September brings a ramp-up of activity as the Cardinal planets are activated to create a Grand Cross of some substance and duration. When Jupiter entered Cancer at the end of June, it brought with it a persistent T-Square—one that will be with us through July of next year. Now all it takes is for a planet to fill in the gap (the “fourth leg” of the square “table”) in Libra for a Grand Cross to be formed. When that connects to Cardinal planets in our own chart, we have an influence of some power.
And for those with planets in Cardinal signs, SOMETHING is finally happening, to our great relief. The timeless space we’ve been in is now metered and scheduled, as in September Jupiter is now making its way into the as-yet uncharted Cardinal territory beyond 13° Cancer. It will move forward to 20° (Sabian 21°) Cancer before stationing retrograde November 6 and returning to 10° (Sabian 11°) at the end of January 2014.
This brackets our efforts into an exploration-construction-fulfillment process over the course of Jupiter’s journey through Cancer, where it is exalted and does very well for us. The theory is, we are able to expand (Jupiter) better when our basic needs (Cancer) are met; and generosity of warmth goes far in bringing wealth into our lives.
Jupiter in Cancer also reminds us that all that glitters is not gold—there are other kinds of wealth than material. We might even argue that emotional, relational, intellectual, and spiritual wealth are by far the most important, because they are flexible and respond to need without being exhausted. Jupiter in Cancer could be seen in some ways as the Well of society, an inexhaustible source of sustenance (water of life), which must be protected and kept pure so that all may contribute in return for its bounty.
Unfortunately, the Well of society is tainted in many ways right now, as fear-based behaviors run amok at all levels of society. This is not a sudden event, but one that has been built up over hundreds of years, since the dawn of the Industrial Age. Now we must restore the Well by restoring balance to Earth and society—a large task but not undoable. On a personal level, we are also seeking ways to restore our own well of consciousness and mutual support. We are learning to appreciate each other in new ways, and to find the right connections in order to survive.
Mercury and the Sun activate the Cardinal planets through most of September, so something is always going on if we have placements in Cardinal signs ourselves. We start the month with Venus’s portion of that story already in August’s history book, as she is currently in the vanguard until her winter retrograde. She gave us a story of love and value. Through her, we have been learning what we truly love, what our prime attractant is. We have been experiencing a shift in what we want in life and relationship as she dances with Uranus and Pluto, which pry us loose from conventional and conditioned ways of relating where they are out of harmony with our true nature.
With Jupiter boosting our urge and ability to make the changes we’ve been contemplating, relationships are the first place where we will step out on that limb during this round. Mercury activates this process from September 9, bringing new mental awareness of what’s real, thus promoting connection and communication. Watch for linked events that introduce a plot twist around September 14-15 and 19 (day of the Full Moon), that we will act out in time to the Sun’s rhythm as it inspires our sense of purpose and nobility.
In focusing our attention on the Cardinal/active process, we can’t overlook our foundation. We have to stay with the processes of the Fixed and Mutable energies as well. Principal among these in September is the Mutable energy, that of completing and integrating. With the Sun in Virgo for most of the month, it is (for those in the Northern Hemisphere) about finalizing our activities of the summer months, preparing for autumn and the winter months to come. (In the Southern Hemisphere, it is about opening the fields of possibility to create something on the yearly cycle born at the June solstice two-plus months ago.)
The month opens with an emphasis on our healing process, stemming from the deepest levels of consciousness. With Chiron in Pisces, we have access to all blockages that prevent us from experiencing wholeness with the spirit and with all other consciousness. The culmination of its yearly cycle (opposition with the Sun) comes on September 3, so look for deeper understanding of these energies at that time. This ties in with the Sun’s opposition to Neptune on August 26, which brought us the spiritual side of this process. Neptune dissolves the forms that would burden us, so that we can see the true inner reality, where we create all life’s structures. If something seems formless or far away now, it is in dissolution so that we may reshape it or let it disappear altogether.
Venus and Mars continue to advance through their cycle. Since they conjoined on April 6 (19 Aries), Venus has slowly pulled ahead of Mars, passing their opening sextile on August 2. Next is the opening square, which perfects on September 28 at 19°46′ Scorpio/Leo. This is especially noteworthy because it is the first of three in a series of squares between these two planets of love, the initial set-up of our winter story of interaction in partnership, and in any arena where relationship or love and attraction are important, including finance and possessions (what we attract or are drawn to).
Both Venus and Mars retrograde over the winter-spring in back-to-back passages close to Earth. This is when we learn about love, value, and use of energy at the quickest pace. Love relationships go through an evaluation process, as we hit the reset button. All our relationships are based on agreements, both hidden and acknowledged. During the Venus retrograde, those agreements are renegotiated. During the Mars retrograde, we examine and adjust our direction and method of asserting ourselves, a tempering process.
It is therefore worth taking note of our experiences around September 28, which will tie in to events that passed through our life at the Solar Eclipses of last November 13 and May 10 this year. Since eclipses often remove something from us, events that are set in play now will reconstitute that area of our life.
September promises to be an active month, where progress will begin to show up for us. Since these events are part of a long-term process, we can look forward to even greater openings in the coming months. So hang in there with situations where the pace seems slow. The energy stored up will come to fruition in time.
(Except as otherwise noted, all interpretations in this astrological forecast are based on a natural chart, using the beginning of Aries as the ascendant, and times listed are Pacific Daylight Time (UTC–7).
A “Void Moon” or “Void of Course Moon” (or “VOC moon” for short) makes no significant aspects until it enters the next sign. Its void period is thought to be a poor time for starting new projects or making concerted effort toward existing plans.
According to William Lilly, the Moon in Cancer (Moon’s rulership), Taurus (Moon’s exaltation), Sagittarius and Pisces (signs ruled by Jupiter, the Great Benefic) “performeth somewhat.” Lee Lehmann reports that she has tested this, and “you can take it to the bank.” Another way of putting how this works in an astrological forecast is that, when an action is taken during the void period in one of these signs, you get “unanswered success.” That is, the lack of planetary action prevents your action from being denied.
Daily Success Guide Astrological Forecast, September 2013
Our transformative process receives a boost today as the Sun trines Pluto, alerting us to the fact that Pluto is about to return to forward motion, which it does on September 20. A big window for more rapid change is open now, and will remain so until October 1.
The month commences with the Moon void of course in sensitive Cancer, until 5:01 pm PT (8:01 pm ET), when it opens us to more enthusiastic energies as it enters Leo. Although Mars reminds us of a busy week ahead, we have the optimism to take it on. This is the Wishing Moon, when we can make our wishes for the next lunar cycle, while our insight is high. Then if we remember that we have set magic in motion, we clear the way for it to come.
There’s the to-do list, and then there’s what you left off of it, which today just happens to be more important. With Mars quincunxing Neptune today, we’ll feel pulled in at least two directions, and confused about what else we may be forgetting. Set time aside to look for lost objects, and be patient with yourself. We’re helped a little by the Moon in Leo, trining lickety-split Uranus to bring faster results. But a core issue, the root of the current evil, may leap forward for our inspection with the Sun-Chiron opposition exact tomorrow and very much in effect today.
The Sun’s opposition to Chiron is the peak of its yearly cycle, and our aches and pains of whatever ilk will be in the forefront today. Whether we need to get beyond a bad habit, let go of emotional attachments, or take better care of our body, we know what to do now and know we absolutely have to do it. If we’ve already established the discipline, we’re that much further along.
Simultaneously, we see some unexpected consequences of actions taken in mid-July, or dream up a new anxiety about what’s coming at the end of this month, as the Sun simultaneously quincunxes Uranus. We may not see a way out now, but there is one. With Uranus, it involves quantum change; by following up on what shows up now, we’ll bring the solution into form. The Moon finds harmony with Venus for happy endings as it enters its void period at 10:52 am.
At 3:43 am (6:43 am ET), the Moon enters Virgo, the sign of tomorrow’s New Moon. This is a time for inner focus, finding the empty places and setting our intention to fill them. Since there is much we don’t know, it’s too early to make a plan. Instead, lay the foundation by clearing out and organizing what you do have. After a morning of becoming acutely aware of what’s missing, we get supports for our long-term efforts from Saturn and Pluto, part of a Cradle configuration.
At 4:36 am/13°04′ Virgo (7:36 am ET), the Moon conjoins the Sun to bring our next New Moon and start a fresh 29-day lunar month. With the heavy planets all at earlier degrees than the New Moon, much of the activity we need to get us going for the month has already been expressed. In a sense, we enter the month dealing with known factors, but it remains to be seen how we can use them to our benefit and that of our community. With harmonious contacts pending to Jupiter and Mercury, order, logic, and planning lead us through. The main stressor in the chart is a Mars square to Saturn, which suggests an unusually large workload or situation requiring us to focus on a singular goal. In the back of our mind is the bigger path we see for ourselves, and this effort contributes in some way.
In the chart cast for Washington DC, which shows the New Moon’s influence on the nation, the people are starting to show more savvy in their response to issues that have previously been blind spots. The legislature back in session following the Labor Day holiday, the regressive members of the House will attack the nation with renewed vigor through the sequester. However, the President’s viewpoint gains favor and is strongly evident to a less emotional public.
The Sabian Symbol for 14 Virgo is, “Finely lettered names and mysterious lines are seen; it is a family tree.” By digging into the roots of a situation, we can find the source of wounds that have been handed down generation after generation. A remembered history is one we can learn from without repeating the lessons. Approach with compassion, and a healing can occur.
The Moon continues in Virgo, connecting with a well-favored Mercury before beginning its void period at 3:10 am (6:10 am ET). This gives us a morning to tie up loose ends, until 12:12 pm, when Moon enters Libra to bring us out of our analytic shell.
We feel expansive and optimistic today as Sun sextiles Jupiter, the first major contact since their conjunction in late June. We can’t see everything we want to yet, but we can see signs of movement, and they are good—very good. There’s more work to do to reach our goals, but we feel an added delight to the fact that there’s something moving, and we like where it’s headed. Even with Moon in Libra, which brings out the tension that has led us to follow this path, we feel sanguine knowing that it’s all going to be okay in the end, for sure. The Moon fills in the gap to create a Grand Cross in the Cardinal signs, emphasizing relationship challenges and how they factor in to our overall situation.
Mood trumps love, as the Moon occults Venus at 1:46 pm/27°14′ Libra (4:46 pm ET). This is an eclipse of Venus, when our normal way of experience (self-)love, attraction, and equanimity is disrupted. This “shadow time” brings into view what’s missing from our connectivity matrix. Ways in which we feel isolated or separated are highlighted, goading us to make changes that bring us closer to others. We get to ruminate over this as the Moon enters its void-of-course at 1:47 pm (4:47 pm ET) on the heels of this contact. At 6:44 pm, we are revived by deep feeling as Moon goes into Scorpio.
At 0:07 am PT (3:07 am ET), Mercury enters Libra, softening our focus as we turn from planning and organizing, to connecting and balancing, especially with those around us. This comes packaged with the Mars square Saturn, the last square before Mars conjoins Saturn. However, it will be a long time before that connection is made, since Mars will go through its retrograde in Libra first.
Bottom line: What we are working on now, thinking it will shortly come to completion, will in fact take until August 25–26 next year to be fully finalized. That does not mean that progress will not be made, but that the view we have of how things will happen is obscured. As the veil lifts, we will see that there are many more steps to the process than we at first perceived. This is not a bad thing—in fact, it is essential. The Moon augments our serious side as it connects with Mars and Saturn early on, but then we get over it with harmonious contacts to Pluto and Jupiter.
The Moon completes its productive time in Scorpio when it goes void of course at 2:21 am (5:21 am ET). This gives us a long day of time-out time, since the Moon does not reconnect us until it enters Sagittarius at 11:36 pm. Venus takes on sultry shades when it enters Scorpio at 11:16 pm. Anxiety about what hasn’t happened yet could make us want to rush the changes we’re looking forward to as Mars quincunxes Pluto. We wonder, did we make the right choices and commitments back in late July? Taking action now in this frame of mind is more likely to set us back than carry us forward. Wait and see. Great fruitions based on our actions taken in January–June 2012 will come in mid-October and November.
It’s time for an attitude adjustment as Mercury quincunxes Neptune. The Moon in Sagittarius takes us into the energy of tomorrow’s First Quarter Moon, the time when magic is made. Actions taken now and in the coming week will usually turn out well if we are clear and centered.
At 10:08 am PT/20°06′ Virgo/Sagittarius (1:08 pm ET), the Moon reaches its First Quarter square to the Sun, shining directly overhead at sunset in its classic “half-moon” shape. This also opens the door to the Moon’s void period, which can still be used for beneficial activities since it is in Jupiter-ruled Sagittarius. We feel pressure to make a decision as Mars squares the Nodes, a harbinger of the date we have with destiny on September 25, when Saturn conjoins the North Node. (See the Planetary Overview for more on this event.)
This lunation places a clear focus on the President in the chart cast for the US. His ability to convey an understanding of the complex issues that face the nation is challenged, but with repeated effort he will prevail. The whining chorus of media and regressive legislators is still working in tandem, but with less impact on public opinion. The truth is beginning to shine through. Events overseas help put things in perspective.
The two Sabian Symbols for the First Quarter lunation are: “a girl’s basketball team” (the Sun/21 Virgo), and “a child and a dog wearing borrowed eyeglasses” (the Moon/21 Sagittarius). There’s strength in numbers. A team effort can bring a new understanding of what’s real—or obscure it. The tag-teaming of Republicans and the mass media gives a false, fear-driven view of events and policies, a metaphorical pair of borrowed eyeglasses based on a myopic agenda. But sometimes a borrowed perspective improves our vision with facts and education, or leads us to look behind falsehood to see the truth, both personally and in the world at large.
Deep feelings reveal a hidden spiritual truth as Venus trines Neptune—we may even catch a glimpse of the purpose of the relationship(s) we find ourselves in at this time. These revelations can show us a way through the recurring tensions we experience as the Moon once again makes its way through a Cardinal sign, this time Capricorn. It enters Capricorn at 2:56 am and brings a bevy of activity as it connects with six planets over the course of the day. Packed into today are the seeds of events and outcomes coming to us over the rest of September, bringing to fruition situations we’ve been cultivating since last October.
Injuries are possible today, especially if we try to rush through our tasks, as Mars quincunxes Chiron. However, Mars’s simultaneous trine to Uranus helps things proceed by quantum steps if we can relax into it instead of pushing. A Mercury square to Pluto brings forward an underlying tension that we can’t ignore, related to the release of big changes into our life. Pluto is nearly stationary, ready to move forward again, unleashing suppressed energies to circulate, both intense and relieving. Mercury makes us aware of situations where we could be in better harmony with others. The answer? Communicate. The Moon in Capricorn is mostly quiet, going void of course at 4:17 pm (7:17 pm ET) following a trine to the Sun.
With Chiron and Uranus at the same degree in their respective sign, Mercury activates both of them today, an echo of Mars’s hook-ups yesterday but from the other side of the astrological fence (Libra instead of Leo). When Mercury quincunxes Chiron, it takes us back to the 29th of August, when a healing crisis occurred but could not be completely resolved. Mercury’s opposition to Uranus today makes a further step in clearing the air possible, perhaps even a quantum leap forward. At 3:05 am PT (6:05 am ET), the Moon enters Aquarius to help us find a more objective perspective on what’s bothering us. Communications offer a mixed bag of outcomes with so much Mercury activity going on. If this reflects a feeling of stress or confusion, journaling may be a better way to clear your mind.
The Moon in Aquarius enters its void period at 1:19 am (4:19 am ET) on an opposition to Mars, perhaps increasing our restlessness. What follows is a day when we are better off completing things than starting something new. What about that stack of filing you’ve been ignoring?
At 6:58 am (9:58 am ET), the Moon opens us to hidden realities when it goes into Pisces. It makes harmonious contacts over the course of the day, leading us into constructive actions based on inner clarity. With Mercury sextile to Mars, words and actions can be harmonized for good results now and even greater benefit in the coming weeks.
With the Moon in Pisces, we’re already feeling tomorrow’s Full Moon energy enlivening us. With Venus conjoining Saturn, we feel more confident about a serious goal, as the planets move toward an overall crescendo between now and October 12, when many will see substantive progress toward a long-held goal. With a simultaneous sextile to Pluto, Venus reveals an easier, smoother way to achieve our purpose.
The Harvest Full Moon culminates at 4:13 am/26°41′ Virgo/Pisces (7:13 am ET). Now, as the Sun rises, we see the Moon set in the west, opposite the Sun’s position on the circle we call the ecliptic. In Virgo-Pisces, the Full Moon asks us to engage in ritual or ceremony—something to consecrate our life, to remind us of its sacred essence. By making an offering to life, we always, always receive in return from an abounding universe. Even in times when the Well of society’s wealth is damaged and cannot give clean, pure sustenance for our efforts, there are other forms of wealth that sustain us.
Venus conjoins North Node today, giving us a keen perception of our deeper purpose and the direction we have before us to fulfill it. Whether we chose it or it chose us is a matter of interpretation. Mercury throws a minor wrench into the works when it squares Jupiter, but this only reveals an obstacle so it can be removed. At the time of the Full Moon, the Moon goes void, as it encounters no other planets before it changes signs, which comes when it moves into Aries at 9:58 am.
For the US, this week is one of soul-searching and examining its identity. With so many influences undermining the routines and core workings of the nation, it raises many questions about American ideals, the American Dream and how it has been twisted for political convenience. The economy is recovering but the deeper problems have not yet been uprooted. There remains a concerted effort to undermine the healthcare program recently enacted.
For 27 Virgo/Pisces, the Sabian Symbols are: “aristocratic elderly ladies drinking afternoon tea in a wealthy home” (the Sun), and for the Moon, “A harvest moon illuminates the sky.” The harvest season is upon us—what are we reaping from this year’s efforts? As some live in cosseted surroundings, seemingly protected from the challenges faced by the majority, will they be ready when their time of sacrifice comes? In the meantime, we can be at peace with the fact that, whatever challenges we face, we have been and will continue to be strengthened by those adversities. When we use a difficulty to build strength, we win the ultimate prize, that none can take from us.
Intensity peaks and releases as Pluto is Stationary Direct (SD) at 8°59′ Capricorn. Now returning to forward motion, we can get on with what we thought was going to happen in early April, before things got complicated. Of course, now we’re wiser and have a new perspective, so our approach—even perhaps our goals—are different. We get some help from our celestial friends as Venus makes the last of her contacts with the ongoing Kite pattern.
It is especially fortuitous that Saturn and Pluto are perfectly sextile today as well. While this is an ongoing connection that has been with us for about a year, now that both these planets are moving forward, we can finally use them fully and freely, as we see fit. Good results come with the wisdom we’ve gained from the tempering process we experienced during their retrograde periods. Chances are, what you’re intent on building now is at least slightly different (in approach, direction, and ability) than what is was in February, when the learning curve for these planets began.
It’s never all fun and games with the planets, and we are reminded of that as Venus also quincunxes Uranus to reveal to us the bits of our relationships that remain unresolved after the clearing out that occurred August 24–27. The Moon adds to the drama from its position in Aries, reanimating our desire to fulfill our most fantastic dreams in this time of release. At 6:25 pm (9:25 pm ET), the Moon gives us some much-needed down time to relax, enjoy, and integrate the energies that have been flying through our energy systems so rapidly these past few days.
What a perfect day to do nothing, except maybe putter and clean, as the Moon is void of course until 3:33 pm (6:33 pm ET), when it enters Taurus. A meditative peace descends over us if we will accept it, as Moon sextiles Neptune.
The Sun brings a balanced light around the globe when it reaches the Autumn Equinox (0 Libra) at 1:44 pm PT (4:44 pm ET). The Taurus Moon gives us stable emotional footing to deal constructively with challenges in mood and relationship, as we get a preview of the upcoming (but already active) Venus-Mars square. We may just feel a little cranky about what has not yet developed to our liking, as we peer into the looking glass and see no prospect for improvement. However, this is an illusion built on appearances rather than reality, which has simply not yet surfaced for our viewing.
Although the Moon in Taurus goes void of course for the entire day at 0:13 am (3:13 am ET), in Taurus we can still bring our projects to fruition.
At 0:34 am (3:34 am ET), the Moon enters Gemini and re-engages with the planets. This is an opportunity day, when we have an easy flow to get the last little bits of fulfillment out of the Full Moon.
On a deep level, this is a day of reckoning with ourselves, as Saturn conjoins the North Node. Since last October, when Saturn entered Scorpio, we have felt this coming kismet, a time of taking the step we’ve been most afraid to take, so that we can fulfill the destiny we were born for. Although this will turn out to be just one more step on the path, that first fear-filled one is the most important. Everything gets much easier from here. The Sun quincunxes Neptune today, allowing us to reconnoiter regarding our spiritual landscape and what we’re building there.
There is a light in the darkness of this transition, and Venus shines it forth as it trines Jupiter to bring out the watery flow of feelings. This augments our healing process as well. Whatever we can do to improve our relationships now will feed positively into Venus’s winter retrograde. However, it may be too early to bring forward some things we have on our mind; this is not the time to push the river.
The Moon goes void in Gemini at 4:21 am (7:21 am ET), for a short downtime, entering Cancer at 12:24 pm. It then makes its Last Quarter square to the Sun at 8:55 pm/4°13′ Libra/Cancer, now appearing directly overhead at sunrise. In the coming week, we have the chance to turn our experiences into wisdom. Recently, the Third Quarter of the lunar cycle has been quite active because it occurs in early degrees of the signs involved, so that there are still several planetary contacts that both Sun and Moon will make over the week. In this instance, they are very powerful, as both planets hook into the Cardinal Cross during this time. Adding spice to the stew is the nearly exact Venus square to Mars, which opens our story of courtship and union to be played out through next July.
In the chart cast for Washington DC, we can expect issues of women’s rights to gain increasing attention as a drama develops around a person or event. In addition, any areas where policy and action are founded on ego will be exposed as the Venus-Mars interplay unfolds in the coming months. This is a time to watch well. With the Moon in an applying opposition to Pluto on the angles of the lunation chart, there is an enemy hidden within, and the NSA spying scandal is part of this dynamic, as people increasingly realize that the current policies do not “keep them safe.”.
The luminaries (Sun and Moon) at 5° express the Sabian Symbols: “At a railroad crossing, an automobile is wrecked by a train.” (the Sun); and “a man teaching the true inner knowledge of the new world to his students”. In the midst of the wreckage of something from our past, a new life can be seen if we look at the situation from an inner, spiritual perspective. This will be true on all levels, from world to personal.
The Moon in Cancer puts the focus on our feelings as it faces off with Pluto and Uranus over the morning. A trine to Saturn stabilizes us—we can keep ourselves busy to maintain balance.
As the Moon makes a very fortunate conjunction to Jupiter, providing emotional stability and optimism to face an ongoing obstacle in relationship as Venus squares Mars at 19°46′ Leo/Scorpio. The first of three squares that come to us in the months ahead, we can’t expect such a situation to be resolved today, but we will be able to identify what’s going on more clearly, the first step to resolving it.
The Moon enters its shortest void period of the month at 0:30 am PT (3:30 am ET), lasting until 0:57 am with its entry into Leo. This opens the door to enterprise and harmonious change as opportunity connections with the Sun and Uranus occur over the day. Mercury enters Scorpio at 4:38 am PT to deepen the meaning and intensity of our communications.
The Moon connects with Mars and Venus on its journey through Leo, reiterating the relationship pattern that emerged over the weekend. Today’s connections give us a chance to see it more clearly, and to ruminate on how we can create harmony. The Moon commences its void of course period at 9:48 pm (12:48 am on October 1, ET).
For more than 20 years, Terry Lamb (M.A. Linguistics, UC San Diego; C.A. NCGR, EEMCP) has been helping people to understand how cycles and energies work and interact in their lives. She augments her astrological acumen with energy medicine, Yijing (Chinese Book of Change), cosmology, psychology, and a broad range of health and spiritual studies.
Terry is among the nation’s most knowledgeable, insightful, and engaging astrologers. With pragmatic optimism and compassion, Terry’s approach has helped clients and students find their own way to “walk among the stars”. She is dedicated to using astrology as a way to create our future and free ourselves from “fate”. She goes along with Abraham Lincoln, who said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Her unique approach to astrology can be learned through her home study and apprenticeship programs (contact her directly).
Thanks, Alyson! Great reminder of what we need to be doing and when!