September Highlights
This has been an exceptionally busy month for me and I’m just getting around to writing September’s astrology highlights now. I will cover the planetary activity for the first half of the month that is still in effect. That is, the New Moon in Virgo on September 6th, Venus’ move into Scorpio on the 10th and Mars entering Libra on the 14th.
The Virgo New Moon on September 6th, took us into the yearly phase of organization, weeding out and cleaning up our internal and external spaces. On the level of health, this is a good time to let go of bad eating habits and begin supportive new habits. Virgo rules the intestines, so any digestive issues ought to be addressed this month. And Virgo’s ruler Mercury wants us to filter our thoughts and edit what information is ours and what is for someone else. Not everything we we hear or see around us is something we need to act on, sometimes it’s just information that we can pass on to another or store away for future use. Time to clean out closets and cupboards and donate to thrift or consignment shops, perhaps even make a dump run with things that have outlived their usefulness. When we lighten the load physically and mentally, we feel better!
The planetary archetype of love, beauty, and our financial picture is Venus. Venus is the attracting power of our solar system and she draws to us the people and resources we want, whether through our charm, our adornments or our senses. On September 10th, Venus left her comfort zone in Libra, one of the signs she rules and where she enjoyed creating harmony and beautiful environments around herself, and entered the watery Fixed sign of Scorpio. You may know that Scorpio is ruled by Mars on the opposite spectrum of getting what he wants through assertion and action. When in Scorpio, Venus uses her ability to please others by focusing on her personal and business partnerships and what their combined energies can create. She does this in the most subtle of ways by recognizing her partner’s feelings and desires and using her powers of attraction with the signals she sends. If you are caught in her web and have the same drive to create something lasting and worthwhile, you will be most fortunate indeed. If, on the other hand, either of you succumb to jealousy or suspicion, you could make a new adversary. Pay attention to your motives in all your partnerships while Venus is in Scorpio through October 6th, and make sure you want the same things because what you co-create can be powerful indeed.
Mars entered Libra on September 14th, where he will initiate all kinds of activity until October 30th, when he enters Scorpio one of the signs he rules. From September 14th until October 6th, Mars and Venus are in what we call mutual reception, meaning they are residing in each others’ sign. It’s like going on vacation and swapping houses with someone unlike yourself, but you will take good care of their home and they will do the same while in your home. Now, you just read about Venus in Scorpio, so let’s focus on Mars in Libra, what he wants and how he goes about getting it. As the planetary archetype of action and assertiveness, Mars is courageous, direct, and concerned with his own needs. In Libra, Mars may be seeking a relationship if he doesn’t already have one, or working towards righting a wrong through the court of public opinion or in an actual court of law. This gives us the determination to weigh out the pros and cons and to go after what we desire. This isn’t Mars favorite place to be, having to play fair and consider the needs of others, but he will do it for the sake of achieving balance. If you need assistance from others during this time, be as clear and decisive as possible and take action.
The boost received from the trine of the Sun in Virgo and the Capricorn Moon early on the 16th, set us up for a productive and more positive day when the Moon moved into Aquarius late morning and harmonized with Mars in Libra. That, along with the Sun’s trine to transformative Pluto in Capricorn, gave us a renewed sense of purpose and direction, uplifting our confidence. On the 17th, the Moon aligns with focused Saturn in Aquarius and squares off with Venus in Scorpio, then a little later, it squares independent Uranus in stubborn Taurus. This is a Fixed T-square that brings up a challenge with how to proceed. Without compromise or a new point of view, not much can be accomplished.
September 20th brings in a feeling of having to adjust to the unknown from early morning until the Full Moon in Pisces at 7:55pm EST. The Moon is in compassionate and dreamy Pisces all day, joining ruler Neptune in the early morning, then harmonizing with Pluto midday for an opportunity to see how to make your dreams become reality. This glimpse of possibility is enhanced by a trine from resourceful Mercury in Libra to expansive Jupiter in Aquarius; study, get more information and think about the people you can collaborate with to connect out into the world more successfully. Take the time to get quiet and meditate; when the mind is still, insight can come through. An interesting note about both Mercury and Jupiter is that they go into direct motion on the same day… October 18th. You can begin to pull your plans together then!
The Full Moon in Pisces highlights our compassion for, and understanding of, the world around us, in other words... Mother Earth and all gods' creatures. This is the axis of healing. Pisces provides the inner knowingness of connection to all things, people and places on the planet, while Virgo provides the process, tools and skills needed to make whole again. That is the balance needed at this Full Moon, the flow of compassion and the balm of healing.
A word of caution here, Mercury is entering the stormy phase just before going retrograde on the 27th, so slow down, follow through on projects already begun, but refrain from starting anything new until after Mercury has traversed back through Libra, gone direct on October 18th and moved past the shadow phase, which won’t be until November 3rd. Plan accordingly.
The Autumnal Equinox occurs on September 22 at 3:21 pm EST when the Sun enters Libra. The Sun will be exactly above the Earth’s equator, traveling from the north to the south. In the Northern Hemisphere we are beginning to experience later sunrises and nightfall coming earlier, while temperatures are cooling down a bit. Our friends in the Southern Hemisphere are experiencing a return to Spring as the Sun moves further south. This astronomical event is a result of the Earth’s tilt on its’ axis at 23 and 1/2 degrees and it’s continual orbit around the Sun. This tilt means that the Northern and Southern Hemispheres take turns in receiving the Sun’s warmth annually. The constellations of the 12 signs of the Zodiac, from Aries through Pisces are seen in the 23 and a 1/2 degree band we see from the Earth as we travel around the Sun. Don’t worry about a so-called thirteenth sign of the Zodiac, with the foot of Ophiucus inserted between Scorpio and Sagittarius. Astrologers have taken this into account with the precession of the Equinoxes. You can rest assured that you are either a Scorpio, or a Sagittarius!
What does the Sun’s entry into the cardinal Air sign Libra, the seventh sign of the zodiac, mean for the denizens of the Earth? Astrology tells us it puts the focus on balance, harmony and relationships. Libra, highlighting other, is the polar opposite of Aries, the first sign of the zodiac that emphasizes self. It is this interaction between individual concerns and relationship needs that the next 30 days are about. The element of Air emphasizes an exchange of ideas and has a bearing on how we deal with situations in regard to others. Do we take into consideration the concerns of others, or is the scale tipped only in our own favor? This is the time of year to seek balance and harmony in our associations, and to appreciate and create beauty around us. It is also a great time to visit art galleries and museums with your beloveds!