The New Moon in Virgo on September 9th | looking past what isn't working, cleaning up, doing the mending, moving on from the mess, NOT getting lost in delusion/distraction, intensity, attraction, expansion, start it right this time, focus, stay the course

Sometimes a voice - have you heard this? -
wants not to be voice any longer, wants something
whispering between the words, some
rumour of its former life. Sometimes, even
in the midst of making sense or conversation, it will
hearken back to breath, or even farther,
to the wind, and recognize itself
as troubled air, a flight path still
looking for its bird.
- Don McKay

choose your life by Benegesseritt

On SUNDAY at 2:01PM EDT the Virgo Moon (the Moon moved into Virgo on Saturday morning) meets the Virgo Sun at 17 degrees.

The Moon is trine powerful Pluto (retrograde in Capricorn), sextile opportunistic and expansive Jupiter (in Scorpio and answering to Pluto - so that's a nice, strong loop of energy!) and opposing dreamy Neptune (strong in his home sign of Pisces).

We also have Venus moving into Scorpio on the same day making Venusian themes - women, love, money, our values and self-esteem - more intense. Scorpio Suns and Ascendants (Scorpio on the cusp of the first house of your natal chart) become more attractive - making them both easier on the eye and it easier for them to attract what they want. And for all of us, our Scorpio houses get more attractive, too ... and more complicated.

(although the theme of whatever house is ruled by Scorpio in our natal chart is naturally complicated!)

So, lots of Plutonian power with this Virgo New Moon! And then that foggy, distorting Neptune opposition which is reminding me of the Full Moon in Pisces two weeks ago!

So, let's unpack this.

The New Moon is a time when the skies are dark. It is the time of beginning. The seed goes into the ground. The sperm goes into the egg. The idea meets the paper. The nail meets the wood. You get the idea. And you may actually have an idea now because Mercury - the planet of ideas - is the ruler of Virgo and this New Moon. And just out of his retrograde and his retrograde shadow - he is flying!

Virgo New Moons are fresh starts that begin with small, focused steps (and Pluto in Scorpio is all about focus!). Focus on the details. Use commonsense. Do one thing at a time. Do our best. Know that it won't be perfect. Know that perfect isn't the point.

Virgo encourages us to prioritize our health, to value quality over quantity, to be of service to others (not at our own expense though and especially not at the expense of our health), to care for our pets, to take care of the day to day things that make our life our life. It also rules co-workers, employees, our daily activities and our work.

Think about Virgo's place in things. Virgo is the first sign that thinks about 'other people'. We spend the first five signs of the zodiac focused on ourselves - forming an identity, expressing who we are. And then in just ONE SIGN we transition toward relating to other people. That's why it feels like such a pressure cooker. We move from "how can I be special?" (Leo) to "how can I be useful?". That's a pretty hard right turn!

Pluto, very powerful at the time of this Moon, with his sticky fingers in everything is retrograde. So everything new now may not be totally new. Pluto gives this new beginning a whole lot of muscle. Jupiter brings expansion and optimism (the optimism now is tempered somewhat by his time in Scorpio and Virgo's natural ability to over-complicate things).

Every detail is going to matter now. I am not saying this to make all of us crazy. But we need to know this going in. There is the potential here to birth something significant, but Virgo rules work, so we know there is going to be work. So, we either go deep with whatever we are doing now or we don't do it at all. There isn't going to be a whole lot of middle ground.

It's time to make it real or get rid of it!

That opposition to Neptune - and oppositions usually show up through other people - is either going to look like 1. escapism - we fight doing the work and waste the New Moon (totally possible), 2. sacrifice - we need to let go of something to get something else - this is making me think of that Pisces Full Moon two weeks ago. This is an excellent time to release a sabotaging habit. 3. we go too "pie-in-the-sky" here with wishful thinking and rose-colored glasses, 4. mega creative potential - has anyone else been feeling uber creative the last few days? 5. we feel pulled toward escape, abandonment or self-sabotage, BUT (and this is mostly because we are not perfect) we DO THE WORK to get this thing going.

This doesn't have to be some great gigantic thing. Keep in mind that Virgo rules the details.

New Moon Guidelines

Set your intentions and make your affirmations for Virgo themes (or your natal Virgo house theme!) for the best outcomes - health, quality over quantity, service to others, attention to details, work, co-workers, employees, day to day activities, cleaning, organizing, pets.

INTENTION TIPS: Let the earth guide you this month, plant your feet firmly on the ground, clear your head, write what your physical self, grounded by the earth, wants - not what you think you should write. Write your intentions down by hand in script on a blank piece of paper, speak the words out loud, maybe burn the paper and give the ashes back to the earth - release your attention from these things knowing your intention is known.

Life has heard you. Know these things are already yours.  

What do you do next? Do what is right in front of you.

xo all

for the very best time to set your intentions and start something with this New Moon - see my post HERE and look for the HEADS UP.

Mars returns to Aquarius next week - buckle up. Also that Venus in Scorpio at the same time of this New Moon could make something very attractive. Too attractive even. Like so attractive it could kill us. But you know me and my negative thinking. Let's take things one step at a time ....

Saturn Stations Direct in Capricorn plus today's astro forecast - forward movement toward our goals, daddy's home, reaping what we have sown, the reward of something lasting, something stabilizes, relationship imbalances, also HEADS UP for a good date and time to START SOMETHING

don't insult the witch by slavic-frost

At 7:10AM EDT, Saturn stations direct at 2 degrees Capricorn. Saturn moved into Capricorn last December (remember - winter is coming, how many green beans are in your cupboard?). He got all the way to 9 degrees Capricorn then stationed retrograde in mid-April and started backpedaling.

HERE is a post about that. It could be useful to re-read now.

Saturn's retrograde "review" wraps up.

He will move direct until he gets to 20 degrees Capricorn next April when he stations retrograde again.

For people with planets and points between 2 and 9 degrees Capricorn (and the other cardinal signs) Saturn will make his third pass (hang in there!) over those spaces during the next few weeks.

There are a few things that will happen now.

Saturn's direct motion can release pent up pressure in our Capricorn house allowing us to make solid moves toward our goals and ambitions (and our natal Capricorn house theme).

It could have felt, during his retrograde, that we were getting further away from our goals or where we want to be in this area of our life. Maybe obligations weighed heavily. Walls and limitations had to be faced. Corners we had previously cut were noted to be missing.

The bills came due.

Maybe we were re-evaluating, re-assessing, re-affirming our responsibilities and commitments.

Maybe we learned to say, "no". Maybe we learned to say "yes" to something we had been avoiding.

Saturn always gives rewards, but they are Saturnian rewards - coming after we've put in the time and hard work to build something that lasts. And yes, the thing that lasts IS the reward!

Our long range goals that have been stuck can start to move forward now. 

With Saturn (father time) direct - daddy's home! - greater external structure is brought into our lives.

This can feel supportive and rewarding (if we have been doing our Saturn retro work) or like a wall/limit/roadblock (if we have been partying like it's 1999 - does anyone remember 1999? it seems so last century).

Dad's home.  

Have we been goofing off? Staying out late? Running up the electric bill? Worn out his favorite chair or left his tools out in the rain to rust?

Karmic books get balanced.

Remember, karma isn't about punishment. It is simply cause and effect - we are just being served what we ordered. Most of us do alot of this "ordering" unconsciously.

If we don't like what we are being served - we can choose to do things differently today. Right now.

Multiple planets change signs this week, Saturn stations direct and we have a New Moon - change is happening!

We have alot of powerful energy right now - with multiple planets operating at peak efficiency. Venus is in her home sign. Mercury is in her/his home sign. Mars is in a sign where he is exalted. Saturn is in his home sign. Neptune is in his home sign.

Having so many planets "at home" means a substantial amount of very effective energy is at our disposal.

Plus as Saturn moves into Capricorn, he trines Uranus (in Taurus) and Mercury (in Virgo). Don't we love these Grand Earth Trines during Virgo season folks!

EXAMPLE FOR Sagittarius/Sag Rising - Saturn stations direct in your 2nd house of your money, your values, your resources and self-esteem. Something within these themes will move forward - maybe a check you have been waiting for comes in now. Saturn forms a Grand Earth Trine with both Mercury - in your 10th house of your career, your calling, your achievements, your achievement goals, dad, business, authority, responsibility and Uranus - in your 6th house of  your day-to-day activities, your routine, work, co-workers, pets and your health. The trine is a smooth "brakes off" opportunity to strengthen a connection between these areas - for something here to fall smoothly into place. Maybe the changes to your daily routine include a new career/job opportunity that increases or stabilizes your income. Results will be Saturnian (karmic) - you will get out what you put in. For right now it will be important to do your Virgo and your Capricorn - check the details, dot your i's and cross your t's, don't cut any corners. Maybe something new will begin to break open by Sunday's New Moon in your 10th house of career/goals. There are twists and turns and changes ahead for all of us this month and we don't know what we don't know yet, so think - structure building, not tall building leaping. You can now begin to focus on what is most important to you, do the details, keep your commitments, PREPARE for your future Sag!

If you want to know how to integrate this Grand Earth Trine for your personal chart leave a comment or drop me an email. Earth Trines can creates something REAL - something we can hold in our hand, put in our wallet, cover our head with on a rainy day and tuck into bed at night. Something solid. This aspect is exact tomorrow and in play until September 10th.

HEADS UP - if you are preparing to launch something into the world that you would like to reach a successful conclusion, the time from September 9th - after 2:30PM EDT, we want the New Moon BEHIND us - and before the Moon goes Void on September 10th at 11:10AM EDT looks good. The Moon makes multiple favorable aspects during these hours and both the Sun and Moon are working together in earthy Virgo. Anything started during this time will be stable and enjoy support from authority. There are also positive and expansive money/merging aspects here. This would also be a good time to make a decision - remember thoughts really are things, and this would be even more powerful if this were a written decision/contract. Mars leaves Capricorn - where he is exalted - the very next day and won't be back for a couple years. Figure out a way to use this. Starting something Virgo ruled - work, health, diet, pets, day-to-day activities - or something within the theme of your Virgo natal house would be especially effective.

Anyhoo, back to today. We also have Ceres move into Libra today (through November 11th).

Ceres is about the seasons and cycles of life, our mama drama, the healthy and unhealthy ways we nurture and receive nurturing, how we handle deep loss and estrangement.

Ceres is the dwarf planet between Mars and Jupiter. You may be familiar with her story.

Ceres (known to the Greeks as Demeter) is the mother - the provider, the nurturer - the goddess archetype of spring. Ceres represents the part of our nature that longs to give birth and then nourish and sustain new life. She represents the essential bonding or lack of that occurs between mother and child. She is the impulse to nurture and also to be nurtured by others.

Ceres's daughter, Persephone, was abducted by Pluto, lord of the underworld. The grieving mother, Ceres wandered the earth in search of her missing child.

In her grief, depression and anger, she caused a famine, withholding nourishment from the world until her daughter was returned. Persephone meanwhile had eaten pomegranate seeds, a symbol of sexual awareness, which gave Pluto a claim over her so she could not be returned permanently to her mother.

A deal was reached so Persephone would spend part of each year in the underworld with Pluto caring for the souls of the dead, but each spring would be reunited with her mother in the upper world as she initiated the dead into the rites of rebirth (spring)

Ceres in our chart alerts us to any challenges with nurturing and directs us to the kinds of experience we need to feel unconditionally loved and accepted.

In Libra this will be about partnership and balance. The give and take of relationship. Situations will transpire that allow us to see where we are giving/sharing/receiving too much. Keep in mind Libra rules our collective 7th house which mirrors us back to us. If we aren't getting what we are needing from other people, it is probably time to ask ourselves what we are withholding from ourselves. Ceres is going to square Saturn next Tuesday - the same day Mars moves back into Aquarius and it is September 11th, so will be an important day. Relationships will likely start to feel the strain of this.

The Moon enters Leo at 9:54AM EDT turning our attention to Leo themes (and our natal Leo house theme) for the next couple days - creative projects, children, recreation, romance, gambling/risk taking and self-expression. People and situations will be more dramatic. We may all be needing a little more attention.

xo all