This month starts out with a potent Full Moon on the early morning of Wednesday, September 2^nd at 11 degrees Pisces. The Full Moon culminates at 1:22 a.m. EDT so the whole first day of September is building up to this energy. A Full Moon in Pisces allows us to measure the difference between how we have faith in life versus how we pick it apart in the details. Piscean faith does not know how a situation will resolve itself but allows a situation to play out however it needs to. During these very difficult times it can be hard to have faith in the future. So many of us have lost our jobs or are learning to live with less. Parents and students alike are unsure about “soldiering on” to attend work and school in potentially unsafe circumstances. Recently we’ve learned that 70,000 lives can saved in the U.S. if we all consent to wear masks. I believe this Pisces Moon making a sextile to Uranus in Taurus is telling us much the same thing. In order to intelligently safeguard our resources (Uranus in Taurus) we need to learn to all participate as a community (Uranus) in methods that contribute to the common good (Pisces.) The result can be very positive IF we follow safe practices in our communities. At the same time as we experience this encouraging and uplifting aspect we also experience a standoff at this Full Moon. Venus in home-loving Cancer opposes the uber-professional trio of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn. Part of us is yearning to get to work and experience success and abundance (Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in workaholic Capricorn.) Part of us wants to just curl up at home with a good book and a pot of soup and relax (Venus in Cancer.) Finding a balance between work and home can be hard to come by this week!   

 Thank Heaven for Labor Day weekend! Time to relax is on it’s way. Saturday the the 5^th is a tough day for communications with Mercury (planet of communications) entering Libra at 3:46 p.m. EDT and making 3 squares to the workaholic trio of Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn, in turn. The best thing one can do, is to try to accomplish any work that needs to be done before 4 p.m. EST. Then let it all GO and do something enjoyable! Tonight’s social Mercury in Libra and rebellious Aries Moon will demand it! The Moon moves into the luxury-loving sign of Taurus at 4:43 a.m. on Sunday the 6^th. Time to get out the bbq grill and enjoy some good times with your quarantine-mates! The energy of this holiday weekend is best on Labor Day Monday itself with the Moon making many harmonious aspects to Uranus, the Sun, Jupiter and Neptune.   

 The Red Planet (Mars) goes retrograde at 28 degrees Aries on Wednesday, September 9^th. Due to it’s retrograde this year, Mars will spend a full five months in its own sign of Aries. Motivation, aggression, and directly expressed anger are all expressions of Mars in Aries. Many of us harbor resentment against the government on a local and national level for not handling the Covid Crisis better. Others of us feel outright anger against racial inequality and the inequity of medical treatment for communities of color in terms of employment and healthcare during this crisis. Still others of us are angered by manipulation in our jobs where we are forced to risk our health in exchange for keeping our livelihood. How can any of this be resolved?!! There is a LOT to be angry about it and this year is the time to express it. Mars entered its home sign of Aries on June 29^th just as many protests across the country reached their boiling points. Mars goes retrograde on September 9^th and returns to direct movement on Saturday, November 14^th. It’s important to know however that Mars will not emerge from 28 degrees Aries (the degree at which it went retrograde known as its “Retrograde Shadow”) until January 3^rd, Due to its staycation in Aries in September, October and November, Mars will not exit the sign of Aries until Thursday, January 7^th. This period between September 9^th and November 14^th gives us a chance to brood over those who have done us wrong and how we will either distance ourselves from them or potentially get revenge. In my book, living a successful and happy life is the best revenge. As many times as I’ve wanted to slash someone’s tires or “let them have it” in public I have, instead, turned on my heel and walked away, leaving them to stew. We all have our own ways of dealing with anger. What I’m suggesting is that you take time to really FEEL yours during this two-month period and then TAKE ACTION on it after November 14^th for best effect. 

 The good news this month is that Jupiter goes direct on Saturday, September 12^th. Jupiter is our planet of abundance and expansion. Retrograde since May 14^th for a full four months, our good luck planet has certainly been absent as many of us have faced job loss, loss of benefits, loss of relatives and friends to the virus and loss of optimism about the future. Jupiter went retrograde at 28 degrees Capricorn on May 14^th and will emerge from its Retrograde Shadow at 28 degrees Capricorn on December 7^th. For many, the prospect of a democrat in the White House again gives something to hope for. Voting by mail may be the safest way to avoid fraud at the polls. Voting by mail may also delay the outcome of the U.S. Presidential Election for up to a month. With the dismantling of the U.S. Postal Service being carried out behind the scenes under orders from the Postmaster General, “the earlier the better” is the time to mail your ballot. Mail in many locations is already being delayed by weeks. Between September 12^th and December 7^th some will experience a renewed sense of cautious optimism in the nomination of the democratic presidential ticket. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris make a formidable affront to the Trump/Pence ticket.

The three presidential debates will be held:

September 29^th at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio

October 15^th at Arsht Center For the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida

October 22^nd at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee

The vice presidential debate will be held on October 7^th at the Univ of Utah in Salt Lake, Utah.

 The practical and analytical Virgo Sun will make three harmonious trines to the outer planets in Capricorn this month: 1) A day of good results for hard work with a lucky twist is experienced by Earth and water sign natives on Wednesday, September 9^th when the Sun makes a harmonious trine to Jupiter at noon. 2)Earth and water sign natives, Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn and Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces will feel they are “in the zone” of effective good work and progress on important projects on Monday, September 14^th when the Sun in Virgo trines Pluto at 7:09 p.m. EDT. The late hour of the waxing of this aspect gives it the potential to be experienced all day. 3)Earth and water sign natives will again feel the ability to make progress with integrity on Thursday, September 17^th when the Sun in Virgo will make a harmonious trine to integrity-conscious Saturn. This aspect perfects at 5:36 p.m. EDT causing it to be felt all day. If you have the Moon or other planets in earth or water signs, you are likely to experience a welcome sense of increased optimism and abundance on the 9^th, the 14^th or the 17th as well.

The New Moon in Virgo arrives at 7 a.m. EDT on Thursday, September 17^th. This New Moon waxes at 25 degrees Virgo and makes a number of notable aspects. The first is a challenging square to both the North Node and South Node of the Moon which are currently located at 24 degrees Gemini and Sagittarius. This is the first Sun square to the Nodes of their 18-month journey through these signs. A New Moon indicates new energy is being birthed. With the nodes in Gemini and Sagittarius we are likely to experience a challenge between what we know and what we realize we don’t know. Practical knowledge versus philosophical knowledge is spotlighted now. A mutable square is often seen at times when a surge of religious or philosophical fundamentalism causes major military clashes, outbreaks of war and protests. This New Moon at 25 degrees Virgo also opposes transiting Neptune now located at 20 degrees Pisces. Disillusionment (Pisces) and biting analytical insults (Virgo) are likely to fly now between the U.S. presidential candidates as well as in our personal lives. Don’t let yourself be caught up in negativity and fear-mongering at this time. Hold the faith, not just for yourself but for your family, friends and colleagues. This has been a time of unprecedented catastrophe worldwide. This too shall pass. We SHALL overcome!

Ahh! The Sun dives headfirst into the justice-seeking winds of Libra on Tuesday the 22^nd at 9:31 a.m. EDT. This Autumnal Equinox has very dynamic energy with a truth-seeking Moon in Sagittarius. Celebrate the Autumnal Equinox in all its glory this morning as you awake. Sit in meditation on the change of seasons and send out some prayers for those who need assistance now. Despite the activist energy of this day, don’t forget to set some creative goals for the fall. What self-centering project can you do this fall, solo or in a group of people of like mind? Would cleaning up a stream give you satisfaction? Would creating a work of art or attending a gallery showing or performance light your creative fire? The Sun will reign in the beautiful, peace making sign of Libra from September 22^nd to October 21^st this year. Libra Sun sign folks are the diplomats of the planet. Refined and yet powerfully motivated to initiate “might for what’s right,” the Libran can often be seen as the “iron fist in the velvet glove.” Never content with the status quo, Librans often work tirelessly toward important goals in the fields of justice, activism, diplomacy, art and design. Happy Birthday dear Scales!

Mercury shifts from Libra to Scorpio on Sunday the 27^th. Mercury in Scorpio will be dredging up some major secrets held by the U.S. presidential candidates until November 10^th, one week after Election Day. A Mercury Retrograde from October 14^th to November 3^rd (the very day of the Election) will serve to create high drama at every turn. We couldn’t ask for a more nail-biting, high stakes election environment!

Finally, taskmaster Saturn (planet of time measurement and self-discipline) returns to direct movement on Tuesday the 29^th at 1:11 a.m. EDT. Saturn has been retrograde since May 11^th at 2 degrees Aquarius--a full 4 and a half months. When Saturn goes direct the “ball gets rolling.” If you have been hesitant to pull the trigger on a major purchase or the establishing of a business, consider that a favorable time to do so is now within sight. You can create a good establishment aspect for a business or home purchase as of October 16^th with the New Moon in Libra.

Thank you for your patience with the on-going process of writing the astrology column. The Libra Birthday Year Aspects will come out Friday, September 18^th with the Virgo New Moon.