Hi and welcome to the Stella Starwoman September AstroUpdate!
Thank you to the dozens of you who responded to my hastily prepared astro election update the other week. As predicted, that Mercury retrograde is still causing havoc, with no clear election result two weeks after the voting booths closed and battle lines and new alliances being drawn up left, right and centre (pardon the pun). The latest news is that Green MP Adam Bandt and Independent MP Andrew Wilkie have thrown their support behind a Gillard Government with three other Independents yet to make a decision. What a cliff hanger this election is turning out to be! The epicenter of the Mercury retrograde transit is September 3 rd , but Mercury will be retrograde until September 13th, so it could take until then to negotiate a deal or know the exact result.
More election banter later in this issue…
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Spring is the ideal time for planting something new – what are your dreams for the future?
Perhaps you’d like to join my next eight week Magic & Manifestation Course, beginning on Monday 20 th September from 7.30 – 9.30 pm in Elwood, Melbourne and give those dreams a kick start!
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- Setting up a healing sanctuary – go Petrina!
If you want to share in the magic.... click here to download a booking form, click here to read all about the course with photos and testimonials or call Stella on 03 9534 5021 or email stellaw@ozemail.com.au to book your place.
Key Astrological Events – September
After the drama and meltdown of the June-July eclipses, now is the time to get back on track and in particular focus on personal relationships. The presence of Venus, Mars and Saturn in Libra (joined briefly by the Moon from the 9 th - 11 th ) will have us all taking a close look at our marriages and intimate partnerships this month.
Saturn will be in Libra for the next two years and is said to be ‘exalted’ in this zodiac sign, meaning its benefits and gifts are potentially great. Saturn acts as a kind of social barometer telling us what political and moral values and beliefs hold sway and Saturn in Libra is all about relationships, equality and commitment. In astrology, Mars and Venus represent the yin and yang of the mating game. Venus attracts while Mars pursues. Venus is loving and charming, Mars is passionate and sexual. If you are a Libran, these themes are particularly relevant. The rest of us will be trying to strike a balance between pleasing ourselves and making compromises.
Another popular theme will be work-life balance. Most of us work too hard and complain about being over- committed and lacking in quality time for self, friends and family. Saturn in Libra encourages us to lead a more balanced, moderate lifestyle creating relationships based on integrity and worth, rather than money, beauty or other more shallow considerations.
Spring has sprung and with a Virgo new moon on the 8th it’s time to start dreaming and planning for the months ahead. Take a walk in the park to celebrate the beauty and colours of spring or enjoy splurging on a new outfit or pair of shoes. With Venus moving into sexy and mysterious Scorpio on the 9th you’ll want to look and feel your best.
Also on the 9th, Jupiter moves back into water sign Pisces after three months in fiery Aries. Jupiter will be in Pisces until January next year bringing expanded awareness and consciousness of the divine creativity that flows through us all. Pisces is the most imaginative sign of the zodiac and Jupiter in Pisces can activate our right brain releasing flashes of intuition, inspiration and creativity. Wisdom is gained through dreams, meditation, visualisation and symbol. Whole concepts will be intuitively grasped or works of art, music and literature channelled in complete form. We can expect an increasing acceptance of multi-dimensional reality through direct revelation and personal experience.
Trickster planet Mercury turned retrograde on the 21 st August and travels backwards through analytical Virgo for three weeks until 13 th September. This is good time to sort out paperwork, do your tax return and deal with any other unfinished business. The usual Mercury retrograde advice applies – don’t stress; be patient and if things go haywire, see this as a sign that you need to slow down and contemplate life’s rich tapestry.
Mars joins Venus in Scorpio on the 15 th arousing feelings of passion and desire. Watch out for love triangles or old flames coming back on the scene. Secrets could be revealed, but you should be able to clear up any recent problems or misunderstandings as communication planet Mercury turns direct in early Virgo and starts to pick up speed again on the 13th.
The 23 rd marks the spring equinox as the Sun moves into Libra. With an Aries Full Moon on the day of the equinox, take full advantage of the vital spring energy but make sure you get plenty of sleep.
The final week of September brings a dose of hard work and discipline as the Sun meets up with serious Saturn. This may come in the form of school holiday challenges or commitment to that new fitness program you’ve been planning. Or perhaps it’s time to organise a working bee and clean out the garage or garden shed.
Virgo New Moon
This month’s new moon is in earth sign Virgo on the 8 th . The Sabian Symbol keywords for this new moon are ‘karmic confrontation’ and ‘planetary initiation’. As Mercury begins to rise ahead of the Sun, we have an opportunity to look at life in a new way and make adjustments for the future. The energy of this new moon is about modifying and refining previous ideas as well as expressing new ideas, improving and perfecting them for future use.
Aries Full Moon
The September full moon falls on the 23 rd in fire sign Aries only hours after the spring equinox. The Sabian Symbol keywords for this full moon are ‘emergence of new forms’ and ‘potential of consciousness. The Sun and Saturn in Libra ask us to take responsibility for our choices and actions. The Moon, Uranus and Jupiter in Aries oppose the Sun and Saturn shedding new light on our unconscious reactions and ingrained habits. With Pluto, Ceres and the Nodal axis making a square to the sun and moon, we are being asked to be more considerate, particularly with regard to environment and care of the planet.
Featured Sign-Virgo
The Sun travels through earth sign Virgo from 23 rd August until 23 rd September. Virgo is the sixth sign of the zodiac with keywords “I discern” and “I seek order. Virgo’s symbol is the Virgin, the independent woman who answered to no man, but served the Goddess herself. Born to serve and heal, Virgos are noted for their calm demeanour, attention to detail, healing energies, love of nature and mastery of art and craft. When in balance, they are one of the most practical, kind-hearted and caring signs with an intuitive understanding of the mind-body connection. Usually blessed with fine minds, they are masters of research, data and language. Negatively, the Virgo individual can suffer from hypochondria, be over-critical, especially of self, highly-strung and prone to permanent worry and anxiety. Virgo rules the abdomen, intestines, spleen and central nervous system. When Virgos are out of balance they suffer nervous problems, and stomach and intestinal disorders. The Virgo colours are earthy tones, green and dark brown. Virgo’s greatest lesson is to learn to be perfectly imperfect and accept imperfection in self and others. Famous Virgos include: Mother Teresa, Michael Jackson, Peter Sellers, Agatha Christie, Louis XIV of France, Sophia Loren and Stephen King.
Virgo Mythology
Virgo is the ancient temple virgin, who initiated men into the sacred rites of sexuality. Anne Bancroft, the actress who played the seductress, Mrs Robinson, in the film ‘The Graduate was a Virgo. ‘Vir’ is the Latin word for ‘man’ and the root of words such as ‘virility, while ‘virgo’ is Latin for ‘young woman‘. Virgin means ‘pure’ and the purity of the temple virgin or sacred harlot was not sexual purity, but rather the purity of the unchained woman, free from a dominating family or spouse and highly respected in her community. She held herself apart from others and dedicated herself to god or goddess, reflecting the Virgo focus on boundaries. I have found that many women who work in the sex industry have a strong focus on Virgo in their charts. Those interested in finding out more about sacred prostitution will enjoy Lindentree and Mortale’s essay, ‘The Original Whore with the Heart of Gold.’ They write: “How did the sale of sex go from paying to enter paradise to paying for something vile? If we can make ourselves one with the gods by intake of food and drink - an idea that far predates Christian communion - how much more so through sex, in its full regalia of joy, pleasure and emotional healing. And what exactly is wrong with money changing hands for it? We pay even for sacred food and drink, for ritual wine and bread have to come from somewhere. Why did the archetype of the sacred whore fall from grace?”
http://www.widdershins.org/vol2iss1/b9607.htm
The star Astraea in the constellation of Virgo is named after the virgin goddess Astraea who sat with the male gods as their equal during the Golden Age. Astraea was associated with justice and discrimination against the grosser elements of human nature – key components of the Virgo personality. Another famous myth connected with Virgo is the story of Persephone who was abducted and raped by Pluto, god of the underworld and then became his consort. Her grieving mother, Demeter, goddess of nature, refused to let the crops grow while her daughter was ‘trapped’ in the underworld. All the vegetation withered and winter came to the earth. Demeter pleaded with Pluto and eventually a deal was struck. Persephone could spend half the year with her mother and half in the underworld. Hence the summer and winter seasons. The myth relates to Virgo for its theme of seasons and sexual initiation and also speaks of the boundaries between worlds, recalling the Virgo power of discrimination and ability to separate different areas of life.
Scorpio vs Libra – Mars vs Venus
At the time of writing (1 st September) the Labor and Coalition spin doctors are falling over themselves to explain why their method of analysing the election results is superior and why their party ‘really should have won’. So who has won/will win? The more I look at the transit and natal charts of Gillard and Abbott, the more confusing the picture becomes. Neither leader has the brilliant transits of victory.
Venus was exactly conjunct Mars in Libra on election day, meaning the two leaders were dead equal on the 21 st August, Venus being Julia and Mars being Tony. Before the election, I predicted that Julia would win by a small margin as Venus is the ruler of Libra, whereas Mars, being in detriment in Libra, struggles to make it effects felt. But then Mercury retrograde brought all the confusion and the recounts and the delay and the ‘dead heat’ so my next course of action was to look at the charts on September 13 th when Mercury goes direct, hopefully bringing clarity and an end to the confusion of a hung parliament.
Although we have no time of birth for Tony, both he and Julia have their Mars return a day or so before Mercury goes direct. We can read a Mars return chart as an indicator of the likely work and career progress of an individual over the next couple of years (the average time of a Mars cycle). Because both Tony and Julia have their natal Mars in the late degrees of Libra, the Mars return charts are virtually identical meaning their likely career progress will be very similar. And what makes it even more infuriating in terms of selecting a winner is that on the day of Tony’s Mars return (10 th September), the Moon is in Libra (Julia’s sign) and on the day of Julia’s Mars return (12 th September), the Moon is in Scorpio (Tony’s sign). The Moon is in the enemy camp in other words.
And by the time we get to the day Mercury goes direct (13 th September), Venus has moved into detriment in Scorpio and Mars remains in detriment in Libra. It looks like the Greens and Independents are going to be the clear winners in this election regardless of who ends up with the title of Prime Minister and perhaps what this is what the planetary line-up is trying to tell us. Neither Labor nor Coalition will have the victory they hoped for and the face of Australian politics will have irrevocably changed.
September Moon Calendar
Launch projects at the New Moon, bring them to completion in the period from just before the Full Moon to the Third Quarter phase and wind them down and reflect on developments in the week before the next New Moon. The period between the New Moon and the Full Moon is the waxing moon (moon getting bigger and fuller). The period between the Full Moon and the New Moon is the waning moon (moon getting smaller and slimmer).
Many of you have written asking for info on the best time to cut your hair or wax/shave your legs. You can use this moon table to select the most favourable days to slow or increase hair regrowth. Full instructions can be found in my Lunar Hair Care guidelines at www.stellastarwoman.com/files/LunarHairCare.pdf but to get you started I’ve marked the best dates for waxing/shaving to slow regrowth in yellow and the best dates to cut hair for thicker, lusher growth in green. If you’re serious about Lunar Hair Care - order your own Moon Calendar then you’ll know exactly what time the moon changes from one zodiac sign to the next.
Thanks for being part of AstroUpdate. If there’s something you’d like to see featured, or have something you think would interest others, please contact me at stellaw@ozemail.com.au
PS – Don’t forget to check out your September Monthly Stars at www.stellastarwoman.com to see what’s coming up for you this month.
Happy Stargazing Stella Woods