The Sun Enters Virgo
Season of the Harvest Maiden
Hey there, stargazers,
The Lioness has sounded her last roar for 2024, and as the Sun sinks lower into the horizon and fall approaches, the Harvest Maiden, Virgo, steps into the golden limelight of harvest season. It’s all of our favorite back-to-school, back-to-work, get-your-shit-together time of year, and the Virgin is adorned in a glistening crown of wheat, welcoming us with open arms.
I’m sure many of us are ready to embrace some of the fastidious rhyme and reason of the Virgin after Leo season ended with such explosive, world-changing transits. How are you all feeling in the aftermath of last week’s tense Saturn-Jupiter-Venus T-Square AND Monday’s revolutionary Full Moon-Mercury-Uranus T-Square? Subtlety has not been the name of the game over the past couple of weeks, as our values, dreams, and structures of reality have been facing off in the ring of the Zodiac.
The Virgin’s demure and mindful season is arriving right on time, carrying with her an energetic balm as we travel from the fiery heart-forwardness of the lion’s pride rock to her earthy field of medicinal plants. By August 27th, all that tense T-square energy will have a chance to start flowing again, with a harmonious grand earth trine between Venus, Pluto, and Uranus giving us a glimpse of hopeful developments in our rapidly shape-shifting world. Another grand earth trine on September 20 between the Sun, Pluto, and Uranus rounds out the season.
However, the month ahead is not a simple walk in the park. Virgo loves to get her hands dirty, and we still have a good amount of bumpy terrain to navigate:
Mercury, Virgo’s ruler, is retrograde until August 27.
Pluto is headed back into Capricorn for his last foray with the Sea-goat on September 1, and on the same day, Uranus stations retrograde in Taurus.
Eclipse season begins with a full Moon lunar eclipse in Virgo’s opposite sign, Pisces, on September 17.
Tap into the organized, service-oriented, and discerning energies of the Harvest Maiden to deftly tackle any challenges that come your way in the month ahead! Learn more about embodying Virgo’s gifts below, and listen to the guided meditation for Virgo season.
Virgo in the Body
Leo season helped us tune into our heart centers with courage, pride, and love and aligned us with the perseverance and fierce protection of our spleens. As we move down the body of the Zodiac Man, we enter the territory ruled by Virgo: the abdomen, digestive system, intestines, and liver. Virgo’s planetary ruler, Mercury, also associates the sign with the nervous system.
Virgo is most famously linked with the digestive system, including the stomach, intestines, and liver. As the maiden of the harvest, Virgo is highly skilled at sorting wheat from chaff, ripe from rotten. This sign is like the meticulous chef of the Zodiac, making sure that every bite of food is perfectly processed. Virgos are often known for their discerning tastes and health-conscious choices. They might even have an innate talent for picking the freshest produce or the best superfoods.
If you're a Virgo, you probably know your gut better than anyone else, from what makes it sing with joy to what makes it grumble in protest. So, next time you’re enjoying a quinoa salad or a meticulously prepared smoothie, know that it’s your Virgo energy in action, ensuring every nutrient is put to good use!
Virgo is all about keeping things running smoothly and efficiently. Similar to how the intestines take in and digest food for energy, Virgos take in information, break it down, and turn it into something useful. The liver is another organ that helps with this process. It’s the body’s natural filter, and with Virgo overseeing its function, you might find yourself gravitating towards liver-friendly habits like sipping on detox teas or indulging in liver-supportive foods.
Finally, the nervous system. Though not explicitly ruled by Virgo, the Mercurial association with the sign associates the brain and neurons with the sign. Virgo’s connection to the nervous system highlights its impact on mental and emotional well-being. Known for their analytical and often perfectionistic tendencies, Virgos can be prone to stress and anxiety. However, this sign’s natural problem-solving skills also equip them with strategies to manage stress effectively. Whether through organized routines, relaxation techniques, or thoughtful planning, people with strong Virgo placements often prioritize finding ways to maintain a balanced and calm state of mind.
This Virgo season, as we transition from summer to fall and navigate retrogrades & eclipses, I welcome you to embody these traits of the Virgin: Discernment, Refinement, Integration, Precision, Service, and Self-Care. As a balm to overwhelm and tension, let Virgo’s medicine serve you as the seasons begin to change!
Virgo in the Life Cycle
After the ‘roaring’ 20s stage of life embodied by Leo’s prideful self-expression, we enter Virgo’s domain in the human life cycle: Our 30s.
Virgo represents practicality, health, service, and refinement. Ruled by Mercury, Virgo is meticulous, analytical, and deeply concerned with details. These qualities make Virgo energy especially potent during the decade of the 30s in a person’s life cycle.
In the earlier decades, especially during the 20s, life is often marked by exploration, experimentation, and learning through experience. By the time we enter our 30s, there’s a shift in focus. This is a time when the desire for stability and purpose becomes paramount. Here, Virgo’s influence naturally aligns with this phase of life. The 30s are often about refining one’s path, establishing routines, and focusing on personal health and well-being—core themes of Virgo.
Virgo’s energy encourages us to serve others, but also to refine our own lives. In our 30s, many people feel a pull toward making meaningful contributions, whether in their careers, families, or communities. This decade is often about mastering skills, honing talents, and finding ways to be of service in a more structured and effective way.
The 30s also can catalyze a growing awareness of health and the importance of maintaining a balanced lifestyle. Virgo, associated with health and wellness, inspires people in this decade to adopt better routines, focus on self-care, and address imbalances. There’s a heightened awareness of the body’s needs and a desire to maintain well-being for the long term.
Virgo also symbolizes purification and the desire for order. This resonates strongly in the 30s, as individuals seek to clear away the chaos of earlier years, establish order, and create a life that is both efficient and meaningful. Whether it’s through decluttering physical spaces, refining personal goals, or setting clear boundaries, Virgo’s influence helps guide this process.
The connection between Virgo and the 30s in the life cycle is one of grounding, transformation, and refinement. This is a period when the exploratory energies of youth give way to the structured, purposeful energies that define true adulthood. Virgo season is the last of the ‘personal’ signs (Aries through Virgo) before we move into the part of the year represented by transpersonal or collective energies (Libra through Pisces). Embracing Virgo’s qualities during this time each year, as well as during the decade of our 30s, can lead to a more balanced, fulfilling life that honors both the self and the greater good.
Self-Care in the Season of the Virgin
Drawing from its associations with both the digestive system and the nervous system, Virgo season invites us to honor the connection between body and mind. With the number of neurons that network within the digestive system, the gut is often considered a ‘second brain,’ so Virgo-ruled body parts deeply signify a unification between these two powerful areas of the body.
On this transitional sign between the personal and the collective energies of the Zodiac, it is a time of the year to recognize that true well-being and social harmony come from attending to the details. Embrace this season to cultivate routines that nourish and sustain you, setting the stage for a healthier, more grounded future. Pay attention to where your attention is spent, and make small changes to give your attention to the ripest fruits of the harvest, letting the rest fall to the ground.
The Virgo-ruled liver plays a vital role in detoxifying the body, so Virgo season is an excellent time to cleanse and rejuvenate this hard-working organ. Reducing alcohol, processed foods, and toxins is key. Consider incorporating liver-supportive foods such as leafy greens, beets, and citrus fruits. Detox practices, like dry brushing, drinking lemon water, or using milk thistle, can also help your liver function optimally, preparing your body for the seasonal change ahead.
Virgo season is also an ideal time to introduce calming practices into your life. Mindfulness meditation, gentle yoga, or simple deep-breathing exercises can be powerful tools to soothe an overactive mind and balance the nervous system. You can start right now… with this guided meditation!
Thanks for reading, as always- I’ll see you next month as the September Equinox ushers in Libra season!
xxoo!
Alison
Alison Dale is an artist, ecological astrologer, and somatic guide based in the traditional lands of the Tewa people, known today as Santa Fe, NM. She is also the host of the podcast Cycles of Time (Instagram: @cyclesoftimepodcast). Learn more about her work and current offerings at alisonmariedale.com or on Instagram at @astro.somatics.
Oh I love this. So informative. I have a virgo moon in the 5th. My son has a virgo sun as well as my dad and my sister. Lots of virgo energy in the family. I love this time of year. Leo season overwhelms me.
Good stuff, Alison!
I’m glad to see you place Virgo in the 30s of the life cycle. Why?
Well, not only because of the many logical reasons you spelled out in this article, but because I had one of those intuitive connections a few years ago that said the Saturn Return was connected to Virgo, and while it made total sense to me, some of my astrology teachers and fellow students weren’t so quick to agree.
However, as you point out, Virgo is the final of the personal signs before we get to the collective ones starting in Libra, so it seems pretty clear to me that it’s about that major transition from childhood to maturity when one takes the process of becoming oneself and then incorporates it into the Service of the collective.
Not an easy experience, but it requires we slow down and do the Work, which signifies Saturn in its Earthly expression.
I’m just riffing here, but it strikes me now that Saturn is the traditional ruler of both Earthy Capricorn and Airy Aquarius, and while it’s not given any association with Virgo, it is exalted in Libra which tells me if we do this Saturn Return right, if we “harvest” what we’ve been through in our childhood and separate the wheat from the chaff, when we reach exalted Libra, our chances to end in a fulfilling partnership not only in marriage but with the World at large, are greatly improved.
Anyway, just a few thoughts and as always I thank you for how your connecting these cycles contribute to my deepening appreciation of them. Keep up the good work!