Relationship Repeats in September
September 2023 is unusual for Venus Retrograde in Leo and the South Node in Libra. Both are closed loops or circuits in time. Venus rules complicated relationships. Leo rules courtship, the bedroom, pregnancy or children. The South Node is about karma going back in 18 year cycles. Libra is about engagement, marriage, separation, divorce, living together or breaking up.
This ouroborus drawing dates from 1478 and is a well-known symbol from alchemy. This is the Dragon’s Head (North Node) eating the Dragon’s Tail (South Node). This cycle in time is eternal in astrology.
If you are curious about the North Node and South Node you can listen to a podcast or read more about karma and the nodal cycle here.
If you have Libra factors in your natal chart in the Seventh House of former partners, current relationships and future partners, I have written extensively about this for Premium Members of my website here. What does it mean when the South Node goes back into Libra and reverses in your Seventh House?
You Owe Them - They Owe You
If you owe someone karma from a relationship, or you are owed karma, it comes back, either through them, or somebody completely different, starting on 18th July 2023 and finishing up 11th January 2025.
We need to talk about Libra factors in your chart, or the other person’s chart. The Rulership Book by Rex E. Bills was published by the American Federation of Astrologers in 1971 has a good list of Libra associations: Arbitration. Armistice. Bedrooms. Contracts. Diplomacy. Divorce. Law Courts. Lawsuits. Lawyers. Litigation. Love. Legal Marriage. Common Law Marriage. Matrimony. Pacifism. Politics. Relationships. Scales. Symmetry. Truces. Unions.
From Monday 28th August until Friday 15th September 2023 with Mars in Libra in your Seventh House; Ceres in Libra in your Seventh House; the South Node in Libra in your Seventh House. So, for about a fortnight, you have a Libra hothouse. If you have nothing in Libra in your natal chart, this may be the other person. Your former boyfriend, for example.
This 2023 cycle began on 18th July and ends on 11th January 2025, so the whole year of 2024 is also a Libra South Node experience.
The South Node in Libra goes back in time every 18-19 years and so you may find parallels as far back as 1967 to 1969 depending on your age.
There may be literal reminders of these time periods turning up in your life.
The South Node in Libra in Your Relationship History
26th December 2004 to 22nd June 2006
6th April 1986 to 5th May 1986
8th May 1986 to 2nd December 1987
19th August 1967 to 19th April 1969
25th January 1949 to 26th July 1950
7th July 1930 to 28th December 1931
Venus Retrograde in Leo
I mentioned Venus (the planet of complex relationships) also appearing to go backwards in Leo, the sign which rules courtship, the bedroom, pregnancy and children. There is more on that on my website.
Do You Have Leo Factors at 12 – 28 Degrees?
She moves like this in the first phase, from June 20th until July 23rd.
Leo 12, 13, 14,15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
Then she turns backwards on July 23rd and moves like this –
Leo 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12
This takes you to 1st September. Venus then turns again, finishing on October 7th, 2023.
Leo 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
You sometimes see amateur astrologers on the internet telling you a retrograde begins later and ends sooner. (This is extremely common with Mercury Retrograde, which actually adds to the notorious muddle of the cycle, as half the world is getting it wrong!)
In fact, Venus Retrograde, Mercury Retrograde and any ‘looping’ cycle starts earlier and ends later. Professional astrologers use the pre-shadow and post-shadow to get accurate timing for you.
Common Retrograde Mistakes
Amateur astrologers assume any retrograde is bad. Not so. A retrograde just brings repetition. It’s true; it can bring cancellation. Yet, sometimes that is a good thing. The Titanic sailed on Mercury Retrograde. Owner J.P.Morgan cancelled. He narrowly avoided drowning.
The sign of the retrograde tells you what goes backwards or comes to nothing. So - Venus in Leo is not about. your money, your car, your job. It is about sex or parenthood.
September is complicated because we do in fact have Mercury Retrograde in Virgo at the same time. So back, back, back we go. (I filed earlier on Mercury Retrograde in Virgo, on Substack, if you want to check. Virgo rules health or work).
Good Astrology Advice for Retrogrades and Nodes
Astrologers have had around 2000 years to study these things. In fact, it is possible the North Node and South Node were known at Stonehenge - so even longer than that. (The Aubrey Holes can be used to predict nodes).
On retrogrades, have Plan B and C as back-up. Treat them as rehearsal time. Allow for the whole cycle to really perfect something through mistakes, delays and rewrites. The end result will be better.
With the nodes, it’s different. You are being asked to pursue closure over issues that were here 18-19 years ago. And maybe 18-19 years before that, and so on, into the past. You may be owed by somebody. Even, owed by the universe. Perhaps you owe.
The debt may show up as financial but actually be emotional. That can happen. In any case, given that we have these two relationship retrogrades in September, It’s going to be about a sexual partnership from years ago.
It may not involve the same person, literally or exactly. There may be a new person in your life who just plays out the same themes.
The Tarot on my website can help you nail this in a personal and private way, if you want to try a reading with the Smith-Waite Tarot there.
Finally, all the re prefix words describe what happens on a retrograde and work very well. So September 2023 is time to rethink, reschedule, replay, rewind, reconsider, rewrite, relaunch. In this way the loop will finally close.
Thanks Jessica. Retrogrades really are the theme of the moment, aren't they? Thanks for sharing more detailed information about them.
I am having quite the interesting experience, with a relationship that started in late 2004. Many issues arising and they are complex, to say the least.
Even more interesting - Exes! Out of the blue, an ex sent a connection request on a social media platform a few days ago. Not having seen this person in nearly 30 years, it was quite unexpected.
I asked the Tarot what this contact was about and pulled the 9 of Wands. Interesting.
Thanks again! :D
Excellent choice of the 1478 drawing: it is gorgeous. This feature pulls together an amazing range of material. A tight view of what we can expect. Thank you, Jessica.