Once each year, the Sun aligns in a conjunction with Jupiter, and that happens Monday. Jupiter entered Libra on Sept. 9, with plenty of other events distracting our attention (Mercury retrograde in Virgo, a series of eclipses and the last square between Saturn and Neptune).

Early published image taken by the Juno spacecraft, showing Jupiter’s north pole. Image by NASA/JPL Caltech.

With this conjunction we can finally get a feeling of the potential of Jupiter in Libra, which seems like a metaphor for refreshing the energy of your relationships and outlook toward them.

There is a reminder of our need for fairness, which is born of wisdom; and a reflection of how Libra in any form is about elegance and beauty, both of which are essential to human happiness.

Then there’s a symbol of balance. We live in an era where it seems the best we can do is get accustomed to being stretched, pushed and maximized at every moment, though I have faith we can do better.

In any case, this aspect hopefully has something good to offer, even if that’s simply a new perspective.

Meanwhile, Vesta also forms a tight square from Cancer to the Uranus-Eris conjunction. This links the ongoing social mysteries regarding personal identity and the internet with the question of what is meant by home.

Vesta signifies the hearth and the flame of devotion. If you are examining these momentous questions regarding the nature of the self and where you belong, that flame can become a powerful searchlight.

We are now in the last days of the Sun in Virgo. We’re also in the last days of Mercury retrograde in Virgo. The Sun about to enter a new sign, and Mercury stationing direct, represent beginnings. Yet we have some endings to move through before we get there.

Mercury has been retrograde in Virgo since Aug. 30. This has taken us through a series of eclipses, the sign change of Jupiter, and many other events. Those are all behind us, and soon Mercury retrograde will be as well.

Model posing on redwood root. Photo by Eric Francis.

We are not there yet, however. Mercury stations direct Thursday at about 1:30 am EDT (overnight Wednesday to Thursday through most of our readership areas).

The days clustering around the station direct can be the most intense or intriguing. As take-off and landing are the most critical times of a flight, the days surrounding Mercury changing directions are the time to pay attention.

This retrograde, by my observation, has been rife with misunderstandings. That’s easy enough to appreciate with the retrograde being in Virgo, though you have a moment to correct some of those errors in thought and communication before the retrograde ends. Mercury direct also has the benefit of the information coming out, and the challenge of potential turbulence. Be aware of both and make sure you put any information you receive to appropriate use.

Then, about nine hours later, the Sun ingresses Libra. This begins a new season and a new hemisphere of the solar year. Equinox is a time of reflection, of seeing and feeling your life and its various relationships in proportion, and of contemplating the way forward.

In these times, we tend to thrust toward the future with little (if any) consideration of what that might mean. And lately, it seems there is a habit of forming opinions without considering any other possibilities than what one thinks is right. There are other ways to look at yourself, and at the world.

This week kicks off almost immediately with the Sun’s ingress into Virgo later today. After the turbulence just gone by, this will hopefully feel like a refreshing change — a sense of things settling somewhat and falling into place, or at least a neater arrangement.

This wonderfully intricate origami creation, by Ardonik, is apparently known as a toroid. It’s made of a set of truncated cubes.

Yet you may also be experiencing the need to tidy up some loose ends. If there’s something you want to draw a line under, it could well be useful to review what is left to be done, and to plan your next steps carefully and logically.

Also, pay attention to anything that appears to irritate you or feels out of sync. That might be an indication of something that needs to be worked through, or a nudge to put you more firmly on track.

Once you’ve spent as much time on this as necessary, you will likely be well placed to move forward. This may involve commencing an entirely new project of some sort; or possibly the revival of a former creative aspiration: something you’ve perhaps been looking forward to getting underway.

Despite the Mercury slowdown, there seems to be plenty of energy available to make substantial progress; and the more thorough you are with the housecleaning, the more solid the foundation on which you’re building is likely to be. Check in with that occasionally by all means. Then keep going.

Eric has completed the 2016 Midyear Reading, BALANCE. We strongly recommend you get all 12 signs. If you prefer, choose your individual signs here. Photo by European Southern Observatory.

First, I’ve begun issuing signs of your 2016 midyear reading, BALANCE. Three sets of opposite signs (six in total) are available now (Aries/Libra, Taurus/Scorpio and Gemini/Sagittarius). More are coming soon! Cancer and Cap will go up tonight, Leo and Aquarius on Monday night, and then finally Virgo and Pisces on Wednesday night.

Our exciting new 12-sign Midyear Reading on forthcoming astrology, including Jupiter in Libra (plus much more!) is available for pre-order. Get all 12 signs here for $57.

It turns out that BALANCE was a rather workable theme, because the charts for late summer and early autumn are vibrating with opportunities to get some equilibrium in your life. The concept comes from Jupiter arriving in Libra on Sept. 9.

Your midyear reading covers the coming Mars-Saturn-Neptune alignment, Jupiter in Libra, the eclipses in Virgo and Pisces, and many other features of astrology that are coming to fruition over the next few weeks. You may still get it at a discounted price. 

These 12-sign readings are designed for you to listen to multiple signs (it’s currently arranged in pairs of opposite signs, a way to work with balancing). Later in the day Monday we will send a special mailing with an individual sign offer. You may get all 12 signs here.

Many Aspects, Many Connections

The Full Moon takes place early Thursday morning in the U.S. and late morning in the UK and Europe. This opposition of the Moon and the Sun is being rated by some as a penumbral eclipse — that is, a faint dimming of the Moon by the edge of the Earth’s shadow. 

This is a reminder that there’s a solar eclipse on Sept. 1 and a lunar eclipse on Sept. 16. I’ll begin to introduce those topics in Tuesday’s edition of Planet Waves FM. Meanwhile, be mindful in all the ways it helps to be aware during a Full Moon. Ease off on the pressure and let momentum carry you. Do what you must do to sleep well, if you’re one of those people who feels the effect of "the hunt" — that is, insomnia at the Full Moon. Avoid standoffs and gently work to resolve impasses.

Simplified chart for the Full Moon, used in Planet Waves TV.

This lunation has plenty feeding into the mojo. Notice how many planets in the sky are currently at 23 to 25 degrees. The Moon and the Sun are cycling energy through all those points, which include the Uranus-Eris conjunction, and powerhouse Pholus.

So you can expect things to move briskly this week, and you may not have the feeling that you have a total grip. It would be best to proceed like you’re paddling a canoe rather than driving a train down the tracks. Guide your mind and aim for where you want to be, remembering that forces larger than yourself are also involved in the dynamic of your life.

The Full Moon brings the Uranus-Eris conjunction out of the background again. That means we can reasonably expect a little turbulence in our lives and extra chaos in the news. Uranus-Eris is also in the spotlight because Mars is gradually making a conjunction to Saturn. That is exact Aug. 24, though the pressure is building. There is a temptation to outright revolt against something; I would propose being subtler than that.

If there is something to push against, that would seem to be beliefs that no longer serve you. Are you really sure you actually know what you believe? Or is that level of thought transparent? Now is the time to notice your habits of assumption and presumption. This is not the time to do something simply because it’s there to do; rather, it’s time to act on the right thing to do, based on what you actually know.

Knowing means that something is confirmed over time, and contrasted with other possibilities. Knowing means you know you might be wrong. That increases your chances of getting it right.

I describe the Full Moon in the new Planet Waves TV.