**Times where noted are Pacific Daylight Time; degrees where noted are rounded to the nearest whole degree.
Venus starts off this period with a game-changing shift into the dramatic space of Leo on September 6th. Leaving behind careful, security-conscious Cancer, Venus lets loose in Leo, channeling her best peacock energy, all flamboyant tail and illustrious mating calls. But what a tail! The creative force is high and beauty inherent in this pairing, also the impulse to strut your stuff. Leo brings a sense of fun to Venus that can lighten relationships, but she also responds to his sense of nobility that inspires her to the type of romance inherent in the great archetypal lovers of history. What Venus really wants in Leo is for us to offer our hearts up to most profound love possible, love which rises above corporeal matters to reach spirit, as then we will have touched the Gods.
On September 7th through the 8th larger than life Jupiter takes the stage to have a dialogue with several astral players. First the Sun on the 7th and then Mercury on the 8th, both at 15 degrees Virgo, have their first quarter square to the planet of faith at 15 degrees Gemini. These challenging “crisis of action” aspects ask what have we done to marshal our resources since last May when these same planets all met up in Taurus. Has our heart been opened to all possibilities? Have we been generous, optimistic and confident enough in ourselves to do that which we set out to do? This would be the time to realistically face our own insecurities and those in others, but with compassion rather than harshness. If we are to move forward in our goals then perhaps a little efficient Virgo trimming of Jupiter’s lofty ambitions is in order to bring our objectives within the realm of pragmatic possibility. The Moon joins the play on the 8th as it conjuncts Jupiter and squares both the Sun and Mercury. This should buoy our spirits and those around us but we’ll need to let the planets in Virgo help us stick to the fat- trimming script.
By September 10th, the Sun and Mercury have their Superior Conjunction at 18 degrees Virgo. This is the period of the Mercury cycle where clarity generally happens. As the only two planets sharing the same space in a splash chart, with all other planets off on their own in various corners of the sky pulling us in as many different directions, this is a relatively strong pairing that may give us the will to focus intensely on any problem at hand and gain flashes of insight wherever our concentration takes us. While the Sun and Mercury in Virgo may emphasize detailed analysis, they are still within range of the square to Jupiter, which will influence us to expand our consciousness and take the integrated Whole into account.
By the evening of September 12th each individual part in that Whole will get a chance to sparkle as Venus at 7 degrees Leo angles for a fiery dance of independence with Uranus at 7 degrees Aries. This normally easy going trine between the Love and Freedom planets could generate an abundance of free love but also will celebrate the bohemian in all of us. This is a time to be dazzled by the uniqueness each of us brings to the passionate tango of life.
The New Moon at 24 degrees Virgo on September 15th begins a critical momentum-changing period. With Virgo being the last sign of the first half of the zodiac, she has the position of being responsible for launching the individual, whose domain rests from Aries to Virgo, into society, which is governed by the signs in the second half of the zodiac, Libra to Pisces. Therefore she is always in a state of constant transition. Perhaps this is why she clings so to routine and order – the ever-present chaos of transformation gets to be so unnerving she needs to have her anchor of discipline close at hand. This may also be why she is, above all others, most comfortable being the apprentice, or serving others in some capacity – it gives her the opportunity to focus outside the tumultuous genome re-sequencing going on inside her. As much as she likes stability it is never truly within her grasp. As long as she sets her sights on the future and the expectancy of reaching the other side of change she can mitigate the lower expression of this sign known for hyper-criticism and ivory tower aloofness that gives her only the illusion of control and self-worth. She may never find actual comfort in her role as transition porter, but if she consciously consents to serve humanity by allowing alchemy to happen on her watch then she will have the satisfaction that comes with knowing she fulfilled her destiny.
Infused with the exquisitely refined energy of the Virgo New Moon, the period of September 16th through the 20th could see breakthroughs or breakdowns as the pressure to transform intensifies. Mercury makes his own transition into the social scene as he enters Libra on the 16th. Gratefully, the diplomatic energy of this signature should ease relations that are sure to be strained in the coming days. Keeping the peace will be important, as Mercury in the sign of the scales is known to understand the perspective of each side. With that facility, however, also comes the responsibility to recognize his unique position as well. When each point on the circle is allowed its voice to be heard and truly understood, then any decision made is certain to be fair.
Powerful Pluto stations direct at 7 degrees Capricorn on September 17th, giving laser like focus to his mission and his effect on others. This gives a tremendous boost to the galactic force emitted when now-direct moving Pluto has his second exact square to retrograde Uranus on September 18that 11:55 p.m. Whether or not we feel it at this exact moment is irrelevant. The question is, how extreme do the challenging themes of our society today need to get before they hit a wall and are forced to retreat? Like the pendulum swing, we are reaching the far ebb of the polarization between reactionary and innovative forces, with each one more entrenched and not listening to the other. No one can deny the pressure that has been building under this aspect for the last few years and there are yet a few more to go until it starts to wane. The key question to meditate on is: What do we fear? If we can identify and face that, then we’ll be able to consciously rise above the fray and become a point of stability on the transformation bridge. As Eckhart Tolle says, “Can I be the space for this?”
Although we won’t really know what this long Uranus/Pluto cycle is all about until we’ve gone through it, we’ve already had many opportunities to see what shakes out when the faster moving planets trigger an energy release from these two dynamos: Paradigm takes another ride on the Shift Train. On September 20th, Mercury at 7 degrees Libra will give us a window seat on that train when, within an hour’s time, he opposes radical Uranus and squares profound Pluto creating a forceful T-square configuration. Those of us who are in a mental box of any kind may find that whatever perceived shelter there is in those four walls suddenly shatters into oblivion. Scientific and metaphysical pursuits are the most likely beneficiaries of this potent energy, archaic belief systems the possible casualties. We are being called upon to take a giant leap forward in our personal and collective consciousness. Perhaps if we tune into the Virgoan atomic-level transitional energy we can find the sublime state of liquefaction that will dissolve dysfunctional structures and allow new, more integral forms to emerge.
Kimberly, this is an exquisitely written and illuminating “AstroCast.” Thank you so much for your profound insights into astrology generally and cutting edge grasp of the current winds of the astrological landscape. You are a masterful astrologer, someone I am always learning from. An abundance of blessings to you always.
Dear World,
Venus is my ruling planet (Libra Rising and Venus in Libra in 1st along w/ Mer/Nep/SNode). That is NOT a good enough reason for my hairdresser to haved turned my light red hair BLONDE.
Nevertheless, I would like lots of attention during your transit of my 10th house. Please send Mr. Right Enough ASAP.
Thank you, Universe…
Linda