September Astrology: Gifts of Love and Self-Expression
By Catie Cadge PhD
Autumn is upon us, Santa Cruz County stargazers! The month starts off with six planets retrograde, appearing to move backward in the sky. Personal growth and inner processing are in a reflective mode now. By September 3rd, Venus moves direct at 12°12’ Leo, while Jupiter joins the retrograde planetary party the next day, September 4th, at 15°35’ Taurus. Our values around partnership, money and resources have been going through a reevaluation period and some of it just may feel karmic!
Venus now works her way forward through mid-Leo degrees. We can start to manifest our Venusian goals and needs by making sure we are truly seen and cherished for who we are and what we deserve. On the flip side, you might ask, where have I been seeking too much applause or am I trying too hard to “look good”? Beauty comes in all shapes and forms. With this Leo energy, we want to be seen, but no need to take it too far. We all learned that lesson this summer with the blockbuster hit, Barbie. Better for you to ask, what romantic passions feed your animal instincts? Who lets your inner lion roar with a big generous heart?
Venus squares Jupiter in Taurus mid-month on September 16th. Les bons temps rouler – time for a party! Just watch out about going a bit overboard. Jupiter later squares Uranus, also in the sign of the Bull, on September 29th. Both are nice times to let the creative juices flow. Seize opportunities to grow in your self-expression and artistic pursuits while considering how your values are shifting. “I’ll take a melody…and see…. what I can do about it!”
Mercury moves retrograde until September 15th when the planet of perception and communication stations direct at 8°00’ Virgo. The planet can contribute to misconnections and misinformation, not to mention things breaking down or flights delayed. In truth, the period is one for inner reflection, rather than action, and because we slowdown in our thinking and become more engaged in our thoughts, we make errors or things get overlooked. Best to use this Mercury time to reconsider the details of a project or review our skill sets and where we may need to hone our craft and work.
Meanwhile, the New Moon, at Virgo 21°59’, occurs September 14th at 6:39 pm Pacific time, forming a trine with Uranus in Taurus. This is an earthy, grounding energy that supports planting intentions in our heart we can make real. How can we best make plans to be of service to one another, while also making changes to build a more secure and stable future? With Mercury slowing down, this is a great New Moon time to receive critical insights and practical work strategies in support of our planet and dealing with the effects of climate change. One can hope!
Sun enters Libra at 11:49 pm on September 22nd. Happy autumnal equinox, everyone! Equal day, equal night. Sun joins Mars in the sign of the peacemaker. Libra season is about negotiation and creating harmony with others. Mars is about our will and about taking action. An equinox theme for us is: How can I best assert and defend my own needs in partnership? How can I be a spiritual warrior for peace and fair balance within my relationships? During the days surrounding the equinox, the Moon will be “out of bounds,” at high declination, meaning our lunar feelings will be unconventional and possibly extreme. When the Moon is in Capricorn, during the weekend of equinox, watch out for people going over the top with control issues. Rather try to be the Libra Mars peacemaker, stick up for yourself and your own needs as well as those of folks around you.
The month ends with a Full Moon in Aries, 6°00’, September 29th at 2:57 am. Time to step out with fiery gusto and claim your right to take up space! A good time to initiate some of your exciting new projects. Be on fire! “There’s a dragon with matches that’s loose on the town
Takes a whole pail of water just to cool him down!” Full Moon says, what are you waiting for?
Catie Cadge is Dean of the Forrest Center for Evolutionary Astrology. Classes and more information: forrestastrology.center. Read about Catie and her work at caraevolutionaryastrology.com.
Image by Catie Cadge: New Moon in Libra
