Current Transits for September 1999 Current Transits for September 1999Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Mars enters Sagittarius, 9-2
New Moon at 16Vi47, 9-9
Venus Direct Station at 18Le47, 9-10
Chiron enters Sagittarius, 9-21
Full Moon at 1Ar56, 9-25
Ceres enters Virgo, 9-27
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
September is a slow news month, astrologically -- not much going on. After July and August, that's a bit of a blessing. We need some time to kick back and assimilate all the influences that have been coming at us the last few months. There are a couple of mild planetary storms around the new and full moons (the 9th and 25th, resp.; see Energy Patterns for Sep 99), giving us a little oomph now and then to work with, but nothing that's going to bowl us over. Enjoy the recess while it lasts!
In a nutshell, there's not much happening this month. Venus is standing still at her direct station on the 10th and there are 3 notable sign changes. That's about it. I think that there are too many planets in slow motion or even reverse gear right now to be generating much astrological activity. Get used to the quiet -- it's a great change of pace from the previous two months!
Mars shifts from Scorpio into Sagittarius on the 2nd. As much as Mars enjoys the company of Scorpio -- the passion and intrigue of this sign appeals to him -- the change into Sag is rather refreshing. The next 6 weeks are more upbeat and filled with enthusiasm that may have been missing for a long time. Face it, Scorpio can often get bogged down in big emotional melodramas that are exciting, but can drain your time and energy -- that's the nature of water signs. Sagittarius is under the element of fire or Spirit, allowing Mars to free up his energies from needless emotional complications. It's interesting to look closely at the word "enthusiasm", which comes from the Greek word "entheos". It literally means "filled with God." It's as though our higher spirit is breaking through all the old ego games and allowing us to play with life at a whole new level. This is a great time to just plain lighten up and take life less seriously. About the only problem I can think of with this placement is a peculiar lack of focus or discipline that characterizes Sag. Your energies can be deep and wide ranging, but easily distracted and changeable. One thing will have your undivided attention for a time, the next moment something else is the most important thing in the world. A lot of this shifting depends on what's happening around you at the moment. Sag loves to chase after the next enticing tidbit that crosses his path and after a time may totally lose track of what he originally started out doing. So be aware that discipline may be lacking in coming weeks. This is more a time to explore and seek out new experiences, taking in everything that life brings your way. If you need to focus on one project for a long period of time, you may feel restricted or tied down in an uncomfortable fashion. It will be easier to exercise discipline and focus after Mars moves into Capricorn on 10-16, a placement that allows you to keep your nose to the grindstone without complaining. For now, have fun and explore! It's a great time to let your hair down and enjoy living.
By the time the new moon rolls around, the first planetary storm is well underway. In fact, the lunation itself seems to be the high point of the storm, a low Koz Alert. The peaks in the waveform are focused at 18 and 4 degrees.
Mercury is right on the tallest peak in the waveform and very close to the new moon itself, indicating a strong "mental" coloration to the coming month. It's a time to make plans and survey the changes life is dishing out lately. The fact that both eclipses connect strongly with this new moon is intriguing, given that the eclipses were very powerful and quite stressful, literally breaking apart parts of our lives that have become too stagnant or complacent. You may be feeling a bit shell-shocked from the shifts going on, as though too much is happening to stay on top of it all. Frankly, I don't think there's enough hours in the day to handle everything and still get a good night's rest. So you need to sort out what are the most important things to tackle (it's different for each of us) and which ones can rest on the back burner awhile longer. I wouldn't think about it too hard, however, or become obsessive. That stationary Venus is telling us to rely on our gut level instincts as well, not just the thinking mind. You may be surprised at what your "inner voice" is telling you these days, since the outer, unconscious planets are trying to stir things up. So don't get stuck in a rut. Get busy and persevere. One note of caution: you may be experiencing a fair amount of anger or impatience in coming weeks as all the Sagittarius planets (Juno, Mars, Pluto and soon Chiron) kick in. Channel all that feisty energy into action, not quarrels, if you want to make the most of this placement. It's a great time to kick off some new activities, assuming they are priority items. So get busy!
Venus is standing still on the 10th at 18Le47, about to resume normal forward motion. The last 6 weeks (since her retrograde station on 7-29, 5Vi08) have been a time to concentrate on the emotions and instincts, the feeling side of life. Hopefully you've had a chance to sort through some of those sticky emotional issues that tend to color your life in subtle ways that the thinking mind (Mercury) rarely notices. Venus often acts through simple likes and dislikes, powerful attractions and repulsions, the tendency to feel "I like this" and "that stuff is yucky!" All too often, these feelings go way back to childhood and have never been revised since then, even though you're needing to operate as an adult now. It's time now to reassess these basic drives, to apply discernment as to whether they are still appropriate or need to be reexamined. Even if you are still happy with this basic level of like/dislike, your feelings can be refined and fine-tuned. This frequently occurs within relationships, since Love is one of Venus' principle themes. How do you feel about your partner? Are there things about him or her that you absolutely love or that drive you buggy? Are you making judgments about your partner that are unfair or really apply to someone in your past instead? When you work through these old emotional programs in the psyche, it frees up your ability to unconditionally love the other person. We also tie up much emotional energy in things and possessions, the "stuff" we collect about us to make life more comfortable. This is especially the case of objects you acquire because they enhance the beauty and comfort of your surroundings. Over time, your tastes can change, leaving you with possessions that no longer appeal to you. These Venus retrograde periods are good for reevaluating your aesthetic sense, bringing your feeling of beauty up to date with the rest of your life. In all, there are many things you can be doing now to revamp these Venus issues in order to bring more beauty, pleasure and harmony into your life. Make the most of this housecleaning time (both figuratively and literally!) and start putting your self-discoveries into action after the 10th.
Please note that the Venus station (18Le47) is very close to the August 11 solar eclipse (18Le21), so some of the big issues that came up in August may be retriggered around the 10th. Watch out for this effect!
Chiron finishes up a brief return engagement in Scorpio on the 21st, moving back into Sagittarius for the next 2 years (until 2001-12-11). This brings the number of planets in Sag up to 4 -- about 30% of the planetary power is in this one sign! Another aspect of this zodiac sign concerns our beliefs and general outlooks on life, the spiritual and philosophical framework we have for understanding the world at large. As we move out into the world, it's inevitable that we bump into other people whose views differ from our own. In a positive sense, this gives you the opportunity to enrich your own viewpoints and understandings with the wisdom that others have gathered over the ages. The world is a rich banquet of ideas just waiting to be discovered, allowing you to enhance your perspectives in ways currently unimaginable. All too often, though, we tend to squabble about who's right and who's wrong in these matters, each person judging the other by their own standards of truth. This is especially the case when it comes to religion, which has caused more wars than anything except money. We are all prisoners of the "one true beliefs" that each of us hold onto. We are all too often stunted in our spiritual growth, constrained by ideas about the One that prevent us from ever experiencing it. It's been said that religious beliefs are the best defense against having an authentic spiritual experience -- this is as true today as it was in the Dark Ages. It seems the world has been gripped the last few decades by a wave of fundamentalism, a mental straitjacket of ironclad ideas about what is true that allows no conflicting views to prevail. No religion is immune to this trend, even the most "enlightened"; there are even fundamentalists of a scientific or New Age stripe as well. As Chiron moves into Sagittarius, eventually connecting with Pluto on 12-30, we all get to experience our own intolerance in the area of ideas and beliefs. The broad minded, tolerant attitude that typifies Sag at its best will be sorely tested in coming years as we continually encounter people and situations that strain our old perspectives to the breaking point. Remain open to the new, avoiding a quick judgment as to whether it's "right" or not (which usually means "do I agree with it?"). The art of suspended judgment is one of the big spiritual lessons we face now. Better still, as you dismantle old belief systems that no longer work in this bigger context, you may even find yourself questioning whether you "need" beliefs at all. It's interesting what happens when you keep your mental baggage light and remain open to the mystery of a new situation, avoiding the compulsive rush to pigeon-hole it and explain it in the same old way. Who knows, you might have a genuine spiritual encounter! Wouldn't that be unique! Just remember that any pursuit of the One that leads to division and discord is not the truth -- period. It's a tough path to follow, but it's worth the effort.
This complex chart is an enigma to me. The 2 groups of planets are firmly anchored into the full moon axis (at 1 degree of Aries and Libra), pumping a huge amount of outer planet energy into our lives. In particular, the big Saturn-Uranus and Jupiter-Neptune squares that began last July and continue until next spring are part of this imposing framework of planets. There are quite a number of fast moving, personal planets in the mix as well, indicating we'll be feeling all this energy input right in our day-to-day activities. Nothing subtle or esoteric about this chart! The effects will be immediate and in your face -- a 24th harmonic (see the full moon waveform) is rarely gentle. Having said all that, I must admit I'm short on details. I guess the details of where it effects each of us will vary markedly from person to person. Also, don't focus too much on the rough stuff, since a majority of the aspects connecting planets (sextiles and trines) are quite gentle and helpful. I'd guess that we'll be faced with making some important decisions and putting them into action that will produce some crucial changes for us. The situation may feel stagnant and stuck until you make up your mind, but once you've committed yourself, the changes will simply start to flow. It's as though the universe is just waiting for your instructions as to which way you want to go. Given the Aries/Libra emphasis, it will be important to work with others and combine our efforts. Expect some unexpected doors to open up in the next few weeks. Beyond these generalities, I guess we'll all have to wait this moon out and see what happens.
Finally, Ceres moves from Leo into Virgo on the 27th until 12-14. Ceres has a natural affinity for Virgo -- some astrologers even maintain she's a "ruler" of the sign. Part of this is because of Ceres' role as the Goddess of growing things, the provider of food and nourishment, while Virgo is associated with the harvest, diet and health matters. I would definitely recommend using this time to reexamine health issues in your life, especially the effects of dietary changes. It's a time to look at anything that influences your health, whether beneficially or adversely, and make some choices. We take in support and nourishment at many levels, physically and emotionally, as well as take in many things that don't serve our needs. It's a good time to clean up your act in these matters.