Tomorrow's New Moon activates the feminine, changeable, earth energy of Virgo, the sign in which Mercury - guide of souls and god of the mercantile mind - is both exalted and at home. Though often criticised for being overly critical and exacting 😂 Virgo is the sign of both magic and the mundane aspects of our daily experience. The Virgin goddess - whose purity relates to her autonomy and independence as opposed to sexual experience - belongs to herself. And yet there’s a tension in Virgo between this drive for autonomy and the need to be of service, which seeks balance in the give and take of relationship as the wheel of the zodiac turns to Libra. As goddess of the harvest, Virgo rules rituals of abundance, processing and refinement, organisational skills and the capacity to critically appraise, and work routines that allow us to maximise the longterm benefits of our endeavours. Virgo’s keen eye for errors - in systems and thinking processes - allows us to streamline our operations and eliminate the faulty mechanisms clogging up our creative outputs, reducing our vitality and aggravating scarcity.
This New Moon asks: how could we do this better? What kinds of questions could we be asking to get to the essence of the problem? And how can we keep our tendencies toward over-criticality in check? Virgo skilfulness involves the critical analysis of day-to-day routines, habits, systems and communication processes that allow us to identify what’s critical whilst avoiding the kind of harsh criticism of ourselves and others that blocks creativity and hampers opportunity. This need for mindfulness in both our inner dialogues and communications with others is further emphasised by an exact square between tomorrow’s New Moon and Mars at 4 degrees of Gemini. The planet of conflict and aggression entered the sign of the Twins this week where it will undertake a seven month-long sojourn, which could see us channeling our energies into some of the courageous ideas we want to action. It’s a long transit for sharpening the mind. Focusing energies into passionate acts of endeavour potentially related to writing, digital media, teaching or studying, information gathering, competitive intellectual feats, cutting edge journalism etc could all be highly productive during this period. Mars in Gemini also signals the possibility for hostility in communications, however, and a classic expression of this negative manifestation is ‘a sharp tongue’. For this reason, over the next seven months, we’ll all benefit greatly by thinking twice before we speak whilst taking the cutting words of others with the proverbial grain of salt!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🌊🔥
Significantly, both Virgo and Gemini are ruled by Mercury, which has just slipped into its retrograde shadow in Libra, sign of relationships and balance. As such, the planet of mind is nicely placed to help harmonise these tensions in communications, and with Venus still moving through Leo, making creative adjustments and consciously recalibrating our intentions to the compass of our hearts should help us in our efforts. As Mercury turns retrograde in Libra on September 10, it gives us more time for reflection, refinement and finding the sweet spot in ongoing communication dynamics. Although activity levels typically fire up in Virgo season there’s also a reflective quality to the busyness compelling us now, and it may feel as if we’re occupying a strange kind of frenetic slow-motion time zone with so many planets moving retrograde. Uranus joined the other outer planets in this week and when it meets with Saturn for the fourth and final time in October, both planets will be moving backwards, suggesting opportunities for reckoning and revision as we gauge the extent of our progress and maturity retrospectively. With Mars remaining in Gemini for so long and triggering the tensions of this lunar cycle from the outset, we may also be able to increase its positive influences by actively shifting our thinking states from left to right brain - from cognitive control to open intuitive receptivity - and by inducing flow states with activities that allow the mind to access different levels of insight and information. After labouring for hours to identify the important messages of this lunation, this whole story flowed out as I was walking by the creek. It felt like a joyous release! And it’s a reminder I’ll be carrying with me as we move ahead. Shifting gear mentally by connecting with nature should also help to soothe the anxieties that can often be highlighted in Virgo season anyway. Virgo is also associated with the Hermit card in the Tarot, which reminds us that seeking autonomy and communion in solitude and following the lamp of our inner light can lead to brilliant solutions and wisdom.
A last note forSunday and Monday: we could feel a little more emotionally intense than usual as Venus moves into opposition with Saturn. Thankfully, it’s a short transit but not a fun one. Approach it with super-low expectations and make a sacred intention to practice self-love as a kind of discipline. Saturn will give us props for that. Travel well beautiful friends and may you feel the quotidian Virgo magic this weekend. 🌞🌑🌙🌱🌿🌳
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