Welcome to the Stella Starwoman AstroUpdate for September and thank you to all of you who wrote in response to
my astro-analysis of the MH17 plane crash. If you missed this article, you can view it by clicking HERE.
Spring Equinox
The 23rd September marks the spring equinox as the Sun moves from Virgo into Libra, a dynamic and inspirational
time of year when the days become longer than the nights. Symbolically this is a time to remain open physically
and emotionally to prevent stagnation of energy and consider what changes or improvements you would like to see
in your life over the coming months. Many people choose to lead a healthier lifestyle or change their diet. What
better time than spring to reinvent yourself? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Seven Top Tips for a Great Spring
1) Declutter your home by getting rid of anything you no longer use or need (food, clothes, books, underwear,
medication) to make space for all that new energy.
2) Do something you’ve always wanted to, but never made the time for.
3) Get out in the fresh air – go for a walk, run through the park, stretch your body, smell the flowers and breathe deeply.
4) Go away for a day or weekend to somewhere you’ve never been before.
5) Make something healthy and delicious with fresh spring ingredients, bursting with vitality.
6) Pamper your body with a massage, facial, hot bath or relaxing spa.
7) Say no to overwhelm and simplify your life by outsourcing the things you most dislike doing. Or simply stop doing them altogether!
Simple Spring Ritual
And if you’d like to hold a simple ritual to welcome the spring, here’s one of my favourites. You can do this ritual
alone or with friends.
You’ll need a yellow candle (representing the sun) plus a packet of your favourite seeds and some small punnets or
seed trays filled with earth. Marigolds, nasturtiums and sunflowers are all good choices, being easy to grow and
brightly coloured, but the main thing is to choose flowers you love (or vegetables/herbs if you prefer).
Sit for a few moments and centre yourself. Think of what springtime means to you and what delightful new things
you would like to see blossoming in your life over the coming months. Now take your packet of seeds, count them
and pour a few into your hand. Imagine that each one of these seeds has the power to grow into a beautiful plant
filled with colour, energy and vitality. Something so small, tiny and seemingly insignificant contains the magical
power of life. Now plant your seeds one by one taking care to gently cover each one with earth and water. Each time
you plant a seed, imagine it growing to its full power and potential
When you have finished planting your seeds, light the candle, hold it in your hand and sit in silence for a few
minutes. You too have seeds inside – seeds that can grow into majestic and beautiful creations. Ask yourself, “What
seeds will I plant this month and how will I nurture them? How long will they take
to flower or bear fruit? Imagine that each one of your dreams (seeds) is
connected to one of the seeds you have planted in the earth and that the more
you care of your seedlings over the coming months, the more their growing
energy will power your own dreams. Finish the ritual by blowing out the
candle and giving thanks to the universe for the wonder of spring
Key Astrological Events – September
Communication planet Mercury heads into air sign Libra from the 2nd – 28th September, promoting balanced and
clear communication, especially in personal relationships and friendships. If you need to apologise to someone,
now is the time to sort things out, rather than waiting for the Mercury retrograde transit through Libra in mid-
October.
Meanwhile, relationship planet Venus moves from Leo to Virgo on the 6th September and will remain in Virgo
throughout the month. While Virgo is a caring and healing energy, she also has a critical and self-righteous side;
think twice before finding fault with those close to you or you might just get a taste of your own medicine. Venus
in Virgo likes to focus on the practical side of relationships, so if you want to take your relationship to the next
level, start talking to your partner now. On the other hand, if you are in a difficult or unsustainable relationship,
September could be the month you decide to say goodbye. Venus in Virgo is also good for updating your
wardrobe, beautifying home and garden and any kind of physical or health makeover. And with Venus and
Mercury in mutual reception (in each other’s home signs) from the 6th – 28th September, the overall energy this
month is calm, balanced and grounded. Take this opportunity to review all relationships, both professional and
personal.
Action planet Mars moves from ruling sign Scorpio into adventurous Sagittarius on the 14th September.
Sagittarius and Mars are happy bedfellows meaning you can move ahead confidently with any plans for travel,
study, adventure, outdoor pursuits or legal matters in the second half of the month. Mars will be in Sagittarius until
the end of October.
Stone Circles in Melbourne’s Back Yard
In June this year, a week before the winter solstice, I was delighted to receive an invitation to attend a tree planting day at Wurdi
Youang (a protected Aboriginal Heritage Site near Little River) hosted by the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative. I was particularly
excited that we would be visiting their ‘stone arrangement’ as I’d wanted to visit this special astronomical alignment for many years.
The Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) was a tribal community consisting of some 25 family groups until their way of life was destroyed
in the 1830s following white settlement. The Wathaurong traditional boundaries stretched from the Werribee River all the way to the
Lorne peninsula and inland towards Ballarat. They inhabited this region for more than 25,000 years. The Wathaurong Cooperative was
formed in 1978 with an aim of supporting the social, economic and cultural development of Aboriginal people and to “uphold the
dignity of our ancestors; respect our elders and instil a sense of cultural pride and belonging for our children and children’s children.”
We now know that celestial knowledge played a major role in the culture, social structure and oral traditions of the hundreds of distinct
Aboriginal groups that existed prior to British colonisation. After years of study, a group of Australian astro-physicists have confirmed
that the Wurdi Youang “stone arrangement”, a roughly egg-shaped ring, about fifty metres in diameter with about 100 basalt stones, is
a type of sundial, with CSIRO astro-physicist Professor Ray Norris claiming the precise alignment of the stones proves the circle was
constructed to map the path of the sun. Most of the basalt stones forming the main arrangement are quite large and heavy (some exceed
500 kg) and it is thought they were quarried in the nearby You Yangs. The three largest stones in the circle are placed together at the
western end and a number of small outlying stones indicate the setting position of the sun at the solstices and equinox. "This can't be
done by guesswork”, says Professor Norris. “It required very careful measurements. If it goes back, let's say, 10,000 years, this circle
could even predate the Egyptians, the Pyramids, Stonehenge, all that stuff."
But there were no CSIRO scientists in sight on the day we visited. Instead, we were warmly welcomed by the locals and after some tree
planting and a delicious lunch of barbecued eel caught from the local creek, a small group of us were led to a sloping hillside where we
solemnly marched into the stone circle through a special entrance. Cultural officer Reg Abrahams gave us a fantastic tour of the site,
pointing out how stones at various points in the circle lined up, not only with the solstices and equinoxes, but also mirrored prominent
landmarks on the horizon, such as Mount Blackwood, Mount Macedon and the You Yangs. Kangaroos hopped about in the distance;
the river flowed lazily by and the whole atmosphere was magical. I was excited to spot a triangular
stone artefact with sharp edges, casually lying on the ground inside the circle and clearly manmade.
Reg explained that the exact age of the stone circle was yet to be determined and there were
various theories on how it was used (including initiation and marking the seasons), but that
research was ongoing. He mentioned that the circle could even be older than Stonehenge.
Who knows what secrets may be revealed in years to come? With the advent of the internet
and the ability to share knowledge we are finally beginning to appreciate the wonders of our
indigenous culture. Thank you very much to Reg and the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative
for making me welcome and sharing your stories.
September Full Moon & New Moon
The September full moon occurs in the sign of the fishes at 16-17° Pisces, on the 9th September. The Sabian Symbol
for this degree of the zodiac shows an Easter parade, representing the importance of joining together with others to
celebrate important social and religious/spiritual occasions. Cultural rituals and traditions promote a sense of
belonging and group solidarity, something we tend to forget in this age of individuality and independence. As Pisces
is a water sign and the Moon conjuncts Chiron (the healing planet) at this full moon, emotions will be running high.
New moons are all about new beginnings. This month’s new moon falls on the 24th in air sign Libra. The Sabian
Symbol for this degree of the zodiac (1-2° Libra) speaks of the need to take the fruits of past material and practical
experience and transform them into the seed of the creative spirit. The quality of your creative and spiritual output
rests on the quality of the life you have led to date. Libra is also the sign of relationships, so the Libran new moon is
a wonderful opportunity to revisit your current relationship and make positive changes, or if you are looking for
love, a great time to meditate on the type of partner you would like to attract.
Featured Sign- Virgo
The Sun travels through earth sign Virgo from 23rd August until 23rd September, the spring equinox. 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 zodiac 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 can suffer from nervous problems, and digestive disorders.
Meditation, relaxation, gentle stretching, nourishing food and time in nature will help
Virgo stay centred. 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 both self and others.
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 thinner).
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 from the
Stella Starwoman Store then you’ll know exactly what time of day the moon changes from one zodiac sign to the
next meaning you can fine-tune your activities with confidence.
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