The New Moon occurs at 11:37 (BST) on August 30, 2019 at 06°Vi46′.
Four days ago, Pallas entered Scorpio, leaving us with airless skies. In the absence of the air element, we are left with a powerful earth overtone as we have ten planets and asteroids in earth signs – Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus and Vesta in Taurus and (take a deep breath), the Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Juno all in Virgo. This six-point stellium at the beginning of this lunar cycle puts us on notice that new starts are characterised by practical effort. Whilst Jupiter and Neptune are still in a nebulous square to one another, we must get our heads out of the clouds if we want to improve our circumstances. Virgo energy is no-nonsense, fastidious and pragmatic. Our lives are put under the microscope as we’re pushed to figure out what’s working and what isn’t. We need to clean up our act; figure out a better way; make our schedule ship shape; heal dis-ease. I’ve found myself trawling through bullet journal videos and throwing myself out of bed at 6 a.m. every morning to get a head start on the day. Mars in Virgo alone is determined to catch that worm.
The Moon in Virgo finds emotional satisfaction in helping others. The Sun in Virgo illuminates our physical body and asks us to pay attention to its health and functioning. Mercury in Virgo is efficient in its home sign, breaks things down into a sum of parts, analyses and categorises. Venus in Virgo finds pleasure in being of service and a job well done. Love is a verb with this placement. Mars in Virgo spends its energies at the office and is focused on doing a good job. Also, it could be said that Mars in Virgo turns into Mr. Fix-It given this planets association with tools. Juno in Virgo can be picky with partners and contracts but is also willing to put the work in where necessary.
All the Virgo planets create a trine to Uranus. Normally I use smaller orbs for asteroids but as Juno is part of the Virgo crowd, I have included it here. With the Uranus influence, the urge is to innovate, shake things up, create change, experiment. Generally, Virgo prefers to follow a plan, but Uranus introduces a willingness to improvise, something that adaptable Virgo is very good at doing, even if it makes her flustered! Uranus in Taurus is already telling us that some part of our lives has become too staid, too sedate. We need to pick up the pace and venture off track. Any new start made around this time, is imbued with the spirit of enterprise. Got a crazy idea? All this Virgo energy will help you figure out whether it will work in practice.
Even more helpful is that the New Moon, Venus and Mars are in a wide trine to aged Saturn in Capricorn. So, we’re looking at making improvements that have long-term benefits. This aspect also mitigates any instability that Uranus could generate, giving us a reality check when ideas become too far-fetched. These aspect patterns also suggest that this is the perfect time to put new skills into practice, test new methods, merge old and new.
Considering the proximity of all the planets in Virgo, we could also say that there is an undertone of ‘many hands make light work’ in this New Moon story. The Sabian symbol of the New Moon is ‘A Harem’. A harem is an example of people, in this case specifically women, living and working together. For the harem to function, everyone has a role so there’s a natural established order. It’s about bringing out the best in one another rather than jostling for position and prominence. Focus on what you do well. Defer to others when different skills are required. Be willing to learn. Virgo is the sign of an apprentice.
The only fly in the ointment is a quincunx to the New Moon from Chiron in Aries. It’s prickling pain could irritate perfectionists and stimulate pedantry. The heavy focus on Virgo energy imbues us with a whole lot of ‘I must get it right this time’. We need to take care that we don’t become overly critical just because we haven’t fully healed, integrated or understood. Leave room for snagging, little blips in energy or concentration, correcting small errors– in short, we need to accept that we’re human. We could use this energy to remind us to be kind because in one way or another, we are all hurting. We don’t need to go for ‘perfect’ – we just need to aim to do our best. Purify, clean, analyse, adapt. Declutter. Organise. Streamline. Be flexible. Eat right for your body. Exercise. Hold a healthy mindset. Cleanse your crystals. Practice reiki. Fold your clothes and smooth your sheets. Keep in mind this quote from Martha Beck ‘The way we do anything is the way we do everything’.
Painting – ‘Woman Hanging up the Washing’ by Camille Pissarro
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