The Sun enters Virgo II on September 2, 2023 at 1:37 pm EDT — Austin Coppock named this region of the sky The Hammer and Anvil; and T. Susan Chang, noting its association with the 9 of Pentacles in the Tarot, offered the name Perfection Alone — there is both deliberate artisanship here, as well as a painful self-consciousness in how the expected audience will see the work.

Maybe that’s a different way to approach the Moirai, the three-fold spirits of Fate who rule the next ten days. Today we see them as imperturbable and unapproachable. But perhaps, when we approach as gentle critics of their work, they are open to correction and direction: “You have fated horrible things for me, but consider how bright my thread is! Perhaps if I were moved to another part of the tapestry, or redirected across a different set of warp threads, I might still serve?” The Hellenistic Greeks of Alexandria and other cities who honored Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos at this time of year saw the three Fates as spinners of thread, as well as its measurers and cutters — managers of our mortal destinies on the loom of the universe. Today, we’re surrounded by an abundance of textiles and clothes. But even in the Roman era, the ancient world labored to produce enough cloth to dress everyone properly. All cloth was produced by hand. Most households wove and styled their own garments. Most garments were passed down across generations, recut and restyled for each new owner. Famously, even the royal coronation robe of Sicily’s kings, dating from the 1100s AD, contained scraps of precious brocade silk that had been woven a full seven centuries earlier — nothing could be wasted, and everything had the potential to go back into the tapestry of life.

Virgo II is under Venus’s administration. means that there’s at least one section of this sign where the queen of heaven is — despite being in fall or exile in Virgo — honored and recognized, and at least partially in charge. When Venus emerges from her retrograde and redirect in Leo, and enters Virgo on October 11, she’ll have a rough go of it — but during the critical days of October 21 to October 30, she’ll be her own couturier and seamstress, as well as the bell of the ball. Expect to see some astonishing raiments and costumes at Halloween parties… and make your own plans now for a fabulous costume. The Sun’s presence here will help you craft in your mind the perfect plan.

The four dodeks or 12th parts of Virgo II are assigned to Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries, mimicking the internal emotional experience of the master artisan. First there is the struggle with material reality, as the physical resources are assembled in secret by the Capricornian attitude. Then comes the Aquarian, servile struggle with those materials, and intellect and craftsmanship are applied to the raw components with a mix of trained technical precision and hands-on skill. The shift to Piscean energy brings with it the emotional upheaval, am I really assembling this correctly? Will people love this thing I’m making? along with the dutiful persistence that moves the project forward. Finally, Aries is the insistent confidence that all is as finished as it’s gonna be, and stepping onto stage with the finished work, ready or not.

I’ve written about this decan before, in 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019.

Planetary Placements

The Sun is above the horizon, making this a Day Chart. However, the Sun is largely accompanied by the Night Sect planets of Venus and Mars — and even retrograde Mercury would be an evening star if they were visible at dusk at this point in their cycle. Meanwhile, the Moon is below the horizon, keeping company with the Day Sect planets Jupiter and Saturn. Our three Upstarts — Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto — all hide below the horizon, bringing both upheaval and vision in private lives that is rarely visible on social media.

It’s worth tracking the chain of dispositors in the current chart: Mercury is sovereign in Virgo. Even when retrograde, they rule over Virgo, and the Sun makes no fuss but simply follows their advice here. Venus in Leo answers to the sun — the Lady of Heaven acquiesces to the advice from Mercury, too. This prompts Mars in Libra and Uranus and Jupiter in Taurus to follow Venus’s lead; and the Moon in Aries has little choice but to align herself with Mars’ strategy. Pluto in Capricorn sees advantage in following Saturn in Pisces’ lead; and both Saturn and Neptune look to Jupiter in making thier own decisions. All in all, Mercury is ringmaster and headline act of the next ten days.

Additionally, Mercury is not the only planet in a state of reset, reorganize, and review while retrograde: the reversed planets of the present time include Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Venus. Jupiter has been at 15° Taurus for two weeks now, slowing down to his own inevitable retrograde station on September 5. This suggests that very little will appear to move forward in the next ten days — only the Sun, Moon, and Mars have it in them to keep moving. Be aware that your ambition, your higher self, and your emotional center may push you onward to action, with considerably less grace or expertise than usual. Hold your balance, friends, and analyze your actions, even as you get passionately worked up about your plans — every strategy and tactic in the next ten days deserves a second look!

Horoscopes by Rising Sign

Decan I of any sign (usually covering the 21st of the month to the first of the following month) is free to all visitors; Decan II is only available to Patreon and Ko-Fi.com subscribers; and Decan III is available to Patreon, Ko-Fi, and MailChimp subscribers.

Sagittarius:

Capricorn:

Aquarius:

Pisces:

Aries:

Taurus:

Gemini:

Cancer

Leo:

Virgo:

Libra:

Scorpio:

Colophon

I have a Patreon account for those who want to support this column as it continues its third year. Those funds support artists, artisans and thinkers that I regard as contributing to the well-being of the world. You can also buy me a Ko-fi in $3 increments; any column I write after receiving a Ko-Fi donation will be open to the public).  You can also schedule an appointment with me using Accuity Scheduling, for a natal or solar return consultation.

If you want to read some of my astrologically-oriented poetry, the largest collection is called A Full Volume of Splendor and Starlight, available through my Etsy shop, and containing poems and hymns to the planets, constellations, decan deities, and Moon Mansion angels. While not astrological, Festae contains hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits from the calendar created by Numa Pompilius, the second ancient King of Rome.

I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts. I also use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.

I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces for much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me.