How’d you go with the August eclipses? You might recall that eclipses always involve the ’soul compass points’, the Nodes. Whether you felt a big or small upgrade to your inner sense of direction, hopefully you now feel more in sync with your own version of ‘true north’. For myself, the second August eclipse brought a magical synchronicity that led to finding a perfect new home.
In typical eclipse fashion, I first felt the downside by suddenly becoming dissatisfied with the decision I’d made to housesit long-term. On the day of the eclipse, I headed off for my next housesitting gig and dropped in to visit a relatively new friend/colleague on the way. The eclipse was making an alignment to my Neptune, and for those of you who know a bit about Neptune (and its associated zodiac sign Pisces) you won’t be surprised to hear that I absent-mindedly locked my keys in the car. While waiting about 1.5 hours for the RACV (naturally they were busy on eclipse day!) my new friend/colleague suddenly asked me to move in with her. This was totally out of left-field but an absolutely perfect solution to my situation. If my human self had tried to lead me to my new home, it would never have done such a brilliant job. So a big thank you to my soul self which came through at eclipse time!
By the way, despite my house move, I’m still consulting in North Carlton on Fridays and teaching in Northcote 
All in all, September has a much nicer feel to it than the preceding months. Two significant planets come out of backward motion, Jupiter on the 8th, and Pluto on the 9th. With those two moving direct, much that has been difficult to comprehend or complete will fall into place. Yet give these two planets a couple of weeks to pick up speed, as generally planets are a bit slow and sleepy after first turning direct. Life is likely to make better sense then. Even when hitches arise, it’ll be far easier to see what’s behind them and how to deal with them. By the time of the Spring Equinox on the 23rd, the spring feeling will truly have kicked in.
Jupiter wakes up our sense of optimism and faith in the future. It’s not as easy to keep the faith when Jupiter is travelling Retro, so after the 8th, each of us is likely to receive an enthusiasm boost. When Pluto is retrograde we often feel stuck in life’s darkness. Our faults and the faults of others can become overwhelming. Yet with Pluto moving direct after the 9th, we are likely to foster a greater acceptance of life’s natural shadow side. We all have ‘dark pasts’ – it can’t be any other way given that a major part of the human journey is to become more and more awake (i.e. to bring more of ourselves ‘to light’, to consciousness, with each passing day). After Pluto goes direct we are likely to feel more comfortable with forgiving and healing our ‘dark’.
The Spring Equinox offers a time of balance in the year, when day and night are equal (i.e. light and dark are in harmony). This year we get one day of harmony before Mercury turns Retrograde on the 24th and sends us into the dark again momentarily! Fortunately Mercury is only Retro for three weeks, so by mid-October clarity will resume. As ever, when Mercury is Retro it’s important to check all details before rushing into anything. If you are signing a contract, read the fineprint, if you are buying new equipment, do your research before making purchases. If possible, put off signing or buying until after Mercury has gone direct. Take extra care in your communications with others, when meeting for appointments or travelling on public transport or by road. Computers also have a tendency to go haywire during Mercury Retro periods. I remember last October when Mercury was Retro my trusty computer gave up the ghost and I had to buy a new one. The computer is great but some of the extras that came with it are not so good – perhaps a lingering symptom of buying under Mercury Retro.
This month there’s a lovely alignment between Jupiter, planet of expansion, and Saturn, planet of contraction. Known as a trine, this alignment offers ease and flow in making visions and dreams real. When Jupiter operates without Saturn or in conflict with Saturn, it’s difficult to manifest ideas. Yet throughout September, Jupiter and Saturn collaborate beneficially. Jupiter inspires us with brilliant plans while Saturn helps us to actually take risks and put ourselves out there rather than just philosophise over what we want to do. It’s an added benefit that Jupiter is in Capricorn and Saturn in Virgo. Being in earth signs there’s double the chance that we truly will make some of our dreams real.
September’s Full Moon falls on the 15th at 7.14 pm at 23 degrees Pisces. This occurs at the time in the month when the Jupiter-Saturn alignment is at its peak. The intuitive richness of Pisces increases the chance of tapping into the dreams that we want to make real. Yet at the time of the full moon, a bit of ‘lunacy’ (from the word ‘lunar’) can erupt and this is even more possible when in the ‘otherwordly’ sign Pisces. It’s common to feel energised under a full moon and to want to get out and party. But beware those who have been drinking too much or engaging in other drug-taking. The combination of drugs/alcohol and a Pisces full moon can bring out the hysterical in some. On the other hand, this is a very rich time for meditation or deep relaxation to access soul wisdom.
September’s New Moon happens on the 29th at 6.13 pm at 7 degrees Libra. For those of you wanting to manifest a new relationship, this is the time to plant the seeds. New Moons are excellent for meditating on new beginnings and Libra is all about relationships. Throughout September focus on what you want to release from past experiences of relationships that haven’t worked, so that by the 29th you’ll be ready to focus on what you do want. Libra is also about balance, peace, harmony, beauty and co-operation. I’m sure many of us could do with bigger doses of those qualities in our lives – they’re certainly worth meditating on too. And for any of you artistic types, the Libra New Moon brings an opportunity to tap into deeper levels of creativity.
Enjoy the extra freedom and flow that September brings and Happy Spring Equinox!