September 2023 comes to restore our sense of balance and renewal.

July and August haven’t been easy months. We had all the planets in Cancer and Leo opposing the “bad guys” Saturn and Pluto. Venus retrograde has been squaring Uranus. The cherry on top, Mercury turned retrograde on August 24th.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. In September, Venus and Mercury both go direct. There are no more Saturn and Pluto oppositions. We have a beautiful, grand trine New Moon in Virgo. Things are looking really really good!

Of course, it all depends on how these transits influence your natal chart. But the general astro-weather is definitely improving.

We have 2 interesting transits that influence us almost the entire month: Venus square Jupiter, and Venus sextile Mars.

Normally, these are short-lived influences (1-3 days). But because both Venus and Jupiter station this month, the Venus-Jupiter square and the Venus-Mars sextile last for much longer.

This is important because Venus will draw our attention to some underlying relationship dynamics that we normally don’t question and take for granted.

Just because Venus goes direct this month this doesn’t mean that in September, Venus themes like relationships or finances are no longer top of mind… quite the opposite. But now that Venus is direct, we have the clarity to figure things out and make the right choices.

Venus square Jupiter points to the ways that our wants and desires are at odds with society, or with what we believe it’s expected from us.

Do you perhaps believe you should spend lots of time and resources on your appearance, but “looking pretty all the time” drains you of energy? Or on the contrary, you feel that “people your age” are judged for wanting to look beautiful?

Do you dread leaving a long-term relationship because of what other people think? Or you believe you’d be frowned upon if you started an “unconventional” relationship – by society’s standards?

Venus sextile Mars will give you the drive and determination to follow our heart, and do what YOU want, instead of what other people think you should.

Not that others are always wrong. The real issue here is that there are some secret payoffs we – unconsciously – get when we do what other people want, instead of what WE want. What would happen if you’d start doing what YOU want? What would you lose? What would you gain?

Let’s take a look at the most important transits of the month:

September 3rd, 2023 – Venus Goes Direct

On September 3rd, 2203 Venus goes direct at 12° Leo. It’s been a long 40-day journey into the depths of our heart.

We all need to go on this journey from time to time. We need to face what needs to be faced, and release what needs to be released. In the underworld, we learn new ways to relate with ourselves and others, and we re-prioritize things in our life.

Now that Venus finally goes direct, take some time to pat yourself on the shoulder. Or even more Venus-like, give yourself a good hug.

You’ve made it on the other side! You now know yourself a little bit better. Your heart is a little bit lighter, and ready to experience the world from a new perspective, one filled with hope, curiosity, and a sense of wonder.

September 4th, 2023 – Jupiter Goes Retrograde

On September 4th, 2023 Jupiter goes retrograde at 15° Taurus. Whenever a planet changes direction, its influence is emphasized. So on the day of Jupiter’s station (plus minus a couple of days) we will get an extra dose of Jupiter.

What’s interesting is that Jupiter goes retrograde hours after Venus goes direct. Apart from the square influence we already talked about, Jupiter going retrograde when Venus goes direct means that Venus themes gain forward momentum, while Jupiter takes the backseat.

We now care less about what others think, and more about what gives us pleasure. This is a time to re-evaluate our beliefs (Jupiter) and see whether they are a reflection of our personal values (Venus).

When our personal values shape our beliefs, we have a sense of clarity and purpose. When society’s beliefs shape our personal values, we feel lost and unmotivated. That’s why we always want to start with Venus (values).

September 14th, 2023 – New Moon In Virgo

On September 14th, 2023 we have a New Moon at 21° Virgo. This is one of the best – and most important – New Moons of the year.

The New Moon is engaged in a beautiful Kite aspect pattern. The New Moon is the propeller of the Kite, and Neptune is the apex of the Kite. This means that whatever we seed at the time of the New Moon, will eventually bloom into something beautiful and magical (Neptune).

This lunation cycle, our dreams can come true!

September 15th, 2023 – Mercury Goes Direct

More good news: on September 15th, 2023 Mercury goes direct at 8° Virgo.

The ruler of the New Moon in Virgo, Mercury, stations direct within hours of this lunation. Something in your life is finally moving forward. You will see real progress or a magic workaround to something that seemed to be stuck or broken beyond repair.

September 17th, 2023 – Venus Square Jupiter

On September 17th, 2023 Venus (at 15° Leo) squares Jupiter (at 15° Taurus). Normally this is a 2-day transit, but since both Venus and Jupiter station almost at the same time within an aspect orb, this transit lasts for much longer… you will feel its influence for the entire month of September!

We already talked about Venus square Jupiter. September 17th, 2023 is the peak of the transit; you want to pay attention to what transpires around this date.

September 23rd, 2023 – Sun Enters Libra

On September 23rd, 2023 the Sun enters Libra. Happy birthday to all Libras out there!

When the Sun enters Libra (0° Cardinal sign) we have the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.

No matter where you live on Earth, the day is equal to the night. Equality is a key Libra word. Equality is a balancing act – equality doesn’t mean equal amounts of the same thing. It means that I come with something, you come with something else, and we create something greater together.

In the Libra season, it will become easier to open up to other people, put the “we” before “me”, and reach Win-Win outcomes.

September 29th, 2023 – Full Moon In Aries

On September 29th, 2023 we have a Full Moon at 6° Aries. This Full Moon will highlight the creative potential of the Aries-Libra axis.

Aries-Libra is the relationship axis which we could also call the identity axis because nothing shapes us more at a personal level than our close, 1-on-1 relationships.

At the Full Moon Aries, an interaction you have with a partner or close one will reveal a blind spot or something important about who you are.

This is the first lunation that will happen since the Lunar Nodes have moved in Aries and Libra so it’s a good preview for what’s about to come this eclipse season

“Astro Butterfly Wings” Natal Chart Reading Program

As we announced in the previous newsletter, Astro Butterfly School’s acclaimed 10-week natal chart reading program “Astro Butterfly Wings”, starts on September 27th, and ends on December 4th (mark your calendars).

The program has 2 tracks (beginner / intermediate and upper-intermediate / advanced) – we will share all the relevant information when we open the enrollment, on September 20th.

If you’re not sure what your astrology level is (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), you can take this quiz to find out.

The quiz has 20 questions that are progressively more difficult. If you don’t know an answer, please select “I don’t know / I’m not sure” so you can get an accurate assessment of your level.

Your quiz results are sent to your email – make sure you use the same email address you subscribed with, to avoid duplication.