September is the month of the Libra equinox, though as these weeks develop there are many interesting stories coming from the sign of balance, justice and honest relationships. For most of the month, Venus, Mars and Mercury are passing through this sign, encouraging us to be open with one another, and to take a chance in relationships. Then two days after the equinox on Sept. 22, Mercury turns to retrograde motion and guides the whole journey inwardly. One theme is understanding the nature of projection—that is, the personal material that we carry around, but which we unwittingly ascribe to others. Indeed, this whole Mercury retrograde is focused on the topic of owning what is our own and sharing what you have to share. During this time, we will be confronted with many interesting questions, such as "When I'm in love with someone else, am I really in love with myself, but using a friend as the projection screen?" Most of the time, we're too squeamish to ask, much less answer, questions like this. But equinox is the equalizer, and standing up to your inner truth puts you on equal ground with others. Please consider this when reading the individual interpretations for your sign, below.
ARIES (March 20-April 19)
You should be having no trouble keeping busy these days, but the question is, with what? Your charts suggest that you’re popular at work and in love. Well, popular may be stretching things, but there’s plenty of action, and you can either have dates or your existing dates are actually available. Business, however, has that slightly too-much feeling, and it seems like your inbox is heaping itself full. If I had to guess, this is eating up most of your free time. Here we have one of the central dilemmas of existence: the supposed competition of love and work. Your heart says that it’s more important that you have fun, and I would second the motion. There is an escape hatch on the business front, and in a word, it’s efficiency. Do things right so you only have to do them twice. You would also benefit from jumping to a higher level than the one you’re on; you seem to get caught in a mental bog frequently, consisting mainly of your sense of responsibility rather than the work itself. If you prioritize love—not socializing, but actual intimacy—your life is much likelier to come into balance. And there will come a natural limit to the frenetic pace of professional effort that takes effect later in the month when Mercury stations retrograde.
TAURUS (April 19-May 20)
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron makes the excellent point that creativity is not based so much on inspiration as it is on routine. You seem to be running a bit cool on the flashes of inspiration but hot on the kind of energy that would help you expand and develop your ideas. Having said this, there is the chance you may feel like you have a lot of energy to do something but nothing feels quite up to the standard you have set for action. And it also seems that you have some obstacles in the way of seeing even a sketch of your long-term plan. The astrology is suggesting your time is better spent completing old projects than it is on starting new ones. When you start digging through the files of what you have not yet completed, you’ll be surprised how much you can do, and how easy it will be. The beauty of completing old projects comes partly from recognizing that beginning is the hard part, and this you have begun. Time also grants some perspective, and I trust that you will see the quality of your work in a new light. Finally, there is the satisfying feeling of resolution and closure. Plan on a couple of months of this, and the freedom to change directions entirely will be that much sweeter when it comes.
GEMINI (May 20-June 21)
Love affairs can do strange things. We need to expect them to, and observe ourselves in the process. We need to remember that the story is in the dialog; that is, in the quality of communication. The quality you are seeking is on the daring side. That translates to exchanges that are based on understanding yourself in precisely that way that most people avoid. The fear of self-understanding, or the fear of revealing to others that which you’re not willing to understand about yourself, is the zone you need to be working in. Hey, you may even want to be working there, but we’re talking about the realm of taboo. There is a feeling about your charts of an obvious secret that you don’t want to reveal or even discover. As the month progresses, there will come a time that you need to focus on the past, to get beneath an issue that arises. And truth be told, the past is the source and core of all taboos. Here is the clue you’re looking for. If passion and anger tend to get confused, or if one arises in the context of the other, I suggest slowing down and having the conversation you need to have, out of bed. This little factor—well known to sex therapists_—is the key. Talk at the kitchen table or a park, and take some notes.
