VIRGO 2018 - Giving things a whirl
Think of a pinwheel on a shelf in a closet.
Imagine picking it up, dusting it off, and blowing air at it. Watch it spin; hear it rattle in your mind, alive with your breath.
Think of an aeolian harp in a stuffy attic, leaning against a wall behind piles of old magazines and files of papers.
Imagine stepping over the files and piles, and lifting up the harp, brushing off the cobwebs and dust, and re-stringing it with fresh, lively strings. Imagine placing it on a precipice over an ocean, or on a blustery mountain top. Hear its ethereal music come alive in the wind.
This month, breathe some life into those dreams of yours. Pull them out into the light of day, and see what they can do. There will be time to adjust the tunings of your strings and the alignment of your whirligigs later. But for now, give what you've got a whirl.
Sun in Virgo: 8/22/18 - 9/22/18 (PDT)
Here's everything you need to know about the sun's yearly transit through Virgo, including useful inquiries, herbs, and insights. Combined with the influences of the other planets and signs involved now, the emphasis is on steady practical action towards bigger goals.
A helpful push up the hill: 8/25/18
We experience a helpful influence called a Grand Earth Trine on 8/25/18, which peaks at 9:44 am PDT. You'll feel it's influence from 8/22 - 8/27. Use this energy to help you manifest something meaningful - ideally something that benefits all including you. You also just might experience this influence as feeling in a flow throughout these days, and that's okay too. But you might feel a little different on the full moon...
Full Moon in Pisces: 8/26/18 at 4:56 am PDT
The full moon turns that grand trine (above) into what is called a kite formation. Suddenly you'll feel an impetus to make something happen, and to set some larger plans in motion. This is a time of great inspiration, so see what you can make of it. The Pisces full moon adds a creative, intuitive, and dreamy flair to the earthy manifestation energy.
Herbs for the Pisces full moon:
I highly recommend you drink a dream-inducing tea the nights of 8/25 and 8/26 to connect with your subconscious knowing. One recipe is a blend of equal parts mugwort, peppermint, and clary sage or ginkgo, with a pinch of nutmeg. If you suffer from nightmares, add a little burdock root to ease your night-mind. To enhance your imagination during the day, a blend of equal parts garden sage, ginkgo, and jasmine flowers is quite lovely.
Right Action in Forwards Motion: 8/27/18
Mars - the planet of will, action and motivation - stations direct on 8/27/18, completing one of its rare retrograde cycles (since 6/26/18) that has stimulated a realignment of our actions and plans with our heart-felt desires and highest aspirations. You might find it helpful to review the questions posed here as you prepare to put your revised plans into action in the coming weeks.
As Mars shifts directions, you might feel a little tired and/or impatient while things move slowly (roughly 8/20 - 9/5). Rest assured things will get moving soon.
Structural Adjustments begin to be seen: 9/6/18
Saturn has been retrograde since 4/17/18, and shifts to direct motion on 9/6/18. This shifts our focus from several months of overhauling our mental structures to now implementing external adjustments, inspired by those internal shifts.
Take note of any significant events or encounters you experience 9/5 - 9/7 to understand where you'll be making shifts in the structures and responsibilities of your life, and in the roles you play in the world. For more insight into this influence, review this post on Saturn's seminal transit through Capricorn.
Consider what you've learned since April about -
- your boundaries
- your limitations
- your strengths
- the roles that are + are-not appropriate for you to play
- the goals you truly want to manifest in this life
New Moon in Virgo: 9/9/18 at 11:01 am PDT
Normally, the new Virgo moon is grounding and centering, but this new moon is opposed by dreamy, bleary, vast Neptune, and also influenced by burn-things-down-to-create-space-for-new-life Pluto & expansive (yet currently deep) Jupiter.
Take some time for yourself this day:
Engage with nature through slow, mindful gardening, or through forest bathing.
And schedule a spa day, massage or acupuncture treatment (here are some excellent practitioners in the Bay Area, Pacific Northwest, and NYC/Philly area).
These sorts of practices will help you tune into the integrating influence and renewal available from this new moon. This will help you make sense of all the changes you've experienced this summer, so you can take wise steps moving forwards.
Next month...
The autumn equinox kicks off the month of Libra. A couple weeks later, Venus - the ruler of Libra - stations retrograde, stimulating a six-week process of reevaluation. As always, feel free to schedule a consultation if you need some support or perspective. Here's wishing you a healing and nourishing month of integration & harvest, Rae