Astrological Context, Week of September 5-12

(All times Eastern)
All of the major aspects this week happen on Monday, making the beginning of the week the heaviest. But all aspects have a build up and a fade off; the planets move more slowly than the Moon, so the fade-in/fade-out time is a bit longer than a few hours, and so we will likely feel it at least a couple of days ahead (starting on the weekend). One thing to note is that all three of these major aspects are trines, that is, each of the planetary combinations is in the same element (two in Earth, one in Air signs). Trines often indicate the completion of something or a breakthrough (or breakdown). But they aren’t usually indicative of major stress.
Mars – in pragmatic, efficient Virgo – trines Pluto – in structured, socially responsible Capricorn – exact on Monday morning. This can signal a strong urge toward change, especially big, systemic change. Pluto is in the sign of Mars’ exaltation, meaning (among other things) that they will tend to work well together to get things accomplished. There could be a razing of structures and a purification urge now. It’s probably that energy will be high through the second half of the weekend into the new week.
The other Earth-sign trine is the Sun’s to Uranus. Our minds might be alive now with new ways of approaching things and new ideas in general. We may favor innovative approaches to old problems. The Sun is in pragmatic Virgo, and Uranus is in the middle of its 7-year transit of Taurus, which is likely to affect things like land, food production, comfort issues, etc.
The Air aspect this week is a nice one: Venus in her own sign Libra trines Jupiter in Aquarius, where he’s in decent condition himself. This aspect between the two “benefics” (planets that tend to “do good” or make life easier on the whole) is likely to “lubricate” all of the other interactions at the beginning of the week. It indicates a time of generosity and positive social interactions, as well as abundance and beauty. On Sunday, just before this, Venus has squared Pluto, bringing a potential for obsession and primal urges. Moving on from there, her connection to Jupiter can refine those urges and make them more palatable, almost converting them into social graces.
On Friday (Venus’s day), Venus falls off her Libra pedestal and falls into the darker world of Scorpio, where she is opposite her own sign Taurus. Starting next weekend, the next few weeks may be intense in terms of relationships and social interactions, and not always for the best reasons. Jealousy may rouse its ugly head if your relationships are not on sure footing. Alternatively, this could be a deeply intimate time where we can make very personal connections with others. If the commitment is reciprocated, this could be a great month for you and your partner(s) to probe one anothers’ minds, hearts, and emotions in a way that can bring you all closer together; but it may also scare you a bit (if you’re doing it right).