The Only Way Out is Through

We do not often think of September as a month to re-set or re-charge; we are usually returning to steady routines and rhythms of school and work after summer holidays. Yet re-charging is exactly what we are called to do this month.  What presents as a somewhat cosmically calm month belies essential deep dive inner work to be done.   If your efforts are not moving projects forward now, there is good reason.   Six out of ten planets are fully retrograde in September.  Retrograde is not a negative term; rather, it a natural part of the life cycle.  It is the cosmos’ way of saying:  stop, look, listen; or, think of it as a sleep cycle.  If we were always in forward, action mode and never slept, how productive would we be?

So how do we make good use of our time this month?  Employ the RE words:  Research, reflect, review, renovate, recharge, recycle, reuse, etc. 

Day one of September is a jolt to our senses:  the Radical Uranus and North Node duo opposes the Moon and South Node.  As we head into Labor Day weekend we hear September calling:  hello?  Is anybody there?  This should ease up Saturday, September 3^rd when the Moon aligns to Jupiter in fun fire signs Sagittarius and Aries, making for an enjoyable holiday weekend.

On Monday, September 5^th, Valuable Venus moves into practical Virgo, joining the Sun to keep things real:  especially our work and relationships.  Venus asks, “who is minding the store?”; she is the designated driver.  For the next two, weeks, Virgo Venus and Sun ensure that we do the right thing, are responsible and accountable.  This grounding energy is especially helpful as we approach the full moon in Pisces on Saturday, September 10^th.

Grounding practices and routines are essential leading into the second weekend of the month. Exercise, particularly walking, gardening, bicycling or simply being outside in nature helps our body, mind and soul immensely.  Why?  Messenger Mercury turns retrograde AND the Full Moon occur on the same day.  So let’s break this down to understand the energetic impact:

First, the Full Moon. In Pisces, this Full Moon is tied to Neptune.  Can you say, escape artist?  Many are looking for a way out, to avoid the work that the Venus-Sun pair opposite call us to do. You can run but you cannot hide.  The work, whatever it is on your plate now, must be attended to sooner or later.  So, better to surrender to the moment.  Surrender is the other side of Pisces; the spiritual side of the coin opposite the escape artist. 

Use music and water to soothe and ease your way through this stretch.  Listening to or playing music; swimming, fishing, kayaking, even a simple shower or foot bath helps to take the edge off the frenetic energy September 5-11^th; made that much more chaotic by Messenger Mercury shifting retrograde on the same day as the Full Moon, September 10^th.

If possible, sign major contracts and purchase big ticket items prior to September 9^th; otherwise, plan to hold off until after October 2^nd when Mercury turns direct motion.  Life may feel like it has come to a virtual standstill or moving at a snail’s pace for the remainder of September given that six planets are now retrograde:  Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.  Pick your analogy:  pushing a boulder up a mountain, moving through sludge, cutting dense, tough material.  Life isn’t happening now at a clip we humans prefer. 

Time to deploy the aforementioned RE words! 

The energetic downshift is noticeable. It’s like the world called out, “stop, I want to get off.” You may want to as well.  Use the planetary slow down to take a breather, re-set and recharge.  As they say in computer language: control, alt, delete.  Power down so you can power up more effectively next month when the planets move forward.

For the meantime, I cannot very well sugar coat the cosmic news.  2022 has been that kind of a year.  We are in the proverbial crucible now, where chemical and alchemical processes converge at high speed and temperature.  There is no escape from upheaval other than to move directly through what envelops you now.  The only way out is through.  We have signed up to be in this exact time and place, to do this precise soul work.  It is our soul contract.  We are here to do the very heavy soul lifting upon us now.

Underscoring the energetic density, Uranus and Saturn move toward their final challenge in early October.  These two titans have been battling it out for the past eighteen months, prompting notable divisiveness readily apparent in the United States and globally. Both planets are just past the mid-point of their cycles through fixed signs Taurus and Aquarius, urging us to get to it.  Get to what exactly?   

Change.  Admittedly, humanity resists change.  But we are called to change now, and to address the changes occurring in our lives whether we like or agree with them or not.  Because change is going to happen despite our resistance.  Change is the only constant.  Either get on board with change, step aside, or get mowed down.  These are our three choices. Yes, it really is that simple.

Uranus is the Great Awakener.  In earthy Taurus conjoined to the lunar north node, we are called to pay attention to our values:  to whom, what and how we value….ourselves, each other, our skills and talents, how we earn a living and spend our time, and yes, to Mother Earth and its altering climate.  Uranus and the north node demand change in these arenas. 

Meanwhile, Taskmaster Saturn in Aquarius demands innovation, invention, a different approach altogether.  “You know what doesn’t work; so it’s time to try something else: A new path, method, way,” says Saturn.  The Uranus vs. Saturn clash results in major pushback, standoffs and grandstanding.  Expect questions and exclamations like:  How are we going to pay for it all?  What you want (or value) is not what I want (or value).  And, we need to find a better way.

Current events are always a good indicator of how we are doing.  Guns, abortion and inflation now dominate the news cycle in the United States.  Essentially:  moral values versus our wallet.  It will be on the political menu this November.  What will you have to eat?  There is still time to decide.  Our RE-flections usurp the balance of September.  So use the prevailing retrogrades to contemplate your values, what must change in your life and how to go about making those changes. 

Planetary gear shifts are upon us the third week of September.  The Sun turns into Libra on Friday, September 23^rd seeking a balanced approach to our pursuits even as Messenger Mercury reverses into hardworking Virgo the very same day, joining Venus.  What can be reasonably accomplished pervades our thoughts, how can we tackle our to-do list and in what time frame.  Make a plan.  The caution here is worry and anxiety about aspects we cannot control.  A good thing then that Neptune in its own sign of Pisces opposes Mercury-Venus suggesting that we:  control what you can, go about your business, surrender the rest.

As part of your plans, remember to hand write three to five intentions or goals for the New Moon on Sunday, September 25^th.  Focus on what you seek, rather than the how.  Be as detailed and descriptive as you like; then leave the HOW it will all happen up to The Force or Source, whatever you choose to call it.  This New Moon occurs at a very early degree of Libra.  The Sun (our life force and will) and Moon (our feelings and emotions) gravitate toward peace, beauty, art, relationships.  Libra rules balance. Not because she is balanced; but rather, in pursuit of balance.  Since the pandemic, the need for greater work-life balance has dominated our national and even international landscape.  The giant re-set of 2020-21 in the United States resulted in countless numbers moving residence, quitting jobs, and choosing remote work, all in pursuit of greater personal freedom. In short, we valued our time more than ever.

By comparison, the contemplative stretch of September 2022 is a mini version of this longer and larger cultural pivot.  When Valuable Venus turns into her own sign of Libra on Thursday, September 29^th, she joins the Sun and Messenger Mercury.  Together, the three cultivate harmony at work, home, community and school.  The trick is to remember your own needs in the equation.  Libra x 3 planets often has us forgetting about our own agenda as we are so focused on others.  So the end of September comes with a reminder to pencil yourself into your own life and schedule; whether self-care or individual work-related goals, it is more than OK for you to do you. 

As Katharine Hepburn said, “If you always do what pleases you, at least one person will be happy.”  This isn’t selfish.  It is survival.

Of special note:

Kerrin Kuntzman, owner of Harmonic Life Dallas joins me on my next guest episode of Mystical Messages which drops Friday, September 16^th.

My webinar “Creativity and Moon Cycles” for National Council for Geocosmic Research is now available via Youtube.  To view it, please visit my Facebook Page:  Hilary Harley Astrology.