It’s time: Your September horoscope is here.

If August tested and stretched your limits, September offers a chance to quickly catch your breath before life starts to accelerate again. That said, the nature of the whiplash is different this time. Last month brought us the scattered chaos of herding cats and trying to manage more than you can realistically take on. This month, the energy is much less disorganized and much less unpleasant. But movement can look like flux with no clear direction, or movement can look like powerful, decisive change. As we move into the second half of September (and this fall’s eclipse season), last month’s frenetic attempts to go with the flow coalesce into big decisions and new openings in the field of possibility.

Here’s another way to think about it: when you fail, the next step is usually to try again. When a situation becomes untenable, some course correction is needed. And then there are also times when big endings and transitions are simply messier than we bargained for.

In many ways, September’s astrology brings us across a threshold, one of leaving the mess behind and embracing the uncertainty of what comes next. Pluto reenters Capricorn on September 1, where it remains only until mid-November, wrapping up a storyline that’s been active since 2008. Mars also enters Cancer on September 4, introducing us to the battleground of this upcoming fall and winter, where Mars will retrograde later. And a lunar eclipse in Pisces on September 17 initiates us into a new season of change, perhaps by showing us where to cut our losses first.

Travel, at least, should be less bumpy than it was in August, and probably a good deal more enjoyable. The first week of September may still feel a little unsteady, and September 17 and 18 feature an eclipse and a Mercury-Saturn opposition, which could present as a transit headache. However, Venus will be in Libra forming a harmonious trine with Jupiter: the urge to connect, celebrate, and share our enthusiasm will be stronger, at least during the first three weeks of the month. The transition from Virgo to Libra Season is an excellent time to go on more stimulating adventures that involve both natural science and art history museums, hands-on learning and social mixers. Even if you’re a seasoned solo traveler, this might be the month to seek out meetups, group activities, and conferences. You never know what kinds of pathways will open up as a result.

Astrologer’s note: Below we refer to your signs as “rising” signs, also known as your ascendant sign. Horoscopes are more accurate when read this way—using your birth time and location, you can quickly find your rising sign online (it takes less than 30 seconds).

Aries Rising

Going home isn’t always easy, and you’re about to learn what it means to be cast in the role of stranger once more. Your ruling planet, Mars, enters Cancer on September 4, turning your attention toward home base for the next couple months. Mars is fallen here, though, and it will return later this winter during its retrograde, so think “turning your attention in the direction of a harsh sound…and now you just need to put up with it for a bit.” There might be a rude awakening, disruption to your peace, or otherwise confrontational spirit haunting you at home or in your relationship to your family. And though this grain of sand might be irritating enough that you’ll form a pearl out of it eventually, right now, it’s probably just going to make you wish you could move.