September is, as they say in football, a game of two halves. This being astrology, the two halves overlap, but essentially we get a blast of purist Virgo energy followed by a surge of provocative Libran energy. The two signs are quite distinct in character (mutable earth and cardinal air respectively) so discrimination – the theme of the month – is called for. Pick your objectives with care – the Sun sign forecasts below suggest what they might be – and pursue them with vigour.
On the macro, collective, level – society, politics and the rest – things don’t get going until mid-month, when Saturn trundles forwards after several months in (apparent) backslide. Pluto, likewise in the sign of the Goat, follows suit in early October, ready for the pair’s grand conjunction of January 2020. That’s grand in size rather than promising to make you feel grand.
Since Capricorn features prominently in the UK horoscope of 1801 and England’s horoscope of 1066, the current convulsions in the body politic are in accord with the somewhat daunting planetary alignments in operation across autumn and winter. Whatever happens, Blighty emerges a changed country thereafter.
A welcome blast of optimism and what Dubya Bush called ‘the vision thing’ comes from Jupiter, now completing its passage through its own sign of Sagittarius, a reminder that just law and morality are there to be upheld.
Autumn arrives properly at the equinox of September 23; I wish readers a fruitful Virgo harvest and a season of Libran grace.
- New Moon in Virgo – August 30 at 10.47 GMT
- Full Moon in Pisces – September 14 at 114.04GMT
- Sun into Libra (Autumn Equinox) – September 23 at 8.47 GMT
- New Moon in Libra – September 28 at 18.26 GMT
Virgo
If you are looking for a theme tune for September, try ‘It’s Now or Never’. One should, of course, never say never, but opportune moments – the ‘now’ part of the equation – don’t come much better starred than a stellium of planets in your skies, all nicely aligned to Saturn, Pluto and Prometheus in fellow earth signs. That you begin the month on a new Moon (August 30) adds to the urgency.
The Corn Maiden ‘s mission is to sort wheat from chaff, the essential from the expendable. Opposite you just now is Neptune, representing the latter; topics that begin with ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if…’ but this is not the month for dreaming. Hard-headed organisation and concentration on the practical serve you best. A perfect time for fine-tuning systems; cataloguing, traffic management, health regimes and the like.
Until mid-month Venus in your skies lends you allure, especially on the weekend of the 7th, but with romantic dalliances too, a feet-on-the-ground approach takes precedence. The full Moon of September 14 has a giddy aura, enjoy, but be careful with that third glass of vermouth. Adding daring to your powers of discrimination is Mars, the warrior planet being with you throughout the month, allowing you to correct others’ transgressions – elbows on the dining table for example – or people who take your hard graft for granted.
Jupiter adds a provocative note to proceedings. The giant planet is high in your ‘scope in the zone where you find fortune and fame, and forceful this month. At best this represents events and admirable people who nudge you into action, at worst a streak of recklessness quite contrary to your pragmatism.
The autumn equinox on September 23 slows the pace a little, with the new Moon of September 28 pointing you to ensure that’s what is justly yours – money, assets, reputation – stays yours. Happy Birthday.
A harvest of Virgos: Elizabeth I, Leo Tolstoy, D.H. Lawrence, Beyonce, Chrissie Hynde, Amy Winehouse, Michael Gove, Keir Starmer, Greta Garbo, Lauren Bacall, Van Morrison, Nick Cave, Cameron Diaz, Sophia Loren, Lily Tomlin, Raquel Welch, Stella McCartney.
Libra
The Scales is not a sign much given to patience, but excels at prevarication. Once the tortured decision-making is over, however, all hands are expected to jump to action. For once, however, you are encouraged to bide your time and get pensive about your course of action over the autumn. Planets congregating in Virgo, a behind-the-scenes spot in your solar chart, make the first half of September a time to plan rather than act. Clean up everything – your home, your health regime, your act – in readiness.
Once the full Moon of the 14th is out the way the stage is yours to strut with your customary élan (dress up a bit). Communications planet Mercury and ruler Venus move into your skies, enabling you to charm, bend ears and issue directives (it’s unlikely everyone will click heels and obey but the intention counts). It’s a promising time for l’amour, but you likely have to be the one making the running.
The Sun, reaching your skies at the Autumn Equinox on the 23rd, dials up the social action and your ambition. Professionally, the heat is definitely on over the next few months – your astrologer refers you to last month’s observation that ‘you can consolidate the mainstays of career and capital across wintertime if you can summon the steeliness that Saturn demands’. Birthdays circa October 7 are much in the frame just now.
The Libran new Moon of September 28 quickens the pace in all areas of life. It’s a new chapter in the affairs of Librans born that day, and promising too for birthdays circa 10/11 October, thanks to a kindly aspect between ruler Venus and outgoing Jupiter. Friends, siblings and homies look in a position to lend a hand across the month.
Scorpio
Productivity is the order of the day, or rather month. The one constant factor in operation in September is your ruling planet, high-burn Mars, raising dust in earthy Virgo, a cue to gather your flock of supporters and fellow-travellers and push on with any kind of collective enterprise. If you covet the captaincy of your team, make sure you make your case (you may have to wait until your birthday to actually seize it). This is not the month to be a loner.
You can also use the plentiful planetary action in Virgo to trade ideas and goods, to flirt with a favoured chum in the office, even, around the full Moon of the 14th, to find some more tangible amour. Spending more than you are earning in pursuit of good times is a negotiable hazard of current transits.
Planets moving on to Libra from mid-month marks the ebb flow of this short term cycle. Previous experience with the autumn equinox, at the 23rd, may have shown you that it’s a tricky transition point, with the focus on your solar twelfth house, the zone where you find rest, recuperation and the chance to recharge your Scorpionic powers of seduction (use ‘em or lose ‘em). The new Moon of September 28 is a major point of renewal.
The re-awakening of Saturn at mid-month is not a particular source of pressure for you (phew) unless you were born in 1989/90 and going through your first Saturn Return. Making sure that you don’t get stuck in the mud (Scorpios can be loath to change) is Prometheus in opposition, retracing its steps to ensure that October birthdays, at least, have got the message; change is your ally.
Sagittarius
Like the old song says, keep your eye on the prize. A new Moon with a stellium of planets at the peak of your ‘scope has ‘professional advancement’ etched into it, most especially as said planets will all be making strong alignments to your Jupiter ruler in your own skies.
Jupiter is all about big ideas and grand schemes and the optimism to fuel them, while transits from earthy Virgo challenge their practicality. A 90 degree aspect (a ‘square’) is not always a comfortable transit, but it makes things happen. It spells challenge in a helpful way, a spur to better things. If you can find the necessary compromise between idealism and pragmatism, ignoring the occasional brickbat along the way, September could be a breakthrough month. Jupiter has but three months left of its passage through the Centaur, so whatever schemes you have been cooking up across summer, it’s time to get a move on with their implementation.
Gaining the ear of the so-called great and good helps of course, and here too your horoscope is obliging. Venus and Mercury move into Libra at mid-month, followed by the Sun at the Equinox and a new Moon on the 28th. Libra is air for your fire, representing your network of fellow travellers who lend support and encouragement. Feel free to call in favours, especially at the end of the month when Venus aligns with Jupiter.
The only cloud on the horizon is the full Moon of September 14, which is tangled up with Neptune; a good cue for a knees-up, but also for a unnecessary mix-up. Keep your schedules sharp and up to date.
Capricorn
Given that many Capricorns will have their mettle tested by Saturn over the next six months (and not found wanting no doubt), you couldn’t ask for a more obliging month to ease into autumn. A stellium of planets in kindred earth sign Virgo signals a co-operative mood and may prove a way-opener to new interests and/or some rewarding travel. International contacts are a source of support. Explore your options during the first fortnight. The weekend of the 7th finds a waxing Moon in your skies, while the full Moon of the 14th is likewise a convivial affair.
Thereafter Mercury and Venus hit the peak of your ‘scope, opening several weeks when your career path is under emphasis. A light touch laced with Venusian charm serves you best this month, with the new Moon of September 28 a point of re-launch – December birthdays have an added element of surprise in play, thanks to Prometheus in the other earth sign, Taurus.
Saturn’s summer slumber ends at the 14th, when your undisputed ruler resumes its long march through your skies. Multiple aspects to Saturn in September favour a long-term recce and fine tuning your plans; if you are a captain of industry, however humble, it looks like an extraordinarily busy time in the boardroom. Capricorns, of course, remain born deal-makers.
With such easy going aspects, romance may well be in the air – a liaison born in the workplace perhaps – while fraught scenarios between you and your main squeeze belong to the eclipse season back in July. Enjoy.
Aquarius
You may have had enough of sparring with your other half during August – if so, September’s stars offer you something of a salve. With a slew of planets in your eighth house steely analysis of a relationship (your forte) can give way to a more instinctive, emotion-led approach. Let go a little, September is a potentially hot moment.
The eighth house is a complicated place, however, much concerned with assets you share with other people (a mortgage for example) and assets in general. A searching look at your spread sheet is in order, not least around the full moon of September 14, which is conjunct Neptune, a planet associated with vagueness, misleading information and even fraud. A tricky bump in the road.
The second half of the month has a breezier outlook, thanks to Mercury and Venus moving on to fellow air sign Libra, with the Sun joining them at the equinox. Intellectual pursuits, teaching, education, politics and humanitarian causes all move into the spotlight, with the Libran new Moon of September 28 a point of regeneration.
The action in airy Libra links easily to Jupiter in fiery Sagittarius to form a helpful nexus of interests and people. Your peer group, your professional allies and fellow travellers are a source of support, and should you decide to lead the campaigning march, so to speak, your horoscope will be cheering you on. As the beardy fellow toting your Urn suggest, Aquarius is one of the zodiac’s humanitarian signs, something to keep in mind as Autumn unfolds.
Pisces
The zodiac sometimes seems less like twelve varied signs than six pairs that complement and sometimes contradict each other, like earthy Virgo and watery Pisces, the first concerned with particularities, the latter with the big picture. For much of September you face a slew of planets in opposition from Virgo – a new Moon on August 30, along with Mercury, Venus, Mars and, of course the Sun, all in the zone of significant others. Think pals, spouses, ex’s, enemies and all points between.
If you can forge an alliance with someone else, this promises a fruitful double act, a rewarding dialogue or, if you’re looking, a sweet romantic liaison (the 4th looks right). With spiky Mars involved, however, fractious arguments and harsh criticism may also be part of the picture. One way to handle the latter is to access your inner Virgo (it’s in there) and ensure your lofty idealism is grounded in what’s practical in the here and now.
Relationships of all stripes are likely to come into contention at the Pisces full Moon of September 14, which is next to Neptune, a long-term resident in the Fishes’ skies; a nice recipe for a wild weekend or one engrossed in music and art. Mars in precise opposition to Neptune adds edge to contested partnerships, a turning point even, especially for birthdays circa March 8, who are currently coping with Neptune’s inspiration/dissolution (delete as appropriate). Could be something of a news day for birthdays 20 March.
Mercury and Venus move on thereafter, with the Sun doing likewise at the Equinox. Mars remains in opposition to get pernickety about your plans. The season of Libra focuses on relationships in a less direct way, with financial obligations on both sides coming up for scrutiny. Time, perhaps, to readjust the alimony bill (or ‘alimony, alimony paying your bills,’ as one old rocker screamed). Since the eighth house of the zodiac is associated with sex, the bedroom may be a place to sort things out.
One other planet remains strong in September’s stars. Jupiter, Pisces’ totem planet, is striding forwards in the life-course/professional zone of your ‘scope. Rub shoulders with the great and good, play to the gallery, get lucky.
Aries
The celestial Ram is a single-minded creature – identify objective, go for it – but in September your attention needs to be split between work and adventure, plus, inevitably, relations with your main squeeze (or lack of).
The work part is much the simplest. A stellium of planets in earthy Virgo, highly active from the new Moon of August 30, asks you to access Virgo’s many virtues; application, detail, form-filling, handicraft, pragmatism. Your Mars ruler is here all month and so should you be, especially since Mars aspects a reawakened Saturn mid-month, meaning effort invested now is strongly linked to future success (3-4 month time frame). Sow the seeds of your professional harvest.
From mid-month, and more acutely from the autumn equinox, you have planets in opposition, returning your attention to partnerships; an empowered Venus invites you to three weeks of sweet murmurings in a lover’s shell-like ear or the possibility of finding as much. The new Moon of September 28 is a good time to reaffirm commitments and to make peace with those not in favour. October won’t be so easy!
Before that comes the full Moon of September 14, which has your Mars ruler pitched against Luna, an opposition to make you itch and fret rather than present a real-life challenge. An apposite moment for your favoured mode of contemplation and meditation.
Factor three is ‘lucky’ Jupiter, resplendent in fellow fire sign Sagittarius and keen to do you favours over the next three months. Jupiter often promises more than it delivers, but don’t take good fortune for granted. An invitation to a grand party, a paid-for flight to an exotic shore or a free plate of scrum are all part of the big feller’s domain.
Taurus
Mop up! Not in the sense of clearing away a mess you have made, rather a prompt to soak up all the good fortune you have earned or which arrives on your doorstep in September. A stellium of planets in kindred earth sign Virgo, including ruler Venus, promises a rewarding mix of work and pleasure – just now they look almost the same thing. In your solar ‘scope, Virgo represents both your artistic side and a garden of earthly delights – exquisite nosh on a starched white tablecloth, a blinding party, romps on the lawn. Attend every invite. If you are in the dating game, the first half of the month looks like happy hunting.
It helps if you’re in a hurry, like Mercury. Taurus’s slow but sure approach has its virtues…but not just now. A few snap decisions, clear and precise, will likely be called for. Venus and Mercury move on directly after the full Moon of 14 September so carpe diem as astrologers are wont to say. That Moon is a is a giddy affair, thanks to Neptune, so ensure you have the right address for that not-to-be-missed party. Mars remains in Virgo all month to keep your social life sparky
Venus in Libra, the other sign it rules aside from your own, is empowering but in a somewhat mundane way. Keep the wheels of industry turning while applying artistic inspiration; a fine few weeks for cottage businesses and the self-employed are incoming, with the Libran new moon of the 28th a point of adjustment and re-application.
Gemini
Virgo is a sign that shares some characteristics with your own. Both are ruled by volatile Mercury, are alert to change and ingenious with problem-solving. A month when planets in Virgo dominate proceedings favours all the ingenuity you can muster, especially when dealing with practicalities and matters relating to home and clan. You are promised plenty of challenge – Mars is involved all month – whether you are enduring prickly relatives or noisy builders. This, too, shall pass.
More pivotal is the full Moon of September 14, when tricky decisions about the future of home or career may loom. Best not rush to judgment; full Moons tend to magnify issues out of proportion, and a more accommodating spell immediately follows as planets move into Libra, a sweet spot in your solar ’scope. Mercury and Venus here press arty and party buttons for you, and promise three weeks of entertainment for those of you in the dating game. Charm and be charmed. Get out the house a little.
The month of Libra, beginning at the autumn equinox, amplifies the feel-good factor around your social whirl (it is, invariably, a whirl where Gemini is involved) and adds heft to creative projects. You can cruise happily through the season of Libra, but the Sun here favours bold initiatives, personal or professional. The new Moon of September 28 is empowering.
Jupiter in opposition remains a more ambiguous signal. The role of an inspirational mentor or teacher may be involved, or the support of a favoured partner or even an ex (they don’t all end up as enemies). Jupiter’s nature is restless and freedom-loving, however, and you may have to accept it if someone previously important suddenly hightails it out your life.
Cancer
Virgo can be a hyper-active sign – there are always jobs to do, errands to run – and something of that mindset is likely to prevail with Cancerians during September. A frantic, new-term schedule calls for quick decisions and multi-tasking. If you can fit in the acquisition of fresh skills and/or a spot of teaching, so much the better.
The weekend of the full Moon on September 14 calls for a pause, however. With your Luna ruler next to foggy Neptune, you’re in line for misinformation, a sprung secret (someone else’s rather than your own) or simply an uproarious party (Virgo birthdays are worth celebrating).
The 14th is also significant as the date when Saturn resumes its opposition in earnest, especially for birthdays circa 6 July. Last month’s forecast gave some examples of Saturn transits; the key thing to keep in mind is that what’s done under Saturn tends to stay done, so while September is ideal for short-term problem solving, the months up to and including Xmas/New Year require long-term thinking.
Mid-month also sees planets touching the root of your ‘scope as they move into Libra, to be joined by the mighty Sun at the equinox. The season of the Scales and the days round the Equinox in particular, habitually throw down a gauntlet to your sign – and as we know, you are no push-over – but things look cosy until October, with the new Moon of September 28 a good moment to push on your agenda (birthdays 27 June take note).
Romance? A somewhat sober subject, perhaps, with Venus flitting in and out the picture, but the green planet’s move into watery Scorpio next month is a delight to anticipate. Have your wardrobe ready.
Leo
The astrological Lion has an enviable reputation for steadfastness, for being a stayer not a quitter. It is difficult, however, to maintain the emotional intensity you may have generated during August, or which was thrust upon you by outside events. That’s summer in Leoland. September promises a more measured pace.
Keeping things in proportion is among the month’s challenges, not least where finance is concerned. A slew of planets in your zone of ready cash is a signal to spend less like a royal with bottomless resources, and more like a sensible Virgo counting down to payday. The full Moon of September 14 underscores the need for detailed reports rather than the assumption that all is well. With Neptune in play that weekend, you don’t know whether you’ll get a dirty financial trick or a passion-filled treat.
Where matters of the heart are involved, finding balance may prove elusive. Jupiter, powerfully sited in fiery Sagittarius, prefers excess, and demands a full-blooded approach to romance – the electricity is either there or it ain’t, and if it ain’t renew your quest to find it. Jupiter also calls for a full-on performance at gatherings, with plenty of extrovert razzle-dazzle for your public (no problem there, obviously). Jupiter can also set you up for sporting glory if that’s your thing. It’s an upbeat autumn.
Away from the heavy-breathing stuff, your social life looks in lively shape, full of chums, siblings and folks from the ‘hood. The incoming tide of Libra, from mid-September, also favours education (learning or teaching) and skills acquisition. You can shift easily through the gears now, so renew your purpose; the new Moon of the 28th gives you lift-off.