New moon in Virgo: Getting practical
Here we are in the second new moon of August 2019, and whilst we started the month with the new moon in Leo, we now end it with the moon moving into Virgo. After the bright and exuberant energy of Leo, Virgo offers us the chance to focus on the detail, get practical, get organised and, dare I say, get a little perfectionist about things. We have moved far from the turbulent eclipses of July, and this new moon sees us shift gears again, from fire to earth and from summer towards autumn.
Symbolism of the moon
The new moon offers that opportunity to press pause and delve into your emotional, instinctual side. The moon is symbolic of our emotional, intuitive and soulful selves, yet Virgo is associated with mental activity. Use this new moon to let the heart speak alongside the more rational thinking mind. The new moon in Virgo is joined this month by Venus, Mars and of course the sun. This means that the Virgo energy is strong in all areas of our personal life, which may include relationships, sport, appearance, and work.
Hard work and harvesting
Unlike the attention seeking Leo, Virgo is more likely to be found in the background, working hard to complete tasks. With great attention to detail, Virgo is a productive sign, bringing analytical skills and a sharp eye to areas that may be less than perfect.
If you’ve been having a wild old time this summer, prepare now to knuckle down to work. The fastidious quality of Virgo means this is a good time to start new any healthy new habits (such as coming to yoga!), tidy up your inbox or the spice rack, and simply get organised. This is a great time to complete or tidy up all the tasks that got pushed to one side in the summer fun. Whether this is tidying the house, catching up on emails, finally sorting out all that paperwork shoved in a drawer - the eagle-eyed Virgo won’t let anything slip past.
This is a great energy to apply some practicality into any areas which need it, especially in areas which may involve travel or communication, anything technical, process orientated or analytical. Watch out for the overly fussy and anxious side to Virgo though, especially those of you with lots of mutable energy (Pisces, Sagittarius, Gemini and Virgo) in your natal chart. You can book a natal chart reading with me here.
It may be an earth sign, but Virgo is certainly nothing like the pleasure seeking Taurus or ambitious Capricorn. Rather Virgo has a degree of restlessness about it that can manifest as busyness or perfectionism. This can result in an inability to let things be complete, or a tendency towards procrastination as it works that little bit harder to get things ‘just right’. It can be very helpful in a practical fashion as its discerning attitude means it won’t settle for anything second rate.
Out of control, Virgo can turn into extreme anxiety, so remember your achievements thus far, and watch out for criticism, whether it’s directed at yourself or others. Everyone is doing their best at any given time, and it is not helpful to be overly harsh or judgemental. It’s fine to acknowledge when things aren’t working and be prepared to let them go, but it’s unhelpful to berate yourself for making a mistake. As the saying contributed to Chinese philosopher Confucious goes, “our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.”
New Moon Intentions
Beyonce is a Virgo, and is known for her discipline and commitment to her career, including following a strict exercise routine and very healthy diet. Like the dual Virgo nature, her on stage persona is very flamboyant and extroverted, whilst she seems to try and keep her private life (especially concerning her children) private. Freddie Mercury was another Virgo with a dual persona - extravagant and confident on stage, he apparently said he was a different man off the stage.
As the new moon is a more inward-facing energy, why not spend some time reflecting on your successes thus far. Don’t be shy, let yourself recognise times when your hard work and devotion have paid off. Celebrating yourself is key to not letting the Virgo energy become overly critical, and instead will allow you to fairly explore areas of your life you may like to pay more attention to in the coming month, particularly areas to do with work (are you serving your soul?), health and organisation.