Trust the Process

Thick as molasses:  Some may describe the cosmic energy of September just like that.  Like a stubborn hangover from August, an energetic quagmire looms over much of this month as six out of ten planets cycle retrograde motion. 

What should we do?  How can we make the most of this energy happening at a time when the calendar calls us to swing back into action with school, life and work?  Patience. Patience and the knowledge that by mid-month, planetary gears will shift forward motion once again.  In the meantime, let’s set expectations to manage the days ahead:

On September 1^st and 2nd, the Aries moon has us eager to get a move on, expending our time and resources to yield results.  Not so fast.  Messenger Mercury and Valuable Venus are cycling retrograde while Generous Jupiter is preparing to reverse gear.  The Labor Day holiday weekend is tricky, sticky and dicey.  Communication snafus abound particularly with relationships, whether personal or work. 

Although it is human nature to make assumptions about other people’s lives and their motives, this is one time you want to avoid doing so.

”Never judge another man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins” – Native American Proverb

Instead:  focus on your own lane. Rather than racing to judgment, give the benefit of the doubt, something that is in direly short supply these days.

Practicing the RE words helps greatly:  research, review, rest, rebalance, reclaim, restore, and more, to navigate the first two weeks of September. Hold off on any major purchases or signing significant documents for two weeks, until September 15^th if possible.  Of course, if essentials need to be replaced, any electronic equipment or appliances such as a laptop, cell phone, washer or refrigerator, buy the extra warranty.  This is one time you will be very glad you did.

After 40 days cycling in reverse, on Sunday, September 3^rd, Valuable Venus finally turns direct motion.  Venus rules love, money and relationships.  In Leo, Venus has tempted us to take risks, spend big, indulge in illicit romance, or return to that creative project shelved a while back.  The fires within have been stoked since mid-July.  Any self-aware folks paying attention during the past six weeks noticed emotional triggers and wondered how best to respond; these have perhaps even begged existential questions asking where to go from here?

Such timely reflection is no accident.  Humanity is at a critical pivot point.  While chaos seems to dominate, make no mistake:  Divine Order and Diving Timing reign.  Our human clock wants to race ahead and get going.  Not yet. There is still more to uncover, to recover and sort through. We are asked to trust the process.  Keep the faith like never before. This is the lesson of Venus retrograde, the mythological descent into the underworld to face our shadow selves, pieces of our being we’d rather not acknowledge, particularly our unique, riskier creative selves. 

Now after Labor Day, it’s as if we are back in elementary school with the teacher asking: What did you learn this summer?   Maybe, that we are all more alike than not; that our individuality is to be celebrated rather than scorned; that each of us brings certain special pieces to complete the whole puzzle of life.

Now pushing forward again on Monday, September 4^th, Venus invites us to share our unique qualities, bring them out in the open, loud and proud as only Look at Me Leo would have us do. However, we may still be reticent to walk outside wearing our boldest colors.  Messenger Mercury, ruling our thoughts and words, is still retrograde while Generous Jupiter turns retrograde just as Venus rolls forward.  

There is time.  Like getting our wheels under us or recuperating from a long journey, we slowly emerge from the depths of our experience.  Journaling, meditation, walking and being in nature are particularly useful now to process everything we discovered about ourselves since July. 

Reflections on our life lessons are highly relevant now as the education planet Jupiter shifts into reverse on Monday, September 4^th.  With outer planets, Jupiter and beyond, we do not feel their gear shifts as intensely as we do inner planets Mercury, Venus and Mars.  Like an ebbing tide, Jupiter now has us internalizing and integrating our experiences gained over the past year. 

During the week following, when many are back to school and work, a plethora of sturdy earth energies ground us into the routines at hand.  This is an incredibly practical and useful stretch between Tuesday, September 5^th and the New Moon on the 14^th.  Fully half of the planets, five out of ten are aligning in real-deal earth signs.  The Sun-Mercury in analytical Virgo aligns to Jupiter-Uranus in Taurus and eventually to Pluto in ambitious Capricorn.  Whatever you are seeking to build, grow or harvest now, go and do! 

This immensely strong structural alliance is integral to the particularly potent New Moon. Late in the day on Thursday, September 14^th, the New Moon in useful Virgo occurs just as Messenger Mercury turns direct motion.  Virgo rules Mercury.  And with both Sun and Moon in this efficient sign aligning to Jupiter and change agent Uranus, we are afforded a choice opportunity to set intentions now. What are your goals and desires?   Take advantage on September 15^th and 16^th to hand write three –to-five intentions you want to manifest over the coming months or season.  Virgo is detailed. So the more specific your intentions are, the better.  Then set them safely alight or bury in the earth.

And so it begins.

After a very long pause over the summer, all three interior planets (Mercury, Mars and Venus) are now cycling forward.  We can feel this gear shift, the forward thrust of life again. You will feel momentum build. Certainly, we are ready to jump right back into life.  Go ahead and book the travel plans, purchase the big ticket items and sign the major deals and documents.  It is GO TIME!

Thirsty after a long drought, you may feel you cannot get enough of a good thing as the beneficent planets Jupiter and Venus go at it, squaring off in Taurus and Leo.  Several ripe opportunities may surface all at once; or you could be pulled in several directions at the same time. The upside of this duo is they aren’t fazed by much:  go big or go home.  Challenging each other, Jupiter and Venus call each other’s bluff and dig in with Herculean stamina and grit. Just make sure your choices feel aligned with your personal goals and fit into YOUR schedule. This energy is about maximizing your time and talents rather than pleasing others.

The downside is overspending, wayward romances, and foolhardy risks.  Jupiter in Taurus offers a treasure trove of abundance while Venus in Leo is ready to shop til she drops.  So you may still want to watch your wallet until this planetary stand-off begins to wane as the Sun enters Lovely Libra on Saturday, September 23^rd. marking the Autumn Equinox.  Heading into the Full Moon at month’s end, our energies are channeled creatively as Motivating Mars and Valuable Venus join forces the entire last week of September.  Endless ideas soar as this dynamic design duo align to the Aries North node:  our creative engine and productivity shift into overdrive.  Inventors, artists, problem solvers, scientists of all kind take note!  

Heightened by the Full Moon in trailblazing Aries on Friday, September 29^th, we are ready to get a move on.  As life moves full steam ahead with the Sun joining Mars in Libra, we are invited to take all of our summertime ruminations and craft our days with equilibrium.  What are you inclined to design? What do you want your life to look like?