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September '10
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Boots Hart Astrological Overview Boots Hart provides an overview and synthesis of the major energies, transits and key dates for the month as a whole.

by Boots Hart

Just looking at the lineup of planets with which September starts, it looks like a basically rather scattered time. That evolves as the month does, but one wouldn't expect September to start with the slickness of sliding into a bed cloaked in satin sheets.

With the Sun in earthy Virgo moving into emotional degrees, we are caring about the "what is" quotient in life and how things are going. Questions—from "is it working?" to questions about ethics against morals, at whatever level (pro, con or in fervent denial)—ooze through our days like mud after a flood seeping in under the back kitchen door. Mercury is retrograde, which gives us the contemplative rather than "doing something about it" signal, and with Mars in late Libra, resolve is weak. Many of us are weary, maybe even over-daunted with much of what's going on.

Venus in late Libra seeks relief and makes efforts to make good on good intentions, and goodness knows those are needed. But will they be enough? Saturn in early Libra indicates challenges in the world, which may be nothing but responsibilities which if attended to will get done.

But this placement can manifest as a delays which feel like rejection—even a total sense of being repelled by others for whatever reason. Jupiter's retrograde motion in Aries adds to the murkiness of knowing whether it's you, or them (if it's Memorex...) and not only doesn't anyone have the answers to all our questions, but considering how preoccupied they are with their lives, we aren't likely to get the emotional satisfaction we want either.

Uranus starting the month in a critical degree of emotional Pisces has us all feeling our feelings to the max. Uranus won't retrograde through the whole of 29 Pisces until September 11 (during which time the exacerbation/excitation of fixed star Scheat's position echoes, if not virtually promises, difficulties at the social/societal/relationship level). Neptune retrograde in Aquarius has us feeling uncertain about the world, and Pluto in Capricorn is slowing down to take its station. All this guaranteeing that baby, the pressure is either on—or at least it feels like it's on!

For those who are counting, three planets in earth, one in fire, one in water and four in air: right now we are on balance thoughtful, thoughtless, thinking about things, thinking over what to do next or thinking about what others think of us. And maybe all of the above. With second place going to the earth element, that means what gets done and/or what has been done seems the proof of the pudding and the irrevocable fact. What's needed here is a little fiery imagination, motivation and hope, but the one planet in fire (Jupiter) is retrograde, producing that "not a lot to hook onto out there" feeling. And with Uranus in Pisces' critical degree, our feelings about what we're feeling are maximally unstable, unpredictable, inconceivable to others and probably a bit of a surprise to ourselves.

So starts September. Come September 4, the Nodes move from the emotional decanate of their respective signs (North Node/Capricorn–South Node/Cancer) into the physical degrees, an indication that society itself is moving to an ever more basic level of consideration—with our interactions with society needing to follow suit.

Even though this is part of a greater natural cycle which happens over and over again, considering everything else going on this is likely to feel like life itself is constricted, or perhaps becoming less viable, easy to cope with, pleasant to deal with... or maybe just plain less affordable, remembering that "affordable" is a term monetary, physical and financial (all of which seem to amount to the same thing at the moment).

As this trend begins to become manifest, two others things happen a day later. On September 5 Venus moves into the shadow of its upcoming (October) retrograde, as Saturn simultaneously exists the shadow of a retrograde cycle which stretches all the way back to January 12/13—depending on your time zone.

Both planets are still direct, but this is yet another clear signal that focus is shifting from the "what's going on out there" level to the "what this has to do with/how this affect me and what I need to do," level. And that Venus enters this shadow in opposition to Edisonia? This suggests that we need to get a clue. Specifically, a new clue—and with Edisonia in Aries, it's about who we really are, what we are really capable of, or (because this is a 3rd decanate position) exactly how we affect others.

Of course there is that chance that we will get handed the "clue" now too. If so, with the daily timing Moon in third decanate Leo, that too is an indicator that this moment is more or less about how what we do/have done stands up—at least according to others.

After ending its passage through Libra with an effusive and effulgent Wednesday, September 8, Venus then enters Scorpio on September 9, immediately bringing intimate issues and various forms of power grabs, power balances/imbalances and control issues to the forefront. What we want and need from others, and how they do or don't meet us halfway, gets all confused by them thinking the same about us.

Trying to bear in mind here that both sides of every discussion (be that "discussion" or "dis-CUSS-ion") are feeling the same can either exacerbate problems or level the playing field now. This is because September 8 also brings a New Moon at 15 Virgo, expressing all the good which can come out of pragmatism (including emotional responsibility for our own errors whether of judgment, choice, or action). The best thing to do is own our individual lack of perfection in the pursuit of getting things untangled so as to more productive days (weeks, months, years).

On one hand, Kalypso in this New Moon picture expresses the need to separate interest from self-interest which aids reflection. On the other hand (sigh...) Kalypso here also says we probably need to sort out whether/how we over-prioritize our personal needs, wants, opinions and desires.

Mars sitting opposite Eris (discord)/Amor (platonic love) at the moment suggests this is not so much about our nearest and intimate dearest relationships as about friends, co-workers and others of that ilk, so... anybody got a good recipe for humble pie?

There's a health note (physical, emotional and financial) which arises into conscious awareness now too as September 9 (still the 8th in the Americas and Pacific region) finds Jupiter retrograding back into Pisces. Considering the first thing which happens as anything retrogrades back into Pisces is that it connects with "public rebuffing" at the hands of fixed star Scheat, the question here is not about whether you're right or wrong, but how you're going to deal with how you feel about everything going down and going on—where you know about it and where you don't know about it, too!

Come September 10, Mercury enters the window of a station/direct which it then takes on September 12 at 5 Virgo, a degree all about duty and the using of one's skills in the executing of a pre-designed task. Considering that morality, hygiene and discipline are all hallmarks of this degree, this is one of those truly health-work-service Virgo periods: do what needs doing, and get it done properly. Don't angst, don't obsess, just do it (as they say in the world of Nike).

Putting pride and "gaming" behind us as we think ourselves forward is here pictured by Drakonia/Niobe positioned at 3 and 4 Virgo. Considering all, this is also a good time to "get real" and stop allowing yourself to be fooled about who's "playing" whom in some facet of your life—even (maybe even most particularly) if it's you playing you out of pride born of lack of self-worth.

Unfortunately, that "don't obsess" part may be easier said than done, considering Pluto goes direct on September 14 (the 13th in the Americas and Pacific region). Having been doing a retrograde-inching-act back through 2 Capricorn since mid August, the vibrating static of relative wavelengths coming from distant Pluto to Earth has been building and building now for a while, coming into focus here on questions which amount to you vacillating in your life, about your life and about who you are (and aren't).

What really works and is true, sound and viable in the long run may not jive, square or fit with our short-term solutions (enjoyments, etc.). The exact square cast in this moment from Tantalus in Libra forward to Pluto in Capricorn challenges us to get beyond feelings of resentment felt towards others inappropriately—our freedom (or lack of same) not playing out as we want it to is simply not their fault!

September 14 (13th, as above) also sees Mars entering Scorpio (the metaphysical call to emotional arms) as Pluto takes its station in transiting square to Saturn at 4 Libra. This degree is all about "measuring up" and Saturn rules the sign Pluto is moving through—it's an astrological metaphor for those problems we all sometimes have with ourselves. If what is happening to us in this moment were happening to someone else, we would so know what to do. We could be our better person. We could make the peace, broker the issue and gently, factually and in all fairness lay out all the cards on the table. It's just not as easy to do that inside our heads, hearts, souls and other associated/connected oh-so-mortal parts.

And yet... and yet, we know it must be done. The Capricorn Pluto/Libra Saturn square tells us that by doing what we should do and being the person we know we should be (instead of just trying to wear the mask or title)... if we will be who we want to be our lives will righteously and rightfully transform, straightening out and in (Saturn) time paying us off hugely in respect, social status, social/societal security and self-worth, self-respect and satisfaction. It's just that it's dismally hard to see how that can work. Or maybe just wrenchingly awful to face the truth, nothing but that multi-faceted truth... and act on same.

But a shift is coming. As the Sun enters Libra and a Full Moon at 0 Aries occurs in square to Pluto and conjunct Uranus on September 23 (September 22 in the Americas and Pacific region) emotional (Moon), highs and lows come into full (phase) view. The degree of this Full Moon tells us there is as much innocence as indignation about justice and honor, as much culpability as need to be honest. In square to Pluto and with Uranus' presence stirring up feelings about "not knowing how to feel," there's a whole "left field" quality to this Full Moon which can be positive, negative or even a lot of both. With the Sun entering Libra heralding the equinox ingress, strengths and weaknesses are now shown up in equal measure.

And the work isn't all done yet. The mammoth t-square which formed up in April has ratcheted us all summer, seemingly testing our resolve (though it was really testing our ego). By transit, that t-square will loosen up come October, but both because it's in the ingress chart and because as it does let up Venus goes into retrograde, we are all on notice that we have a long way to go yet with plumbing our own depths and getting right with ourselves, never mind anyone else!

Meanwhile, that the Sun enters Libra and enters the influence of giant black hole M87 (the alternate reality) with Atropos (endings) in attendance gives us good cause to reflect. Are we really on a productive track? Are our tactics and choices going stand up in the public sector (or under public scrutiny) as over the next six months the Sun operates in the zodiac's "worldly" signs? Those who have been living in some "alternate reality" may now see with clarity what they've been doing (or get shown up for same). Others may see new possibilities. Some may be just embarked upon a road and "look up" to see a better way—or dangers in what they've been doing which hadn't occurred to them before.

As Mercury exits the shadow of its August/September retrograde past on September 26, that's probably what we'll be coming around to, too. That it exits on a note of getting down to what needs doing and "sowing seeds" (particularly emotional seeds) with the Sun moving into conceptual Libra suggests a philosophical approach. Not happy-go-lucky, mind you—with Mars one sign away there's a little too much awareness of what's at stake to go tripping the light fantastic here.

But there is some sense that finally some kind of fog is beginning to clear. Necessity dawns, we fight ourselves—not others—to a standstill and we get on with what needs doing, whatever that may mean.

Boots Hart, CAP