September is the month of calculated adapting.
Change: can you plan for it? In September the answer is yes…and no. We’ve entered the second eclipse season of 2015 (the first was March/April), with the year’s final eclipses falling on September 13 and 27. Fasten your seatbelt. Eclipses are wild-card moments when reality is suspended and life as we know it can get turned on its head. Eclipses come in to sweep away that which no longer serves us, and to give us a giant boost forward…or to force a complete U-turn if we’re barreling down the wrong path. Procrastinating is as futile as resistance now. If you’ve been taking the easy way out or dragging your heels, an eclipse pushes you off the fence and out of this fickle state. Expect the unexpected. Make a decision…or have one made for you. (Read more about eclipses at www.astrostyle.com/solar-and-lunar-eclipses)
The first eclipse falls on September 13 in Virgo, and it’s a partial (new moon) solar eclipse. Solar eclipses can be gentler than lunar ones, because new moons mark beginnings—and who doesn’t look forward to a fresh start or a ripe opportunity? This one is especially potent because expansive Jupiter is also in Virgo from August 2015-September 2016. So any eclipse-fueled news could be magnified by Jupiter’s abundant touch. Eclipses come in pairs, and this is the second installment of a new eclipse series falling on the Virgo/Pisces axis between March 2015 and 2017. These eclipses are here to reform our approach to health, healing, spirituality, science, clean living and the environment. Virgo is an earth sign and Pisces is a water sign, so conservation of land and sea will become ever more urgent under these eclipses. (Paging those melting polar ice caps…)
September 27 brings the headier of the two eclipses—a total lunar (full moon) eclipse in fiery, aggressive Aries. Lunar eclipses mark endings, transitions and manifestations. If it’s time to pull the plug on a job, relationship or some other situation, there will be no mincing words or waffling. Action can happen swiftly today. Lights, camera, action! Since Aries is the sign of the solo artist, it’s a perfect moment to step fully into your star power. This eclipse could bring exciting news if you’ve been working on a passion project. However, you’ll probably need to dodge some attention-seekers and ego-trippers at the end of the month, since an Aries eclipse can ramp up the arrogance and entitlement, too. This is the second-to-last eclipse in the Aries/Libra eclipse series that began in October 2013—the grand finale will occur in March 2016. These eclipses have been reforming how we balance personal identity and partnership, properly juggling “me” versus “we.”
In between the eclipses, there are a few other major September headlines. On September 6, love planet Venus ends a tough six-week retrograde (backward) spin, which threw many relationships into turmoil. An ex may have resurfaced, or an old lover’s quarrel flared up again. Venus went retrograde on July 25 in Virgo, then backed into Leo on July 31, remaining in this dramatic, prideful sign for the duration. Romance-a-holics tumbled off the wagon into love-addicted behavior, casting aside common sense for chemistry. With Venus back in direct (forward) motion on the 6th, balance is restored. Keep on kindling those lusty fires—just do it with the right person and without turning your whole life upside-down. Shadowy Pluto also ends a five-month retrograde on September 22. If you’ve lapsed into old power struggles or self-sabotaging habits, Pluto’s forward momentum should get you back on track.
But just when you thought it was safe…on September 17, communication planet Mercury turns retrograde until October 9—its third and final backspin of the year. Mercury rules technology, travel, transportation and interpersonal exchanges. With the quicksilver planet doing a reverse commute, all of these areas can get easily foiled. Insure yourself against breakdowns earlier in the month: Back your data up to the cloud, avoid buying new gadgets/electronics during the retrograde and triple-confirm all plans. Astrologers advise against signing contracts now, too—so if you must, read all the fine print carefully. Mercury will be retrograde in Libra, the sign of partnerships, so this one is extra prone to wreaking havoc on your closest relationships. Practice patience, repeat yourself as needed, and don’t jump to conclusions! (For more on surviving Mercury retrograde, see www.astrostyle.com/mercury-retrograde).
Also on September 17, weighty Saturn returns to Sagittarius for a two-year run. Saturn entered Sagittarius for the first time since 1988 on December 23, 2014. It stayed for six months, then backed into transformational Scorpio for a final visit on June 14. Now, Saturn departs Scorpio, not to return until 2041, and settles into Sagittarius until December 19, 2017. Sagittarius rules travel, higher education, entrepreneurship, religion and global relations. We can expect to see all of these areas reformed—and challenged—by structured and serious Saturn’s influence. (For more on this, see our post at www.astrostyle.com/saturn-in-sagittarius.)
Your AstroStyle monthly horoscope has all the details on September’s bustling cosmic activity and how it will affect you. Read what’s in store for your sign here >
Image by Rocio Montoya