3:40 pm  AHST  9/14/2023
 6:40 pm   PDT  9/14/2023 
 9:40 pm   EDT  9/14/2023
  1:40 am   GMT 9/15/2023

Seeing Through the Fog

This New Moon is at 22˚ of Virgo, which was exactly the degree that Mercury went retrograde at on August 23^rd. Mercury has already slowed down and will go direct the next day. Virgo is a sign which is ruled by Mercury, and so this places a strong emphasis upon Mercury in this New Moon chart. 

Mercury is trine (in a harmonious 120˚ angle) Jupiter, the planet of expansiveness, but Jupiter, along with all the other outer planets, including Chiron, is retrograde now (until October 10^th). The outer planets govern the more global and collective issues of our time. Retrograde, they are churning up our collective unconscious contents, working our “stuff” so that if we’re paying attention, we can become more conscious of ourselves and the world around us. Mercury is also opposed Saturn, the planet of limitation and discipline, bringing up the need to ascertain, to discern (Virgo words) what is truth and what is propaganda. And also to check our own thoughts, our self-talk, which is very much now up for editing.

So this New Moon in Virgo places a strong emphasis upon the stories and thoughts that we communicate, that are passed around, from place to place, and in the process, asks us to consider what is true, what are the ways of seeing our lives that are helpful or valuable. Human minds are largely story-based, and Virgo energy asks us, what is a path to a healing story, and how can I see my life and experiences as ones that encourage healing? This is a good moon cycle for writing, journaling, and making sense of our life stories, even our sufferings, as essential and meaningful parts of our lives.

This New Moon is also in opposition to Neptune, the planet of the unconscious, that vast region of creative energy and archetypes, out of which all life springs. We are learning how to see through the fog, the constant stressful global fatigue we all suffer, those of us who are at all paying attention to what’s going on collectively on the world stage. With so much emphasis upon conflict, our collective stress levels are high. With the fate of humanity in the sightlines of Destiny, will we learn how to survive, and shift the paradigm toward global cooperation, or will we, as we see here in the US, give over to playing constant games of manipulation, and the desecration of what is sacred and decent? Seeing through the fog means not avoiding the darkness, but also evaluating how to look for the light, for what’s good.

We are being given strong support and clues to answer these questions during this new cycle, with the New Moon in a strong, nearly exact trine (harmonious 120˚ angle) to Uranus, the bringer of insight and innovation. This is definitely a signature energy for thinking “out of the box”. And in fact, it’s part of a Grand Trine as the New Moon also completes the equilateral triangular pattern with Pluto, which deals with the powerful longings of our deepest soul. Grand Trines are doorways to grace and containers for insight and harmony. However, the two planets that complete the Grand Trine, Uranus and Pluto, are beyond our conscious access, meaning they govern archetypal forces that shape history, and so in order access their energies we have to be in a more trans-personal place, a place of awareness that goes beyond the “I” and “me,” to see ourselves in the long view. Once again, meditation is essential, getting quiet to clear the mind, so to grasp these larger influences. With Neptune pulling on the Grand Trine, we are pushed to be motivated not by our thoughts as much as by our visioning, our dreams and our intuition.

Discernment: this is the key word for a Virgo New Moon. With Jupiter and Venus in a square formation (90˚ angle) for much of the month, Venus in Leo needs to pull back a bit on her zealous need to be loved, while Jupiter in Taurus is supported by the overwhelming preponderance of Earth element in the chart. Earth elements ask us what we truly value, and if we’re living our lives accordingly. Are we using our efforts, our energy, to solidify these values? Are we paying attention to doing what keeps us healthy? Remember, New Moons are excellent times to begin new routines, to renew our resolve to doing what it takes to keep us strong in the face of what we’re called to do. Being of service, another Virgo theme, helps us to transcend the worries and fears of our time, and deepens our experience of our humanity.