We often feel that September represents a time of settling back into routine after the summer. Perhaps there’s still some truth to that idea, but things never seem to feel all that routine anymore. While there aren’t many major aspect or astrological happenings as summer turns to autumn, it’s sure to be a busy time.
Venus, the planet of love and relationship, is especially active this month, and what feels like romantic potentials in September may become partnership decisions in October. In every area of life, we feel the impending meeting of Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn. As these two planets get closer together over the next few months, we’ll feel seismic shifts in the collective consciousness coming to a peak.
We begin the month with the Moon gently waxing out of the Virgo new moon on August 30th. This is a time for considering what still needs to be done before the New Year begins.
There’s a strong work-oriented vibe throughout the first half of the month, with some very productive energies available to us. You may also start to consider that it’s time to focus on health and wellbeing after summer indulgences – with the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars all in the reserved sign of Virgo, it feels like it’s time to detoxify.
The first week of September is very active – maybe too active for the fledgling Moon to keep up with the pace. In the first few days of the month, Venus makes three major aspects, trining Saturn, squaring Jupiter, and opposing Neptune.
The first of these, on September 1st, offers a slow-and-steady opportunity to build in relationships, but just a day later Jupiter stokes up more robust dreams, while the opposition to Neptune on the 4th can blur the line between fantasy and reality. With the Sun and Mercury meeting with Mars during this period, it’s likely that we’ll come out of the new moon with a sense that we want to change things, and rapidly.
When Mercury squares Jupiter on the 6th, we’ll find that some folks get a little preachy, while some can bore us (or bore into our heads) with endless details. It would be an opportunity for precision-oriented work, if Mercury wasn’t going on to oppose Neptune the next day. In general, expect that there will be a lot of hyperbole and pontificating, although it could be that some valuable facts are buried beneath the soapbox.
Venus is trine to Pluto on the 6th, another indication that we’ll see through fluff to get to substance. Relationships that have been through ups and downs in the past week are likely to come to a point of resolution – even if it is only temporary.
The second week of the month continues to build the energy, heading towards the full moon on the 14th. The Sun connects with Jupiter and Neptune in the days before the full moon, suggesting that egos may be inflated – but also that we can follow our highest and best path. The Pisces full moon helps us to see our connection to spirit, if we will take the time to look.
The activity of the first part of September comes to a screeching halt as Saturn stations to retrograde on the 18th. In the days around this station, expect a serious, work-oriented vibe to prevail. Do put out effort – Saturn likes that – but don’t take on too much responsibility or burn yourself out. Watch out for colds and minor ailments, too.
Saturn continues to set the tone through the 25th, as Mercury and Venus form tense aspects from Libra. It could be a time when we have to account for ourselves: to authority figures, partners, and even in our social lives and creative endeavors.
Jupiter squares Neptune on the 21st, an aspect that usually plays out more in the collective than in our individual lives, and it tends to favor progressive social and political movements. It can also stoke a certain amount of fanaticism, which is usually problematic, even when it’s well-intentioned.
Summer comes to a close on September 23rd, as the Sun enters Libra. The days are balanced now between light and dark, but they are shortening rapidly. As the astrological aspects at this time are somewhat tense, we’re likely to feel that as the days are fading, we’re under pressure to get things done.
As the month ends, a proactive approach is certainly called for, but don’t feel that everything needs to be completed right away. A nice Venus/Jupiter sextile on the 28th helps to ease our social lives a bit, offering a pleasant, although brief, change of pace.