The third and final late summer eclipse headlines the second half of September. In addition, Mercury and Pluto turn direct and I interpret the Fall Equinox Chart. Other highlights include a Libra New Moon, 2 T-squares, a month-long asteroid goddess Grand Trine and more!
Click astrology graphics to see larger images.
9/16 (Fri)
Pisces Lunar Eclipse
Our third eclipse in less than a month – and the last in this late-summer series – happens today (9/16) at 3:05 PM EDT (24°19′ Pisces). As with any eclipse, you can take advantage of its opportunities for 6 to 12 months!
Like all Pisces Full Moons, this eclipse invites you to release or adjust as appropriate to empower your divine union practices and inspired creative expression. Focusing on these life-affirming activities will keep this Piscean energy busy in life-affirming ways. This will leave it less energy to bother you on its low side: substance abuse, excessive escapism, playing the victim or aimless drifting.
Aspects
T-square: Moon-Sun-Mercury-Mars-Jupiter-Chiron
Judged only by the distance between the luminaries and the lunar nodes – about 12.5° – this eclipse isn’t especially strong. But a no-nonsense six-planet T-square (shown by the red lines in the graphic) at its heart adds plenty of astrological juju!
Chiron’s tight conjunction to the Moon – as well as the Sun, Mercury and North Node being in Virgo – puts a strong emphasis on healing. This theme was also present in the first two eclipses, making it especially important in this series.
If any symptoms of illness are present, deal with them instead of ignoring them. Better yet, dive down to the spiritual core of the issue (all dis-ease has one) and pull it out by the roots! My healing invocation may help you with this, as well as the shadow material mentioned next. Your own gifts as a healer can also be energized.
Your shadow material (also a significant theme of the September 1 eclipse) receives major stimulation from Chiron, as well as from Mars’ tight square to Chiron and the luminaries. Don’t be surprised if childhood wounds get triggered, as well as unresolved trauma from past lives.
I also know many people who are clearing the shadow material from their family lineage. Some are even being called to process shadow material for complete strangers!
One vivid example of clearing for a stranger comes to mind. Perhaps two years ago, I was having lunch with some friends. We had all participated in an ayahuasca ceremony the previous night. One of them told a true story about an angry man who, without provocation, was randomly accosting people in Asheville businesses. Sometimes he would verbally attack them, sometimes physically assault them. I had never heard about this man before, and to my knowledge had never encountered him. (He was definitely not participating in that weekend’s ceremonies.)
That night, in the middle of another ayahuasca ceremony, a seething ball of rage appeared in my field of consciousness. It definitely wasn’t mine, and I intuitively recognized it as the anger entity that had been plaguing the violent man I’d heard about over lunch. Ayahuasca has given me a lot of other people’s negative energy to process over the years. But I had never before had to deal with raw anger of such primal intensity!
Time can be hard to judge in an ayahuasca ceremony, but I’m guessing I spent the better part of an hour transmuting this anger through my body. It actually took three rounds: the first where most of the dark energy was transmuted to light, then two shorter mop-up rounds to deal with residual energy. I hope that I was able to transmute this man’s rage on his behalf, and that he’s no longer assaulting random Ashevilleans!
(By the way, my experience is far from unique. I’ve heard many other people talk about being given challenging energies from others to process, both in shamanic ceremonies and in daily life.)
I believe that everything in existence is God, which entertains itself by pretending to be different things and different people. So if you’re called upon to process energy for another person, you’re really just helping out another part of yourself.
However, I don’t believe this gives you the right to go meddling in other people’s business uninvited. On the soul level, I think it’s a disservice to remove another person’s suffering before they’ve learned the lesson it came to teach. But I also believe that if Spirit assigns you to help someone — as it did with the anger entity – then it’s yours to do.
We were talking about the Moon-Sun-Mercury-Mars-Jupiter-Chiron T-square before I went off on that tangent, right? Its Moon-Sun-Mars-Chiron core can also take your Chironic gifts to the next level. These can include being the healer, mentor, shaman or awakener.
Sun-straddling Mercury and Jupiter are also part of this T-square. Both are teacher planets, and ask what adjustments you could make to help get your message out to the world. Are you holding back information that could help others?
Other Aspects
A Venus-Moon quincunx asks what adjustments in your relationships or creativity would serve you. And a tight semi-sextile from Uranus rekindles central themes from the 8/18 eclipse: embody your authentic human self (fly your freak flag), follow your intuitive flashes, and have a great time serving the collective with your greatest gifts!
Sabian Symbol
This lunar eclipse’s Sabian Symbol is, “The purging of the priesthood.” Because I just told you an ayahuasca story, I first thought of a type of purging I’ve done many times in ceremony … but chances are that this symbol has more to do with priests being relieved of their responsibilities.
To me, “the priesthood” could represent the powers-that-be of any religious institution. Are you viewing some religious authority figure – priest, rabbi, guru, minister, etc. – as your gateway to the divine?
My experience tells me that you already are what you seek. Spiritual guides and teachers can catalyze your awakening to the divinity inside you. But the cultivation and deepening of that awareness are your job.
My advice: don’t believe any religious authority figure who says that you have to go through them to get to God. Purge your priesthood. There are simple techniques, such as my free awakening invocation, that can quickly hook you up to your divine source. The veils between the worlds are getting thinner all the time, and spiritual awakening is much easier than it used to be!
T-square peaks: Venus-Vesta-Uranus
The Venus-Vesta-Uranus T-square that started on 9/11 peaks today (9/16) and ends on 9/20. As I wrote on 9/11, this calls for serving a higher cause through creativity or one-on-one relating. Its breakthrough energy can bring change quickly. With Uranus in the mix, be sure to follow your intuitive flashes!
9/17 (Sat)
T-square Begins: Mercury-Saturn-Neptune
The potentials of the multi-month Saturn-Neptune square are stimulated once again by a Mercury-Saturn-Neptune T-square. This T-square starts today (9/17), peaks on 9/22 as Mercury turns direct and ends on 9/25.
As usual, the Saturn-Neptune square energizes Law of Attraction manifestation, embodied awakening and the conscious dissolution of what no longer serves you. Mercury’s involvement can help you learn more deeply about these things, and can energize you to serve others (Mercury’s in Virgo) — possibly by teaching them about these principles!
The most obvious use of a Mars-Uranus trine (23°35′ Sagittarius-Aries) is to take immediate action on your intuitive flashes. With Mars in Sagittarius, you can do this boldly and adventurously! This aspect can also add brilliance to your leadership, genius to your entrepreneurship, and spice to your sexuality.
Conscious relationship healing is supported by a Venus-Chiron quincunx (22°48′ Libra-Pisces). This aspect also supports relationship mentoring. I’m very excited about the relationship healing tools described in the book Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg. I enthusiastically recommend it if you’d like to bring more harmony to all your interpersonal interactions!
9/18 (Sun)
Intuitive flashes are eager to help you in your relationships, creativity and finances with Venus opposite Uranus (23°33′ Libra-Aries). Are you creating enough quiet time in your life to hear these helpful text messages from God?
9/19 (Mon)
Grand Trine Begins: Juno-Vesta-Chiron
Imagine a healthy, flowing relationship, in which you and your partner serve a higher cause that brings nurturing to the world. That would be one sweet way to use the Grand Trine formed by Scorpionic Juno, Cancerian Vesta and Piscean Chiron. It starts today (9/19), peaks on 10/2 and ends on 10/17. You could also fine-tune your relational skills to heal a challenged relationship.
Today’s two other aspects also have a relational theme. A Venus-Mars sextile (24°58′ Libra-Sagittarius) can smoothly energize everything that’s good in a partnership, and can boost your creativity. A Pluto-Juno sextile (14°56′ Capricorn-Scorpio) can bring positive transformation to committed partnerships through 10/16.
9/20 (Tue)
A Mercury-Pluto trine (14°56′ Virgo-Capricorn) can help you:
- Dive into research, investigation or detective work
- communicate the truth with honesty and precision
- bring passion and intensity to your words, and
- get some serious organizing done!
9/21 (Wed)
Practical inspiration can pop in more easily thanks to a Sun-Saturn quintile (28°59′ Virgo-10° 59′ Sagittarius). This can be especially helpful in the areas of health and service.
9/22 (Thu)
Sun Enters Libra / Fall Equinox
The Sun enters Libra today (9/22) at 10:21 AM EDT, marking the Fall Equinox. As the Sun transits Libra, more energy will be available for relationships and creativity.
The Fall Equinox Chart
Seasonal astrology charts give a sense of the types of energies we’ll be working with throughout the next three months. I’ve run the 2016 Fall Equinox Chart for 9/22/16, 10:21:04 AM EDT, Washington DC.
This is the chart that will include the US presidential election on November 8. So it’s no surprise that Jupiter, ruler of politics, is closely conjunct the Sun!
Three planets make the most significant aspects to the personal planets. Most of these aspects are challenging and, regrettably, match the tone of this election with some of their less appealing qualities. Mars is bringing anger and impulsiveness, especially from Donald Trump. Chiron, with squares or oppositions to every personal planet except Venus, is bringing pain and wounding. And Uranus, master of chaos and unpredictability, is keeping us guessing about the final outcome.
Now that I’ve done my due diligence to the election, I turn to my preferred focus: how you can make the most life-affirming use of these energies. From here on I’ll ignore this chart’s houses. This means that the following will apply to you no matter where in the world you live.
Two aspect patterns I discussed earlier in this September 16-30 forecast are prominent in the Fall Equinox Chart. To hit the highlights:
- The Mercury-Saturn-Neptune T-square energizes Law of Attraction manifestation, embodied awakening and the conscious dissolution of what no longer serves you.
- The Juno-Vesta-Chiron Grand Trine can support a healthy, flowing relationship in which you and your partner jointly serve a higher cause that brings nurturing to the world. You could also fine-tune your relational skills to heal a challenged relationship.
The Fall Equinox Chart’s Sun-Jupiter conjunction isn’t just about politics. It supports larger-than-life living, a sense of questing and adventurousness. It broadcasts joy, euphoria and celebration. This conjunction can also amplify your interest in religion, philosophy, higher education, and sharing your helpful insights with the world.
In my discussion of the election energies above, I highlighted negative expressions of the planets that most heavily aspect this chart’s personal planets. But we can do better than that, can’t we?
The Fall Equinox Chart’s prominent Mars energy can help you more fully embody the energies of the peaceful warrior, pioneer and sexual being. You can be more entrepreneurial, inventive and active in helping worthy causes.
The intense Chiron aspects can help you more fully embody the energies of the mentor, healer, shaman or awakener. And the Uranus aspects can help you “fly your freak flag,” follow your intuitive flashes and help others with the special talents that you most love to use.
This Fall Equinox Chart is about much more than the election. No matter who ends up in the White House, the life-affirming potentials of these energies are eager for you to embody them!
T-square Peaks: Mercury-Saturn-Neptune
The Mercury-Saturn-Neptune T-square that started on 9/17 peaks today (9/22) and ends on 9/25.
9/23 (Fri)
Mercury Retrograde Ends
Another Mercury retrograde wraps up today as the winged messenger turns direct at 1:31 AM EDT (14°49′ Virgo). Hopefully, you’ve gained some insights in the areas of health, service and organization while Mercury’s been backpedaling in Virgo. For optimal results, wait until after the next New Moon (9/30, 8:12 PM EDT) to kick off your new initiatives in these areas.
Now that Mercury has turned direct, it will be repeating some of its recent aspects. Such is the case today as it repeats its Mercury-Pluto trine (this time at 14°55′ Virgo-Capricorn) from 9/20. The interpretation remains the same, as this trine can help you:
- Dive into research, investigation or detective work
- communicate the truth with honesty and precision
- bring passion and intensity to your words, and
- get some serious organizing done!
Venus transits Scorpio today (9/23) through 10/18. This can help you make a no-holds-barred dive into the depths of your intimate relationships. The high side possibilities include nakedly honest sharing about your true feelings and needs, as well as ecstatic sacred sex. Scorpionic Venus can also empower uninhibited, taboo-busting creativity!
9/24 (Sat)
Your actions can be guided by a flow of intuitive guidance as Mars quintiles Neptune (28°2′ Sagittarius-10°2′ Pisces). This quintile also supports sacred sex, as well as exercise and athletics that make conscious use of divine energy.
9/25 (Sun)
You can use a Venus-Pluto quintile (2°55′ Scorpio-14°55′ Capricorn) to deepen your close relationships, empower your creativity or create more financial abundance. Let the still small voice of your inner wisdom guide you!
9/26 (Mon)
Pluto Direct
Pluto turns direct today at 14°55′ Capricorn. Its retrograde period, which started on 4/18, has been a great time to reflect on the themes of power, surrender, transformation and release. Pluto’s direct station is a good time to start acting on any insights you gained. (Major initiatives are best started under a waxing Moon, so you might want to wait until after the next New Moon on 9/30 at 8:12 PM EDT.)
Planets are most powerful when they change directions. Any sensitive natal point in your chart between 12° and 18° cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) will be powerfully affected. I recommend that you release what no longer serves you. The more you surrender to divine guidance, the more powerful you’ll become!
Your ability to hone yourself into a finely tuned instrument of service can go to the next level with Uranus square Vesta (23°16′ Aries-Cancer). This aspect can also take your service to a higher cause to the next level.
I discussed the Sun-Jupiter conjunction (3°37′ Libra) in my Fall Equinox Chart interpretation on 9/22. For your convenience, I’m repeating it here:
The Sun-Jupiter conjunction isn’t just about politics. It supports larger-than-life living, a sense of questing and adventurousness. It broadcasts joy, euphoria and celebration. It can also amplify your interest in religion, philosophy, higher education, and sharing your helpful insights with the world.
9/27 (Tue)
Mars transits Capricorn today (9/27) through 11/8. This fires up Energizer Bunny productivity to bless you with enhanced endurance.
9/28 (Wed)
No major astrology events.
9/29 (Thu)
No major astrology events.
9/30 (Fri)
Libra New Moon
September’s second New Moon (the first one on 9/1 was a solar eclipse) lines up at 8:11:19 pm EDT (8°15′ Libra). Any Libra New Moon is great for new beginnings or a fresh infusion of energy into relationships and creativity.
Aspects
Jupiter’s conjunction to the luminaries – it’s about 4° away – further expands the possibilities for relating and creating. It also rekindles the Jupiterian possibilities that I discussed on 9/22 and 9/26, and repeat here for your convenience:
It supports larger-than-life living, a sense of questing and adventurousness. It broadcasts joy, euphoria and celebration. It can also amplify your interest in religion, philosophy, higher education, and sharing your helpful insights with the world.
The Saturn-Neptune square also aspects this New Moon, though subtly: Saturn makes a sextile to the Sun and Moon, while Neptune makes a quincunx. This once again rekindles my Saturn-Neptune Trinity of possibilities: Law of Attraction manifestation, embodied awakening and the conscious dissolution of what no longer serves you. Since the aspects from Saturn and Neptune to the luminaries are only of moderate strength, you’ll need to bring serious intention to the party to activate their potentials.
A wide square from Pluto invites the release of whatever has outworn its usefulness, and invites you to surrender more fully into the power of your divine self. But you may need to initiate these effects through your own willpower, since the 7° orb of the square is pretty broad.
The final aspect, a semi-sextile from Venus, is tight – less than 1° of orb – but is only a minor aspect. So it only adds a bit more energy to the themes of relating and creating.
Sabian Symbol
The Sabian Symbol for this New Moon is, “Three old masters hanging in a special room in an art gallery – sometimes they seem to speak to each other.” My thanks to Lynda Hill’s book 360° of Wisdom: Chart Your Destiny with the Sabian Oracle for the inspiration that kick-started this interpretation.
The “three old masters” could represent the three fundamental aspects of you: physical, mental/emotional and spiritual. The “special room” is your individual being. “Sometimes they speak to each other” is a good start, but could definitely be improved upon. Wouldn’t it be great if these essential aspects of yourself were in constant communication with each other?
To have all this taking place in an “art gallery” shows that these parts of you are being observed by others. It also contains the hopeful idea that a life well lived could itself be considered a work of art!
So this Sabian Symbol directly ties into this New Moon’s themes of relationship and creativity. The first relationship is among your physical, mental/emotional and spiritual selves: what new start can you make to bring them into greater harmony and cooperation? The second relationship is between your triune self and others. To what degree could your life be considered a work of art? And what steps can you take now to make that more of a reality?
Void-of-Course Moons
It’s best to avoid starting important new projects or making major purchases during void-of-course Moons. “Business as usual” is the optimal strategy. Void-of-course Moons occur when the Moon has made her last major Ptolemaic aspect, but has not yet moved into her next sign.
9/16, 3:05 pm – 9/17, 12:22 am, Aries
9/18, 4:10 pm – 9/19, 12:58 am, Taurus
9/20, 11:32 pm 9- /21, 1:53 am, Gemini
9/23, 3:57 am – 4:33 am, Cancer
9/24, 9:42 pm – 9/25, 9:48 am, Leo
9/27, 4:52 am – 5:43 pm, Virgo
9/29, 6:05 am – 9/30, 3:52 am, Libra
Whatever your Sun Sign, AstroShaman’s forecasts can help you make the best use of the current astrological energies.
All dates and times are in the U.S. eastern time zone. Events are most powerful on the dates listed, but their influence will be active for at least several days before and after.
Everyone is affected by these global transits. However, you’ll be most powerfully impacted when moving planets activate sensitive points in your natal chart.
Discover how these transits will personally affect you by booking a session with me. Learn more about my Astrology+ sessions.
Good morning Benjamin
I just sincerely would love to thank you from my heart for your insight and guidance in your forecasts. I have been using them for the last couple of months in my transformation process and I feel it has helped me tremendously utilising the planetary influences in my process.
With much Love and blessings to you
Azri