Horoscope: September 17 to 23, 2018
Astrologer Pam Younghans writes this weekly astrological journal based on planetary influences, and offers perspectives and insights to assist you in making the best use of current energies. This column is not intended as prediction. Your own experience will be more specifically defined by transits to your personal chart.
Highlighted Aspects for This Week
All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. For Greenwich Mean Time, add 7 hours.
TUE: Sun bi-quintile Uranus, Mar square Uranus (4:01 p.m. PDT)
WED: Mars quintile Jupiter, Mercury bi-quintile Uranus
THU: Venus quintile Pluto, Saturn quintile Neptune, Sun conjunct Mercury
FRI: Mercury enters Libra, Mercury opposite Chiron
SAT: Sun enters Libra/September Equinox 6:54 p.m. PDT, Mercury quincunx Uranus, Sun opposite Chiron
SUN: Mercury square Saturn, Mercury trine Mars
OUR THIRD and final Mars-Uranus square occurs on Tuesday of this coming week, representing another surge of energy designed to dislodge us from our usual patterns of living. Some of the events that have recently occurred -- and in some cases, continue to unfold -- are quintessentially Mars-Uranus in their effects: hurricanes, typhoons, and explosions have rocked our world. And, we must remember that the Kilauea volcano began its current round of eruptions around the time of the first Mars-Uranus square back in May.
It can be challenging to find purposes in such traumatic events, but they exist nonetheless. We're all aware that we, as a humanity, are needing some major course corrections. Uranus, as one of the transpersonal planets, has been charged with the task of advancing our consciousness.
Uranian events draw us into contact with the Higher Mind, which perceives events from an enlightened perspective and offers solutions that we may not have considered. When life takes unexpected turns that appear to have no purpose or explanation, it can be the very fact of uncertainty that leads us to question, and to seek higher-level answers.
Even if we haven't been personally impacted by recent crises, our minds, emotions, and energy fields have been affected. A great deal of heat is released during a transit like this; weather patterns and earth changes are just a few examples of how the physical realms respond to this heat. As individuals, we are also in reactive mode, and may see it manifest on emotional levels as being easily irritated or angered. On physical levels, we may be dealing with symptoms related to excess heat (pitta) in the body.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT with this final pass of the Mars-Uranus square? Since Uranus is the planet of surprises, we are always cautioned to "expect the unexpected" when its influence is engaged. Perhaps we've already seen the major manifestations of the square, and will be mostly dealing with their aftermath. Or, we may see more events that we can attribute to the effects of the square.
However the week unfolds, we can learn new ways of handling physical-level uncertainty (Uranus in Taurus). We can also find ways to shift our perspective, enabling us to rise above our own fear and perhaps anger related to the unpredictable nature of life (Mars in Aquarius).
TO ASSIST US this week, we have quite a few creative quintile aspects, the most notable being the Saturn-Neptune quintile that perfects on Thursday. This aspect increases our ability to perceive intuitively, and enables us to apply our insights to practical concerns.
We also have a Mars-Jupiter quintile on Wednesday, which helps us convert the fire of the Mars-Uranus aspect into energy that can be utilized to make profound and necessary changes. And, two bi-quintiles involving Uranus also provides positive outlets for the tension (Sun-Uranus on Tuesday, and Mercury-Uranus on Wednesday).
THE SUN enters Libra on Saturday at 6:54 p.m. PDT., marking the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the Vernal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. The chart drawn for the time of this event is said to indicate themes we will be working with during the coming season. Here are some of the highlights of that Equinox chart:
* A cardinal T-square configuration is in effect, involving Sun/Mercury/Ceres in Libra, Chiron in Aries, and Saturn/Vesta in Capricorn. With Mercury closely conjunct the Sun, we can expect words, communication, and information to be major players in events that unfold over the next three months. But, with the Sun and Mercury opposing Chiron, there will be uncertainty about who/what to believe, causing fear and anger to surface.
* A strong Mercury-Uranus quincunx indicates unexpected news that requires us to adjust our plans and perspectives.
* Saturn conjunct Vesta means that the old rule of law is very strong, and it will be challenging to get people to see beyond old mindsets and commitments. However, Uranus is trine both Saturn and Vesta, providing us with the opportunity to make some important shifts.
* Mars is square Uranus in the chart, continuing our theme (although perhaps at a lower decibel) of unexpected change.
* Mars is also aligned with the South Node, indicating karmic issues related to how we use assertiveness / aggression, how we allow ego to radicalize our perspective, and how we might respond with either fear or anger when facing challenges.
* But, with Mercury and the Sun trine Mars and the South Node, what we learn over the course of the next three months will enable us to move beyond places where we have been stuck.
THE CURRENT WEEK concludes with two Mercury aspects next Sunday, starting off with a Mercury-Saturn square (9:45 a.m. PDT). We may find it hard to stay optimistic with this aspect, or may feel frustrated when things don't go according to plan. To make best use of this aspect, we'll want to slow down and take the time to get clear on what we need to do to stay in balance mentally.
If we are successful in rising above that challenge, we can use the Mercury-Mars trine later in the day (6:29 p.m. PDT) to make some good progress, as our thoughts and actions work together in harmony. We should also be able to see more clearly where we need to go from here.
IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: This year, you will be coming into a new sense of your ability to manage your life. Along the way, you will be healing old fears that you are not enough, that you cannot achieve your goals, or that your ideas are faulty. As you move beyond those old wounds, you will gain a new sense of who you are and what you are capable of. This more empowered self will be the foundation for increased growth and accomplishment in the future.
About the Author
Pam Younghans is a professional astrologer, editor, and writer. She lives in a log home northeast of Seattle, Washington with her beloved animal companions. She has been interpreting charts professionally for over 25 years. If you are interested in an astrology reading, e-mail
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