“Increased awareness triggers the surfacing of toxins in the system that in turn precipitates a crisis of disease followed eventually by a higher level of health. . . . Higher states of consciousness demand higher functioning bodies.” Chris Bache, LSD and the Mind of the Universe
This statement by Chris Bache explains a lot about the process we have been going through in our country. Since the 1960’s we have made progress addressing civil rights, women’s rights, the rights of humans to choose their own gender and sexual preference and to love whom they please. We took bold steps toward diversity, a necessary prerequisite for our next big step which is Oneness. The Aquarian Age holds enormous potential for human evolution, but first we need to purge the past. This is where we are now, in a detoxification/purification process, and yes, it has been painful.
As a new lunar cycle begins we are asked to embrace the energies and spirit of Virgo and take time to reflect, to assess and analyze where we are, how far we have come, what positive changes we have made and what work is left for us to do. We can observe the process in our social and political institutions as new corruption is revealed almost daily. This is a good thing. We are releasing the toxins of our diseased collective in order to reach a higher level of health and a more inclusive state of consciousness.
So let’s take a look at the amazing set of synchronicities the heavens have set up for us to support this process.
New Moon in Virgo
On Saturday, August 27, at 1:17 a.m. Pacific, the Moon and Sun come together at 4+degrees of Virgo in the USA 9th House. This is the house of higher thought and expanded vision, associated with theological and philosophical questions about the mystery of our existence. It is in this sphere of experience that we transmute information into a world view, a philosophy of life. This is where we add meaning and significance to our lives as we probe deeper in our search for truth.
Virgo is the perfect energetic context for this pursuit. In its most evolved expression, Virgo exercises discernment. Symbolically Virgo is represented as a maiden holding a sheaf of wheat. This is harvest time. The crops planted in Spring are ready for picking. It is in Virgo that we harvest the fruits of our experience, but only if we put in the time and work to do so. Virgo picks through the wheat in search of what truly nourishes and discards the chaff that has no nutritional value.
The Virgo lunation is about sorting through our lives, assessing what we want to keep and what we need to discard. It involves a personal house cleaning and it will feel so good once the job is done and we survey our sparkling cleansed interior.
The Cast of Characters
Many planets assist us in this project. First of all the New Moon is opposite Gonggong in Pisces also at 4 degrees. This dwarf planet is associated with floods. In opposition to 9th House Virgo we can experience floods of insight, spiritual realizations, new clarity about ourselves and our purpose in this lifetime.
The New Moon is in a wide conjunction to another dwarf called Orcus, which is about taking a deep dive into our inner sanctum, seeking out the shadows and transmuting them into light. In the 9th House where Orcus resides natally as well as by transit, Orcus inspires a passion for seeking the truth.
These dwarf planets are powerful, yet subtle, high frequency influences that are drawing us deeper into the universe, refining our awareness, opening up new faculties and assisting the evolution of our consciousness. We may not feel them, but they are, and always have been, working at subtle levels in our lives.
Personal Planets
The personal planets are all deeply involved in this lunation, which brings the focus to personal experience. Mercury is considered the ruler of Virgo, although I think Ceres has a legitimate claim. Nevertheless, Mercury’s quick mental energy is required to do the tedious job of taking inventory. Currently this planet is in Libra, sign of balance, relationships, peace and harmony. On September 9th, just before the Full Moon in Pisces, Mercury will station retrograde, turning our attention even further within, helping us sort out our overwhelmed psyches. When the retrograde begins, Mercury will be conjunct MakeMake, the dwarf planet that helps us see the bigger picture. How perfect for our 9th House work!
We’ll take a deeper look at the Mercury retrograde period at the Full Moon, but presently, intense Mars is at 4 degrees of Gemini, forming a perfect T-square with the Sun/Moon and Gonggong. Square aspects initiate crises of consciousness because they bring life choices to a head.
Mars will be in Gemini for 7 months. This is a really long time to have our minds stirred up with questions, to process incoming information, ideas and insights. Mars will sweep through Gemini pausing at 25 degrees to make its station on Halloween, then turning retrograde, allowing us to review and reconsider the choices we have made and equip us to make the decisions that will support our growth next year.
This New Moon kicks off this process, and to make the most of it, we need to pay attention. It’s a great time to get out our journals and catalog thoughts, ideas, themes, current issues, and track them over the next 7 months. Now is the time to get intimate with ourselves so we can direct the flow of life rather than be at the mercy of external events.
And finally lovely Venus in Leo is opposite Saturn in Aquarius, and both are square Uranus and the North Node in Taurus. Venus will enter Virgo on September 4th bringing her gentle, peaceful energy to support us. She will carry the Leo energy – Brave-heart, Lion-heart – into our Virgo review, supplying courage and a desire to shine our light out into the world.
T-Square # 2
Sun/Moon opposite Gonggong and square Mars is the first T-square we discussed. Equally powerful and influential is the Venus opposite Saturn square Uranus and the North Node. We have here a combination of a personal planet, Venus in Leo the messenger of the Divine Feminine; the social planet Saturn, responsible for structure-building, institutions, governments but also for bringing us experiences geared toward teaching us more responsibility and maturing us into Spiritual Adulthood; and a transpersonal planet Uranus hanging out with the North Node of the Moon for months to come because, as of Wednesday August 24th, Uranus is retrograde following the movement of the node. We can take inspiration from the Sabian Symbol for Uranus, which will be at 18+ degrees of Taurus until mid-October: “A new continent, fresh and green, rises out of the ocean.” Is that the symbolic ocean of Spirit, the realm of Neptune which is still opposing our natal Neptune? Is this the potential New Earth rising? It’s up to us.
There is so much potential in this complex relationship. Uranus is forcing change and asking us to make decisions about the future we want – which path do we want to go down? Do we want to turn around and head back into the past? Are we frozen in fear unable to move forward, willing to let others make the choice for us? Do we have the courage to step into an unknown future? Are we mature enough to think beyond ourselves and consider the welfare of our collective, of our planet?
These are the kinds of big 9th House questions we need to consider this month. Change is inevitable. We have the opportunity, right now, this year, to decide our fate – personal and collective. And to emphasize the significance of the moment, Uranus is conjunct the USA natal Vesta in our 5th House of creative self-expression. Vesta brings sacred devotion into our decisions. Are we devoted to maturing our love? Are we devoted to serving what is sacred? The North Node is square Ceres which is conjunct Venus. Can we devote ourselves to healing our beloved Earth?
Miscellaneous
Another dwarf planet is exerting its influence. Varuna is conjunct our natal North Node at 6 degrees of Leo. Varuna is a bit elusive, but it seems to be about building sovereignty. Named after the powerful Hindu god of all creation, Varuna is lighting the way to a sovereign future. Perhaps it is helping us find our courage, our loving brave hearts, our willingness to stand up, to speak up, to lead the way.
Finally we come full circle to issues of health and purification. Virgo is an Earth sign intimately connected to our bodies, our hygiene, the loving attention we pay to our physical well-being. At this New Moon, Hygiea is conjunct the South Node in our 11th House, the realm of collective consciousness. The work we do this month contributes to the health of our collective population. We’re back to issues of purging the toxins of the past. The more we can feel and release, the lighter we become. The more burdens we drop, the issues we forgive, the shame and guilt and resentment we let go of, the healthier we will be. We must strengthen our bodies to accommodate the higher frequencies that will be the context of the brighter future we create.
Key Dates:
Sept 1 Mars in Gemini sextile Jupiter in Aries – expansion
Sept 2. Mercury opposite Jupiter – even more help to process
Sept 4 Venus enters Virgo – more love in the mix
Sept 5. Pallas enters Cancer
Sept 7 Sun trine North Node
Sept 9 Mercury turns retrograde
Sept 10 Full Moon in Pisces – see you then
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