Hi Everyone

You’ll be pleased to know that September will be quieter than August — which is going out with a great cleansing at least for those of us on the East Coast.  Hope you and yours came through Irene with no difficulties.

Yes, Mercury is now direct – so no more blaming your computer, communication and/or travel issues on his being retrograde.  He actually went direct on the 26th.  And something else we’ll watch in September (and beyond) is Jupiter’s retrograde motion in Taurus, which begins on August 30 at 5:18 a.m. at 10 degrees Taurus.  Attention earth signs (Virgo and Capricorn) and Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius folks with planets from 5 to 15 degrees in any of those signs. Great time to diet — Jupiter rules expansion including waistlines — but I also think its retrograde motion will impact the economy and people’s overall confidence– another Jupiterian trait.  We will probably just begin to see the financial implications of Irene which may send the markets into more worry than they’re already in.  Hard to imagine!

OK, so September.  The big deal for this month is that Pluto (you’re all experts on her implications by now) is changing directions at 2:23 p.m. on September 16th at 5 degrees Capricorn.  This means that she will be moving VERY slowly all month — not that Pluto is any speed demon.  It takes her 248 years to go around the entire zodiac.  I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before but right now Pluto is closer to the Sun than Neptune.  This occurs every 248 years approximately and generally indicates a transformational crisis on a societal level.  The last time this happened was in the 18th century at the time of the so-called Enlightenment, the foundation of the bourgeoisie and of business — “a foundation based on greed and productivity at any cost.”  (Source:  Dane Rudhyar: The Astrology of Transformation.)  He also states that individual transformation does not happen in a vacuum and is shaped by the crises of the society in which the person is living.  So, this change in direction will be felt by everyone but especially those with planets ( or Ascendent) at 0 to 10 degrees Capricorn, Virgo, Taurus, Aries, Libra or Cancer.  (The Ascendent is found by looking OUTSIDE the chart in the 9:00 position.  There won’t be a planetary glyph there; there will simply be a number with a degree symbol, the glyph for the astrological sign and then another number.  This is your persona, as Jung called it, you’re public mask.)

By the end of the month (around the 25th) we’ll have Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Saturn in Libra, an air sign about relationship, fairness and balance.  (They’re looking for it — they don’t have it!)  Libra tends to operate on two speeds (balance, remember) like hell or not at all.  So with this much energy in the sign we may all feel out of balance or moving in those two speeds or getting really upset when things aren’t fair by our perceptions.

The Sun enters Libra, the Autumnal Equinox, on the 23rd at 5:05 a.m.  The Harvest (or full)  occurs on the 12th at 19 degrees Pisces. Attention all water signs (Scorpio, Cancer) at 12-26 degrees, also Virgo, Gemini and Sagittarius.  You’ll be more sensitive to this Harvest Moon.  The new Moon occurs on the 27th at 4 degrees Libra. Attention other air signs (Aquarius, Gemini), and Aries, Cancer, Capricorn.  This new moon will bring the Cardinal T-Square into focus — but just for a couple of days.  The Moon is the fastest moving planet, so this won’t last long.

Have a great September!

Peace,

Margaret

“The sun shines not on us, but in us.”  — John Muir