Here we are in the 9th Month of the year and the 9th Stage of the Hero’s Journey- “The Reward”. For those who are not familiar with this stage, this is the part where the Hero/Heroine sees the light at the end of the tunnel. We haven’t made it out of the cave yet, but we can see that there is an out, a light or a hope. We have been through a lot and the “reward” is the object or knowledge that we have fought to hold all this time.
The experiences and energetic influences of this month can give us hope that we can not only continue on this journey, but we have the keys to accomplishing our desires and goals.
Hope gives way to courage, and courage gives way to actions and outcomes.
I was recently reminded of how important hope is to us as human beings. It is the one ingredient that threatens and intimidates fear. When we are working with something fearful and suddenly remember or receive some form of hope, it shakes us out of the slough of despair, gives us courage when we need it most, or at least turns our attention on something other than the fear itself.
Hope is a very powerful mindset and emotional state to be in because it is a propulsive force that can get us moving again when we think all is lost.
Imagine what might happen when we as a group of human beings begin to feel hope that the darkness we see in the world right now and in our lives can be revealed and worked with by the light inside of us. The quote to work with this month comes from the Late Great Leader…Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
And what better way to start out the month of September than with a full moon in Pisces. Talk about light driving out darkness! Pisces is considered the sign of Great Compassion and Love.
Full moons reveal the hidden truth that needs to be exposed for us to be able to evolve to the next level.
This full moon in Pisces invites us to approach and work with whatever gets revealed with great compassion. I define compassion as putting myself in someone else’s shoes. By stepping outside of my perspective and into another’s I can hopefully see and feel things through a lens I couldn’t because I was too wrapped up in my own world. I can remind myself that everyone responds to things in their own unique ways and through the filter of their own experiences and perspectives as well. I may see a sunny day as beautiful and refreshing while another may see it as hot and sweltering. Consider this when a truth is revealed. I may see that truth as refreshing and confirmation I can use to move forward with my life, while other may see it as one more brick in their wall of imprisonment.
Remember that we are in this great circle of life together, and to further compliment this full moon, Venus will be in Cancer and standing across the circle from Saturn and Mercury in Virgo will be moving into a harmonious trine with Saturn. When you have a heavy hitter like Saturn being pulled between its need to establish boundaries and enforce them and sharing great love, beauty and harmony, this day could bring in a sense of belonging that lasts for a long time.
Sharing ideas that you can commit to as well as make logical sense will solidify your relationships and provide you with an ally or two that will be crucial for support as the month moves along.
Strategizing with another about your current situation and coming up with plans that you can see tangible results moving forward will energize you, and offer hope that something good is coming.
Falling right on the heels of this full moon, the Sun in Virgo will trine Uranus in Taurus giving us a sudden burst of energy that can be used to manifest something we may have been thinking about or working with for quite some time. We may have just been waiting on that moment of inspiration or that discovery of the tool or key we needed to get out of the predicament we are in and save the day. More cosmic support is offered on this day as the Moon will still be in Pisces and canoodling with Neptune while in sextile with Jupiter in Capricorn.
Whatever gets revealed can restore our faith in something we may have thought was lost.
This time may also bring someone back to us who we felt may have been led astray by deceit or the illusion of something better. The practice will be to use discrimination coupled with compassion to decide if this person or situation is appropriate to include in our future or bless it and move on. Remember that our intuitive nature doesn’t lie. Trusting our bodies will be of the utmost importance, as well as the rule, “If it is too good to be true, then it mostly likely isn’t good for us.”
We will have a few days to work with this energy and when Mercury enters Libra on the 5th, we will most likely begin to pass judgment on the person or situation. I realize this sounds a bit harsh, but consider Mercury in Libra as the decision maker who after weighing its options declares the final verdict. We can’t stay in the space of indecision and weighing every possible option forever or we will never get any movement forward. Don’t worry, we will have plenty of time this month to adjust and readjust to the outcomes of our actions as Mars stops and moves into his retrograde pattern from September 9th through November 13th.
Remember too as I have mentioned in my weekly Celestial Wisdom videos (YouTube) that we have the underpinning energy of Mars and Saturn squaring off with each other. This month we will have a couple of Cardinal T-squares because of Mercury being in Libra and on the 22nd the Sun moves into this cardinal sign. This dynamic energy can create quite a bit of movement and activity, yet movement for the sake of movement is just running in circles getting nowhere. This is where all the Capricorn energy will benefit us with maturity and wisdom.
If we can take all of the dynamic energy we feel and use good judgment, while channeling it into appropriate action, we may be able to obtain our goals in a way that is even better than we first expected.
I think of the story of King Solomon and his wisdom in dealing with two women who were fighting over a baby. The short version of the story is that two women, both claiming to be the mother of this one child came to King Solomon to help them settle the dispute. Knowing full well the fierce love of a mother, King Solomon suggested that the best solution would be to cut the baby in two, which resulted in the real mother quickly declaring that the other woman could have the baby instead of harm coming to him. Solomon then declared that the baby be returned to the real mother. I have a feeling that we may have quite a bit of decision making and truth telling going on this month, and that when something or someone is precious to us, we would be willing to let it go in order to give it the best life possible only to be returned to us, as the rightful care-giver.
To complement and support the decision making process and courage in our actions will be Venus’ entry into Leo on the 6th. Venus in Leo can attract to us courage of heart, warmth, and love. When Venus is in this fiery and loyal sign, she may activate our need to feel special and loved by others which can motivate us through a desire to be seen and admired. In all the seriousness of life right now,
Venus in Leo can offer playfulness, charisma and flamboyant creative expressions.
In a month where light drives out darkness, where we need a little lift above the mundane or heavy feeling from tough decisions, Venus in Leo can give us just what we need to fuel our passions and do things for the sake of joy and pleasure.
Mars stations retrograde! September 9th- November 13th- I have mentioned this transiting motion of Mars almost to ad nauseum over the past few months. The big deal is two fold: 1. Unlike Mercury who retrogrades three times every year, Mars’ retrograde motion only happens every 2-½ years. 2. Mars is in its home sign of Aries. The last time Mars went retrograde in Aries was on August 26, 1988. I know I am stretching your memory banks a bit here…30 years.
Some of the most notable differences between 1988’s Mars retrograde and now 2020 are yet to be seen on a world stage. In 1988 we had the Winter and Summer Olympics, the space program resumed after the tragic loss of the Challenger, and a wrap up to the 80’s trends. Clearly in 2020, we have no Olympics to flaunt, and the race to space or Mars rather is foreshadowed by a race for a COVID vaccine. The political and civil unrest that my country is experiencing is a pressure cooker waiting to blow its top, and the amount of false facts and smoke and mirrors being spewed all over the internet and media make our blood boil. All very Mars in Aries like qualities. So what to do?
I mentioned in my August 31st-September 6th Celestial Wisdom video that
“frustrations can be mitigated if we can approach expectations and situations with fascination.”
When emotions are running high, fueled by belief systems and a need to be right over being happy, we can find ourselves in war-like conditions without even realizing it until it is too late. Let me set this up for us now that we can reference back as often as needed.
If we are willing to stay in a place of fascination and curiosity, we leave little to no room for judgment and extreme dogma.
This is the field of infinite possibilities and radical acceptance. We then give ourselves and each other the space and grace needed to sort through emotions and make adjustments to our perspectives so that we can work with one another in a way that is collaborative not competitive. The only competition we need to focus on is becoming a better version of ourselves today then we were yesterday. If we compete against ourselves by raising our standards and removing excuses, then we can raise ourselves to the next level. Remember we are striving for excellence, not perfection. This is how we can use Mars retrograde in Aries to our advantage. We can take our time (square Saturn in Capricorn) as we find the courage (Aries) to stand in front of the mirror and speak truth to ourselves, set achievable goals, and commit to them. If we feel stuck or overwhelmed, then step back for a moment and ask, “What is one small thing, small action I can take right now?” and “Can I do it again? Maybe again?” Repetition helps to create habit, and habit creates stability. Of course the great challenge to take on is to stop a self-destructive or negative habit and replace it with a positive one. Easier said than done, and may require a great deal of courage and willpower.
I am encouraged for us because we will have cosmic support as
benefic and abundant Jupiter stations direct on September 12th.
Jupiter’s forward motion can expand and grow the habits and movement we started. If we created positive new habits, Jupiter’s energy can bless us with more faith, more hope, and more opportunities to build trust and strength in ourselves, and believe that we really can accomplish our mission. Another punctuation at the end of this sentence on the 12th will be Venus in Leo trine Chiron in Aries and the Moon in Cancer trine Neptune in Pisces. We can heal old wounds of disappointment and heartbreak, speak truth, and as Dr. King said, “..love can drive out hate.” I believe that as we transform our perspectives about ourselves and each other, we can easily find new ways to relate to one another and give each other the compassion and empathy we all need.
September 14th the Sun and Pluto will be singing each other’s praises.
We may naturally become an instrument of transformation when we use our gifts and talents for the benefit of another.
This day could be the King Solomon moment when we are faced with a big decision and the one we make will transform us forever in powerful and profound ways. We could easily give into fear or create a power struggle just to prove that we are right, or we could offer up our desire in that moment for the bigger vision or outcome. It’s a beautiful set up to a
Super New Moon in Virgo on September 17th.
The days leading up to the new moon can give us a chance to let go of the little things that really do not matter so that when the new moon arrives we are able to plant seeds of service, organization, responsibility, and simplicity. All of these are wonderful qualities that help to secure a foundation for the future. In application to the “reward” stage, now that we have a key or two that will help us achieve victory, we can use this new moon to check our plan, make sure we are organized, have the right infrastructure and allies to support us, and the mantra “less is more” will serve.
From the new moon on the 17th until the 24th, we will have a Cardinal T-Square involving Mercury in Libra, Mars in Aries, and Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn in Capricorn. These 7 days of dynamic tension, challenge, and growth will most likely push us to dig deeper into ourselves and tap into the deep well of hope and courage that we all have within us. The areas of our lives where we are feeling this challenge and growth will be an individual experience, yet the collective energy will influence us as we interact with each other and the world at large. Each moment, each experience is shaping and informing our belief systems and mindsets which drive our decisions and behaviors. I lean towards the positive side of life, so while these 7 days will most likely be intense, they can also be that pivotal moment of victory and push us out of the tunnel and into the light. Our greatest challenge won’t be the external circumstances as much as it will be to fight our mental constructs that reify an illusion into reality, and emotional impulsiveness that leads to thoughtless words and actions when triggered. A good mantra during this time:
“If in doubt, take a time out.” Even if it is one conscious breath, take a moment to pause and regroup.
September 22nd, the Sun enters Libra and all things Libra will take center stage. We may turn our attention towards harmony, peace, and fairness when dealing with people and situations. Libra energy loves being in love or at least the idea of it, and wherever we have this energy in our chart will be activated. However, beyond the romantic love that Libras enjoy so much, we will be looking at areas in our lives where justice needs to be served or balance restored. I often think of Libra as being the keeper of the Natural Order. One of the Universal Laws is that Nature must stay in balance in order to thrive and evolve. On a Soul Centered level (Alan Oken- “Soul Centered Astrology) Libra is ruled by Uranus and on the 7th Ray. Note: Are you noticing a theme here? Seven (7) the number considered perfection, 7 days of this cardinal t-square, 7th Ray…
Alan points out that on a Soul Centered perspective (beyond personality),
“Libra represents a pause, a moment of Soul-focused reflection, a place wherein the values and energies of the personality and the Soul meet and are balanced against each other.”
We will spend the better part of the end of September weighing out what we want on a personality level versus what is of the highest and best for us. It is a true balancing of “my will and thy will” so that we can manifest a higher consciousness in the world. Many of us will experience the exit of people or situations in our lives because they are not in alignment with our higher calling or what we know in our Soul to be good for us.
The last few days of September will see Mercury move into Scorpio on the 27th, inviting us to think deeper about why we want what we want or value what we value. Unearthing the answer to this question won’t take long as Saturn will station and move direct on the 28th with Venus in Leo trine Mars in Aries. This energy will push us to check in with our heart and truth and investigate deeper if we are in alignment with our values and passions in a particular area of life for long term success.
I would imagine the last couple of days of September will be a “kick ass and take names” kind of energy for us to work with so that we can move forward with the mission our Soul is calling us to embody.
For those who wish a more personal note to this energy, the last week of September could be some of the best time for connecting with a beloved, hanging out with our besties, or flirting and/or having sex for the fun of it. Nothing wrong with a bit of light hearted fun and celebration. Besides, after a month of hard work and breaking free from the darkness, we deserve and need to celebrate the wins. Happy September!