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by Terry Lamb, M.A., C.A.

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New to astrology? Read on and ignore the technical bits. There's plenty here for you too! Why don’t I write horoscopes for each sign?

WHETHER IT'S THE HEAT, the healthcare debate, or the healing process we are experiencing, we are wondering, “When will it end?” August may have brought out more problems than solutions. The last week in August brought a piercing into the depths of everything, from our wounds to our creative process. We may be at once in pain and inspired, depressed and ecstatic. We need a Mercury retrograde to shake things out.

Without Mercury retrograde periods, which occur 3-4 times each year for 22-24 days, it would take much longer to become aware of something and change it. It creates a ripple in the ocean of awareness that affects our personal backwater according to our nature. It connects the dots in the multiple times and ways that we need in order to “get” something.

At the end of August, we approached the precipice. We looked over the edge and saw the future. It includes a US Senate without Ted Kennedy (at least incarnate) and a challenge to change our focus and build a new flavor into our lives, one we haven’t worked with for 27 years. Mercury introduces us to that spice, takes us over the edge into the unknown. It invites us into a brave new world. It teases and cajoles, until we laugh and leap.

Mercury’s retrograde this time is one of the more eventful ones in memory, and it hearkens back to the one last year when Congress refused to write a blank check for Hank Paulson after the financial industry fell apart. A similar pattern occurs now, as Saturn and Uranus once again tighten into their opposition, but Jupiter is playing a different role. It remains to be seen what happens with the stock market and economy this time around.

We Are All Healing.
Even if we are only aware of our pain, this is a sign that healing is taking place. The piercing at the end of August opened the door to a release that we have until mid-October to take advantage of. This came courtesy of the Mercury-Mars-Pluto T-square on August 25-26. (See Chart A.) While Mars speeds on, Mercury returns to Pluto two more times for a penetrating look into our own depths and an opening to make use of what we learn there.

I found myself releasing the residues of past illnesses — not the bacteria but the memories and emotional imprints I associated with the bacteria, long held in my cells. Others were experiencing the same type of catharsis during this period.

We Are Family.
With Mars, Pluto, and the nodal axis treading through Cancer and Capricorn, we are focused on family — who is our family, what is the best function for our family to have in our lives. We are realigning with those close to us according to newly discovered paths and needs. We are rediscovering the value of some who have stood in the shadows and shifting priorities as our need to grow and expand draws us into new avenues of life.

This is part of what we are challenged to work with in September as well. If there is any bond that we have with another that could be holding us back, we are evaluating it to see what role it should play in our new life.

This is emphasized not only as Mercury, Mars, and Pluto connect, but because Pluto is standing still in the heavens right now, getting ready to return to forward motion as it reaches for the final stage of its yearly cycle. This is reiterated in our lives as later in the month the Sun underscores this process.

On one hand, we are learning that one happens to one person, known or unknown to us, affects everyone else: We are part of the human family. On the other hand, we are learning that family ties take many forms, and not all of them are expressed overtly or harmoniously. Regardless, we are connected to each other “by the roots”.

Watch for the theme of family and how it plays out in your life during the coming month.

The Peak Experience of the Month
In a month of many planetary peaks, the strongest will be at mid-month. This is when the Saturn-Uranus opposition is exact, simultaneous to the Sun’s contact to both and the New Moon. (See Chart B.) This coincidence increases the intensity of the contacts.

To understand them, we have to sort them out. The Sun reaches Saturn on September 17, the start of the new yearly Saturn cycle. This is an important seed-planting time for the development of structures in our lives. Through Saturn we make slow but lasting progress through planned actions, take responsibility, and gain authority in our own domain. The inspiration we take from this time will inform our actions and successes in the coming year.

This may be hard to sort out from the Sun’s interaction with Uranus, however. At the same time as the conjunction with Saturn, the Sun opposes Uranus to bring the peak of its yearly cycle. This generates a heightened experience of truth and insight. We may be inspired, awakened, or distressed by what we discover, but it is all both good and necessary.

But Saturn and Uranus are also interacting. We have been shaken by events in the world around us. As these planets have tightened in their interactions, we’ve seen a crack in the world we thought was safe and secure. We’ve seen the world economy go into a dramatic downturn. We may be having to adjust our ideas of what the future holds — an expected income on an expected date of retirement; a job that will stay with us; a house that is no longer worth what we paid for it. Even as these structural matters begin to sort themselves out, there remains the uncertainty of how much more will change. There are indications that a more fundamental change is afoot as we face worldwide food shortages, the end of oil, and global warming.

Events now tie into the thread of dramatic change we are trying to manage in our lives in order to cope with these larger issues. As this convergence of planets occurs, we will see how well we are doing with effecting the changes we want or coping with the ones we must bear.

A Time of Bright Potential
There has never been a better time to make changes. If we are no longer able to live a secure routine life, then we are not as locked into that routine. People are starting to bend, flex, and dissolve old rules when they produce galling limitation.

If you enjoy the thrill of adventure, this is an exciting time. If you are more security-oriented, it is a good time to develop a taste for adventure and exploring the unknown.

Still More Quincunxes
We get a little more wiggle room in September, as the Sun again makes quincunxes, this time to the Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune conjunction. If you recall, these planets were involved in the featured events of August and are central to the year-long healing process we have been experiencing. Now past the halfway point, we can use this time to solidify the healing advances we have made. By now we know essentially what’s going on, and we’ll be working essentially in that frame.

September In Depth

September 1-3
This period is all about the cardinal energies — the Mercury-Mars-Pluto interaction. On the 3rd, Mars catches up with a very slow Mercury and makes the second square of three. Events now will tie in with those on August 25-26, when the first square occurred. This brings back the family theme. Difficult or hasty communications could come back to be restated, but it is unlikely that we completely understand the issues that are being triggered at this time. Mercury is virtually still, and the effects of its retrograde are felt now, even though it has yet to turn around. As the Mercury retrograde period progresses, we’ll gain deeper insight into the dilemmas we face and be better able to express the reasoning behind our feelings. We are also likely to be pouring a lot of energy into writing, reading, or busywork, a common experience when Mercury and Mars combine.

September 3-5
As the communicative tension builds, the Full Moon gives us a foreshadowing of what’s to come in mid-month when the Sun, Saturn, and Uranus interact. Pay attention to what you experience — it could presage future delights.

September 6-7
Mercury begins its retrograde period today at 6°13' Libra, traveling back to 21°37' Virgo where it returns to forward motion on September 29. During its retrograde, it will square Pluto, oppose Uranus, and conjoin Saturn. It will also quincunx Chiron and Neptune. These first few days of September will reveal what the rest of September holds.

September 7-11
We’ll feel a build-up of intensity in every activity as we approach Pluto’s station to direct motion. This will be accompanied by release and relief, however, and joy in being able to move forward into known territory. We have build an edifice of transformation that we can now move around in.

September 12-25
It’s all about the Saturn-Uranus opposition in Virgo-Pisces, as it perfects on the 15th and receives a series of contacts through the 25th. Peak days are September 15, 17–18, 20, 22–23, and 25. Stay focused, don’t overreach, and ground yourself regularly. Venus also opposes Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune over this period, for a boost in our healing process. In whatever we’ve been healing, we will receive support from others.

September 26-30
We feel an exuberant drive to move forward as Mercury returns to forward motion on the 29th. Mars reminds us of what remains to be done on our path to perfect well-being when it quincunxes Jupiter-Chiron-Neptune.

Looking Ahead
Big changes are afoot next month as Jupiter returns to forward motion and Saturn enters Libra.

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We will see the fruits of our labors begin to ripen in September. It will be satisfying both to see some results and to have fewer unknowns in our lives. This trend will continue through the fall.

Significant Planetary Events

Jupiter, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are retrograde. The Sun is in rulership.

All dates are based on Pacific Time.
Blue = harmonious/Red or orange = challenging/intense/black = neutral
Events in bold are more significant.

© Terry Lamb