As your astrologer pointed out last month, eclipses become more personal when you actually see them, so it was interesting to watch as the U.K. got eclipse fever for the total solar black-out of August 12th. There wasn’t much wonderment about its meaning – presuming it had one – nor did astronomers explain how come the Moon should fit so precisely over the Sun, the Moon being a mere 239,00 miles away and the Sun 943 million miles. Quite a coincidence. The general opinion of the public seemed to be that the experience was spectacular but also odd and a bit disquieting.
It’s worth keeping that sense of oddity in mind when looking for clues for astrological meanings, especially if you are a Leo or Aquarius and have other eclipses to handle over the next months. Virgo and Pisces, who have had eclipses across their axis can now breath a sigh of relief.
That includes Sir Keir Starmer, a Virgo eclipsed as Prime Minister, who used his birthday (September 2) to announce he will quit as an MP to campaign on international affairs and gender equality. He always seemed a better Foreign Secretary than P.M.
His replacement, Andrew Burnham, is a mega-Capricorn, with Sun, Moon, Venus and Mercury all in the sign of the Mountain Goat; perfect for a relentlessly ambitious politician, with Venus bringing charm to what can be Capricorn’s flintiness. Said sign is also a good for a country whose most commonly used horoscopes – for 25 December 1066 (the Norman conquest) and January 1st 1801 (unification) feature a Capricorn Sun.
Cosmic Timetable
The Sun is in Virgo until the 23rd, the Autumn Equinox, thereafter in Libra.
The new Moon is in Virgo on 11 September.
The full Moon is in Aries on 26 September.
Mercury is in forward motion, in Virgo until September 10, then in Libra until September 30 when it moves into Scorpio.
Venus is in Libra until September 10, thereafter in Scorpio.
Mars is in Cancer all month.
Jupiter is moving forwards in Leo.
Saturn is retrograde in Aries.
Prometheus is retrograde in Gemini after 11 September.
Neptune is retrograde in early Aries.
Pluto is retrograde in early Aquarius.
Virgo and Virgo rising
You have your totem planet Mercury, alongside you until the new Moon of September 11. It’s the planet of organisation, critical thinking and, sometimes, the mother of an idea that proves to be the immaculate conception! Thereafter Mercury is in your zone of ready cash, ideal for judicious spending, and matters of self-presentation, missions renewed by the Libran Sun after the Equinox.
Romance? Presuming your partner didn’t pull a vanishing act at the eclipsed full Moon of August 28, things remain in play, especially around September 10/11 after which you have Venus in Scorpio – on and off – for weeks and months, suggesting any affair will involve someone already known, not a stranger. Happy birthday.
Libra and Libra rising
As you know (and other signs don’t seem to realise), being a Libran is complicated, especially now, with major changes in the air. Having ruler Venus in your skies until the 9th is obviously a plus and worth explorations of a social and romantic nature, but there’s an air of inconclusion involved that may not be resolved until November, when Venus returns on a retrograde tide.
Ideas and schemes are a sure bet thanks to Mercury’s arrival on the 11th for the rest of the month. Add in the Autumn equinox and the Sun’s arrival and you look in decent shape to handle emotional affairs, workplace disruption (thanks Mars) and the steely orders of Saturn from its opposition. The full Moon opposite you on the 26th is a potentially crazy weekend, but may bring to a stormy head any relationship issues, especially for September birthdays. Don’t jump to conclusions.
Scorpio and Scorpio rising
Everything happening everywhere all at once” is an apt summary of autumn’s astrological weather. Where to start? The new Moon of September 11 is a good beginning, a chance to reconvene allies, friends and associates helpful people who deserve your attention. Simultaneously, Venus arrives in your skies for, uh, a surprisingly long spell that will carry you through to Christmas, albeit with a month out during your birthday month of November. Meanwhile, in September, seek and find romances and charm the backside off all and sundry you meet.
Looking ahead, and you really should, for the entirety of October and November you also have Mercury in your skies during a retrograde phase… meaning, the more chores you dispatch in September, and the earlier you book travel tickets the better.
Amid all that, from the Autumn equinox, when the Sun moves into your 12th house of retreat in September you also need to make space for humble prayer and meditation.
Sagittarius and Sagittarius rising
Having Jupiter (‘the greater fortune’) as your ruling planet is always a bonus for your sign, especially now that said planet is sited in fiery Leo. It aligns neatly with the new Moon of the 11th, hopefully granting you a boost in your public profile and a hike up the greasy ladder of career.
You get a further boost early in the month from Venus’ presence in your zone of fellow travellers, i.e. your team, and later from the Sun’s shift into Libra at the Equinox. Downsides? Not so many, though October is working on it.
Capricorn and Capricorn rising
They are coming at you from all sides this month; grouchy, needy family, uptight, pushy partners, and tricky bosses (respectively Saturn, Mars and Venus/Mercury). Your chances of ducking them all are slim, but Capricorns are fixers and problem solvers, and you have an escape clause with the Sun and a New Moon (on the 11th) in earthy Virgo, granting you lofty perspectives and a fast rain out of Palookaville.
The weekend of the 20th finds the waxing Moon in your skies to help, while the full Moon of the 26th emphasises that home and hearth still count the most.
Aquarius and Aquarius rising
When confronted with many options, as you are now, with planets distributed around the zodiac wheel, the easiest option can be best, the door that opens with a light push. That seems to be the fellow air sign of Libra where Venus is transiting, to be followed by Mercury and the Equinox Sun. For you, Libra represents nobility, an ideal lifestyle even, an escape from the humdrum. Collect your tickets from the station.
From mid-month Venus occupies the loft heights of your scope, where you get noticed by a wider public, a theme that will be playing strongly all the way to your birthday. Have your best togs ready.
Pisces and Pisces rising
August’s lunar eclipse in your skies is only one factor shaping your current astrology, of which there is a veritable plethora. Most obviously the Sun is in Virgo and in opposition until the Equinox on the 23rd, putting you on the back foot and likely under the weather. Don’t push yourself too hard.
Unfortunately, there are several planets urging exactly that. Many Pisceans are under pressure to overhaul home and hearth, placate (or leave) partners and deliver inspired creative work. The new Moon of September 11 will make as much clear. There are certainly reasons to be cheerful – kids, romance, even long haul escape – but everything comes with a bill whether is financial or energy.
Aries and Aries rising
You are walking a tricky path in September, trying to look after number one while striking a just balance with lovers and other significant others. With Saturn and Mars squaring up there will be pressure to solve mundane problems; dodgy central heating and the like. Such problems are likely to be persistent and not amenable to sticky tape solutions.
At the same time there is excitement in your personal life – a recently started affair perhaps, a fine party, a great gig. With Venus in opposition for the last month there may well have been temptation or even a fall into the tender trap that Sinatra sang about. Demands from others grow as the month progresses and the arrival of the Equinox on the 23rd. A full Moon in the ram’s skies on the 26th looks quite the moment for a moment of elation or disillusion. Neptune is involved, so check the facts carefully.
Taurus and Taurus rising
September is busy, for the most part in a positive way, though not so quiet that you can forget about worldly concerns and simply tend the dahlias and zinnias. The Sun and Mercury in earthy Virgo are a gardener’s delight, of course, and none too shabby for finding (or throwing) a party. The new Moon here on the 11th is an all-round tonic.
As pointed out last month, a solar eclipse alongside Jupiter is potentially a cue for a domestic change, but for most Taureans will be a call too far. Perhaps not so on the front of romantic relationships. The arrival of ruler Venus in opposition on September 10 could be a game changer. The planet is moving with rare sluggishness and will turn retrograde early in October, eventually landing back in opposition in December, when encounters this month might resume.
Gemini and Gemini rising
With planets strewn hither and thither around the wheel of the zodiac, variety – one of Gemini’s favourite things, is assured in September. So there may well be a dash of glum seriousness, probably to do with the job, but the dominant forces are inclined to the pleasurable and the completely unexpected. The latter comes via planet Prometheus newly arrived in your skies, while pleasure arrives via the sign of Libra, where Venus holds sway until the 11th, to be followed by Mercury, and at the Equinox, the Sun.
Pleasure and creativity go hand in hand in your horoscope, so this could be a highly productive month for the artists among you. What’s more, thanks to its imminent retrograde, Venus will be back here in November to renew acquaintances. Keep track.
Cancer and Cancer rising
Look out world, warrior Mars is in Cancer and the Crab will be out there, claws akimbo, nipping others, who may well deserve their treatment. Problem is, when you are attacking Saturn you are likely to be attacked right back. Better to use that Martian energy to an overhaul of your beloved home, where Venus begins the month and the mighty Sun finishes it.
Alternately, in the second half of the month you can direct your talents to the art of love, or the arts generally, as Venus moves through your fifth house of pleasure and seduction. Your ruling planet, the Moon, meanwhile makes two important aspects; first, when it moves opposite Mars to set up a potential rendezvous. Not necessarily romantic but not necessarily not romantic) on September 20, and when it reaches the full Moon on the 26th, to ask what are you fighting for.
Leo and Leo rising
It was nice to be the centre of attention during your birthday month, if only so others gawped at your ruling planet being eclipsed. There is sure to be an aftershock from said event but who knows when? Perhaps not until the season of Aquarius 2027, or perhaps when Jupiter reaches the eclipse point early in October. The giant planet remains strong in your skies as September begins, making an impressive link to Saturn that promises stability and prosperity. The new Moon in Virgo on the 11th underscores that message.
An enjoyably mellow month then, but behind the scenes Mars is readying its transit of the lion in October, when Venus will be a force in your domestic life, whether introducing a new colour scheme (‘Lion’s Paw” perhaps) or cooking up a new home life.