Virgo, September 2015

In our monthly horoscopes, we provide a more in-depth look at what's happening in the sky. If you are not a Virgo and/or don't care about Virgos, you can read the rest of our monthly horoscopes here.

Happy Birthday, Virgo! I hope you're receiving plenty of gifts, whether in the form of convenient cosmic coincidences, handmade treasures, or store-bought goodies. As one of the more humble signs of the zodiac, Virgo, you can be shy when it comes to accepting gifts, but really, that's so lame of you. Accepting a present gracefully is your homework this year, Virgo. If someone passes you a gift, resist the urge to say Really? For little oldme? Instead, be like, Fuck yes, pass it here.

You really need to get used to accepting gifts: Jupiter (who is basically the Santa Claus of the zodiac) is going through your sign for the next year or so, blessing with you with good luck and opportunities for growth and expansion. But in order to receive, you've got to be open to it. Are you open, Virgo? Practice now by being a greedy little bitch on your birthday—it'll serve you well as Jupiter blesses you throughout the year.

September 1 gets off to a bright and fiery start with Mars and Venus meeting up in glamorous, superstar Leo. Unfortunately, Venus isn't feeling so great, being that it's been retrograde since July 25. Usually, when Mars and Venus come together in the sky, we can expect fireworks. After all, Mars loves the chase, and Venus is all about seduction. Creativity and confidence are also boosted—this combination doesn't only express itself in a romantic way. There's a sense of self-satisfaction and contentment, which is even more pronounced when it occurs in the egotistical Fire sign Leo. However, being that Venus is feeling a little deflated and wistful, this combination may be more about finding peace. If you've recently experienced disappointment or frustration around a goal you achieved, but with a different outcome than what you expected, now is a good time to process those emotions. September 1 may be a little bittersweet, but it should be interesting nonetheless.

Virgo, you may find yourself coming to terms with some situation you've been pushing out of your mind or something you've previously felt embarrassed about. It's been a long, slow, and uncomfortable summer (especially concerning Venusian themes, including love, beauty, harmony and cash money), but Venus turns direct on the September 6, so you'll likely feel a boost around then. To make the best of Venus retrograde before it turns direct, Virgo, I suggest you consider your work/life balance: Do you get enough downtime? Are you drowning in mundane tasks? Do you need more whimsy? Now's the time to make some resolutions around these concepts. Your love life, self-esteem and bank account will thank you for it down the line.

Enough about Venus—let's talk about Mercury, your ruling planet. It will square Pluto on September 9, which should be an exceptionally freaky day for you. Expect some paranoia, especially around things you normally wouldn't get paranoid about, including: a fun, creative project you're working on with friends, a party you've been invited to, or a date you're planning. Also, watch out for sharp tongues. Expect some drama around money as well. On this day, you might feel like some external forces are conspiring to keep you broke. They aren't, and it will pass! Use today's tense vibes positively by picking up a good murder mystery, or meet with some trustworthy friends for a heart-to-heart. We'll be talking about September 9 a little later on, but let's talk about your busy mid-month first…

One of the biggest days of the month for you, Virgo, is the New Moon solar eclipse in your sign on September 13. Eclipses land in our lives like giant magical wardrobes (or like a Tardis, or whatever your nerdy heart resonates with). They unveil truths, introduce you to your destiny, and rip away whatever's not serving you, even if you were happy to hold on to it. If life has felt slow, even boring, over the last few weeks with Venus retrograde, no worries: The eclipse will shake things right up.

So, what new beginnings can you expect this New Moon solar eclipse to bestow upon you? Your relationships will undergo a massive change. Who you are has changed (possibly overnight), and, because of that, your relationships will have to adjust. Will this new you mean that you need a new them?

You're known to be an introvert, Virgo, and with that, you're usually pretty self aware and introspective. This summer, however, did catch you off guard: You've been shooting yourself in the foot (very unusual for you, since you act so deliberately) and you have been discovering where in your life you lack awareness—which, no doubt has been shocking. You over analyze everything, so this idea that you've missed something is tremendously bizarre for you. This eclipse should be a nice splash of water in the face, waking you up to you. That said, I think you'll like the new you, Virgo; after all, you adore progress and growth. What could be better than seeing yourself evolve!

The eclipse isn't the only wild event this September. September 17 (and the days surrounding it) will be a time to remember: Mercury, your ruling planet, turns retrograde in social Air sign Libra; Jupiter (currently transiting in your sign) opposes Neptune in dreamy Pisces; and Saturn says goodbye to mysterious Scorpio and enters Sagittarius, the sign of exploration.

Because Mercury is your ruling planet, Virgo, when it goes retrograde, it throws you off course a in a stronger way than most people. Don't worry too much—it doesn't need to be a time filled with disaster and pain. Use the energy properly, and Mercury retrograde can be a super chill time for reflection, reconsideration, and renovation. All the re- words are your friend during this time. This Mercury retrograde will take place in Libra, the sign of partnering, compromise, and justice. Expect to find yourself making recommitments or reconsiderations around partnership or revisiting past judgments you've made. On a bad day, Libra can be a little superficial, so this Mercury retrograde could bring out your inner Material Girl. Expect some back and forth around money or your belongings. Something you lent or lost a long time ago may be returned to you, and investments (whether financial or otherwise) may pay off (or flop) at this time.

Jupiter, a planet that tends to exaggerate and over-do, will challenge hazy, mysterious Neptune on the 17 as well. People will project over-the-top, sometimes paranoid, and truly imaginative interpretations of their experiences. Expect some very interesting conversations today. Others will reveal where they're over-confident, extra sensitive, and in which areas of their lives their imagination is getting the best of them. Even worse, they might blame it on you. Or you might blame it on them. Be careful around communication today!

Another thing that will happen on the 17: Saturn, the taskmaster of the zodiac—whose the influence we discussed at length last month—will be leaving Scorpio for Sagittarius. A brand new chapter of your life will begin, but, with your ruling planet retrograde, your head will be slightly in the clouds. Saturn in Sagittarius—the sign of the explorer—will find you discovering new places you can call home. Saturn can be a difficult planet to work with, so don't expect this process to be easy. In the long run, as long as you act responsibly, the rewards will be great.

The Sun enters Libra on September 23, marking the first day of autumn. The next day, September 24, Mars enters your sign, boosting your energy and giving you a dose of confidence. September 24 will also find your ruling planet, Mercury, squaring Pluto, like it had earlier this month, on the 9. Now, remember, Mercury is retrograde. Mercury rules our communications and logic, and retrogrades encourage us to retrace our steps—will something on September 9 connect to something on September 24? It's likely, so mark your calendar. When Mercury and Pluto get into a tussle, it inspires paranoia, an interest in mysteries and secrets, and it could cause us to speak or think destructively. Pluto turns direct on September 25, which is great news. In addition to helping you move (far, far) forward in you creative, social, and romantic efforts, this could result in some forward motion around whatever goes down on September 9 and 24.

September 27 brings another eclipse! The Full Moon lunar eclipse in Aries will bring some news around debts—which, could work out really, super duper well in your favor, or, if you've been really irresponsible, could be a major downer. On the flip side, anything you do that involves merging with others or sharing resources will be very productive at this time. Any sort of psychic or magickal work done during this eclipse will be very deep and intense, and this is a wonderful period for healing or therapy. Letting go and purging paranoid or thoughts, or any situations which no longer serve you, is a wonderful way to work this magical event. I suspect you will be making some sudden, vocal, definite decisions— Full Moons are times of illumination and culmination, and the lunar eclipse will amplify that by a lot!

The Month ends with Sun—the source of all life, light and love—conjunct Mercury (your ruling planet) on September 30, making it a busy but bright day. You're an excellent problem solver (practice accepting gifts gracefully starting now: Say thank you for this compliment instead of acting like a weirdo!), and today will be no exception. Unless, of course, you've totally, checked out mentally, which is an absolutely legit thing to do during Mercury retrograde!