Astrological Forecast: September 2020 Horoscope

I always find the turning of the later months of the year a bit jarring. As we enter into September, many of us can’t help but wonder: where has the year gone? We start off this month in the heart of Virgo season, which is the time of “getting back to work” after the easy summer months in the Northern Hemisphere—which might be part of why it feels like a wake-up call. Virgo is often associated with harvest and gradual whereas the scales of Libra represents balance and justice. Karmic return may be an underlying theme of the month—a reaping of what has been sown. A lot of what is transpiring this month will be based on events and ways of being from the past, and may even feel out of our present control. Yet, if we are willing to take an honest look, we may just recognize how the tides that sweep over us in September have been creeping towards us for quite some time. While there is a lot of desire to push forward, slow and steady wins the race this month, especially with Mars going retrograde in Aries on September 9th.

We usher in the month with a Full Moon on September 2nd in Pisces, which only adds to the sense of being woken from a dream we may not have even realized we were in, especially being joined with Neptune in retrograde. We are becoming aware of the subconscious ways we have been holding ourselves back: habits, addictions, dysfunctional relationships, grudges, et cetera. We are essentially having a mirror turned directly on us. Everything we have ignored will be screaming to be heard. We often find fault in our problems or issues themselves, rather than the underlying roots which sustain them. While I believe there is an incredible power in setting new intentions or committing to positive lifestyle changes, these declarations become all the more potent and lasting when we make the shift internally, rather than focusing solely on the behavior itself. Consider the ways these old ways of being may have actually served or protected you at one point. Maladaptive behavior is often a pattern that allowed us to cope with previous circumstances or meet needs that could not be met otherwise—meaning it was once adaptive but now holds us back. What patterns have outlasted their use to you? We may find ourselves relapsing with addictions or defaulting to unhealthy behaviors, but these instances can serve to catalyze real change if we reflect on why they keep recurring.

Jupiter, the planet of expansion, growth, excess, faith, miracles, and karmic rewards has been retrograde in the sign of Capricorn since May. Jupiter can easily feel confined in Capricorn, which has a tendency to test the planets passing through it. It goes without saying that 2020 has definitely been a year where our sense of faith has been pushed to its limits, if not lost to us entirely. The few of us who have found or held onto our faith are the ones who have mastered it. True faith doesn’t reside in the certainty of a positive outcome, but a deep trust in the process—especially when it’s uncomfortable. Faith doesn’t necessarily mean inaction either, especially with so much Virgo energy in the air. September is month of taking gradual steps towards our goals or ends. The New Moon in Virgo on September 17th is the perfect opportunity to establish new routines or daily practices, especially those that are centered around health or wellness, which can ultimately lead us towards realizing our aspirations. All that being said, we might just feel our spirits lifting around September 13th, when Jupiter stations direct. Where has your faith been tested in the past several months? You are likely to hear engines roaring to life again, even if it doesn’t necessarily take you anywhere this month… although you might just notice labors from the past yielding sudden or unexpected fruits.

“Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up. It’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.'”― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Saturn, the planet of focus, discipline, restriction, trials, and karmic lessons has also been retrograde in Aquarius since May and returned to Capricorn in July. As if doubling the weight placed on Jupiter, Saturn has also been causing all sorts of lessons and profound changes (along with Pluto) in our world at large—the economy, government, and systems of power. Saturn also sparked the need for change and social justice when it briefly entered the revolutionary sign Aquarius from March to July. Saturn is a powerful planet, and I have mentioned in the previous blogs that this year is akin to a tug-of-war between the new and the old systems of power. Whatever progress is made can easily feel suppressed by resistance or prominent figures trying to maintain their own status. We may see this continue to see this inertia in social change throughout the year, right up until the end of the year when Saturn transits uninterrupted in Aquarius through the next few years—a conversation for a later date. When Saturn goes direct on September 29th, don’t despair if you start noticing lessons, themes, or patterns that you thought you moved past resurfacing.

Mars retrograding in Aries throughout most of the month can leave many of us feeling depleted or agitated. Mars is an action-oriented planet and generally doesn’t feel good when it’s energy is being slowed down or turned inward. Conflict or disagreements can easily slip into fruitless power struggles. Sexual energies might be challenged. Ironically the more we resist this retrograde, the more agitated we can become. An image comes to mind of a young child that doesn't want to go to bed. The more exhausted the child becomes, the greater the struggle and insistence on staying awake. Don't resist the urge to rest or sleep during this time—which is likely to come over us in waves. September 24th might be an especially easy time for conflict to erupt, when Mars opposes Mercury (communication) in Libra, particularly in our intimate or closest relationships. While it might be tempting to try and resolve conflict or get your point across, just be aware that the collective energy might make that particularly challenging. On the other hand, it can be very easy to perceive conflict as “wrong,” or “beneath us,” when it functions to bring issues that demand our attention to the center of our awareness. What has been festering beneath the surface in your life? What issues must be resolved for you to move forward? You can most certainly count on issues coming to light in the next couple of months. Anger evolved as a means to establish a sense of power in situations where we feel out of control—it’s about survival—which is why it can feel like life or death. What makes you feel powerless? How might a need to take control possibly hurt your situation? I'll admit this retrograde Mars energy can take on a dark, destructive, or ominous tone given the times we are in. Your ability to hold and be present your own discomfort or agitation will be paramount in your dealings with the world around throughout the rest of the year. September is month for completing or returning to old goals or projects, rather than embarking on new ventures, and may not feel as efficient or productive as we’d like it to be.

Appropriate to this Virgo season, the two tarot cards that come to mind are The Hermit and the Knight of Pentacles. The Hermit reminds us that our inner guidance is like starlight—easy to lose in the bright lights and fast pace of our modern lives. Sometimes we must remove ourselves from the world for our light to reveal itself to us, whether we discover it in isolation or seek out a mentor who can help us find it. Similarly, the Knight of Pentacles is the slowest moving of all the knights. Not one who tends towards reactivity, his approach is methodical, persistent, and steady. This knight understands that excellence cannot be rushed and that most good things come with time. Many of us find ourselves conditioned by the sonic speed of capitalist society. We have mistaken business as productivity. Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is gather yourself and chart your next move, instead of responding as quickly as possible. Reflection, introspection, and meditation are all powerful tools that cannot be overstated for the roaring currents we may find ourselves in this month.

As we wrap things up and take a look at the transits this month, I just want to remind you that this blog is very general. If you would like to have a greater understanding of how this aspects and transits may affect you personally, I highly recommend that you take a look at a natal chart calculator such as this one. Without further ado, here is what is happening in the stars for September 2020:

Happy Virgo season! Libra season commences on September 22nd.

- Mercury in Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn on September 1st.

- Full Moon in Pisces on September 2nd.

- Venus in Cancer opposite Saturn in Capricorn on September 2nd.

- Mercury in Virgo trine Saturn in Capricorn on September 3rd.

- Venus in Cancer square Mars in Aries on September 4th.

- Mercury in Virgo sextile Venus in Cancer on September 4th.

- Mercury enters Libra on September 5th.

- Venus enters Leo on September 6th.

- Sun in Virgo trine Jupiter in Capricorn on September 9th.

- Mars stations retrograde in Aries on September 9th.

- Sun in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces on September 11th.

- Jupiter stations direct in Capricorn on September 13th.

- Sun in Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn on September 14th.

- Venus in Leo square Uranus in Taurus on September 15th.

- Mercury in Libra square Jupiter in Capricorn on September 17th.

- New Moon in Virgo on September 17th.

- Sun in Virgo trine Saturn in Capricorn on September 17th.

- Mercury in Libra square Pluto in Capricorn on September 21st.

- Sun enters Libra on September 22nd.

- Mercury in Libra square Saturn in Capricorn on September 23rd.

- Mercury in Libra opposite Mars in Aries on September 24th.

- Mercury enters Scorpio on September 27th.

- Venus in Leo trine Mars in Aries on September 29th.

- Saturn stations direct in Capricorn on September 29th.

- Mars in Aries square Saturn in Capricorn on September 29th.