September is an incredibly fascinating month with a Blood Moon, a solar eclipse, the end of Venus retrograde, a lunar eclipse along with planets coming out of retrograde and a rare celestial event.

Here is a rundown of events in the sky that definitely need to be marked on the calendar this month:

September 1st: Neptune in Opposition to the Sun.

The blue planet Neptune, which is the furthest major planet away from Earth, makes its closest approach to Earth and reaches opposition with Aquarius. Neptune rises at sunset and sets at sunrise and reaches its highest point in the sky during the middle of the night, so it will be visible all evening. The sun will illuminate its surface and it will be at its brightest although a telescope will still be needed to see it.

With the Sun in Virgo we will be feeling more practical than usual, but also wanting to create more perfect results. However, Neptune in opposition will throw us off balance and cause us to lose find it hard to remain motivated.

September 4th: Lunar Occultation of Aldebaran.

An occultation happens when the moon passes in front of a planet or asteroid. Aldebaran is the brightest star in Taurus and this last quarter moon will pass in front of it. With binoculars or a telescope it is possible to observe the star slowly disappearing behind the moon at approximately 11.56 p.m. (EDT) and reappear at around 12.41 a.m. (EDT) on the right side of the moon.

September 4th: Mercury will be at its Greatest Eastern Elongation from the Sun.

It will be visible (although not clearly) just above the western horizon before dusk.

September 5th: Last Quarter Moon.

A quarter moon is often known as a “square” with the sun and moon at a right angle. As the world is constantly spinning in a circle, to be at a “square” means we will regularly feel as though we are falling off our perch as the world turns. Basically, things don’t run smoothly and tensions and frustrations occur.

As the moon is in its last phase and heading towards a full moon we are trying to tie up loose ends and prepare for closure, however, we are still stumbling and falling at hurdles as we do so. It is not a time to begin anew, it is a time to look at all that we have building and to take the final steps to end projects that we have been working on. The key is not to rush and to let everything fall into place as it should, so we can allow the process to unfold and blossom in the same way as nature does.

September 6th: The End of Venus Retrograde.

All of the relationship difficulties that have been taking place during this phase will now be reaching a place of closure and we can begin to fully see the truth in all that we’ve been shown. Now is the time that we can begin to take action and make important decisions about everything that has been happening of late.

We will have likely been through emotional turmoil during this retrograde and will have often felt as though we were on constant spin as our personal relationships have being showing us their true sides. We will now begin to see which relationships were genuine and which ones were fair weathered. This period can be a huge blessing as those relationships that were not good for us will have fallen by the wayside leaving behind the ones with real meaning, integrity and mutual appreciation.

September 6th: The Sun forms a Trine with Pluto.

This is a great opportunity to take a look at ourselves at a deeper level and gain some understanding of things we may not have noticed before. As it is a time for personal revelation we may also connect more intimately with our creative sides and uncover more artistic talent.

September 8th: Mars in Leo, Uranus in Aries.

Leo is an energetic, lively sign and when confident Mars roars into this Lion sign things could heat up considerably both romantically and sexually.

Uranus in Aries shakes things up as Uranus is known for disrupting things and Aries is famous for its aggression. This could be a time for explosions. However, if we are willing to pay attention it could also be a time whereby we make much needed changes by destructing things in order to reconstruct them again later.

September 9-10th: Venus is Visible Low in the East just before Dawn.

This is the perfect opportunity for stargazers to catch sight of Venus at the right side of the moon any time before sunrise on September 10th.

September 10th: Mars, Venus and the Crescent Moon Group Together.

By locating Venus next to the crescent moon we can then try to spot Mars early on this September morning. Venus and Mars can both be found in the East before dawn approximately 90 minutes after sunrise. Once the bright planet Venus has been located it is far easier to then spot Mars, which isn’t so bright, nearby.

September 13th: Partial Solar Eclipse in Virgo.

A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes between the sun and the Earth, although not in a direct line and the moon casts a shadow over Earth. Therefore, the moon is only partially covering our view of the sun.

September 13th: New Moon in Virgo.

New Moons are always a great opportunity for new beginnings. With the moon conjoining in Virgo it is a time for clearing out the old and bringing in the new. Therefore, organisation is key so we can de-clutter our surroundings along with our minds. We can also find resolution for old conflicts either within ourselves or with others.

September 17th: Mercury turns Retrograde in Virgo.

Mercury retrograde is here again for its third and last visit this year. Mercury is the planet that seems to have the biggest effect on people when it turns retrograde, so much so that even those who don’t believe in astrology find it difficult to deny its powerful influences. As with all Mercury retrogrades the most noticeable problems occur with communication, technology and travel plans.

It is a time to double check everything, pay attention to details, not take things personally and close unfinished chapters. Many people choose this as a time to take a short break to avoid any potential problems occurring, however, it can be on these travels that problems occur. Mercury retrograde can teach us some valuable lessons if we allow it to, so the best thing to do is to try our best to weather its storm and stay calm, grounded and centred throughout the process.

September 22nd: First Quarter Moon Phase.

This is a time for positive change; we are moving from the New Moon towards a Full Moon and all the new beginnings we have been putting in place will start to manifest. We should nourish body, mind and soul similarly to how we would new crops that we are trying to grow. The more care and goodness we put in to build a solid foundation, the higher quality produce we are likely to receive at the end of the cycle. We are in a position to absorb everything easily, so whatever we put in to something we will get out, just as we reap what we sow.

September 23rd: September Equinox.

The sun in Libra signals the start of autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere. All across the world we experience approximately equal amounts of sunlight and daylight.

September 28th: Total Lunar Eclipse.

A total lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes through Earth’s shadow and it gets darker and darker until it appears as a blood red colour.

September 28th: Blood Moon.

This is the closest full moon of the year and will appear bigger and brighter than normal.

A Blood Moon is a perfect full moon as the sun, Earth and moon align with Earth directly in the middle and the sun’s light makes the surface of the moon look red.

The reason the moon appears blood red is because when Earth eclipses a Full Moon direct sunlight is blocked, however, the ray of the sun is still lighting the moon. As the light has first traveled through Earth’s atmosphere it can sometimes give the appearance of the moon a red/brown colour.

This Blood Moon also forms part of a rare Tetrad sequence, which happens when there are four Blood Moons in a row (the first one took place on April 14-15 2014). Throughout history these rare celestial events have also coincided with periods of monumental change.

Of all the events this month this one is the last major one and definitely not one to be missed.

A Blood Moon is a captivating and stunning sight so head out and look up to the nights sky to catch a glimpse of the moon glowing full and gloriously blood red.

Relephant:

If Your Relationship is Crumbling Right Now—This Might Be Why. {July 25th to September 6th}

Bonus:

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Author: Alex Myles

Editor: Travis May

Image: Flickr/andreawilla