*Eleditor’s note: Astrology isn’t a religion. We’re not sure it’s a science, either. It’s magic, maybe. But, as with feng shui, say, things affect things. So as long as we don’t go blaming our problems on the stars, as long as we assume responsibility for our own actions…well, hell, a little auspicious coincidence and applicable wisdom can’t hurt. And so, with that grain of salt…enjoy!

September sees a shifting of gears as many personal planets prepare to speed up and slow down or enter new signs altogether.

But, we are not yet out of the woods when it comes to relationships.

While the lady of love, Venus, prepares to go direct in a few days—on September 6th—she will take some time to pick up speed while in her “shadow period” until October 9th.

So, while we are still picking up the pieces and tending our wounds and possibly shattered hearts—bear in mind that we need to continue to tread ever so gently until October.

Mercury prepares to go retrograde September 18th in the relationship sign of Libra. The lord of communication will spend a good part of the next two months in the early degrees of Libra—bringing up issues related to partnerships and romance, not giving us much of a break in the relationship front.

Mercury goes retrograde about three times per year, but Venus only does her backward dance every 18 months, forcing us to undergo “relationship surgery” to see what is really working and toss away that which is not.

We have been shedding layers to uncover what is held deep within and much of these lessons have boiled down to the root of self-love and our basic values.

How do we love and value ourselves?

Are we with people who love and value us and does this relationship support the values we hold dear?

As Venus moves out of her backward dance, some of the same issues that cropped up when Venus retrograde started, may come up for review again. This is our chance to handle it with greater wisdom gained from introspection and challenge.

We can now go forward carrying these lessons as tools to make our relationships stronger and kinder.

Venus, as the indicator of love and of the heart, asks us to act with compassion and forbearance.

Mercury retrograde in Libra will bring up these relationship issues once again, really demanding a total rebirth as to how we approach love and partnership.

There is the risk of feeling hugely indecisive to the point of debilitation, unsure how to proceed.

The answer? Don’t decide.

Allow things to unfold as they will and relinquish control. The greatest lesson we can learn is to let go of the outcome and let things happen as they will—and usually as they are meant to.

Any decisions made during retrogrades are usually ones that will undergo review or are reverted.

This is true for this past Venus retrograde and for the upcoming Mercury period.

We need to also make sure that we don’t overthink the situation. We must try to reflect before typing and sending off hasty messages—a typical Mercury retrograde mishap.

Communicating will not be at its best during this period, so it’s best to wait until we are face to face with our loved ones before we react too strongly.

By the end of October, we will know truly what we want, how we want it and how to ask for it. However, now is not the time to make rash decisions in relationships.

Retrogrades often ask for activities with the prefix “re” in from of it—re-energize, revamp, rethink, review, reflect, renew.

This is a time to practice meditation, enjoy quiet time, getting away with your beloved and putting away all technologies as much as possible, as they will only create relationship havoc.

Find time to communicate in other ways, such as writing an old fashioned letter, playing music with each other or sitting in silent communion.

This time doesn’t have to be a disaster, as it is an opportunity to further refine what it is we really want from love and relationships.

Libras, in particular, are going to feel as if they have been through the washer by the end of October but have the potential to come out stronger and more decisive.

This will apply to all of us to some degree, especially wherever Libra falls in our chart.

references:

1. Erin Sullivan—Traversing the Inner Landscape 

2. Then, my bible : James R Lewis—The Astrology Book, Encyclopedia of Heavenly Influences

3. The Astrology Podcast

4. Ephemeris

Relephant bonus:

Relephant read:

Sept 4th—The Last Quarter Moon in Taurus—Ends our Illusions.

~

Author: Margarita Stoffberg

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: flickr/Katmary