The last Climate Report is still online,
with millennium info on Chiron!

Autumn Equinox 1999
brings with it more than the usual descent of the Sun.
As this millennium draws to a close, we are feeling the overwhelming
pressures of "all that has gone before" closing-in on us,
almost like the implosion of a Black Hole
- so many things unfinished, ...so many plans gone awry.

Naturally, each of us is searching all around ourselves for
the answers, and yet the answers to the problems of
our emerging futures are only available *within*.
Maybe we have become so saturated with this reference to
*going within* that we have lost the simplicity of its meaning.

Wise words come from a Zen workbook (available at amazon.com) entitled
HOW You Do Anything is HOW You Do Everything.
Jupiter and Saturn being retrograde in Taurus are grinding
our charging steeds to a halt, and asking us to examine
how we do everything we do, and what we do whenever
we have the chance. What energizes us, ...and what depletes us?

What price are we paying for that security, or the fringe benefits,
or by simply trying not to "rock the boat?" It is time to assess the pros
and cons of your life's work, and where it appears to be taking you.
Often, even in our attempts to be responsible, we end up denying
our responsibility to Life itself. If we do not actualize our own
inherent potential (our "personal best") in any meaningful way,
we risk disappointing all those who have loved and supported us,
not to mention ourselves. Rather than trying to make ourselves
"fit" into a world that is NOT tailormade just for us,
this Zen book suggests that we examine ourSELVES,
fitting the pieces together like a puzzle, and seeing what image is
revealed to us. Lest we forget what we have just been through
with the retrograde of Venus from July 29 - Sept.10, and what
we learned about Life and Love, now our focus must be on
seeing to it that our own needs are being met. Stock up
on the things that matter to you, and keep phone numbers
handy for those whom you may want to reach in an instant.

The Full Harvest Moon on Sept. 25, adds to the call for completion
of any unfinished business. As the Sun enters Libra Sept. 23,
the Goddess of Love, Joy and Abundance begins to glow more brightly,
finally gathering some strength after her long journey in the Underworld.
She will be expecting us to carry on business as usual in the social
department, and being in Leo until Oct.7, will command an extra shot
of enthusiasm wherever we go, and implicitly when she is in Virgo,
until Nov. 7. There is also a New Moon in Scorpio on Nov. 7,
opposite Saturn, so Venus (the yin, receptive side of all of us)
will be holding her own inner counsel and standing her ground,
even if still waiting for outer recognition. This is another good
reason to be making time for the things and people you really love,
regardless of old habit patterns or other people's priorities.
Besides, if we are searching for that perfect
Soul Mate, s/he will never find us if we are playing
someone else's role, or "wearing someone else's costume."

We have also just recently completed the 8-months-long sojourn of Mars
(on Sept.2, when it entered Sagittarius), forward and backward and
forward again through Libra and Scorpio, which was a gruelling test in
balancing our own energy with the shared energies of our relationships.
We are now being reminded of the mundane, basic, simple requirements
for the sustenance of life, and the precious value of that life!

Health and well-being have become a top priority.
Deaths and Births are forcing our attention to the deeper meaning
of our existence. Jupiter has joined Saturn in the ravaged gardens of our
lives and has begun to replenish the parched land with rich nutrients
and protection, but only after a purification has taken place.
Wherever you feel "robbed from," invaded, cheated or disillusioned
is where you are being asked to count your blessings and your assets,
regroup, and set your new pace from this clear, sharp vantage point.

Retrograde planets usually mean things going backwards, or downhill,
for awhile, but this can be a good thing. Go with the slide and find
parts of yourself you didn't know you had, or thought you had lost.
Avoid the trap of flailing and railing at others, blaming them
for your troubles. Look at the part of you that was attracted into this
affair in the first place. And then look at "why." Light bulbs will go off,
and you can more clearly assess your Path from here. Money markets
and personal ventures may take a downward turn in general, but
the "experts" will be hard-pressed to explain why some people are
shining more brightly than ever. These will be the ones who have understood
the previous paragraph. In other words, "take care of the real business at hand,"
and do not waste your time and energy trying to satisfy everybody else, or
doing spreadsheets and number crunching -- unless you are the accountant!

We will never know the future
if we don't take care of the present, first.
Your bodies' intuition will be sharper than ever -
pay attention. It can tell you what to eat (or not),
where to go (or not) and even who to trust (or not).

Jupiter and Neptune will square each other for the first half of October,
which is likely to wobble a few foundations, warp judgments and
swirl into some crazy weather patterns, inside and out.
Artists may be more brilliant and inspired than ever, but
someone may have to bring them food and remind them
to eat. Political unrest is more than likely, as idealistic
enthusiasm faces-off with dogmatic fanaticism.
Watch your own thoughts, as your inner
mini-versions of these impulses course through you.

Steer clear of shady deals, slippery pavement and limited visibility,
especially on Oct.4-6. If you are the one issuing the smoke screens,
beware of getting caught in them yourself. However, if you have been
waiting for "just the right moment" when someone is just a bit more
receptive or vulnerable than usual, this is it. As long as you are
certain that you are holding all the "right cards," this may be
your chance to get a seat at that high-stakes poker game you've
been watching from afar. There is likely to be a relevant person
out-of-town, or otherwise out of position, leaving just enough room
for you to slip through a loophole, but also be sure the doors
are locked and valuables are safe, as ground is unstable.


Kingdoms may be won and lost in the blink of an eye. With Mars in
Sagittarius until Oct. 16, excitement runs high and risks are taken.
Just as a stuntman must stay absolutely focused, yet absolutely relaxed,
in order to side-step Death every time, so it is equally imperative that
each of us know exactly what we are doing in any given moment, and why.
If you are the "man for the job," then please speak-up and step into
your place. If you are instead, the camera-person, or the truck driver,
or the Mom at home, then please don't be leaping off of any cliffs!
No organism or organization can run properly without each individual part
"doing its part." Trees do their best to be trees, while wolves are
busy learning about wolfdom. If we had not spent so many, many
generations being told that we were supposed to "do what we are told,"
instead of thinking for ourselves, perhaps we would not be so
confused now. Plants and animals "know" instinctively which
moves or choices to make. Why is it that we
"more intelligent" humans have such a difficult time?

Mars in Capricorn, Oct. 16 - Nov. 25, will help us to become more grounded,
organized and productive. Mercury retrograde from Nov. 4 - Nov. 24,
may delay openings, unveilings and new accounts, but raking through the
ashes, or digging through the files of old associations and plans will yield
unexpected results. Jupiter retrogrades back into Aries on Oct. 22,
Uranus turns Direct a few minutes later, the Sun enters Scorpio on Oct. 23,
and then into a Full Moon in Taurus on Oct 24. No more loopholes,
time warps slow to normal, but "back home" looks different now,

as you return to the business of your life. Matters from last June
will resurface by Winter Solstice, when Jupiter turns Direct at
25°Aries, so it is a good idea to make copies and/or stash safely
(before Oct.22) anything you may need in December.

The inevitable churning of the waters during Scorpio's month
is surely intensified by the energy of 1-9-9-9,
as we approach the last month of the year/century/1000s!
The Last Quarter Moon on Samhain (Hallowe'en) will stir an
inner call from the Ancestors, for all who may hear
to "step into line" (position on the Wheel of Dharma), and follow your
Soul's insistence. Promptings from within and without will urge us forward,
as the Sun enters Sagittarius and effects a Full Moon at 0°Gemini,
on Nov. 22. Mercury turning Direct on the 24th, and Mars sailing into
daring, freedom-loving Aquarius on Nov. 25, will give us a boost,
but watch-out for bumps Nov. 26-28, as we readjust to the new higher
frequencies and electrical sparks. Most of us tend to fear the Unknown and
shy away from it, thus reaffirming to ourselves that it "really is"
something to be feared; and as a result, our progress is severely hindered.

In reality however, nothing is truly known before it happens,
so every step we take is into the Unknown,
and once we step there, it is known.

This is the biggest reason for doing what comes naturally to us.
There is no need to fear challenges if we are comfortable doing what
we are doing. A doctor is not intimidated by having to read an x-ray,
whereas you or I might have good reason to be concerned, if
the diagnosis were up to us. An experienced practitioner can move into
"automatic pilot" in a crisis situation, due to the long years of
applied skills and varied situations they have encountered along the way.

Sagittarius is symbolized by the Archer, and the stillness of so many
of the planets through December gives us the sense of being the Arrow
in the Bow, poised and ready, gathering power, waiting for just the
right moment to be released into the Future. As the month of December
begins, the Sun conjoins Chiron and Pluto, in preparation for
the exact Chiron/Pluto conjunction Dec. 30, which is demanding
that we stand in our Truth, in order to heal our "mortal" wounds -
not in a rigid, resistant, hard-lined stance, but Sagittarian-like:
joyfully, genuinely, easily, and with the knowingness of the
Wise Grandmother who counsels you in your dreams. We can only
adopt this attitude if we have, in fact, accepted ourselves as
being exactly the way we are supposed to be. The trick is to realize
WHY we are "this way," so that we can get on with the business of
doing what we came here to do! It is well known
how closely allied insanity and genius actually are.

Your flaw is your gift.
What is "wrong" with you, is actually what is "right" with you.
Apply your passions creatively, and with conscience.
Allow yourself to imagine what could possibly be constructive
about your personal brand of craziness.
Use it; refine it; capitalize on it.
You will surely be glad you did,
when you hear your name called.

Choices are much easier to make when you don't try to include
everyone else's priorities. Keep it simple. And as always,
let's keep our tuners set on our own frequency.
We wouldn't want to miss any clues being sent our way.