14.09.23: New Moon in Virgo
'People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think that's what we're really seeking. I think what we're seeking is an experience of being alive. So that the life experiences that we have on the purely physical plane will have resonances within that are those of our own innermost being and reality. And so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive - that's what it's all finally about, and that's what these clues help us to find within ourselves.'
– Joseph Campbell from 'The Message of the Myth'*
This New Moon occurs in Virgo on September 14, 2023, at 9:40 PM EDT.
It's interesting – but whenever it comes to Virgo, I feel a bit stuck and struggle. It definitely costs me more time and effort to create around it than it would, writing about its polarity Pisces, for example. Maybe in this letter, I'll discover why.
A New Moon takes place when the Sun and Moon are in – what's in Astrology called – conjunction, they are within the same degree in the same sign – this time it happens to be the sign of Virgo.
As we know, New Moons are times of acknowledgment that something new is about to start and planting seeds for new beginnings. It's a time to retreat and reflect on what we miss in our lives and what we want to invite for the next lunar cycle.
The general questions to ask yourself today are:
What was my last lunar cycle about that started with the Leo New Moon on August, 16th?
What do I miss deeply that I want to invite into my life?
What seeds do I want to plant these days?
VIRGO: GETTING READY FOR THE SOCIAL ARENA
By now, you've heard me more than once sharing that I work with the zodiac as a representation of the evolution of human consciousness.
It just makes lots of sense to me to view the zodiac as a holistic process and see the archetypes within a cycle, being in relation to and building upon each other.
If we believe that the zodiac is an intelligent cycle mirroring states of our own journey on earth, then Virgo is the moment where we need to do some straight talking with ourselves.
Virgo is the 6th sign in the zodiac, closing the first half of the zodiac, preparing us to enter the second half of the zodiac, the so-called 'social arena' in Libra.
After we've gained the courage to show ourselves to the world in Leo, Virgo is here to do some real assessment of the status quo before we step into connection in Libra.
VIRGO: THE NEED FOR INNER ADJUSTMENT
Just imagine for a second, that we would jump with a self-inflated Leo-manner into relation – well, could become pretty intense, right?
Virgo is here to ground us. She whispers to Leo: 'My dear, before we enter the social realm, some adjustments need to be made. Let's check carefully what we'll keep and what we need to change.'
That's the reason why Virgo is often said to be detail-oriented, highly critical,and a perfectionist.
In the shadow, Virgo can lose herself in obsessive criticism, especially directed at herself. Making herself suffer from not feeling enough in this world. The constant need to deliver and do something to be loved and accepted.
'A little less here, a little more here, ah yes, there we could do a bit better and here we need to stop', she's constantly monitoring.
Virgo is happy when her need for inner adjustment is acknowledged. Only with this equilibrium we can connect healthy in Libra, dive deeply in Scorpio, and find a truth in Sagittarius that will form a fair and just society in Capricorn.
So, do you follow me when I say that Virgo's attention to detail is crucial?
VIRGO NEW MOON: REASSESSMENT OF OUR LIVES
Mercury rules both Gemini and Virgo. The difference in Virgo is that Mercury is turned inwards.
So here Virgo knows that she needs to be good with herself through deep inner examination to connect authentically in Libra. And, we all know that healthy relationships are only possible if we are on an equal footing with ourselves. That's the deeper Virgo wisdom.
Just emphasizing that the ruler of this New Moon, Mercury, is still in retrogrademotion and will station direct shortly after it. (Don't forget about the shadow phase until Sep 30!)
As we generally still have 6 planets in retrograde motion, we're invited to dive deep into our own tender worlds and look within. To do a proper inspection, as Virgo would suggest.
Also, this Virgo New Moon is the last New Moon before the autumn equinox and before the dramatic eclipse season starts. Through the recalibration happening in Virgo, we're preparing for these cosmic happenings ahead.
The New Moon in Virgo asks you today:
What aching topic asks you to turn inwards?
What part of your life needs a critical re-assessment?
What areas do you really need to look at and reorganize?
The New Moon occurs at 21 degrees and 59 minutes of Virgo, so people with natal personal planets and points at approximately 18 to 24 degrees of the mutable signs of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces will feel it most significantly.
THE MOON IN SYNC WITH URANUS
Whenever I see that Uranus is in the game, I'm getting excited. Maybe it's because my Moon is in Aquarius (ruled by Uranus) or maybe it's just because I love this guy's fearlessness.
Uranus, being the black sheep at the planetary family table, really loves to create some disruption. It invites us to believe in scenarios that we haven't even imagined could be possible. It opens doors that we didn't even know existed.
It makes a trine with this New Moon, inviting us to embrace change and chaoslike the grounded goddess Virgo would do. And to dream big. To bring more surprises into our routines. And maybe it will even spark some kind of epiphanies that will bring us closer to the eclipses.
Uranus would ask the Moon the following questions today:
What are miracles that you don't allow yourself to believe in daily life?
Where did you give up because 'this is the way it is'?
Is there a way to bring some unusualness into your day-to-day life?
Where can you stretch at least 1cm beyond your comfort zone?
NEPTUNE IN OPPOSITION WITH THIS NEW MOON
Neptune (currently in Pisces), known as the dreamer among the planets, is forming an opposition with the New Moon in Virgo.
When I think of Neptune, I think of it as the ruler of Pisces, as the planet that connects us to our own divinity and to the meaningfulness of our lives – in the healthiest frequency.
In the shadow anyhow, Neptune can cause deep meaninglessness, putting up a veil about what's really worth living for and causing some confusion on the earthy plane. Feelings of numbness, confusion, and despair can be the result.
Neptune would ask the following questions to this Moon in Virgo:
Do you hear the messages from the depths of your soul?
What does bring meaningfulness into your daily life and how much of it do you allow yourself to experience?
Where do you trade meaning for comfort in your life?
VIRGO: EMBRACING THE HUMAN MESS
Spending some time with Virgo for this New Moon newsletter, I started to realize that I feel more connected to Virgo than I sometimes might want to acknowledge. I just love inner analysis. But also, I can get obsessed with it.
In the end, it's Virgo who creates this beautiful alchemy at the end of the personal arena of the zodiac so that we can feel authentic and real with ourselves before stepping into relation.
Virgo brings us back to the earthy plane when we have lost ourselves with abstract concepts and it asks us to roll up our sleeves, dig our hands into the dirty soil of life, and ask critical questions about our habits, daily life, and how we care for our bodies.
She whispers: 'To find true happiness, my dear, you need to accept this human life and to look at yourself through the mirror of radical analysis. What do you need and what is not serving you anymore? Toss it. It's time to shed the layers of what you don't need to be on equal footing with yourself.'
With love,
—Karina
*Text sourced from https://www.organism.earth/library/document/power-of-myth-2
**Happy Oregon GIF By Harry & David from GIPHY.com
