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VIRGO NEW MOON - 20 September 2017

9/16/2017

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Picture
Exact at 6.29am BST, 1.29am EDT
 
There is certainly a lot of Virgo involved in this New Moon, so there is the potential for some kind of wake-up call that makes us aware to what needs working on in our lives. Virgo is a sign  of transition  that tends to bring situations or experiences into our lives which make us aware of our inadequacies, imperfections or lacks, which then leads to self-analysis, which then leads to seeking a solution, which then, hopefully, forces us to shift in the right direction. The downfall of Virgo energy is that we might analyse so much and make the problem seem so big and overwhelming that we work ourselves into a state of self-doubt, inferiority, panic or paralysis and get absolutely nowhere! The best analogy for this is a giant centipede, with all of its many legs that work as one cohesive system. If the centipede were to worry too much about how one particular leg worked, the whole system would just collapse! This is Virgo. It is the part of us that really wants to do well and to improve ourselves, but can also be very self-defeating because we are trying to attain some impossible standard of perfection and focus on the little details too much. Virgo is very hard on herself indeed, but it is often wherever we are always striving to do better that we are actually doing better than we think.
 
New Moons are a very potent time in the month, when we have a chance to look within and contemplate what patterns or habits we need to leave behind in the dark of the Moon and what seeds we want to sow for the month ahead. As we are in Virgo season, with the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars all in Virgo, there is a big emphasis on cleansing, decluttering, purifying, establishing healthy routines and “putting the house in order”. Our homes and personal environment are a reflection of our inner state, so if we have let them fall into a state of chaos or disrepair then this is a perfect time to remedy that. As within, so without!  This is a time of tweaking and adjustment, when we attend to our inner and outer temple. Often, however, it is some kind of crisis or wake-up call that actually makes us aware of what is out of balance in our lives. It is so easy to be self-critical or self-defeating in the face of crisis, or to feel persecuted or criticised, or to beat ourselves up for our short-comings, and so often we are our own worst enemies!  However, it is far better to merely see whatever comes up as a gift; a prod from the universe showing us where we need to make adjustments for a better existence.
 
This is a time when we could become all too aware of what is out of balance in our lives and what needs improving. It is important to harness the energy of Virgo and face whatever comes up with true humility rather than being defensive or self-deprecating. Virgo in its highest form seeks to be of service, in a way that is truly helpful to others rather than in a self-sacrificing or self-destructive way. One of Virgo’s main priorities is finding the right work for ourselves; work that is a reflection of our natural talents, capabilities and is  also useful and aligned with our higher purpose. She is also adept at the art of discrimination and discernment, so this is an ideal time to separate the wheat from the chaff and decide what simply isn’t serving our highest good. This is a time of transition and is the perfect time to put some new, healthy routines in places and to cleanse ourselves, both internally and externally. Mars in Virgo will certainly give us the energy and motivation to do just that, although he might also force us to confront ourselves and be somewhat merciless about our shortcomings and what needs to change. Virgo seeks to humble us and deflate our ego, but in the extreme it can bring humiliation or mortification as we are taken down a peg or two!
 
Uranus is forming an inconjunct aspect to the Sun and Moon, and this particular aspect also denotes some kind of crisis. Uranus has a sudden, unpredictable quality to it and can cause us to “wake up” in no uncertain terms! Something could happen to shake us up a bit and make us aware of where we are falling short or need to work on ourselves. It may be unsettling, annoying or even a bit shocking, but ultimately Uranus is helping us to snap out of any unhealthy ruts, habits or patterns that are holding us back from growth. Sometimes it takes a bit of a shock to make us aware of where we are going wrong and what needs to change. The Sabian Symbol for Uranus, at 28°Aries, is “A large audience confronts the performer who disappointed its expectations.” which Dane Rudyar describes as “The necessity for mature preparation and self-criticism.” The performer is “made fully aware of having promised – to the many elements of his own personality as well as perhaps to other human beings – more than he was able to deliver. The issue is how to handle this situation. In one form or another, it is an often recurring situation in the life of an individual person. The manner in which it is met determines the individual’s future possibilities of development and achievement.” This symbol has a resonance with Mars in Virgo and brings a sense of being confronted by our shortcomings somehow. It’s up to us how we handle it, however.
 
The Saturn Chiron square is starting to build again, this being the third in a set of three squares. It is also being activated by this New Moon. The first square peaked on December 28 2016, the second peaked on April 30 2017 and this, the final one, will peak on November 2. This square will force us to face up to old patterns and wounds that have become too solidified, breaking them apart so that we are better able to grow spiritually. Saturn forces us to stand up with integrity and become responsible for all we are capable of, but this could be a painful process. We are being asked to commit to our path and could be forced to face the darkest part of ourselves in order to clear the way.  This is the hardest test because it entails confronting the most painful, buried wounds that we have hitherto been too scared to fully face. We may have dipped our toe in the water, or even gone up to our waists, but now we have to really dive in. If we don’t find the courage to face them once and for all, there is a feeling that we will be stuck where we are and not able to progress spiritually and accomplish what we are here to do in this lifetime. It is a time of reckoning, when we must not be afraid to be vulnerable and do the work necessary to move past these boulders that stand in between us and our highest purpose.
 
The Sabian Symbol for the New Moon is, at 28° Virgo: “A bald-headed man who has seized power.” Which Dane Rudyar describes as “the sheer power of personality in times that call for a decision. Whether at a religious or at the socio-political and cultural level, there comes a time when obsolescent patterns of order and cultural refinement have to be radically and relentlessly challenged. Catabolic personages emerge to seize power and dictate decisions that alter the structure of society; or within an individual life, an intense urge for cathartic changes mobilises the will, and traumatic decisions are made. At such times, the issue has to be met and, ruthlessly as the power may appear, it must be accepted. With this symbol we face the unpostponable necessity for decision and transformation. Existence is motion. No static formation, however beautiful and inspiring, can remain long unchallenged. Everything bows to THE POWER OF THE WILL – divine, executively human, or Satanic.”
 
This Moon seems to be calling us to action and forcing us to take a long, hard look at ourselves and see what needs to change. There is no need to beat ourselves up about it, and this isn’t about achieving perfection, but rather we need to decide what we need must do to improve the situation and move, one step at a time, towards a solution. We need to recognise where our biggest block is and truly commit to moving past it, whatever it may take and however painful it might be. It seems as if we will be made very aware of what holding us back and will have no choice but to look it squarely in the face, rather than allowing it to slither back into the background. It looks like we are being given an opportunity to see ourselves more clearly, even though it may be a bit uncomfortable or even shocking. As Rudyar says “an intense urge for cathartic changes mobilises the will”. We could feel a sense of urgency and discontent that propels us to make the necessary change in our lives. However, instead of getting overwhelmed by what we need to do we must remember to simply take one step at a time.
 
Much Love
 
Amy
xoxo
 
Painting: One Step at a Time – Martha Brouwer
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PISCES FULL MOON - 6 September 2017

9/2/2017

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PISCES FULL MOON – Wednesday 6 September, exact at 8.02am BST, 3.02am EDT.
 
This Full Moon has the power to gently yet powerfully transform our lives and help us align with our higher selves. It highlights the healing axis, with the Sun in humble, health-conscious Virgo opposing the Moon in sensitive, compassionate and empathetic Pisces. It is a water sign Full Moon so it could bring some strong emotions to the surface, especially with Pluto, the planet of the soul, playing a big part in the picture. Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac and brings with it a sense of completion; the end of a cycle of some kind. By the time we reach Pisces we have travelled through the whole zodiac, learning the various lessons of each of the signs and now it is time to surrender, to let go, to dive off the cliff into oneness and unite with God, the Creator, the Source, the Universe, the Divine. However, we need Virgo to help us achieve this state of acceptance and transcendence. A Full Moon asks us to balance the energy of the two signs, as both have a role to play.
 
With the Sun currently in Virgo, this is the month for cleansing and purifying and “putting our house in order”, both literally and metaphorically. “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” is an ancient proverb that speaks of the need to be clean in both the physical and spiritual sense. Mindfully and lovingly cleaning the dust and dirt from our homes helps clear away negative energy and create a sacred space in order to invite the Divine in. While Pisces represents spiritual transcendence and connection to spirit, Virgo creates healthy routines, diet, meditation techniques and rituals to help us reach that transcendent state. This includes cleaning, which we tend to see as such a chore but if we realised just how important it is we would treat it with more reverence and find more joy in the simple acts such as sweeping and dusting our homes! As we lovingly clear the chi in our external environment, so are we clearing space within ourselves; creating emptiness, free of clutter, debris, chaos and negative energy. Virgo reminds us that cleaning is a form of meditation, except that instead of emptying our mind we are emptying our physical space.
 
Pisces seeks to dissolve and emotional, physical or spiritual barriers that may be preventing us for merging with the Source, or God. She reminds us that we are not separate, but rather we are all connected and all one, including the trees, plants, rocks, animals, birds, insects, humans; we have all been created from the same source and are all imbued with divine consciousness. The only difference is that a rock may not have the same awareness of being conscious as, say, a dog or a human. However, the Divine is present everywhere and the Creator has unconditional love for all he/she/it has created, whether it be “beautiful,” “ugly,” “perfect” or “flawed” .  Virgo’s goal is to humble us and pierce the bubble of self-focus and egocentricity. She seeks to be of service to the whole, and combined with Pisces she seeks to dissolve the ego and allow us to align with Spirit. Virgo’s humility allows us to take a step away from the sense of being a separate being and to truly surrender; to jump off the cliff into the ocean of oneness and unity, where we find unconditional love, inspiration and true empathy and compassion.
 
Ultimately, as souls, this is what we all seek. However, many of us are completely unaware of this desire to merge with Source and think that the next new car, relationship, job or house is somehow going to bring us the sense of meaning, happiness and peace that we so dearly desire. Except that it never does and so we seek the next thing, and the next thing, until finally we reach a place of disillusionment, whereby we realise that it all doesn’t mean anything and is never going to ultimately fill the void. This is when we reach some degree of heart wisdom and start out on the path away from the ego and its fearful desires and towards a more soulful existence. Pisces and Virgo remind us that helping others and being of service to the whole is far more fulfilling and rewarding than simply serving our own selfish desires and needs. There really is nothing that makes us feel quite as good as when we have just helped someone, or participated in a humanitarian group endeavour or experience that reminds us that we are all in this together. This Moon invites us to step away from ego and invite in soul. It seeks to dissolve any barriers we have built to separate us from God and All That Is. This could be a bit confusing or disorientating, as is the Pisces way, but at least we will be flowing with the current of the river, in the right direction.
 
Neptune, the ruler of Pisces, is literally sitting right next to the Moon in Pisces for this lunation, making this an extra specially Piscean affair! This is definitely an ideal time to pay attention to our dreams and to spend time in nature, as well as creating, or praying, or meditating. We could find ourselves more sensitive, empathetic, connected and in tune than usual, though there is also the potential for confusion, delusion and a desire to escape reality! Strange, inexplicable things can happen during a Pisces Full Moon, as well as some utter beauty and magic!  Virgo can help us discriminate and discern between fact and fantasy, reality and illusion. With Pisces there is also the potential for us to feel victimised, as if we are at the mercy of fate, but Virgo reminds us that this is also a delusion. We create our own reality and are co-creators of any situation we find ourselves in.
 
We are invited to decide what old mental, physical or spiritual patterns of behaviour need to be purged or eliminated so that we can progress on our spiritual path. Pluto, the planet of soul, power and transformation is forming a positive aspect to the Sun and Moon, which will certainly help us purge and transform outworn patterns so that we are more in alignment with our true nature. Pluto will help us to face ourselves and recognise what needs to pass away in order to realise our truth. He will help us confront our shadows and allow us to be emotionally honest and vulnerable. He will also help give us the will power to make whatever changes are necessary for us to grow and evolve. Ultimately, however, it’s up to us to do the work. Some deep emotions may surface for us to look at and the sign posts will be there, but it’s our choice as to which direction we decide to go.  
 
 This is a time of self-improvement, cleansing, purifying and if we are sincere in our desire to progress and move forward then we have a perfect opportunity to do just that! The Sabian symbol for Neptune, the ruler of the Moon, is 13° Pisces:  “An ancient sword, used in many battles, is displayed in a museum” of which Dane Rudyar says: “Will power is the ultimate spiritual weapon, and its undeviating use is the certification of individual worth. Wherever found, this symbol emphasises the imperative need to make use of the will in meeting the basic challenges of the inner life as well as outer adversaries. The individual must use that WILL POWER, yet it is not really his own once he operates at a spiritual level. It is God’s will operating through his mind, which focuses its thrusts.” This symbol seems to be asking us to use our willpower to truly do some profound inner work and cut through the crap, so to speak! This Moon truly has the power to transform our lives and help us to connect with our higher selves. As long as we are able to get out of our own way!
 
Much love
 
Amy
xoxo
 
Picture: Purification of the Soul by Valderramos
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    Amy Bird

    I love writing about the Moon and the effect it has on us all, both collectively and personally. We all look at the same Moon and feel her energy, albeit in different ways. It reminds us that we are not alone and there is something very comforting about that!

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