Your Stars September 2017

John Nash The Cornfield
John Nash The Cornfield

Contrary to some prophecies about August’s total solar eclipse, the world didn’t end, though some catastrophic events followed –major flooding in two continents for example. Your astrologer prefers to ascribe those events to a wider pattern of global warming – so does almost everyone outside the White house – for which the astrological signatures remain undetermined (though Neptune in Pisces is promising if you’re looking).

Getting down to business in our individual worlds, September is a busy month. For many of us, the smell of furniture polish permeates this back-to-school time, with the character of goody-two-shoes Virgo, all clean fingernails and neat homework, perfectly captured by J.K. Rowling as Hermione in her Harry Potter novels. Rowling, a knowledgeable astrologer and former Head Girl of her school, has her Moon in Virgo. Hermione, according to her Potterland website, is likewise a Virgo.

September 2017 is majorly about the sign of the Corn Maiden, with a clutch of planets in transit there, plus a full Moon (September 6) and a new Moon (September 20), urging all of us, regardless of Sun sign, to access our inner Virgo and show up scrubbed and on-time. But let’s not forget that Virgo’s symbol is a Goddess; contrary to some descriptions, Virgo has glamour.

September is also the month of the Autumn Equinox, which arrives this year on September 22 at 9.36 PM GMT. Enjoy the season.

Virgo

For a steady-as-she-goes earth sign, you are not always the most patient creature – your ruling planet, quicksilver Mercury, sees to that. Yet you have little choice but to keep a measured pace for the first half of September. Ruler Mercury is sliding backwards until the 5th, and doesn’t regain the Maiden’s skies until the 10th. Meanwhile comes a full Moon opposite you on the 6th, conjunct Neptune. This could spell a sumptuous couple of days, but a Pisces full Moon is always good for a spot of argy bargy with you-know-who, one issue being that you are so straightforward and upbeat and they are so slippery and negative!

However, once past a couple of days of lunar weirdness you have your mojo back. The Sun, Mars, Mercury and – from the 20th – Venus are all endorsements of your talents and invitations to push your agenda forcefully onwards. Likewise the Virgo new Moon of September 20, although this comes with the enigmatic planetoid Chiron attached in opposition; birthdays around then may be confronted with somewhat tender partnership issues, or physical and emotional wounds that call for healing. Slowly does it.

In the big bad outside world where we toil and scheme, Saturn is on the march, and if your birthday is post September 14 you can expect your willpower to be put to the test before Christmas as you sort out a career move or a property upgrade.

With any luck you can duck such issues for a few weeks to enjoy the passage of Venus through your skies (until October 14), a fine excuse to upgrade your wardrobe and entice lovers – you look hot stuff over the final weekend of the month! Happy Birthday.

Libra

Keeping busy? The bodacious combination of your ruler Venus and visiting Jupiter is keen you should do so, circulating among peers and pals, pressing the flesh and pressing your case. Charm is a big ally now – as usual – but do be certain you can walk it like you talk it – this month and next are meant to be about delivery, as in you delivering the goods!

September is a contradictory month, however. Planetary action in Virgo (Sun, Mars, Mercury and a new Moon) suggests an element of seclusion or secrecy in your affairs, and some internalised dialogue with your best self. Perhaps former priorities prove to be not such a big deal after all. There is plenty of rumination in these stars.

The days around the new Moon of the 20th are something of a portal into autumn, not least because the zodiacal point of August’s total solar eclipse is triggered by ruler Venus passing across it, a possible cue for a disappearing act by a friend or ally…or even yourself.

Immediately after comes the autumn equinox and the arrival of the mighty Sun in your estimable sign. You can be excused a little swagger in your step this year, since Jupiter is finishing its year long transit through your skies, and said planet is all about the grand gesture, the bon viveur, the fearless quester. Make it so!

The last week of September (and, indeed, much of the following two months) could prove a pretty wild ride, however. As your astrologer has often reminded you, planet Prometheus remains in opposition, and its energy, so to speak, is no respecter of the status quo, least of all in relationships. Not everyone wants fusion in their personal life; more likely is that the demand for independence on both (or all) sides be acknowledged. With Jupiter and Prometheus making a final exact opposition at the end of September, expect fireworks.

Scorpio

Fasten your seat belt in expectation of a little turbulence – nothing to get alarmed about, but with your ruler Mars passing August’s solar eclipse point, alongside a retrograde Mercury, the planetary weather looks moody in the first few days of September, with some obtuse individuals in the mix. This applies especially to your career and working life.

Calm should be restored by the time of the full Moon on September 6, except that full Moons rarely are completely calm. This one – in Pisces – falls a helpful angle to your Scorpio Sun, and also comes with the potential enchantment of Neptune. The latter is a fickle planet, however, and as last month’s forecasts pointed out, as likely to spell teen-style infatuation as deep and meaningful romance. Scorpios are a perceptive bunch, but as the old song says, smoke gets in your eyes.

That said, September’s planets are mostly working in your favour. The Sun, ruler Mars and a new Moon in Virgo all favour networking and business trade-offs. With Mercury straightened out and also here, industry pays off. The future is what counts. Venus is on hand from the 20th to introduce you to smiling strangers.

Even the autumn equinox – not always a power point in your personal year – should pass by smoothly. The sun in Libra always emphasises secret schemes – being a Scorpio, you got ‘em! – and the need for a little privacy, but this year such plans look especially important as Jupiter is involved. The giant planet has been here an entire year, and is now in its final phase before arriving – zip-a-dee-doo-dah – in Scorpio’s skies early in October, when you will be coming up for air. Meanwhile scheme on, fervently.

Sagittarius

Maximum focus on your career path is called for and will be rewarded in the not too distant future. As mentioned last month, messenger Mercury is sliding back and forth across the apex of your solar chart, the point where the world watches and judges you, and you should be prepared to respond promptly to new circumstances. Like a good football manager, you should have a plan ‘B’ and ‘C’ for your game.

The full Moon of September 6 may prove a further contributory factor to an unstable situation, being alongside foggy Neptune and square to your Sun (notably if your birthday is December 5). The issues involved may not be immense, but since September is principally about work and success, there is a cumulative feel to developments that carries through to October, as planets advance and square Saturn in your own skies.

Saturn’s with you for another three and a half months, making this autumn a time of resolution and, hopefully, achievement.   Everything remains to play for. The new Moon of September 20 gives work matters another push, one that you may feel a week later when the quarter Moon is in your skies. This is how things are just now – a constant monitoring of your progess, however incremental.

The arrival of the Equinox on September 22 brings the Sun into play in a helpful way, and with your ruling planet, Jupiter, also in the air sign of Libra for another six weeks, hard graft can be usefully accompanied by the soft schmooze.

Jupiter is also potentially obliging socially and romantically. The giant planet is in an intriguing tussle with Prometheus opposite, a combination that can conjure up lightning romances, fast friendships and all points between. With Venus part of the action until the 20th, every last party invitation deserves a positive response.

Capricorn

There is, first of all, a spot of mopping up to be done from August. It may be a misunderstanding with someone, it may be a cock-up involving an impersonal corporation, it may be a promised document you have not delivered (oh lawdy), but an especially tricky retrograde of Mercury almost certainly requires you to readjust your plans and do some chasing. It may need as long as the first two weeks of September to fully expedite matters.

Aside from which your horoscope looks in fine fettle, one might even say buccaneering spirit. A cluster of planets in your fellow earth sign of Virgo (Sun, Mars, a new Moon on the 20thm, when Venus also reaches the Maiden’s skies) is grist to the Capricorn mill. Travel would be one way to accommodate this picture, but it also works for business, education, skills-gathering, even philosophical enquiry. The new Moon of September 20 is a useful step-up for autumn.

There comes, as always, an element of challenge with the Sun’s move to the peak of your ‘scope at the autumn equinox (September 22). Again, the emphasis is on career and work – those who are working at cross-purposes to you are likely to show themselves over the next month – but you have survived the month of Libra before! Of especial interest career-wise is the final six weeks of Jupiter in Libra, which bears most strongly on birthdays post January 14. This is a positive omen, asking you to reach further, and can introduce you to some of the (allegedly) great and good of your profession. Jupiter’s opposition to Prometheus at the end of the month adds a sudden, electrical quality to events.

Aquarius

Whether or not August’s solar eclipse swallowed a relationship whole, best expect a few bumps in the road during the opening days of September, as Mars and Mercury visit the same zodiacal point where the black-out occurred. Birthdays circa February 16/17 are those most in line for a rocky – or possibly rocking – weekend.

The good news about one-on-one relationships (not just romantic ones) is that with Venus now in opposition, you have the chance to iron out the rough spots and bring peace to the valley again. That may not be your intention, and if you are looking for excitement then that also looks available. Venus spells attraction, while the Sun and Mars in your ‘scope’s Scorpio-like eighth house (think sex and secrecy) offer thrills and maybe spills.

Also relevant is the rare opposition of Jupiter and Prometheus, both in adventure-seeking zones of your ‘scope, and keen to introduce you to new people, and consciousness-raising situations. If you are the arty/bohemian stripe of Aquarian (the term ‘space cadet’ may apply), September and October look a sweet fit, especially the end of this month and the start of next.

If you are more of a steady-as-she-goes Aquarian – Spock-logical in fact – then this month also has much to offer. The full Moon of September 6 and the new Moon of September   20 both concern your financial affairs, not least those you share with other people; contracts, mortgages, and the like. With Mars involved all month, and Venus from the 20th, a bad cop/good cop approach may be in order when dealing with debtors. Saturn, your sign’s traditional ruler, is onside to assist.

The season of Libra, a fellow air sign, begins at the equinox on the 22nd, and promises to speed up the action in both your personal and professional lives in October, a month that looks suspiciously like a fresh chapter.

Pisces

You appear to have your work cut out in September, and in more ways than one. The major astrological factor in play is your opposite sign of Virgo, where messenger Mercury in retrograde has disappeared until September 10, and won’t have recovered fully until the 19th, meaning you are being taken through a cycle that occurred in early August. Could be a Groundhog Day scenario, especially where a friend or associate is concerned.

In the midst of Mercury’s dithering comes the annual Pisces full Moon on September 6, hopefully spelling a couple of days of dizzy lunar enchantment (Neptune is conjunct), though dizzy lunar chaos is also a possibility. In either case, stay grounded.

Also on September 6 comes the arrival of Mars in opposition for six weeks, further stirring the pot where significant others are involved, and calling for the deft handing of any hotheads that roll your way.

Happily, the new Moon of September 20 – again in your partnership zone – offers a chance to cool things down, especially given the advent of Venus in opposition – a cue not only for a peace initiative (if required) but for delightful Venusian types to turn your head.

If that protracted scenario doesn’t occupy you fully, then the opposition of Jupiter and Prometheus might. Both planets have been in long-term residence across your financial axis, but their exact opposition at the end of the month signals a fiscal hotspot – whether than means a mini-crisis or an unexpected windfall isn’t specified. The phrase ‘hot sex’ can also apply to this configuration- you can hope!

Talking of pleasure, the ‘dwarf planet’ Ceres spends all month in the most romantic and social sector of your ‘scope. Ceres represents the earth mother. Nurturing, comforting and protective; useful qualities to locate in your life just now.

Aries

 How was it for you? August’s eclipse that is. Aside from that black-out, with its slightly spooky connotations, your August horoscope was full of good omens, a situation that holds for most of September. True, you have to undertake the enforced catch-up that accompanies Mercury’s retrograde, but this is over by the 10th, and enables you to touch base with issues and people that were around back in late July.

With fair Venus lighting up the pleasure zone of your horoscope until the 20th, you look on course for some late summer partying and flirtation – perhaps more than flirtation, more of which anon. You will need all the Venusian beams you can gather, as the concentration of planets in Virgo throughout the month has a simple, direct message – Work. And get fit. Then more work. The full Moon of  September 6 inclines more to the clean-living end of things, the new Moon of the 20th to a restart of your work regime.

Happily, aside from Aries not being averse to graft, the Virgo imperatives of clean living and duty come offset by first Venus and then, come the Equinox, by the Sun in opposition. This is halfway through your personal year i.e. six months before your next birthday, and Libra may not be your favourite month. True, you are somewhat on the back foot, and yet with Jupiter completing its transit of The Scales, and making a final opposition to Prometheus in your own skies, the chance of a lucky bolt from the blue, or the arrival of a thrilling newcomer, remains on the cards.

Taurus

Until September 10, your wheels are still spinning, thanks to the backslide of Mercury – thereafter the communications planet returns to your fellow earth sign of Virgo and you have traction. Planets in Virgo are doing you major favours throughout the month. Aside from Mercury there is the mighty Sun (until the equinox at the 22nd) and warrior Mars, both keen on you showing your most adventurous, creative side. The new Moon of September 20 is a launchpad for new projects and the cue for fresh flourishes of trumpets, blown by your good self.

Thereafter your Venus ruler also enters the skies of the Corn Maiden, enhancing your romantic appeal (dress up a bit why not) and urging you to win new friends at the ceaseless round of parties of which you are so fond. Whatever your pleasures, seize them with relish this month and next, while being sure to pump energy into the world of work and gainful advancement.

The Sun’s move into your zone of daily routine from the equinox underlines the latter part of that message, while Jupiter, now completing its transit of your sixth house of hard graft, promises decent monetary returns for your energies. Steady routine is good, but a willingness to break a pattern is emphasised at the end of September, as Jupiter makes a final opposition to non-conformist Prometheus.

Perhaps August’s eclipses have already done the job of shaking up your career prospects and calling for a rethink of your lovely home. With the lunar nodes sweeping backwards across the domestic/life path axis of your ‘scope for another twelve months, both issues remain alive and open to intervention in a positive way. The danger is to assume that everything will carry on as normal indefinitely, whereas the cosmos is ever keen on change.

Gemini

Whatever the actual weather, you seem set to grab a personal Indian Summer. The backslide of your Mercury ruler suggest there is little point trying to assert your agenda at work, unless it’s by clearing the desk and catching up on a backlog of tasks. Get the full Moon of September 6 out the way before refocusing your laser-like mental powers. Posing around is a different matter – said full Moon calls for a high profile.

Thereafter you have a mixed bag. A clutch of planets in Virgo, at the root of your chart (Mars, Mercury, the Sun and a new Moon) are all square your Gemini Sun and are prompts to get a move on with autumn’s projects. Expect a few sharp prompts if you are not up to speed.

Whether it’s work or some kind of domestic upgrade that constitute ‘projects’ is immaterial, but Gemini Towers looks like a noisy place in September (hammers bang, builders moan, and you may find yourself accommodating a new housemate/lodger). Venus also arrives at the root of your ‘scope on September 20, to help with the decorating or smooth over family ructions.

The autumn Equinox brings the month of Libra, a fellow air sign that represents pleasure, romance and creative endeavours, be they professional or a hobby/sport about which you are passionate. Matters that touch your heart in short, and there has rarely been a better time to pursue them. Jupiter’s year long stay in Libra is coming to a close next month, but at the end of September the planet of good luck and happy days make a a final opposition to Prometheus, whose energies tend to be abrupt and uncompromising. Whether this configuration brings a person or an opportunity into reach – or even a departure – embrace of change likely serves you better than hanging onto the familiar.

The other planet looming large in your affairs this autumn is Saturn. Most of you have been put through Saturn’s mill during the last two years, but the taskmaster is nothing if not thorough, and birthdays post June 12 can expect a further examination to make sure you got the message from last winter/spring, and to a lesser extent, this summer. What message would that be? Less is more, perhaps. Or an alteration of your life path/professional outlook. But this Saturn cycle is nearly over, and during autumn you can make your deternination and hard work count.

Cancer

Coming at you from all sides? Yes, your Cancer Sun is surrounded – by Pluto, Prometheus and Jupiter, no small opposition – and yet September looks a benign prospect for the astrological Crab.

How so? Firstly, much of the planetary action is in Virgo, an earth sign that resonates with the Crab’s water. A full Moon and a New Moon here endorse any sincerely held beliefs. Your value system (and Cancerians are normally true to their cause, rather than blow-with-the-wind opportunists) is one to champion just now, and with messenger Mercury in dignity after September 10, the more eloquently you proclaim your cause, the better. Mars in Virgo from the 5th, and Venus from the 20th, both back up that notion.

If you are in the media (including social media and the digital realm) or the world of teaching/education, the wind is behind you once the irksome retrograde of Mercury is over.

The potentially problematic squares from Jupiter and Prometheus also prove to be paper tigers on closer inspection. Both planets have presented you with difficult challenges in the last year especially, but Jupiter is about to move on in October (to Scorpio, way more favourable for you) and Prometheus is in temporary retreat. You should have their measure by now, while their final opposition across the life-path axis of your horoscope, exact at the end of September, suggests they are finishing with a helpful burst of energy. Any opportunities that arrive from the blue, or have an unorthodox hue, deserve your respect and attention, especially those that suggest a fresh career path or a rejig of your domestic circumstances (including, erk, relocation).

Pluto remains in seemingly eternal opposition, but, like a sleeping volcano is currently dormant. The Sun never sleeps of course, and at the autumn equinox on September 22 will make sure you are fully alert, not least (again) to domestic and family circumstances.

Romance? Where you find it. Venus in Virgo suggests that the more you circulate, the better your chances – but you won’t need reminding of that self-evident fact. For anything resembling deep romance, commitment, flights of passion and the like, you may have to be wait until October’s radically different starscape.

Leo

Keep in mind that last month’s solar eclipse in your sign was also a new Moon, one that is still unfolding as September begins, reaching fullness on September 6. This, however, is not full in your opposite sign of Aquarius but in Pisces, making it a less confrontational affair, though Luna’s opposition over September 3 and 4 is still potent.

The opening days of September also see Mars and Mercury bumping over the point of that eclipse, very likely bringing unforeseen developments in your outlook, be it personal or professional. Overall, your horoscope oozes change just now, and while adaptability is not always Leo’s strongest point, you are being handed the chance of self-direction. Decide who you are, what you want and then go out and get it. In September and October you have very little opposition.

Easing your path to what the women’s magazines call ‘the new you’ is Venus in your skies until September 20, signalling pleasant times, slap-up bean feasts, close encounters with great art and welcome attention from friends and prospective lovers. Dress up for the occasion.

Adding a jolt of surprise and electricity is the opposition of Jupiter and Prometheus this (exact at the end of the month though relevant throughout) favours adventure, travel, fresh thinking and matters educational. Also anything to do with the digital realm – coding, social media, the internet and so forth.

The clutch of planets passing through Virgo in September concerns your financial affairs – a nudge to get them in order perhaps, and/or an incentive to find more income. Spending the folding stuff is rarely a problem for Leos. The new Moon of September 20 is a moment for a good resolution.

The equinox, and the month of Libra are further good news for Leos, bringing air for your fire. The advent of your mighty Sun ruler here is enough to move things right along, but October looks even more promising. Yes, you can cruise comfortably through the next two months, but better to apply your willpower to your most desired ends. Make sure you know what they are!