Repair is Better Than Perfection: Horoscopes September 28-October 4, 2026

I was chatting with someone on social media a while back about a charged topic, and she said to me, “It sounds like you want a cookie for that.” In my mind, I was like, “Heck yeah I want a cookie! Who doesn’t? Maybe ice cream too.” And also, I was aware that in the context of that particular conversation, she was not the right person to give me the cookie.

I was raised to be an A++++ student, and I deeply love getting gold stars and stickers for my accomplishments. Who doesn’t? And also, this can lead to perfectionism, which stifles creativity and leads to worse results than experimenting.

My experience is that it is common for us to be pressured to both achieve impossible accomplishments, be humble about them, be grateful for praise about them however it comes, and not really expect anything in return. For example, many people socialized as women are pressured to do this around birth (impossible accomplishment, requiring humility and gratitude, and then becoming a person with no needs). That is just one obvious example, but there are many.

When we engage in a dynamic where we have to perform having no needs or expectations, including recognition, we often swing to the other side, unconsciously, and become demanding. Our secret or repressed needs come out in ways we don’t want that are sometimes violent or cruel.

Rather than trying to be perfect, though, it is more effective to learn how to repair when we’ve messed up, whether it’s related to relationships, work, or other topics.

This week brings up the expectations and secrets we’ve hidden away and triggers any reactivity we have around that. Rather than diving into conspiracy theories and acting out of paranoia, stay in touch with the immediate reality around you and the needs you have. Also, release perfectionism, which can be a path to paranoia. If you feel your privacy has been violated, address that need for privacy, and create safety for yourself, before deciding how to handle things with other people.

Photo by Elio Santos on Unsplash

For horoscope principles this week, I am primarily looking at the following celestial events:

• Monday, September 28, 2026:

  • The Sun in Libra trines Uranus in Gemini at 9:21am Pacific. This can inject creativity and inspiration into your self expression. If the Full Moon we just passed created challenges, uncertainty, or conflict for you, this aspect can help you see things from a different angle. You may also encounter surprise or shifts in how you relate to others.

• Tuesday, September 29, 2026:

  • Mercury in Libra opposes Chiron in Aries at 8:14pm Pacific. This aspect offers us the opportunity to communicate and think through the woundings we have around Aries issues, which can include courage, authenticity, rage, violence, and innocence. If you’ve been bottling up your rage, consider finding an isolated space, maybe in your car, to rage on this day. Let your anger and authenticity have healthy space so that it does not come out in harmful ways.

• Wednesday, September 30, 2026:

  • Mercury goes from Libra into Scorpio at 4:44am Pacific. Where Mercury in Libra focuses on harmony and fairness, Mercury in Scorpio focuses on depth and facts. There can be a coldness and privacy to Scorpio, and Mercury in that atmosphere can be cutting and secretive.

• Friday, October 2, 2026:

  • The Sun goes from human design Gate 18 (the courage to have integrity between our ideals and actions) to Gate 48 (accessing deep resourcefulness). In Gate 18, we are asked to notice our judgments about ourselves and others and use those as a path to understand and access our own integrity. In Gate 48, we are asked to acknowledge the limitations and finite capacity of being a tiny human in a huge universe, and use that as a path to accessing a deep well of infinite resources.

  • Mercury in Scorpio squares Mars in Leo at 2:14am Pacific. This is a fighting aspect in general, and in Scorpio and Leo, these fights can touch on the spaces where we are most private and self-righteously protective. When we are reactive to this aspect, it can trigger us to say the cruelest thing that we have been harboring in secret. Be aware of the instinct to release resentment you have built up, make sure you like your reason for releasing it, and be prepared to repair relationships later.

  • Mercury in Scorpio squares Pluto in Aquarius at 1:42pm Pacific. Along with the square to Mars, this creates a shape called a t-square, which can be very activating and motivating energy or we can use it against ourselves. This part of the aspect brings an intensity of thinking and even doomsday communications. In these signs, this can specifically relate to secrets around advancements in technology and conspiracy theories about AI. Don’t believe everything you read, and be sure that the thoughts you are choosing feel healthy in your body.

  • Mars in Leo trines Neptune in Aries at 3:17pm Pacific. With this aspect, we should be particularly cautious around idealization of war and soldiers. Stories excite us and motivate us to action, whether they are true or not true. With this energy in the sky, it is important to remember that we are responsible for our actions and any violence we cause, whether or not we are following other people’s propaganda.

• Saturday, October 3, 2026:

  • Venus stations retrograde in Scorpio at 12:15am Pacific. Venus retrogrades for 40 days and 40 nights, and this retrograde is specifically associated with themes of equity for femmes and Black people in the U.S. It is associated with secrets coming out and toxicity being exposed. Where we have relationships that are unhealthy, this retrograde gives us the opportunity to revisit what we are hoping to get out of them, versus what we are really creating through them.

  • Mars in Leo opposes Pluto in Aquarius at 3:38am Pacific. This aspect is another that can bring open and violent conflict. Pluto digs to the depth of unhealthy power and martyrdom, while Mars uses violence to solve problems.
    When we are reactive to aspects like this, we can lash out and attempt to use violence to solve violence. This only creates more violence. Instead, if we are able to sit with the deep discomfort of the aspect and use it to find our own power, we can meet violence with courage.

• Sunday, October 4, 2026:

  • Mercury enters their pre-retrograde shadow in Scorpio at 2:09am Pacific. This marks the space that Mercury will return to when they retrograde on October 24, 2026. Themes that happen in the next few weeks will be revisited during the November retrograde.

  • The Sun in Libra opposes Saturn in Aries at 5:29am Pacific. This allows us to take stock of the consequences we are reaping from how we are showing up during Libra season. If we are people pleasing or avoiding conflict, rather than having integrity in how we show up with others, this day gives us the natural consequences of those actions. Likewise, if we are doing the challenging work of showing up authentically while making space for other people and genuinely relating to them, we will receive those consequences too.

• The Moon travels through Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and into Leo this week; Jupiter continues in Leo.

These are the principles to consider for the week of September 28, 2026. It is worth taking a look at both your rising and sun sign horoscopes (visit astro.com to find your rising sign):

Aries: Just because other people are doing things differently than you does not mean that they are doing them wrong or maliciously. That might sound obvious, but this week it may feel extra urgent that the people around you do things your way. On the helpful side, that can show you your preferences. This can become unhealthy, though, if you feel like you need to change other people to make yourself safe. Focus on how you can show up authentically and support other people doing that as well.

Taurus: Most immovable objects and insurmountable challenges are that way because we are essentially pushing a pull door. This week, when you run into insurmountable challenges, consider whether your internal rigidity is actually the problem. Then, rather than getting frustrated, use the tension you are experiencing to experiment with different solutions. If you find yourself trying the same thing over and over again, take a nap or sit in the dark. Sometimes, we need fresh perspective to notice solutions.

Gemini: When we engage in learning to prove we are smart or right, it stays theoretical. This week, take what you have learned since November 2024 and implement it into your daily life. To start, take inventory of what you have learned, including how your philosophy of life has transformed, and either talk about it with someone or journal about it. Then, start making that actionable right now in your daily life.

Cancer: Money and creativity are both fluid and changeable energetic experiences that we develop structures and institutions around. This week, consider the ways that you become rigid about money and creativity or maintain standards that create stagnation instead of support for your prosperity. Sometimes rigidity provides a strong foundation for growth and other times it suffocates us. You can tell the difference by looking at whether your standards motivate action. Use frustration to generate movement and break out of any stuck container for money or creativity.

Leo: When nothing feels like it’s working, these are the two most common problems: either we are giving up too quickly or we are overcomplicating the process. This week, consider both problems. If you are too focused on needing to do the dishes before you start working (or finishing your work before you do the dishes), you may get stuck in process. If you give up after trying three things in service of your goal, you may be selling yourself short. Talk about your problems, try different solutions, and let it be messy.

Virgo: We often don’t know how we feel or what problems we have until we hear ourselves say them out loud. This is one of the reasons talk therapy is so effective. This week, rather than minimizing the problems you hear yourself say out loud, get curious about them. Even if you feel like you’re complaining too much, consider what would happen if you took your complaints seriously. Taking them seriously, even if they sound silly, is a good way to start solving them.

Libra: There is a traditional, WASP rule that it is not polite to talk about politics or money. At its best, this comes from a sense of privacy around sex, death, money, and politics. But, civil rights movements have shed light on how secrets about money perpetuate inequity and wealth hoarding. This week, consider the difference between privacy and shame, especially when it comes to money and your most deeply held values. If you wait for conflict to happen before you communicate those values to others, the communication may come off more intense or cruel than you mean.

Scorpio: Most things that happen in external reality are not about us, but you would not know that if you talked to any of our brains. This week, it is easy to feel like your privacy has been violated or that you are exposed, even when the conflict around you has nothing to do with you. Rather than allowing your brain to turn against you and make external problems mean there is something wrong with you, allow this to support your transformation and show you your own power.

Sagittarius: Confirmation bias happens to all human brains. It happens when we decide a topic is relevant to us, and then we notice it everywhere. For example, when you buy a type of car, you start to notice that type of car everywhere. The important part is that those cars where still there when you did not notice them. This week, your confirmation bias, especially around your most deeply held ideals, gets challenged. Instead of being reactive or defensive, consider how this could be a gift that shows you your own power.

Capricorn: Nobody is entitled to all of our information, and, at the same time, withholding relevant information from our friends to influence their decisions, can betray them and harm the friendship. This week, consider any spaces where you have been glossing over discomfort in order to get a result that you want, even if you think you are morally righteous in doing so. Getting ahead of this experience and balancing privacy with honesty could help you avoid rupture later.

Aquarius: Overwhelm is a feeling that happens because of our thoughts, not because of our observation of reality. In reality, we are always doing one thing at a time, and that means we are not doing many other things. This week, notice any inclination to be reactive around conflicts at work or with your partners, and step away from any all-or-nothing narrative about what people expect of you. Do the one next thing that is aligned to who you are becoming. Detach from the rest in the most respectful way you can manage.

Pisces: Spirituality and morality are different concepts, but within institutions and other spiritual groups we often overlap them. Spirituality is essentially connection to what is beyond the five senses, and not everything beyond the five senses is morally righteous. Morality is a system or code of conduct for how to interact on the material plane. This week, consider your structure for both. Care for your spirituality, and follow your parameters for how you engage with other humans, even when you feel reactive or betrayed.

To find out specifically how these transits apply to your chart, sign up for a natal chart reading here.