“Rolling boulders up a hill
And I’m crushed again
It’s purgatory, a five year story
Playing on without endI try so hard, push so far
Still I’m falling down
My sweat, my tears, hopes and fears
Rise and tumble down
This futileness, Sisyphus-quest for something good
Let me rise up”— Melanie Joy, “Sisyphus“
I’ve never started off an astrology blog post quoting one of my songs before, but after reviewing the astrology for September, I can’t help but hear this tune. If you’re familiar with the myth of Sisyphus, then, well, you’ll understand how the next month is going to feel.
Okay, maybe the month isn’t that bad… October might be worse.
Eek. I’m not really making you feel better, am I?
Here’s the jist: there are some, um, big challenges ahead of us this month which should be to no one’s surprise. How difficult things get really depends upon your individual natal chart. So, if you haven’t seen an astrologer yet to discuss how all of the insanity is impacting your own natal blueprint, then, I would highly recommend it now.
Short of that, here’s my brief-ish take on what to expect in a general sense (which again is no substitute for your personal take on it).
Sept 2 – Full Moon in Pisces plus Venus-Saturn opposition
September starts out with a Full Moon at 10 degrees of Pisces at 1:22 am EST. Of course, so much depends on where Pisces is in your natal chart, but in general this Full Moon can produce some big feels; that is, we can get emotional about something we’ve been longing to accomplish, or better yet, something we’ve just recently accomplished. With a Sun-Uranus trine and a Moon-Uranus sextile, some sparks or flashes of insight are possible. But, Venus is also opposed Saturn this day, and this is almost always a downer. Relationships and/or finances can suffer under this influence until Venus moves fully past Saturn in a few days. It’s best to use this day for solo spiritual or creative tasks and maybe avoid the inevitable heaviness of others as much as possible.
Sept 4 – Venus square Mars
Continuing the stressful Venus theme, interactions could feel extra testy today. Ask yourself if it’s worth it pushing to get the last word or if it may be better to bite that tongue and wait for the moment to pass… you know, like in mid-2021.
Sept 5 – Mercury enters Libra
Mercury leaves its short stint in Virgo and enters peacemaker Libra. I like Mercury in Libra because it offers a lot of objectivity—a fair way of looking at the world and seeing both sides. The problem is that sometimes it gets too caught up in seeing both sides and has trouble making a decision. Or, it could also be a bit too concerned with what others think. That said, if you need to mediate or negotiate, usually this is your placement. However, with all the trouble brewing in late degree cardinal signs, this Mercury is going to get hit with some heaviness in a couple of weeks, and I’m feeling sorry for it already.
Sept 6 – Venus enters Leo
Goodbye Moon. Hello sunshine… finally, some warmth arrives. This is the pick-up we need after Venus in Cancer received stressful aspects from both Saturn and Mars. We move into a more confident and expressive approach to relationships and finances, but not even a fun Venus can really lighten the mood much.
Sept 9 – Mars retrograde
Okay, here’s the big event of September. Mars goes retrograde every two years and stays retrograde for 11 weeks. Ugh. I can’t spin this one for you. I’m really not a fan of Mars retrograde. Read my article about this phenomenon here and get pointers for using this time positively.
This Mars is retrograding in Aries. Look, Mars likes being in Aries; it’s at home here (in domicile). But the issue is that our major 2020 stellium in the sign of Capricorn (Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto) is in a very tense aspect to this Mars. This is why many astrologers (myself included) have felt that the fall is going to be an especially rough time.
Mars turns retrograde at 28 degrees of Aries and moves backwards until it hits 15 degrees of Aries. Then it will turn direct (not until November though) and move forward again all the way back up through the rest of Aries until it finally enters Taurus in January 2021.
For some of us who have difficult natal placements that Mars will be hitting not once, not twice, but three times, this is going to be challenging. I’m already struggling with Mars’ direct contact on several of my angles and planets.
If you have angles or planets from between 15 and 28 degrees of a cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn), you are really going to feel this over the next few months.
Sept 11 – Sun opposition Neptune
The Sun opposes Neptune this day which can weaken our vitality and willpower. A good astrologer might advise you to move away from the wine and chocolates today, and instead, drink your power protein smoothie and pop a few extra vitamins. But look, this is 2020, and I licked the inside of a bag of cheese popcorn yesterday, so like, just drink the damn wine and eat the damn chocolate because if we can’t have wine and chocolate, what is left for us? And, if your immune system is at risk, then, just stay in bed today, under the covers, with your wine and your chocolates and maybe some trashy magazines and definitely some trashy TV.
Sept 12 – Jupiter turns direct
Usually, Jupiter resuming its direct motion is a good news story. And, the long view of this is a good one because the sooner Jupiter moves forward again, the sooner it moves out of its fall (unhappy) placement in the sign of Capricorn. But, on its way out, it will be triggering once again, the Pluto-Saturn conjunction we’ve been dealing with this year. Is there a chance that this time, Jupiter’s conjunction with Pluto in November ends up offering us some good news? Yes, it’s possible. It’s also possible that it blows things out of proportion again as it did in April and June this year. This is its final hit. And, Jupiter’s conjunction with Saturn doesn’t come until both planets enter the sign of Aquarius in December. (More on that another time.) So, while I don’t expect this day to be eventful, I do hear the slow click, click, click of a roller coaster climbing into the clouds, and I’m kind of holding my breath.
Sept 15 – Venus square Uranus
Speaking of roller coasters, this combo can feel either liberating or slightly terrifying. Relationships and/or finances can be a bit tricky around this time with this influence. If you’re teetering on the edge of a failing relationship, you may get the urge to finally pull the plug. Ensure this is definitely what you want. Avoid making hasty financial moves today as well.
Sept 17 – New Moon 25 degrees Virgo
The new start this month comes in the form of a Virgo New Moon (at 25 degrees) at 7 am (EST). Virgo New Moons are excellent times for basically getting your sh*t together—focus on solid nutrition and gentle yin type of exercise; face the reality of a situation and put together a plan for tackling it; also, consider giving back. I find those with prominent Virgo can be such kind givers, and they get such joy from their acts of service. Most of us are going to need “Plan Bs” by October, so here’s a good day for getting one together if you haven’t already.
Sept 21 – Mercury square Pluto
Communications can be a bit, let’s say, razor sharp today, so be mindful of what you say and what comes back at you. I also find technology and modes of transportation can unexpectedly bite the dust during these types of aspects. Difficult Mercury-Pluto aspects tend to imagine the worst, so this would be a good day to check on your family and friends struggling with mental health issues.
Sept 22 – Fall Equinox: Sun enters Libra
The autumn officially arrives on the 22nd as the Sun enters Libra. The Fall Equinox is one of the two days of the year when there is equal light and dark, which is so fitting for the sign of the scales who lives to achieve balance. From a technical perspective, the Sun struggles in Libra mostly because Libra is famous for giving away its power instead of owning the spotlight in a confident way. (But this is mostly a conversation to have if you were born with a Libra Sun.) For now, watching the leaves change colour should remind us of the constant of nature, and that, like the trees, we can change, fall, even disappear and then re-emerge.
Sept 23 and Sept 24 – Mercury square Saturn & Mercury opposition Mars
Here are two difficult aspects for Mercury in Libra to navigate as it winds down its time in the sign. Saturn can feel a bit harsh, even repressive, while Mars can be quick to anger and quick to reach for those fighting words that are better left unsaid. None of this is going to be fun. These are also good mental health reach-out days.
Sept 27 – Mercury enters Scorpio
Mercury enters Scorpio for what will be a pretty long stretch (minus a few days back in Libra when it goes retrograde), but you can pretty much get comfortable with this placement until December 1st. I admire Mercury in Scorpio people for their incredible minds capable of being so quiet and observant and then coming up with a zinger of a question or comment that makes people really pay attention. Get in touch with your inner detective. Listen to some darker podcasts. (I’m kind of obsessed with podcasts like Serial Killers or Serial on Spotify and would highly recommend if you want to indulge. And… if you listen to the first season of Serial which is years old now, please message me because I need to talk to someone about it.)
Sept 29 – Saturn turns direct and Mars square Saturn
This feels like go time. The good news story here is that this movement forward means that Saturn is officially moving on from Pluto. It made its exact conjunction back in January, and now, having gotten with a few degrees again close to Pluto, it’s like it changes its mind and says, I’m done with this. I’m moving forward and I’m going to meet up with Jupiter in the sign of Aquarius around Christmas this year.
This said, here’s our second exact Mars-Saturn square, this one with Mars retrograde, which is that frustrating (possible understatement) energy we’ve had to deal with in August. So, if you have any planets or angles around 25 degrees of cardinal signs, here is your warning to maybe lay low for at least a few days.
I’ve tried to bring a bit of levity to some of the boulder-pushing, possible soul-crushing energy of September, but in all seriousness, if you’re concerned about September’s astrology and how it may impact your chart, I’m offering a limited number of check-in sessions specifically about the next few months for mailing list and social media followers only. The cost is $50 for 30 minutes or $80 for one hour. Message me directly.
Until next month astro friends,
M
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