Sep 2023
Hot and Sweet

Get ready to pivot. Venus & Jupiter station the first week of September, and Mercury stations midway through the month. These changes of direction signal subtle shifts in the atmosphere – or not-so-subtle, for those with natal planets in their path.

Then comes the Equinox (9/22), when we get a shift of a different kind.

Strut your stuff

Venus turns direct on September 3rd at twelve Leo. You don’t have to have a planet at exactly that degree to feel the heat. Any natal placements around the 12th degree, especially of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) should be able to cop a jolt of fiery sweetness. Put your feelers out.

Venus has been in Leo ever since June 5th, a transit prolonged by her direct/retrograde/ direct zig-zagging. Make use of her playful spark. At best, Venus in Leo is like a healthy child: demonstrably creative, not demure and understated, as she’ll be next month when in Virgo (10/8-11/8).

In Leo she likes to strut her stuff, and once she goes direct, her extroversion will be even stronger. We’ll be performing our artistry rather than merely expressing it. For those already so inclined, it should be easier for an audience to find you.

But when Venus moves into her square with Jupiter (9/16-17) be careful not to overdue. Everyone loves a heartfelt performer, but nobody likes a show-off.

Think big

When Jupiter stations on the 4th, your fixed signs will buzz even louder. Coming to a standstill at 15 degrees, Jupiter has been in Taurus since May. It has been expanding whatever financial issues we already have.

Popular lore has it that this transit is great for making money. But Jupiter – the planet of more — doesn’t necessarily augur upwards expansion; just expansion. In Taurus, it does tend to shine a green light on monetary projects, but that doesn’t mean you’ll win the lottery.

On a global scale the transit has been prompting big shifts in the business world – unusually reckless outlays, in some quarters (we’re looking at you, Elon). Whether we respond well to these growth spurts or not depends on us, not on some inherent beneficence of the planet. Jupiter wants us to think bigger, to broaden our perspective; in this case, about the material world (Taurus).

This could mean taking risks financially, but it’s really about our understanding of resources. For over-prudent folks, or those with a sense of lack, the transit could psychologically loosen them up. For others, it could offer a philosophical lesson about what truly constitutes worth: the value, for example, of a stand of ancient trees, relative to that of a new luxury resort.

What is real?

Just before the Equinox, the Sun opposes Neptune (9/18-19). Instead of trying to be realistic during this period, contemplate the notion of realism. Our world confers more credibility upon that which is measurable and countable (Virgo), but transits like these cast doubt (Pisces) upon this assumption.

Are the grains of sand on a beach more real than fog rolling over the ocean?

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