All information contained herein is written by and the property of Lynn Hayes. You may include a portion of this information on your website without permission, but please do not post the entire article and be sure to include a link back to the original and clearly credit the author.

Lynn's Skywatch:
Planetary Illuminations for September 2011

9/2 Sun trine Jupiter
9/8 Mercury opposite Neptune
9/9 Mercury enters Virgo
9/10 Mars trine Ceres
        Mercury opposite Chiron
        Venus opposite Ceres
9/11 Venus sextile Mars
9/12 Mercury trine Pluto
        Full Moon 19 Pisces, 5:27 am
9/14 Mercury trine Jupiter
        Venus enters Libra
9/16 Sun opposite Ceres
        Pluto turns direct
9/17 Venus opposite Uranus
9/18 Venus square Pluto
        Mars enters Leo
        Mercury opposite Ceres
9/23 Autumn Equinox: Sun enters Libra
        Mars trine Uranus
9/25 Mercury enters Libra
        Sun opposite Uranus
9/27 Mercury opposite Uranus
        New Moon 4 Libra, 7:09 am
9/28 Sun square Pluto
        Mercury square Pluto
        Sun conjunct Mercury
9/29 Mercury sextile Mars
        Venus conjunct Saturn
9/30 Sun sextile Mars

All dates and times are for the Eastern time zone; please adjust for your own locality.  For daily planetary news, visit my Facebook and Twitter pages.

The astrological indicators for September continue the trend towards less intensity than the energies we have been experiencing for much of the year, with only fast-moving planetary cycles.  Connections between outer planets have a more powerful influence that lasts longer, and we have had an incredible number of major cycles involving Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto over the past years.  Between now and next June there are no major planetary cycles so the crisis points have subsided somewhat for now.

Uranus and Pluto came closest in July to the challenging square that will dominate astrological news until 2015 or so, and these two planets are separating, although they are still within orb of the square which will continue to apply some pressure for change and a radical response (Uranus) to outmoded structures that no longer work in today's world (Pluto in Capricorn).

Jupiter has just turned retrograde, and Pluto is stationary throughout the month.  Pluto, very much still a planet, inspires us to embrace the death of our old selves and emerge into a new life, very like the snake which sheds its skin as it grows and evolves into a new body. 

Pluto will be changing direction on September 16th after traveling retrograde since April.  As Pluto prepares to to turn direct again its motion has slowed down to a crawl and is now "stationary" - it will only travel four minutes of arc between the first of the month and the direct turn, and then just five minutes until the end of the month.  With Pluto at a standstill, its energy is focused like a laser beam, an important transformational influence that will reveal any secrets or dark places that need to be exposed.  During this period there will be no challenging aspects of other planets to Pluto (except for the Libra New Moon on the 27th).  This should facilitate transformation and minimize resistance during the process.

On September 2nd the Sun trines Jupiter for a day or so, shining a light into our quest to bring positive things into our lives.  This is a good time to expand our vision and intentionally open our hearts beyond what we think possible.

There are no planetary aspects (other than aspects from the Moon) during the next few days until Mercury (the mind and mental function) opposes Neptune (spirituality and transcendence) on September 8th. This can be an imaginative time for a day or so, but it can also be confusing and promote delusion.  Try to avoid making business decisions on the 8th, but use that time to let your mind explore different ideas and philosophies or spiritual ideas.

Reality will come back into focus on the 9th when Mercury enters its own sign of Virgo.  Mercury is happy in Virgo and organization of all aspects of our lives is likely to improve. On that day Mars will also bring moving into position to trine Ceres on the 10th, inspiring us to improve our relationship with the earth and the ways in which we nurture ourselves.  Venus harmonizes with Mars on that day, connecting our male and female sides and helping us to find greater balance, but an opposition from Venus to Ceres suggests that for a day or so we may find that our relationships (Venus) are bleeding some of the energy we need for our own good health (Ceres).  An opposition from Mercury to Chiron the same day brings all of these issues into sharp focus, aiding in the healing of any deeply personal feelings that may erupt as a result.

By the 12th when Mercury trines Pluto any emotional stress from the previous couple of days will come into sharp focus and be resolved.  This is a perfect day for communication or writing, including business matters.  This aspect is locked into the chart for the Full Moon in Pisces that occurs the same day and helps to organize and integrate the deeply spiritual nature of this Full Moon.

As in any Full Moon the Sun (conscious mind) in Virgo opposes the Moon (instincts and emotions) in Pisces.  Any opposition between two polarities requires balance and integration, and this Full Moon questions our balance between mind and heart - reality and imagination.  The lunation is exactly square to the Nodes of the Moon, suggesting that an adjustment is necessary in order to achieve the required balance.  The Full Moon is the culmination of the lunar cycle and well-known for its effect of heightening emotions as the lunar instincts are illuminated by the reflection of the Sun.

An aspect between the Nodes of the Moon to the chart of a Full or New Moon is a significant event.  When at least one of the Nodes are in a conjunction to the Sun or Moon we call it an eclipse.  When the Sun or Moon are locked in a Grand Cross with the lunar nodes the influence is similar to that of an eclipse even though there is no visual effect such as we see with an eclipse.  The Nodes of the Moon are signposts from the past to the future, and in order to stay on the path we sometimes need instructions.  This Full Moon is likely to illuminate any course correction that is required.

A trine of Mercury to Jupiter on the 14th will provide an excellent day for planning for the future and creating organizational systems to help you to get there.  Venus enters its own sign of Libra that day as well, enhancing our desire to connect with others and facilitating the process, although an opposition from the Sun to Ceres could illuminate (Sun) areas of our life where we are not taking care of ourselves (Ceres) and therefore out of balance.

Pluto turns direct on September 16th.  Sometimes the actual day that an outer planet turns direct is an intense reminder of the energies of that planet, so we may find a deeply personal need to let go of something that no longer works in our lives.  Issues may arise in our relationships over the next few days as well, with Venus interacting with both Uranus (sudden change) and Pluto (secrets and compulsions).  The outer planets only create disruption where change is needed - if everything in our lives is supporting us we will find relationships deepen and transform during that time rather than create stress.

Mars enters Leo on the 18th, and for a few weeks we are infused with a desire (Mars) to celebrate life and to dig as much gusto as we can out of our experiences.  Leo is bigger than life and driven to express the inner Self in a creative fashion, and this can be an inspiring and creative influence.  Mercury opposes Ceres that day, so make it a point to do something that nurtures you from the inside as well as the outside.

The Sun enters Libra on September 23rd, the astrological Autumn Equinox.  This is a turning point in the wheel of the year, and the Libra Sun inspires us to achieve balance and harmony in our lives and celebrate our connections with others.  Mars forms a harmonious trine to Uranus that day, offering up surprising new experiences to expand our world. 

On the 25th Mercury enters Libra, and for the next few weeks compromise and diplomacy become more important and easier to achieve.  The Sun is opposite Uranus that day and Mercury opposes Uranus on the 27th which will continue the Uranian theme of radical departures from the norm of everyday life, for a day or two anyway, especially since these aspects are embedded into the chart of the New Moon in Libra on the 27th.

The New Moon occurs at 4 Libra, exactly square to Pluto and in an opposition to Uranus, so the energy of this New Moon will highlight the Uranus/Pluto aspect of radical change and transformation.  Libra strives for harmony and balance, so this particular lunation will challenge us to see how we can promote change in our world while maintaining equilibrium, both in our personal lives and in the world around us.

This need for balance is enhanced by the fact that five planets will be in the sign of Libra at the time of the New Moon, including Mercury, Venus and Saturn.  We call this a stellium, and the urge of Libra to find equanimity within the roiling waves of dissatisfaction that is engendered by the Uranus/Pluto square is locked into the chart of this lunation.  The Sun, Moon and Mercury are all in very tight aspect to Uranus and Pluto which suggests that this lunar event will bring about some deeply personal adjustments, but we will also see this reflected in global political situations around the world.  Under the influence of Libra it becomes easier to understand the point of view expressed by others, and this will help to bring about the kind of radical (Uranus) transformation (Pluto) that can bring about effective change. 

The last few days of September offers harmonious aspects to help us to integrate any adjustments required by that Libra New Moon, so enjoy!