Astrology of September 2016 : Stepping in & Becoming // Eclipses, Mercury Retrograde and Jupiter’s Transition into Libra

Hello friends and welcome to my Astrological analysis for the month of September 2016.  This is an incredibly important and eventful month as we will be experiencing two eclipses, a Mercury retrograde in Virgo, and Jupiter’s ingress into Libra all within a short time period.  This is the point that we’ve been running towards all summer and really, for the past several years.  Now is the time to step in, choose the path of truth in your life, and don’t look back!  As we traverse this space, no matter where we are in the process, keep reminding yourself and remember that now is about BECOMING.  And in becoming, there is growth, change, and sometimes growing pains.  But stay with the momentum – because the wind at your back is strong should you choose to run with it.

As a part of this month’s analysis I feel it might be helpful to review the timing process of the current & upcoming cycles to give us a sense of orientation with regards to the events of this month.  (Note:  I strongly encourage you also read or re-read articles from August, July, June & last November if you are interested in further depth because I discuss many elements relevant now in those posts)

Mercury Retrograde:

August 10: Mercury enters its shadow
August 30: Mercury Stations to go Retrograde
September 22: Mercury Stations to go Direct
October 6 Mercury leaves retrograde zone.

This Mercury Retrograde is in Virgo between 14 Virgo and 29 Virgo.  This is an excellent Mercury Retrograde for reforming health, reorganizing your schedule, reviewing your life plans and making adjustments/developing new plans, connecting with mentors, and developing/deepening your own services.  This is the perfect time to ask the question, how can I be of greater service?  And to look at places where you have chosen selfishness, fear, or a pattern of belief over service.

This Mercury retrograde is powerful because it is in it’s home sign of Virgo and because it is happening during an eclipse period in the same sign of Virgo – meaning the review process is important, and the past issues that come up will be weighty.  Take it ALL seriously and keep the big picture of the larger process in mind – there is a reason for everything.

The Recent Mars Retrograde & Saturn Relationship:

February 17:Mars Enters Retrograde Zone (23 Scorpio)
April 17:Mars went Retrograde (8 Sag)
June 29:Mars Stations to go Direct (23 Scorpio)
August 22:Mars leaves Retrograde zone
August 24:Mars-Saturn Conjunction (9 Sag)

Throughout this summer, Mars retraced the steps of Saturn’s last arduous years in Scorpio, forcing us to have to review that drudgery yet again (this is specifically a review of 2014-2015, but it weighed in as far back as 2012). The Saturn in Scorpio process and subsequent Mars in Scorpio process was about clearing away all of the emotional and psychological gunk that prevents us from being truly powerful.  Saturn has been in Sagittarius since 2015 and in this sign we have been developing our new vision.  However, this dance with the Scorpio energy for the past 2 summers has kept us a bit in limbo between all of our stubborn emotional problems and where we are actually desiring to go.  Mars finally cleared its Retrograde path and crossed Saturn’s current position in Sagittarrius at the end of August -- meaning that we are now OFFICIALLY moving forward at high speed with our inspiring visions & dreams for the future.

Three Eclipses:

August 18: Full Moon Lunar Eclipse at 25 Aquarius

This eclipse carried with it a beautiful energy of grace, friendship, acceptance, and openness.  It had a very optimistic and warm vibe, fueling our hopes and visions with a sense of positivity and possibility.  Community surrounds us.  We have a chance to embrace individuality and uniqueness within ourselves and within the other people in our lives without judgment or fear of these things.  Rather, a realization that our power is in what we give from the space of absolute freedom.

September 1:  New Moon Eclipse at 9 Virgo

A major call to action.  Eclipse on the North Node, opposed Neptune on the South Node (our addictions) and square to Mars & Saturn in Sag (The newly motivated force of change in our lives).  Mercury Rx is conjunct Jupiter in this chart also – extremely abundant and productive energy.  Do not underestimate the mind’s ability to create under this eclipse.  Stay with the positive and the constructive.  This is a major choice point about where you’re headed, so choose wisely.

September 16:  Full Moon Lunar Eclipse at 24 Pisces

Releasing, healing, sensitive energy.  We are at the apex of major change – here we will feel both sides of that change on a true heart level.  Nonetheless the cross-over has happened and we can’t avoid the lightning strikes to our self concept.  Go into the pain, shine a light in the dark.  Walk with the scepter of Compassion.  Both for yourself and for the others around you.  Do it because you need it.  Do it because other people need it.  Everyone is deserving of love and healing, and we have the capability of giving that energy to each other in times of trouble, confusion, and loss.  Embodying the unconditional compassion of higher form Pisces in a here and now, day-to-day, face-to-face way is the key to navigating this time period (and life!) in happiness and fulfillment.  Choose LOVE this time over frustration, anger or defensiveness – you will find it a lot more satisfying and there will be a positive return.

Jupiter’s Ingress into Libra on the 9/9/9 Portal

August 12, 2015 – September 9, 2016:  Jupiter’s transit in Virgo

The transit of Jupiter through detail-oriented Virgo played an important role in the past year in amplifying the incredible swirl and madness of mutable change energy that swept us under last fall and has been going strong all through 2016. With the nodes of fate in Virgo/Pisces, Neptune in Pisces and Saturn in Sagittarius – this year has been an unpredictable, upsetting, constantly shifting wave of change.  Jupiter’s interaction with this whole combo ensured that the waves would be BIG, SCARY, and COMPLEX.

Jupiter in Virgo made us extra aware of the flaws and weaknesses inherent in the dissolving systems but also in the consciousness -- because Virgo has so much to do with body & mind, and its polarity, Pisces has so much to do with emotional consciousness.  Jupiter in the same sign as the north node was a call to check our physical, mental, and emotional health or else fall face first into the jaws of Pisces suffering.  Jupiter in Virgo in combination with Saturn in Sagittarius reminded us to get real and wake up from our illusions.  Jupiter in Virgo in combination with Neptune in Pisces encouraged grand deceptions – but also encouraged the expansion of grand dreams.

Jupiter is a big picture energy and in the sign of details we may have felt overloaded with WORK – there is just SO MUCH to do to fix up our lives and our world – how on earth are we going to do it all?  It feels to me that the importance of Jupiter here was not to solve everything at once, but to bring these to do & to fix lists to the forefront with clarity.  Keeping in mind the goal is to serve and use managerial capacities to reform the situation, we realized there is a lot that we can do to help each other.  It’s not all out of our hands.

Remember what I said last month about Virgos being expert renovators?  Well Jupiter is the one that says, “Here’s what it should look like in the end.  K.  Now figure out the rest.”  Needless to say, we all had to step it up some to keep up with the demand and in the process were able to learn a lot about function and application in a short period of time.

September 9, 2016 – October 10, 2017:  Jupiter will transit Libra

Accent on RELATIONSHIPS

The shift of Jupiter into Libra is actually going to be a pretty strong shift.  First of all, Libra is a much friendlier sign for Jupiter, and with Libra’s ruler Venus also ruling Jupiter and the majority of the other planets at the time of the Ingress, we should find ourselves feeling more pleasant, amorous, and financially supported almost immediately.  He’s out of the combat zone.  Officially.

One interesting note is that this transit is occurring on the 9/9/9 Portal (2016 is a numerological year 9).  Nine from a numerological standpoint is the end of the cycle and represents completion.  In the Greenwich mean time Ingress Chart for Jupiter in Libra, Scorpio also resides on the Ascendant of the chart – indicating even further that the energy of transformation is the underlying force of this transit.  We have completed a significant portion of our journey and are now ready to move into a new space -- a next level.

The Jupiter-Libra ingress powerfully emphasizes community, cooperative building, and harnesses the strong motivational energy that underlies all of September.  With Mars free of its retrograde phase, we have officially hit the ground running into the manifesting process and Jupiter in Libra will both assist and accelerate this process in a friendly way.  Because Jupiter in Libra has so much rulership dominance in the ingress chart, we should expect a substantial shift in discourse all around as Jupiter offers something of a Midas touch to the whole situation.  Where we are willing to join together we can build together.

I feel there is potential under these influences for a massive shift toward a more collaborative and uniting process than we have experienced for quite some time.  Libra energy emphasizes HARMONY, TACT, and CONSCIOUSNESS OF OTHERS.  These are highly important for the growth of our world in such a period of crisis and devastation.  When we can join together harmoniously, we can accomplish much.

The Dance of Saturn & Neptune

Exact Hits:  November 25, 2015, June 18 2016 & September 10 2016

Yep.  You heard right.

All through September:  Mercury Retrograde, Eclipses, Jupiter changing signs AND a big Saturn-Neptune aspect perfecting … all literally side-by-side?

I was not kidding when I said this is a big month.

This will be the last hit of Saturn & Neptune before the two start to part ways.  The collision of the two symbolizes a great clash of consciousness with the hard reality of embedded structures.  Neptune energies persistently erode Saturn’s idea of how it is, creating a lot of drama in the process as underneath the decay the truth is revealed and a new foundation awaits.

In the instance of Saturn & Neptune in this waning square pattern (a conflict energy) our struggles go down to our deepest internal core.  Saturn must prepare to release everything it holds in order to place a support under Neptune’s new truth.  Have things gotten worse, or have the ugly realities just come to light?  Is there so much that you see that you don’t like?  Why ARE things so crazy?  So emotionally extreme?  So bizarre?

Jupiter really made this transit larger than life this past year and as they meet for this final time in the midst of all of the energies of September, we may finally have some bearing on what has been uncovered, and what it is we’re supposed to do about it.  This involves SELF WORK as well as OUTER WORLD work.  We must never forget this fundamental element of transformation, particularly when it comes to the waning square.  Change is inward.  It is a release, a clearing away, a preparing for the new.  So in this case, we must look to history for the answers.  And at the same time, we must let go of that history.

And that is precisely the point that we are at this month.  The point where we let go of history in favor of the great adventure.  The possibilities on the horizon are incredible and the momentum is there for us to run right for them.  We must believe in our possibilities AND act upon them with absolute willingness to shed what is unnecessary.  No more drama, no more obligation without heart, no more excuses.  Virgo energy is all about SIMPLICITY, PURITY, and ROUTINE DISCIPLINE.  We are being asked to be absolutely, utterly REAL with ourselves -- our flaws, our weaknesses, our true desires, our real dreams.

How do we keep ourselves from freedom?  Who are you really?  What do you want really?

What is the discipline that helps us feel at ease -- and do we actually practice what we preach?  Whether or yes or no -- HOW can we be as we say we are MORE?  How can we be as we say we want to be MORE?  

How can we be models, helpers and students all at once?  

How can we embrace the ABSOLUTE FREEDOM of our unique, completely personal identity and life path without judgment towards it or towards the absolute freedom, identity and path of others?

Become the path.

Wholly.  Fully.  Really.

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Astrology of July 2016 – Finding the new Home

This past week in my internal martial arts class, Sifu (Chinese title for master-teacher) went into great depth on the topic of spirit, and how one must learn to move through the will of spirit.  Not just in training and practicing our forms, but in life.  His final instructions to the class were ones that felt quite relevant for the astrology of July:  “Know who you are and what your destiny is – and fulfill it.”

July’s astrology encourages us to really take the leap – to go against the grain -- and find, discover, and be who and what we are at a deeper and more complete level.  The moons this month are a new moon in Cancer on July 4, and a Full Moon in Capricorn on July 18.  This is the axis of creation and represents our innermost foundations and outer identity.  These are the vibrations traditionally associated with mother and father.

One interesting aspect of the July astrology is that we are passing through the space of the now separating Uranus-Pluto square that has been the central force of revolutionary change for the past five years.  At the same time we are also still working with the energy of Mars in Scorpio (now direct) throughout the whole month of July, putting a strong emphasis on completion around the Saturn-Scorpio story that has been ongoing for us since 2012 (but most particularly March 2014 through September 2015).  These elements seem to be operating in tandem this month – with Mars passing through a trine to Chiron (the point of deep wounding) -- and the implication that I sense is a sort of face off / show down between the sacred path and those things that interfere with or pull us from it.

Cancer and Capricorn can be understood as carriers of tradition.  Cancer is the archetype of the nurturing mother and the comfort and safety of home.   Capricorn is the archetype of accomplishment and success through the intelligent maneuvering of society.  But these realms have been shifting in recent years – for all of us.  Everything about what makes home, what makes a career, who we are and how we partner (all of the cardinal archetypes), have been turned on their head under the intense power of the Uranus-Pluto square – and for most, it has not been an easy process.  Social unrest, financial instability, homes and jobs lost, broken systems of government, human rights violations (and wins) – have touched ALL of our lives in some way these past several years, forcing the collective to seriously reevaluate what is real in this world, and what changes need to be applied towards future structures in our lives and society at large.

Yet, to spite the obvious disarray and apparent need for change, our internal programs and feelings of expectation still hold strong.  Even if we’re confident that we are on the right path for us, the territory can still feel unfamiliar, treacherous, and leave us filled with doubt.  At times, we may be inclined to turn back, but when we turn around, we find that there is no “back” at all!  We are essentially stuck in between – the web of the past and the knowledge of the future.  How do we figure it all out?  How do we fix it all?  How do we forgive (ourselves, each other)?  Is it possible to work together?

Mars Retrograde brought us back into the territory of our deep psychological obstacles and wounds through the past two months.  On a higher level, we know we must face these aspects of ourselves, these shadows of our being, in order to do what it is that we are called to do.  But while it sounds good on the surface, there’s a level at which this is actually quite a terrifying proposition – one that we might find ourselves resistant to embrace.  The small self feels protected by the layers of identity that once formed us.  If we let go of “home” – even if “home” is a place rife with dramas and struggles – who the heck are we?  And if we do make this shift into the being of our self that is our future self – our higher self – how can we know if it is authentic if it appears to be so different from where we came?

It is natural for us to now be considering these questions – but important to rise above these concerns and recognize what we are really being asked to focus upon at this time – and that is finding the home within the self.  The New Home.  Home is not where we’re from anymore.  It is not even the long lines of our ancestry.  Home is something entirely different – something beyond location, association, and culture.

What I am sensing is that the evolutionary promises of July’s astrology are a threshold into embracing a higher frequency of the Cancer archetype of unconditional love and the Capricorn archetype of divine authority.  We must all create sacred space and take sacred time in our lives as individuals so that we may transmute the anxieties and fears that befall us, and face the obstacles before us with courage.  The courage arises when we have established our inner anchor and we begin to see ourselves as sovereign.  Everything about who we are culturally is not our true identity – for we have all of us lived in many cultures, many times.  So it is up to us as individuals to make the effort to establish our own roots, and see beyond the veils of expectation and assumption.

We need to heal our wounds and fears around the unseen world.  This has been the hidden undercurrent of the past several years, represented by Chiron’s travels through Pisces – for when we can look at the truth in its many layers with clear eyes, we will see much, much more than we currently are able to, and only then can we actually have the change of heart and mind necessary to realize the deeper possibilities inherent within ourselves and humanity as a group.

“It is so much to sort through – an impenetrable knot of endless conditioning – how can it all be done?”  I hear myself protest.

The answer lies within each individual’s efforts to transcend their own conditionings (e.g. the ideas of how life “should be” that have been told to us by Mom, Dad, society, and even our own karmic self) and take an active part in the creation of those new things and new spaces that are left behind by the wounds of failed or failing structures.

There is a new world beyond this.  A more cooperative reality.  What it needs are different things – different ideas, different approaches, people who are willing to take those gifts that have felt like curses and utilize them in service of the collective force.  Why do you want to let your life be limited when you could be so much more and give so much more?  The fear and resistance we feel, the trepidation – it’s not there to encourage our hiding under the same ol’ same ol’ – it is there to propel us towards our destiny.  It is the discomfort necessary to inspire change.

Surrender to the process in this year of fateful turnings.  It may seem slow, other times it may seem like we’re moving at light speed – but the important part is that we keep going, keep integrating, and continue to be willing to shine our light out to the world – and to always, always hold close to the uncovering and exploration of what is the truth, and who is our true self.

When we practice these things – and come to know our sacred self – we will always find the way.  Without trying so hard!  It is there for you as it is for me, and for all of us.  Remembering this, we can see our fear for what it is and dissolve its influence.

Whatever it is, wherever you are – if it’s in your heart – keep going.  See it through.  Have faith and appreciate.  Your destiny will never desert you.  Only you can desert it.  We are all a part of the bigger picture – and it is incumbent upon us to fulfill our roles – knowing that these roles are not like the ones we’ve known.  Celebrating the awesome ability to be a part of collective creation and evolution.

Honor and embrace the past for what it’s been.  Embrace and honor the future – for what it will be.  Embrace and honor now, with openness and faith that there is something beautiful beyond the veil.  Be confident that the sphere of your abilities and your interests is enough.  It can all be done – if we all stop looking outside, and come back in.  Back home.  To who we really are.  And trust in it.  Because the true self knows the cosmic design, the web of connection, and the plan for your life.  We do not need to strive for what already is.

Sink in.  Just be.

Taurus New Moon

New moon tomorrow 5/6 at 3:30EDT. Moon goes void of course at 10:10pm EDT conjunct Mercury rx. If you miss the window for intentions, wait till the moon is in Gemini on Saturday 5/7 at 12:34pm EDT.

It's a great moon cycle for focusing on growth and productivity, and is also the most powerful moon of the year for cultivating one's finances. The Moon's last aspect to Mercury rx says to me that it's a great moon to make improvements -- especially with Virgo rising on the Washington, D.C. Chart. So if there are areas of your physical reality where things have been lacking, you can really start to create some movement in those areas. Health, routine, money -- anything pertaining to the body, pleasure, relaxation, luxury -- are all great areas to focus upon. Live like a Taurus -- you know you can do it!! Ha ha!

This month is a good time for reevaluation with both Mars and Mercury retrograde. With the Taurus moon, I'm feeling it is an especially good time to create space for the "slow down" amidst the chaos, as the Gemini half of this month is going to be significantly more crazy. Taurus is a firm believer in the good life, and so there is a pull right now to access that level of being, and remind ourselves of it very well, so when life starts pushing us around, we can always find our emotional / mental safe space. Taurus is also about the fundamentals of things, and so we can use this period to firm up our life foundations in order to create more stability for ourselves down the road. Mars rx is going back over the path of Saturn the past two years, so we are doing a final sweep of clarity around our vision, and then moving into June, revisiting the psychological processes behind it all. So all around, we're really in a phase of making stable all that has been in development for the past several years.

This Taurus moon is very oriented toward action -- but not in a crazy, running around, mania sort of way... It is very deliberate, thoughtful action that keeps the long range view in mind. What level of comfort and peace would you like to attain? What does it take to get there? How can I start something today that will lead me towards that goal? And remember, Taurus processes are cumulative. It's not about doing it all at once... It's about focused consistency. So be practical about it. Choose pathways that are realistic, something you are ready to commit to, but still stretch and expand you in a healthy way. Since Taurus is also about value -- as in what we value and our own self worth -- it's also a wonderful time to practice treating yourself well by honoring your goals.

All in all, remember that Taurus is a sign that's a big fan of quality over quantity. Whatever you do, whatever your visions are at this time, keep it simple and be abundant.

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Here is Astrologer Ellias Lonsdale's write up on the degree of 16 Taurus, where our new moon is this month:

TAURUS 16
A young girl and boy explore a perfume counter. 
Weaving polarities adroitly with alchemical awareness of what can come from the right combinations. You are fascinated and awestruck by all the various combinations, facets, and ways the life-force distributes itself and plays itself out. The rapt admirer of the wisdom and beauty of nature, transfixed by what happens around here. Coming at things always from yet another side, yet never feeling it is enough. There is more to be done, infinitely more to partake in and enhance. The world is an open book. And it magnetically, almost hypnotically draws your attention and interest to what is needed next, to what is emergent and outstanding as life matches dreams and dreams encompass fantastic variety and vivid spectrum to lose yourself in and discover everything through, from one end of the Earth to the other.

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Love and peace.