Full Moon in Virgo

Full Moon in Virgo, Tuesday 7th March 2023 at 12.40 PM

Full moons are the climax of the lunar cycle. During a full moon we see the sun’s illumination of the entire day side of the moon. And on earth, we experience a peak moment of light and power. Our oceans swell and recede with more variation during the full and new moon – when the earth, moon, and sun are lined up or, put another way, when sun and moon are aligned on opposite sides of the earth – because lunar and solar tides reinforce each other (the sun's gravitational gradient across the earth is significant but less so than the moon’s). In astrology, we express this interaction between the sun and moon as an opposition (these celestial bodies oppose each other from either side of the earth). This is why a full moon is always in the opposite sign from the sun.

The mutable, earth sign of Virgo is most often represented by the goddess Astraea, the daughter of Zeus and Themis. Mythically speaking, Astraea was said to have lived on the earth during the Golden Age. When humanity began to descend into corrupt and wicked behaviour she left the earthly plane, and was set by Zeus amongst the stars, as the constellation Virgo. Her departure marked the end of Paradise on earth and also signalled our downfall; one in which we were destined to suffer –through disease and sickness – forever. Virgo rules the sixth house, which is the house of health, wellness, and daily routines. It is very much to do with our earthly experience; our body and what we do with it.

If we stay with allegory here, something innate within the Virgo psyche is revealed: the desire for perfection. Astraea didn’t want to hang around for anything less than perfect. And, as a result, we moved into a phase of imperfection represented by ill health. Health and illness are not just absolutist, fatalistic states of being. Perfection vs imperfection. The more we understand disease – particularly through the concept that inflammation of the body is at the root of all illness – the more we understand how our daily habits and routines (6th house) can affect and often create the state of sickness we may find ourselves in (what we eat, think, drink and smoke, for example). Holding ourselves to account in the framework of perfectionism itself can make us ill. Holding too tightly to anything can make us ill. What this full moon is inviting us to do is see where we are holding ourselves hostage to the myth of perfectionism and let go. Let go of holding on too tightly. In all realms.

“Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order.”- Anne Wilson Schaef (American clinical psychologist and author).

The occupation with perfectionism is one of the key Virgoan themes. Its expression can be beautiful, but it can also speak to the shadow side of the sign. One that holds on too tight. One that over-analyses and is prone to wanting to re-edit the past. To root out anything that is perceived as imperfect. However, Virgo is also very much a goddess. An energy that is regenerative and full of hope. One that has an intimate relationship with the spiritual circle of creation. This full moon in Virgo is very much about working with both of these forces in a way that can be potentially highly transformative.

Saturn, as we touched on in last month’s new moon post, is moving from Aquarius into Pisces. This shift is taking place on the same day as the full moon, on March 7th. Saturn makes a complete orbit around the sun every 29.4 earth years (which is one Saturnian year), so the last time the planet passed through Pisces was between 1993 and 1996. If you are able, think back and reconnect to those years. What was happening for you on a personal level during this time?

Saturn is called Lord of Karma, Father Time, the Great Teacher. What all these names speak to is structure. It gives form to our human experience. Saturn is also longform and long haul in nature; it is about sustainable growth. When Saturn is in Pisces – which is mutable, fluid and boundless – structure and boundaries could become more fluid and, reciprocally, our dreams could take shape.

The full moon is the first part of this process, as it is illuminating what we can let go of. Anything that is unhealthily perfectionist – whether that be outmoded standards we hold ourselves to or a toxic fantasy we have been holding onto – we can let go of. And we don’t need to fill the space the letting go creates. This Saturn in Pisces transit is the start of a new chapter that is defined by process. Process is the beautiful amalgamation of structure and spiritual inquiry. Of inside out wisdom.

How to work with this full moon in Virgo? Letting go of holding on too tightly is a key theme. In Your Time to Thrive, Marina Khidekel says: “We all have projects lined up…These unfinished (and often unstarted) projects can weigh us down over time. Often, we load ourselves up with goals we think we should aspire to, even if we don’t really. We take on too much and judge ourselves harshly when we don’t do what we set out to do…So, if there’s an activity or half-hearted ambition in your life draining your energy and keeping you from what really matters, consider letting it go. When you give yourself permission to cut loose the things you don’t really care about, you’ll have more time and energy left for what you really value.” Dreams, relationships, emotional patterning could all be substituted for “project” here. In letting go, we create space for the new. As Saturn moves into Pisces, heralding a longer term energetic cycle, taking on a new daily routine (6th house), or atomic habit, may feel right. Start with just a minute. Build. But try to do something daily. And do it with self-love and compassion. There is huge power in this.

Extract from Your Time to Thrive (Headline Home, 2021), p.95 -96

Image credit: Qingbao Meng on Unsplash

Lynsey Allett5 March 2023