Current Transits for September 2014 Current Transits for September 2014Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Jupiter Quincunx Pluto, 9-5
Full Moon at 16Pi19, 9-8
Mars enters Scorpio, 9-13
Pluto Direct Station at 10Cp59, 9-22
Jupiter Quincunx Chiron, 9-23
New Moon at 1Li07, 9-24
Jupiter Trine Uranus, 9-25
An online ephemeris for the month is available.
I hope you appreciated the burst of planetary energy we experienced in late August with all those Koz Alerts. As we head into September, all that power is dissipating again and we quickly head back into the doldrums. At first glance, the month looks like one long, noisy transition period with only occasional bursts of energy to break the monotony. Unlike the first half of the year, when the outer planets grouped together into a hefty backbone for numerous storms, these same outer planets are now scattered all over and are hardly working together at all. With no backbone, it's hard to build any strength in the waveforms. This gives a weak, aimless feeling to the month, as if we're going nowhere in particular. On the other hand, we are approaching Pluto's direct station (on the 22nd), one of the more critical influences we encounter each year. Pay attention to any situation in your life that has been giving you trouble lately or is difficult to hold together. It's time to decide whether it's worth putting in all this effort to hold onto this part of your life or whether you should hang it up and let this area simply fall apart. It seems this station loves to bring up problem areas for your review, especially involving things that you've outgrown but haven't given up. The decision should be pretty simple in principle: if it falls apart this month, let go of it. Unfortunately, people are stubborn, so we may be prone to ignore this cosmic lesson and persist anyway. Let me just remind you, when Pluto comes calling, he never takes "no" for an answer. Resistance is futile, so don't make your life more difficult than it needs to be. Life is much simpler if you just toss this area overboard and move on. On the lighter side, optimistic Jupiter is trying to pull all this scattered energy together, forming 3 "big aspects" this month. It makes life a little easier, perhaps, but he's not really successful. I suspect this month is better at tying up loose ends and bringing things to conclusions than for starting something new. Not glamorous, perhaps, but if you lighten your load now, it will make things much easier down the road.
The overriding news story this month is Pluto's direct station on the 22nd. There are 3 "big aspects" to consider. The only sign change is when Mars goes into Sagittarius.
Jupiter is quincunx Pluto on the 5th. This is the first of 3 contacts for this new aspect. The remaining contacts are on 2015-2-27 and 2015-5-21. The trouble with quincunx aspects is they try to combine two planetary energies, but somehow there's a mismatch going on. The planets are just not talking to each other effectively, causing a subtle discord or crossed purposes. Jupiter in Leo is a "look at me!" kind of placement. Leo is the sign most connected with the ego, while Jupiter is expansive, flamboyant and rather flashy. It makes a person want to reach out and connect up with others, especially if there is some self-benefit to be realized. Pluto in Capricorn is much quieter and circumspect. Capricorn is low key and all business, about as opposite from flashy as you can get. Pluto takes you inward to your depths, separates you from all the masks and pretenses that often go with your social behavior. It's this tension between moving out into the world, but without the usual games and roles we rely upon, that is behind this aspect. Pluto requires you to act from your deepest nature, while Jupiter is more superficial in many ways. It seems to be a lesson in the right use of ego in our lives, putting yourself in harmony with the world around you. Avoid gamesmanship during the coming year, particularly the misuse of power to control others. Power issues and Pluto never mix well, generally causing a backlash that bites you back. On the other hand, if someone is trying to lord over you, you may need to push back at them, even if it causes conflict. While this is a challenging aspect, I doubt it will be overly troublesome, unless you are particularly thick headed or self-centered. Jupiter tends to smooth over a lot of harsh edges. Go gently with others, if you can.
The waveform for the full moon is somewhat deceptive. It shows 3 or 4 distinct peaks at 4, 11, 16 and 27 degrees of each sign and looks pretty disorganized. But if you squish the planets at 11 and 16 degrees together and throw in a few asteroids, there's more structure going on here than you'd expect. About 11 of the 15 bodies I follow fall into this fan-shaped pattern, which is quite remarkable. In this fan are 5 points of a 6 pointed star, a rather rare configuration! There's also a Grand Cross in here. The only planets that fall outside this grouping are Venus opposite Neptune, and Mars.
Generally speaking, a sextile fan (planets every 60 degrees) is a highly beneficial and constructive influence. The devil is in the details, particularly the kinds of planets in the mix. The full moon in Pisces itself is next to Chiron, bringing many of the emotional issues discussed elsewhere to the fore. People may be more touchy and sensitive than usual, because their emotional woundedness is closer to the surface than normal. This sensitivity is also hinted at by the Venus-Neptune connection, planets that are associated with the feelings and matters of the heart. Juno, the asteroid who rules over relationships, is widely opposite Pluto, so partners are prone to see misunderstandings as personal slights. At cross purposes to this opposition is another one, between Uranus and Mercury-Pallas this time. There's a lot of mental energy in this arm of the cross to counter the emotional forces, but I don't see these two tendencies working smoothly with each other. If anything, such a light hearted attitude is apt to come off as flippant or superficial, the exact opposite of what Pluto-Juno is expecting. The Virgo Sun says to be practical and level headed, which may or may not come across well to others. Saturn and Vesta in tight formation over in Scorpio makes us hide our feelings and play our cards close to the chest, since they are both reclusive in nature. At least Jupiter in Leo, just starting to pass through this fan territory, is a chill out, take it easy kind of influence. In short, this is a very complex psychological pattern liable to play out dramatically in relationships. The issues that come up between people are indicative of the personal issues and problems each person is facing, or more precisely, avoiding. Use these issues as a mirror of your inner world, of what you're hiding (even from yourself) and what you need to release. If you find yourself in numerous soap opera situations, maybe you need to clean up your act. In the big picture, this month is all about Pluto, the deep unconscious. Individuals are always their own worst enemies. With all these sextiles and trines, maybe an inner truce is in order. Give each other some slack...
Mars moves from Scorpio into Sagittarius on the 13th. He'll be in this sign until Oct 26, when he heads into Capricorn. While Mars is in one of his home signs in Scorpio, it's a very emotionally intense placement prone to producing a number of soap operas in your life, as well as wear and tear on your relationships. The ego tends to get out of control here. Sagittarius is a much lighter and carefree placement. It helps Mars relax and take life in a more laid back manner. Compulsion and obsession are replaced by passion, enthusiasm and an urge to explore the world freely. It's a good time to check out new goals and pursuits that may interest you, or make big plans for the future. However, Sag is just not that good at settling on one goal and plugging away at it or putting plans into action. He's too much of a gadfly for that. Leave the hard work for when Mars enters Capricorn. As long as you don't take on too much responsibility, use this time to explore and relax. Enjoy the lighter energy while it lasts!
Pluto reaches his direct station of 10Cp59 on the 22nd, just hours before the fall equinox. This completes a retrograde cycle that began back on Apr 14, when he stopped at his retrograde station of 13Cp34. I've long had a fascination with the phenomenon of Pluto's retrograde cycles, though this is one astrological influence that is more fun to watch up in the bleachers than endure down on the playing field. We all come into this world with our own private spiritual agenda, those lessons to learn and tasks to perform that form our individual reasons for being here. The trouble with this picture is we also suffer from amnesia -- we've forgotten why we're here. It's easy to get distracted by the perks and benefits of life on the material plane, to choose the easy path in endless ways over the harder chore of staying on task with your spiritual mission. It's Pluto's role to remind us occasionally why we're here and urge us to take up our missions again. From time to time, he chooses some area of your life where you've become too cozy and comfortable and starts to pick away at it. You can sometimes get a feel for what area needs reform by studying which house in your chart Pluto is currently passing through and which of your natal planets he's aspecting. Even then, the best of us can be caught off guard by this predictable process. It usually starts quietly and imperceptibly. Some area of your life that has gone on smoothly for years, an area you are quite comfortable with or have become attached to, gradually starts to cause more trouble than usual and demand more of your attention. If you aren't aware of what's going on (and few of us will be), the tendency is to put your attention there and try to patch up the problems. This only makes Pluto become more insistent that we listen to him, because he never takes "no" for an answer. Over the 5 months of the cycle, his message becomes louder and more shrill until we start to wake up from our inattention and figure out what the problem is. Your efforts to hold things together take up more and more of your time and energy with fewer positive results each time. By the time you reach the direct station, he's done with subtle hints and mild reminders. He gets out the dynamite and sledge hammers instead. Whatever the area where you've been resisting, he simply demolishes it and snatches it from your grasp. This area could be anything you hold dear. Favorite possessions fall apart, tools stop working, jobs turn unsatisfactory, friendships go on the skids -- the list is endless. I describe the direct station as the time when the shit hits the fan and buries it -- Pluto's telling you that you didn't really need a fan after all. Keep in mind that this kind of destruction isn't just confined to a few days around the actual station. The Dark Lord is a slow moving planet, doubly so now, and is essentially standing still the entire month. This showdown can be a protracted affair, rarely working on your schedule or conforming to your expectations.
There are two major ways people respond to this rude assault. The more typical way is to go kicking and screaming, protesting the injustice of this imposition in angry terms. You double your efforts to hold on in spite of the overwhelming forces that are tearing this area down. In the end, this favorite area of yours collapses anyway, causing you endless frustration and pain. The other way is to recognize what is going on, that you're better off letting go of this area. By cooperating with Pluto and agreeing with his lesson, you minimize the pain and suffering involved, though not the grief at your loss. Either way, that area is gone, it's history. It's your choice how much trouble and frustration you want to take on in this process. From the ego's point of view, this amounts to a big defeat or loss (which it is), but from the spiritual perspective, this is just getting back to your original reason for being alive. We all tend to go soft on the physical plane and need to be toughened up when facing our higher purposes. You can always tell when a person is in the grips of Pluto. There's a toughness about them, they seem "lean and mean", less concerned with the normal interests in life and more interested in higher matters. This is the image of what I call the "spiritual warrior" personality, someone who is on the planet to carry out his spiritual tasks without his ego getting tangled up. It's hard to really love the Dark Lord for this role he plays in our lives (especially when you're in the thick of it) and in fact, most people consider him a malefic planet, a dangerous or evil troublemaker. More to the point, he's the voice of your higher self, reminding you who you truly are. Resistance to this process is really rebellion against your own spirit, not some external fate or bad luck. All your anger and frustration is misplaced. Learn to live with yourself in harmony instead of fighting against your higher self. This is one of the hardest lessons of all to master...
Jupiter is quincunx Chiron on the 23rd. This is the first of 3 contacts. The other two contacts fall on 2015-2-17 and 2015-6-30. One of the most valuable tools to have on the spiritual path is a healthy, balanced ego. It's also one of the hardest gifts to attain, between our own thick-headedness and the demands of society upon us. This aspect addresses some of the issues holding us back the coming year. In mythology, Chiron was the teacher of the Greek heroes, giving them the knowledge and skills needed for becoming spiritual masters. But before we mere humans can attain such mastery, we've got a lot of "baggage from the past" that we need to work through first. Chiron is in Pisces, a highly emotional sign (though not as big a swamp as Scorpio) that leads us from this world to the higher planes. Before we can reclaim the warm enthusiasm and joy of living that Jupiter in Leo promises, we need to work through the emotional baggage we acquired while growing up. The lower side of Chiron is the process of socialization, of turning the wild and free spirit in the young child into society's version of what a "good person" should be. We daily encounter situations where our untamed nature does something unacceptable. There are endless messages to settle down, be more normal, behave according to accepted standards. Everyday, you store more and more of your nature in the dark psychic closet in the back of your mind and shut down a little more each time. Chiron transits are times to open up the closet door and reclaim some of this hidden treasure. Granted, some of these restrictive lessons are necessary to making normal social interactions possible (and Jupiter just loves to mingle!), but not when the person is totally stifled in the process. Given the heavy emotional overlays of guilt and shame that taint the treasures in your closet, it can be awfully hard to accept and reclaim these gifts of yours without feeling bad about yourself. Turn some of Jupiter's magnanimous and generous qualities back onto yourself. Forgive yourself for being human, give yourself a break. It's OK to feel good about yourself. You can't fully engage others with a warm, open heart until you get past all this "good person" baggage first. It's a worthy task for the coming year.
Unlike the full moon, the chart for the new moon is genuinely chaotic. Not even the asteroids can change this much. The key planet seems to be Jupiter which was quincunx Chiron yesterday and is trine Uranus tomorrow; in addition, he's octile the new moon point. A couple of asteroids round out this small group. Half the bodies in the chart are stuffed into one 60 degree sector of the chart (late Virgo to late Scorpio), including 4 in Libra alone. Other than this cluster, the chart looks pretty ragged.
When faced with a chart that is devoid of the usual structure I like to look at, there's always a question of what else I can talk about and where to start. The Jupiter situation and the Libra cluster are the obvious starting points. Jupiter in Leo, the healthy ego lesson again. His contact with Chiron brings up the old emotional issues we discussed earlier, all that old baggage we stuffed in the psychic closet. On the other hand, there's the liberating contact he has with Uranus on the 25th, a call to break free from limiting ideas and mental ruts. This by itself would be enough to handle. Since Jupiter is also connected with the Sun and Moon, these influences hit us in an especially personal way. Since the new moon is part of that Libra cluster, this inner rearrangement will affect the people and relationships around you. The more you break out of your limitations and act more freely, the more people will notice the change in you -- and they may not like the change. The relationships that are the weakest or least mature will be the ones that give you the most trouble and blow back, while the healthier ones are more likely to embrace your growth. You'll be able to tell the difference pretty easily. Meanwhile, Pluto is finally moving forward again at a snail's pace. All those Pluto station issues, the breaking points waiting to collapse, will finally start resolving themselves somehow. This may involve letting go of old friends or people that are out of step with your spiritual growth. Use these situations as a mirror of your inner state. Other than these hints, the coming weeks are rather mirky. See what you can make of this time...
PS -- Heads up: the full moon and new moon in October are both eclipses.
Jupiter is trine Uranus on the 25th. Again, this is the first of 3 contacts, with further contacts on 2015-3-3 and 2015-6-22. If the preceding transits have been too much of a downer for you, maybe this aspect will lift your mood. Both of these planets are known for their distinctive mental qualities. Jupiter is more conventional wisdom or a broad, philosophical approach to life, while Uranus is the "crazy wisdom" that sees the world from totally new perspectives each time he makes another intuitive leap. Since this is an easy-going trine aspect, these two ways of understanding the world seem to work together exceedingly well, feeding off each other. They are both in fire signs, which enhances intuitive insight even more. These contacts the coming year are a great opportunity to engage in mental play for its own sake, to explore ideas and break out of conventional ruts in your thinking. Just be careful not to get carried away by all these freedom loving, self motivating energies to the point where you can't relate to the people around you. Keep in mind that Jupiter in Leo expands your ego, not just your thinking mind. Other than that, this is an aspect that is very liberating to the mind. Find some topic that intrigues you, even if it has no purpose you can see, and dive in! Uranus has a way of guiding you down new paths that you normally would ignore, opening up your life to strange, novel influences that only show their worth later on. Above all, have fun! Uranus is a planet of surprises and unexpected detours that outshine your original path. There's no reason to remain a normal person under these vibes...