New Moon, New Era, New Opportunities.
The new moon is in is Virgo, the sign of the Harvest goddess.
There are more planets in feminine signs than masculine, which forces us to integrate the tough and the tender; applying the most practical solutions with love, faith, and compassion. And five planets, Chiron, and the North node are retrograde, with Mercury's retrograde looming in October. These celestial influences will sometimes invite us forward, and other times compel us to slow down, review our intentions and actions, and choose more carefully. The Jews high holidays are here, and we are almost to the equinox. This is always a time of reflection, leading to more and greater balance and fairness. But this year, we are also navigating a global pandemic, major economic changes, a national election that will determine the date of our Democratic republic. The stellium involving Saturn, Jupiter, and Pluto has us awakening to our deepest wounds—as individuals, as families, and as a nation.
This is a time of reckoning.
Are you ready?
If you’re not sure, I can help.
It starts with your dreams and visions
and then you chart a course from there.
Here are some helpful insights...
The Spirit of Virgo
We are now well into the Virgo new moon, the official midpoint of the harvest season. May you be blessed with the strength and health, integrity and integration, and clarity and commitment for which it is known. Ordinarily, the attributes of the astrological archetypes provide us with didactic illustrations of the exact qualities and vibrational tones necessary to skillfully navigate the issues of the season. In the course of the last year, the stellar activity of the great astrological clock in the sky provided us with more valuable insight and instruction than ever.
Traditionally, this is the time of year that things get set back to rights: spiritually, materially, and emotionally. After all, Virgo rules, among other things, the restoration of order. But this year, the restoration of order is going to look and feel a bit different. Mars, lord of war, violence and oppression, just went retrograde in its own sign (Aries). In mid-October, Mercury will retrograde in Scorpio, ruler of politics and power, the sacred and the profane, and be there for more than half of the remainder of election season. Mercury then moves into Libra, which can be the herald of balance and fairness. In sum, the issue at hand is learning how to bridge the gap between what the differing factions of our families and communities define as restoration—and that process requires infinite patience, precision, and a serious commitment to peace.
Virgo’s constellation is the Virgin, and it is a mutable, feminine, earth sign. Ruled by the Mercury, Virgo is smart and calm, clear and clean, efficient and effective, and wholly committed to most righteous and reverent possible path or choice. Virgo does things right, and does things right the first time. On a good day, Virgo is the competent, bean-counting, score-keeping, grown up in the room. She is utterly dependable and reliable, the one who keeps the rest of us on time and on budget. As such, Virgo is an extremely hard worker. Doing the right thing in the right way from the right place at the right time requires great discipline; integrating the material with the spiritual—the work of transformation and change—is not for the faint of heart or soul.
If transformation was easy, we would all be doing it. Because most of us are not, Virgo is. Virgo is ready, willing, and able to go the distance when few others will. Because of this, Virgo is pretty much universally under-appreciated, and that can make them a little cranky and pessimistic.
So let’s make it a good day.
Virgo rules work, labor, and discipleship—the proverbial chop wood, carry water parts of life. Where Virgo lives in your natal chart is where you can likely expect to expend massive amounts of energy cleaning up karma around your relationship to roles, rights, and responsibilities, in terms of serving your God and your fellow humans. This is where you will be unyieldingly dedicated to the concept of service above self, and yet still struggle with the concept of service without slavery or servitude. The life lessons of Virgo are roughly akin to driving a car with a broken fuel gauge—you won’t realize how much fuel you’ve used up, until you’re suddenly stuck on the side of the road. So pace yourself and create strategies to monitor your process. It’s a long gig; and it’s hard because it’s old, and it’s old because it’s hard. Any progress is a good thing.
Libra’s ability to mediate, negotiate, and make peace is looming just around the corner, as are both an election and a Mercury retrograde. These combined astrological energies are already forcing you out of your comfort zone and into virgin territory. You have no choice: get out of your head and out of yourself, and figure out the best possible way to use your skills, talents, and superpowers to serve your God and your fellow man. First, go inward and remind yourself of your role in this reckoning, in this moment in time. Then visualize the transition happening with joy and ease and grace. Feel that feeling with every cell in your body and every fiber in your soul. Then, get off the couch and away from the computer.
Let go of your current narcissistic obsessions (we all have at least one or two) for a couple of weeks and do something nice. Do something generous. Something kind. Something completely selfless, something completely for the benefit of someone else, with no expectation of receiving anything in return. Do it if they are a cranky and competent and helpful in some way, but especially if they are not. Let some stranger merge in front of you in traffic or in the line at the store. Say please and thank you. Help your friends, family members, and neighbors figure out how they are going to vote. Volunteer to work at the polls. Be a negotiator, a mediator, a peacemaker (though not in a Neville Chamberlain sort of way). And if you get stuck, call me. We’ll figure it out.
Calendar
Below are some of the dates where your opportunities for wizardry, magic and alchemy will be the greatest, and some generic wisdom about them:
September 17–New moon was in Virgo
September 18–Rosh Hashanah begian at sundown
September 21–International Day of Peace
September 22–Sun moves into Libra; Fall Equinox
September 27–Mercury moves into Scorpio; Yom Kippur begins at sundown
October 1–Full moon in Aries
October 2–Venus moves into Virgo; Sukkot begins at sunset
October 4–Pluto goes direct in Capricorn
October 9–Sukkot ends
October 12–Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples Day, Canadian Thanksgiving Day
October 13–Mercury retrogrades in Scorpio
October 16–New moon in Libra
October 22–Sun moves into Scorpio
October 31/November 1–Full moon in Taurus, also known as the Blood, Travel, and Hunter’s moons; Halloween, Hallowmas, Samhain, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, El Dia De Los Muertos; Daylight Savings Time ends
Everybody’s natal (birth) chart is different. These differences reflect our individual souls: their journeys and evolution, their triumphs and their tragic flaws. As such, the specific impact of each of the following dates will hit each person differently. But there are some general themes.
Holy days, holidays, and astrological transits are opportunities for us to experience grace. But remember how grace happens: sometimes it comes through discomfort. The gifts aren’t always immediately apparent. All of the days on this list ask you to be more compassionate with yourself and others, to try and be more awake, and to be more open to synchronicity and messages from Spirit. On days when more than one astrological event, holiday or holy day occurs, know that the power of that day will be even more profound. The more events in a day, the more powerful that day is, and the more intentional you should be.
Again, in general, full moons are a good time for ending things, wrapping things up, conclusions, and closure. New moons are opportune times for new beginnings: starting a new chapter of some aspect of your life, tackling a new project, or launching something new. Retrogrades are always about slowing down and paying more attention to aspects of your creative, spiritual, and social lives. The eclipses always reveal: sometimes it is something others have hidden from you, sometimes it is things you have hidden from yourself, usually it is a little bit of both. To go deeper, look to the planetary signs and the houses they fall in, and, of course, to your natal chart. Or give me a call. I can help you with that.
Retreats, Rituals, Services, Ceremonies, and Journeys
Choosing the best day or days is a very personal thing. You have to feel your way into it. But there are some generic rules that can help you in your decision-making process. Full moons and new moons are considered the best, as are holidays and holy days. Full moons and new moons that occur during holidays and holy days are extraordinarily powerful.
Factor in a retrograde or two, and you pretty much can’t avoid leveling up and becoming a much more masterful magician. Especially around anything that has to do with your faith, your trust in it, your ability to serve your faith, and serve with it. Seriously.
With that in mind, the upcoming best days for deep, transformational experiences are: September 17–18, 22, and 27–28, October 1–2, 4, 13, 16, and 22.
The Mystery School Guidebooks
For as long as humans have traveled the earth, we have turned to the cycles and movements of the natural world and celestial bodies to guide us. Over time and across cultures, the art and science of navigation has provided powerful tools to ensure safe passage through the mysterious currents of life's more difficult moments. Now, by combining ancient practices with modern modalities, you can chart smooth and successful routes through the most important journeys of all: the integration of your internal landscapes, your relationships, your spiritual and professional paths.