September is a “7” Universal month [9 (September) + 7 (2023) = 16 = 1+6 =7] in a “7” Universal Year. When the month’s number matches the year’s, you can be assured that we have gotten to where we are going. 7 is the number of the mystic, the seeker, and mysteries of all kinds. This aligns well with the astrology of the month where seven plants total will be in retrograde. September is a month to dig deeply inwards rather than expand outwards. If you are feeling more introverted than normal, know that you are right on time.
The Set Up
We begin the month of September with the Sun and Mercury in Virgo, Venus in Leo, Mars in Libra, Jupiter and Uranus in Taurus, Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, and Pluto in Capricorn. Almost all of the planets that can retrograde are in retrograde motions (only Mars in Jupiter remain in forward motion). By month’s end, the Sun will have moved on into Libra but that is the only planetary ingress of the entire month. Additionally, three planets will have changed directions: Venus stations direct in Leo, Mercury stations direct in Virgo, and Jupiter stations retrograde in Taurus.
The Nitty Gritty
September will begin slowly with no non-lunar aspects until the third. How the month starts (especially on the first) sets the tone for the month ahead and here we can infer that September may be slow going. This aligns well with the fact that we are deep into retrograde season and in a 7 month in a 7 year. There is a lot to get done during this month but much of it will be below the surface.
Things will feel murky. This is because on 9/3, Venus stations direct at 12° Leo, and on 9/4, Jupiter will retrograde at 15° Taurus. All planetary stations tend to create a sense of stasis, a liminality that can feel like the whole world is holding its breath. We are doubling down on this energy with a personal planet AND a transpersonal planet station within a day of one another. Don’t expect to get a lot done during this time (really at all during the weekend of 9/2-9/3 or the beginning of the following week) – this is a cosmic pause and the best course of action is to work with it rather than against its energy.
It is worth keeping in mind that newly direct Venus and recently retrograded Jupiter are already in a fairly tight square with one another (< 3°) which will only grow stronger until it finally completes at the midpoint of the month on 9/17. This will manifest as both a butting of heads (spurred on by Mercury in retrograde) and a butting of lifestyles. Venus in Leo wants to go big and retrograde Jupiter in Taurus just wants to go home. In cases like this, it is generally considered sound advice to side with the heavier of the two planets, and since Jupiter is our big gun, we can infer that it might be wise to walk a little bit smaller this month.
Watch out for excessive spending and other vices of excess. You may have to pay up for past transgressions of this nature. Slow down and take accountability so that you aren’t the one who crashes and burns during this time.
On Wednesday 9/6, our Sun meets up with retrograde Mercury at 13° Virgo. This is considered the nadir of our Mercury retrograde cycle; the time when we might be the most lost in the fog of it all. If you consider the planets as energy channels that are opened or closed due to the transits, Mercury’s energy is completely closed off during this time. This is known as Mercury Cazimi and it is said that the Sun’s energy is so vast that it overwhelms that of our messenger planet when they fall into conjunction with one another. If you can put off a Mercury-fueled endeavor for another day, it is highly recommended.
On Friday, 9/8, our Sun in Virgo meets up with retrograde Jupiter in a trine. Trines are normally a very positive aspect but Jupiter is not pulling its own weight right now as it’s still in a standstill from its recent station backward. Virgo and Taurus get along in many ways but they still have their points of conflict. I sense a theme of laziness here (one of Taurus’s less-than-stellar traits) and that’s not a benefit for Virgo who wants to make quick changes to course correct and be the best that they can be. People may not be showing up and even if they are, they may not be pulling their own weight during this time.
The following weekend of 10/9-10/10 also has no non-lunar aspects which is doing us no favors. We are moving into the dark of the moon so energy may feel dense and uncomfortable. Leo season was a lot and we may need to revisit some of it as the moon passes through Leo on its way to our new moon at 21° Virgo on Thursday 9/14.
Our solar-lunar conjunction will be closely trine to retrograde Uranus (exact the next day on 9/15) which may have a bit of a wildcard feel to it. It’s time to roll the dice or get the fuck out of the casino if you catch my drift. Don’t bet on what you can’t afford to lose – our Venus-Jupiter square is going to finally reach exactitude merely two days later.
Mercury stations direct at 08° Virgo in the middle of all of this, too, which further muddies the waters. Remember that this is only the end of the main event, Mercury still needs to trace their way back through their post-retrograde shadow before we are done with this cycle. Have we learned our lessons yet? Only time will tell.
The Sun rounds out the last dregs of its stay in Virgo during the week of 9/18 by making an opposition to retrograde Neptune in Pisces on 9/19 and a trine with retrograde Pluto in Capricorn on 9/20. This has all of the trappings of unfinished business – Neptune has been moving through Pisces since 2011 and Pluto has been in Capricorn since 2008. Again, we get the sense of a cosmic pause to rest and reevaluate where we have been and where we are going.
The weekend of 9/23-9/24 is looking rough. The Sun enters Libra, our sign of relationships and getting along, early in the morning hours of 9/23 (EDT), and our planets of interpersonal alignment (Venus and Mars) just barely miss meeting up in a sextile with one another while both in aspect with retrograde Chiron in Aries. Venus in Aries trines Chiron for the third and final time in her retrograde cycle on 9/23 and Mars in Libra opposes Chiron on 9/24. An injured Venus in Leo is stuck in her ego and an injured Mars in Libra is trying to control his Others through people-pleasing and other covert means. There’s room for compromise here but only through really looking at their core wounding and radical honesty.
This is a weekend that could mend some serious relationship wounding, but only if both individuals are ready to show up and do the work. Otherwise, it stinks of breakup weather. Mercury makes its final trine with now retrograde Jupiter in Taurus in this energy, as well. A lot of how this plays out will depend on how the individuals involved have processed their personal Mercury retrograde journeys.
Again, for the last week of the month, we have a large chunk of days without any major non-lunar aspects. Perhaps we all need to spend a bit of time thinking about what we have done.
We are heading toward the last days of September which carries with it a heady full moon at 06° Aries and some hints of what is to come in the month ahead. This is the last lunar event before we enter eclipse season in October where we will have a solar eclipse in Libra and a lunar eclipse in Scorpio. Additionally, Venus will be in her last square** with retrograde Uranus during this lunar event and Mercury will trine retrograde Uranus the very next day. This double Uranus in Taurus activation is what is considered a double whammy and may, through the nature of Uranus’s ability to enact great and sudden change, allow us the briefest of glimpses into what eclipse season has in store for us.
9/3 – Venus stations direct 12° Leo
9/4 – Jupiter retrogrades 15° Taurus, retrograde Mercury in Virgo trine retrograde Jupiter in Taurus
9/6 – Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury 13° Virgo
9/8 – Sun in Virgo trine retrograde Jupiter in Taurus
9/14 – New moon 21° Virgo
9/15 – Mercury stations direct 08° Virgo, Sun in Virgo trine retrograde Uranus in Taurus
9/17 – Venus in Leo square retrograde Jupiter in Taurus
9/19 – Sun in Virgo opposed retrograde Neptune in Pisces
9/20 – Sun in Virgo trine retrograde Pluto in Capricorn
9/23 – Sun enters Libra, Venus in Leo trine Chiron in Aries, Venus in Leo sextile Mars in Libra*
9/24 – Mars in Libra opposed Chiron in Aries
9/25 – Mercury in Virgo trine retrograde Jupiter in Taurus
9/29 – Full moon 06° Aries, Venus in Leo square retrograde Uranus in Taurus
9/30 – Mercury exits its post-retrograde shadow 21° Virgo, Mercury in Virgo trine retrograde Uranus in Taurus
*Not exact but within 1°
**for this retrograde cycle