Virgo Season

The lion has roared. Leo season brought us out of eclipse madness and Mercury retrograde. Last Saturday, Mars led the pack of inner planets to move into Leo’s following sign: Virgo. Venus entered on Wednesday, the 21st, and the Sun entered this morning. Mercury is trailing behind but picking up speed post-retrograde and will move past the Sun, Venus and Mars in the upcoming weeks.

The Sun is at its fullest expression in Leo season, and Virgo season is the transition from the heat of summer into the balance of autumn. On the zodiac wheel, Virgo comes 6th- completing the first half of the circle. The first 6 signs can be understood as more personal energies- Aries- the self, Taurus- boundaries and survival, Gemini- early cognitive development, Cancer- the first experience of emotional attachment, Leo- creative self-expression, and finally Virgo- the energy of our health and well-being.

Virgo teaches us about perception- to see form in the world and to appreciate design, fit and function. Connected to the Earth element, Virgo is practical, useful, and productive. The exacting and focused quality of Virgo brings with it the ability to be extraordinarily efficient, detail-oriented, and accomplished.

Traditionally in astrology, the planetary rulers began at the signs of Cancer and Leo- the Moon ruling Cancer, and the Sun ruling Leo. Beginning and the Sun and moving outward, Mercury’s rulership was assigned to Gemini and Virgo, Venus to Taurus and Libra, Mars to Aries and Scorpio, Jupiter to Sagittarius and Pisces, and finally, Saturn to Capricorn and Aquarius.

The energy of Mercury is fast-paced- it picks up information quickly, communicates, connects and moves in many directions at once. Mercury’s rulership over Gemini is one of curiosity, learning, socializing, and connecting to others. Virgo however, is the applied energy of Mercury into physical form. Virgo is highly analytical, thorough, and useful.

The symbol of the virgin associated with Virgo is a symbol of purity- an innocence of the mind that has yet to be subjected to the full range of human experience, including pain and suffering. Virgo’s duality begins with this concept of innocence. In its detriment, Virgo holds so tightly to the idea of purity and perfection that it begins to isolate. Virgo becomes fixated on details, holds itself and everyone else to unattainable standards. The view of the big picture is lost, and any connection to spirit is severed.

By accepting imperfection and limitation, Virgo stays connected to spirit, and subjects itself to the full range of human emotions. When Virgo allows itself to grieve, to suffer, and to feel pain, it has access to the deepest secrets of spirituality. In its exalted state, Virgo is grounded, yet present and connected to the divine. The birth of spring, the life of summer, the descent into autumn, and the death of winter remind us that life is cyclical- and Virgo embodies this spiritual truth: nothing is permanent. Innocence cannot be protected and safeguarded forever.

Virgo and its opposite sign, Pisces, are both deeply spiritual and creative. Virgo brings spirit into form, and Pisces dissolves form. Virgo differentiates, and Pisces merges. One cannot exist without the other.

To embody the essence of Virgo is to embody the essence of presence: grounded, yet connected to spirit. Virgo is attuned to the moment, and reminds us that we must find a balance between work and rest. It is through presence, sacredness and devotional love that we can fully access the creativity we all have within.

The New Moon in Virgo is just one week away. Stay tuned.

Dazed and Confused

Why does it feel like Mercury is still retrograde? Confusion, lack of clarity, difficulty articulating thoughts…

Mercury is still in Pisces- and will be there for another week. It’s cleaning up the mess its made since the beginning of February.

If this retrograde has been extremely difficult for you (it’s been harder for me than other retrogrades), it may be partially due to the fact that Mercury in Pisces operates in a very non-linear, abstract way. Mercury represents the mind. It is the quickest planet orbiting the Sun, and is the most variable in terms of speed and direction. Mercury is quick, intellectual, and likes to gather information. Mercury is a symbol of our cognitive process- it is how we think, process information, communicate and express ourselves.

But Mercury doesn’t do so well in a sign like Pisces. In traditional astrology, the Sun and Moon our two luminaries, rule the signs Cancer and Leo. Moving outwards from those signs, Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, Venus rules Taurus and Libra, Mars rules Aries and Scorpio, Jupiter rules Sagittarius and Pisces, and, finally, Saturn rules Capricorn and Aquarius.

When Mercury is in Gemini or Virgo, it is considered to be in its domicile- it is familiar and understands the energy well. Pisces is the polarity (or opposite) of Virgo. Mercury in Virgo is discerning, discriminating, critical, and detail-oriented. As you can imagine, Mercury in its opposite sign, Pisces, is non-linear, abstract, and impractical.

If you happen to know your natal placement of Mercury, you may better understand why this transit has felt especially confusing. Pisces is a water sign- it is yin, receptive and intuitive. All of the yang signs are expressive, action-oriented, and move energy outwards. The yang signs of the zodiac are: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius. If Mercury was in any of those signs at the time of your birth, then your mind may have a more challenging time understanding thee watery, fluid energy of Pisces.

Look up your natal Mercury if you don’t already know it! There are several websites that will calculate your birth chart by simply entering your date of birth, location, and time of birth- if you know it.

Regardless of your own personal placement, this Mercury retrograde has been one of the most challenging ones for me personally, and for those close to me.

Hang tight though! Mercury moves into Aries in just one week!