A Taste of Things to Come ~ Terry Lamb's July 2005 Forecast

[whimsicaldeb]

http://www.terrylamb.net/latest_forecast.htm

(text only ... go to link for charts, etc.)

Say good-bye to the “cardinal crunch” of June. All that lingers are two outlier contacts on the 1st and 12th to complete June revelations. We should have a clearer picture now of what actions to take, since cardinal signs give us a sense of direction and identity, sparking plans and projects. July has its own charms, plus our first taste of the pattern that will structure our lives for the next two years. These create two patterns, corresponding to two threads in our lives. One thread will be flowing and joyful. The other will be more challenging. Connecting the two will lead to progress and the resolution of difficulties.

The Sacred Shapes of July

July boasts a grand trine pattern of its own, albeit different from the one in June. Where June’s was in the mental air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), July’s is in the activating fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius). See the chart above for a picture of this great heavenly triangle. The planetary contacts that create it are highlighted in blue in the events table.

July’s chart also contains a mystic rectangle that persists all month. A mystic rectangle is made up of two trines and two sextiles (also pictured in the chart above), with two oppositions cutting diagonally through the chart creating an “X”. It holds both calming/harmonizing and activating/challenging energies, making it possible to blend motivation with opportunity to create effective action. It is a powerful pattern that is easier to use as a transiting pattern than it is as a natal pattern.

Since it occurs with and connects to the grand trine, it is greatly potentiated. The keys are held in the internal oppositions, between Mars-Jupiter and Neptune to Mercury and Venus. Events in July relating to this pattern will tie into what occurred on June 25th and be played out through most of August, although the third pattern of July will become more dominant by then.

This means that we will be able to fulfill our plans, overcoming obstacles that have lain in our path. We may even find that opportunities arise without obstacles. It is an excellent time to watch for doorways to fulfilling our dreams and goals. It is important to set our intention to create what we want, but it is even more important to know why we want what we do and ensure as much as possible that it is in alignment with our spiritual-self rather than our ego-self. We can’t know what forces will be unleashed when we undertake a new action, but doing so without ego strings and trappings will minimize later challenges.

July’s Other Pattern

There is another, much more common and strident sacred pattern in the heavens in July, a T square. This pattern involves one opposition and two squares, with no softening contacts. Rather than falling in signs that harmonize, it falls in signs that challenge each other. In this T-square, they are the fixed signs Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius. (The fourth fixed sign, Scorpio, is involved when the Moon travels there on the 14th – 16th, forming a grand cross.) A T-square often indicates elements of our life that come into conflict with each other. We need to make a purchase, but we lack the funds; we need to solve a problem but we lack the expertise or information needed to do so; someone else is vital to our plans, but they balk at their role.

This pattern is the first formation that opens a long-term (2+-year) period when the fixed signs will always be occupied and activated in various ways. If you have planets in any of these signs, you will notice a shift in the energies and generally feel more pressure in your life to handle previously dormant situations in a new way. If your planets are in the cardinal signs, you may notice a release of pressure over the next four months.

The Coming Line-Up

The key planet to the developing fixed pattern is Saturn. It is finally leaving Cancer for the sign of Leo. I have written about Saturn in Leo before, in the March forecast. Saturn presents the lesson of its sign to us, challenging us to go to a deeper level of understanding with it, to become responsible participants in its energy. While it was in Cancer, we’ve been learning to be caring in spite of coldness and hardness, to raise our emotions to a higher level of expression than angry petulance, isolating fear, or wallowing self-pity. Fear has been the byword of this period, and now, as Saturn’s tenure in Cancer ends, it is becoming public knowledge how much fear is used as a ploy to manipulate us.

While Saturn is in Leo, we will learn how the pursuit of happiness is used to manipulate. We will also be challenged to take our notions of society/culture and how it should operate to a more rarefied level. We will be asking ourselves questions like: “What is society’s role?” “Should we take responsibility for those who cannot care for themselves? What are the consequences if we do? don’t?” Leo is the sign of life and vitality, ruled by the Sun. Issues related to when life begins — from abortion to stem-cell research to cloning and genetic engineering — will become more focalized and elevated in the public’s mind. The political debate will be — is already being — reframed in terms of “pro-cure” instead of “pro-life” with the latter’s hypocrisy being clearly revealed. Leo has to do with finding the truth, since it resides in the heart. With Saturn entering a harmonious bond with Pluto, we can expect the truth about what’s been happening politically around the world to come out into the open more easily. Saturn in Leo could also relate to a suppression of the arts and creativity leading to a new recognition of their importance in society, specifically as an outlet that serves as a release for emotional imbalances — thus a civilizing influence. This could have a positive impact on the education system in the long run. Since many school systems have already recognized this fact but have little recourse in responding to the need, it may take time for changes to take place. Typically, people begin to realize what Saturn’s occupation of a sign is about and to respond once Saturn enters the second half of the sign, which will occur in August 06.

In our own lives, we will be challenged to refine our dreams. For many people, the theme will be “broken dreams” because their dreams are for things that fulfill their ego desires rather than what’s inspired from deep within. Broken dreams will include the desire for unfettered use of cheap gasoline, to reach for the 1950s American dream. It is likely to bring out the flaws in the current education system because of Leo’s rulership of children. We may finally accept the knowledge we already have about what it takes to supportively raise and educate the children of society. In the meantime, children could become more falsely sacred — another suggestion that the debate about the freedom to choose motherhood will become sharper and more violent. The battle over the direction of the US courts fits into this concern. The struggle will focus increasingly on values and clarifying what truly moral values are. Simply put, we will answer, collectively and individually, how much do we care about others and what are we willing to do about it.

Neptune’s Role

This is all good, because with the debate comes clarification. We know that there will be larger issues and lasting effects because two outer planets are involved, Neptune and Pluto. As I mentioned above, Pluto’s transformations will be furthered through harmonious restructuring. What will be less harmonious is the interaction with Neptune. Neptune has to do with spirituality, dreams, ideals, and collective consciousness about these things. Religion fits in this category as far as its spiritual (not its social institutional) side is concerned. So do disillusionment, persecution, victimization, neglect, lying, and truthfulness. With all the emphasis on religion in the current cultural debate, issues related to its role will be front and center. The debate could center on science (Saturn) versus religion (Neptune). Certainly that debate is shaping up now and bringing up dilemmas that most people never thought of, like whether academic debate needs to include all viewpoints to be rigorous, even if the omitted viewpoints are unworthy of debate from a scientific perspective. The conflict over evolution versus intelligent design is only the tip of the iceberg on this.

These issues will touch our lives if and when they penetrate to the local level. If you suddenly find that your school has introduced books that include intelligent design on an equal par with evolution, or that books that teach independent thought have been banned, the big picture has become your picture; when the outer planets are involved, we need to pay attention to big-picture issues before they overpower us. It takes time and persistent effort if they are to be directed positively.

Mars

Mars enters Taurus on the 28th. This starts the period when the fixed-sign issues will emerge. It will be intensified because Mars turns retrograde (backward) in Taurus on October 1st. While that seems far off now, we will be able to trace issues that arise this fall back to this time. If we thoughtfully direct our intention and energy now, we may not have absolute control over our later experiences, but we will improve our chances of diverting difficulty and creating positive results. This is going to be an important time, but it is nothing to fear. Old patterns will be shaken loose so we can grow; new structures will be established for which we have laid careful groundwork. If things seem delayed, we will see the value of the delays in the form of a more robust, better structure in the long run.

We Can’t Forget the Messenger.

Mercury enters its second retrograde of the year, in Leo, on the 22nd. It plays into both the harmonious pattern and the fixed pattern, particularly extending the life of the harmonious one. The retrograde will increase Mercury’s potential, which will not be fully revealed until the end of August. Let Mercury speak to you and trust that whatever arises during its retrograde will be a key ingredient in fulfilling your intentions. Mercury returns to direct (forward) motion on August 15th.

Plant your seeds now. Use the power of July’s sacred harmonic patterns to create what you truly want during these times of great potential.

[hester_prynne]

Hey Deb, this is great stuff. Thank you for posting the link, I'm thinking these forcasts would be a really good thing to post in here on a regular basis, like I do the full moon reports.
Perfect fit!
Thanks again!
H