Some months are crazier than others, both celestially
and by human calendar. With back to
school and return from vacation, September is typically a very busy month. But to the usual mix on tap this month, add more cosmic twists and
turns, pushing and pulling us every which way and make us pine for
quieter weeks. Whew! Only we will just have to wait
until October for a calm stretch.
Because in the next four weeks we have two eclipses with Mercury
retrograde wedged in between, plus Venus and Pluto turning direct motion like
book ends at the beginning and end of September. So what does all this celestial activity mean
and how will it affect you personally?
Let’s take a look.
September begins with a number of planetary pairings, four
to be exact. The first involves the Moon
and Uranus in fiery Aries making a beautiful angle to Mars and Venus in
passionate Leo. This foursome encourages
unusual alliances, emotional breakthroughs, creative connections both with
others and/or your own imagination, and in some cases there will be high interpersonal drama. You may find yourself
buying clothes or makeup, getting a whole
new look, a completely different hairstyle, splurging on yourself, your
children or friends who feel like family, to an extent you would otherwise never…
This combination is wildly creative and inspired on all fronts: emotionally, artistically/scientifically/
intellectually, athletically. Decorating
your home with a flair is highly possible, (think new wall colors, fabrics,
furniture) or even buying a whole new house or second home on the spur of the moment.
With that in mind, the word of caution
here is impulse. Take heed. Particularly when it comes to spending
large amounts of your heart or money, (like moving in with your new lover at the blink of an eye or buying that sports car you spied in the dealership), just stop. Take a breath. Venus (love/money) is
in the waning days of her retrograde as September opens, chasing the heels of
Mercury (communication) about to turn retrograde, so try not to commit to anything that cannot be easily
undone.
This is especially true as Neptune (deception and
disillusionment) oppose the 3rd planetary pairing, the Sun and
Jupiter in down-to-earth Virgo. Normally
the annual conjunction of the Sun (our will) and Jupiter (abundance) brings
about expansion, joy, growth and opportunity.
And it still does this year.
However, this pair’s challenge to Neptune strongly suggests we ground
ourselves in practicality and the nitty-gritty details of precisely what we are
getting ourselves into. It is FABulous
to be inspired, whether in work, relationships, major purchases (home, car,
appliances), friendships, deals and ventures of any kind, but remember to keep
your feet on the ground. Sun/Jupiter in
Virgo helps enormously to enter any decisions with eyes wide open. Do not
be afraid to ask any and all questions, even if they make the other
person(s) uncomfortable or nervous. Use
your head. This is absolutely a time to
trust your gut instincts and intuition.
You have these for a reason! You
do not want to wake up the next day or down the road asking yourself “what was I thinking…?”
As September opens, the fourth and final planetary pairing
finds Messenger Mercury joined to the lunar North Node (our directional focus)
in Libra. This is where accurate
decision making really comes into play.
Libra is the Great Deliberator of the Zodiac: this sign will sit on the fence trying to make up its
mind, looking at the issue from every possible angle. With Mercury (speech and writing) joining the
North Node, it is imperative to follow your true
north. What feels most honest,
right and true about the decision at hand, whether it is a job offer, a
relationship (to enter into, continue or discontinue) or major purchase,
etc. Any planet bound to a lunar node
carries extra weight; so with Mercury and the North Node, communication is key. It is
imperative to think things through before speaking or committing. Mean what you
say and say what you mean as others will believe you now and take you literally
for your word. It is OK to step back and
meditate on any decision. Spend a good
old-fashioned night sleeping on any matter of concern and see how you feel in
the morning. If it is intended to be for
you, part of your life, it can wait 24 hours. Possibly
longer.
Life kicks into high gear the first weekend of the month, on
Sunday, September 6th, when Venus turns direct motion. Finally.
After 40 days and 40 nights, the planet of love, money and beauty moves
forward at a highly visible degree of Leo.
Still joined to Mars in Leo, both Venus and its male counterpart Mars harmoniously align with Radical
Uranus in Aries, making this a bold,
fearless Venus, totally game for anything, incredibly inventive and provocative. Can you say Romance with a Capital R?
That also goes for Passion,
Creativity, Risk-taking, and yes, Drama. Leo
is very direct and goes after its prey
unashamedly. With this troika we realize
there are no barriers except those in
our mind. So what do you
want? Name it. Pursue it. Claim it.
The timing is ripe, as one week later we have a New Moon
solar eclipse on Sunday, September 13th. At 20 degrees Virgo, the eclipse is a
terrific second act to the all those grand gestures bestowed by Leo. For the New Moon, sit perfectly still and
meditate even for only 5 minutes whenever you are alone, in your home, car, place
of worship, or best of all, outside in Nature.
Cast your intentions. In your
mind create a practical plan of how to accomplish the tasks ahead, perhaps 3-5
manageable goals so as not to overwhelm yourself. Where do you see yourself this time next
month, next season, next year? Where do
you want to be? Whom do you want to be?
Solar eclipses mark beginnings. In industrious Virgo, we find abundant
pragmatic methods to achieve our aim.
Virgo is about health, work and service.
This eclipse asks us: are you
taking care of yourself, your health (including mental and emotional
health)? Are you working at a job that
is fulfilling and serves your needs and ideally those of others? With the continual gun violence in the United
States and war around the world, we are asked to create a healthier, more humane,
civilized planet for all. Virgo also rules
pets and the animal kingdom at large. In many respects the mere existence of animals teaches us
compassion, to honor the rights of others, all living creatures, to be better
human beings. In the wake of the murder
of Cecil the Lion, humanity is called to serve and protect all life unselfishly: man, animal, plant, ocean, air. It is far past time to recognize that the behavior
of one affects each and all of us.
Only days following the eclipse, Mercury turns retrograde in
Libra on Thursday, September 17. Here
comes that fence to climb up and sit on to deliberate.
For the next three weeks you may feel torn between two very distinct
choices or courses of action: to stay or
go, to accept or decline, to speak up or stay silent, to buy or refrain. Helping us to evaluate our options are the
Sun-Jupiter pair in Virgo. The key words
for Virgo are: I analyze. Strap on your
analytical hat and make a list:
pro-con. Which list
dominates? If neither, do more Research – canvas the opinions of those
you trust. Read. Use the Retrograde time for
all the RE words: review, recall, reflect,
research, etc. Ask: are you missing anything? Remember,
during Mercury’s retrograde, until October 9th, it is wise to hold off signing
on the dotted line for anything of significance. If it is truly important, it, or they, can wait.
The very next day, the 19th, Saturn enters sagacious Sagittarius for
the next two years. Our focus and
involvement will be drawn to education (your own, your children’s, or
teaching others), writing, adventure and life experience, foreigners/foreign
travel/foreign life, the law, higher consciousness, all forms of spirituality
including established religions. The differences
between West and East will heighten to fever pitch now. Isis continues to clash with anything
Western, be it Christianity, Western values/morals/lifestyles or simply what is perceived as non-Muslim. Saturn in Sagittarius is about understanding. The key words for The Seeker Sagittarius
are: I
understand. It is not that we do understand. It is that we now seek to understand. Through
education, educating ourselves and others we can bridge and overcome our
differences. To learn that we are not
really all that different. That in fact, we are one.
The 23rd and 24th finds the Sun (our
will) and Motivating Mars switching signs.
The Sun joins Messenger Mercury and the North Node in Libra while Mars
joins Jupiter in Virgo. Mars is our
elbow grease and energy, what makes us get out of bed in the morning. In Virgo, it drives our analytical aptitude
and worker bee talents. Here, we are not
afraid of hard work; we’ll get the job done and done right. Applying our
analytical mind, we can find answers and solutions to all those perplexing
deliberations provoked by the Sun, North Node and Mercury in Libra.
Two days later on September 26th, powerhouse
Pluto turns direct motion in earthy Capricorn. Pluto now makes a beautiful angle to Joyous Jupiter in Virgo, helpfully
grounding all that airy Libra energy that muddles our direction and asks us which way should we turn? Jupiter’s alliance with Pluto gives ample resources, useful
information and people, and practical, realistic answers to meet our needs and
desires. The pairing of these two in
earth signs could not come at a better time as we roll into the second eclipse
of the month on September 27-28th(EDT/GMT). The Full Moon Lunar eclipse brings conclusion
to events and/or relationships and wraps up loose ends. Ideally, questions and decisions sparked by
the Libra deliberations will be answered.
At month’s end, no matter what age we are, we find ourselves standing at the crossroads of
our lives. Which way will you go?