We are slowly moving toward positive growth and leaving behind the heavy planetary energies of 2019. September brings two big shifts, the direct movement of Saturn and separation from Ketu; as well as the movement of Rahu into the nakshatra of Ardra.
Venus Transits Virgo on September 9 till October 3
July, August and September are months in which it is difficult to see Venus due to its proximity with the Sun. Venus has been traveling close Rahu; and then, in proximity with the Sun, Mars, and Mercury and this trend gets extended into Virgo.
Venus is debilitated in Virgo, where Venus will transit under crowded conditions from September 9 – October 3. Generally, when planets cluster together they are all vying for power of action and expression. In this case, the crowding is in favour of Venus, a planet that enjoys social situations and diplomacy.
Debilitation should not be seen as a purely negative connotation in interpreting planets in charts or predicting how they will affect us in transits. Debilitation is a call to action, an invitation for improvement. There is also the concept of “neechabhanga,” the reversal of debilitation. This does not make the debilitation go away, but instead uses that debilitation as a springboard for growth.
Mercury Transits Virgo on September 10 till 29
Mercury follows Venus into his own sign where he gets exalted, on September 10, and immediately rushes into an exact conjunction with Venus on September 11, which puts these two friendly planets into a state of ‘planetary war’ – when two planets are vying for space within a degree of one another. Without dwelling on the variations of the rules of planetary war, we can know that this close conjunction will last from September 11 – 15 as Mercury overtakes Venus and moves ahead.
The second half of September can be quite productive. With Saturn’s aspect to Virgo from Sagittarius, this could be a productive time if we use the discipline of Saturn to focus our efforts on getting tasks done on a daily basis.
Full Moon in Aquarius/Purva Bhadrapada on September 14
On September 14, at approx. 5 am UTC, we have a full moon at 27 degrees of Aquarius in the nakshatra of Purva Bhadrapada.
Purva bhadrapada is ruled by the benevolent Jupiter, so here we can draw upon Jupiter to keep us on the path and guide us with wisdom and positivity. With the Sun and Mars in Leo strongly opposing the Moon at this time, this gives us a good anchor for understanding exactly what we want on an individual level.
This full Moon should help to reveal people, places and things that are in place to help us toward manifesting our goals, while also exposing that which is threatening our growth so that it can be recycled, discarded or transformed. This is also a good time to remember that through January 2020, we have both Saturn and Rahu aspecting their co-ruled sign, Aquarius. Since mental and emotional energy can be voluminous around full Moons, we must consider the effects that Rahu and Saturn can add to this, which would be pressure/practicality from Saturn’s side and paranoia/innovation from Rahu’s aspect.
Sun Transits Virgo from September 17 till October 17
When the Sun moves into Virgo, we go from recognising our needs to taking the steps required toward a state of contentment after some moments of self-awareness. Virgo is the sign of health, where we can analyse the factors that are either creating or destroying our physical, emotional and mental vitality. Any factors such as relationships, consumables and activities should be pushed through the Virgo mill, where we can discard the unhealthy and streamline the nutrients from the good stuff.
Again, we are having Saturn’s aspect upon Virgo at this time, bringing with it the reversal energy of Ketu. That tight conjunction of separative planets is urging all of us toward dispelling illusions that obstruct the truth and purifying the waters on both a literal and figurative level.
With so much energy in Virgo at this time, this could be a good time for doing physical cleanses of the body, living and working spaces, gardens and parks as well as reassessing friendships, health routines, and work habits. Bringing natural remedies into the mix could be effective, as Mercury and Venus in Virgo would promote food and herbs as medicine. Simply spending time in nature could prove to be effective in creating new habit patterns and cleansing residue.
Saturn Resumes Direct Motion on September 18
Saturn began a retrograde cycle on April 29 at 27° Sagittarius, joining already retrograde Ketu near that degree. Since then, we have seen these two weighty planets create an energy of breaking apart and destroying deep bonds, which has brought forth the opportunity to sweep away the corrupt pieces and cleanse the environment to prepare for new beginnings.
During the early hours of September 18, Saturn will stop and stand at 20° Sagittarius, from where he will resume direct motion, slowly increasing the space between the planet who applies hard pressure (Saturn) and the south node of the Moon (Ketu), the causer of eclipses and reversals. This has been an intense conjunction that has precipitated some crumbling of structure. When the dust settles, we should be able to start moving forward with new plans, building from the ground up.
Whatever your intuition tells you about where to let go in your life is likely quite valid. If you have been resisting the act of breaking, destroying or dissolving something, it is likely due to Saturn’s influence, which can be the source of anxiety or fear when we resist the stark reality that Saturn represents in his movements.
Those who have notable placements in their horoscope between 20-27º Sagittarius have likely been experiencing action in that field since late April, when Saturn and Ketu joined at 27° Sagittarius. They separate at 20° Sagittarius and then Saturn moves forward from September 18 through the New Year. Once 2020 turns over, Saturn will be moving through the final three degrees of Sagittarius and into his own sign of Capricorn on January 23, 2020.
We can now reflect on this transit and perhaps understand what Saturn has been wanting from us by going back to his initial transit in Sagittarius back in October, 2017. Saturn may have caused us to focus intensely whilst transiting in the realm of life that Sagittarius represents in our horoscope. For example, a Gemini rising person may have been experiencing breakdown in serious relationships, reconciliations, and separations. It would have left a vacant feeling in this area of life, a sort of doomed picture. What has been turned up, mowed down and bowled over in the past couple of years may be calling for some very basic, foundational attention, patience and understanding.
Mars Transits Virgo on September 24 – November 10
Mars moves from the Sun’s welcoming sign of Leo into Mercury’s earth sign, Virgo, on September 24, joining Mercury, Sun and Venus. This will create an intense focus on the signs of Sagittarius and Virgo, as two strong planets will be placed in those signs and mutually aspecting one another. Saturn aspects Virgo and Mars aspects Sagittarius (and all planets therein). This dynamic will be in place for Mars’ entire transit of Virgo, for about six weeks.
With the forward motion of Saturn and Jupiter, we may be feeling ready to move ahead with our plans. While going forward and making things happen is supported by Mars in Virgo, Saturn’s aspect on Mars encourages us to take action with deliberation and patience. Don’t roll over obstacles without looking at the details. There may be foundational issues that need to be addressed that will cause deeper problems down the road if not handled now.
Virgo, ruled by Mercury, is known as the sign of health, plants/gardens/harvest, digestion, medicine and other such things. With Mars’ power in place there, it is a good time to re-wire diets, health regimens, schedules and exercise routines. Making changes to daily habits isn’t easy; the strength, focus and will power of Mars is helpful in steering us in new directions.
New Moon in Virgo on September 28 in the nakshatra of Hasta
The Moon slides up and aligns with the Sun at 12° Virgo on September 28 for the monthly new Moon. This occurs in the lunar mansion of Hasta, ruled by the Moon itself. The Moon joins four other planets in Virgo, all of which are spread into the three different nakshatras that span Mercury’s earth sign.
With all of the stops lifted, we are feeling the momentum of new beginnings, picking ourselves up and thinking about creating a new set of circumstances. This new Moon reminds us of the requirement to stop and rest, to make time for good food, social time, exercise and time in nature. Mercury’s exalted status in Virgo here reminds us that within us we all have a source of child-like energy that is able to restart our engines, but it must be fed and replenished.
Mercury Transits Libra from September 29 till October 24
Mercury moves out of his crowded sign on September 29, into Libra, making a very short exchange of signs between Venus and Mercury. Venus will follow Mercury into her own sign of Libra on October 4. This short spell between September 29 – October 4 should be a really energetic, inspired period of time. Plan for getting projects off the ground; it will be good for social events and communications.
Not only is Libra a ‘movable’ sign, meaning it promotes beginnings, initiation and action, but also the planets moving into Libra in the near future will be moving out of Saturn’s aspect on Virgo and into Libra, Venus’ air sign. The only planet pushing an aspect onto Libra at this time is Rahu, whose energy is compatible with Venus, so this should be a positive force in the sense of enthusiasm and energy to assist in getting the word out.
With both Jupiter and Saturn resuming direct motion and the planets moving out of Saturn’s gaze, we should be able to roll forward during October, watching the pieces we are leaving behind recede into our rearview mirror.
