AstroCast: September 8 - 22, 2015

The planets dial down their interplay over the next couple of weeks in terms of frequency of exact aspects, but not in force of influence.  As they shift directions and signs, and in and out of alignments with each other, we continue to digest the intensity of recent upheavals created by the waning yet still formidable Uranus/Pluto square, and are beginning to sense the onset of the developing square between Saturn and Neptune that will strengthen once Saturn enters Sagittarius over the course of this period.  The opportunities for personal and collective growth are very much present and the need for the human race to shift to heart and soul-centered beingness seems to be greater than ever as we tune into archetypal global human suffering witnessed in the massive migrant and refugee crisis currently playing out in the European Union.  The urgency of the situation that is finally gaining international attention as the breakdown of national boundaries hits critical mass correlates to the movement of expansive Jupiter translating the Saturn/Neptune square, also culminating during this period.

On a decidedly lighter note, Venus has been travelling in tandem with Mars in dynamic Leo for the past couple of weeks and they will remain in orb of conjunction until late November.  On a personal note, this unusually long intimate relationship between the lovers of the sky should liven up earthly relationships of all sorts and infuse assertive acts with just the right dose of charm and encouragement.  While this passionate duo is together in Leo for the next couple of weeks, the urge to play, create and simply enjoy the company of others should remain high and we may be inspired to approach competitive activities with a win-win intent.  Adding considerable sparkle to the flame is a liberating fire trine between Mars and Venus to Uranus in Aires.  Mars trine Uranus on September 8th is a juggernaut of energy that combines strong personal will with groundbreaking force.  There will be very little resistance holding back the march of desire over the next week.  What will make it captivating enough to see it through is if it is motivated by a meaningful cause.

Frank, challenging discussions may prevail when Mercury in Libra squares Pluto in Capricorn on September 9th, turbo charging us with an intense focus on rarely traveled regions of the mind.  While the potential to be obsessive, dominating or uncompromising certainly exists with this planetary pair, Mercury in diplomatic Libra has reason to come from the heart when delivering cut-the-crap messages.  In-depth heart to heart talks have the power to transform any manner of speech, no matter how difficult to take, by their brand of truth that unites rather than divides.

Wobble season begins with the extra potent Virgo New Moon Solar Eclipse on September 12th.  Nervous systems and etheric bodies should feel the galactic pull enticing us out of the mundane and into extraordinary consciousness that perceives the micro within each micro, each grain of sand amidst the billions of galaxies that exist beyond our own.  This super-charged alignment of the luminaries may jump-start us in to uber analytical Virgo mode and start us asking the deeper questions: How can we be more of service?  Should we be more discriminating in where we choose to put our energy?  And perhaps most importantly, how can we support and develop the sacred feminine in our lives?  New Moons always have the seeds of what will be developed during the lunar cycle that ensues and climaxes with the Full Moon, in this case which will be the Lunar Eclipse in Pisces.  The Virgo/Pisces polarity activated by this New Moon brings to light attributes of the receptive anima.  How far are we willing to go to receive messages from our higher selves that are connected to the All?  Can we move beyond internal resistance and instill tolerance of all expressions of being, thus opening us up to receive the infinite nature of the cosmos rather than allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by it?  In essence, how do we gracefully transition between states of solid earth representing the individual self/body to supple water representing the omniscient collective consciousness?  It begins with awareness, then willingness, then something perfectionist Virgo knows all too well – discipline of practice to identify with being the part and the whole interchangeably.  Eclipses are game changers that force us out of entrenched patterns.  In mutable Virgo, this one may find us more willing to do what is necessary to support the greater good.

The swelling opposition between Jupiter in Virgo and Neptune in Pisces that becomes exact on September 16th and remains in effect well into October, represents the planetary correlation to the collective moral outrage and compassion brought to bear by the iconic photo of a lifeless body of young Syrian boy on the shores of Turkey.  After squaring boundary-loving Saturn on August 3rd, Jupiter swings the pendulum in the opposite direction when he accesses Neptune in Pisces, leading us into a world that comprehends the interconnectedness of all, and from an evolutionary standpoint the ultimate futility of hard line political boundaries.  The tidal wave of souls fleeing horrific living conditions knows no bounds.  For example, nearly 24% of Syria’s population is registered as a refugee in six surrounding nations.  Perhaps Jupiter in service-oriented Virgo over the next year will help focus world leaders on finding long term practical solutions to this complex humanitarian problem affecting millions of everyday people, collectively this century’s “Forgotten Man” who simply wants to lead a peaceful, meaningful life.

On September 17th Mercury in Libra begins second of his three 2015 retrograde periods in air signs, giving us a non-emotional review of Mercury matters.  The theme of this retrograde has to do with the usual attributes associated with Mercury – communication, perception and capacity for data absorption, not to mention the serious testing of our nervous systems – but this time with a socio-intellectual Libra spin: How do our thoughts and words affect others?  How does the seemingly limitless data we consume via the media courtesy the millions of others we don’t even know affect us?  Mercury in Libra is the diplomat, using suave speech to promote areas of common ground.  In this day and age of thriving social media where it was recently announced that one billion people used Facebook in a single day, Mercury retrograde will be revisiting his networks, present and past, to adjust what is necessary in order to increase the quality of interaction as he looks for ways to connect the individual dots of beings on our earthly landscape.

A significant planetary shift occurs on September 17th when Saturn returns to Sagittarius.  We had a preview of how Saturn manifests in the sign of the Philosopher during his most recent foray mid-December 2014 to mid-June 2015.  Now here to stay for the next couple of years, we’ll see in earnest how his methodological approach to higher learning and practical expression of faith will teach us new protocols in our personal and collective lives for regulating any tendency to excess or over-exuberance in the expansion department.  Saturn is not against growth per se, just unsustainable growth.  He favors a slow build to achievement rather than a meteoric rise that is more likely to fall hard at the flip of the fickle trend switch.  Saturn is the tortoise in the race to experience the vast panoramas of life.   To some, he is the shortsighted killjoy unable to see beyond the literal manifestations before him, but here in Sagittarius he will do what he does when travelling any sign: on an individual basis, to demand mastery of the area of life that the sign governs in our natal charts; and generally to recognize limitations and set boundaries, stabilize and organize, and bring a sense of reality and maturity to the table of life.  Sagittarius is the explorer representing our ability to envision an extraordinary life for ourselves as we travel to distant lands acquiring advanced knowledge from other cultures that developed in ways we weren’t able to imagine from our own back yard.  Saturn travelling this space for an extended time has the potential to bring unpretentious meaning and purpose to our reaching for the stars.

Fresh off her retrograde period that ended September 6th, Venus makes the last of her three trines to Uranus on September 22nd that commenced at the beginning of summer and also correlates with the massive increase in the number of refugees attempting to land in Europe from war-machine torn places in the Middle East and Africa.  Venus trine Uranus symbolizes humans wanting to live together without the restrictions.  Factor in Mars escorting Venus back through her third pass of the shadow territory she traverse three times, and both boosted by rebel Uranus, may open us up to expressions of free love for all that could manifest as passport burnings in relevant corners of the world, or for the rest of us a robust drive to look for independent, stimulating relationships with a high passion quotient.  Unfettered freedom to associate with whomever one pleases is a hallmark of this alignment; the free flowing trine makes it seems quite natural and could motivate the powers that be to allow the refugees greater access to places where they want to co-exist in the democratic human project.

Here’s the data (using Pacific Time and planetary positions rounded to the nearest whole degree, unless otherwise noted):

September 8th –  Mars trine Uranus at 20° Leo/Aries at 12:53 p.m.

September 9th – Mercury square Pluto at 12:23 p.m.

September 12th – Moon conjunct Sun (New Moon Solar Eclipse) at 20° Virgo at 11:41 p.m.

September 16th – Jupiter opposite Neptune at 8° Virgo/Pisces at 11:56 p.m.

September 17th – Mercury station retrograde at 16° Libra at 11:10 a.m.

September 17th – Saturn at 0° Sagittarius at 7:47 p.m.

September 22nd – Venus trine Uranus 19° Leo/Aries at 8:59 p.m.