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| The Path Catherine Al-Meten Meyers |
We cannot live another's life, nor can we fix everything in our own lives, let alone anyone else's. This can frustrate us, but now with this lovely and demanding energy of the New Moon in Virgo, we can awaken to what our greatest gifts, wisdom, and graces have prepared us for. And we can spend some time in reflection listening to our soul call, envisioning our dreams, and making some initial steps to move forward into the new lunar year with greater vision.
This month's New Moon is at 27 degrees of Virgo which occurs in alignment with the constellation called the Cup of Bran or the Holy Grail--a chalice that symbolizes healing powers and ancestral wisdom. The fixed star, Labrum that sits in the crater of the lip of the chalice, is called the Holy Grail. There are many myths and legends that revolve around the search for the Holy Grail, the Sacred Cup of Blessings. And we are each, in our own way, on such a quest. As we enter this lunar energy, we are called to answer the call of the quest.
As the story goes, the constellation represents the cup given to Apollo by Corvus (the Crow). The Chalice/Holy Grail is cloaked in stories about the quest for the Holy Grail. The Chalice/Holy Grail was meant to gather the sacred waters. Associated with the gifts of vision, intuition, healing powers, and ancient hereditary wisdom, Labrum is where the Virgo New Moon is situated. Directly below Labrum at the base of the Chalice is Alkes, another fixed star that is associated with hereditary mystical knowledge and abilities. Both influence this New Moon at 27 degrees of Virgo. The sacred waters are associated with the richness of the vineyards and a bountiful crop, both of which represent our own bounty. Crucial to benefiting from the bounty of the crops is our willingness to go forth and not to hesitate to use our gifts.
To use our prophetic powers, intuitive gifts, and healing wisdom, we need to avoid indecision and apprehension. For those with strong aspects in mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces), this new moon will have a profound and lasting effect. The Virgo New Moon is also associated with well-watered gardens, vineyards, as well as the cleansing and healing properties of water. This New Moon in Virgo coincides with the beginning of the high holy days of Judaism, and the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana. A sacred threshold time associated in many cultures and traditions as a passageway into the depths of knowledge, understanding, and wholeness.
The misuse of energy can also be evident as seen in the bombastic and tyrannical outbursts and behavior of some who have not learned how to channel their energy into healing and affirming life. The New Moon forms a quincunx with fiery Uranus in Aries. This releases restraints on tyrants, crazed lunatics, and others who crave attention as they unleash their anger, frustration, and pathological need to shock and outrage. A dangerous aspect for those who are in a position to use and misuse their positions and power. What is set off is profoundly disturbing and upsetting, and must be checked and restrained by those who are using their own prophetic powers, knowledge, wisdom, and healing gifts to preserve the harmony of the land.
This New Moon in Virgo is opening a new path that is focused on trying to find ways to heal some pretty serious rifts, challenges, and dangers. Fortunately, due to Mercury and Venus' (also in Virgo) strong influence over this degree of Virgo, healing powers are available. According to Robson, "[Mercury and Venus' influence] gives a kind, generous, cheerful, receptive, passionate and hospitable nature with good mental abilities, but subject to apprehension and indecision. There is a disordered life full of sudden and unexpected events, and great danger of unhappiness, but usually some eminence." How the New Moon falling at this particular place in 27 degrees of Virgo affects us collectively as well as individually, are being made evident in our own lives and in the world at large.
Earlier in the day before the New Moon peaks, Venus enters Virgo. Mercury, Mars, Venus, the Sun, and the Moon all transiting Virgo, make this a powerful New Moon focusing our attention on how the Earth needs to be healed. Whatever disorder, unexpected events (brought on by Uranus' hard aspect to the Moon), or disease you may be struggling with, is occurring in order to unmask, reveal, and make known the depth of whatever needs transforming in our lives. We are more sensitive and aware of where we are vulnerable and in need of some deep soul cleansing and practical reorganizing of our lives right now. Now is not the time to hesitate or put off necessary changes. It is a time when we must pay attention to all our gifts of intuition, extrasensory awareness, graces, and resources, for we are being called to tap into our strengths to overcome what weakens and destroys us.
Virgo, the fixer upper sign of the Zodiac, is unusually busy at this time. We are being awakened, sometimes in shocking ways, more often in more subtle, to that which is unworkable or destructive. Often in doing healing work, the healers themselves overlook the need they have to maintain their own health and well being. Now is the time to make sure you are taking good care of yourself, letting go of whatever is draining or destructive to your own being. This may include giving up on some path or project that is or has been a distraction to what is calling for your attention and gifts.
In her pursuit of healing, the New Moon in Virgo is trying to fix the destruction that Jupiter in Libra's opposition to Uranus in Aries. Jupiter who wants to think the best of everyone, always ready to give a second chance, needs to stand firm in its own truth and remain diligent in acting according to that truth. Now is not the time to allow the runaway train to do any more destruction than it already has. Choices we make now, as individuals and as a collective world community, will have far reaching and long lasting effects. Time to choose life, not death. Time to stand firm for what is good and right. Time to stop giving credence to lies, false prophets, and to those who tell us they have answers we need. This is not the time to take on roles that demand more than we are equipped to handle.
The call of this Virgo New Moon in the third decan of Virgo is getting our own homes in order, and making certain we have our own lives prepared for tending to our own gardens and taking care of our obligations. Ceres in Cancer completes a t-square with Neptune and Uranus, and reminds us that we need to go home periodically, return from our adventures and wanderings long enough to remember who we are and what we are here to bring to life. This New Moon in Virgo is a healing moon that calls us home. We are being called to a healing of body, mind, soul, so that we can don the mantle of our powers to heal and use our mind and intuition to support and nurture life and to heal the wounded soul.
When we become more aware of the disturbances in our lives (inner and outer), we may fall into the shame trap. We need to treat ourselves, as we do others, with tender, loving kindness. The magic of this New Moon will be found by accepting on an even deeper level, yourself and your life as it is. Let expectations, plans, or patterns of thought and behavior enter your awareness, and try to view them in light of the reality of your life. Often we set ourselves up to live out some kind of fantasy set of expectations, and we fail to see what blessings we have with who we are and the life we are living. Time to live with a radical acceptance of being who you are and treating yourself as you treat those you care the most for.
It's a good time to seek some healing yourself. Find ways to express yourself, and rely on those who provide lots of TLC-tender loving care. It's a perfect time for clearing out whatever has been stacking up around you, and letting yourself find ways of organizing your daily life so that you are living with more creativity, harmony, and receptivity to inner peace and outer balance. Since this New Moon in Virgo is in the company of a stellium of other Virgo planets, the Sabian symbol for this degree of Virgo seems a fitting sign for some powerful and much-needed reflection and self-care. Spend some time in quiet reflection looking over all the starts and stops of the last year. Notice the obstacles you've overcome, and what gifts you've received at different times.
Consider how you were feeling or what you were doing a year ago, and give yourself some credit and a good deal of affirmation for doing your best. Consider just what your own value is and what hereditary gifts you have discovered over the years. Think of some ways you'd like to develop even more in ways of intuition, healing, and vision. Allow yourself to dream, and let your dreams envision a more whole, peaceful, and life-affirming year ahead. Create a small ceremony to symbolically release what you do not want to take into the new year, new season, new cycle with you. Affirm also that which you want to cloak yourself in. See yourself in shining raiments, transformed, healed, and nourished so that you start anew equipped for the journey ahead, and appreciative of your own gift of life. Send a prayer in the direction of that which most needs healing in your life, and share your gifts of peace in ways that serve and honor others.
