JOY DESPITE FRUSTRATION: 2020 VIRGO NEW MOON

SIGN

Like February’s Supermoon, September’s Virgo New Moon takes place in health-conscious and service-oriented Virgo.

General Virgo Themes

Overall, the New Moon in Virgo is great for working on themes such as:

• A desire to be helpful and to serve (it’s important to feel you make a contribution but are not a doormat)
• A penchant for details, minutiae, small things (but not to the point of being OCD or sweating the small stuff)
• An interest in health, wellness, hygiene, nutrition (Virgo rules the digestion and bowels) but again, not to the point of eating disorders (orthorexia is a perfect example of Virgo obsession with health/’clean’ eating taken too far) and/or overly rigid regimes
• A drive to create order through activities such as list writing, decluttering, tidying (but without losing ones sense of flow and spontaneity)
• Importance placed on usefulness, utility, practicality, simplicity, punctuality (without sacrificing an appreciation of beauty or a need to go with the flow sometimes )
• An emphasis on observing ritual, rules, etiquette and modesty (but not to the point of becoming puritanical)
• Mundane matters: writing, editing, handicrafts, critiquing, analyzing

SABIAN SYMBOL

FIXED STARS

Joy & Twin Hearts: Canes Venatici

Continuing the theme around dogs that has been so prominent during July and August, the Virgo Sun and Moon will make a link to another constellation associated with dogs – this time, the pair of hunting dogs thought to serve as companions to Hercules or Bootes the Herdsman or ploughman, whose alpha star is Arcturus – another major starseed marker – see the summary below (and my special video) for more details.

Like Pisces, this asterism has a dual nature, consisting of a northern and southern dog called Asterion and Chara. Interestingly, the southern dog, known as Chara in star mythology, means ‘joy’ in Greek. According to Jamie Partridge:

Chara is Greek for Joy, or Dear, and has also been called “dear to the heart of her master”.

Astrology King

Linked to the zodiac sign of Virgo, this evokes the idea both of joyful service – the cheerful helper who receives as much from the act of giving as the benefactor of their assistance; and the dedicated and efficient personal assistant or administrator who is often the hidden power behind the throne – the person with attention to detail who can keep all the balls jugging in the air and everything ticking over smoothly so that their boss can concentrate on the Big Picture and not sweat the small stuff.

Interestingly, this star is very similar to our Sun in astronomical and physics terms, which has led to it being called a ‘solar twin’.

The name Chara, which was originally used for the southern dog, means “joy” in Greek. The star has an apparent magnitude of 4.26. It is similar to the Sun in terms of age, mass and stage of evolution, and it has been called a solar analogue or solar twin.

Constellation Guide

Find out more in the second half of the EXTENDED video (Astrological Energies and Key Star Signatures) below.

Starseed Signatures

KEY ASPECTS

Grit & Self-Discipline Yields Rewards: Sun & Moon trine Saturn

September’s Virgo Moon will make a positive contact to serious Saturn, currently retrograde in Capricorn. This earth trine creates some really excellent energy for mastery, manifestation and getting things done. Just like the dedicated apprentice-initiate of the Sabian symbol, or the loyal canine companion of our fixed stars above, we are being asked to remain both true to our Higher Nature – and our soul’s true calling here on Earth, but also to ‘keep at it’ – to go the distance, despite any obstacles or detours created by the Mars-Saturn square. To keep on keeping on, learning from our mistakes, diligently plugging away at building and refining our skills, improving our health/wellbeing and staying focused on our goals.

Linked with efficient and meticulous Virgo, this is a time when we can make great strides forward in terms of putting plans into action. Both Saturn and Virgo are also known for scaling back and for encouraging both simplicity and clarity, so if you are not sure which direction to head in, use this energy to pare back and simplify – to reduce workable options using solid criteria, therefore making the decision-making process a lot less complicated. (And over-complicating things, especially in legal matters and relationships, is a distinct possibility at the new Moon, due a cardinal square between Mercury and Jupiter!) Discernment will be another useful Virgo-Saturn trait to employ at this time – just as it was back in February-March – helping us to cut through any confusion or frustration and get clear about our priorities.

If you’ve been wanting to nip self-destructive behaviour or unhealthy habits in the bud, and replace them with healthier ones, then this is also the perfect New Moon for you! Saturn provides self-discipline and staying power, while the combined energy of the Virgo Sun and Moon blends heart and mind, providing greater internal coherence and making it easier to introduce habit changes. Because this aspect involves two earth signs, it’s also very likely that whatever shifts we decide to make will actually take hold and grow roots, so it’s important that we get very clear about what exactly we want to upgrade/overhaul so that we can sew these ‘seed’ intentions at the waxing moon. Ideally, we should not try and rush this process but instead, break it up into a series of steps (Virgo LOVES the parts/minutiae/details) that can be implemented gradually. Earth signs are really practical and don’t really like to rush things – worth bearing in mind when developing your action plan or setting out your timetable.

A Return of Virgo Supermoon themes

However, it is worth saying that both Saturn and Pluto will be in similar zodiacal positions to where they were back in January and February, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself dealing with/needing to review issues that first arose near the Virgo Supermoon in February, which is of course when COVID-19 really began to impact on our everyday life. As I wrote in my social media feeds this week, don’t be surprised then, if this particular two week phase coincides with one or two ceremonies designed to placate any ‘angry old ghosts’ – experiences, decisions or memories from our past that may now come back to haunt us.

On the plus side, it’s likely that you could arrive at some very important internal realisations during this period. Slowing down and becoming more aware of this process will mean that you won’t miss any important messages or promptings from your inner being about what you need or where you need to head between next week’s equinox and the powerful solstice eclipse doorway we’re all heading towards this December.

Part of this process may involve accepting and integrating the aspects of your experiences or elements of your personality that you may have pushed out of the light of your conscious awareness and into the shadows. For, as the alchemists knew only too well, this is not just about light – it is also about working with the dark – appeasing and laying to rest any ‘angry ghosts’ – past experiences that may continue to haunt us – so that they can become wise ancestors – sages that can help us to learn from experience and continue to grow as we move forwards into the future.

As the I Ching tell us in Hex 19 – Releasing the Spirit:
“All these rituals are part of an investment in darkness, a ceremony that turns the experence of death [both literal and figurative] into an ancestor through whom blessings can flow.

They make the ghosts comfortable in the tomb, releasing it from the desire to re-enact earthly passions, so that it will eventually merge once again with the Ghost River.

It suggests that any great blessing or approach must be founded on a sacrifice, an acknowledgement of the dark powers [of the earth] without whom nothing can grow or flourish.”