September Will Require Grace & Courage

Hello friends, I am happy to be writing again after a three month break.

This year has been so intense and so full of twists and turns that I just needed to be present with what is, and as such, allowed myself the break, after consistently writing these monthly forecasts for over two years.

I advise this sort of break in your own life. Fallow periods, just as in agriculture, allow the land/person time to rest and restore and rebuild nourishment. Things haven't gotten any less intense, but I feel pulled to write about it all, in an attempt to process and integrate, and hope also to provide that for you, dear reader. So let's get down to business.

I begin this at the VIRGO ingress, as the SUN leaves his home sign of LEO, where he shines the brightest and is the most comfortable. His annual entry into VIRGO signifies that he is beginning to drop from the sky, from the vigor of summertime heat and light in the northern hemisphere, where astrology was developed.

LEO is the peak of personal, heart centered creativity, the fixed fire sign that must generously contribute to the life force and help keep the spark of life and humanity alive through procreation. As well, LEO has a soul need to contribute to the beauty and overall celebration of life. LEOs love a good harvest party!

But like everything else in life, parties must end, and that's where VIRGO season begins. VIRGO is seeking mastery, control, efficiency, health, standards, precision, and refinement. But why? And how?

As VIRGO is the second sign ruled by MERCURY, let's look at the contrast

between the two MERCURY ruled signs;

GEMINI is a mutable, yang, air sign.

This means that there is an extroverted orientation to gathering knowledge.

It's quick, adaptable, and shoots from the hip.

VIRGO is a mutable, yin, earth sign.

This means that there is a grounded, introverted, orientation to both gathering and using knowledge.

GEMINI is more theoretical, and VIRGO is more practical. GEMINI gathers the information, VIRGO distills it to useful knowledge.

There is a special love between these two MERCURY ruled signs.

When I write about VIRGO or any sign, please keep in mind that we all have all of the signs expressed in our charts and lives, it's just a matter of location and dosage. VIRGO has much in common with the 6th house topics, and everyone has VIRGO ruling or inside a house in their chart. If you don't know how to figure this out, please ask me.

VIRGO is also very good with their hands, at arts and crafts, at gardening and herbalism, and in general, are very creative and skilled. Whatever it is they are doing, they tend to give it their all, and this has to do with an awareness of several things.

The first is that, as the polarity point of PISCES, (who simply surrenders to and trusts God to take care of them), VIRGO knows that in this realm, we are required to meet God halfway. That is the design. We are supposed to intervene. We clean ourselves, our houses, to stave off the parasites that want to claim our vital life force and physical territory. VIRGO is working hard on a daily basis to prevent chaos and to create good conditions for life to thrive. VIRGO knows with every cell, that we must each do our part.

The second is that VIRGO is aware that each person is making a contribution to the whole, that life and work in the world is a series of interlocking systems and tasks, and that everyone needs everyone's else's contribution and each are relying on the high quality and good standards of everyone else's work, otherwise the whole chain of services will crumble, because everyone depends on the service of the other. It's a simple equation, and this is part of the self-consciousness and seriousness of VIRGOS.

This is also why sometimes you will find them extra critical of others, or expressing disappointment. If we go back to agriculturally dominant times, VIRGO is the time of year where the harvest must be cleaned, organized, assessed, and sorted into what will be eaten over the harsh winter months, and what must be stored and preserved to be planted in the spring for next year's crops. This matter was/is so serious that if miscalculated, could be catastrophic. For Game of Thrones fans, VIRGO resonates with the Stark family creed, Winter is Coming! And they're right!

But coming out of the splendid hangover of Leo season, the VIRGO seriousness and critique of anyone not carrying their weight can feel harsh, but hopefully you now have more of an understanding of the underpinnings and motivation of VIRGO.

As the SUN in LEO begins to fall from the sky (the end of VIRGO is the autumn equinox),

VIRGO, like SCORPIO senses there is not an inexhaustible amount of resources; of water, power, time, energy, vitality, money.

VIRGO, polarized to PISCES doesn't trust that God will provide.

They want to make the best of what they have, which is why VIRGO has to do with good management. VIRGO are problem solvers, and are usually in demand because

they manage their lives well, as well as whatever they touch. You know a VIRGO loves you, if they are trying to help you improve your life somehow.

Not all VIRGOS are altruistic and service oriented, but they are all very particular about their environment. The light, the colors, the temperature...they are very sensitive to everything. The healthy, balanced VIRGO is productive, flexible, and adaptable, but sometimes they're a bit too controlling and rigid in their good will.

What can they learn from the PISCES polarity point?

To sometimes let go and get dirty! VIRGO needs to learn to waste some time,

to do meaningless, meandering things. The truth is, if you're too pure, your immune system freaks out (this is an important point to consider in this weird era of hyper sanitation.)

VIRGO rules intestines and if the purity thing is overdone, they may disturb the balance of their good flora. We need a little funk to be healthy!

The PISCES polarity point contributes the important understanding that you don't have

absolute control over your life, and to trust that there's a meaning behind everything.

MARS in ARIES retrograde

On September 5, MARS the planet of intemperate heat, that rules energy, friction, fire, passion, violence, and anger will station in his home sign of ARIES, to turn retrograde.

He usually spends only about 6 weeks in a given sign, but due to the erratic orbit that his periodic retrogrades create, this time he will be in ARIES for a total of 6 months.

Not moving on until January of 2021.

This... is a LONG time.

What makes it even longer is that this transit includes 3 sets of 3 difficult squares, from MARS to JUPITER PLUTO and SATURN.

The good news is that we have survived the first round of squares.

To recap, the first was MARS square JUPITER, on August 4.

What happened that day? On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, exploded, causing at least 181 deaths, 6,000 injuries, US$10–15 billion in property damage, and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless. (MARS rules explosions and JUPITER makes things much bigger than they would have otherwise been). Prayers for Beirut.

The next was MARS square PLUTO which perfected on August 13.

What happened right after that? On August 16, an unprecedented (#2020) lightning storm in Northern California started hundreds of fires, most of which are all still burning, and as I write over 1.4 million acres have already burned since August 16.

The last of the trio, MARS square SATURN saw yet another tragic police shooting, this time of a unarmed man in Wisconsin, just trying to break up a fight. He survived, but is paralyzed from the waist down. As MARS represents riots and SATURN represents the Cops, it's no surprise that Wisconsin has seen a couple of nights of destructive riots in response to this latest inexcusable tragedy. Sigh.

So while there's not a lot we can do about the outside world (besides protest and pray),

what is in our realm to control, is inside of ourselves. At this point in 2020, no one is at their best, we are all weary and stretched and stressed and under pressure. If we are living with others, then this is the place to exercise caution. The chances of people (including you) boiling over right now is at an all time high. You, trusty reader have the advantage of knowing that we are in extremely volatile astrology until MARS clears its station degree on November 24.

Here are the dates to really watch out for are:

September 5: MARS station retrograde at 28 degrees

(use this date as practical start of rx)

September 9: MARS turns retrograde at 28 degrees

September 13: JUPITER turns direct at 19 degrees CAP

September 27: MARS rx makes second square to SATURN rx at 25 degrees

September 29: SATURN stations direct at 25 degrees of CAP, square MARS. AMPLIFICATION

October 2: MOON conjuncts MARS rx in ARIES, besieged between SATURN and PLUTO

October 4: PLUTO stations direct at 22 degrees of CAP. AMPLIFICATION

October 7: MARS rx square to PLUTO, while opposite SUN in LIBRA.

October 9: MARS rx forms a GRAND CROSS with SUN in LIBRA, MOON in CANCER, JUPITER PLUTO SATURN in CAP.

October 17: MARS rx makes 2nd square to JUPITER in CAP

November 3: MARS rx reaches station degree of 15 ARIES

November 3: US Presidential election

November 9: Stationing MARS rx opposite VENUS in LIBRA (relationship red flag warning)

November 14: MARS stations direct!

December 17: SATURN enters AQUARIUS

December 19: JUPITER enters AQUARIUS

December 21: MARS makes 3rd square to PLUTO

January 6: MARS (finally) leaves ARIES for TAURUS

January 11: MARS in TAURUS squares SATURN in AQUARIUS

January 19: MARS in TAURUS squares JUPITER in AQUARIUS

The Full MOON in PISCES and VENUS in LEO

On the positive, enjoyable side, VENUS our planet of love, pleasure, attraction, and connection will enter LEO on September 7, and JUPITER will turn direct on September 17.

In the wake of such a tough MARS month, any benefic activity is welcomed.

VENUS in LEO loves love, loves romance, loves good drama, fashion, and performance, loves art, loves pleasure. Think Marion Cotillard, Emmanuelle Béart, Daniel Radcliffe, Salma Hayek, Coco Chanel, Tom Hardy, Jason Momoa, Andy Warhol, Greta Garbo, Dita von Teese, Tori Amos, Clive Owen.

Life is definitely strange and weird and all kinds of challenging, but this can't stop you from being fabulous as VENUS passes through LEO. On September 15, VENUS will square URANUS in TAURUS, and this is the time to get your freak on. VIRGO is known to be prim in the streets, yet quite wild in the sheets. With the added kink that URANUS adds, this will be a wild and rebellious point in the month.

Live it up.

The PISCES FULL MOON falls on September 1, at 10:20pm, PDT. The PISCES MOON is conjunct NEPTUNE, adding some soft mystical rose quartz misty energy to a fairly harsh time. FULL MOON's are always a little bit of time out of time, and NEPTUNE always takes us to a timeless, primordial place, so the combo is like reiki for our weary souls in this MARS dominant time. MERCURY, the ruler of the VIRGO SUN is having a lot of important conversations at the FULL MOON point, like the magician that he is: his sextile to VENUS aids us in the all important task of harmonious and effective communication with our significant people, his trine to SATURN assists in any needed chiropractic adjustments of the mental variety, his trine to PLUTO helps us to factor in the shadow in any processes, in a grounded and realistic way, and his opposition to NEPTUNE, like the SUN, sends in the direction of dreamy psychedelia. This is a great FULL MOON under which to charge up your crystals, do plant medicine work,

Warm wishes and blessings to you,

With love, Paetra

To schedule a consultation or to sign up for these forecasts:

PaetraTauchertAstrology.com

I was honored to be invited to be a part of Unify.org's recent 10 day Harmonic Convergence. I spoke on Day 2, and my talk on the Astrology of 2020

starts at the 55 minute mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9ma1zhOP68

My most recent radio shows, Episodes #49 and #50 features a quick rundown of the astro weather, as well as great music, mostly by LEOS and VIRGOS, respectively