Suddenly, in a cataclysmic moment, the landscape is forever changed. The global village faces the shocking reality that a member of its community is angry and lashing out. Are we realizing that no one is safe unless we are all safe?

The Evolutionary Astrology community has stated for years that major wakeup calls were coming. Not if, only when and how. Why? Violations of natural laws and principles that Nature will correct one way or another.

The events of last month were not fated to happen. They represent the cumulative effect of thousands of years of conditioning that patriarchal principles of domination and exclusion will bring peace and love. How many more wars will we fight before we realize war does not create peace? This has been the lesson for the last 7,000 years.......

The first Saturn-Pluto opposition of facing reality has made its statement. We in America must face the reality that the rest of the world does not live in a cushy, warm, gadget-galore environment. Other members of the global community are tired of us pushing our values and beliefs on to them. We are the haves, they are the have nots.

We must face the reality that the USA supplied the guns, funding and training in Afghanistan to begin with when we helped them oppose Russia in the 1980s. We must face the reality that hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed by American actions and interference in the Gulf War. How many times did CNN show us those horrible pictures of our bombs killing innocent Middle Eastern citizens? We must face the reality that our national governing forces and media are controlling the propaganda for war to avoid facing recessions.

We must face the reality that we are a member of the global village and stop acting like the village bully, imposing our desires and needs on to everyone else. We must face the reality that America is just as guilty as any other country in wanting our way to be the only way. We are just as guilty as those we accuse.

These are pivotal times ahead. We could very easily destroy ourselves again. To foolishly enter into war could easily escalate into much more then we ever thought could happen. In the blink of an eye. Again, when has war ever really created peace? All it has given us is a temporary, false sense of security that was easily shattered last month.

It is easy to send out prayers and blessings to the victims and their families. How well can you send the same love and healing energy to the wounded souls intent on hurting others to ease their own unconscious hurts? Osama bin Laden, the suicide hijackers and any others like them need our healing energy as much as the victims.

The only way we will really create peace is to wrap our wounded souls in as much healing love and light as possible, so that their separating desires may be revealed for what they are: the illusion of separation from the Source. This is the essence of what we call evil, and at any moment, under any circumstances, anyone and anything can be reduced to separating versus returning desires. Search to reveal this within yourself.

Today, lesser-evolved souls use force to maintain the separating desires from God/Goddess under emotions such as pride and anger and a sense of "righteous" nationalism and revenge. Evolving souls, in which the desire to know and return to God/Goddess is becoming the only desire left, are learning to realize that the power of love and healing energy is stronger than any use of force.

May enough of us realize this and wrap our wounded planet, Gaia, in a circle of healing love and light that includes all our wounded souls. May we realize our natural right to protect ourselves does not include revengeful perpetration to others in an endless spiraling circle of separation. May our call to action be one of forgiveness and understanding, and a desire to send out blessings of love and peace under any circumstances.

We really can still make a difference, now more than ever. May we be successful. May peace and love prevail.

October immediately starts out with a Mercury (communications review) retrograde cycle in Libra October 1 at 29/30 degrees (it goes direct October 22 at 14/15 degrees Libra). A chance to review our relationships with others, personally and collectively. All our differences are in our faces. The mental quest to balance our needs with the needs of others dominates the month. Many heated discussions and arguments will take place. How well can you listen to another person's or country's point of view?

Sun is in Libra now and the Evolutionary Astrology mantra is: I balance a diversity of relationships with my own initiative. The burning question is whether or not our national leaders in America will succumb to leading other countries into war with us, or lead other countries on a global quest for peace and networking to understand each other's needs.

All month long planetary energies pass through Libra, and relationships, personally and collectively, will be continually asked to reassess beliefs, values and situations. May we call upon Libran mediation and networking.

October 1 also brings a Venus waning square to Pluto at 12/13 degrees Virgo-Sagittarius. We are faced with letting go of old criticisms towards others for not loving us in the ways we desire to be loved. We have the chance to discern the new ways we may love ourselves instead.

Venus spends the beginning of October activating the Saturn-Pluto opposition. Venus in Virgo can either become self-righteous and critical of others, or it can work to forgive and heal itself and others. The quest in how to love is a personal crisis that will test all of us.

Energy may be very intense the beginning of this month. This is one of the time periods that our national leaders may impulsively strike out, in the name of our god righteously giving us permission to hurt others and have dominion over their gods.

Also on October 1 Venus makes a waning trine to Mars at 12/13 degrees Virgo-Capricorn. Very easy to defend our limited viewpoints as the only way to look at things. The warring factions feel very justified in their plans of action, refusing to see a larger picture. May Mercury turning retro in Libra bring the doubt in order to help consider the ramifications of everything.

The shocking trauma we have all experienced last month will be filtering into our personal lives this month. Relationship issues that have been avoided and buried will rise up to be addressed, consciously and unconsciously. Suddenly it is important to get real with others. And the trivial can be realized for what it is: an excuse to avoid the real relationship need for growth.

The Full Moon of Aries is October 2 at 9/10 degrees Libra-Aries. The annual time of year to balance our needs with the needs of others. A time to realize what works for us individually and finding a "healthy" way to interact and meet those needs through others. A moment in time to make major realizations about ourselves through the reflection of others.

Many relationship choices, personally and collectively, will be made this month that will affect us for a long, long time. With Mercury retro it is OK to take time to discern the best choices........

Also on October 2 Venus makes a waxing sextile to Jupiter at 14/15 degrees Virgo-Cancer. May we use this opportunity to forgive all wounded actions and work to create and rebuild the global community. May we work to heal the personal woundedness in our relationships with others. May we realize we truly are all one.

Next Venus makes a waxing square to Saturn retrograde also on October 2 at 14/15 degrees Virgo-Gemini. We, again, need to watch the tendency to be righteous and critical of others. In these patriarchal times the mutable quadrant signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sag and Pisces) are full of victimization/victorization games. We can refuse to play those games anymore and accept full responsibility for ourselves and our needs.

Saturn is just beginning its 4 month retrograde cycle (September 26, 2001 - February 7, 2002) to release old crystallizations in consciousness, old realities, old limited opinions. Venus is pushing our buttons through others pointing out just how we can release our limitations and move forward. Can you open up and listen?

Mars makes an opposition to Jupiter on October 3 at 14/15 degrees Capricorn-Cancer. Oh..... the need to be careful and cautious in these times. The energy in early October is strong for lesser-evolved souls to be revengeful. The hidden plans of our national leaders are being made right now. They will either lash back now in the beginning of October, or plan the month away to very likely attack the beginning of November when Saturn makes it second of three oppositions to Pluto.

Historically Mars and Jupiter interactions, especially oppositions, have meant holy wars in the name god. One person/country believing their beliefs are better, and justified, in hurting others. In the Capricorn/Cancer axis this energy is emotionalized and can be cold and calculating, refusing to look at it any other way.

It is also possible for this planetary opposition to be an opportunity to understand another's need for family and community, safety and security. We could accept self-responsibility for all our actions and intuit which actions lead us towards love, and which actions are hurtful towards others.

On October 5/6 Sun makes a waning sextile to Pluto at 13/14 degrees Libra-Sagittarius. The Sun is strong over the next few days. May Libran ideals of equality and balance prevail. This aspect brings power plays, power debates. It also allows us to understand the larger picture and adjust ourselves to the best role we can play.

Next Sun makes a waxing square to Jupiter on October 7 at 14/15 degrees Libra-Cancer. Let us try to understand the emotional needs of others. Let us become aware of the emotional needs we project onto others and meet those needs ourselves. Let us realize we all have security buttons being pushed right now, and relationships are adjusting to new growth needs which heightens the insecurities. Search for patience and peace, understanding and love.

Then the Sun makes a waxing trine to Saturn retrograde at 14/15 degrees Libra-Gemini, also on October 7. Opportunities arise to move forward with others into new realities. Ideas and communications will be strong here. We will each want to convert others to our world. The Sun is passing over the same place Mercury waxing trined Saturn on September 11. What reactions/responses will we see? Can we achieve unity in diversity?

The nodal axis of the Moon, which naturally moves in a retrograde direction, moves back into the Gemini-Sagittarius axis on October 9 for the next 1-1/2 years. The South Node of the Moon is about releasing the emotional past. The North Node of the Moon is about moving forward emotionally.

The South Node in Sag is asking us to review our belief structures, laws, educational systems, and long-distance modes of transportation. It is time to let go of limitations in those areas. The North Node in Gemini is asking us to realize the relativity of truth, there are many paths home to the Source. It is also asking us to learn how to be more flexible and open-minded and considerate of another point of view.

The transiting nodal axis is the evolving emotional psyche, both personally and collectively. In the Gemini-Sagittarius axis each of us must reevaluate where we are the preacher instead of the teacher. Can we find the emotional self-reliance that lets us understand a larger picture? Can all countries release their righteous beliefs and find the tolerance to allow others their own choices back to God/Goddess?

Planetary energies ease up for a few days and then on October 13 Mercury retrograde moves to front and center again. Mercury makes the second of three waning trines to Uranus retrograde at 21/22 degrees Libra-Aquarius. Our conscious and unconscious minds interface with each other. Mercury has a chance to receive messages of the larger pictures and deeper truths, personally and collectively.

Mental activities dominate this month with planets in air signs. Mercury is being asked to review all relationship details and interactions in our lives. Uranus has the job of releasing all of our unconscious stuff up to the surface so Mercury can process through it. At this time it means looking for the truth in our relationships. No more head games with words, just try for honest, real communications.

Let us hope this reveals some of the collective propaganda from our media in regards to the truth of the terrorism acts of last month. Write the letters to the editors reminding people that we in the USA, directly and indirectly, have supplied most of the arms munitions that exist in our world. We have been a major part of the war machine.

May Mercury-Uranus reveal that our country's political leaders today have belief systems based upon war and domination of other countries. Our leaders are pushing for a violent solution to fund their economic fears, so once again others will pay for our greed. Tough stuff to be revealed. Can you see it?

Next on October 13 Mercury makes a waning square to Mars at 20/21 degrees Libra-Capricorn. The crisis to let go of old attitudes and actions. The possibility to open up to new ideas from others and move into a new social order. Most likely however, leaders may toss demands and threats back and forth.

Finally October 13 brings the inferior conjunction of Mercury retrograde to the Sun at 21/22 degrees Libra. Here are some answers to this mental review. This is the time period where we can make major realizations about our relationships and how we will choose to move forward from this point.

Relationship activity may heighten again. There is a need to stop and really listen to what others are saying. Strive for the equality of giving and receiving. Discern whom you desire to relate to and whom it is time to bring closure with. Discern which relating patterns work for you and which do not. Relationship balance is the goal and changes from moment to moment.

Collectively, some answers may come at this time in how countries are going to relate to each other. More lines in the sand may be drawn. Maybe, just maybe, negotiation and mediation will be considered. Send your thoughts and prayers in those directions.

The Sun then makes a waning trine to Uranus retrograde on October 14 at 21/22 degrees. Now we will energize the mental information that came through over the last few days. There are opportunities for major breakthroughs and realizations about our relating patterns; or, clinging to the old thought patterns no matter what truth others bring to the table.

Uranus is finishing up its 5 month retrograde cycle. The rest of this month is the final releasing of unconscious material up into the light of day. Major truths have the opportunity to be revealed all month long. May the souls who are inspired to bring this information to us be given opportunities in the universe to do so.

One of the truths to be realized is that the threat of bio-chemical warfare is not only a possibility, it is a reality that is already happening. Airborne germ warfare of an aerosol nature is already here and being released into our environments. It is not the obvious attack upon a major city currently talked about in our media. It is a more subtle, and ultimately, dangerous release of bacterial, viral, etc. pathogens that have been happening for several years now.

Germ warfare has already been released into the air. We cannot see it, smell it or taste it. It is the next level of war, and air has no boundaries. The three outer planets are in fire and air signs 1998-2003 -- airborne disease epidemics. Again, the message is that we are a global village and what affects one of us affects all of us. This type of information will make its way into the media over this winter and really bring up the shock and trauma about our relationships with all of our collective neighbors.

This Mercury retrograde cycle will just set the stage for what is yet to come this winter in our collective relationships. The wakeup call is to reembrace natural spiritual principles of community and networking, inclusiveness. We must open up our arms to include all of us in our diversities and find the common ground. Easy to realize, much harder to actually do.

Clearly set the intent and desire to allow us to listen to another country's, and person's, point of view. Now is the time to realize what is really important: our relationships to each other intimately, socially and collectively.

The Sun also makes a waning square to Mars on October 14 at 21/22 degrees Libra-Capricorn. Here again we must watch controlling actions over others. The possibility of imposing our desires onto others is strong. The need to listen and negotiate and compromise is needed.

Then on October 15 Venus moves into Libra for 4 weeks. Venus rules Libra and relates to the outer energy of Venus - relating to others, hopefully in a self-reliant mode. Venus and Libra also correlate to the psychology of listening. Truly putting ourselves in the mode to take in and try to understand what another is actually saying, be it our lover or another country.

The energy of relationships is really strong the middle of this month. Personal relationships will go through lots of changes: beginnings, endings and everything in-between. The events of last month have shaken a lot of things up to the surface for all of us, whether we admit it or not. Relationship priorities must be discerned. Relationship issues must be addressed.

The New Moon of Libra is October 16 at 23/24 degrees Libra. The annual time to set intent to rebirth our relationships in whatever new directions and patterns we desire to evolve in to. Walk your talk. Listen to what another has to say. Relationships are the medium our species operates through and learns from, no matter how much we may sometimes just wish to walk away from them.

Neptune goes direct on October 17 at 6 degrees Aquarius. Another 5 month cycle of spiritual truths has come to completion. Neptune is the energy to directly know God/Goddess in a particular lifetime. It is the desire to quest to understand things from the largest point of view. For many of us this just seems like confusion.

Neptune has been moving through Aquarius since 1998 and will continue to do so until 2012. In Aquarius spiritual shocks and traumas can especially occur with Neptune. We have been very spiritually shocked by the events of last month. How could another soul even act in the manner we observed?

Clearly the spiritual woundedness of our society is in our face. Neptune moving direct in Aquarius will now start to bring some of the understanding of what has happened, is still happening. Send your healing love to all the leaders of the planet that we all may realize war does not create peace.

The energy of this month in lesser-evolved souls may just increase the ideological lines in the sand. We are right, you are wrong. Every time the world situation enters your mind send out healing love to all concerned. Ask for truth to be revealed. Affirm that our desire to love each other is stronger than our desire to hurt and hate. Discern what you can do to love your partner, family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, government officials, religious leaders, wounded souls, everyone........

Mercury retrograde makes the second of three waxing squares to Jupiter on October 19 at 15/16 degrees Libra-Cancer. Here is the chance to discern and move forward into new relating patterns based upon emotional self-reliance. Therefore, an intent to love others in the ways that are highest and best for them is possible. Ask to understand what relating confusion comes up for you. Search for why you need to convince another to relate as you want things to go. How can you love yourself in that way?

Venus makes a waning trine to Neptune on October 20 at 6/7 degrees Libra-Aquarius. Here is the opportunity to love others in the highest ways possible. In the midst of all the relating energy this month, we can desire to remain in our illusions of love or we can quest for the truth of love. Personal relationships may dissolve and/or blossom here.

Collectively, we have an opportunity to really send out healing love to other ideological groups and countries. Just as wounded souls such as Osama bin Laden need to be sent healing love, so do all the other faiths who differ from yours. It is only by creating a larger circle of love that we will ultimately survive. Excluding others from your beliefs of loving only creates what we have experienced last month. May your circle of love encompass everyone and everything.

Mercury retrograde then makes the second of three waxing trines to Saturn retro on October 21 at 14/15 degrees Libra-Gemini. The possibilities of mentally waking up are strong this month. May you be successful. This aspect also lets us remain in defense of our point of view as right and trying to convince others as well. This will be the mental mode of operation in those who operate from outer authorities as the greater authority.

Utilize this Mercury turning direct interaction with Saturn retro in Gemini to shift your left-brain perceptions of how you can grow and evolve in your relationships. If we make the effort it is easy here to look at things differently and give ourselves a chance to evolve. We can look for an inner authority (inner relationship with the Source) that allows us to function and operate in whatever ways are necessary in these changing times.

Mercury finally goes direct on October 22 at 14/15 degrees Libra. Relationship answers are now fully in our consciousness. This is when and how we can move forward relating as equals, giving and receiving as each needs. The final requests and demands from others will occur now. Again, can you really listen? Here is one more chance to make a major relating leap honoring both yourself and others.

These middle degrees of Libra are activated again and again this month, signifying the relating tug-of-war as well as the opportunity to really become equals, individually, ideologically and collectively. It can be done, do not settle for anything less.

Energy starts to shift now as the Sun enters Scorpio on October 23. The Evolutionary Astrology mantra is: I metamorphose myself with evolving self-reliance. Scorpio energy is when we take all the relating information from Libra and make decisions. We can move towards co-dependence or self-reliance.

Scorpio desires to move beyond its limitations. It merges with anything/anyone perceived as more powerful than itself in order to evolve. Pluto, which represents the soul in Evolutionary Astrology, rules Scorpio. So, the desire to separate versus the desire to return to the Source is strong here.

Individually and collectively, we have spent most of the month gathering information. Now we are getting ready to make choices in how to act upon that which we have learned. At its worse Scorpio can be the most vindictive and revengeful of energies, the separating desire at its strongest. Sun through Scorpio may energize those who wish to destroy everyone and everything in their path of total control.

At its best Scorpio can bring about "deaths and rebirths" that are truly miraculous. This is the quest for those of us who wish to see this real death and destruction end. Utilize Scorpio's powerful magnetic energy with healing love. Send it out as strongly as you can any time you encounter the separating desires.

Spend the next astro month allowing your codependencies to come up into the light of day to be metamorphosed, merged with the Ultimate Source within into greater self-reliance. Then our relationships will truly be healthy and healing.

Mercury direct quickly makes a third and final waxing trine to Saturn retro on October 23 at 14/15 degrees Libra-Gemini again. Are you finding your inner power, inner authority? Are you aligning yourself with those who want to mentally ignore what is happening? If so, you are still giving your power away to others by not facing reality.

Are you aligning yourself with those who want ultimate control? This is giving your power away even more. Mercury-Saturn teaches us that we are capable of analyzing, discerning and understanding what we each need to do in order to survive and function in the social communities we find ourselves in. Be a part of your community and yet think for yourself. Question authority from outside yourself. Search for deeper inner authority with God/Goddess to guide you versus religious leaders and government officials still intent on domination of others.

Venus makes a waning sextile to Pluto on October 26 at 13/14 degrees Libra-Sag. We will visit those middle degrees of Libra again. This time we can, again, ask for that inner self-reliance and relationship with God/Goddess, that then lets us evolve and relate to others in whatever ways are best for us.

Venus-Pluto interactions are always about learning to love ourselves on the deepest levels possible. We may receive some feedback from others of relationship changes we can make. Can we listen and see if there is a message we need to hear?

Venus also makes a waxing trine to Saturn on October 26 at 14/15 degrees Libra-Gemini. Saturn and Pluto are getting ready for their second of three oppositions to each other on November 1. Venus is putting her touch on this one. Here is the chance to move forward into healthier societal customs, needs and taboos. Here is the chance to offer others an understanding of basic human needs and rights such as freedom. Watch the tendencies to force others to participate in the global community as we dictate they must.

Venus dances with the Saturn-Pluto opposition to give us opportunities to get real in our relationships. The evolving decisions and actions of how best we each desire to participate in relating to others are upon us. Self-reliance is the theme.

Also on October 26 Mercury makes the third and final waxing square to Jupiter at 15/16 degrees Libra-Cancer. All the relationship interactions and conversations this month are giving us the ability to move ahead into these new relating ideas and patterns. We can realize the areas where we have been too security-orientated in our relationships and release our possessiveness, jealousy, etc.

Mars moves into Aquarius on October 27 for 6 weeks. The revolutionist and the dictator. Mars in Aquarius brings us the desires to break free from any limitations. It can also bring us energies which try to force us to conform. The USA may try to impose its desires on to other countries. Mars in Aquarius can go to war.

Pray for peace. May we realize unity in our diversity and allow individuals and countries the freedom to be different as long as there is no harm intended. May we protect ourselves from harm yet stop this endless cycle of hurting and killing others as though revenge will justify our actions.

Mars will cross over Neptune and Uranus, freshly direct from their 5 month retro cycles of making the unconscious conscious. Can enough of us detach from our personal, immediate desires to break free from interpreting our personal and global situations the same old way?

Venus makes a waxing square to Jupiter at 15/16 degrees Libra-Cancer on October 27. Here are the manipulations with others in relationships in order to feel secure. Here is the chance to realize our security lies from within. Again, pray for peace with others. The energy this month builds and builds for retaliation, which just perpetuates the cycle of hurt and revenge.

Sun makes a waning square to Neptune on October 29 at 6/7 degrees Scorpio-Aquarius. May we all let go of our need to be right and dominate others' belief systems and social orders. May we realize there is no justification for hurting another no matter what. We can defend and protect ourselves from harm; however, to impose harm on someone else under any circumstances makes us as guilty as them.

This aspect does bring the chance to really merge with others into greater consciousness of the Whole. Love yourself, love your neighbor, love all who inhabit Gaia.

On October 30 Mercury makes the first of two conjunctions to Venus at 18/19 degrees Libra. Messages to draw the battle lines in both personal and collective relationships, or messages on how to really love one another in the next evolving step.

This is the time to listen, listen, listen. Other may help us learn to build better relationships. We still can operate as we each wish to do so, in greater understanding of our impact upon our relationships.

Uranus goes direct on October 30 at 20/21 degrees Aquarius. That which has been buried and suppressed has again been released into our consciousness. Another deeper layer of ourselves has been revealed. Uranus has gone stationary direct many times without a major outer cataclysm. May it happen again.

Uranus can also bring about war, and terrorism. The shock and trauma of terrorist acts is Uranus' domain. What is the deeper message? These are not random acts, who is trying to speak and what is the problem? Uranus can help understand those hidden, tough answers, or, it can rigidly defend its knowledge as the only version of truth.

What personal limitations about yourself are being revealed to you? What are you surpressing that keeps coming back to be dealt with? Where will you go from here in relating to yourself, to others? Uranus stationary direct is a major revelation time. May your revelations be of peace and love for all human beings everywhere.

We have another Full Moon in October, this time in Taurus. The Moon opposes the Sun at 8/9 degrees Taurus-Scorpio on October 31/November 1. The annual time to realize self-reliance in all our relationships. With this we can fully merge with another in the deepest soul connections. Without self-reliance another layer of co-dependency is revealed.

This Full Moon may be a major revelation for humanity as a whole with the message that we are all one, and each responsible for ourselves. May this be our quest. May our limitations of power be metamorphosed through union with the Source, not domination and control over another.

Finally, Venus makes a waning trine to Uranus at 20/21 degrees Libra-Aquarius on October 31/November 1. The evolving opportunities? We can learn to love humanity on a deeper level. We can realize all have a right to be free. We can liberate ourselves into greater self-reliance. We can create a relationship spark based upon freedom that can last a lifetime. We can make love not war.

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If this is your first time reading my forecast.........I suggest reading the entire forecast to receive an overall impression of the energy for the month, and then refer back to it as things arise. My intent and desire is to help you understand the opportunities for personal changes on emotional, mental and spiritual levels which manifest the physical reality of your world. I send you blessings for a growing, evolving month!

P.O. Box 552, Rapid City, SD, 57709 605-348-5111, 877-348-5111 Email: kimmarie@astrologybykimmarie.com