (at least as much). This transit will last until January 3rd, so the holiday season coming up could be difficult in what is already a trying time for many people. Furthermore, we will notice the effects of Mars' deceleration before it actually turns tail. We will feel it particularly strongly from October 5th until it turns retrograde, because the Sun, Mercury and Venus are all squaring the planets in Capricorn from Libra. This period brings up themes of violence and aggression on a worldwide level, and I am concerned about the Middle East during this time. The 5th through the 10th should be the most critical part of October. What can we expect on a personal level? First, we can expect that it will affect those people with placements in the first half of mutable signs and the last few degrees of fixed signs, since Mars is retrograding from 14 of Gemini to 27 Taurus. If you have planets conjuncted, squared or opposed by Mars during this period, you can expect to be affected accordingly. For instance, I am very heavily affected, since my Sun in Virgo and ascendant in Pisces is square to Mars' transit, while my natal Mars will be opposed by transiting Mars. This will bring up relationship issues for me. The squares to the planets in Capricorn will bring us a completion of growth processes began in January of this year and activated during the summer months. The Full Moon on the 4th will bring us illumination with a theme of dealing with aggressive energies in an assertive but peaceful fashion. The New Moon on the 18th will bring a new cycle of emotional growth revolving around transforming relationships. This effect is heightened by the square of the Sun to Chiron on the 20th.On the 21st, the Sun and Mercury conjunct, bringing to the halfway point of the Mercury cycle begun in early September. From now on, general activity and commerce will be more conservative in nature. Shortly thereafter, the Sun enters Scorpio, bringing a theme of transformation into our lives for the next 30 days. This begins the year-ending feeling that precedes All Hallow's, when the world finally succumbs once again to the reign of the Lord of Darkness, giving the light a rest. This allows us to be rejuvenated. Look for what you want to banish from your life at this time, and what you want to be reborn within you. Within this rebirth is the larger rebirth of the ages ruled by the triple conjunction energies in Capricorn. You can make this a special time of transformation by (re) dedicating yourself to the task of nurturing our Mother back to health, as well as all Her creatures. We must find ways to let all creatures on our planet know that they were born blessed with the Love of the Goddess. There is no need to fear or attack, only to love and rejoice. May we all join hands to spread the love and life of the Goddess! Blessed be!