Current Transits for September 2009 Current Transits for September 2009Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Full Moon at 12Pi15, 9-4
Mercury Retrograde, 9-6 to 9-29
Pluto Direct Station at 0Cp39, 9-11
Saturn Quincunx Neptune, 9-12
Juno reenters Pisces, 9-14
Saturn Opposite Uranus, 9-15
New Moon at 25Vi59, 9-18
Hindsight...
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
Let's start out with the good news for September: no Koz Quakes. The overall energies of the planetary patterns are somewhat less intense than they've been the last 4 months. Given the level of psychic shell shock many people are in, any relief on the intensity front is very welcome. The once tight knot of planets is loosening up -- there's more daylight between planets, orbs are looser, the strength goes down. Of course, since these are slow moving bodies, relief is slow in coming. Which means that after a week or so of R&R time, we head back into a storm pattern that covers 2/3 of the month. It's just not a hurricane this time around. In other news, Saturn is busy making some major aspects, while Pluto hits his demanding direct station on the 11th. The Pluto station is usually a time of letting go when some situation in your life reaches the breaking point -- what a good way to start the storm! If some area of life becomes more trouble to hold together than it's worth, that's Pluto's signal to let go and move on. Oh, and Mercury is retrograde most of the month. Get used to your brain missing a cylinder every now and then. Pace yourself -- it's going to be a long month...
There are a number of important astrological themes in September. Saturn makes a couple of important "big aspects" as it consolidates its position in the group of knot planets. Mercury goes through one of its retrograde cycles, while Pluto's station on the 11th is a crucial story for the month. On the lighter side, Juno changes sign.
The full moon is a disorganized looking chart that's broken up into a number of separate planetary groupings. Obviously, the knot planets are still major players, though Jupiter is on the fringes of this group currently. The Sun and Moon, along with Venus and Ceres, forms a second group; Venus acts as a bridge between these patterns. Juno, Mars, Mercury and Pluto form a very wide Grand Cross, with help from Vesta, though it's debatable whether this counts as one or two groups.
It's always a concern for me when the outer, slow moving, unconscious planets aren't talking to the faster moving planets that rule over ego consciousness. Such splits in the psyche create a lot of tension and stress, like an inner volcano that hasn't broken through to the surface yet. It's no secret that the energies of the Neptune knot, containing all the outer planets except Pluto, have taken a toll on people after 4 or 5 months. Even the best among us have that look of weariness about us or have flipped out a few times. There's a lot of free-floating emotion coming from people lately, particularly anger, rage and fear, that pops up in unexpected ways. These feelings override any kind of thinking or common sense. The Sun in Virgo opposite Moon in Pisces repeats this moodiness bumping up against our common sense sides, no matter how much you try to stay grounded. The Cross probably comes through in our day-to-day relationships, creating unexpected misunderstandings and confusions. It's admittedly tough to hold all these various energies together. Maybe just being aware of all these splits and confusions inside us is what this full moon is about. Simplistic stories and world views are bound to break under the strain, forcing us to create a more sophisticated outlook on our lives. Patience, with yourself and others, is vital, because we're all in uncharted waters together. Don't forget to relax and breathe -- did I say this energy is very stressful?
Mercury reaches its retrograde station of 6Li13 on the 6th and starts to back up in the sky. It continues in reverse gear until the 29th, when it goes direct again at 21Vi36 and resumes normal forward motion. Oh, the dreaded Mercury Retrograde! It's only a problem if you identify too closely with your thoughts, ideas, perceptions, dreams, etc. -- if, like Descartes, you believe "I think, therefore I am." If you recognize some daylight between you and the endless flow of ideas going through your thinking mind, these cycles aren't all that bad. In fact, they can be downright amusing sometimes. Mercury is the thinking, symbol using part of the mind that tells us stories about what is "real". Often times, these stories are quite useful in everyday life as simplistic rules of thumb that let us navigate the day's demands. Sometimes, these stories are terribly wrong and off base, despite feeling so "real" to us. When the world defies our simple explanations, things seem crazy and out of control. That panic reaction is the clue to disbelieve that story and honestly look for a better explanation. Mercury is also about communications and the connections we make with other people. Not too surprisingly, our ability to speak our minds clearly and make our intentions known to another can be seriously compromised during these retrograde times. Misunderstandings are quite normal, though frustrating. Given that this retrograde zone includes both Virgo and Libra, thinking and communications are both affected markedly. Be extra patient with close relations -- it's hard to see eye-to-eye now. On the plus side, these cycles are an exercise in seeing past your stories and the ego habits they instill. The flow of thoughts is endless, but very little of it is based on reality and rational analysis. In fact, much of it is quite silly. When you can be amused by your inner theater without taking it seriously, that's a major spiritual lesson that leads to true freedom. Just don't believe everything you think...
Pluto goes direct at 0Cp39 on the 11th. This ends a retrograde cycle that began on Apr 4 when Pluto stood still at 3Cp17. In my book, Pluto's retrograde cycle is one of the most critical of all planetary influences, especially if you're naturally attuned to the outer planets. During these cycles, Pluto's got a bone to pick with you. We all like a comfy lifestyle and sometimes taking the easy path leads us astray, at least from the perspective of the Higher Self. People who resonate to Pluto's vibes seem to be "people on a mission" as if they came to this world to perform certain tasks. Getting too cozy in life seems to dull your edge and distract you from your path. Enter the Dark Lord. When Pluto first goes retrograde (in this case, last April), his message is barely a whisper or a gentle tap on the shoulder. However, it gradually becomes clear that you need to let go of something or some situation that is holding you back and causing you to lose your way. You might tell him to go away and leave you alone, but that only makes Pluto more insistent. By the direct station, the message is abundantly clear. The circumstance you tried so hard to hold onto is simply taken from your grasp. Things break, people walk out on you, you get sick, whatever, but life is not going to be the same from here on. Rather than complain and stew about this great cosmic injustice, it helps to admit that your new and simpler life is a "back to basics" improvement. You get to be yourself again. These cycles can be very dramatic and transformative, but they're never boring. You'll appreciate the ordeal later on -- Pluto's actually a good friend, dammit...
Saturn is quincunx Neptune on the 12th for the first of 3 contacts. The upcoming contacts are on 2010-5-2 and 2010-6-27. This aspect is certainly one of the keystones of the whole Neptune knot phenomenon this year, with Saturn aspecting both Uranus and Neptune repeatedly in coming months. Saturn is about grounding an energy and making it more concrete by incorporating the experience into everyday life. When you're talking about Uranus and Neptune, two outer planet heavies that affect us in subtle, often unconscious ways, a lot of grounding is necessary. They like to operate on a high spiritual plateau far above mundane reality. Neptune, in particular, is pretty ethereal. I've been talking about Neptune frequently in 2009, due to his return to his discovery position and the semisextile with Uranus -- Neptune energies are the dominant influence the last 5 months. I've often talked about these energies in rather vague terms, since Neptune is a particularly intangible part of the psyche. Essentially, he's a Dreamer and an Idealist, but mostly he's an Artist or a Magician. Neptune takes the vision of reality we hold inside (often without knowing the details of our own story) and projects it out to the world. In highly charged times such as the last few months, we tend to create all sorts of things in the world around us and it's not always pretty. One of the troubles is that few people really understand that this Magician business really works, so people create problems for themselves without realizing their own involvement. We're unconscious wizards who need to wake up. So let's see how Saturn can ground this realization. It's time to get serious about how we affect the world around us and take responsibility for it. We can't hide behind a "stuff happens" attitude anymore. These wake up aspects will be happening often the next year, so get the message early on. It will not only save you unnecessary trouble, but it's a lot more fun to be awake.
Juno backs from Aries into Pisces again on the 14th, where she will stay until Dec 19. Juno is the Queen of Partnerships, the woman who is looking for love and respect, but not always in the right places. She's in the middle of a retrograde cycle now, so the relationship issues are more important than usual. Currently, she's dancing back and forth across the boundary between Pisces and Aries, which makes for a rather bipolar mood for dear Juno. The Aries attitude is more of a me-first and in-your-face approach, while Pisces is more of a selfless, love sick dreamer that is accepting to a fault. Not a lot of middle ground here. This is probably not much of an issue within a good, supportive relationship, but a bad relation can really bring out the worst in Juno. Sometimes even the hint of not being taken seriously is enough to send Juno on a rage. For the next couple of months she's going to try a less confrontational approach. Don't let this spill over into a self-denying, victimy role, however -- that's just as imbalanced as letting your ego run amok. It's going to take awhile for Juno to sort all this out. Just be lenient on your partners and loved ones during all the trial and error. Relationships are tough enough already, even without the theatrics.
Saturn is opposite Uranus on the 15th for the third of 5 contacts. This aspect first appeared back on Election Day (2008-11-4) and continues until 2010-7-26. This opposition is turning into quite a "challenging" aspect, especially at the national level. The seeds of the initial contact back at the election are in full bloom, with final resolution a long ways off still. The opposition is a tug-of-war between two planets that are about as different as you can get. Saturn is the stodgy conservative with a vested interest in keeping things much the same, while Uranus is the crazy revolutionary that wants to chuck everything and start over again. As always, the goal is to find a workable balance point between these extremes. However, it mainly seems like the opposing camps are simply settling in for a prolonged trench warfare, with no room for compromise or working together. So the situation halfway through this aspect is (quite expectedly) bleak looking. One of the big issues is that the contending paradigms are simply so different, it's nearly impossible to see the other side as anything but unreasonable lunacy. On this issue, I tend to side with Uranus, however. He at least acknowledges that reality is more complicated and multifaceted than any one story, including his own, can possibly explain -- though Saturn's story still looks nuts. We're in a time when the status quo is unworkable, change is inevitable but frightening, and most people are paralyzed with that "deer in the headlight" look that precludes effective choices. And it doesn't help that truth and honest debate are victims of drive-by rumor mongering that merely stokes the collective paranoia in our national soul. I'd say Saturn is currently ahead in this race. But the outer planets won't go away (especially with the Neptune knot on the USA Moon, representing the public mood). How this 2 year influence plays out in the end is yet to be seen -- it could turn horribly bad as easily as reasonably good. The odds of a decent resolution are better on a personal level, dealing with the energies of stasis and change within our own lives. There are fewer conflicting influences and opinions to juggle. Some parts of our lives are still a good foundation -- they just need a little upkeep. Other areas have become boat anchors that are dragging you down -- trying something else instead is a no brainer. It's the gray areas in between that are the tough ones. It requires patience, wisdom, a little daring and a lot of self-awareness to tell the difference. Balancing Saturn and Uranus is never a simple task. You'll never be the same person afterwards...
Unlike the full moon, the lunation chart is one of the most powerful energies all month. It takes the idea of a planetary tug-of-war to new heights. Let's start in Virgo with the Sun, Moon and Saturn all at 25 degrees; Pallas and Mercury fall on either side of this point. Directly opposite is Uranus and Juno in Pisces. Making a wide square with this opposition and forming a T-square is Pluto in one of the rare situations where he can be considered part of the knot. Venus in Leo is opposite Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius. Jupiter has backed up enough that it can hardly be considered a knot planet for the time being and in fact is probably the weakest planet in the whole chart. Mars makes some odd aspects to the main group.
Saturn and Uranus were opposite for the third time on the 15th and this new moon chart is doing its best to draw our attention to this aspect. The tension in this chart is almost palpable. It's as though we are split inside between our so-called "practical" side and a wilder force that comes from deep within us. As much as you try to make sense of this inner tiger and try to tame it, this powerful dynamic has a life of its own and refuses to fit nicely in our boxes. It takes an act of will to transform this wildness into something acceptable to the outer world. It's most curious that all this tension is focused through Pluto, which is still effectively standing still. All in all, I get the impression the coming days, if not the entire lunar month, is described by the colorful phrase "the gates of the unconscious are wide open!" Fortunately, these times are rare, although we've had our share of them this summer with the Neptune knot effect. They feel like you've fallen through a hole in the floor of normal reality into a realm that is intense, powerful and very different from life as it typically operates. There's a feeling of drivenness inside that is impossible to ignore and hard to resist. For people who never stray far from the shores of typical ego awareness, this ocean feels like sheer madness. For more adventurous souls, the ocean is somewhat familiar, even if the tides are stronger than usual. People may feel like they are grasping tightly to their sanity now, smiling on the outside to hide the turmoil beneath the surface. Since this is a Koz Alert energy, the flow of events is fast and demanding. Keep coming back to Virgo's earth energy and the familiarity of Saturn's normality. There's no "keep smiling" Jupiter energy to fall back on, so good ol' Saturn has to be your anchor for now. The only hard part about this chart is the tendency to freak out, needlessly it turns out -- if you can maintain your wits, this is actually a useful time. Stay cool. You can surf this one...
Or maybe I'm being overly dramatic here...
Anyway you slice it, August was a weird month. For having great expectations of getting much work done, I have very little in the way of concrete results to show for it. Perhaps the oddest outcome of all the powerful storms last month were the fouled up communications and misunderstandings between people, even close friends. I was dreading my email for a time there, because it seemed every exchange led to more hard feelings and confusions, even between old and dear friends. Seems people were more than a little crazy these days and apt to take it out on each other. I heard countless stories from people about how they were consumed with strange emotions, usually anger or fear, that made no sense to them. Tempers were often short. This psychic upheaval was especially evident around the middle of the month, close to the big Koz Quake on the 15th and 16th. It was tough to get through that storm.
The other weird story was on the evening news, as Congressional leaders got an earful from constituents during their summer breaks back home. Never try to make a major policy shift in this country when everybody is going crazy. Besides the high decibel yelling, I'm intrigued by the level of paranoia and lack of trust in the body politic. Separate groups are so far apart these days that they can only demonize each other. How a story like the "death panel" rumors can take hold and refuse to die is a symptom of how riled up the collective psyche is these days. The national conversation is pretty much nonexistent anymore. Not a good sign for the health of the nation.