Current Transits for September 98Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Chiron conjunct the Russian Sun
Jupiter octile Uranus, 9-4
Full Moon/Appulse Lunar Eclipse at 13Pi40, 9-6
T-Square, 9-11
Vesta enters Leo, 9-16
New Moon at 27Vi32, 9-20
Yod, 9-26
Compared to recent months, September is blessedly quiet. It's a time to assimilate all the changes we've been through, allowing these new behaviors to become second nature. There aren't many new energies coming in this month, although the August trends are still in force and need to work themselves out this fall. The energy in September is moderate in intensity, but generally quite focused and direct. That makes it much easier to harness these powers and put them to good use, so aim to make this a productive month. Enjoy the reprieve -- October looks pretty hectic again.
September is a slow news month, astrologically. I don't think anyone will mind that too much, given the tumult of earlier this year. There's one big aspect, a lunar eclipse, and one sign change to consider. From time to time, the faster moving planets will join in with the slower moving ones to create larger patterns of some importance, but the effects are usually fleeting.
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Chiron conjunct the Russian SunIn the old birthchart of Russia that many people still use, the Sun is at 15 degrees of Scorpio. Chiron is currently finishing up a triple contact of the Russian Sun this month. Apparently, the Wounded Healer is opening up all the festering wounds and sores in Russian society, daring them to fix their country before it all falls apart completely. Reading the news stories these days, I keep hearing the phrase "Wiemar Russia" in my head, as though Russia is experiencing a meltdown similar to Germany after WWI. Things will probably get quite ugly in this part of the world in short order.
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Jupiter octile Uranus, 9-4Jupiter is in an octile aspect with Uranus on the 4th; the fall-out from this contact colors most of the month. This is the second of three such contacts between these planets -- it started on June 24th and won't finish until February 2nd of next year. Octiles are known for introducing an element of friction or conflict into a situation. It's not so much a butting-heads kind of conflict, more a basic, fundamental mismatch of two things that just don't work together. In a nutshell, this aspect can be described as a mismatch of conventional wisdom and higher wisdom. Jupiter is often associated with "higher knowledge" (particularly through his rulership of Sagittarius and the 9th house), but his way of understanding things is usually quite traditional or conventional. Jupiter is used to working within the system, not overturning it. Uranus is no respecter of tradition, however. Often, when we finally see the truth, we find it bears no resemblance to our beliefs. Conventional wisdom is mostly just a story or myth that we live by in order to make civilized society work well. We all buy into it and (usually) we all prosper in the process. This story is the grease that makes human interaction go smoothly. But when this pretense fails to work properly, it creates immense friction and irritation between people instead. We were seeing at the end of August a number of gaping cracks in the system opening up before us. Whether you look at the paralysis of the federal government in the face of Clinton's personal problems, the blow-out of stock markets around the world, the latest terrorist bombings, the meltdown of Russian society, or any number of other problems, it's obvious that the status quo is not working. The Jupiter function of bringing people together harmoniously is not doing its job. Uranus is upsetting everything we took for granted, forcing us to abandon the old myth and invent a new one. We need new ideas, new ways of looking at the world. However, we also need some patience during this 8 month process. The tendency is to burn all the old institutions without having anything to replace them. This creates a very dangerous gap or vacuum, which only invites disaster. Go slowly -- this aspect is more dangerous than I anticipated.
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Full Moon/Appulse Lunar Eclipse at 13Pi40, 9-6The full moon on the 6th is also an appulse (or penumbral) lunar eclipse. That's just fancy talk for when the Moon passes through the lighter part of the Earth's shadow. The Moon's light is dimmed somewhat, but doesn't disappear completely as during a total lunar eclipse. This is the last of 3 eclipses this summer, kicking off a cycle of intense change and challenge over the next 6 to 12 months. If you imagine the last month (since the first lunar eclipse on August 7) and its eclipses as a package, the forces let loose in our world this month will be the problems we will be chewing on for a long time. Obviously, there are plenty of issues on the world stage that need our collective attention. But from talking to people lately, we each have our personal crises to work on as well. Look at the houses in your birthchart that contain these eclipse degrees -- these houses are the areas of your life that command your attention. See what parts of your life aren't working and start looking at them. I don't believe in the doom-and-gloom approach to interpretting eclipses, but ignoring these "challenges" and "opportunities" can be disasterous in the long run. Take these lessons to heart (without getting bogged down in some big soap opera about it).
There's something very subtle and elusive about this eclipse. I've tried to capture its essence in words for days now -- it's become a major source of writer's block for me. It's fitting that the strongest planet is Neptune, the ruler of dreams and illusions, the banisher of clearcut distinctions and boundaries. This vague, understated quality of the energy lately is very Neptunian. Remember, though, that Neptune just changed signs recently, backing up from Aquarius into Capricorn again right after the solar eclipse. After the passage, I immediately realized how much calmer things felt under the Capricorn influence compared to the hectic, frenzied Aquarian vibe. Capricorn is about grounding, about calming down, making our connections to "the energies" (a Neptune-loaded phrase, if ever there was one) more concrete. This Neptune connection is expressed through a Yod that is aimed at Mercury and Venus, the thinking and intuitive/emotional aspects of the mind. In a sense, this deeper understanding of the subtle forces that underlie "reality" must be grasped now not just intellectually (as an idea or a possibility), but at the feeling level as well. The truths we embrace, the sensations we let through the "filters" of our awareness, the intuitive understandings we come to trust -- these will determine the quality of our conscious experience of the world.
Keep in mind that the square between Neptune and Saturn is active all year, further testing us. Everyone is trying to find their new home on the continuum between the extremes of "cold, hard materialism" and "ecstatic madness" under this square -- and nobody can make the decision for you. You need to be awake and attentive to life to remain aware of these subtle forces at work -- it's easy to shut down, doze off, or put on blinders and miss the whole show (while believing you're right on top of everything the whole time!). Oh, the frenzy hasn't really gone away (not with a Mars-Uranus opposition!). Life is still fast-paced and stressful -- and I don't see any slowing down anytime soon, unless you apply the brakes yourself. We need to live in both worlds (the dreamy, subtle realms and the crazy, fast-paced material plane) simultaneously. Not by splitting our attention and trying to look crossed-eyed at both levels (our usual approach; it doesn't work), but by widening our vision so that both levels are in view at the same time. Now there's a trick for you!
The chart for Minneapolis is quite fascinating. The Sun is rising, Ceres on the midheaven, Moon setting, Pluto on the IC -- all in a loose Grand Cross. We are truly caught in the crosshairs of this eclipse! Especially with Pluto below, we are definitely tapping into some deep, hidden influences coming from our innermost nature. The next few month could be quite transformative.
Or maybe I just dozed off, again...
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Early on the 11th, Mercury passes Venus (a conjunction) and both planets square Pluto -- all in a 7 minute window! Talk about a tight configuration. Later that evening, the Moon comes along and makes this a T-square (in mutable signs).Tightly wound patterns like this can pack quite a punch, especially with Pluto involved. If you find yourself confronted by odd circumstances or in touch with a strange, moody brooding feeling between the 10th and the 13th, you're probably tuning into this little configuration. It stimulates the emotions, especially sexual attractions, but not in a very straightforward or easy-going manner. It's probably best to avoid taking unnecessary chances, since Pluto is an "underworld" planet and can dredge up the worst, as well as the best, of human nature. Again, try to come to terms with these impulses through the thinking and feeling parts of the mind. The goal here is understanding, not trouble.
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Vesta enters Leo, 9-16On the 16th, Vesta moves from Cancer into Leo. Vesta's energy often causes a person to withdraw or retreat in some area of their life, as though they need to go inside themselves for a time and gather their strength. The sign of Leo seems to reinforce this trend, making you go within to discover your inner nature at a deeper level. We tend to think of Leo as all ego and bluster, but if you scratch below the surface of the proud lion, you frequently find an insecure pussy cat inside. I suspect the pussy cat is closer to the surface than usual now. If you need to go off somewhere and ask yourself some probing questions, do it. Who am I? What do I stand for? What are the goals, dreams and truths that I hold dear? It's this deeper soul-level connection that produces our true power in this world, not the externals of our lives and certainly not the excesses of the ego. Power flows from within out into the world; it's not something you can hold onto or dangle over another person's head. You may need to reassess your relationship to power in coming months, in order to create the dreams you desire instead of some unintended nightmare. Now normally, any of the asteroids only stays in a sign for 2 or 3 months. However, Vesta will be going retrograde this winter. Her entire retrograde zone (22Le26 to 7Le06) is in the sign of Leo, so she's going to be staying in the Lion a long time (until June 23rd of next year, to be exact)! Apparently, we really need to pay attention to these lessons. It will be worth it in the end.
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New Moon at 27Vi32, 9-20Charts like this can be hard to interpret, since there are few points of emphasis to grab a hold of. The main group of planets (near 24-28 degrees) are a study in tension, however, forming a tug-of-war pattern that is commonly called a See-Saw. Such patterns literally pull us in two opposing directions, in this case between the bright light of normal, everyday consciousness and the dark of our deeper natures. Usually when I see this kind of split, things appear relatively calm on the surface. Life can even seem normal. There is something brewing behind the scenes, but it's still in embryonic form, yet to come into its own. In large measure, its our friend Neptune once more, fogging up our rose colored glasses. It's important to be discerning and discriminating in your judgments, since the thinking mind is easily swayed now, especially by plausible sounding generalities that don't hold water in practice. Rather than accept information on faith, go within and see if it has the ring of truth for you. Relationships with others can go rather smoothly and without major problems (not saying big issues won't come up later). It could even be a romantic time, in a quiet or understated manner. Or a time to heal a badly bruised heart that took too many licks in the past. Just be willing to let go of expectations based on past situations -- they don't apply now. Finally, notice that Neptune will be standing still at its direct station (on October 11), later in this lunar month. I suspect the deeper issues won't really surface until then at the earliest. Neptune is difficult to discern, even when you're looking for him...
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After the new moon, we go into the final planetary storm of the month. By the 26th, the waveform is ringing like a bell. The pattern generating this strong signal is a peculiar and potentially difficult Yod. It consists of the Sun and Mercury in Libra, Moon and Pluto in Sagittarius, pointing over at a Taurus Saturn. It's hard to imagine a more undesirable pair than Pluto and Saturn, since both have a rather "heavy-handed" reputation. In fact, though, this may simply be a nudge to get us to handle Pluto (soul-level) energies more carefully and skillfully. Taurus provides calm and stability when the going gets rough. Don't get too bent out of shape by this one -- it's a fleeting influence, more of a practice drill for stuff coming up next year. This storm is petering out some as we enter October.
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