By Camille Liptak, Student Contributor
Can you feel it, the shifting energy? September has brought more than just a new Fall semester schedule. Summer and all its retrogrades and eclipses are over, and never has there been such a widespread sigh of relief from the collective unconscious. Planets are direct! Fall is on its way! Virgo season is in full swing, and the mutable earth sign is helping all the zodiac signs ground our thinking so that we could all see the details a little more clearly. Mercury is a happy camper in Virgo. Saturn is likewise triumphant since turning direct in Capricorn. Venus is in fixed water sign Scorpio, and Mars also waltzed into fixed air sign Aquarius.
But what do these planets and their transits have in store for your sign?
ARIES
Feeling more emotional than usual? Blame Venus in Scorpio. The love planet is transiting your 8th house of transformation until it goes retro October 5th, and it’s calling you to use your heightened passions and plunge into your hidden talents and creative depths. The good news comes from your ruling planet, Mars (now in Aquarius). You’ll see Summer’s hard work pay off, and make strides socially, all while you lay the Venus-inspired creative groundwork for a big project. The opportunity for the club you wanted to start or join is finally manifesting. On the 21st, when Mercury enters Libra, focus on those business partnerships. Fight the urge to, well, fight when you are asked to compromise and meet someone in the middle. Satisfaction comes on the 24th, when the Harvest Moon and the fruit of your labor intersect.
TAURUS
Like the rest of the earth and water signs, September brings nothing but gold to you, Taurus. Romance and creativity are all that’s on your mind. Still, they don’t call you a practical earth sign for nothing. Venus in Scorpio shines a positive light on the personal side of your life. You mean business when you call a certain someone to discuss plans to deepen your level of commitment. If single, you’re committed to deepening your relationship to yourself, and determined to bring structure to your higher goals. Mars in Aquarius gives you an opportunity to dedicate yourself to your career — but only if you make the most of it. The transit lasts until November. The full moon is a particularly sensitive one for you, and brings focus to what you’ve been hiding and/or avoiding.
GEMINI
Savor this moment, Gemini. The other 11 signs are scrambling to keep up with the pace to cover more ground, but you’re working at hyperspeed like its a stroll in the park (because it is for you). Venus in Scorpio is making your nose-to-grindstone work more tolerable. Daily dabs into your creative brain aren’t as difficult, as your artistic instincts are heightened. You feel more competent and dare I say, dutiful until Oct. 5th. Mars in fellow air sign Aquarius is giving you a major boost of momentum, too. Yes, Summer was chock full of starts, stops, reverses, and pivots, but all of your various endeavors are finally moving forward once again. On the 21st, Mercury in Libra will shine down on your creative house, and the Harvest Moon on the 24th unleashes fast and furious passions.
CANCER
This should be a stellar month for you, Cancer. If, and only if you let it. Don’t fuss over the insignificant, and don’t worry if you can’t stay focused on a single project. Mercury in your 3rd house ramps up your curiosity and chattiness. The Virgo influence can ground your thinking if you let it; or it can heighten your crabby nitpicking and cause an information overload. Don’t implode, implement your ideas, Cancer. Share your resources with others; Mars in Aquarius is calling you to do so until mid-November. Venus in Scorpio gives you more confidence and a certain playfulness. You’re full of creative drive, and plucking inspiration from every cloud you see. Enjoy it while it lasts, the Venus retro arrives Oct. 5th. The full moon in Aries on the 24th illuminates your career with a new team project.
LEO
Ooh, someone’s feeling psychic! And it’s all thanks to the uber instinctual Venus in Scorpio transiting your 4th house. Though your perceptions of people in your personal environment are as shrewd as ever (thanks Mercury in Virgo), dramatic confrontations are bound to happen. You aren’t the zodiac’s Royal Actor for nothing. Instead of heating up wildly over something someone in your family did or didn’t do, focus on what you haven’t done. Mars in Aquarius is giving you a second chance to revisit issues from way back in May. Rectify whatever went wrong so you can move forward. Mood and mind lighten significantly on the 21st when Mercury moves into the tactful, arty air sign of Libra. The full moon on the 24th revitalizes you physically and mentally, and you’re finally seeing the bigger picture.
VIRGO
You’re in your earthy element, Virgo: researching, writing, and sorting through the accumulated mental clutter of Summer. Mercury is in your sign, and like a laser pointer you can see exactly what you want out of the next two weeks. Mars in Aquarius gives you the motivation and inventiveness you need to accomplish more than you dreamt. It’s the return of the tackled to-do list. But watch out for mental burnout. The energy of the air sign, could have you obsessing over ways to improve your daily grind. Creative endeavors finally take shape, and your romantic relationship gets serious thanks to that 5th house Saturn. Venus in Scorpio sharpens your already pointed perception and adds more depth to your relationships. On the 21st, your mind turns to budgeting, and by the 24th, you’re figuring out exactly how to stretch a dollar.
LIBRA
Express yourself, Libra! Or wait to do so on the 23rd when the Sun and Mercury are your sign. Your choice. Either way, reap the benefits of Venus in Scorpio until Oct. 5th, and watch that income surface, despite your expense spikes. There is a need for greater balance in your life, and you now know it. Take the rest of September as an opportunity to collect and enjoy yourself. Mars in Aquarius gives you energy to burn and magnetism to match, but discipline isn’t at its peak. Dip one Scale into some light-hearted hedonism (concerts, sporting events, dates, etc.) and let your playful side out to breathe. Just remember, the other half of the Scales will descend whether you like it or not. Your business and/or personal relationships reach their zenith on the Harvest Moon.
SCORPIO
Dot the I’s and cross those T’s, Scorpio, because you’re going to need to make sure everything is in order before you get busier. Yes, busier. People are coming out in droves to get in contact with you thanks to Venus in your sign. Join those clubs or study groups! Meet new people! One thing you need to watch out for is your stinger. Mercury in Virgo sharpens your intellect and your sarcasm. Yes, you’re making connections between seemingly unconnected subject matters, but you’re also brandishing your brain like a whip towards those who rub you the wrong way. Focus on bolstering the relationship with your most effective communication tool: compassion. Mars in Aquarius reintroduces you to people who will help you build a foundation for your future. The Harvest Moon brings with it news about that job you’ve been pursuing.
SAGITTARIUS
Someone’s getting serious about work, and it’s about time. Since you are the zodiac’s nomad, Virgo season has helped you out aplenty. Dots are connected, details are sorted out, and huh, that’s funny, you don’t seem all that concerned with migration as you usually are. Thank Saturn and Mercury for that. You’re actually enjoying that new job, with all its responsibilities, because it’s really making you think. If there isn’t a new job to enjoy, Sagg, you’re loving this return to school, as higher learning is one of your favorite hobbies. Venus and Mars are also helping you churn out ideas, as you’re tapping into your intuition and churning out inspiring ideas left and right. Mercury in Libra will get you socializing just in time for the Aries full moon on the 24th, when your passions reach their highest point.
CAPRICORN
Never one to brag (just quietly laud over yourself when no one is looking), Capricorn, you’re feeling lucky and, dare I say, confident since your ruling planet, Saturn turned direct, and the Sun and Mercury are in fellow earth sign Virgo. Instead of gloating, you should just work more. That trip you planned, or the story you’ve been trying to write (or rewrite) since April could use restructuring. Venus in Scorpio helps you dig deep for the truth, and if you mine it right, you’ll ooze creatively. Mercury gives you the tools you need to stay focused and precise with your lofty-yet-practical goals, until thinking shifts back to work when the planet enters Libra on the 21st. By the Harvest Moon, your impulses are quaking and you should try something exciting (for once). News about that home/family project finally arrives.
AQUARIUS
Well, look who’s suddenly got a fire lit under their a…Ambition, resolve, and vigor are fueling your hunt for the booty which you sought back in May. Mars is in your sign until Nov. 15th, and you should use the transit productively. That means, no more tantrums, doldrums, or excuses. Instead, create a strategy for exactly how you will accomplish what you want. Saturn’s transit through your 12th house may be calling you to isolate, but it’s no biggie. Venus in the 10th makes you charming enough on the job, and brings to your profession an element of transformation. On the 21st, when Mercury enters Libra, you go from scrutinizing your budget to splurging on trips to art exhibits and concerts. You’re also chattier and more social. The full moon in Aries makes a fearless entrepreneur out of you.
PISCES
If there was ever you time you craved human connection, it’s now, Pisces. Venus and Jupiter in Scorpio are travel buddies until Oct. 5th, and the combo of the two benefics are augmenting your romantic and creative sides and also deepening your intuition. Mercury in your 7th house has you thinking about your other half, your partners and rivals. Instead of nitpicking or stewing over their faults, you should turn those thoughts into a project and write about them. By the 21st, you’re more concerned with sharing your resources and unlocking your hidden talent for logical sensitivity. Mars in Aquarius demands a certain degree of solitude for a creative project you’ve been endeavoring to manifest. Extra research, rest, and reflection are necessary during this transit. A project reaches its conclusion on the Harvest Moon, and monetary truths hit you hard.
For more information on the signs, house, and planets, follow Cosmic Cannibal on Instagram: @CosmicCannibalCamille and online.
