TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4. It’s a buckle down and do it day. After a brief flit of rebellious inclinations, Moon joins Mars early morning and gathers energy and ambition for the tasks ahead. By mid-day, it’s almost trance-like dedication, relishing the unique and the curious about everything involved and focusing on the end result—a good way to accomplish a great deal. The day ends with Moon opposing Pluto, bringing a feeling that a page may be turning now.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 5. Moon is briefly void, from 4:01 to 4:08 am when she enters Cancer. A sense of kindredship with those around us adds a reassuring note to the day’s activities, although as Mercury moves into Libra at 5:03 am it’s a bit difficult to make decisions. There are just too many options, and every possibility has its pluses and minuses. This is a time when the old adage, “The best way is the hard way,” may be a dependable guide.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 6. Moon goes Void of Course on a trine to Uranus at 10:04 am, carrying those quixotic vibes through the remainder of the day. Leave the charging at windmills for those younger than yourself, and focus on critical details. Try nonetheless not to be critical of others’ actions, ideas or potential—even if you have to bite your tongue to avoid it. Probably your own insecurities are amplifying your displeasures.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 7. The big deal today is that Pluto turns direct, once again trundling on toward Capricorn. It’s retraced a mere three degrees since it turned retrograde March 30, hanging in there with the Galactic Center—you may have noticed that these seem to be serious times indeed for the world at large. What have we reevaluated, collectively and individually, in the past five months? Changes are definitely called for, and should start being instituted now. If your natal Pluto is in Leo, think about refining your egotism to be certain it’s used in positive ways; in Virgo, your self-deprecation; in Libra, your vacillation; in Scorpio, your intensity. There are fewer of us with Pluto in Cancer, all 70 years old or more, needing to consider our relationships with family. Those with Pluto in Sag are twelve years old or less, and need to fortify their drive to understand the world they live in.

Moon moves into Leo at 9:59 PDT this morning.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 8. Off to a robust start this morning, on what should be a rewarding day. Today, Venus turns direct, at 9:13 am. Now we can resume forward motion on achieving our desires, furthering our relationships and fortifying our bank accounts with a renewed sense of what is really important to us and, with any luck, a more concrete sense of priorities and which goal to aim for first. It may take around six weeks for progress to become apparent.

Moon conjuncts Venus this afternoon, adding clout to its long slow quincunx with Uranus, making your choices both more individualistic and more conscious of your affect on the good of the whole. “No man is an island,” they say (nor is any woman or child), and the Universe is becoming increasingly insistent in its demands that we all find ways to work together. We all know that’s not easy. But astrologers know the challenging aspects we’ll have to work with over the next two or three decades mean that getting started on that path is of critical importance. Moon’s opposition to Neptune late tonight casts an idealistic glow on the process and gives us reason to hope.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9. Moon trines Pluto at 11:07 am and goes void, carrying a fidgety, grouchy, spiteful attitude through most of the day. Stuff seems to be welling up out of nowhere—somebody must have opened the door to that long ignored closet. It’s worsened with Moon’s opposition to Uranus midday. “What about me?” seems to have become a battle cry, whether for yourself or someone else. And “I don’t want to” is put forth as a valid excuse all too often. Moon occults Saturn in the evening, and self-discipline must be taking a nap.

Moon enters Virgo at 6:10 pm PDT.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10. Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and he is us,” and we need to remember that today (and even more so as a central message of tomorrow’s solar eclipse.) Everyone we meet seems so self-centered. Moon’s opposing Uranus and Venus’ quincunx to him has become exact. Everybody wants to do his own thing, and many can be pretty adamant about it. We can see the flaws in their arguments, but they certainly can’t, and seem ready to fight for their rights. Each of us needs to consider where we fit into the overall scheme because, after all, each of us is “other” to everybody else.

Moon’s square to Jupiter late afternoon can heighten the squabbles, for better or for worse.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 11. Today’s chart is no better and, with a partial solar eclipse at 5:44 am, the effects could have long-lasting significance. The eclipse is relatively brief and will be visible only in South America and near the South Pole, but it pulls in a lineup of power planets. A New Moon in Virgo generally initiates a period of thoughtful, conscientious problem-solving, but this one is caught up in a volatile grand square buttressed by confusion.

This is not apt to be the most peaceable of times in relationships of any kind. Each of us will need to harness our combative tendencies and pinprick sensitivities. Remember that complaints and directives will need to be couched in considerate terminology, and often simply held in check for some more appropriate time.

The grand cross now pits Mars against Pluto, both fending off Uranus in a t-square that binds the most volatile planets in any chart, with the fourth corner filled by the Sun-Moon conjunction. Equilibrium is not a word that comes to mind.

The Sun-Moon to Mars square is short-lived, and indicates assertive and impulsive behavior underwritten by easily tripped emotional triggers. Sun-Moon to Pluto, also a brief contact, often kindles a desire for dominance and a belief that sheer will power can magically achieve one’s desires. The Mars-Pluto opposition, which occurs roughly every other year, can bring defiance and a lack of control over aggressive tendencies, or a need to counter other kinds of destructive forces. (The most recent exact conjunction, April 6, 2006, accompanied an outbreak of 74 tornadoes across 13 states, and there had been even worse outbreaks in the preceding six weeks.)

The Uranus-Pluto square is most troubling, but is only beginning to become a relevant aspect, still ten degrees from exact. It is probably not significant in this chart except as a warning to be alert to clues, because aspects have wide orbs and their affects can be seen well before and well after exact contacts. It will not become exact until June 2012 and will remain in effect at least three years. This is a waning square, moving away from the conjunction that occurred in the middle 1960s (and that was a pivotal time for social structures!).

Its twin, the waxing square, was in force from 1932-34, at the height of our Great Depression and the turbulence in Europe. “The influence of the square aspect was to stimulate destructive social change across international borders, to intensify all those latent nationalistic characteristics that had been coming to the surface of the national group minds, until "the only way to express and release the underlying tensions was through world conflict,” is the opening paragraph of a chilling commentary on this aspect at www.astrologyweekly.com.

Astrologers try always to point out that every aspect can be utilized in positive ways, rather than negatively, with only a little additional awareness and effort. The combination of Martian energy and Plutonian persistence can accomplish the supposedly impossible; Uranus can foster innovative approaches. Mars is still opposing Jupiter also, so for a little while, we should have the optimism and self-confidence to enjoy challenges and seek solutions. The New Moon is in a separating quincunx to Neptune, in Aquarius, so visionary ideals of new hopes for humanity have been born and should be nurtured.

In the national chart, Libra is rising, with Mercury almost exactly on the ascendant and casting a pleasant trine to Jupiter, a pattern that should promote pleasant, peaceful communication. Mars is in the ninth house, where it could move aggressively toward ethical interaction and understanding, and perhaps codify diplomatic agreements. Jupiter in the third could bring about a benefic transformation of our daily lives. That’s a Pollyanna picture perhaps. But as Nancy Humphreys pointed out in her Daykeeper article last month, as a general rule you wind up where your vision is focused. Let’s focus it well.

The Sabian symbol for the New Moon at 19° Virgo: A swimming race; the stimulation that comes from a group effort toward a spiritual goal. “When man has become an expert swimmer, he has symbolically learned how to operate in a new element,” Rudhyar wrote. “Acting through the most advanced individuals of the race, Man is taking a step toward rebirth, a new mutation. The personal, ego-centered ambition to succeed and to ‘be first’ is indeed a sign of expectable spiritual failure.”

Moon goes void at 9:13 pm on her exact square to Pluto.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 12. Moon goes into Libra at 4:13 am and, while she makes no significant aspects today, we are all more inclined to “make nice” and at least try to consider other points of view and weigh the alternatives. There’s a need to make sure the choices are workable and that all the pieces fit together with craftsmanlike efficiency. The problem is that Mercury’s trine to Neptune may make communication imprecise and comprehension fuzzy.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 13. Our Libra Moon may be willing to overlook a lot today in order to keep the peace. She makes only pleasant aspects all day, joining up with Mercury to guide conversations into small talk rather than weighty issues. There’s a buoyancy and air of expectancy around that belies the tensions still hovering—hangovers birthed by the eclipse, centering around issues of self vs. others and just how belligerent one needs to be in order to reach the desired ends.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 14. Moon trines Mars while most of us are still abed, so without knowing why, we head into the day on the wings of a bit of an adrenaline rush. She goes void at 9:10 am on a sextile to Pluto, which can lead to almost compulsive attention to whatever it is we intend to accomplish today. Moon goes into Scorpio at 4:37 pm, which doesn’t lighten things up a bit.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15 and SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16. We’ve been hoping for a quiet, uneventful weekend and this may be it. We’ve probably acclimated ourselves to the antsy impatience of the tightening Mars-Pluto opposition and glommed onto the Venus opp Neptune hopeful aspirations for fun-loving give-and-take relationships. Juno and Ceres bracket the Moon, urging her to light some Scorpionic fires.

Early Sunday, Mercury quincunx Uranus could bring regrets if you don’t monitor your words before they leave your mouth, but, with that precaution, this aspect could add a lot of laughs to your day. Moon goes void at 4:40, on a comfortable sextile to Sun, leading to a pleasant evening.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 17. Moon moves into Sagittarius at 5:21 am but makes no major aspects until a mood-dampening square to Saturn at 9:07. A “Finger of God”—quincunxes from both Mercury and Venus to Uranus—points squarely to mid-Virgo for the next few days. Virgoian traits outline the best course of action now: taking care of business, minding your health, being of service—all with a practical, analytical, painstaking and modest approach. Sun is square Mars today, so there should be energy and drive enough to accomplish much. But it’s also square Pluto, so take control of situations if need be, but don’t try to control other people—that could bring more sizzle than you’re prepared for.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18. Moon gathers the jovial graces of Jupiter early this morning and then adds the charge-into-the-future impulses of Uranus. However benefic your intentions, remember that candor needs to be cloaked in kindness. By late afternoon, she’s conjunct Vesta, so thoughts turn toward keeping the home fires burning and creating a cozy atmosphere. Evening looks promising and pleasing, with opportunity for daydreaming or projecting possibilities.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 19. It’s the First Quarter Moon at 9:48 am PDT, and Moon goes void with this square to the Sun. It’s a powerful configuration to carry through the day, and—as a pivotal Moon phase—on through the coming week. Moon is also conjunct Pluto and opposing Mars, so Sun creates a t-square, which outlets only 10 degrees from Uranus. Memory may be a central issue today, either by resurgence of things forgotten or the inability to remember something important. The keyword today is to be on your toes and flexible, ready to deal with whatever comes. And prepared to enjoy the unexpected.

Moon trundles into Capricorn at 4:52 pm, which improves the situation only a little, even as she trines Saturn. If the patterns already set in motion since the New Moon are desirable, we can welcome Saturn’s help in making our progress concrete. That help may not be so appealing if the path chosen seems less well suited to achieving the results we want.

In the chart set for our nation’s capitol, Sun is at the midheaven and the opposition of Moon-Pluto and Mars spans the chart from the first to the seventh. Once again, relationships are in the foreground and militancy toward others appears to be indicated, particularly since Moon-Pluto combos, especially in the first house, find it easy to feel victimized and therefore vengeful.

Mars is also in a grand trine with Mercury in Libra at the cusp of the eleventh and Neptune in Aquarius at the cusp of the third, so there is the potential for productive negotiation. Good aspects between Mars and Neptune strengthen a sense of social responsibility and a willingness to consider matters in an impersonal, collective framework. The Mercury-Neptune contact bolsters the ability to visualize desired results in detail, and use that visualization to pursue those goals.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20. Déjà vu today—we’ve already been there yesterday—although Moon sidles out of the rambunctious pattern. She briefly sextiles Uranus, which could provoke a blowup in situations that are still overheated. The liaison across the chart between Venus and Neptune is minutes from exact, and kindles our most romantic and most delusional views of all that surrounds us. Neither a victim nor a savior be—whether in love or in duty, insist on equal distribution of input. Worshipping an uncommitted “hero” from afar, or an unresponsive lover ‘til it hurts, has no value to either the giver or the receiver.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21. Mars’ opposition to Pluto is exact this morning, at 1:33 am Pacific time. There’s no denying that the cosmos uses an entirely different system of calendars and clocks than we do, which makes precise timing of cosmic events essentially impossible. Still, theoretically this could be a signal trigger point. If there haven’t been fireworks yet, there very well may be now. If not fireworks, at least decisive action.

The Venus-Neptune opposition also becomes exact today, at 1:05 pm. It affects not only relationships, but values of all sorts, as for instance money. Are there problems in a relationship about disparate ways of dealing with money? The dispute could get really heated up today. Are you sure you’re being realistic in dealing with your budget and your plans for a financially secure future? Decisions made today could be suspect.

Moon trines Sun, suggesting a sense of satisfaction over handling things well, at 11:15 pm and goes Void of Course.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22. Moon eases into Aquarius at 1:18 am PDT, with a huge sigh of relief, and takes the day off. She’s briefly quincunx Saturn, before dawn, so thinks about doing a bit of tidying, but that’s as far as it goes. Sun-Mars-Pluto undertones of distress are offset for the most part by the Venus-Neptune insistence on seeing the sunny side. So—enjoy the weekend.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23. Another important day as Sun moves into Libra (2:52 am PDT), the Autumn Equinox at 0° Libra, marking the onset of a new season and the passing of almost three-quarters of a year—again. This chart is less problematic than most of the charts of the past four or five weeks, but more so than the Spring Equinox, the Summer Solstice, or even the Winter Solstice of last December—whose aspects underwrite the ensuing seasonal charts. Its strongly Sagittarian nature, and the dominance of the Saturn-Neptune opposition, foretold....

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24. Moon goes Void of Course at 2:14 am carrying a trine to Mars to encourage dreams of victory, and moves on into Pisces at 5:55. In the meantime, Mercury is using the pleasant ambience of Libra in efforts to persuade a pugnacious Pluto to keep its drive for dominance aimed at positive change with sensitivity to the realities experienced by others. There seem to be more good vibes in today’s chart than there have been all month.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 25. The day begins with Moon square Jupiter, maintaining the positive glow we built yesterday. Soon after, she joins Uranus and the fun begins. Erratic emotions and contradictory feelings may prove disruptive this morning, whether you’re meeting them or generating them, or both. You may be drawn to someone with a “very different” personality that seems fascinating and exciting. If so, it’s probably an opportunity to learn something important about yourself.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 26. It’s the day of the Harvest Moon, which is exact, lamentably, at 12:45 pm in the western states and mid-afternoon for those who live farther east—the memorable luminous golden globe will not be visible in the U.S. this year.

Moon moves into Aries at 7:22 am.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27. Moon trines Jupiter first thing this morning, casting an upbeat aura on all activities. She is also loosely trine Venus all day, making for generally compatible interactions with others, and forming a fire-sign grand trine good for getting things going. Mercury slides into Scorpio, setting the stage for getting to the bottom of any mysteries that have been plaguing our pursuits. The Venus opposition to Neptune still lingers, maintaining elevated aspirations. Then too, there’s that persistent unpredictable Jupiter-Uranus square playing the joker in the crowd.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28. A brief Void of Course period, from 6:59 until Moon goes into Taurus at 7:17 am PDT, starts a day that moves along rather effortlessly. Moon-Venus-Mars form a cap on a grand trine to Pluto, turning it into a coordinated quartet aimed at exercising the dregs of that Mars-Pluto power. Moon pulls Saturn into the picture too, to make sure the focus is solid. As of 4:54 pm PDT, Mars has taken up residence in Cancer for the next couple of months, where it’s considerably more laid back. It’s up to you to make sure your use of all this potent energy is worthwhile; you can think of this grouping as a chance to “shore up your spinal cord” (for most of us in a figurative sense) to fortify your overall strength or merely let it create more hassle by being overly forceful and aggressive.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29. Moon in Taurus puts an emphasis on solid comfort and sensory pleasures. Some good music and good food should be in your plans today. Her square to Neptune colors the day, so your imagination could be working overtime with your creative nature to the fore. You may strongly identify with the protagonist of a novel or movie now, or even with the plight of a friend or neighbor.

Moon goes void at 10:10 pm.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 30. Moon drifts into Gemini at 7:34 am, and you’ll likely want to be out and about, meeting people and exchanging chitchat. It’s a great day for hiking, or cycling, or quietly watching birds. If you haven’t been good about keeping your journal, this a good time for catching up. If inclined, you could probably come up with a really good short story—if you can sit still and stick with one project long enough. Mercury’s sextile to Saturn can make that easier, but by the time it’s exact it’s already bedtime.