illustration/Caitlin Scholl
Signs, Science, Stories & Monthly Meditation for Our Collective Liberation
Welcome to September, Mainers! We’re all a little sad that summer’s ending, but our coast’s primo surf season is on the horizon, so it’s time to shake it off and hang ten. Autumnal hurricane swells set to roll up the Eastern Seaboard are guaranteed to start mixing things up from Ogunquit to Popham Beach. And though Vacationland may not be known for the same big-wave surfing our West Coast counterparts enjoy, those who shred know it’s still gnarly: the water’s cold, the shore’s rocky, and it takes some effort to find the best swells. Beyond staying on the board, there’s always a delicate balance between chasing the wave and feeling your hands and feet.
Cue Virgo season, realm of daily devotion, where persistence equals pleasure, honing specialized skills starts before breakfast, precision planning wins the day, healthy pursuits are prioritized, and the divine is always in the details. On top of this, we’ve got Mars in Libra all month, bringing the topic of balance into all our actions and decisions. The stars have aligned to bless us with the two magic words you need to surf or to realign your daily life: effort and balance.
This September, the planets ask us to tune in to where and how we exert effort, what we strive for, why we try in the first place, and how to balance energy in and energy out. Energetically, the month is split perfectly in two, as Mercury (in Virgo, no less!) is retrograde from the 1st through the 14th, then stations direct (moves forward again) from the 15th through the 30th. The first half of the month is prime time for reflecting and refining. Think of it as an energetic eddy: the water just swirls back on itself, over and over again. Likewise, there can be some hyper-fixation going on: Virgo’s critical eye is indeed a superpower, until it begins to bulge.
My advice for using this retrograde most efficiently is to cultivate patience. Mercury retrogrades are famous for folks feeling suddenly out of whack or confused, but Mars — planet of action! — in balanced Libra will help. Instead of asking yourself why things aren’t falling into place like you’d originally planned, try this: While I honor my original intentions, I also honor my ability to circle back to them with an eye toward where I’m at now. I can use this time to tend to the deeper details and allow myself to re-think, re-calibrate and re-balance my goals and efforts. Surfing bigger waves is in the cards this month, just not if it burns you out in the process, or strains relationships so much that shit starts to go off the rails.
Mid-month, things ramp up quickly. On the 14th we have a New Moon, also in Virgo. This is a perfect day to set some brass-tacks intentions: Make a killer to-do list that’ll last you the next few weeks. Write it all down, little checkboxes and all, and include the sundries as well as some “reach” goals. I promise, the astrology of the rest of the month will support both the big and small intentions you set for yourself. Because the very next day, on the 15th, Mercury turns direct. The dam breaks! The eddy drains! All the reviewing and rebalancing you did in early September begins to pay off, and quickly.
Then, on the 16th, the Moon (feelings) joins Mars (action) in Libra: Speaking truth to power now makes an immediate dent. The impact this has on relationships will show you whether or not the energy-in and energy-out of this connection is worth your time and effort. Be prepared to double down on intimacy, or conversely, let go of bonds you’ve outgrown.
By the end of the month, the astro vibes hit the accelerator again. On the 23rd — the Fall Equinox! — the Sun (big life force energy) also sails into Libra, and effort-ing will suddenly become, well … effortless. We’ve already reviewed, revised and re-envisioned. Now we get to revel in all we learned, dress it up real nice, and wink at our crushes (or our enemies) as we waltz into the courtroom of karma and demand justice. And we will be looking good while doing it, because … well, I’ll just say it: Libra is the sign of hotness.
So come the end of the month, remember your worth and dress the part. Get the job. Dump the bad boyfriend. Flirt with strangers. Be a genius. Go freaking surfing! Final advice: Don’t try to be right. Try to connect. Surfers who fight the wave get tossed. Those who ride with it, ride with it.
Caitlin Scholl is a writer, artist and intuitive astrologer living in Yarmouth. For private consultations, inquiries or comments about Astral Tides, e-mail her at coaching@friendenergies.com.
