Putting Your Thumb on the Scale - September 2021
I am going to start this month’s forecast with a look at the Autumn Equinox chart for our country. This is a chart for the exact moment when the Sun enters the tropical sign of Virgo as seen from Washington DC. What becomes most noticeable is we see a Capricorn rising chart with Saturn and Pluto in the 1st House. Now Capricorn normally sits in the 1st and 2nd houses in the US natal chart. This tells me that these next few months are going to involve some hard to swallow medicine for the restructuring of the US economy and value system.
The 1st house in the Equinox chart itself speaks to our country as a whole, it’s lands and systems that make this country tick. It shows the activities that will be of most importance these next few months. Having both Saturn, the planet of karma and conditioning, and Pluto, the planet of evolution and mutation, in the 1st house portends the admonition and acceptance of physical changes that are occurring. This focuses much of the energy of the Fall on our country’s physical properties such as mountains, lakes, and streams, and such, but especially volcanos and underground facilities, like mining and protective service projects. This is a deep subterranean energy that when triggered, brings primal forces to the surface. And these sudden events and discoveries from within the land itself, will change the value of our standing as a country dramatically.
The fact that Jupiter in the Equinox chart in Aquarius sits on the 2nd house cusp of wealth, self-love, and value, is going to see the Stock market go into the stratosphere due to a highly charged atmosphere of speculative success. The danger lies in Neptune in Pisces right now sitting in the 3rd house of the Equinox chart. This can present us with a lot of false opportunities to strike it rich. The sky’s the limit. Just give us a few thousand bucks and you are on your way to the riches of this world and beyond. True, this is a great time for this country to put up or shut up, when it comes to sharing our wealth with others in need. The problem is all the misdirection and outright fraud that is prevalent this Fall. There are going to be a lot of benevolent type charity scams going around this Fall. Don’t you care about the orphans of Hurricane Ida??? Don’t you care about the cats left in Afghanistan???? Assuage your conscience, open your purse, and all will be forgiven.
Fortunately, the Equinox chart has the Moon and Chiron in Aries in the 3rd house. Time to wise up folks and go back to school. Reach out and push past that fear of reprisal on your ass if you attempt anything that goes against the communal grain. Chiron is about healing the scabs of the past. In Aries, we are talking self-inflicted wounds from the past. In the 3rd, we are become conscious of the extent of these wounds and how they affect our current environment. With the Moon also in the 3rd, in Aries, we instinctively know how to heal and get to our safe space. And it is a singular path, not one we can contract out to someone else.
Uranus in the 4th house in Taurus in the Equinox chart further emphasizes the probabilities of a changing physical landscape, so keep those shovels handy and those metal detectors. Could be some amazing finds this Fall. This aspect also pushes us into unsteady waters when it comes to our economy and all it’s regulators. Surprise. Surprise!
I do like the North Node in Gemini in the 5th house. This reminds us to integrate playfulness and creativity into our daily lives. This bodes well for our children, in the long run, and our sense of wonder. Yet, the North Node is a hard place to reach, unapproachable if we are all stressed out and insecure in our daily life. When we remember to access our joy and our inner child, without the what-ifs of adulthood, we can move quickly along our Soul’s path and destiny.
The Sun at 0 degrees of Libra, in the 8th house coming up on a conjunction to Mars in Libra on the 9th house cusp, promotes a coordinated corporate push to get everyone on the same page. This is not a great aspect to have if one wants to promote invention or genius. It is more about playing follow the leader, so careful this Fall that you do not go lock stepping into compliance just because “everyone” says to do so. This aspect also hints at the idea that the answers to our issues will be found not in our own country’s actions, but in distant lands, so stay tuned to what is happening around the world and figure out how to apply what they are doing in their countries to what we can do here. With Mercury in Libra in the 9th house in the Equinox chart, retrograde, and in Libra for much of the Fall, it is going to be necessary to focus on our ambassadors, our attorneys, and our judicial and enforcement personnel and systems, and really educate ourselves to the truth of what is being done in our name around the world.
And with Venus in Scorpio in the 10th house in the Equinox chart, we can find the resources and the determination to transform that which is broken and not of the Light. This is a tough love aspect and with Venus opposite Uranus in the Equinox chart this is going to be swift and substantial. And this is another indicator of how the economy, our value systems, and our bank accounts, are going to be a motivating factor in the days to come. Better have some good old-fashioned cash on hand, digital assets are going to be disrupted, especially during the Mercury retrograde at the end of September and first half of October.
The South Node in Sag in the 11th house in the Equinox chart doesn’t say much for the religious leaders in our country. A remember-when approach to fixing our current travails is not the way to go now. Been there. Done that. It will be easy to think we can go back to the glory days of organized religion and let the priest and the pundit work it out for us. Besides, aren’t they the ones who have God’s ear? How could little old me be privy to what God wants for us? The key is to look toward the North Node and the production of NEW karma. And in this Equinox chart, that has us looking to our children AND our inner child. Remember what it was like to just laugh for no reason at all? Remember what it was like to explore the world around you, ever fascinated by what you discovered? What will it take for you to “remember” how to do this again, in real time? Right here. Right now. I like to call it the kid in the candy shop attitude toward life. Care to join me?
Now, to explain further what September will specifically bring, I must explore the Zodiacal sign of Libra. In the natural, Zodiacal order of our solar system, Libra is the sign wherein we have reached the halfway point of the cosmos. It is symbolic of the setting Sun as seen from Earth, the place in the cycle where balance can be best achieved. It is where the individual reaches a peak of personality and thereafter must implement that personality into the world. Libra is about the intricate dance that goes on between Wo/Man and his/her environment. The symbol for Libra is representative of the Sun setting on a western horizon, giving balance and beauty to the continual give and take of day and night. For a moment, the Light and the Dark sit together at the table of life as equals. Remember, signs are attitudes, and the attitude of Libra is that there must be consensus, or as close as we can come to consensus before we are to call it a day. Everyone must get on board. Get on the same page. For disagreement is anathema to a Libran archetype. Dissent is to be avoided at all costs.
And Libra enacts that avoidance in one of two ways. Complete avoidance and deflection - if I don’t acknowledge the dissent, it doesn’t affect me. Or the more common approach by the Libra archetype is to morph into the dissenters themselves. Even if it means the Libra must change its own stripes in the process. It is one of the great lessons a Libran can learn. How does one maintain a sense of self at the same time one stays open to everyone else? Where do I draw the line? When do I focus on myself and when do I focus on others? Back and forth, trying to get the scales to balance.
The classic Libran spends much time on that proverbial fence, looking at what everyone else is doing. Rarely taking a side, until forced, or told to. No problem straddling the fence for a Libra. Which is why they make such great public figures. And, also why they can make some of the worst. It’s one thing to stand up for your people. It’s another when you stand up just to be seen by other people, no matter the reason. Vanity is a lesson to be experienced and overcome by the Libran archetype and wherever you find Libra in your chart shows the way you can go about learning that lesson best.
Nothing would be “out of place” in a perfect Libra worldview. Thus, we find the moderators and mediators of the world having strong Libra aspects in their natal charts. They are the ambassadors, and peace makers, the social service workers, and the intellectual elite of the diplomatic and civilized worlds. They are often the attorneys, prosecutors, judges, and even military arms, of our world, that help strike that supposed perfect balance we all crave. The punishments MUST fit the crime. And it must be by the book, which by the way, is another metaphysical interpretive meaning of the symbol for Libra - an open book as seen from the side. Same goes for any rewards, when deemed appropriate. The reward must fit the (good) deed. There is little emotion here. More about the rationale. Remember Libra is an Air sign, so the intellect rules.
There can be a creativity within the attitude of Libra. It is the artist who plays with form. It is the interior decorator that paints with the mind. The ballerina that comingles form and function. The actor that knows how to straddle the lines of possibility and presentation. Libra’s gift is the application of harmony and complement to our bodies, environments, and societies. Society teaches us that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A Libran world view can forget that beauty must first begin in the “I” of the beheld.
It has long been said that the perfect Libra phrase was “Make Love, not War”. This is true when we are in the higher vibration of Libra. Although, when we partake of the lower side of Libra, there is also a dark side, as there must rightly be. For Libra is where opposites attract, or more rightly, where opposites align. It is where distinct and different sides come to the bargaining table and begin to lay their cards on the table. Right and wrong may be suspended in the process. Make love AND War is usually the result. As long as a societally acceptable solution can be had for the majority.
The devil may have been in the details when we were in the previous sign of Virgo, as we saw with all the revelations that were uncovered in August. Not so when Libra is running the show. Only the solution is important now, not how we get there. The details of our journey, how we ended up where we are now at in the world, lose focus in September. Only the proclamation at the end of the day is lauded. Those that buck the system are relegated to communal exile. They can not be part of the pack. They must go back to their Aries nature and start from scratch, on their own, for they are no longer included in the societal “agreement”.
The key to diffusing this threat lies in using Aries as a counterbalance and taking actions that result in starting a totally new and unique pack. Cutting the cord. Jumping from the nest. Gathering up a new circle of friends and aligned individuals, leaving the old pack behind. Actively putting our thumbs on the scale so to speak. Taking action, not taking notes. Creating a meaningful difference, not just a distraction. Striking out into that big, beautiful world beyond our homes and hearths and making waves. Adding our hearts to the balance and daring to weigh our light against the dark. This is the power of Libra. Though the light may be fading from view, a little goes a long way. In truth, it is not an equal fight. No wonder, most military and strategic planners, and true statesmen (not politicians mind you) have strong Libra. Once the course of action has been agreed upon there is no turning back or turning aside.
In Christianity, Archangel Michael is seen carrying the Scales (and the sword) of Libra, that he might weigh the souls on judgement day. The wheat is separated from the chaff. There is no hesitation or contemplation. The deeds have been done. Only the sentence awaits.
A more ancient Egyptian version of the power of Libra is seen when Anubis weighs a recently deceased person’s heart against the feather of truth. The results defining one’s fate or karma in the lives to come. The immutable yolk of the cosmos. Do unto others at your own expense. This is the gift, and the curse, of Libra. Fortunately, we usually get to decide which side of the sword, or scale, we wish to fall.
I WANT to be judged by my actions when I sit before my God. I want to be able to look my assessors directly in the eye and confess, I am that I was, and will forever be. Though the world may change around me, my central Sun will never change. What is constantly changing, and open to change, is the way I go about “treating” all others. Get it? Libra is about treaties. And treaties define how we will treat others… This is what we are asked to understand in September, the treats, not the tricks.
The insidiousness of Libra comes in the form of denying individuality, depreciating any sort of discovery, and diminishing personal, social, or even economic, identity. All for the “results” of perceived harmony and cooperation. All so we may have that press conference with the positive spin, or the contracts and treaties with oh so many signatories. Look, a balance has been struck. See here it is on paper. No trick, this is a treat. Really. Look at how diplomatic we were in the process. Judge us on our conclusions, not our actions.
A Libra mind can lose individual perspective, being so bound up in the rights and reasons of the community. They constantly shift with the prevailing winds, leaving their own precise, specific, actions uninitiated, bowing to what is currently trending or favored by the majority. In the Zodiacal scheme of things, we see that the complimentary sign, the sign opposite Libra in the Zodiacal wheel, is Aries, which is exactly that precise, specific, action needed to bring Libra to a harmonious conclusion. Aries knows how to take care of the individual. Libra knows how to take care of the village. When one can center themselves on the wheel, and bring the attitude of Libra and Aries together, this raises the individual properties inherent in both Libra and Aries, to a new level. A finer, more subtle, more centered, ability emerges. We start to hear more about decorum and duty, dignity, and decency. The ills of society are left behind in a grand display of civility and circumstance. Follow the leader takes on a whole new level of meaning. Just make sure the King or Queen you follow is wearing clothes.
Another metaphysical interpretation of the symbol or glyph of Libra is the yoke. Think of how the sign of Libra looks like the old-fashioned harness used on an ox when plowing a field. This reminds us of the burdens carried by the Libra archetype, the burdens of the law and all it’s consequences. Everyone must shoulder some of the burden in a “civilized” society. God does not call the shots now, only Man. Libra, is about man-made laws and contracts and the whole system of enforcement and adjudication. Sagittarius (and Capricorn) is when we get around to God’s law and contracts. Scorpio gets us from one to the other.
Think of a civilization as if it were a human body. The Libra functions in that civilized body would be the endocrine system which regulates all the homeostatic systems of the body. Libra keeps the body in balance, not too hot, not too cold, not too hyper, not too hypo. And on and on through a litany of biological processes. Even the kidneys are considered one of the main organs ruled by Libra, for the kidneys constantly regulate what comes into, and out of, the body.
Libra has long been associated with the image of beauty as defined by a culture and what is deemed acceptable and of value by societal standards. It is the starlet, the celebrity, the reputed, and the revered. And as Libra may be the classic Ken and Barbie doll types, it may also be Goldilocks too, finding function in shape and size, when best befitting the current situation.
While the first half of the Zodiac emphasizes the development of the individual, distinct from the environment, once we get to Libra and begin our journey through the latter half of the Zodiac, our journey through life then begins to bring us into alignment with the structures and responsibilities of relationships. A more “collective” consciousness arises, wherein the cosmic dance of duality, as represented by the act and art of relating, gets played out on finer and more subtle levels. This is uniquely represented in the ancient Chinese Yin/Yang symbol, with the distinction between the dual nature of our universe, and personalities, being shown by an undulating line that divides the white side from the black. Look closely and see the dot of white in the black and the dot of black in the white. This speaks to the truth that we can not have one without the other. For the one to manifest itself out into the world, there must be another to receive that manifestation. This is Metaphysics 101 when it come to the Earth plane.
It is not until we get to Metaphysics 201 when we learn that the most ancient symbol of Yin and Yang did not distinguish so solidly between the light and the dark, the self and the other, and that the light bled into the dark and vice versa, slowly shifting in color from one to the other. Oh, and the representative symbols of the self, those dots of a different color within the matrix, were shown more like the image of the Sun (and Moon) diffusing the self into the other. To use the fence analogy of the Libran archetype, think of it as one not just sitting on a fence, attempting to figure out which side to land, but more like being enveloped in a sea which is in constant motion, as we drift to and fro, the waves washing us back and forth.
Balance. Equality. Conviviality. Civility. All descriptive of the Libran archetype. And all, if examined in the light of recent activities, I would have to say are way out of balance now in our world. And this is what I have been trying to explain for the last few years as to what happens when a race enters a new age, a new paradigm. The pendulum, or to stick with our Libra symbolism, the scales, swing way out of balance from one side to the other in huge overarching waves of activity and rationality. Do not think that this imbalance in humanity is going to be wiped away in a flash of galactic or godly intercession. God helps those who help themselves, not those who just wait for him, or her, or them, to “handle it”. This is implicit in the meaning of Libra, a cardinal, active, inquisitive sign.
Even the location of Libra on the Zodiacal wheel sits at the extreme western point of the chart on the Descendant. This is where the individual interacts best with the rest of the world, or more to the point, where the individual defines him/herself in relation to others, the infamous “they”, and then sets out on a course of action of interdependence and interrelationship as a means of personal definition. Libra cannot exist without its counterbalance Aries. There must be a “self” if there is to be an “other”. And the self has little value without that interaction of self with another.
The magic of Libra is the ability to mix and match, to integrate and ingratiate whoever comes to the table. To hold each, and every, player in a balanced spectrum similar to the equality exhibited in the colors of a rainbow. Equal, yet distinct, one flowing into the other. I would even go so far as to say that another metaphysical symbolic message of the sign of Libra is a rainbow. Do you see it in the glyph? Stretching from horizon to horizon in a perfect arch across the sky. Why do rainbows lift us up when we see them? Why do we suddenly remember the magic and mystery of Nature? The promise of a bright future? And don’t tell me it is because it was promised in the bible. The power of rainbows was around long before the flood.
What is inherent in any rainbow is the act of separation and the art of distinction. The prism effect. Light refracting into its many wavelengths, visible for all to see. Separate, but equal. Distinct although a complete part of the whole. Nature’s evocation of balance between the earth and sky, water and air, fire and light. THIS is the promise of the higher side of Libra, and this is what is capable in September.
Now, when we integrate September’s emphasis on the Libran attitude, with the other transits that are happening this month, we run smack dab into a proverbial wall. Actually, more of a maze than a wall. It will be our challenge this month to get to the center of the maze and back out again. Lots of twists and turns and dead ends. In September we must trust that although the light is fading as we spend our days navigating the maze, and supper is on the table, if we stick with our task of getting to our center, triumph is at hand. Although in September of 2021, it can be pretty easy to forget we have to get back out of the maze and remember how to get from the collective back to the individual again.
You see there are a number of tricky transit aspects this month, most notably the Sun and Mars opposing Neptune, Venus squaring Saturn and Pluto and opposing Uranus, and the first of three Mercury Pluto squares. Since all these transits are from the inner planets (Sun, Mercury, and Venus,) they move in and out of our lives very quickly. When it comes to the major transits of 2021, we are pretty much on auto pilot throughout September with little change in any of the big issues, yet lots of change in the minutia of the moment. Here is where it can get a bit murky. You have heard the one about too many cooks in the kitchen, correct? In September everyone is reading from a different recipe book. Which is bound to muddy the soup. Too many flavors, too many directions, usually give us some homogenized version of reality. Where is the beauty in that? Where is the artistry? There are a few easy-going transits in September that can allow that beauty and artistry to shine through. Most notably during the three days prior, and up to, the New Moon in Virgo on the 6th. What is evident for September of 2021 is the shift from the Soli-Lunar Virgo/Pisces axis of service and sacrifice to the Aries/Libra axis of self-determination and social integration. It is not so much what we do now, but why we do it.
In September, we do have our annual New Moon in Virgo and Full Moon in Pisces, as we usually do every year, although following on the heels of that powerful double dose of the Aquarian Moons in July and August, the New and Full Moons in September remind me of a helium balloon two weeks after the party is over. Underwhelming, to say the least. Except for maybe those Virgo and Pisces Sun signs out there.
The real activity of the month falls across the Aries/Libra axis, and where this axis would fall in your natal chart. Focus on how you can play a part in the bigger picture of your village. How can your unique, individualized talents benefit those you encounter through the course of your community travels? And it is not an easy task this month, with Mars unsure of which way to act at the beginning of the month as it opposes Neptune, and then having little to push off of once Mars falls into Libra on September 14th. Not to mention the upcoming Mercury retrograde which begins September 26th, another transit that can cause us to flounder in our directions. All too easy in September to get caught up in misdirected energies, wasting our precious actions on unimportant issues, tilting at windmills as the saying goes.
The clarity of purpose and direction that is needed this month is most available to us during the first full week of September as the Moon conjuncts Mars, Mercury, and Venus, during the few days after the New Moon on the 6th. With Venus at the final degrees of Libra at this time, there is a finesse that can be had here and a good connection between our subconscious and conscious mind. And a New Moon in Virgo always brings with it the desire to upgrade our situations and surroundings. That which enlivens you as the Moon comes to light in the days after the New Moon has much to do with the best way forward through September of 2021. Do be sure to encourage these upgrades as the Moon continues to reach its peak in Pisces on the 20th.
The second full week in September can have us drifting toward those blind alleys again as the Sun opposes Neptune on Tuesday, September 14th, and Venus squares Saturn on the 16th, with the Moon conjunct Saturn and Pluto in between. Not a time to go forth with great purpose and clarity. It is a time to handle all those piddly and irritating loose ends, chores, and maintenance issues. A Moon/Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius during the third weekend in September should have us rejoicing at the end of a trying week. Especially with the Full Moon to be had on Monday the 20th.
The third full week of September starts off on a high note then quickly descends into a mish-mosh of confusing conversations and unexpected activities as Mercury squares Pluto on Wednesday the 22nd, followed by Venus opposing Uranus on Thursday the 23rd, and the Moon conjunct Uranus in Taurus on Friday the 24th. Commit yourself slowly and cautiously this third full week of September and you will likely avoid the high price of impulse. After the 20th of September, suspend any major purchases and/or contracts and hold off if you can until Mercury goes direct mid-October. Even more so, if the items to be purchased, or the contracts to be entered, involve those things that would ingratiate yourself into a group or community. Not a time to be keeping up with the Joneses.
Due to the retrogradation of Mercury in Libra the last few days of September and first half of October, Mercury will spend an inordinate amount of time in Libra, having begun back at the end of August and continuing up until the first few days of November. Add in the fact that Mars also moves into Libra this month, as does the Sun, thus the reason for the emphasis on Libra in this month’s forecast. If you really want to understand a Zodiacal sign, study it while Mercury is moving through that sign, and you are likely to understand and retain more than not. If you really want to see what kind of actions can be expected from a particular zodiacal temperament or sign, watch what happens when Mars is moving through that sign, as it will be doing in Libra after September 14th, and on through October 30th.
I want to reiterate once again that we all should pay special attention to those things and passions that arise as the New Moon develops in the first full week of September. That clarity of purpose is going to have to carry us long into October. Fortunately, October is a major turning point in the cosmic dance we call 2021. Better dust off your dancing shoes. And maybe even think about getting a second pair. More in my October Forecast.