Perched on the threshold between summer and autumn, the Sun and Moon meet in the worked soil of earthy Virgo on Aug 27 at 1:17 am PT. Their union confirms a handoff from the heated fixed signs to the mutable signs, a process that began when Mars exited Taurus on August 20 and the Sun departed Leo on August 23.
Based on traditional astrology using the tropical zodiac, mutable or double-bodied signs are the embodiment of liminality; the betwixt and between from one season to another. They come after fixed or solid signs which represent the most stable, peak period of a season, and before cardinal or tropical signs which initiate a major seasonal turning point; a solstice or equinox.
Can you feel the mutability in your bones? It’s a palpable shift as the Sun sets earlier every evening and the landscape responds to a mixture of mild summer air and autumn breezes.
Referred to as quadruplicity, these modalities correlate with states of being. The cardinal signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn represent a quickening, a change; they are action-oriented and can denote reversals or shifts. The fixed signs Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius are more steady, even stubborn. They stabilize actions and can sustain efforts to completion. Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces, the mutable signs, must adapt and change, learning from the past in order to plan for the future.
And so it is with Virgo, the Virgin, the Harvest Maid. Ruled by Mercury, she dutifully and joyfully evaluates the successes and failures of the summer’s crops, stocks the larder, and chops wood for the cold nights ahead. She is Demeter, the Greek Goddess of the harvest, and Persephone, her daughter, queen of the underworld.
Keywords, according to Hellenistic astrologer Vettius Valens, include fastidious, industrious, modest, full of care, good at domestic affairs, and the management of other people’s property. Virgo is also associated with craftsmanship, devotion, and written communication. With a nod to the underworld and the occult, I like to think of the Virgin as a pragmatic mystic.
Other Virgo considerations include Jupiter who is in detriment or exile according to the dignity scheme of ancient astrology. Think of this as the modest side of Virgo, the one who may over-function with little ability to receive the blessings of others. Devotion teeters on obligation, whether she knows it or not. Venus is in her fall or debility where even love becomes utility. She may be more drawn to beautifying the house than to love with abandon.
Mercury is exalted in the feminine sign of Virgo where he has full license to execute his modus operandi—a slow and intentional pace. Plans are analyzed thoroughly. Calculated deeds and precise communication complement the tasks at hand. If there’s an association with perfectionism, imagine people whose very survival depends on the efficient and skilled use of their heads and hands to get through a demanding winter.
The writing, color-coded and alphabetized, is on the wall. No longer who we used to be, but not quite who we are going to be, this Virgo New Moon beckons us to prepare for the dark half of the year. As all earth signs signify, this is a call for concrete, material manifestation based on sifted through priorities.
As the omens would have it, our cojoined luminaries face an immediate challenge in the home of the Untouched One. Any desire to work in a detailed, conscious manner will butt up against a strong need for speed via a superior square from fast-talking Mars in Gemini. Squares are notoriously more challenging, but because Virgo and Gemini share a planetary ruler, they grok each other’s essence and can find ways to mitigate differences. Still, Mars brings the heat, so don’t forget to breathe.
Best case scenario, Virgo’s magnifying glass and tortoise sensibilities can be put into service to regulate a frenzied pace, preventing stress and burnout. But, if you can’t resist donning your superhero cape, the universe may well step in and thwart your productivity with a bevy of interruptions, from phone calls to conflict containment. As much as you might like to do it all, it’s highly unlikely you’ll manifest the gazillions of amazing ideas doing a tap dance in your head. And would it be good for your health even if you could?
Mercury, Virgo’s host, has just tipped into Libra forming a trine to Mars and opposing Jupiter in Aries. Head down, oblivious to others, doing it your way (the right way according to Virgo!), you may be unaware there are people who want to help or are busting at the seams to register their opinion. Can you produce finely crafted works without stepping on anyone’s toes? Brash words are possible when the one and the many clash. Why over-exhaust yourself by going it alone? Maybe collaboration would get you to the finish line sooner.
Virgo season may leave you a bit out of sorts and frazzled by a labor-intensive month of productivity, including potential do-overs when Mercury retrogrades back into Virgo on September 24.
If you plant seeds with a new lunar cycle, do so with Mars in mind. Even the best of intentions can go haywire. If you’re looking for writing prompts or suggestions to make sacred your process, check out AO’s Virgo New Moon ceremony.
And, don’t forget to receive the blessings of support when you really need it, including sources of renewal that can make the journey just a wee bit easier.
Love this and thank you for the New Moon ceremony. 🖤🌑🖤