* On August 31, Mercury enters Virgo, giving this planet greater strength, increasing restlessness, and emphasizing Virgo's themes of health, purity, daily routine, and constructive thought. This shift also offers an opportunity to consider (Mercury) the help and service (Virgo) others provide for us and how we express our need to serve (Virgo). If you are experiencing Virgo's downside, such as being hard on yourself or others or feeling used or subservient or unappreciated for what you do, this is a good time to explore why and take steps to restore happiness in your work and relationships. This also is a good time to let go of any guilt, to practice saying "no" when others impose upon you, and to choose how you can best share your gifts with the world.
* Also on August 31, a full Moon in Pisces brings an influx of energy to support our spirituality and feeling of oneness with all creation. It also can bring inspiration for new artistic projects, especially in photography, film, and music. Take time for solitude and meditation (Pisces), notice any insights (full Moon) you receive, and do your best to ground (Virgo) what comes to you so you can make the most of it.
* During the Labor Day weekend in the U.S., the Sun is exactly opposite the asteroid Chiron, symbol of healing and transformation. Besides increasing our focus on health, this alignment can shine a light on the dark side of Virgo (workaholism, self-neglect, paralysis from being overwhelmed) and of Pisces (escapism, addiction, martyrdom). Like all opposites, these signs are linked and sometimes masquerade as each other: Virgo may calm an overheated nervous system with addiction, while Pisces may criticize others to cover up its own failings. So the Sun-Chiron link enables us to see ourselves clearly and perhaps see our foibles expressed externally by others; observation, introspection, and honesty can help us uncover the truth and make better choices as needed.
* On September 16, Mercury leaves practical Virgo for idealistic, airy Libra, shifting our thoughts (Mercury) from health and work (Virgo) to justice, peace, and relationships (Libra).
* A new Moon in Virgo on September 15 means the Sun and Moon will be together in the sign of purity and perfection, inviting us to start a new cycle of personal improvement and idealistic service. What intentions can you set at this time to better your life, make work more meaningful, and increase self-acceptance?
* The end of Virgo time brings yet more intensity. On September 18, Pluto, ruler of Scorpio, ends its retrograde in Capricorn. Combined with Mars and the North Node in Pluto's sign, Scorpio, this gives us a powerful push to move forward on transforming (Pluto) any structures (Capricorn) that no longer serve us (Virgo). When planets change direction, energies can be intense, so use Virgo's discretion to think before acting. Then, on September 19, Uranus and Pluto will reach the second of seven difficult alignments occurring through 2015. Called a square, this alignment may bring further turmoil, disruption, and clashes around freedom (Uranus) and identity (Aries) versus power (Pluto) and structure (Capricorn). This configuration echoes the energies of the mid-1960s, when Uranus and Pluto launched a new cycle by coming together in Virgo; it is one of the factors making 2012 a pivotal year, and it indicates a time of significant change is at hand. This pairing offers an opportunity to renew the idealism and urge toward improvement and better health that these two planets seeded in the mid-1960s; with the Sun currently in Virgo, this opportunity takes on greater emphasis.
Coming next month
The end of Virgo time brings Libra and the autumn equinox (the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere). This powerful time when night and day are of equal duration will occur September 22 at 9:50 a.m. CDT (2:50 p.m. GMT). Mark your calendar now so you can reserve time that day for solitude and meditation to bring yourself in harmony with the changing of the seasons.
Also, if you begin to feel pressure building during this challenging time in human history, remember to take time for extra rest and solitude. With all the fast moving, Mercurial energy this month, quiet time and breaks from technology and communication can help you regain balance and be at your best when you're with others. With the Sun in earthy Virgo, spending time in nature offers a great way to recharge and an opportunity to meditate or pray outdoors.
How can I serve if I am not perfect?
During this Virgo time, we feel intuitive impulses to assist others and serve the higher good while helping ourselves improve and evolve toward the perfection Virgo so ardently seeks.
Violet Chrysanthemums, photograph by Anne Nordhaus-Bike
Each astrological sign is associated with a phrase, and for Virgo that phrase is "I analyze." This energy may be expressed negatively by living in our heads, getting stuck in chronic worry or unproductive research, or forgetting the larger picture or purpose. At its best, though, Virgo gives us the ability to understand what is pure and noble so we can appreciate order, recognize quality, and choose the good as we work to make our lives match the highest model of perfection that our minds can conceive:
Imagine that you are perfection. You exist within Divine Intelligence as a beautiful idea, but you lack physical form. Now imagine that you leave the spiritual, etheric realm and make your way down, down, down to the earthly realm. Here you find yourself encased in a physical body that requires regular sleep, food, and laborious maintenance and lives in constant vulnerability to damage from your own excesses and from outer threats including weather, animal predators, and other humans. The deepest part of you remembers your essential purity and spirituality, yet the world you live in appears to reward only the basest motives and pursuits. Through the power of your quick mind, however, you recall your origin as a beautiful idea, and you begin to understand your true purpose: rather than escaping your earthly prison, you must work to appreciate it, redeem it, and spiritualize it. Your independence and essential purity allow you to move your mind from false pleasures to contemplate higher, more noble pursuits. In the process, you find yourself feeling lighter and less chained to the earth, and you begin to work in earnest to embrace the Good. Over time, your efforts bear fruit, and your harvest is abundant. With it, you not only feed yourself but begin to help others so that they, too, may recognize their purity and take part in spiritualizing the earthly realm.
Now is the time to embrace your essential purity. You already have the gift of a discerning mind that allows you to see subtle details and determine the best among many options. You also have the ability to work patiently in humble ways to adjust yourself and your environment to more closely match the ideal you know as perfection. If you will take up the task of seeing clearly and choosing wisely, you will come to see why Virgo's ruler, Mercury, was the only resident of Olympus who traveled freely to the heavens, the earth, and the underworld.
* Also on August 31, a full Moon in Pisces brings an influx of energy to support our spirituality and feeling of oneness with all creation. It also can bring inspiration for new artistic projects, especially in photography, film, and music. Take time for solitude and meditation (Pisces), notice any insights (full Moon) you receive, and do your best to ground (Virgo) what comes to you so you can make the most of it.
* During the Labor Day weekend in the U.S., the Sun is exactly opposite the asteroid Chiron, symbol of healing and transformation. Besides increasing our focus on health, this alignment can shine a light on the dark side of Virgo (workaholism, self-neglect, paralysis from being overwhelmed) and of Pisces (escapism, addiction, martyrdom). Like all opposites, these signs are linked and sometimes masquerade as each other: Virgo may calm an overheated nervous system with addiction, while Pisces may criticize others to cover up its own failings. So the Sun-Chiron link enables us to see ourselves clearly and perhaps see our foibles expressed externally by others; observation, introspection, and honesty can help us uncover the truth and make better choices as needed.
* On September 16, Mercury leaves practical Virgo for idealistic, airy Libra, shifting our thoughts (Mercury) from health and work (Virgo) to justice, peace, and relationships (Libra).
* A new Moon in Virgo on September 15 means the Sun and Moon will be together in the sign of purity and perfection, inviting us to start a new cycle of personal improvement and idealistic service. What intentions can you set at this time to better your life, make work more meaningful, and increase self-acceptance?
Coming next month
The end of Virgo time brings Libra and the autumn equinox (the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere). This powerful time when night and day are of equal duration will occur September 22 at 9:50 a.m. CDT (2:50 p.m. GMT). Mark your calendar now so you can reserve time that day for solitude and meditation to bring yourself in harmony with the changing of the seasons.
Also, if you begin to feel pressure building during this challenging time in human history, remember to take time for extra rest and solitude. With all the fast moving, Mercurial energy this month, quiet time and breaks from technology and communication can help you regain balance and be at your best when you're with others. With the Sun in earthy Virgo, spending time in nature offers a great way to recharge and an opportunity to meditate or pray outdoors.
How can I serve if I am not perfect?
During this Virgo time, we feel intuitive impulses to assist others and serve the higher good while helping ourselves improve and evolve toward the perfection Virgo so ardently seeks.
Violet Chrysanthemums, photograph by Anne Nordhaus-Bike
Each astrological sign is associated with a phrase, and for Virgo that phrase is "I analyze." This energy may be expressed negatively by living in our heads, getting stuck in chronic worry or unproductive research, or forgetting the larger picture or purpose. At its best, though, Virgo gives us the ability to understand what is pure and noble so we can appreciate order, recognize quality, and choose the good as we work to make our lives match the highest model of perfection that our minds can conceive:
Imagine that you are perfection. You exist within Divine Intelligence as a beautiful idea, but you lack physical form. Now imagine that you leave the spiritual, etheric realm and make your way down, down, down to the earthly realm. Here you find yourself encased in a physical body that requires regular sleep, food, and laborious maintenance and lives in constant vulnerability to damage from your own excesses and from outer threats including weather, animal predators, and other humans. The deepest part of you remembers your essential purity and spirituality, yet the world you live in appears to reward only the basest motives and pursuits. Through the power of your quick mind, however, you recall your origin as a beautiful idea, and you begin to understand your true purpose: rather than escaping your earthly prison, you must work to appreciate it, redeem it, and spiritualize it. Your independence and essential purity allow you to move your mind from false pleasures to contemplate higher, more noble pursuits. In the process, you find yourself feeling lighter and less chained to the earth, and you begin to work in earnest to embrace the Good. Over time, your efforts bear fruit, and your harvest is abundant. With it, you not only feed yourself but begin to help others so that they, too, may recognize their purity and take part in spiritualizing the earthly realm.
Now is the time to embrace your essential purity. You already have the gift of a discerning mind that allows you to see subtle details and determine the best among many options. You also have the ability to work patiently in humble ways to adjust yourself and your environment to more closely match the ideal you know as perfection. If you will take up the task of seeing clearly and choosing wisely, you will come to see why Virgo's ruler, Mercury, was the only resident of Olympus who traveled freely to the heavens, the earth, and the underworld.
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