Virgo, the sign of the worker, the craftsperson, the perfectionist. Virgo, the sign of the healer, the farmer, the technician, the environmentalist. Virgo, the sign of the analytical, practical mind and the gift of discernment. Virgo, the sign of the Virgin, the one who belongs to herself.

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Virgo New Moon, August 28-29, 2011

 

The astrological sign of Virgo is much more interesting than people give it credit for.   At its best, it is the sign of synthesis, where we purify our ego personality and bring all the parts of ourselves together so we can live out our higher Self and be of service to our world.    At its worst, Virgo can be controlling and critical, thinking she has to be perfect.   Virgo, with her image of the Virgin holding the sheaf of wheat, also represents the harvest, when we reap what we've sown.  

Virgo, the sign of the worker, the craftsperson, the perfectionist.   Virgo, the sign of the healer, the farmer, the technician, the environmentalist.   Virgo, the sign of the analytical, practical mind and the gift of discernment.    Virgo, the sign of the Virgin, the one who belongs to herself.    

Virgo is a mutable earth sign, suggesting that we use common sense to decide how to live our lives well.   Virgo, ruled by the planet Mercury, brings the divine messenger out of the air and down to earth and asks him to make sure our facts are accurate and reliable so we can actually use them to better our lives.   While Gemini's Mercury has fun gathering information on the Internet, Virgo wants his knowledge to build something we actually need.   And Virgo wants it built right!

Since this is the last Virgo New Moon before next year's first Uranus/Pluto square - which will re-activate the 60s' conjunction of Uranus/Pluto in Virgo - it seems like a good time to review what this revolutionary conjunction asked of us and where we stand now.   Each time Uranus and Pluto start a new cycle, there is a burst of energy (like the new moon) that demands revolution and awakening (Uranus) and evolution and raw passion (Pluto).    Their conjunction in the sign of Virgo in the mid-60s opened us up to a new awareness of the state of our health systems, our food systems, our treatment of the Earth and animals, as well as to our working conditions.   While our society has grown because of our new awareness around these Virgo issues, we find ourselves at a point where our government and financial institutions (Pluto in Capricorn) are trying to tear down the advances we've made in these areas instead of supporting them.   This is typical of a square, which marks a crossroads in our development.   An aspect of stress and choice, the square between these two planets symbolizes what we need to do in the coming years.   The added factor in both the 60s and now is Saturn, which represents both the old conservative views in its negative manifestations and personal responsibility to ourselves and others in its more positive manifestation.

This is the classic struggle between the old vs. the new.   (Remember Saturn and Uranus facing off in November 2008?   We're still seeing the repercussions of that struggle in politics.)   As Pluto in Capricorn continues to reveal the decay and corruption in our societal structures, the old guard is fighting to remain on top and in charge.   But with Uranus in Aries about to square Pluto in Capricorn 7 times in the next four years, each of us is personally challenged to make sure that the 60s' conjunction moves into the next stage of development.  

This next stage -- the first square -- is likened to the Hero's Journey.   Uranus in Aries is pressuring each of us to take on a bigger, more awakened identity and responsibility to make sure that these Virgo issues are strengthened, not done away with.   Since it seems that politicians work for corporations now, it is up to "we the people' to stand up for our rights and make sure that the revolution and evolution our world needs is not stifled.   This is the task of the Hero/ine -- to find the answers that are most beneficial to our collective life.   It is more important that all people have healthy food than for Monsanto to make enormous profits by owning and manipulating genetically modified seeds that are sterile.  

In Virgo, the workers who actually keep society working must be honored, while the bureaucrats and financiers (ruled by Capricorn and now being asked to die to their old ways) have to change their culture of greed, elitism and destruction that fills their coffers while imposing harsher working conditions on the workforce.   Once corporations found impoverished workers who would labor in their factories for pennies a day, they abandoned workers in the West.   Now we see the results around the world.   If you're lucky enough to work, you find that you are doing the work of 5 people for less pay.   The public fury that has been directed against our unions has been a deliberate misdirection, diverting our attention away from the source of our troubles -- the corporations who are controlling our governments and seeing record profits while offering nothing in return.   While unions certainly have huge issues that must be addressed, we see no similar drive to address the vastly more corrupt and uncontrolled excesses of our corporate and financial institutions.   Corporations ARE NOT PEOPLE, and they do not deserve to have our human rights.   Corporations and politicians need their own Bill of Rights and Regulations, which put them in service (a good Virgo quality) to the greater good.    The workers of the world really do need to UNITE so that no matter where you live, you get the same rights and pay.  

Virgo New Moon  

The Virgo New Moon occurs on Sunday August 28 at 8:04pm PDT/ 11:04pm EDT and on Monday August 29 at 3:04am GMT.

As we come around again to this year's Virgo New Moon, what kind of new seeds do we want to plant in this sign of integration of body, mind and spirit?   Where have we come from in the past year in terms of our health, work, and practical common sense?   This Virgo New Moon asks us to do more with the information we gather -- how are we organizing what we need to know and how well are we using it?   How are we dealing with our health issues?   Are you working, and if so, are your working conditions better or worse than a year ago?   What do you think about the fact that our politicians seem to be willing to trash our environmental safeguards at the expense of our health so that corporations can continue to make obscene profits?   These collective issues are personal issues, and Uranus in Aries is urging us to stand up for our rights.

Since Virgo, the Virgin, asks us to truly "belong to ourselves', we first need to look within and find out who we are.   "Know thyself!' is the first step to belonging to ourselves.   Virgo's analytical mind can discern between who you really are and who you've been taught to believe you are.   As the world around us changes, the best security you can have is the knowledge of who you are and what you are capable of.   Last year for the Cosmic Story's Virgo New Moon, I told the Grimm's fairy tale Rumplestiltskin, the story of a father who lies about his daughter's ability to spin straw into gold.   The dwarf Rumplestiltskin offers to help, but his ultimate price is her new life.   In the end she defeats him, but it is one of Virgo's cautionary tales -- in trying to be the perfect worker, the great achiever, we could lose what is most precious in our lives.

The Sabian symbol for the Sun and Moon at 6*Virgo is: Excited children ride on a gaudy merry-go-round.   The excitement of going round and round and up and down is a great symbol for our experience of life itself.   The cycle of the year and the many ups and downs we encounter as we progress can make us dizzy at times.   Just remember to hold on and have fun!

This Virgo New Moon is conjunct Venus, who helps us see our own self-worth.   Venus helps us connect with our heart's desire, so listen within during this new moon and see how your work, your health and your sense of Self are doing.   Both Chiron in Pisces and Neptune in the late degrees of Aquarius are opposing this new Moon, reminding us to be compassionate and tolerant with ourselves and others.   Compassion and tolerance, however, do not preclude taking responsibility for our actions and our goals.

This new Moon also forms a grand trine with planets in the other two earth signs: Pluto in Capricorn and Jupiter in Taurus.   Grand trines are easy, helpful energy configurations which support releasing old limiting beliefs (Jupiter) about money and self-worth, redesigning new strategies (Virgo new Moon) for health and work, and re-visioning a more fair and balanced society (Pluto in Capricorn's ruler Saturn is in Libra).   Once again, with the new Moon in Virgo, we have to do this personally before we can expect real societal change.    

Jupiter is especially strong at this new Moon since it is slowing down and about to turn retrograde on August 30th.   Jupiter will retrograde back to 0*Taurus and turn direct again on Christmas Day.   We will have a chance to look at our values and take a stand for our beliefs during these 4 months Jupiter is retrograde.   The Sabian symbol of Jupiter going retrograde at 11*Taurus is: A woman watering rows of flowers in full bloom.   Our creative partnership with Nature is a blessing.   We need to be in service to Nature's beauty and abundance if we want to reap the rewards.   We need to be good stewards of the Earth, or our lack of concern will be our own downfall.   The Earth will survive whatever is coming, but humanity has a choice to make if we are to continue to enjoy Nature's blessings.   Jupiter in Taurus asks us to believe in our life here on Earth and to value it.   Not our things (which is a negative Taurean trait) but our connection to Nature, beauty, people and things that have lasting value.

Mercury, Virgo's ruling planet, just ended its retrograde at 19* Leo on August 26.   The Sabian symbol for 19*Leo is: A barge made into a clubhouse is crowded with revelers.   This indicates the transformative power of joy and human friendship in ordinary life.   Mercury's lesson to me this retrograde period was "it's better to do it in a group than alone'.   I think this symbol suggests that we all need to gather with our people and work together for the future, in joy and playful expression.   If you've done this, then your projects can move ahead now.   Stephanie Austin in The Mountain Astrologer reminded me that Mercury makes a hard aspect to both Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn, an aspect that has to do with "willfulness'.   This aspect exposes extreme and inconsistent behavior.   In connection with these two explosive energies, Mercury must practice self-control and emotional poise.   If you find your mind leading you down extreme thought-paths, take a deep breath and calm down!   Learn to accept people for who they are, not for what you expect them to be.   This aspect will also push you to think outside the box.   Don't be afraid to do this, as long as you stay true to your values.

Mars in Cancer is just pulling away from its square to Saturn in Libra on August 25th, and we have to adjust our needs with the needs of our partners.   Don't let your Cancer defensiveness make you feel that others are being unfair to you.   Try to balance your needs with those of others and see what compromises you can come up with.

The first harvest of Lammas is in.   The Aquarian full Moon showed us the extent of both our collective expectations and our collective needs.   And we sounded our own depths for a creative response.   Now in Virgo, the Virgin Crone of Wisdom steps forward.   She has the blueprints for our truest Self, as well as for a new civilization.   She knows what part each of us needs to play.

Our Virgo quest is to pull ourselves together and discover our purpose.   Ask the Crone to show the way.

Bright Blessings for a bountiful harvest!

Cathy

Authors Website: http://www.cathypagano.com

Authors Bio:

Cathy Pagano is a spiritual advisor and Jungian psychotherapist, storyteller, author and teacher.

She is the author of a book on the return of the Goddess, "Wisdom's Daughters: How Women Can Change the World".

Cathy trained at the C. G. Jung Institut-Zurich in dream interpretation, has an M.A. in Counseling Psychology in Feminine Spirituality, and is a certified Life Coach.

As an astrologer and storyteller, she weaves the Cosmic Stories written in the stars. From The Bard's Grove, she writes about emerging archetypal themes in movies and books.

Cathy works with the tools of the imagination - dreams, alchemy, myths, astrology, symbolic language, storytelling, ritual - to awaken the Soul's wisdom.



I believe that Americans are called to a higher consciousness at this point in our history. We are called on to live up to our ideals and create the country our forefathers imagined. Inner consciousness needs to be acted upon for social justice.



Cathy believes that our writers and artists must take up our responsibility to create art that inspires, teaches and heals our humanity.



Cathy writes about political, psychological/spiritual, and cultural issues.