The dominant energy this month is the retrograde movement of Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.
Venus is now the Morning Star and will be visible in the morning sky just before sunrise. Look to the east, close to where the Sun will rise: She will be visible if the sky is clear.
The September 29 Full Moon is the last of 4 consecutive Super Moons and is worth observing if the sky is clear. The most powerful time is to observe the Moon as it comes up over the horizon.
September begins with Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto retrograde …and Jupiter will join them on September 5. Note: All the dates below are for Australian Eastern Time.
September 4: Venus stations direct
September 5: Jupiter stations retrograde at 15 Taurus
September 15: New Moon at close to 22 Virgo
September 16: Mercury stations direct at 8 Virgo
September 23: Spring Equinox / Libra Ingress
September 29: Full Moon / Super Moon at 6 Aries
RETROGRADE PLANETS
By the beginning of September, 6 of the 10 major planets plus Chiron will be retrograde and Jupiter will join them on the 5th. Mercury and Venus will both station direct but remain the retrograde loop all month. This means all of the planets from Jupiter out will be retrograde while we are dealing with the more pressing – and perhaps obvious – retrograde cycles of Mercury and Venus. The houses where this is happening will all be in the spotlight and these include the areas of the chart where we are experiencing the transits of Chiron [ Aries], Jupiter & Uranus [both in Taurus], Mercury [Virgo], Venus [Leo], Neptune [in Pisces] and Pluto [back in Capricorn] …this includes 6 of the 12 signs so potentially 6 houses of your personal horoscope.
The retrograde movement of the planets always emphasizes the process of review, reflection and re-evaluation, personally and collectively. If things aren’t working, or you feel flat, discouraged and frustrated, accept this as a sign to find a new way forward that reflects the person that you aspire to become. This annual retrograde movement of all the superior planets from Jupiter out is a reminder that we need to undergo a regular internal stock-take and see if our outer world is congruent with our inner world.
More specifically, the current retrograde patterns provide us all with the opportunity to re-think how we utilize the energy of each planet in its sign and the house it is transiting in our personal horoscope:
Mercury: retrograde August 24 to September 16 – 8 to 22 degrees of Virgo. Mercury retrograde invites us to re-evaluate our thinking and communicating. Mercury stations direct the day after the New Moon in Virgo, emphasizing the need for ‘housework’ in the house where Virgo is located.
Venus: retrograde July 23 to September 4 – 12 to 28 degrees of Leo. Venus invites us to re-examine our values and relationships. [See the last 2 newsletters for more information on this.]
Jupiter: retrograde September 5 to December 31 – 5 to 15 Taurus. Jupiter calls us to re-evaluate our growth and see past our everyday limited perspective to grasp the big picture. Can you identify any limiting beliefs that may be keeping you trapped? Are your over-confident or perhaps lacking in confidence?
Saturn: retrograde June 18 to November 4 - 0 to 7 Pisces. Saturn calls us to claim our authority, take responsibility for our current situation and avoid the blame game. He can activate our Inner Critic but also challenges us to create strong, healthy boundaries. If we feel flat it may be Saturn’s way of goading us to take CONSTRUCTIVE ACTION. We may need to take the bull by the horns and do something we have been avoiding that we know we need to do.
Chiron: retrograde July 23 to December 27 - 15 to 20 degrees of Aries. Chiron symbolizes our ability to reconcile opposites and come to accept our physical, emotional and spiritual limitations and wounds. Are you stuck in your wounds and unable to let them go? How might this serve you in some perverse way? Are you ready to let go an attachment to being the victim and be who you really are, warts and all?
Uranus: retrograde August 29 to January 27 2024 - 19 to 23 Taurus. Uranus calls us to be our authentic self and find our own unique way of being. Are you giving in to your super ego and not being true to yourself? Is your inner critic stopping you from making the changes that your soul knows it requires to grow? Or are you acting out and sabotaging yourself by running away or engaging in rebellious behaviour just to prove a point?
Neptune: retrograde July 1 to December 7 – 25 to nearly 28 Pisces. Neptune symbolizes our ability to surrender our ego and open to the imaginal, spiritual and transpersonal realms. Do you listen to your intuition and have some way of accessing the guidance that comes through the symbolic realm of images and feelings? Are you in touch with your feelings and able to accept them as messengers from your soul? Or do you abandon yourself and fall into negative escapist / addictive patterns and denial?
Pluto: retrograde May 2 to October 11 – 28 Capricorn to 0 Aquarius. Pluto challenges us to reflect on self-mastery, embrace our fears about letting go ego-based power and control so we can surrender to our Higher Self / Divine Will. What are you holding onto that no longer serves you and keeps you trapped in a fear based paradigm? How can you work with your fear so it no longer controls you …or has less control?
New Moon in Virgo: September 15 at close to 22 Virgo
The New Moon in Virgo falls on September 15 at close to 22 degrees of Virgo. It forms a grand trine with Pluto and Uranus and is opposite Neptune at close to 26 Pisces ...meaning this is a kite configuration with Neptune as the tail of the kite. With the New Moon in Virgo, Pluto in Capricorn and Uranus in Taurus this is an earth grand trine which can be very practical and good for getting this done.
This New Moon each year is a great time to honor Virgo and start a self-improvement plan, whether that is a diet, a detox or get fit program… anything that looks at sorting out our bad habits. It could also be an opportune time to attend to your book-work and clear any clutter. The strong Virgo energy invites us to engage in spring cleaning on all levels - physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual - and get ourselves organized. The functional expression of Virgo is all about service, attention to detail, efficiency, and self-improvement. Mercury’s retrograde in Virgo may also be encouraging us to look at this area of our life differently and see how we could become more efficient, especially in the house where Virgo is located in the personal horoscope.
This New Moon can sometimes highlight the shadow side of Virgo which can play out as a tendency to self-criticism and worry that can heighten anxiety and the perfectionist patterns that can paralyze us. Remember that the New Moon is neutral and highlights our patterns for good or ill so we can see them more clearly and decide how we can best respond.
Neptune opposing the New Moon and forming the tail of the kite pattern is the key to getting this kite flying. Neptune can heighten sensitivity [on all levels] that can be wonderful for our spiritual practice, inner work and creativity, but much more challenging for getting things done in the ‘real’ world. Neptune always calls us to open our hearts and listen to our intuition which often communicate with us through images, symbols, feelings and sometimes through our body and its symptoms. Can you allow your feelings and dreams to offer you guidance while avoiding denial, self-delusion and wishful thinking?
Try to take some time out to tune in and to connect with your feelings, otherwise they may overwhelm you … and don’t let the Virgo need for ‘busy-ness’ stop you from taking some needed time out … AND REMEMBER TO BE GENTLE [AND NON-JUDGEMENTAL] WITH BOTH YOURSELF AND OTHERS!
September Full Moon / Super Moon on September 29
The September Full Moon is the last of 4 consecutive Super Moons and is worth observing if the sky is clear. The most powerful time is to observe the Moon as it comes up over the horizon at sunset. Super Moon is the nick name for a full moon that occurs very close to the lunar perigee – the time when the Moon is at its closest to the earth in its orbit - which means it can appear larger than normal. The Moon’s orbit is elliptical, not round, so it has a time each month when it is closest to earth and a time when it is furthest away and a few times a year this can coincide with the full moon.
This full moon falls at close to 6 Aries …and highlights the Aries Libra polarity: the Aries need for independence, adventure autonomy and challenges versus the Libra need for partnership, co-operation and compromise. Aries embodies the masculine Warrior archetype and is active, dynamic, competitive, forceful, and sometimes egocentric. Libra embodies the feminine/ lover archetype and is more concerned with fairness, equality, balance, harmony and is more relationship focused and inclined to compromise for the greater good. Ideally, we can find ways to express both polarities, whatever our gender or sexual orientation.
The full moon may bring to focus where we are out of balance here. It is often though the mechanism of projection that we see this more clearly so be prepared to find your inner warrior or meet it in others.
2023 Astrology Classes Beginners through to Advanced Classes
Late enrollments welcome …you can catch up with the Video Files
Christine offers an in-depth psychological and mythological approach to astrology. Her classes are suitable for those individuals who are wishing to learn more about themselves as well as those interested in becoming a professional astrologer.
All classes are on Zoom. Video files are provided for any classes you miss, and it is possible to enrol for video content only [correspondence] at a reduced rate.
First Year/ Beginners’ 7pm Thursday, beginning March 2 …focuses on learning how to read / delineate a horoscope and covers the elements, signs, planets, houses, aspects etc.
Second Year / Intermediate 7pm Tuesday beginning February 14 …focuses on additional points and themes in the horoscope [ lunation cycle, asteroids, Eris, Medical Astrology, Career] and Dynamic [predictive] Techniques: Transits & Progressions.
Advanced Group Second Saturday afternoon each month beginning February 2023 The Advanced Classes give you the opportunity to integrate what you have learned through a seminar format that allows exposure to more advanced techniques and psychological perspectives, plus the opportunity to develop your delineation skills.
Consultations are now on Zoom and are still recorded so the sound file link can be sent to you via email.
Gift Certificates are available for most consultations.
AN INITIAL CONSULTATION explores the soul’s journey as revealed through the personal symbol of the birth chart. The focus is on the potential inherent in the birth chart and the challenges that need to be embraced to realize this potential.
Also available as an… In-depth Consultation Two hours to explore both the soul’s journey [see above] and the year ahead. Includes 2 or 4 supplementary e-booklets.
Chart Up-date: The Year Ahead Explores the year ahead from a psychological perspective.
Understanding Your Child: A wonderful gift for new parents and explores a child’s unique needs, motivations, potentials, and challenges.
Relocation: Explains how a different location may impact on your psyche. This can be helpful if you are thinking of re-locating and can be included with any of the above consultations.