A September Month of Twists and Turns

This is an unusual month, beginning as it does in the wake of the Leo New Moon that featured a partile or same-degree square from the Sun and Moon to disruptive Uranus in Taurus, indicating unexpected events and surprise enlightenment. We must note that this lunation cycle still has the first two weeks of September to go before its thirty days have ended. This unusual emphasis on the Trickster is coupled with the inner planet retrogrades of Mercury and of Venus as the month begins. This is thus a highly introspective time, when we might find ourselves questioning every aspect of our lives, especially our relationship dynamic and our sense of our own values and creative self-expression. Venus stations to direct motion on the 3rd, and squares Jupiter from before the beginning of September to the 22nd due to the relatively stationary condition of these two planets, giving another and more positive spin to our sense of aesthetics, relationship, and to what we value and hold dear. The Mercury Retrograde is rather intense having begun in the last week of the previous month, in trine with Uranus, and continuing to its station to direct motion on September 15th. What then follows is the two-week period of its post-retrograde shadow, taking us right through to the 29th. All in all, this September month will be a time of revolutionary energy that also takes us to the inside of our psyches for a good look around. If we play our cards right, and do not try too hard to keep up with outmoded habit patterns that we are ready to move beyond, this can be an illuminating time of great healing heading into October and, potentially, a more fully realized self-concept.

The Last Quarter Moon of September 6th also features the Sun in conjunction with retrograde Mercury, which is one peak moment of the retrograde when there can be misapprehension or the need to try several times to get something straightened out. The spiritual indication behind the introspective focus provided by Mercury moving backward in its apparent motion from our geocentric standpoint is that we attempt to take a closer look at some dynamic of our lives that might have outgrown its usefulness. If we are just going through the motions with regard to some area, or some job that we have, we might be missing the point. With the Sun in Virgo square the Moon in Gemini, this is a thoughtful time of changing perspectives when a shift of consciousness is more than possible if we are paying attention.

The Virgo New Moon of September 14th represents a fresh start in the area of our life where Virgo comes in, depending on the natal chart cast for our time and place of birth. The Sun and Moon in this New Moon are again in aspect with Uranus, this time a close trine, within a degree, so that the rebellious urge from the earlier lunation ruling this month’s activities is still there, and takes on a new upward spiral of accumulated knowledge and belief. Jeff Green called the unexpected and somewhat wild thrust of Uranus in the midst of our normal lives “Freedom from the Known,” and it is true that we sometimes need a nudge from the universe to jump the tracks of our established ruts and strike out for new territory. We must also exercise discernment, because not every stray notion or idea will be the right one for us to knock out of the park with unexpected success. Although you never know, the next one might be the oddball winner. In any case we prosper by looking more deeply into all our patterns and the hidden wellsprings for our behavior.

Mercury’s station the next day, still in Virgo, represents a change in the energy; Mercury is standing dead still in the sky, and takes up to the entire two weeks of the post-retrograde shadow to regain its normal momentum and recover the lost zodiacal ground it backed up through over the past three weeks. Mercury completely escapes the shadow period with the Full Moon of September 29th.

The Aries Full Moon of the 29th additionally features the new Nature planets Haumea and Makemake because Saturn squares Haumea while the Libra Sun conjuncts Makemake. The ongoing square between Pluto and Haumea in the last degree of cardinal signs is therefore highlighted in this end-of-month lunation. This might provide further insight for us of what is going on beneath the service layers of our psyches and what our interior sense of right and wrong might be attempting to tell us. My research has shown that these planets represent profound connection to Nature, and as well to our innermost principles of right and wrong, and truth-telling.

Even though something of a trial, these September retrogrades and potent lunations with their strong presence of Uranus have their purpose in helping us to better see ourselves and our pathway forward. This is equally true with these new 21st century planets that reflect profound connection to Nature, and to our values, as they remind us to simply do the right thing when it becomes our turn to do so. And in this way, we potentially make a positive difference in the world around us. We may be reminded in this context of the quote by noted anthropologist Margaret Mead, who declared: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”