New Moon in Virgo

A new moon is a time of new beginnings. A time to set intentions. To initiate. This first, dark phase of the lunar cycle represents pure potent potential. A time of new chapters opening up in our lives. New moons are a powerful time to connect deeply with ourselves and set intentions for what we want to bring into our lives. The sign of Virgo, like the new moon, also represents new beginnings and has a very strong ‘fresh start’ energy. This is a powerful moment for us to access, and bring into balance, the realms of the hidden and the seen; the internal and external; the unconscious and conscious.

The psychoanalyst Carl Jung had Jung had a deep understanding of the art, technique and science of astrology – he often referred to it as “the science of antiquity” – recognising its profound implications for understanding the human psyche. He perceived astrology as a mirror reflecting the intricate workings of the mind and the collective unconscious. In Jung's view, the positions of planets and stars were not mere celestial occurrences but symbolic representations resonating with the innermost patterns of human thought and behaviour.

Jung explored these ideas through archetypes. In astrology, the concept of archetype refers to a vast array of symbols, behavioural patterns, motivations and intentions associated with the human psyche represented through the signs of the zodiac, their associated houses and ruling planets. In terms of astrological signs, the sun represents consciousness and the self. The moon represents emotions, our inner landscape and the subconscious. Mars represents action and sexuality, and Venus represents love, pleasure and relationships. These archetypes, by name, are personified examples of how their particular themes integrate into aspects of personality and consciousness.

This new moon is in Virgo, which is ruled by Mercury (as is Gemini) and which rules the sixth house. The sixth house represents routine, health, habits and service (to others but also ourselves). On the one hand, it is the day to day; the details that make up our lives. Virgo, though, is represented by a Goddess and , therefore, has a deep connection to the divine.

“Most of the fertility and harvest goddesses of the Mediterranean and Middle East are in some way associated with Virgo but there is no one definitive myth that defines this pattern. The pattern is pictured as a female, often holding a spike of grain in one hand. Virgo is the second largest constellation in the sky after Hydra, and the Sun spends a long time within its boundaries. The Sun is still within Virgo at the autumnal equinox, another point significant to ancient harvest and fertility rituals. These associations can be seen in the names of some of Virgo's main stars: Spica (spike of grain) and Vindemiatrix (wine gatherer).

Sometimes Virgo is holding a staff, a caduceus (the snake-entwined staff that symbolizes healing, rebirth, or oracle prophecy), or a scale in her other hand. These other symbols are associated with additional goddesses who symbolize justice or wisdom or prophecy. Many of the goddesses linked to Virgo are associated with stories in which a king or male god dies (symbolizing the coming of winter) and is reborn again in the spring, or in which the goddess enters the underworld to find him and cause his rebirth.

In other variants, the goddess herself, representing the bountiful Earth, divides her time between the upper world and the underworld, returning above ground in the spring. Among the goddesses associated with Virgo are the Babylonian Istar, the Egyptian Isis, Sumerian Ishtar, Greek Demeter, Demeter's daughter Persephone, Roman Ceres, Dionysius's daughter Erigone, Greek Dike, Athena, or Artemis - and many others. Virgo is also important in an ancient Chinese belief which is based on the passage of the moon, not the Sun.”

Virgo doesn’t represent the mundanity of the day to day in our lives, it represents the magic in the detail; the divinity in our routine. Virgo is divinity. Of this world (Virgo is the modality of earth) but not of this world (goddess) simultaneously. This new moon wants us to pay attention to the structures that make up our lives: the patterns, rhythms and behaviours through which we live our lives. By simply becoming more aware and mindful of the rhythms in our daily life, we can transform perceived mundane routines into meaningful ritual. It is no coincidence that religious ritual is most often performed at the same time and in the same way each day. By performing our own rituals at roughly same time each day - with more intention - we alchemise these daily acts into something with meaning and purpose. This investment in conscious practice in turn helps us to becomes more connected to ourselves and our lives. It helps us to take pleasure in and nurture simple practices. It helps us feel what we do every day has meaning and matters.

Take some time over the next few days to jot down some of your routines and rhythms. See which ones you can begin to view as more of a loving, sacred ritual of act of self-care. Dedicate more time to it, try to do it at the same time each day (without it stressing you out). Honour it. Sometimes, all we need to do is re-frame what already exists in our lives, rather than incorporate or add anything new. Oftentimes, we actually have everything we need to feel connected and to live meaningfully; we just need to remind ourselves that the magic really is in the small things.

The archetype of Virgo is the healer or earth witch. Blending the qualities of precision, service and connection to the natural world with a deep spiritual and mystical understanding of the earth's energies. This archetype reflects Virgo’s earthy, practical nature but also taps into its hidden wisdom and intuitive abilities, particularly in healing and working with the natural elements. Virgo, as an earth sign but also with its connection to the sixth house and health, is intwined with the body and its health. There is a keen awareness in Virgo of the connection between mental, emotional and physical health and how to diagnose, heal and restore balance.

How to work with the energy of this new moon? As discussed above, the reframing of our daily habits – turning routine into ritual – is a potent practice for this new moon. We are also invited to connect with the earth and our bodies. To deeply nurture our body and spirits through time spent in acts of self-care and in nature. Walking, swimming, taking a restorative salt bath and journalling are all wonderful practices for this new moon. Coming back into alignment through nurture and healing is what it’s all about.

Image credit: Letizia Agosta on Unsplash

Goddess information from Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Lynsey Allett2 September 2024