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The October 2007 Forecast

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Why don’t I write horoscopes for each sign?

            October looks like such a nice month. Libra is nice. The contacts between the planets are nice — if you look at the list (at the end of this forecast), you’ll see an incredible amount of blue text representing harmonious contacts. So what’s the fly in the ointment? Why is there so much volatility? I can feel it, and I'll bet you can feel it too.

            In spite of appearances, there are times when we participate in energies that are larger than ourselves, and this is one of those times. This means that on the surface, all will seem well. However, underneath, the real story is something else. I invite you to understand the real story in October’s subtext. We will look at three major planetary cycles that are beginning to play themselves out this month. Although their culminations will come in the next few months or years, seeing the deeper processes at work is the only way we can successfully manage their influence on our lives.

            I’ve heard people want to associate their recent experiences on Saturn, newly gone into Virgo, but it’s not that simple. While we are awakening to a new reality now that Saturn has moved into this sign of diligence and selfless service, there are other kettles on the stove that are ready to boil. It’s too early for Saturn to prompt action — a lack of it may be more its legacy during September.

How Well Have You Done Thinking Outside the Box?

            The first of these deeper issues comes through a challenging contact between Jupiter and Uranus. The Jupiter-Uranus cycle involves innovation, invention, and enterprise. It is associated with technological advances, inventions, and scientific breakthrough. There are several perspectives to consider: the 13-year cycle of Jupiter and Uranus, the interaction of these planets in 2007, and their interaction with Pluto. The Jupiter-Uranus cycle sets a context for this year’s events in terms of a theme in your life. Something you started in early 1997 is nearing its completion now — that is, your endeavors have three more years to go before their completion. This means that you should be able to see something of how successful your plans will be. There is a “crisis” related to the type of connection they have now, which plays itself out as, “Is that all there is?” or “Did I make the most of this cycle, or waste my time?” There’s still some mystery regarding the ultimate outcome, and the next three years will resolve the mystery.

            Compare 2006 with 2007. During 2006, Jupiter and Uranus were in harmony. You may have felt like anything is possible and the sky’s the limit. You were confident, forward-looking, and bold, even risk-taking. In 2007, you began to see the reasons to be more cautious. You may have discovered difficulties with the bold steps you took, even had to back-track (or wished you could). This is the difference between the harmonious connection of 2006 and the challenging contact of 2007. Both are needed for a balanced expression in life.

Key Dates Tell the Tale of This Year’s Interaction.

            There are several dates that will tie together with the thread of one situation in your life. Once you identify the thread, you will open a window on a major process in your life. They are:

            January 22
            March 3–5
            June 5–9
            September 11
            October 9

            During these times, you may have felt a peak of anxiety, tension, or uncertainty regarding your new ventures. You may have wanted more security or felt out on a limb about something, and it may not always have worked in your favor, at least in the short run. If this sounds familiar, check these dates against the situation you think it may pertain to. Once you’ve identified the thread, you can anticipate what will be resolved in the coming months. There will be a rise of tension until the 10^th, then a release and relaxation. The crisis feeling and this year’s venture will resolve by the end of the January. The entire Jupiter-Uranus cycle ends in June 2010.

The Case of the Lurking Cycle

            There’s yet another factor, one introduced by the presence of Pluto near the end of Sagittarius. Both Jupiter and Uranus are heading toward a connection with Pluto. Jupiter is fastest, and it will reach Pluto in mid-December. This is the end of a major (13-year) cycle that began in December 1994. This cycle has to do with major shifts and expansions of power, mass social movements, especially as they affect the economy, and deaths of leaders. At the 1958–59 conjunction, Alaska and Hawai’i became the 49^th and 50^th states, Castro took control of Cuba, and the Iraqi Army seized control by assassinated King Faisal, the Crown Prince, and the Premier in Iraqi. In 1981, Reagan became US president and began implementation of his supply-driven economic policy that persists today. In 1994, the Republican Party took over the US Congress, and ethnic cleansing was the term coined to describe the horrible massacres in Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

            As this Jupiter-Pluto cycle ends, we might call it “All Passion Spent”, as the US economy may finally be losing its ability to sustain the Reaganomics model. Until Reagan’s presidency, the world economy was driven by demand. If a product or service was demanded by the population, someone would find a way to supply it. However, Reagan and his advisers decided that if economy were driven by supply, it would create more wealth. This “if you build it, they will buy” model stimulated business to put tantalizing toys in front of consumers’ eyes. Consumers responded by borrowing more and more to satisfy a “have it now” lust for everything from VCRs to Humvees. At first, they used savings, then credit cards, but as these options were tapped out, they finally turned to home equity. With the recent slide in the real estate market, this last store of wealth has been tapped out. With no wealth left to liquidate, many people are slipping out of the middle class, debt-ridden and even in foreclosure.

            As a new Jupiter-Pluto cycle starts, we will have to re-invent wealth and find new ways to grow. What is wise growth? In what ways can we solve the current economic predicament? How can keep our own individual economic boats afloat?

The Coming Jupiter-Pluto Cycle

            What will the new cycle starting in December bring us? There’s no doubt that there’s a lot of discussion of where the economy is headed. Some are predicting recession, while others are suggesting an even more profound fall. Some conditions exist which mirror those preceding the 1929 market crash (which occurred at the end of a Jupiter-Pluto cycle, comparable to where we were last fall). Many economists see no good end to the supply-driven economy. However, if we can as a world economy participate in a soft landing by curtailing our buying until our earning catches up, we may be able to avoid the effects of a worldwide downturn triggered by an economic crash in the US. At the very least, the dollar is so weak that it is likely to cease being the standard currency of world trade (in favor of the Euro). Now that the American dollar is on a par with the Canadian “loony”, economic factors are shifting: US merchants along the Canadian border have seen their sales volume from Canadian buyers go up 70%. American products are the cheapest they have been in many years, but it gives American tourists and investors less buying power.

            Leaders like economist Ravi Batra and investment giant John Bogle (interviewed on Bill Moyer’s Journal) may have a piece of the puzzle to solve the problems we face. For instance, to shift the economic factors back in favor of a stronger dollar and a soft landing, interest rates need to go up to encourage saving and discourage borrowing. As Jupiter and Pluto come together, these possibilities must be considered.

            There is another cycle that comes into play, the Uranus-Pluto cycle. Uranus and Pluto come together at the same place in the heavens every 85 years. In the mid-60s, they made their last conjunction. The next major contact they will make, the first since the conjunction, comes in 2010–14. This relates to the urgency we feel to develop alternate energy sources to soften the effects of peak oil and global warming.

The Jupiter Wake-Up Call

            Why is this important now? Because Jupiter is connecting the dots between Uranus and Pluto. It’s a wake-up call. It’s our chance to get it right — to do something substantive to turn the corner on these problems. How much time do we have? I’m no expert, but the planets tell me that if we start now, we will be able to improve our experiences during the 2010–14 period, which will have even more powerful positive effects after that time. There are lots of solutions already available to solve our problems, but we have to be willing to make the necessary changes. Those who have invested the least in their lives in a high-carbon-footprint lifestyle will find the transition least disruptive, unless they are poor. No matter what happens, the poor suffer the most. To learn more about what we can do, go to my green page.

            Jupiter gives us a taste of what’s to come, as if we could fast-forward to 2010. Even though it will be somewhat different then than what we experience now, what we do now will play into that not-so-distant future date.

            The reason for the difference is understandable from an astrological perspective. Pluto is about to leave the sign it’s been in since 1995, entering Capricorn in January, where it will remain until March 2023 (15 years). We are already feeling this shift coming, and if you feel like it’s hard to know what to start right now, you are in good company.

            How can we deal with this uncertainty? The first way is to understand how this cycle has worked in the past. Pluto moves into Capricorn every 248 years, so what went on when this occurred in the past?

Pluto in Capricorn: Time for New Rules!

            Pluto entered Capricorn in 1516 and 1762. In 1517, within a year of Pluto’s move into Capricorn, Martin Luther posted his new rules for a more meaningful religious structure on the door of the Palast Church in Wittenberg, Germany, giving birth to the Reformation. In 1762, the concept of individual freedom was emerging as a concept through the writings and translations of Voltaire’s works, among others.

            So, what might happen now? What about the current corporatist trend in world governments? Seen in a certain light, the government provided by the Church in 1516 was corporatist, just as was the government of, say, England over its colonies in 1762. The most recent Pluto in Capricorn culminated in the American (1776) and French (1789) Revolutions. Perhaps we need a similar revolution overturning the power that business has gained in controlling government while allowing greed to run amok.

Making the Most of Uncertainty

            The I Ching (Chinese Book of Change) counsels that a time of uncertainty is a time when the universe is in flux. This is a time of power and therefore a time to take great care. We need to gather our forces internally and be ready for whatever arises. Change occurs organically, meaning that it moves at its own pace and advances in “the fullness of time”: It follows the cycles of the planets. Our fears come to the surface because the universe doesn’t seem to respond the way we’ve grown accustomed to or the way we think we need it to. Yet, the forces are collecting in hidden ways that will be revealed in time. The I Ching refers to this as “a hidden dragon”. This is not a time to take grand actions but to finish up with what you have on your plate and prepare for the next wave. To act before the way is clear is to take unnecessary risk; to act when action is called for is to move with strength, confidence, and effectiveness. Believe it or not, the universe responds when we wait for conditions to be right before proceeding.

Turn Around Again.

            It’s that time again, when Mercury begins its backward slouch toward Bethlehem. It always depends on where it falls in your chart, but this time it promises a few surprises of its own, since it connects with several planets this time. Once it enters the retrograde shadow (the degrees of the zodiac that it will later cover while retrograde), we enter the realm of experience that we will revisit in some manner. Mercury entered this zone on September 22^nd.

            This is not a situation to fear, only to observe. The planets that Mercury contacts during the retrograde are Venus (two contacts), Mars, Saturn, and Pluto. These are all harmonious contacts offering opportunity, but the opportunity may not come when it is first promised because of hidden factors that must be ironed out. Things that look simple are not. Still, the universally soft connections promises a rather comfortable retrograde, if your chart does not have difficult contacts. Even if it does, there will be solutions to the issues that arise. Using your patience and creativity will bring success.

            Mercury returns to direct motion on November 1, after 21 days in retrograde motion.

Another Shadowy Figure

            Another planet has entered its retrograde shadow — Mars — on September 16. This retrograde promises to be challenging, since Mars is one the planets that humans deal with least successfully. It also happens to retrograde the least frequently of any planet, so when it does, we are least familiar with it. Its backward motion lasts for almost three months, this time from November 15 – January 30 (2008).

            Around September 21, we got our first clues about what’s ahead of us during this time. This is when Mars contacted Pluto, a connection it will make two more times (on January 2 and March 7) before the process is complete. Any contact of Mars with Pluto can be volatile, and this, an opposition, is the most volatile of all. At its best, it is a call to action to transform a situation that needs to be changed. Some people will take actions based on fear. The monks’ revolt in Myanmar was timed with this contact. There was also a peak of concern in the news media about a US attack on Iran.

            In our personal lives, it brings us to address a situation that needs to be changed in order to move forward in the new energy that awaits us in January when Pluto changes signs. It challenges us to continue forward in a deliberate fashion rather than to take “pot shots” at our future to kill the fear, or to escape through pleasure pursuits to numb ourselves to our feelings.

            Mars also contacts Jupiter and Saturn during its retrograde adventure, but the main attraction is Pluto, and all events will revolve around their connections. Here’s the time table:

            This pattern will feed a scenario like this: There’s something you wanted to start, an enterprise or project you’d been planning since the summer. However, due to events in mid-September it didn’t work out as expected. In the coming three months, you will get a chance to rework your idea and launch it in a more successful way in the new year.

Meanwhile . . .

            It’s a good thing there are other energies to work with in the universe. One of these is the energy of healing, associated with Chiron. In its yearly cycle, Chiron is about to change directions, resuming forward motion on the 19^th and releasing us to move forward as well. We reach for a new perspective on our healing process. How much have we accomplished in our healing goals set around May 20? What more can we do before the next cycle starts next February? Other key dates related to this cycle are January 30 and August 5.

            Another cycle having to do with our inner awareness and spiritual consciousness reaches release when Neptune resumes forward motion on the 31^st. Key dates associated with Neptune’s cycle this year are February 8, May 24, and August 13. The questions we will review at the end of this month include: What have I done (and can I now do) to clear the fog in my life? How can I find the best way to embody my true mission in life?

            In 2008, these two planets will move in synchrony as Chiron catches up with Neptune, and they conjoin. This will give us the rare opportunity to free ourselves of obstacles to clarity, inner awareness, and spiritual connectedness.

Relationship Matters.

            There’s lots to say about relationships this month. Venus is moving forward once again, and it is headed toward its second sextile with Mars, which occurs on the 16^th. This is good news, because it makes it possible to create positive outcomes with respect to agreements. It is difficult to do so with the other possible pairings of planets until after the 22^nd.

            It also means that relationship developments are possible. Conflicts can be resolved and new relationships born during this time. However, there are challenges that all relationships will face. They are most likely to arise on the 25^th, 29^th, and November 5.

________________

            This is by no means a month without opportunity. The Sun, Jupiter, and Neptune are all in harmony until the 23rd, forming a flowing pattern that promises good outcomes. Placed in the context of the deeper challenges that we face, we will be all that much more able to gather strength because we are generally blessed by providence.

            Coming into October with a lack of expectations will bring the best results. There are likely to be unusual plot twists, and viewing them without a sense of what needs to happen when is the best way to be the winning lead actor in the movie that is your life. This will surely lead to the happy ending we all seek and know will come with time and persistent effort.

Significant Planetary Events

Chiron, Uranus, and Neptune are retrograde. Mercury and Jupiter are in rulership. Mars and Saturn are in detriment

All dates are based on Pacific Time.
Blue = harmonious/Red or orange = challenging/intense
Events in bold are more significant.