Late post this week, as my writing efforts were focused on finishing another article for The Mountain Astrologer — coming soon to a newsstand near you…huzzah!

Meanwhile, the Moon entered people-pleasing Libra at 6:06AM ET, driving the next few days with a quest for balance, fairness and rational debate. Said quest will be subject to power plays and upsets, as the Moon makes its weekly clash with Pluto (1:01PM ET on THURSDAY) and Uranus (9:04 AM ET on FRIDAY). Today, however, while there are other electric and wiggy patterns humming in the background, the path of the Moon is free of bumps. So off we go, inspired by the New Moon that occurred at 1:30 AM ET in Virgo.

What can we say about Virgo? Well, it is an earth sign (as opposed to fire, water or air), and thus practical, with material concerns. It is also a mutable sign, as opposed to cardinal or fixed. What does that mean? Cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn; they need to come up with the idea and take action.  Fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius. These signs need to organize and give form to the concepts pitched by cardinal signs. Mutable signs — Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces — get to spread the word about the cool forms the fixed signs made. Mutable signs are much more subject to change, compared to Cardinal and Fixed. Think of a weathervane spinning in whatever direction the wind happens to blow.

Other Virgo tidbits: it is ruled by Mercury. Virgo is all about analysis and making thing right.  In health matters,  Virgo rules the intestinal tract and assimilation. If you have planets in Virgo in your horoscope, and they are under a great deal of developmental tension, you may have some issues with your digestive system, especially with how your system absorbs nutrition from food.

This New Moon has four planets in Virgo: Sun, Moon, Mercury and Mars. That’s a lot of energy focused on breaking things down into tiny bits of perfect data, separating the wheat from the chaff. However, the Virgo need for precision has been challenged this week by the influence of foggy Neptune. In the language of astrology, Neptune refers to drugs, oceans, faith, delusions, deceptions, oil, healing, spirits and other intangibles.

On this New Moon, Neptune opposed Mercury (how we think and communicate) and Mars (action; assertion; machism0). “Disturbing images show Navy hospital staffers mishandling infant, calling babies ‘mini Satans’,” reports the Washington Post. Surreal? A tad fanatical? Hurricane Maria Does ‘Mind-Boggling’ Damage to Dominica, Leader Says, reports the NYT. How often do we see “mind-boggling” in a headline? “Porn-actor-turned-spy who posed as jihadist gets suspended sentence,”  the Guardian tells us. Intrigue and scandal, with no small amount of sex appeal — courtesy of Neptune in a hard aspect with Mars.

The Mercury-Neptune opposition was exact yesterday at 11:50PM ET. The Mars-Neptune opposition will be exact on SUNDAY at 3:50 PM ET.  Let the record show that the world is scheduled to end the day before, on September 23rd. Let the record show that this is not the first time the world has been scheduled to end, and that the last time it was on the calendar (10/6/2015), there was a Mars-Neptune opposition.  I think I see a pattern here…

Meanwhile, Mercury is in a harmonious pattern with depth-seeking Pluto, exact on FRIDAY at 1:59 PM ET. This facilitates investigative powers and persuasive communication. Some may use it to pierce the veil of murky Neptune fog and deceit.

This week, two planets change signs. Yesterday, Venus left drama queen Leo for persnickety Virgo at 9:15 PM ET. Bye-bye drama queens; hello fussbudgets. Planning a cosmetic surgery when Venus is in Virgo? Perfection may be elusive. Venus leaves Virgo on October 14th. On FRIDAY, the Sun leaves Virgo for Libra at 4:02 PM ET. This is the autumnal equinox, the start of a new season and a turning point. Watch for leaders and other movers and shakers to pull greater than average focus in the headlines through the rest of the week.

The Sabian Symbol for this Virgo New Moon is “a bald-headed man who has seized power.” Rumor has it that baldness is more prevalent in men with higher levels of testosterone. This does not appear to be based on fact; but the myth of the macho bald-headed man clues us in to what we are likely to see in the headlines during this lunar cycle. The keyword is DOMINANCE through the use of personal power, according to Sabian Symbol guru Blain Bovee. Well, power broker Pluto will turn direct on September 28th, the same day we will have the third in a series of disruptive, pie-in-the-sky oppositions between expansive Jupiter and techno shockjock Uranus. If you have a planet or angle around 27 degrees of Virgo, Gemini, Sagittarius or Pisces, this New Moon may spark action from your inner dictator.  Consult your local astrologer for details.

And now, more news.

In the wake of last week’s potentially cutting and ambitious square between Sun and Saturn, a last-gasp effort to rip health care away from millions of Americans has surfaced. The Graham-Cassidy bill will repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with Something Else, because…well…let these nine U.S. Senators “explain” what the bill will do and why it is good. Just keep in mind that all of this “explaining” is being done under planetary patterns (Mars, Mercury, Neptune) we often see in the horoscopes of  con artists and other persons who are Not As They Seem.

Yesterday, transiting Venus triggered August’s Big Fat Eclipse when it hit 28 degrees of Leo, right on P45’s Ascendant. Venus rules his Midheaven (career/public status) and his 3rd House of mindset and blah blah blah communication. A planet triggering an eclipse can release a surge of energy; for P45, it was a keynote address at the United Nations, in which he “vowed to ‘totally destroy North Korea.’  if North Korea threatened the United States”. Note that North Korea has its Saturn at 28 Leo, its horoscope was triggered, too. One wonders what planets in Mother Nature’s horoscope are at 28 Leo, with Hurricane Maria hammering the Caribbean and an 8.1 quake in Mexico City yesterday.

Here’s a story about a glamorous public figure with Neptune opposing her Mercury, Venus and Mars in her natal horoscope, Her natal Venus is at 28 Taurus, also affected by the eclipse.  Today, she speaks out: “Melania Trump to condemn bullying at U.N. luncheon.” For real?

Meanwhile, I saw a ton of stories reflecting the potential of “diversity, technology, humanitarians, quirky comedians and pioneering women” anticipated for the weekend, including virtually every story in the Sunday NYT’s Week in Review.  Sunday’s Emmy Awards also reflected those keywords — just look at Variety’s “Five Key Takeaways from Emmys 2017.”   Elsewhere, Hillary Clinton was one of many offering “stirring” eulogies for Edith Windsor, who passed away last week at 88.  Ms. Windsor also embodied planetary patterns at the time of her death, which we’ve seen over and over again. From her  NYT obituary:

(Ms. Windsor’s)  landmark case led the Supreme Court to grant same-sex married couples federal recognition for the first time and rights to a host of federal benefits that until then only married heterosexuals had enjoyed…

Last but not least, an UPDATE on John Kelly. This retired general is working overtime to bring order and discipline to the White House as its Chief of Staff. He has Mars and Saturn in uber-organized Virgo, so this is helpful. However, as noted in a prior post, transiting Neptune is opposing his natal Saturn. Yes, his ambition has likely become a vision for him this year — perhaps even a quixotic quest. But Neptune in hard aspect to Saturn can turn ordinary reality into a bewildering slog through Wonderland. Transiting Saturn squaring Kelly’s Mars (action) may further ambition or simply be frustrating…and it is possible that his Pisces Moon is feeling the isolating squeeze of Saturn, too. Here is what that might look like,  if those transits ever happen to you:

…and here is the story behind that photo.

Thank you for reading this forecast.