Taurus, September 2016

I know you came to your monthly horoscope in search of good news, Taurus. If I'm right, please jump ahead to the second half of this horoscope, because the front end of September is rife with dramatic eclipses, an emotionally intense square between Saturn and Neptune, and, of course, Mercury retrograde.

Mercury retrograde began on August 30 and will end on September 22. You know the drill: Mercury retrogrades are crappy for starting anything new but wonderful for wrapping up old projects. This is a shitty time to plan travel or do important paperwork, like sign contracts, since Mercury rules communication, and when it's retrograde, there are a lot of miscommunications and delays. Commuting will be super annoying, and conversations will spin in circles.

Mercury retrograde is famous for bringing people from the past back into our lives. This Mercury retrograde is in fellow Earth sign Virgo, which happens to occupy the sector of your chart that rules romance and creativity—expect to run into past hook-ups and old band mates.

This same sector of your chart will also be activated by the solar eclipse in Virgo on September 1! Eclipses are exhausting and emotional, and because this eclipse falls in what's usually such a fun sector of your chart, we can bet there will be some drama. Eclipses reveal secrets and show us the world in a new way, so expect to see your lovers and creative partners in a new light.

The Virgo sector of your chart not only rules romance, fun, and creativity, but also our babies— whether those babies are real-life babies or metaphorical babies, like an album or novel. This Mercury retrograde and eclipse in Virgo will be major for your life as a parent, but it will also be a big turning point for whatever you've metaphorically given birth to, too.

On September 10, Saturn in Sagittarius challenges Neptune in Pisces, which will be an especially emotional time. A lot of endings have taken place recently, Taurus, and it hasn't been easy. Saturn, the planet of fears and obligations, has been in Sagittarius, occupying the sector of your chart that rules death and rebirth. This is very powerful, but it can also be very painful while you're in the process of going through these changes.

Let yourself get angry, cry, or express yourself; holding these feelings in will not benefit you. The relationships you're in will become deeper and more intimate through this process—or you'll let them go altogether. Remember that you're in the middle of eclipse season, and eclipses lead us to our fate. I'm not sure if "everything happens for a reason," but if there was ever a time to believe that, it's during an eclipse.

Neptune is the planet of dreams, illusions, and delusions—it's very different from serious Saturn, and it's currently in emotional Water sign Pisces, making the vibe even more slippery and uncertain. When these two planets clash, the vibe will be very anxious. People will feel lost and will act out of fear—and Mercury is retrograde to top it all off, so no one will really know how to express themselves!

This is super stressful, and you'll no doubt see this energy play out in your social life, with your acquaintances and the networks you engage with, and throughout the communities and organizations you're a part of. You'll feel confused about whom you can trust. Think back to November 2015 and June of this year: Issues you were working with back then will likely come back up.

You'll learn who your true friends are and which communities you can really invest in during the September 16 lunar eclipse in Pisces. Again, eclipses reveal information, so pay close attention to the messages you receive at this time. Pisces is a very psychic, intuitive energy, so trust your gut. This eclipse will also be activating the part of your chart that rules your hopes and dreams for your future. Expect to let a few dreams go, but no worries—new dreams are on the way! Eclipses flush shit out of our lives, but they always attract new opportunities to us, too.

Later this month, lots of attention will shift to the sector of your chart that rules your routines and schedule, your habits, health, and your day job. Getting organized and picking up new healthy habits will be a pleasant way for you to recalibrate after the shit show that was early September. This is thanks to a bunch of planets entering the sign of balance, Libra, this month.

It starts with the planet of luck and abundance, Jupiter, entering Libra on September 9, which will kick off a whole year of you getting into better health and becoming more efficient in your day-to-day routine! Jupiter is in Libra until October 10, 2017, and you can expect to see some big changes in your schedule (like a new job, or more hours at your current place of work) and in your health during this period—this is a fantastic time to commit to a new fitness routine.

One warning: Jupiter is the planet of expansion and exaggeration. If you're not focusing on moving away from bad habits, Jupiter will exaggerate the issues you're currently dealing with. For example, if you're typically ten minutes late everywhere, and you're totally cool with that, Jupiter in lovely Libra will make you feel very chill about showing up 20 minutes late. Same goes for chain smoking or killing a box of Oreos. Focus on improving in the direction you want to go in to make the most of Jupiter in Libra!

You'll really feel the push to get organized on September 22. Not only will Mercury end its retrograde that day, but it will also be the fall equinox—and what better reason to get your shit together than the new season? The fall equinox means that the Sun in now in Libra, supporting you as you assess your routine and make plans for improvement. Other days to mark in your calendar concerning all these themes are September 26, when the Sun and lucky Jupiter meet in Libra, and September 30, which brings the new moon in Libra. New moons are new beginnings!

What kind of new beginnings will you have? A new job is very likely, since Libra occupies the sector of your chart that rules your day job, or perhaps you'll get a new client. Still living at home with your parents? A change in the kind of responsibilities you engage in at home are very likely. Joining a new gym or finding a new fitness routine is also very likely now. If you haven't been to the doctor in a while, this is a great time for a check up. Same goes for your pets—bring your fur baby to the vet!

Speaking of pets, it's likely a new four-legged family member will join you soon, if not this month as the Sun travels through Libra, then perhaps over the next year as Jupiter makes its way through!

On September 23, your ruling planet Venus enters sexy, seductive Water sign Scorpio, activating the sector of your chart that rules relationships and sending blessings to all your partnerships! People will be willing to compromise, but remember, Scorpio is the sign of death and rebirth. Its vibe is intense as fuck, so definitely expect things to get very intimate or serious between you and the people you're working with.

If you're going back to school, traveling, publishing anything, or engaging in any kind of international work, things will get very exciting at the end of the month when power planet Pluto ends its retrograde in fellow Earth sign Capricorn on September 26 and warrior Mars enters Capricorn on September 27. The early part of the month was totally exhausting, but your energy will return to you, thanks to fiery Mars and unstoppable Pluto.

See you in October, Taurus!