September 2017

September begins in the US with the long Labor Day weekend, the unofficial end to the summer season, and what a weekend this could prove to be. We may be looking for a fun blowout with friends and in new environments. Same old, same old just won’t cut it as we explore all possibilities with a tinge of extreme sporting thrown into the mix.

This Labor Day weekend has Mars trine Uranus and Mercury conjunct Mars with a strong dose of the unconventional and the untried peppered in. The 2nd of September has Mars trine Uranus, followed by Mercury conjunct Mars on the 3rd. While we might be looking to edge ever closer to the ledge, any liftoff from the ledge can be well considered and well thought out. There are times when we don’t fully realize or truly appreciate what goes into certain decisions and actions.

In a recent interview of pro golfer Phil Mickelson, Mickelson explained all the factors that went into his weighing what club to use for his shot. Among the factors Mickelson takes into account prior to a shot are: grain direction, type of grass, time of day, air temperature, wind, altitude, moisture on the club, and various other factors that he feels could impact the trajectory of his hit ball.

On Labor Day weekend, we could be like Mickelson, sizing up all the permutations before launching off into some grand adventure. It would be wise to take the time to determine our trajectory and the conditions of our environment before moving ahead.

The 5th and 6th of September can throw us into a world of confusion and dysfunctional actions. The 5th has the Sun opposed Neptune, Mercury ending its three-week retrograde cycle to turn direct, and Mars exiting Leo to enter Virgo. These energy configurations are in play and heightened by the Pisces Full Moon on the 6th. Neptune and its Sign of Pisces are in full play. We might question what we are doing and how we are doing. We could be judgmental both in regard to what’s going on, other people’s actions and even our own behavior. This is a time for us to cut ourselves and everyone else a great deal of slack. We may not be seeing clearly. Things may take longer than we like, and we have to avoid getting embroiled by impatience. It would be wise to add on extra time for our plans, check and recheck what we are doing, and be certain that we are on the same page with those people with whom we are conversing.

Fortunately, the 9th of September allows us to straighten out any bone-headed decisions, miscommunications and missteps we might have made earlier in the week or during the Mercury retrograde cycle. The Sun trines Pluto, and Mercury exits Leo to return into its own Sign of Virgo, triggering a Stellium of three planets in Virgo as Mercury joins Mars and the Sun in the Mutable Earth Sign.

Not only can we be adept at dealing with the specifics and the details. We can see how the most important particulars make up the big picture of our goals and ambitions. If we don’t second guess ourselves, we could find ourselves in the ‘zone’ and highly capable of concentrating on the most important matters and expediting the process without any small detail falling by the wayside.

The weekend of the 9th – 10th can be a highly practical and productive time when we can go a long way forward in realizing our dreams. We have the foresight and an engineering perspective to see not only the big picture but all the specifics necessary to create our plans in a most successful manner.

The 12th has Venus trine Saturn. Over this next week Venus transiting Leo triggers a Fire Grand Trine with Venus trine Saturn in Sagittarius on the 12th and Venus trine Uranus in Aries on the 19th. This mid-week period of September has a great deal of pleasant Venus energies, and we might find that our relationships are humming along and that we are finding enjoyable creative outlets for our self-expression.

With Venus trine Saturn, we may rely upon a trusted confidante to offer us a detached and honest critique of our plans. Interactions with old friends can be pleasant, heartwarming and could make us appreciative of those remarkable people we have encountered along our journey. The Venus trine Saturn on the 12th is followed on the 15th by Venus sextile Jupiter and on the 19th by Venus trine Uranus. This mid-September and the end of the summer season can be a good time in our relationships, dealings with friends old and new, and provide some interesting, serendipitous encounters.

We may want to draw upon other people for their opinions, suggestions and advice at this time. We could easily take on too much, feel overwhelmed and question whether we are up for the tasks at hand and for the plans we are contemplating.

The 13th has the Sun square Saturn. Responsibilities could weigh upon us with a sense of the wind being knocked out of our sails. This is not a time to self-critique, for the liability would see ourselves coming up short. We could be especially attuned to our flaws and frailties rather than our sterling attributes and phenomenal successes. At this time, we are prone to seeing the half glass of water as half empty rather than as half full.

The weekend of the 15th – 17th, the last official weekend of summer, can be geared to good times with good friends and a pre-autumn cleanup.

Venus sextiles Jupiter on the 15th, and we could be engaged with the Mutual Admiration Society, as pleasant social encounters reinforce our appreciation of the people in our social circle.

The 16th has Mercury conjunct Mars. This Saturday would be a time when we can pepper our fun events with a cleanup and clearout in preparation of coming into the autumn. We might be putting away some of our summer equipment, but with the likelihood of engaging those activities one more time before shelving them for the approaching autumn.

The 18th has the last of the three recent Venus aspects, as Venus trines Uranus. There can be some fascinating connections today, which might include contact with someone at a distance or a serendipitous encounter of connecting with a most interesting person who adds momentary sparkle to our life.

While we may be privy to surprising developments, we could also question the meaning of unexpected situations arising. The 19th has Mercury opposed Neptune. Both are in Signs that they rule, Mercury in Virgo, Neptune in Pisces. Either we can be incredibly intuitive with an ability of feeling things out and being spot on in doing so. Or we could find ourselves in a world of confusion where we are making baseless assumptions and accepting even the most bizarre scenarios at face value. Let’s try to go for the former, but either tendency would necessitate due diligence to walk that fine line between foresight and illusion.

The 19th also has Venus exiting Leo to enter Virgo heightening the Stellium in Virgo as Venus joins Mercury, Mars and the Sun in the Mutable Earth Sign. The Virgo energy is accentuated ever more by the Virgo New Moon on the 20th impacting the next two weeks up to the Aries Full Moon on the 5th of October.

Although we can concentrate on the details and particulars, we have to be wary of not losing sight of the forest for the trees. We could get so wrapped up in the minutiae that we forget the big picture. This is a time to avoid micromanaging to such an extent that we forget or lose sight of the macro. People can also be highly critical at this time, looking more for the flaws and problems rather than the qualities and successes. Let’s avoid carping and instead try to maintain a bemused attitude towards the foibles of humankind. As the Grateful Dead would remind us: “What a long strange trip it’s been.”

We end the summer season on the 22nd. Just before the Autumn Equinox and the beginning of autumn, Mercury trines Pluto. If we pay attention to our own situation, mind our own business, and keep ourselves from giving commentary to other people’s matters, then our laser-like vision can develop a best practices approach for our projects and our activities. What better way to end the summer and come into the Fall than with a sharp perspective, heightened intellect and spot on critical thinking. The Sun enters Libra on the 22nd to begin the autumn season at the time of the Autumn Equinox.

The 24th has Mars opposed Neptune. We have already witnessed over the past few months accidents on the sea between merchant ships and US Naval vessels. The liability to water accidents can be heightened with this configuration. This can be a day when we are forcing movements without considering the consequences of our actions, much less accounting for the law of unintended consequences. Caution and considering the parameters of our conditions are called for, especially since confusion and missteps are strong liabilities under this energy configuration.

The 25th has Mercury square Saturn. We could obsess over minutiae, put on blinders and only see the half glass of water as half empty rather than half full. Let’s be wary of depressing thoughts, assumptions that we are stuck in a muddle and accepting beliefs that as it has been so will it be. Old issues could come up that need to be resolved once again. Even if we feel stuck as if running in place, it would be important to appreciate that timing is everything. We might have to rework situations, go back over old issues and deal with outstanding matters, but once done, we can move on without the encumbrances of the past or our own depressing thoughts.

The 28th can be a highly active day. Jupiter opposes Uranus and Pluto turns direct, ending its five-month retrograde cycle. We might have some surprising encounters now, but we also need to handle things gingerly. Whenever Pluto turns direction, whether from direct to retrograde or retrograde to direct motion, things can get explosive. Bomb blasts, terrorist activity, earthquakes, intense storm systems often occur during such an energy shift. People may seem out-of-sorts, acting in uncharacteristic ways, and it would be wise for us to keep our antennae up in order to be aware of any unexpected shifts in behavior.

Venus opposes Neptune on the 29th, the same day that Mercury exits its own Sign of Virgo to enter Libra. Not only does Mercury’s exit from Virgo end the Stellium of three planets in the Mutable Earth Sign. Mercury entering Libra creates a Mutual Reception with Mercury transiting the Sign ruled by Venus and Venus transiting the Sign ruled by Mercury. These two planetary energies are linked with an ability to bring out the best in both. And Mercury entering Libra triggers a Stellium in the Cardinal Air Sign as Mercury joins the Sun and Jupiter in Libra.

While people might have been analytical to the point of being hypercritical, there is a greater tendency now for us to take into account the person, or people, with whom we are dealing and to better understand where other people are coming from. The Venus Neptune opposition offers an idyllic quality to our relationships with the caveat that we have to be careful not to do the dance with the trickster, someone appearing one way but whose appearance can be deceiving. In the Native American tradition, the coyote is often considered the trickster. I can certainly appreciate why. Living on our ranch property in rural southern Monterey County, California, at night we could hear the lilting sounds of the coyote, haunting sounds that beguile and entice. Our relationships can be pleasant, but it would be wise to keep in mind that trust needs to be earned and not gratuitously given.

As we end the month of September, we can look to our future with determination and passion and with an appreciation that what we see from where we stand presently might shift and change as we proceed further down our pathway.

September 2017… Step by Step in Our Individual Journey…