Summary: In Plain English
Mars in Taurus August 10 - October 15
Venus Transits Leo August 31 - September 23
Mercury Retrograde in Virgo September 9 - October 1
Full Moon in Aquarius/Purvabhadra September 10
Sun Transits Virgo September 16 - October 17
Retrograde Jupiter Opposite Retrograde Mercury September 18
Venus Transits Virgo September 23 - October 17
New Moon in Virgo/Uttaraphalguni September 25

Summary: In Plain English

For an in-depth analysis of specific planetary placements, please continue with the full planetary forecast.

Mars in Taurus August 10 - October 15

Around the time that Mars moved to Taurus on August 10, the Moon was also becoming full and it seemed that a tide of changes came in, leaving us dealing with a new set of problems or opportunities. The Mars + Rahu combination in Aries was very intense from June 27 - August 10, creating a potentially explosive atmosphere. We may feel a bit more stable with powerful Mars occupying Taurus, a markedly less volatile environment.

Mars will move through Taurus from August 10 to October 15 and then shift to Gemini, where he begins a retrograde period on October 30 that takes him back to Taurus on November 14. Mars continues retrograde through Taurus, becoming direct again January 13, 2023 and then slowly proceeding direct through Taurus once again until March 12, 2023. This means that Mars will be spending an unusual amount of time in Taurus during the next six months, which implies that we are wise to strategize how to channel the firepower of Mars.

Forward movement and retrograde movement of the same planet may yield different results. While progressing in forward motion, we can expect the usual from Mars: strength, strategy, resourcefulness, aggression, force. While retrograde, the same traits could emerge but with a twist that leaves Mars' results either stronger or weaker, unpredictable or out of character. The retrograde portion runs through November, December and half of January. Due to the predicted instability during that time, it could be supportive of re-working, not working, deconstruction and intensive planning.

For September, we see Mars strongly moving forward all month, pushing his power into creative projects and relationship building. Due to the ability to aspect, which means having the influence of a planet projected into other signs in addition to where the planet is transiting, Mars will also affect the signs of Leo, Scorpio and Sagittarius in addition to Taurus. Three of these signs are “fixed” meaning that they are known for stability, stubbornness, and durability. This is a good time to start working on projects that have long-term implications. Build to last!

The sign of Leo, out of these signs, will be the one to watch. With Mars' power flowing into Leo in addition to Rahu's quirky and chaotic aspect from Aries, we could see some volatile influences on our Leo friends during September and October. This is a strong and powerful creative energy that can be harnessed to build; make sure to proceed with deliberation and attention to safety measures.

The Sun will also be transiting through Leo until mid-September, increasing the fire power. We are also granted the courage and strength to stand up for ourselves here, which could range from saying no to unsupportive relationships to taking the stage and using our voice. Make use of this glowing power of Mars and Sun while taking care not to get burned in the process.

Venus Transits Leo August 31 - September 23

The firefighter, Venus, champion of the water element, moves into Leo on August 31, giving us some additional cushion through September 23. Venus as the ruler of Taurus has some say in how fiery Mars expresses himself during this time. That means that in practice, we can use the compassion and care of Venus to make sure that we aren't flame throwing in a destructive manner or infringing on the space or territory of others as we build our dreams.

Leo is ruled by the Sun, who teaches us the noble way to look out for #1. Venus' desire is to feature unity as a backdrop, highlighting how we overlap, commune and show up as one. For the first half of September, the relationship queen (Venus) shares the throne room with the gilded king (Sun.)

To put it bluntly, the opposing agendas of the self (Sun) and other (Venus), aspected by both Mars and Rahu through mid-September, could drive those unsuitable relationships right off the road or, with a different perspective, put those meant-to-be solo journeys right on the road! In contrast, this could be the time when pending connections, partnerships or relationships actually begin to spark, starting a possible long-term collaboration.

Even though Sun and Venus have the contrasting jobs of reminding us how hard it is to be either alone or together, their common ground includes creativity, generosity, glamor, arts, and entertainment. In this light, take the creative crucible and fill it up. Record those things and mess around with your media of choice. Do your magic!

Remember, intuitive Ketu has been occupying Venus' other sign, Libra. With both Mars and Ketu occupying Venus' signs for the next six months, we are remiss in our duties if we don't spend ample time in the lab/studio/kitchen/cave. Deeply rooted themes can be woven into the current work at hand for a layer of strength that could drive the project.

Mercury Retrograde in Virgo September 9 - October 1

Mercury has been running fast this summer through Gemini, Cancer and Leo.. Having left Leo for Virgo on August 20, he begins to slow his pace a bit, coming to a halt at 15 degrees of his own sign of Virgo on September 9. Mercury walks back through the early part of Virgo through October 1, resuming direct motion while still in Virgo, just at the border of Leo.

Mercury is doing retrograde motion in the earth signs this year, which somewhat grounds Mercury's energy and could be less challenging, although more manifested in the material realm. Think more broken phones, fewer speech mishaps.

This gives us a triple crown of retrograde planets in their own signs for a few weeks: Jupiter in Pisces, Saturn in Capricorn and Mercury in Virgo. We may be faced with the obvious need to re-organize our space, time, and perspective within some department of our lives. Rather than mourning the loss of resources or investment that this may imply, see it as a needed pause in which you can recalibrate and adjust how and where you are working, healing or serving.

The analytical and remedial power of Mercury is at its strongest while in Virgo. Due to this retrograde period, Mercury will occupy Virgo from August 20 to October 26, which is quite a long stretch, very closely matching Mars' first pass through Taurus, August 10 to October 15. While there is not an aspect connection between Mercury and Mars during this stretch that runs roughly from mid-August to mid-October, both Mercury and Mars are moving through earth signs, which points to working in the material realm. While not in the “friends” category together, the power of Mars and the intelligence of Mercury makes these two planets perform very well as co-workers.

Retrograde phase of Mercury may inspire you to find treasures in projects begun but abandoned. Cut away the compost and find the gold that you can carry forward, integrating with current themes and pulling together what may have looked like junk a few months ago.

Due to Virgo's association with health management, this could be a ripe phase to get to the bottom of health issues, seek diagnoses, and institute changes that lead toward sustainable health routines. If you don't make time for your health, no one else will. If you can't create space to support the connection your mind-body-soul needs, no one else can. If you can't see the answer due to lack of perspective, find someone who can and then be willing to move into a position that allows you to move forward when the time is right.

The dynamic generated from Jupiter in Pisces opposing Mercury in Virgo is notable. There is a strong teacher - student theme that can become transposed upon relationships in general. This is a good time to explore expectations that arise within any relationship dynamic. When we are on a mission to “complete ourselves” by connecting with another person who perceivably has what we think we are lacking, we tread into murky waters that can muddle our intentions.

For example, if we have a strong desire to study a subject (Mercury), we may seek an appropriate teacher or master (Jupiter) to convey their knowledge to us. This is not impractical or impossible and finding a good teacher can help us connect with the knowledge we seek. It is when we project delusions of grandeur onto the teacher that we can fall into the trap formed by thinking another is “above” us. Conversely when we project high performance expectations onto our students, we become embittered when the precious knowledge we are dispensing is wasted on incapable minds.

If any kinks like this tend to come up in your life path, this is a great time to smooth out and uncoil all the lines of communication and expectation. It is easy to fall into a disappointing dynamic of dashed expectations. Take a step back and figure out what you really need in relationships, in education, in life routines, and in spiritual practice. It may require that you drop all of the things you are clinging to, just to objectively analyze what is actually working. As Mercury becomes direct at the beginning of October, you can pick up the tools and instruments that still seem appropriate going forward.

Full Moon in Aquarius/Purvabhadra September 10

The New Moon of August 27 saw the Sun and Moon joining in the early degrees of Leo. As September begins, the Moon is waxing, becoming full on September 10 at 24 degrees Aquarius. The Sun will be exactly opposite for the moment of the full Moon in the early hours of September 10, in his own sign of Leo, within the nakshatra Purvaphaguni.

The Moon will become full in the nakshatra Purvabhadra. Note the common “purva” at the beginning of each of these nakshatra names. This word means the front, the face or eastern direction. “Bhadra” means excellent, auspicious and blessed. A modern translation: Totally excellent!

The Sun will be at the last part of Purvaphalguni. “Phal” implies fruits and seeds. Phalguni implies the harvest and procurement of these gifts. What a moment to reflect upon what you have cultivated, celebrating the bounty of life.

"Nothing shows one who his friends are like prosperity and ripe fruit." -- Charles Dudley Warner

This is an auspicious moment where, in the midst of our negotiations, editing, composting, and reorganizing, we have the chance to really see how precious our lives are, no matter what. Show gratitude for what you are leaving behind and show gratitude for the seeds that are now being planted for a future harvest.

The Moon beaming back at the Sun puts yet another strong influence on Leo at this time. With Mercury going retrograde, we are invited to pause but not to stop at this time. This moment could act as a clear lens that shows what is truly sustaining our efforts and what fruit is worth cultivating.

Sun Transits Virgo September 16 - October 17

Despite the positive state of transiting his own sign, our glorious Sun may feel some relief moving out of range of Rahu and Mars' aspects. Venus alone will take the brunt of those aspects from September 16 to 23, What we take away from the Sun's transits, which translates as how we manage our self-expression and individual effort, is that we may have gained relevant information about what really feels good to “ME” while the Sun was transiting Leo from mid-August through mid-September.

With Sun spending a month in Mercury's earth sign, we may find ourselves rolling up our sleeves and implementing plans. The Sun adds a bit of weight to the already powerful and intelligent work of Mercury in earthy Virgo combined with that of Mars in the fields of Taurus. Whatever house Virgo occupies in personal charts could be in for some renovation.

The only direct aspect from another planet to Virgo during this time is that of opposition coming from Jupiter, as discussed above with Mercury in Virgo. With regards to establishing new approaches to relationships, we are looking at managing expectations and individual needs. This Sun transit, plunging into Virgo, will once again pull Mercury into combustion, meaning Mercury's voice becomes merged with that of the Sun's due to proximity. This state of combustion lasts through November, with varying degrees of intensity.

This combustion of Mercury could indicate that there is another strong voice in the mix, making it difficult to know what are one's own desires in the face of also wanting to manage expectations. Strong listening and ample deliberation is advised.

Combining willingness to learn with skillful mastery, we see a skillful Mercury joining forces with the brilliant Sun. Observe, but don't over think at every step. Instead, learn to trust the direction of your own heart as you navigate our current state of flux.

Retrograde Jupiter Opposite Retrograde Mercury September 18

Just a note that on September 18, Jupiter and Mercury exactly oppose one another, each from a strong position. Here we may be confronting patterns around expectation and disappointment in contracts, partnerships or educational trajectories.

Jupiter and Mercury will be holding this mutual gaze for some time, as Mercury's retrograde cycle bounces him back to exact opposition again on October 12, after which Mercury picks up the pace and moves to Libra on October 26. Let this valuable lesson click into action around mid-September and ride the waves of that experience through October.

You may feel yourself going into familiar territory, having learned so many lessons in life, not worried about falling into the same traps. Don't be surprised when it's still difficult, but oh so instructional! Teachers aren't perfect, but they can still transmit knowledge. Students aren't always diligent, but they can still integrate lessons. Wisdom is understanding what can be changed and what cannot.

Venus Transits Virgo September 23 - October 17

Similar to the Sun, Venus may feel some relief moving into Virgo, even though Virgo isn't really Venus' favorite spot. And even though getting an aspect from Jupiter may not be Venus' favorite thing either, it may feel a bit calmer than managing the compound aspects of Rahu (unstable) and Mars (power) coming into Leo.

Why is Venus debilitated in Virgo? Maybe because she has a sense of abundance that precludes the need to work, analyze and manage. Venus carries desires for comfort and luxury that is perhaps out of place in the hard charging environment of Virgo. Despite this inconvenience, we can still urge our Venusian sense of connectedness and compassion to airbrush and beautify the diligent efforts of Mercury, hard at work in the lab/studio/kitchen/office.

The reminder that our work in life is meant to be a humble service comes from the likes of Saturn. That isn't happening in this equation. Venus is here to remind us that our work should give us some fulfillment and pleasure. Our learning and teaching should be nourishing and expansive! Dear Venus can help us on our quest to discern what actually feels good during this process.

In light of Mercury retrograde perhaps pulling up the flooring in some domain of our life, Venus could be a soothing addition to our editing and reworking. See the impossible design challenges and opportunities for beauty to blossom like crazy.

New Moon in Virgo/Uttaraphalguni September 25

The waning Moon slides into home at nine degrees Virgo, joining the Sun exactly and retrograde Mercury and Venus closely. This looks like a rather cheerful party, aspected tightly by retrograde Jupiter from Pisces. With none of the malefics aspecting either the foursome in Virgo or Jupiter in Pisces, this looks like an auspicious moment for new beginnings.

In addition to the difficult energies being directed elsewhere, we have a special effect during this new Moon, with Sun, Moon and Jupiter all in pushkara navamsa. This concept applies to certain zones in the zodiac mapping to very auspicious locations that indicate future success.

Pushkara navamsa zones tend to allow planets passing through them the ability to strengthen, regenerate, and heal. Here, we are seeing the Sun and Moon gaining this benefit, as well as Jupiter, a beneficial supporter already, who also gains from this interaction.

This could be a good weekend to relax and rejuvenate in whatever way feels most enjoyable, wise and joyful. Acknowledge the depletion and tiredness in order to release it and make way for a new era of energetic cleansing and building.

Uttaraphalguni sees us processing and storing those fruits recently harvested. There may be a sense of impatience to get there or move along at a faster pace. Resist pushing and sit for a spell as you begin to track what needs to happen next. Sometimes our happiness is closer than it appears and our quiet moments are gateways into our own nature, which nourishes us without effort.

The day after the new Moon marks the beginning of Navratri, the nine nights of worship of goddess Durga in her nine forms.