Your Monthly Horoscopes For September 2026

By Jessica Lloyce

Name another astrology take that connects Chloe x Halle, Fannie Lou Hamer, Mean Girls, Jeopardy, Yung Baby Tate, and Shakespeare. I’ll wait…for my ADHD medication. 

If you’re reading this, congratulations! You’ve made it through deeply emotional Cancer season (which featured Mercury’s retrograde through Cancer double teaming the most tender part of our heart with Chiron’s recent entrance into Taurus) and loudly disruptive Leo season (when the energetic reverberations surrounding two eclipses provided the opening and closing chapters to stories playing out in the Leo and Pisces area of our birth chart) to arrive in Virgo/Libra season (aka September). Thankfully, September is much quieter astrologically speaking than the two months preceding it. But as October through the end of the year will likely feel like taking a difficult journey on treacherous roads or through rocky seas, September must be a month of preparation. 

But before we get into discussing most of September’s astrological headlines, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the big bad wolves arriving at our doors on September 1st when Mars in its fall will be making an exact square to Saturn, also in its fall. I’m guessing for most of you, that last sentence didn’t make a bit of sense. So before moving forward, let’s do a little astro 101. 

First, let’s examine the characters at play. First up we have Mars, the planet of conflict/war, drive, action, aggression, acting on impulse/passion, “leading the charge”, and who has a tendency to leap before it looks. Next into the metaphorical boxing ring we have Saturn, the planet of structure, boundaries, prioritizing longevity, and who would much prefer to look before it leaps. Already we’re dealing with planets that tend to behave very differently and seem to have conflicting priorities. Second, these two planets will be making an aspect (a fancy astrology term for a kind of relationship) to each other called a square. A square occurs when two planets are in signs of the same modality that are roughly three months apart from each other. The modalities are Cardinal (Libra, Aries, Capricorn, and Cancer), fixed (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, and Aquarius), and mutable (Virgo, Pisces, Sagittarius, and Gemini). Though similarity usually encourages a more harmonious kind of relationship dynamic, it’s this similarity that brings the friction (kinda like when your auntie who always shows to the family functions in head to toe animal print, and I mean from the hat to the outfit to the shoes to the nail polish, hates your auntie who hosts the family functions in her eclectic, colorful, maximalist home for being extra and the feeling is mutual). For example, a planet in Leo will be concerned with bold leadership, loud self expression, and intensely focused on what lights the fire of their passion or creativity. Meanwhile, any planets in Leo will make a square to planets in Taurus which are concerned with bold groundedness, loud productivity (like how Taurus season transforms a sea of green grass into a wildflower wonderland), and intensely focused on what engenders stability. For signs that make a square to each other, though they have a similar approach, they have vastly different goals.

The above diagram shows how a square would be depicted in a birth chart with the Moon in Libra (the cardinal sign that begins Autumn) squaring Venus in Cancer (the cardinal sign that begins Summer). Using the above example, for the entirety of the time that the Moon is in Libra, it would be squaring Venus for the entirety of the time that Venus is also in Cancer. However, as planets travel from 0-29 degrees of each sign, when both signs are at the exact same degree in the signs that square each other, the relationship is “exact” (see below examples of the same birth chart diagram but with degrees of each planet added). When the planetary relationship is exact by degree, it is the peak moment of this kind of relationship. Bringing us back into the present, though Mars will technically be in a hostile square relationship with Saturn for the entirety of its journey through this Cancer (8/11-9/27 while Saturn has been in Aries since early 2026 and won’t leave until 2028), its most extreme moment of impact will be on 9/1 when both planets are at 13 degrees of their respective signs. 

But not only are the planets of “boldly go” and “contemplatively pause” in a tense relationship with each other for about a month and a half, they are doing so while in signs they don’t even like being in. While Saturn, the stereotypical old man of the zodiac, travels through Aries (a sign associated with youth and speed) the planet is having a similar experience to a septuagenarian, who prefers to plan his movements methodically and strategically before doing anything, being forced to spend two years sprinting full speed ahead. This doesn’t make for a very happy planet (and when Saturn is in Aries it’s said to be in its fall). But ideally as the planet of time, structure, and boundaries makes its 2-3 year journey through the “youngest” zodiac sign (Aries begins the astrological new year when it launches us into Spring) it can teach us all that sometimes an over abundance of planning is just a cover for the fear of taking action. Sometimes you’ve just gotta get moving and build the plane while flying it. Meanwhile, Mars, who is always ready to leap into action, can’t zip and zoom in any direction it pleases the way it wants to because it’s currently in neck deep Cancerian waters struggling to find its footing. Instead of launching like a rocket in a direction of its own choosing (or as it often looks like from the outside, flying on the wings of its whims), it has to learn to feel its way through the shifts of the waves and flow with the current to get to shore. Also, not a happy planet right now (as Mars in Cancer is also in its fall), but the lesson of this journey is to understand how to move on deep intuition rather than surface level impulse.

So when Mars (who is usually more concerned with going fast even if it means going alone) struggles to tread water in Cancer (a sign concerned with not going anywhere unless it can take the whole tribe with it) and Saturn (whose modus operandi is “I’ve never met an obstacle I can’t strategize around even if I have to play the long game”) attempts to not get burned in the fiery territory of Aries (a sign whose motto could be “I’ve never met an obstacle in my path I couldn’t force my way through”) make an exact square (a moment when both planets are trying to take parts of our selves and the collective consciousness or culture at large in two very different directions) on 9/1…in a nutshell, it doesn’t spell a pretty (or easy) time for the areas of our birth chart that contain Aries and Cancer. But rest assured, we’ve been in this tricky set up since Mars entered Cancer on 8/11. Though the loudest part of this astrological moment will be felt on or around 9/1, the worst of the effects of this signature will begin to subside as September soldiers on (with this transit being completely over once Mars enters Leo on 9/27).

Thankfully, the 9/1 square between Mars and Saturn is the most prevalent astrology of note all month (vs a collection of significant planetary movements within a 30 day time span) which leaves us some room to, as mentioned in the beginning of this article, prepare for October and beyond. But first, let’s do a quick run through the rest of September. 

On 9/10 a new Moon in Virgo provides an opportunity to reset our routines and a fresh start in the astrological house of our birth charts that holds this sign. On 9/21 Mercury (the planet of thinking and communication) in Libra makes a sextile (unlike the more tense square aspect that began the month, this is a friendly relationship) to Jupiter in Leo providing the perfect landscape for abundantly minded conversations about how we get to the next level in our relationships (or a great day to brainstorm where to take your next baecation). Libra season begins on 9/23, reminding us of how the powers of collaboration and looking good (such as when two queens come together to maximize their joint slay) can quite literally change the season of life that we (or different areas of our life) are (the Autumnal equinox begins Libra season and is the official beginning of Fall). But as Libra is signified by the scales of justice, it’s also a time to remember what one of the greatest Libras to ever do it said: “nobody’s free until everybody is”. Lastly, on 9/26 we’ll have a full Moon in Aries bolstering our courage and conviction to jump into necessary actions related to the themes of the house that Aries occupies in our birth chart. 

Sounds pretty simple, right? I would argue that for the most part, it is. Yet October is anything but. I don’t mean to get too ahead of myself but I would be derelict in my duty as an astrologer providing a September forecast without mentioning that on October 4th the overture for Mercury’s retrograde through Scorpio will start to sound (with the final notes of the song concluding on November 30th) and on October 3rd Venus begins its once every 18 month retrograde cycle, which this time around be in through Scorpio (remember how Mars struggles in Cancer and Saturn struggles in Aries? Similarly, Venus rides the struggle bus in Scorpio) and Libra (when I’m hoping the retrograde won’t be as rough as Venus will be at home in this sign) which will end on December 15th. 

While Mercury is retrograde we can expect issues in our communications, mental processing (especially when dealing with matters related to numbers), commerce (no big purchases or ordering with barely enough time for your purchase to go from your cart to your home before you really need it during this time please!), technology (time to back up your data), and travel (buy the refundable ticket).You know, the typical Mercury in gatorade shenanigans. But the universe hit the daily double in Fall of 2026 so this Mercury retrograde comes with an added bonus of a wrench being thrown into our relationship dynamics, feelings of lovability, values (because they are being tested and/or threatened), and our collaborations . Also known as, the nasty work of Venus in microbraids. So yeah, Q4 doesn’t look like the most sunshine and rainbows section of the year. But we may have a saving grace in September…Mercury to the rescue!

In case you weren’t aware, you have a sign for every planet (collectively called “placements”). You have a Mercury placement, a Venus placement, a Saturn placement, etc and each planetary placement has an associated sign and house. So even though Saturn and Mars are the metaphorical stars of the astrology show in September, as things are about to get drastically unclear in the communications department (Mercury’s retrograde) and our relationships are set to be navigating troubled waters (Venus’ retrograde) come October, it’s best we figure out now how to (1) communicate most effectively, so we can (2) get the information we need, to (3) be able to accurately assess a situation so that we can (4) respond/move accordingly through (or around) it. In my opinion, and as my fellow astrologer @SarahBillionsss puts it in two of her videos that are definitely worth checking out, the best way to do the aforementioned is by tapping into your Mercury placement. 

If the purpose of communication is to inform, to persuade, to express, to connect, and to solve problems, Mercury is the planet in each of our charts that shows how we can do this most effectively to achieve the desired outcomes in our exchanges. How do you fully unlock the height of your Mercury placement’s powers? Well, this is the part of astrology that requires some self directed research and learning on your part (or consulting with a professional astrologer) to fully crack the code on the best way to write, speak, and present your ideas according to your birth chart (though Sarah Billions has some excellent resources on this exact topic if you’re interested). But generally speaking, here are some helpful tips based on the element of your Mercury placement. 

• Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) should focus on connection (aim to access your audience’s hearts by finding common ground for what moves both of you emotionally).
• Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) should focus on inspiration (aim to resonate with your audience’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations by helping them feel connected to their greatest and most expansive self). 
• Air signs (Libra, Aquarius, Gemini) should focus on shifting perspectives (aim to intrigue your audience’s mind and stimulate their imagination).
• Earth signs (Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo) should focus on facts (speak directly to your audience’s wallet or how what you’re presenting will impact their material/physical world and/or day to day life experience with a, seemingly, objective analysis of data).

The last few months of the year will require our full mental and linguistic arsenal to not get got by the retrogrades through Scorpio (the sign most adept at keeping valuable information concealed) and Libra (the sign most prone to doing any and every thing, even if it means being “creative” with the truth, to hold on to a relationship). But you put yourself in the best position to successfully navigate Q4 of 2026 by spending this last month of Q3 experimenting with and understanding how to wield your Mercury placement scalpel to separate facts from fictions during what’s sure to be an upcoming season of unreliable narrators. P.S. It also helps you be the architect of the truth you want to bring into being, such as the raise in salary you discuss with your manager or convincing your community to vote for your preferred candidates in the November primary elections.

Find out here how September’s astrology will specifically play out for you. 

A guide before moving forward: The individual horoscopes will be most accurate and impactful if viewed through the lens of your rising sign. If you don’t know your rising sign (also known as your ascendant or the zodiac sign that is found in your 1st house), and would like to use the whole sign house system (that’s what I use), you can find it by entering your birth time, date, and location here. If you are unaware of your birth time and/or location but know your birth date, read the below horoscope through the lens of your sun sign. For further explanation of any astrological terms used here, check out my astro glossary to learn more.

About Jessica Lloyce: Jessica is a Baltimore based astrologer and founder of 2nd House Astrology whose mission is to provide primarily Black, women/femme, LGBT+ people, and those that live within those intersections a life raft in the storm that is extractive white supremacist capitalism. She does so by giving her clients the tools to build a personal relationship with their material circumstances that feels sustainable, aligned, fulfilling, and of course, profitable, by uncovering the “instructions” laid out in their birth chart and illuminating how to work in concert with the current and upcoming planetary transits. She strongly believes that, “as we march on until victory is won”, we’re going to need a little treat (and there’s some aspects of community care, protection, and uplift that we’re going to need McDonalds money for). To connect with Jessica, check out her website at 2ndHouseAstrology.com or follow her on all social media platforms @JessicaLloyceWorld.