9/6 New Moon, 14:20 Virgo, west coast 8:10 PM, east coast 11:10 PM, The success of innovative beginnings depends on your finding what brings you joy, and then supporting that with a harmonious coordination of your abilities and your environment. West coast issues involve a working relationship with someone compatible. Keep lines of communication open and honest. On the east coast, talent or creative work can transform simple projects into elegant ventures that bring pleasure to many.

9/7 Sun square Pluto 14:57 Virgo/Sagittarius, 11:03 AM, The appeal of power may challenge your resources and your will to succeed. Ample returns await those who can achieve an understanding of their innate creative ability, and develop it with strength and caring and without guile.

Venus enters Scorpio 8:05 PM, Venus enters her shadow. Hopes and dreams may begin to arise in consciousness, now. Go with the flow, and keep your awareness sharp. Many changes will occur before the pieces truly fall into place – perhaps by December.

9/11 Jupiter opposes Neptune Rx 8:36 Leo/Aquarius, 5:06 AM, The first of three oppositions. This is the beginning of a nine-month relationship between secular and spiritual values that may lead, through thoughtful perspective, to a mutually acceptable accord. Also, the opening volley of the dancing T-square starts today. Keep your eyes and ears open, and suspend judgment, as persuasive people want your approval.

9/14 Mercury stationary retrograde 13:15 Libra, Logic and persuasion need to be balanced with wisdom and compassion. Look at the past three weeks to see if those who support your interests are worthy of your continued trust. You may feel as though you are "on the brink". There is still energy emerging to help you build toward your dreams, but this is a good time to investigate your core values. You may want to suspend your judgment until December, and watch for people’s true colors to emerge.

9/19 Venus squares Neptune Rx 8:27 Scorpio/Aquarius 2:19 PM, The first of three, and step 2 of the dancing T-square. Ideals and visions of the future may challenge inner values – indeed you may be asked to intuit what actually is happening in your life. You will be asked to make adjustments in your perceptions throughout the rest of this year. To avoid confusion, tune into your inner guidance, and don’t burn any bridges yet.

9/21 Full Moon, 28:25 squaring Saturn. West coast 6:59 AM, east coast 9:59 AM. A small window of opportunity opens a quest for an acceptable structural base for your enterprise. On the west coast people in authority will use their influence to challenge or sustain the outcomes of successful projects, while cooperative ventures hold unpredicted support. East coast projects may quietly succeed through joint efforts of unlike supporters if those projects were solidly designed. Expansive opportunities arise to enable further development.

Sun squares Saturn 28:44 Virgo/Gemini, 2:47 PM, The emphasis slightly shifts so that a focus on motivation and action is necessary. Powerful forces may demand that you act before you are prepared. Have a fallback position for your own protection. If you have prepared for intervention by others, you can keep calm and not let pressures get you down.

9/22 Mars squares Pluto 15:06 Virgo/Sagittarius, 1:07 AM, Reach inside to your inner power and self-confidence and put them to work for you. Keep your temper – others may not. Someone must take a leadership role, however reluctantly. For whoever is in charge will be challenged and questioned.

Sun enters Libra 9:56 PM, The emphasis turns to relationship issues. Those who have been ignoring such ideas or procrastinating approaching uncomfortable dialogs with peers may take advantage of the energy of available mediators or helpful professionals. This transit is usually difficult for those involved in challenging relationships, but rewarding outcomes are possible with a little effort.

9/24 Venus squares Jupiter 10:59 Leo/Scorpio, 1:04 AM, First of three squares. Also, the third and final part of the dancing T-square. A joyful adventure may be in store. Be ready for serendipity to jump in. Experiences of many kinds will prepare you for the future. Express warmth and kindness to everyone. This is a time when kindnesses from the past may be returned just when they are needed.

9/27 Sun conjoins Mercury Rx 4:28 Libra, 11:31 AM, Logic may get lost in the glow of the Sun’s rays. Extend your energies to offer healing those in need. Consciousness of the needs of others can create happiness for them, and can propel you in your desired direction.

September was originally named for the seventh month of the old Roman calendar. One of September’s gemstones is the sapphire, which means "beloved of Saturn". Sapphires come in all colors, (the red sapphire is called ruby) the favorite being blue. Ancients believed that the Earth rested upon a giant sapphire, which gave a blue color to the sky. Sapphires bound on the forehead were said to cure diseases of the mind, and dipped in cool water and placed on the eyes were said to cure vision disorders.

September is sacred to the ancient Greek goddess Carpo, the Hora of Autumn (Thallo was the Hora of spring). The Horae, daughters of Zeus and Themis, were goddesses of time and order in nature. Carpo was venerated and invoked for the successful timing of the harvest, that the Earth be clothed in appropriate raiment.

September’s special days begin with Labor Day, the first Monday of the month, a day set aside to honor the common worker. Common people are associated with the Moon, and Monday is the Moon’s day. The Sun at that time is in the Saturn decanate of Virgo, the sign of labor. Saturn, associated with responsibility, was grandfather to the Horae. On Labor Day, we pay tribute to the average workers and their steadfast work, so important in our world.

The astrological year is divided according to the travel of the Sun through the signs of the zodiac, which are offset from the modern calendar months. During the first two-thirds of September, the Sun moves through the last two decanates of Virgo, one of the signs associated with Mercury. The Sun is in Gemini, Mercury’s other sign during the last ten days of May. May is named for the goddess, Maia, who was Mercury’s mother.

Sept. 19 is a daylong fast to propitiate Thoth (the Logos), the Egyptian god of wisdom and magic, and their name for Mercury. Mercury was known in Greece as Hermes. Hermes had a reputation as "The Trickster," which is still evident in modern times. There was once an asteroid named Hermes, which disappeared two weeks after it was discovered, never to be observed again. The trickster is a shapeshifter who takes the form of the coyote, and several birds, such as the crow. The crow, a remarkably clever bird has a propensity for thievery, and has been known to outwit humans. They are the most sociable of all bird species, bonding not only with their own families, but with humans as well. Crows have been known to mimic human words, and are one of the loudest and most raucous of all birds. It is said that Cicero was forewarned of his death by the presence of a raven (cousin to the crow.) Odin, another form of Mercury carried a raven on each shoulder. During the first world war, ravens and crows followed the troops and feasted on the battlefield carnage, to the dismay of the surviving soldiers. When the angry soldiers shot at them, the birds deftly stayed out of range of their artillery. Groups of other birds are referred to as a flock of geese, a charm of finches, or convocation of eagles, but a group of crows are referred to as a "murder of crows." A crowbar is a tool that provides a lever arm enabling entry into a difficult place without a key. The term "eating crow" came from the humiliation and insult suffered from watching casualties being devoured by the birds.

In the Hawaiian Zodiac, Mahoe Mua and Mahoe Hope encompasses the month of September. People born in this time are an enigma. The saying is that their first conscious act dictates how they will conduct their life. A mischievous act will create a life filled with mischief, and a beneficent act will create a life of goodness. In Greek mythology, Mercury’s first act was one of mischief.

In the Christian tradition, September first is the celebration of St. Giles, special patron of the disabled. Giles was wounded in the leg by an arrow when he protected a stag from being shot. Hospitals and Monasteries were dedicated to St. Giles. And Sept. 8^th is the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Jewish New Year is commemorated on Sept. 7, and Yom Kippur, called the Day of Atonement – when grievances are forgiven and Jehovah is petitioned for forgiveness is observed on Sept. 16. September 21 through 29 marks the festival of Sukkoth, from the blessing of the Jews’ journey in the desert, and the temporary shelters that God provided. These holy days are all known as moveable feasts, as their dates change each year. In the Hebrew tradition the day begins at sunset on the previous day. Is that any less logical than beginning a day in the dark of night (at midnight)?

Although the traditional name for the September pleniluna (full Moon) is the Harvest Moon, the Wiccan ritual refers to it as the Wine Moon, in thanksgiving for all that the revered nature spirits have allowed during the growing season. September provides a home to the autumnal equinox on Sept. 22, celebrated in Celtic tradition as the festival of Mabon (Welch for "son"), when, at the equator, sunrise is due east, and sunset is due west – and the days and nights are equal. It is the festival that marks the point of transition between light and dark halves of the year, and the second harvest (that of fruits). It is sacred to the mother and daughter Greek goddesses Demeter and Persephone, and the Irish goddess Carman, patroness of poetry, and the Norse fertility goddess Freya. It is the transition time between the mother and the crone, the second and third faces of the triple goddess. When we choose to move into a new framework, it must be done from within, as perception paints our consciousness. William Blake wrote: "The greatest discovery in our generation is that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives."

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On September 11, may we pause and reflect. This is the first anniversary of the vicious attack on America that tried to replace our consciousness of freedom with a mindset of fear. In remembering that day, join me in sending healing to those who lost loved ones, and also to all those afflicted with hate for their fellow humans. May we flood our Earth with the Light of the Author of our world, and consciously create a universe filled with peace and caring.