God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace . . .
From the Serenity Prayer
The Serenity Prayer is particularly appropriate for this New Moon, and throughout the Autumn months. Autumn is a time of slowing down, waning light, cooling air and falling leaves. To remain in harmony with nature, we too must slow down and look within. There is a harvest awaiting.
We have had a rough year. What makes everything so intense is the increased flow of Cosmic energy bombarding our planet, not just from our Solar System, but the heart of our Galaxy. And let’s not forget that Earth herself is entering a period of accelerated transformation for the next 2,000 years, the time it takes to transit the Photon Belt. From a Cosmic point of view, these are extraordinary times.
Here on Earth, however, things are looking bleak. We are losing faith in our ability to hold our nation together, to stop a ravaging pandemic, to reverse the devastating effects of climate change, to deal with the Cold War between political factions. Our future has never been more uncertain, and on an intuitive level we know that nothing will be the same. We feel our impotence and can be lured so easily into fear. Fear leads to anger and defensiveness. We pull out all the ego stops and defend the fortress of our self-created world.
All of this is natural. There is no need to beat ourselves up about it. We’re doing the best we can with the tools we have. But it’s time for an upgrade and that is the work, the beautiful work, of Virgo.
The Serenity Prayer reminds us that we cannot change some things, and it’s wise to accept that with all humility. But there are some things we can change and it takes courage. Believe it or not, we have all the courage we need. Through the end of July and most of August, we have been sopping up the rays of Leo, strengthening our hearts along with our convictions. We are equipped to face some truths, to look at some things that really aren’t working for us and find ways to improve them. We are ready to get practical and tend to our environment. We can’t fix the world, but we can clean up our own mess and the process of putting our homes in order opens up psychic space for inner strength and peace.
Virgo, Mercury and Self-Awareness
Virgo is a refined energy and requires quiet listening, being present and paying attention. Virgo is infusing us with information about the environment we have created in our homes, in our heads, in our hearts and minds. She’s a bit like an Inspector General, gathering data, sizing up the situation, conceiving new ideas and solutions. She reveals what is not harmonious within and offers suggestions for improvement. She makes no judgments. She discerns glitches in the system that disrupt our inner peace. She’s an efficiency expert pointing out ways to prepare for improved relationships which is the focus of Libra, the following sign.
Virgo is the domain of Mercury in its mature expression. In Gemini Mercury is like a kid in a candy store. “Oh, boy. Look at the goodies. I want everything!” Mercury gobbles up information in Gemini and sorts it all out in Virgo, setting aside the treasures and tossing out the rest.
Mercury plays a starring role this Autumn. The Messenger raced through the summer signs and picked up speed through Virgo. Now he’s slowing down as he reaches his destination for this cycle which is 25:28 Libra, and like a pendulum, is stationary for a moment before beginning its swing back. On the New Moon Mercury enters what is known as his shadow, the earliest degree of his retrograde. In other words, Mercury will move forward until September 26th and stop at 25:28 Libra, appear to move back over the next three weeks to 10:08 Libra before it stations once again and begins a slow forward motion. Within the shadow degrees of 10 to 25+ Libra, Mercury will join the Sun to begin a new four-month cycle.
Why is this important? Because at the New Moon, the themes of the new cycle begin to emerge from our depths into awareness. Mercury is giving us two months to “get our shit together” so the next cycle starts off on the right foot. (Forgive the clichés, please.) If you have planets or other heavenly bodies in those degrees, they will undergo close scrutiny. Mercury is bringing new information that will improve the efficiency of their functioning. Even if you don’t have a focus there, take a look at what house it will be in. That’s a big clue about the area of your life being activated. For me it takes place in the First House. I’m due for a total overhaul. It conjuncts my North Node and Ceres – who I will be in the future, determined by the choices I make now, and how I will nurture myself.
If you don’t know your chart, go to Astro.com (Astrodienst) where you can get a free horoscope. Include Chiron, the nodes, asteroids and dwarf planets. These are becoming more important as our consciousness evolves. If you have a question, leave me a message on my Facebook Page: Lessons From the Heavens or on my website beneath this post.
Back to Mercury. We’re in the mental realm with the Messenger, but to hear his messages we need to seek silence. The ego has usurped the mind for story-telling, chatting at us non-stop, interpreting our experience, telling us about the motivations of others and when we should be hurt or offended, making up tales about who we are, who they are, who’s to blame, building us up and knocking us down with criticism, judgment and shame. This running narrative is like static in the system.
First of all we believe it – “life does suck and people are no damn good” – and the belief forms a context, a tiny world of its own that we call reality with a legion of censors that block any information that contradicts it. We shrink, become mean-spirited, depressed, cynical. Sadly we take it out on others. I have reflected on the question of belief and concluded that we are susceptible to believing the ego’s lies because deep down we fear it’s true. So when the voice tells us we’re not good enough, it triggers our guilt and shame and the fact that we fear it might be true. It successfully blocks us from the truth that we are radiant, angelic beings embodying the love and joy of the Creator.
Humanity is evolving into spiritual adulthood. These ego defenses and stories are adolescent – the way we defended ourselves when we were so raw to life. They became habitual and we treat each other from that fearful, defensive place. This is something we have power over. This is where we can make a difference. Good will is contagious. Kindness carries the power to transform the world. We don’t need to fix the world and everyone else in it. We just need to grow up and take responsibility for our impact on it.
So if we want to be part of the solution, we can begin at home. We can address the mind chatter, starting with meditation. The whole point of meditation is to shift our focus from the noise of the outer world to our inner world. At first we encounter the agitation in our minds. This is where we can get stuck, either trying to wrestle with thoughts or losing ourselves and following them wherever they lead. Think of it as passing through a crowd on your way to the wilderness where solitude and peace await. The chatter will continue, but you aren’t interested in it. You have something more refreshing in mind.
Meditation isn’t about escape. It’s about coming more fully into the present moment and noticing every little detail, starting with the body. Look for tension, aches and pains, stiffness. Move your consciousness into your extremities, become intimate with your whole body and settle into stillness. Maybe insights will appear or memories. Just pay attention. Don’t avoid, don’t try to get anywhere. Just BE. Presence appears to be inactive when sitting in silence, but it is an active state of awareness. That’s all it takes. Your own consciousness will take care of the rest.
We also can clean out the clutter in our lives. Virgo is about our intimate environment. That means taking care of our bodies, picking up our messes, getting rid of clutter. Reality is a mirror of our consciousness, and our unconsciousness. When we drop our clothes on the floor it reflects a mess in our psyche. Virgo teaches the value of attention to detail. A famous architect once said that God is in the details. Think about it – it is the awareness of all details that denotes an expanded consciousness. And it is in the details that dysfunction hides.
Are you feeling overwhelmed? Is your life in chaos? Are the pressures of time and relationships and the uncertainty of our world unbearable? What do you do about it? Bitch? Feel sorry for yourself? Blame others? Punish? Does it help? Now is the time to find a peaceful course of action. Life isn’t going to slow down until we do. Reduce sensory stimulation. Take time to create an aesthetically pleasing and peaceful environment. Attend to health issues. Purify your body. It’s a perfect time for a cleanse. Sit still and listen – to the wind rustling leaves, to running water. Feel into the quality of light, its softer, lengthening shadows. Get back in touch with the elements. Ground yourself in your body and push past the crowded thoughts to inner safety. This is the realm of nourishment and inspiration.
The New Moon in Virgo
At 5:51 pm Pacific time on Labor Day, the Sun and Moon come together at 14+ Virgo exactly trine Uranus. Trines are harmonious aspects. Uranus in earthy Taurus helps us ground the insights of Virgo into our bodies and lives. Uranus seeks to free us from restriction that blinds us to the unseen realms. This revolutionary energy encourages us to be ourselves – our true, unique selves. To emphasize this theme, Uranus is conjunct Black Moon Lilith, the independent feminine energy that demands we think for ourselves and not let others do our thinking for us. Forget what the pundits say – what do you think? And Why? It’s a great time to question our beliefs.
Mars at 24+ Virgo is trine Pluto at 24+ Capricorn. Pluto is the realm of deep psychology. Mars is lending energy to unearthing our greatest fears, taboos and obsessions. That may sound scary, but the safest place to be at the time is in reflection and meditation. Time to free ourselves from the complexes that dominate our lives. Mercury at the New Moon is about to oppose Chiron in Aries. Healing will be a big theme of our Mercury shadow period. So many old wounds are ready to heal and drop away.
Meanwhile Saturn at 7 Aquarius is opposing the USA natal North Node, attempting to manifest our future visions and dreams. Jupiter is opposite the USA Hygeia emphasizing the crisis in our healthcare system. I heard a doctor last week say “We are witnessing the collapse of our Healthcare System.” That’s because health for profit is not sustainable nor practical in the face of a pandemic. Worst of all, it is not democratic. Try to remember that we are going through a general breakdown of a dysfunctional system. It looks frightening, but it makes way for creative solutions that are more equable and serviceable in the future.
Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto are slowing down now like Mercury and will turn direct in October. Things will start to get clearer. All that justice we’ve been waiting for will begin to manifest. Hopefully Congress will find a way to function.
Neptune is still opposing its natal position in the USA chart. This slow-mover is holding a spiritual context for unfolding events. Neptune is conjunct Pallas – both retrograde now in Pisces, traveling together to dissolve injustice and pave the path to equity.
Venus is opposing Eris and squaring Pluto while trine Jupiter. Now there’s a complicated story. Venus brings our heart into awareness. She carries a gentling energy, one of peace, love, harmony and beauty. Trine Jupiter in Aquarius, which happens to be conjunct the USA natal Pallas and Moon, fortifies the spiritual context of this time. Pluto and Eris are harsh masters. There may be more evidence of rancor and conflict but know that we can tap into Venus and Jupiter for peace and faith, compassion and optimism. We can remember our hearts and the mysterious Divine Plan, and humbly admit that we don’t know what’s going on. We don’t have all the information yet. We can take refuge in the observant heart and be gentle with ourselves and others.
You might like to make note of the following dates and the prevailing energies at work:
September 7- Mercury opposite Chiron – what needs healing?
September 14 – Neptune opposite the Sun – bask in the light and love. Forgive yourself and others through compassion.
September 15 – Mercury sesquiquadrate the North Node. Take responsibility for thoughts and realize their power to influence the future.
September 16th – Venus square Saturn and Moon – manifest kindness, be receptive to love.
September 20 – Moon conjunct Neptune – compassion for self and others. Surrender control.
September is a month of riches. Make space for abundance. If we do our part, the rewards are bountiful, and we will make a difference.
You probably have noticed that I am not posting every week. I’m doing the best I can right now, and will try to keep you in tune with the New and Full Moon themes in the coming months. Like the rest of you I have a challenge that requires my full focus.
Make the most of these next two weeks. The Full Moon happens on September 20th just before the Autumn Equinox. We can have much to be grateful for.
Barbara J. Genovese
That was a needed download of Light. Mille grazie.