September 2024 Astrology Forecast
Theme: Review And Reorganize
By Astrologer, Meagan Leonard | IG: @_space.drama
Graduate of Our Mystic Astrology Apprenticeship Program
Subthemes for September 2024:
- Taking stock of progress made toward goals and restructuring as needed
- Eliminating competing priorities and focusing on what is most important
- Letting go of old dreams that no longer align with who we are now
Overall Energy
We enter September under the purifying energy of Virgo. The exuberance of Leo season has given way to a slower, more methodical pace, as we are invited to go inward, reflect on our priorities, and take stock of our progress before entering the year’s final months.
Right now, the focus is on reevaluating our goals to ensure they align with our current value system.
Many of us have carried dreams or ideas of how life should look for years and become increasingly frustrated when reality has failed to meet these expectations.
However, the more we resist the natural unfolding of our story, the more dissatisfied we become, chasing ghosts and illusions that seem to promise happiness but only take us further away from it.
In the tarot, Virgo is ruled by the Hermit—a card of introspection and spiritual journeys. When this card appears, we are invited to spend time in contemplation because the answers or fulfillment we’re seeking can no longer be found in the external world.
It can be an underwhelming card to receive—because it seems to whisper, not yet—but when you’re ready. Traditionally, the Hermit is depicted carrying a lantern. In the Rider Waite Smith deck, the lantern holds the Star—a clue to the hope and healing available at the end of a spiritual quest.
In some shape or form, each of us will undertake a transformative journey this month—the New Moon in Virgo on September 2 ushered in eclipse season, which will culminate in a lunar eclipse on the 17th and a solar eclipse on October 2.
Eclipse season accelerates change through rapid beginnings and endings—this can be jarring for many of us as our instinct is to hold onto things for as long as possible.
Although eclipse season can push us out of our comfort zone before we’re ready, we will reach the other side much further ahead if we can lean into these developments.
[Click here to download our free Eclipse Season Survival Guide.]
Pluto will also dip back into Capricorn at the beginning of the month, touching the final degree of Capricorn for the last time in our lifetime. It will remain here until November, giving us one more opportunity to review and implement the lessons we’ve been learning since 2008—collectively and individually.
It’s possible that whatever transpires around eclipse season will bring this story to completion and finally springboard us into the new paradigm we’ve been waiting for.
Uranus will also station retrograde at the beginning of the month and backspin through Taurus until January 2025. The planet of shock and awe spends roughly half the year in retrograde, so this transit is not felt as acutely as the personal planets; however, it will allow us to reflect on any unexpected changes or curveballs thrown our way during the first part of the year.
Uranus is a troublemaker, but it usually shakes things up to shift our perspective and deliver insights that are helpful in the long run. If an area of your life has started to feel stagnant or uninspired, this retrograde cycle may be a good time to take stock and shift gears.
Ultimately, the energy of this month will see us identifying what is most important so that we can begin implementing the structures and routines needed to reach our goals.
We will be asked to clarify what we’re reaching for and why, ensuring our dreams align with who we have become and learn to embrace our journey, even if it takes an unexpected detour.
Eclipse season is always a little rocky. Aim to tap into the energy of Virgo and lean on routines and daily rituals to stay grounded this month, focusing more on reflection than action. The more you can release your expectations, the easier it will be to navigate the coming weeks.
Transits
Sun in Virgo opposite Saturn retrograde in Pisces
This month, the Sun will connect with four of the astrological powerhouses as it makes its way through Virgo. Because these transits happen less often, they may be more influential. In this case, we’re dealing with mutable energy, so you may experience a vague feeling of dissatisfaction or reaching.
Whatever strategy or approach we’ve been taking thus far may start to fail us now, and we’ll need to change course in some way—this is ultimately what this series of aspects will show us.
First, the Sun will shift into opposition with Saturn retrograde in Pisces on September 7. Saturn is the planet of restriction—it holds us responsible for our actions and rewards us for lessons learned.
If you’ve been taking on too much or saying yes to everything, you may start to feel the pressure now. Saturn asks, what do you want your obituary to say? Its energy can seem bleak, but there are only so many things we can devote ourselves to in one lifetime.
Now is the time to clarify what you are willing to sacrifice for long-term success.
Sun in Virgo square Jupiter in Gemini
Then, the Sun will square Jupiter in Gemini on September 12. We’re coming into the days leading up to the first eclipse now, so the energy is likely starting to feel charged.
This transit could initiate a moment of panic or indecision where you begin worrying about eliminating the wrong thing or biting off more than you can chew.
You might also feel bogged down by the unglamorous nature of consistent effort and accidentally do something to self-sabotage or cause a bit of drama in your life.
In its most positive manifestation, this energy can help us expand our vision for the future and dream bigger, bolstering our confidence and encouraging us to aim higher.
Yet, in shadow, we could find ourselves slipping into a grass-is-greener mentality, incorrectly believing that someone else’s path is easier than ours. It’s important to remember that no one who ever attained success did so without failure, hard work, and showing up day after day.
Sun in Virgo opposite Neptune in Pisces
By the end of the month, we may feel a push to ground our new ideas and insights in reality. The lunar eclipse will be in a loose conjunction with Neptune, currently stationed retrograde in the last degree of Pisces. It’s possible that during the upheaval of the eclipse, we caught a glimpse of a new dream, and our vision for the future shifted unexpectedly.
We may have realized that something we thought would make us happy conflicts with our values, and we’re starting to accept that sometimes the places that feel most like home are where we least expect.
When we have these aha moments, they may initially feel inspiring and then quickly become overwhelming as we struggle to figure out how to pivot from our current circumstances to the new reality—this is when many people give up.
We must resist the urge to become trapped in a fantasy.
Behind every dream is a series of mundane rituals and daily devotions, which we’ll be asked to focus on.
How can you break a big dream into tangible tasks? What would happen if you released the need to have it all figured out and instead allowed the path to be revealed one step at a time?
These may be relevant questions come October.
Signs Most Affected
Virgo sun, moon, and rising
Pisces sun, moon, and rising
Gemini sun, moon, and rising
Libra sun, moon, and rising
Key Transits and Dates:
Sept. 1: Uranus stations retrograde in Taurus, Pluto retrograde moves into Capricorn
Sept. 2: New Moon in Virgo, Mars in Gemini square Neptune in Pisces
Sept. 4: Mars in Cancer
Sept. 6: Mercury in Leo square Uranus in Taurus
Sept. 7: Sun in Virgo opposite Saturn retrograde in Pisces
Sept. 8: Mercury in Virgo
Sept. 12: Sun in Virgo square Jupiter in Gemini
Sept. 17: Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Pisces
Sept. 18: Mercury in Virgo opposite Saturn in Pisces
Sept. 20: Sun in Virgo opposite Neptune retrograde in Pisces
Sept. 21: Sun in Virgo trine Pluto retrograde in Capricorn
Sept. 22: Sun in Libra (Autumnal Equinox), Venus in Libra square Pluto retrograde in Capricorn, Venus in Scorpio
Sept. 25: Mercury in Virgo opposite Neptune retrograde in Pisces
Sept. 26: Mercury in Libra
Sept. 30: Mercury cazimi in Libra
We’ve officially entered Eclipse Season…
Download our Free Eclipse Season Survival Guide to discover: The Do’s and Don’ts for Thriving During Eclipse Season, Tips for managing big emotions during this time and How to use this potent energy to make massive changes in your life.
