Mapping the Unknown with a Kite of Insight: Mercury Soars into Libra, Opposing Neptune--& the Three of Bolers

Daily Horoscope and Tarot for Thursday, September 18, 2025

You’re reading the AstroMommy daily horoscope — a forecast that hopes to shine a light in the dark, helping us all see where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. Thank you for being here! To access the full horoscope and card reading, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Every bit of support means the world to me and means that I can continue to bring you the truth from the cosmos.

Good morning, friends!

Today, a dynamic kite¹ formation is stretched across the heavens. Mercury entered Libra early this morning (6:05 am ET), activating all the outer planets by either trine or opposition (see the Transit Spotlight below).

Venus is dancing toward the edge of Leo, preparing to step into Virgo tomorrow, where she will immediately start to square Uranus retrograde (Rx), and the Sun is one degree closer to its opposition to Saturn Rx and the upcoming Solar Eclipse (Sept. 21st).

By tomorrow, the Moon will enter her Balsamic phase right as she is waltzing out of Leo and power-walking into Virgo, hand in hand with Venus. The Balsamic phase, those last 30° before the Sun, is the time of the lunar cycle when she loses all of her light, surrendering into darkness before her New Moon/rebirth…but this time it is a Solar Eclipse! At the final degree of Virgo!! Opposite Saturn!!!

Right now, with these heavy-hitting transits building, things may feel weighty, emotional, and a little strange. Several YODs are also forming in the sky over the coming days (we’ll dive into those tomorrow).

For now, it’s not the time to take life by the reins and try to steer; it’s time to surrender to the gusts and breezes, for they are carrying us forward into a new reality.

Today, the tarot’s Three of Bolers (Pentacles) points to working together with others, joining forces, collaborating, and partnering up as a way to handle things, and Mercury, now in Libra, says it’s time to listen with an open heart—but take notes, because you may need the information to support your future case.

Since I’m still moving through a migraine, we’ll keep things focused on the most important transit and today’s card.

---

Okay, let’s get into...the astrology

(all times are in Eastern time unless mentioned otherwise)

Transit Spotlight: Mercury Enters Libra; Forming a Kite

In the chart above, you can see Mercury, now in Libra, at 8 o’clock on the chart, forming a grand trine to both Uranus Rx in Gemini (noon) and Pluto Rx in Aquarius (4 o’clock), as well as oppositions to Saturn and Neptune (both retrograde; at 2 o’clock). The oppositions to Saturn (yesterday) and Neptune (today), form the backbone of the kite formation, demanding attention and forcing decisions, and the grand trine energy between Uranus and Pluto facilitates imaginative thinking, innovation, and the power to influence with thought and speech.

When Mercury, the planet of the mind, tongue, hands, and the exchange of ideas, ingresses into Libra, we can think of him as the quintessential interviewer, listening and asking the right questions at the right time. Mercury in Libra always wants to keep the peace, but at the same time is collecting information that it can use to make the case for--or against--the relationship, situation, or exchange. Mercury in Libra may smile sweetly, but he’s always asking: “Do I want this person as my partner, ally, or client?”

With Mercury having a stand-off with Neptune today, we may experience feeling lost, mentally foggy, or unsure if we are being told the truth or lies. A lack of clarity, confusion, and/or just feeling nervous are all possible manifestations of this transit. These thoughts may lead us to make certain decisions to cope with these feelings of uncertainty.

The grand trine with Uranus and Pluto, thankfully, counteracts the elusive quality of Mercury opposite Neptune, and we may actually feel more mentally astute, intuitive, and inventive in the face of the challenges, like a mathematician, physicist, or skilled technician using their mental abilities to figure out a problem with an unknown outcome.

In one of my favorite books, The Combination of Stellar Influences² by astrologer Reinhold Ebertin, one of the significations listed for Mercury and Neptune is a “desire to plan or map things out in advance,” and I was literally doing that this morning! I had to take my big kids to the GED-testing center at the local community college, and I was feeling some anxiety about getting them there on time and not knowing where to go (Mercury opposite Neptune), so I looked up the information, complete with a campus map, so I could try to visualize everything going smoothly! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this exact description in Ebertin’s book! It’s stuff like this that makes me fall in love with astrology again and again, every day.

So, with Mercury now in Libra pulling the kite’s strings, expect some uncertainty about what’s true, where you’re going, or how things will turn out, but by listening, observing, and using your critical thinking skills, you can lift that kite high into the air, catching the winds of change.

---

The Tarot

What is the guidance for today?