Summary
Mars in Virgo July 28 – September 18
Full Moon in Capricorn/Shravana August 9
Mercury Direct in Cancer August 10
Sun Transits Leo August 16 – September 16
Venus Transits Cancer August 20 – September 14
New Moon in Leo/Magha August 22
Mercury Transits Leo August 30 – September 14
September 2025 Headlines

Summary

For an in-depth analysis of specific planetary placements, please continue with the full planetary forecast.

Mars in Virgo July 28 – September 18

After accelerating past Ketu in July, which could have felt intense in the way of pushing through an obstacle, moving a mountain, or discovering a hard-won solution, Mars moves into Virgo. If all goes as planned, there may be some rubber actually hitting the road soon. Before we gun that engine, let’s realize that there are a couple of surmountable barriers in the road that require our attention.

First, Mars will be moving through opposition with Saturn in Pisces for this entire transit. This is complicated due to Saturn’s current retrograde status. Saturn and Mars facing off generally brings a study of tension, pressure, and precision, effects which make most of our technology and tools do what they do. With Saturn retrograde, we may be faced with confronting deficient, excessive, or variable Saturn energy, which could feel as if the guardrails, structures, and accountability protocols have gone haywire.

In the face of this, Mars’ first reaction could be anger, but let’s remember that the root emotion is fear, stirred up by the precarious and loose voyage of retrograde Saturn in Pisces. Reinforcing this insecurity is that Mars’ host, Mercury, is also retrograde in the emotional, watery environment of Cancer, which also makes Mars doubt the logic behind almost any big decisions at this time.

Mars will move through Virgo until mid-September. Until mid-August, Mercury will be retrograde. Saturn will be retrograde through November 27th. The advice here is to exercise patience and to not jump the gun. Move forward with caution and attention, assessing new environments with the intention of learning new scales of efficiency.

Mars will feel the aspect of Saturn, but also give a few of his own. From Virgo, Mars pushes into Sagittarius by his 4th aspect, putting us in the mind of expansion and growth. Sagittarius will also be feeling it from the Venus + Jupiter combination in Gemini and from Saturn in Pisces. The opera is playing at full volume in Sagittarius until mid-August when Venus moves to Cancer, but continues to play without the vocals through mid-September. This is a bit of energy to harness. Steady as she goes!

Mars also aspects Saturn in Pisces via his standard issue opposition aspect, which differs from the push Mars was giving Saturn while in Leo. Now that Mars and Saturn are face to face, Mars will feel some push back from Saturn through mid-September. Since this equation offers variable amounts of force and pressure, it would be great to check in with the team and make sure everyone is on the same page before any major pushes.

Finally, Mars alone weilds the 8th aspect, and from Virgo that is directed at his own sign of Aries, currently vacant of any transiting planets. But if Aries figures prominently in your chart, that sector of life may be subject to some transformitave and courageous energy through mid-September while Mars transits Virgo.

Full Moon in Capricorn/Shravana August 9

August 2025 begins with a waxing Moon and both Venus and Mars newly settled into their next steps, with Venus joining Jupiter in Gemini and Mars striding through Virgo. Suddenly, Mercury’s role as dispositor of Venus, Jupiter, and Mars becomes important, and even interesting, given that Mercury stays retrograde through August 10th, the day after the Moon becomes full at 23 degrees Capricorn, Saturn’s earth sign.

Many of the planets are tied up into this full Moon, with the Sun joining retrograde Mercury in the Moon’s sign of Cancer. Retrograde Saturn is called into the meeting by the Moon’s presence in Capricorn, Saturn’s territory. Mercury, who opposes the Moon in this bright moment, is hosting Jupiter, Venus, and Mars in his signs of Gemini and Virgo.

The only two planets not directly involved are the nodes of the Moon, Rahu, currently in Aquarius and Ketu, currently in Leo. In late July, when Mars moved into Virgo, this also broke the dramatic kala amrita yoga which was hemming the planets on one side of the nodal axis, bringing events that are laced with karmic intensity. This combination was in effect during June and July, breaking up when Mars moved past Ketu in late July.

The dispositor of the full Moon, Saturn, and the planet opposing the full Moon, Mercury, are both in retrograde motion and also disturbed by being in water signs. This challenging situation for Saturn and Mercury may churn up feelings of frustration that quickly lead to resignation. Surrender to the call for letting go of the tried and true, even though the next steps aren’t crystal clear. New tools will appear.

Jupiter and Venus in Gemini inform us that there are new things to learn, so look for your educational path and guides forward. Mars in Virgo tells us that it is time to find remedies and solutions in the stockpiles that we already hold. The Moon in Capricorn reflects the need for letting go, but with discernment and compassion. The nakshatra, or lunar sign for this full Moon is Shravana, which is a strong placement for the Moon. This sector of space puts us in the position of clear reception, open mindedness, and authentic listening.

With so much retrograde energy around this full Moon, it may feel as if there is little clarity and that information sources are patching together scant data. Listen intently and remain open, but with guardrails. Surrender to letting go appropriately.

Mercury Direct in Cancer August 10

After the Moon starts its journey back to the arms of the Sun, waning through mid-August, Mercury grabs onto a buoy and takes a watery stand, resuming direct motion through the Moon’s sign of Cancer on August 10th. Having spent a chunk of time in Cancer, Mercury’s ready to giddy up and go, so he quickly retraces his steps from 11 degrees Cancer and on into Leo on August 30.

Mercury in direct motion will bring a little stability to the projects that Venus and Jupiter have going in Gemini, as well as to the new campaign Mars has in mind in Virgo. The signature of three is strong with Mercury, as well as with retrograde cycles, as the retrograde planet will transit the same sector of space three times, first time in direct motion, the second in reverse, and the third once again in direct motion.

Whatever this zone is related to in a personal horoscope could experience this do-over or try again energy as Mercury races through once more starting August 10th. Check your chart to see what life department could benefit from this “one more time” energy during late August.

Especially when it comes to mental health, emotional processing and analyzing health indicators, August could be a good time to reorganize. Mercury will be present in Leo in September when the eclipses manifest, bringing an objective perspective to the shadow play.

Sun Transits Leo August 16 – September 16

The Sun moves into the throne room of the zodiac, ready to hold court from August 16th through September 16th. With Ketu in Leo and Rahu in Aquarius, we see this particular royal session going through some complications due to an eclipse pairing with the full Moon on September 7th and the new Moon on September 21st.

There will be a total lunar eclipse when the Moon in Aquarius opposes the Sun in Leo on September 7th. The Sun will have already moved to Virgo for the second eclipse of the pair, which yields a partial solar eclipse on September 21st.

The August part of the Sun in Leo should be relatively calm, but we may feel the energy ramping up toward the end of the month as the Sun approaches Ketu and feels the aspect of Rahu more closely.

Eclipse energy is interesting. Even though the Sun during this Leo transit will not experience a total eclipse, there is still the negotiation of the shadowy, headless energy of Ketu affecting the bright, clear light of the Sun. With Venus in Cancer starting August 20th, we have some vital and dynamic energy surrounding Leo, given that Mars is also supporting Leo while moving through Virgo. This could be quite an intersting use of creative energy, with writer’s blocks being blown away and obstruction to projects being overcome.

Venus Transits Cancer August 20 – September 14

Venus glides through Gemini during early August, giving us a magical combination of planets that supports relationship, education, and social benefits. Jupiter is the teacher who focuses on the laws of nature and Venus is the teacher who focuses on the laws of society. The two great teachers will join exactly on August 11th.

When two planets that are neither luminaries or shadow causers, which means not the Sun, Moon, Rahu, or Ketu, are occupying the same degree of a sign, we get an effect known as planetary war. While this sounds dramatic and violent, the true result feels more like two people squeezing through a small space as one passes by another. Keep an eye open during August 10 – 12 as Venus moves past Jupiter. There could be a change of heart having to do with relationship, education, major purchases, or creative direction.

New Moon in Leo/Magha August 22

As August 22nd becomes August 23rd, the Moon joins the Sun at 7 degrees Leo for a new Moon in Leo that strangely does not yield any kind of actual eclipse even though the Sun, Moon, and Ketu all be placed in Leo. Ketu at 25 degrees Leo is just too far away from the Sun and Moon to line up for an eclipse.

Even though the physical eclipse will not manifest, we may still get some vibes due to the proximity and energy of the luminaries joining Ketu in Leo. Specifically, this new Moon lands in Magha nakshatra, the lunar sign at the beginning of Leo that is ruled by Ketu itself, further inviting an analysis of how the spiritually liberating energy of Ketu could express during this time.

With new Moon energy asking for a re-set or a re-start and Ketu energy inviting radical letting go, switching tracks, and transformational energy, we may find ourselves ready to pivot as August begins to wind down. Rather than choosing between pivoting to the left or right, we may be looking at pivoting from outside to inside, even just for a moment as we collect ourselves and reorient.

Mercury Transits Leo August 30 – September 14

After an extended retreat in Cancer starting on June 22nd, Mercury slips through the karmic knot that separates Cancer and Leo on August 30th for a high speed chase through Leo that takes him right through the eclipse zone and into Virgo on September 14th. We will revisit Mercury’s attempt to rush the gate, following Mars’ example, in the September forecast. Early September sees our solutions coming through as clever and flexible as opposed to brute force inspired.

September Headlines

Outer Planets Hold the Frame: Retrograde Saturn in Pisces, Jupiter in Gemini, Rahu in Aquarius, Ketu in Leo
Full Moon Total Lunar Eclipse Aquarius/Purvabhadra September 7
Mars Transits Libra September 13 – October 27
Venus Transits Leo September 14 – October 9
Mercury Transits Virgo September 14 – October 3
Sun Transits Virgo September 16 – October 16
New Moon Partial Solar Eclipse Virgo/Uttaraphalguni September 22