September/October 2008 Cosmic
Are Your Relationships in Retrograde?

by Mark Dodich

Mark Dodich

You probably think it is still too warm outside to already feel like getting cozy for the winter. However, September brings an unusual line-up of relationship-focused planets in the partnering sign of Libra.

The zodiac sign that creates balance in your life is not normally activated until the autumnal equinox, but gentle Libran energies aggressively assert their need for sharing early this season.

With the stigmatism associated with 9/11, it will be interesting to watch as loving Venus aligns with warrior Mars on the evening of Sept. 11, and they conjoin in the sign that represents love and harmony. All types of relationships in your life are about to change, including love, family, friendships and business.

Even monkish people who live by the mantra as quoted by deep-voiced actress Greta Garbo, "I vont to be alone," will have their solitary cage rattled to the core. You do not need to feel threatened by this because the universe is simply moving you into a higher state of inner balance.

Communications is the key to success in dealing with this ramped-up relationship vibration. Talkative Mercury spends almost two months traveling through Libra, when three weeks is the norm.

This extended cycle comes because Mercury journeys through one of its thrice-annual debilitating retrograde phases from Sept. 24 to Oct. 15. In Libra, you must review and revise all types of relationships, your beliefs about relationships and then adjust your behaviors surrounding relationships.

If you are willing to pull within and rethink, revise, review and other "re" words, then you can use September and October to put your life in balance. Reconnect with old friends or research new groups and activities this autumn.

Do not hold expectations at this time. Mercury retrograde can bring high-flying ideas and ungrounded people, so not everyone will follow through with what they tell you. Don't make this an issue because Mercury retrograde helps you float new ideas to see if they hold value for you.

This is further emphasized in the autumnal equinox chart representing general opportunities and challenges for the next three months (Sept. 22 at 8:45 a.m.). The moon is in nurturing Cancer and in the third quarter phase. The last quarter of the moon indicates a need to consolidate some aspect of your life.

Look to see where you are wasting time and energy. Are you nurturing the people in your life, or have you sunk into an unhealthy form of caretaking? Practice communicating boundaries in a nice tone of voice rather than holding your tongue until the words come out in a critical way.

You can take a proactive stance to equinox energies by asserting your need for self-nurturing. Consider the people in your life. Are they still in harmony with your philosophical perspective? Are your romances or business connections still working together in a mutually supportive way? If not, October's planetary frequency will help you to release that which no longer serves your highest good.

Beginning near the end of October, responsible Saturn begins a 10-month path opposing revolutionary Uranus. These planets have such a large impact, you are already feeling them on a subconscious level. Saturn tells you to pay your bills and be conservative. Uranus tells you to sell it all, say goodbye to everyone you know and take your favorite astrologer on a South Pacific sailing cruise.

If you have been waiting to win the lottery so you could truly have the freedom to do what you want to do, the realization will come in the months ahead that waiting for some external event like a lottery bonanza is no longer an option. Take action to balance your responsibilities with your escapist desires.

Meditate on the core issues of your life that occurred during late 1988 through early 1989 when the core seeds for this internal tug-of-war were planted. The months ahead will bear fruit in relation to that initial activation, or they will show you that it is time to replant the orchard.

Overall, the key to September and October is to transform relationships. Start with your relationship to yourself, God within. Then move to the relationships, or lack of relationships in your life. Although you may grumble as the universe shakes you up, know that you are being taken to a higher level and will find your next level of harmony after you get there.

Mark Dodich has been a professional astrologer and intuitive consultant since 1980. Mark's specialties include natal astrology, relocation astrology maps and seven ray spiritual purpose astrology. Free pdf downloads of the current Astromark newsletter, Zodiac Signs of States and Cities, and more are at www.astromark.us. Call for a free copy of his Astromark print newsletter at 503-252-1558.