September 2017 Forecast

Big Picture: Prepare to make an earthy and digestible meal out of fiery dreams and disruptive ideals.

This month, we have five planets traveling through Virgo, the sign that rules digestion, discernment, and the practical application of information and materials. Virgo is the sign of the alchemist, says the brilliant astrologer and Jungian analyst Clare Martin (http://www.claremartin.net/), and the promise of transformational skills is just what we need after this fiery year of disruptive change.

All that Virgo discernment is necessary to help us work through the larger cycle of disruptive change and renovation of our social framework. The theme of disruptive change gets a big shout-out in the last week of September, when we experience the Jupiter-Uranus opposition yet again (for the third and last meeting since December 2016). I understand this transit as “the challenge of taking responsibility for our freedom and our contribution to the collective well-being,” not an either/or choice.

We last saw this combo at work in 1933-34. During that time, Hitler in Germany declared himself Fuhrer and demolished the rule of law. In the United States, however, we established the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Savings and Loan Association.  Germany chose to polarize and exclude; the USA chose to create public structures to regulate financial investments with some degree of protection. Whether we imagine freedom as “me first!” “me only!” or “freedom for each person as part of the larger good” is up to us.

Alchemical work takes clarity, self-honesty, and sustained effort. Good thing we’ve got 5 planets in Virgo to help us out!

Take away points for September

·      The solar eclipse energy in search of forceful change is highly active for the first 8 days of September. Use it wisely, and try to make sure you are truly speaking or acting from your heart and spine (Leo integrity), and not out of a need for attention. (If you crave attention, pay attention to what may need healing in you.)

And work those Virgo muscles!  Pay attention to how you are ‘digesting’ certain issues or people. Whatever you can’t stomach now is ripe for change. Go after the difficult and challenging tasks (whether related to hearth and home, learning, or technological ventures).

September Highlights

This first week is perfect for intuiting the new births calling you and releasing with gratitude whatever has come to an end. The first week may be a little stressful on the nervous system (that “all revved up and not exactly sure where to go” feeling) but not to worry—it’s all part of the solar eclipse “something’s gone, something’s coming” syndrome.

Throughout the month, all the planets  in Virgo will meet Neptune. In a time when people are often engaged in identity politics (i.e., finding who they are by defining who they don’t want to resemble), Neptune beckons us to the ways in which we are all part of the warp and woof of time. Used well, these periods help us tune into the larger dreams that truly animate us and unite us on unseen levels. Used poorly, it’s a time for bad movies, scam artists, or self-deception. An intermediate version? You try something which doesn’t work well, and you get the prize of disillusionment, which is Buddha’s gold—the first step in seeing more clearly. So try something and see how it goes!

The month ends with a bang, with the last Jupiter-Uranus opposition; it’s great for creativity and innovation, but on a social level can breed political sharp elbows and rude protests. We can be creative without being rude and violent, so let’s model that.

September 2-8: Powerful time for inspired action, insight and communication. Watch your communication especially on the first 2 days, when Mars is highly active.  If you’re tempted to communicate or act very forcefully, pause first and ask, “will this help me to illuminate the deepest values in my heart or am I sending out a heat-seeking missile just for effect?” [Mercury in Leo trine Uranus, all at solar eclipse degree, joined by Mars for the first 2 days.]

September 4: Great time for meditation or consciously offering something in service to a higher ideal. “Whom do you serve?” is a variant of the question Parsifal first fails to answer(“Whom does the Grail serve?”). The question is eternal but the answers change, so today, ask yourself anew: whom and what do you serve? [Sun opposite Neptune.]

September 6: This Pisces Full Moon is the culmination of a process begun two weeks ago, a realization that something new requires a release of some kind. If you’re trying to peacefully end an addiction and free up more energy (whether the addiction is to a substance, an emotional habit, or electronic gadgets), now is a powerful time to let it go and work towards the higher ideal calling you. [Full moon in Pisces at 13 degrees, conjunct Neptune; Mercury at the solar eclipse degree.]

September 13-14:  If you answered honestly and deeply the ‘whom do you serve’ question, this transit is a gold mine! If not, it’s a wake up call as Saturn, the Great Teacher, asks “are you taking on obligations consistent with your own sense of integrity?” This may involve changing the obligations externally or going more deeply and honestly into your intentions. In both cases, the gifts of Saturn –clarity and self-honesty in service to slow and incremental change—are yours to use. [Sun square Saturn.]

September 16-17: Great time to work energetically in fields of technical study, practical applications, physical health, gardening, home repairs and improvements.  Go for it! [Mars conjunct Mercury in Virgo.]

September 18: Great time to connect in new and unusual ways—decorate your freak flag and open some new doors, whether socially, artistically or even financially. [Venus trines Uranus.]

September 20: This inspired New Moon in Virgo celebrates the earthy pleasure of discovering how the world works (and it does!), and how you help to make it work. The Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Sun all moving through Virgo remind us that we are born to do things, make things, apply our knowledge, prune or recycle old structures that served their purpose, and create new containers (physical, mental or emotional) to support new growth. [New Moon at 27 degrees Virgo; Mercury at 12 degrees Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces.]

September 23:  Sun enters Libra.

September 24-26:  Getting lost along the way is always part of the inspired journey (because inspirations don’t come with blueprints). This period is like driving through fog: things are not what they appear to be. Like Hansel and Gretel, mark your journey carefully and pay attention to details and signs along the way. Every detour may be a clue to the deeper dreams inspiring the journey. [Mars opposes Neptune at 13 degrees Pisces while Mercury squares Saturn, all in mutable signs.]

September 27-30: How do we (re-) imagine our commitment to nourishing nature (our own as well as the world) instead of trying to control it? Our political and financial structures are likely to undergo a major renovation over the next few years, and this period is a great time to imagine and think and take steps to build the changes you want to see. Start by an active act of appreciation. Send a letter of thanks to a teacher who opened new doors for you, or any of a thousand acts. “What we appreciate, appreciates [increases in value].”  [Jupiter opposes Uranus; Pluto goes direct at 16 degrees Capricorn; Venus in Virgo opposes Neptune; Mercury moves into Libra.]