That September begins with Sun and Mercury in Virgo, Venus retrograde in Leo and Mars in Gemini speaks eloquently to this as a time of mixed emotions, strained sensibilities and when a lot needs to be done, perhaps more than any of us can do.

So with that in mind, don’t fret over the impossible. You might even do well to not even stress over the improbable!

With Mars in Gemini, yes, focus is important, so don’t let yourself get distracted from that which is ultimately important. Plus with Mercury in Virgo, figuring out what-facilitates-what is the most positive of paths through the morass of options, ideas, errands, tangents, opportunities and conversations of the moment. When combined, these dynamics speak to making decision based on productively—and the necessity to make a few choices about now. 

A sense of longing is also likely, reflecting the Virgo Sun combined with Venus retrograde in Leo…and though some will experience this as a negative, this pairing can act as a dynamic positive in that such longings are fully capable of motivating us to reach for what we really want to accomplish, giving us something to hold onto as a distraction while dealing with necessary "drudgery."

And yes, into each life some drudge must assuredly fall.

Yet with September opening with Saturn at 29 degrees of Leo, we’re all coming into this month with a few pet projects…or maybe one or two exciting new relationships, all of which are generally posing the "do what I want or do as I should" question. Making decisions and initiating activities (which yes, may get changed down the line) is likely once Saturn enters Virgo on September 2. And with Saturn entering Virgo in the company of asteroid Osiris, there’s a theme of imprisonment and resurrection in the mix. The underlying point here is this: we’ve either gone through or are moving through a period of restriction and life is prompting us to move towards circumstances which are more capable of affording us the opportunity to live according to our inner beliefs and personal potential, rather than someone else’s expectations.

As we do so, this Saturn/Osiris combination suggests we may overreact to those we perceive as having stood in our way or compromised us. Alternately, we may find them overreacting to our need to make changes. Questions of betrayal may arise too—you may feel betrayed by someone or someone may accuse you of having betrayed them. Whatever happens, stick to what you know you need to do in order to live according to your own standards and goals. So long as they are truly yours (not something someone has told you to believe in), in time all will be well.

The flip side here? Well, if you buckle and give in and agree to, or continue living a life which pleases others but doesn’t fit the truth of who you are at your core, prepare for challenging situations and difficulties throughout Saturn’s 2-½-year-long transit of Virgo.  

With all of this said, it also pays to remember that everything connected to the movements of Saturn requires patience and being willing to (re)dedicate yourself to long-term results as opposed to pleasures of the moment. That means there are no quick fixes and yes, you really do need to tackle all those things you’ve been ignoring, doing half-heartedly or refusing to deal with. Fail in this and taskmaster Saturn in Virgo will become the signature of those exact things getting in your way as time goes along.  

Also—because Osiris is associated with vegetation and Virgo is the sign of harvest, "reaping rewards" and agricultural harvests are another likely theme, as is a "return to health," whether that means physical health, healthy circumstances, healthy results (i.e., harvests) or healthy emotional relationships. Questions concerning these topics will continue surfacing throughout Saturn’s transit of Virgo and there’s likely to be a lot of arguing about who’s responsible for letting things to get so bad even though bemoaning the bad is really just a form of making excuses. Attention should be on finding solutions and ameliorating situations and those who do so will excel.

On the whole, Saturn in Virgo teaches us not to worry about it, do it. If the doing means experiencing discomfort, experience the ouch and move on. If you don’t know how to do something going in, learn as you go along. These are our "marching orders" for the next couple of years.

Come September 5, Mercury moves into Libra, creating a shift from "personal mode" into a public/interactive phase. Where the past few weeks have centered greatly on ongoing processes, now interactions (business, societal or social) offer feedback on how well we’re doing and open the door to new possibilities. The first few days of this Libran Mercury period may well be somewhat "sticky," and engender the need for course corrections, but once Venus goes direct on September 8, things will feel more natural and normal. Expect emotions to remain in flux for a while yet, but many an issue which has been pending will now move towards resolution, crystallization, or realization.

As always, events which occur ON the day before, of or after a planetary station are often "turning points," and with this Venus station colored by centaur Elatus and asteroids Apophis, Astraea and Photographica, there’s a suggestion that something "comes to light" and that fair play is tempered by willfulness….or vice-versa.

September 4 through 12 is also a time when things may "stick" in your head. It could be a song or a person or a problem or a great new idea. Is it important long-term? That depends. Given Venus’ position at 16 Leo, the underlying energy is about wanting to create circumstances which feel good and offer possibilities, and that’s true even in cases where some tune wedges itself into your conscious. Who does it remind you of? What do the lyrics say? 

Bottom line, there are dice to be rolled, and for those who feel hesitant the message is this: if you don’t play the game, you can’t win the game.

Once Venus is firmly in direct motion, a sense of normalization settles in, but don’t expect everything which has been bugging you since July to be fully resolved until October…

….which is just when another Mercury retrograde signals limbo of a different ilk.

Long before any of that, Much Ado about Something comes into being with a Solar Eclipse on September 11 at 18 Virgo. Positioned in an earth sign, this eclipse is all about tangible realities; a need to face facts is implied by the presence of TNO Logos and asteroids Atlantis, Sisyphus and Klotho. The likelihood is that you need to give something up—and that you’re plainly reluctant to do so. Also—a word to the rebellious: consequences for bucking the system apply now, so know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. 

"Discovery" and "revelations" are another theme here, so much so that this may be the moment when you "get" the functionality of the Greater Process or embark upon some adventure which over the next three years (the length of an eclipse effect) brings a change of perspective and direction. 

Whatever happens, remember: metaphysics teaches that all things happen for a reason, and  that’s an unlimited statement. Everything which occurs in yourlife happens for a reason particular to you as well as for reasons you’ll never know. That’s how the universe works; each and every one of us is as important to the whole as we are to ourselves as individuals.

Come September 16, Mars moves into the shadow of its upcoming November-January retrograde, signaling that everything we need to choose from/act on for the balance of the year is already on the table. Much is still in being "set up" and yes, choices remain to be made. But no valid new options are forthcoming. Nor should we be looking for them—we have enough to do as of September 16.  

Doubling this theme, Mercury also enters the shadow of an upcoming retrograde on September 21, underscoring the focus on the quality and validity of what you’re giving, and whether your ability to do so is being compromised by your pretending to be someone you aren’t—or by your choosing to deal with people who aren’t honest with you…or perhaps, even themselves.

With Mars the slower of the two planets cited (and indicator of courage, assertion and "cutting through"), we look to Martian movements to inform us on when this phase of effort ends, remembering that matters "embraced" by retrogrades don’t generally resolve in full until the planet not only goes direct, but exits the "shadowed" degrees. With Mars going direct on January 30, 2008, that’s when we can expect forward movement, with matters concluding or finalizing once Mars exits the retrograde shadow on April 4.

But don’t think hanging around until January (or April) rolls around is a good idea. Far from it—this lengthy brewing period is all about laying foundations for everything you’ll accomplish well into 2010, so use Saturn’s energy well—get to work! Be diligent. Stretch your wings.

And yes—I did say 2010. What you do now sets you up to excel or get left short through 2010, depending on what you do or don’t tackle. 

For some, the Sun entering Libra on September 23 (September 22nd for those in Hawaii and western Alaska) heralds valuable interactions, some of which are likely to seem quite unanticipated. For others, taking a new tack in what you do (or how you do it) will reveal unimagined opportunities. Just be sure all is above board: Libra (as a sign) exalts truth. Within Libra’s embrace, pretext crumbles, false fronts fade and lies return to haunt the liar. 

In other words, through Libran relating, we end up knowing ourselves better and deal with, or appreciating the truth of that.

A Full Moon at 3 Aries on the 26th and Mercury entering Scorpio on September 27 round out events for the month. Like all Full Moons, this one signals the end of a phase. Being in Aries, the emphasis is on decisions, efforts and/or matters concerning one’s physicality. With Mercury entering Scorpio, thoughts turn to emotional values and desires, and the combined Mercury/Moon energy is likely to create an egocentric, emotional focus which may well arouse passions—positive and negative. Instincts run high, so try not to be rash; best solutions come from fully owning one’s feelings and expressing them courageously, if with composure.

Mercury moving on into Scorpio before reaching its station and cycling back into Libra speaks to the necessity to know one’s feelings, most of all on the subject of your internal response to the idea of "quality." Important gains are possible for those who act with prudent appreciation for the fact that determination, not ease or pleasure, is the fuel which carries one to success and satisfaction. Life ultimately honors those who embrace the responsibility for being who they are and were created to be. No human can dictate any truth which is truer than our need to be that which we are incarnated as, for the universe by any name—secular or sacred—makes no mistakes. Free will is humankind’s gift as well as its curse: through free will we either acknowledge our individuality and the requirement to be ourselves while encouraging others to live true to their unique natures, or we corrupt our essence through trying to control that which is not ours to control.

And yet…even in saying that, there are those who feel controlling others is their destiny, just as there are those who feel destiny is fated. To them I say this: in the end, the turn of such karma will likely rest on why you do what you do (or don’t do), and that there is no fate more disappointing than that we choose by living at less than our optimal level.   

As for the rest, to some degree we are all meant to be tested; only by learning to reject control and harness our truest being can we strip ourselves of the husks which hide the light of our power and essence.

Such is life…and glorious life is indeed.

Until next month,  

Boots Hart, CAP

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