THE SOOTHESAYER INTERNET

October 2006

 This month’s full moon in the 14th degree of Aries and the new moon in the 29th degree of Libra, remind us of the ancient archetypal polarities of male and female, action and stillness, war and peace.   This is all about the use of different kinds of energy and the times when it is appropriate to respond to the challenges of life in different ways.

Ideally, this would be a time for negotiation and peacemaking as the Sun, Venus and Mars move through the sign of Libra, trine Neptune and sextile Saturn.  Doors may be open for talks between nations.

 However, Mercury enters the sign of Scorpio on Oct. 2nd and will be joined at the end of the month by the Sun, Venus, Mars, and the already present Jupiter, all moving toward squares (tensions) with Neptune and Saturn.  In addition, Mercury will go retrograde on the 28th (through Nov. 18th).  The danger is that toward the end of this month, going into Nov., we may engage in a serious confrontation with Iran, exhibiting the same ineptitude and unexpected consequences this administration has evoked in all its military efforts.

 Pluto is moving toward the “center of the galaxy” by the end of this year and will transit there throughout 2007, between 26-28 degrees of Sagittarius.  This highlights the power of  religions “demonically possessed” by a mission to destroy all who differ with their  fundamentalist ideologies.  This is also about American imperial power, combining the economic dominance of giant multi-national corporations with the U.S. military to enforce its will in the Middle East.  Pres. Bush’s war in Iraq has succeeded in alienating the rest of the world and effectively strengthening insurgent and terror groups throughout the region.  Recently, the Congress passed a law that enables Bush to legally arrest suspected terrorists without charging them with anything and use torture to extract information.  This is taking the United States into eventual diplomatic isolation, a constitutional crisis, and financial bankruptcy.

The Economy:

 The stock market highs that were made last month are setting us up for a fall by the end of this month.  As prices in real estate are falling down the cliff, our budget deficits expand to record levels, and real wages are falling, Congress just passed a bill to make the tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of the population permanent.  The worse the news gets, the more the Dow rises!  I salute the Cabal for its clever manipulations of the market, pushing oil prices down, and celebrating the “notional” economy.  November’s planetary squares would suggest market “corrections” until the end of the month.  There will be major battles over fraudulent elections and election machinery breakdowns.  All this will not bode well for the economy.

 However, with Jupiter entering Sagittarius, along with the Sun, Venus, Mars and Mercury in December, we will likely be back in Bull Market territory again.  Lower interest rates will stave off a total collapse of the housing market until the end of 2007, early 2008.      

To all of my readers who would like to sell their real estate, I recommend you do so in the first half of 2007, and ask a reasonable market price for your particular area.  To others, I would recommend you refinance your ARM loans, taking long-term mortgages at the new lowered rates.  

 As predicted, the Cabal took gold down in September but it began to show strength at the end of the month.  I think we will see further upward movements, especially in November.  If you can live with extreme fluctuations, gold is a great investment for the long haul. 

 Watch for big changes in financial markets in general the week of Oct. 23rd as Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn form a harsh square, and Pluto is square the lunar nodal axis.

The War and Terror in the Middle East:

 I do not see anything but an escalation of civil terror and insurgencies in Iraq.  There is evidence that Iran and Syria are aiding and abetting these groups through smuggling weapons.  The U.S. (as I mentioned above) may be moving troops to the Iran/Iraq border in preparation for military intervention. 

 As I predicted in past newsletters, Israel wants to throw out its current leadership.  From the end of October through the end of November, conditions are explosive in Israel’s  national chart.  I am hoping new leaders that are saner and more effective will emerge this month under the influence of the planets transiting Libra.

 The President of Pakistan was in the U.S. last month with a new book explaining his problems and positions.  October and November are two very harsh months for his nation.  He is trying to reconcile his partnership with the U.S. to get terrorists and the large population of fundamentalist radical Islamists trying to take him out of office.

Weather & Travel:

We have been extremely lucky so far in the U.S. with regards to hurricanes and their pathways.  Toward the end of this month as Mercury and Jupiter are square Saturn, Mercury goes retrograde repeating the aspect, we can expect stormy weather.  Pluto is square the nodes between the 23rd and the 31st, making matters worse and possibly triggering earthquake activity.  Best times to travel this month are the 10th through the 16th.

Health & Medicine:

 The week of Oct. 8th, Mercury is trine Uranus and Mars is sextile Pluto.  This bodes well for some new technological medical breakthrough.  Mercury’s transit through Scorpio, however, particularly starting Oct. 16th (square Neptune), makes us all more vulnerable to flu and colds.  I hope the flu vaccine is released in time this year and not delayed by Mercury retrograde.  Scorpio at its best is a time of cleansing; thus, your best approach is to drink a lot of water, exercise and eat foods with a high fiber content.  It is also important that we release old angers and grievances and let go of emotions that are holding us down.  Forgive and forget!

Final Thoughts:

 As we all move through this time of great historic change, let us remember that we are moving through it together.  So many of you have shared with me a sense of depression and helplessness that is born of feeling very much alone with whatever challenges are presented to you personally and even more so with our nation’s current leadership and conditions in the world-at-large.  Most often I hear…”but what can I do?”

 Our society has deified the notion of “every man for himself”, ruthless competition for material wealth, and the cult of individuality.  This notion would deny the fact that individual creativity is a spirit that arises out of the support of family and friends and the society in which we live.  The concept of democracy arises out of the rights of the individual ensured by the cooperation and support of the group.

 The question should be “what can we do?”  We can share our deepest concerns with one another.  We can join groups that support the causes that will help save us from moral, economic, and ecological ruin.  We can open ourselves to a heart-centered universe filled with a recognition that although we are individuals, we are also each other, united in our need to evolve into creatures who embody the divine resonance of creation itself. 

Linda

Linda Schurman

Note: I welcome all your comments whether they are critical or complimentary*.  This site represents astrology as a tool for a deeper understanding of the themes and issues of our times.  This period in which we all live may be the most critical time for human civilization ever!  It is my wish that we all do our best with whatever talent we have been given, to further the survival and evolution of life on planet earth!

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Libra – The Scales September 23 – October 22	Scorpio – The Scorpion October 23 - November 22
I stand in a balance Suspended in air, Deciding who’s honest And truthful and fair!	I can assure you You don’t know me well. My secrets delight me, And I’ll never tell!

©

Original art by Adam DeShane

Verse by Linda Schurman