The Ascent: Virgo Season Forecast
Ascent is never easy. Elevation takes energy to achieve. After the labors of individuation we find ourselves weary, looking for retreat. Virgo occupies an interesting place in the evolution of the zodiac: Leo teaches us the true meaning of heroism, strengthening our identity and instilling us with the generative force required to make our mark in the world, but Virgo is the cocoon in which strength transforms into service. It’s a place of purification, a distillation of the soul. Like the Hermit of the tarot, we find ourselves climbing the mountain path, retreating into isolation in order to be one with the darkness and sit in the quiet of the spirit. The comfort we cultivate with ourselves is the only way to assure we can serve the world around us.
When the Sun enters Virgo on August 22nd the storm begins to break. Just hours after the year’s second Full Moon in Aquarius, the season’s isolation is a relief. Like Atlas, we’ve carried the weight of the world for too long and the collective shadow is so heavy it required two releases. On this second Full Moon, the Sun instructs us firmly: put it down and walk away.
The Pilgrimage of Virgo does not happen in a vacuum: it may represent a spiritual hermitage but our modern world is not quite so literal. We live, work, and speak with an ever-going number of others every day and contact must continue. Mercury in Libra on August 30th emphasizes these interactions, shining a spotlight on the perspectives we meet along the way. Diplomacy is key, especially as it moves into its own Retrograde Shadow — common conversation reveals telling details about the lives and mentalities surrounding us. Listen closely but recognize that you have a choice: you can give them what they want or serve them what they need. As the retrograde evolves it may become difficult to act with love if your care is not reciprocated. Watch for themes that emerge during the approach to center yourself during the transit itself and avoid falling into the pop-culture panic of retrograde dread.
Throughout the year Saturn and Uranus have defined our skies. As they move out of their second square we receive some clarity on their influence. Our personal planets shine light towards their shadows, commanding truths which have not been spoken. As we continue to climb the Holy Mountain, we rise above the fog of illusion. Truth is no longer optional: from great heights, things become clear.
With our vision unobscured, we begin to see the gaps in reality. Those with eyes to see may be surprised where these holes have been hidden — the New Moon in Virgo on September 7th occurs with a strong trine to Uranus, illuminating the unexpected both within and without. The seeds we plant now may change the entire landscape, capable of rooting deeply in hostile and unsuitable environments. Mars trine Pluto shows us where constructs of power have controlled our growth and those who set fire to our forests can no longer hide. As the Moon goes dark, so too do we; Venus’s ingress into Scorpio just days later separates us from the group, revealing where we’ve fallen out of alignment with those around us. Those possessed by their own fears slip back below the fog to contend with their darkness. Venus in Scorpio is like Inanna’s descent into the Underworld, a journey into the Chthonic feminine. As the mind and spirit continues to climb upwards towards clarity and purpose, the heart begins to sink below the surface, confronting the wounds which have stripped us of our dignity and prevented us from claiming our throne. This process is not as divisive as it sounds: we are vast and manifold creatures and our consciousness can occupy many places at once. Just as our bodies remain in the mundane world as we seek greater spiritual heights, our hearts and souls can travel in different directions to reach the same ends.
Mars arrives in Libra on September 15th, marching towards Mercury’s shadow on a mission for justice. It may be difficult to remain within as two of our most extroverted energies stare into the abyss of injustice but mindfulness is key. Mars may want to be judge, jury, and executioner, particularly while messenger Mercury is preoccupied with retrograde preparations, but we do not yet see the entire picture. Clarity is a slow dawn. The Sun, our outward expression, will join both planets later in the month bringing its illumination with it. In the meantime, our Solar Eye turns to Pluto, gathering information about the structures of control and coercion which keep us unwell and wanting.
The final day of the season sees us reach the summit: the Full Moon in Pisces on September 20th allows us to stand tall at the peak of understanding. Here we have the choice to untether ourselves from the collective dream, to exit the illusion in order to nurture the real. Ancient astrologers drew connections between Pisces and structures of imprisonment and illness and the Moon in this sign represents the collective delusions which prevent us from accessing our full potential for growth. Allow the Sun in the last degrees of healthful, mindful Virgo to reject this lunar magnetism. Once the individual soul is mended we can begin our descent and rejoin others with love and understanding. The unity of Libra is impossible without the purity of Virgo to prepare space for others in the soul.
Like any climb, the path we forge through Virgo is at times rocky and perilous, sometimes obscured, at once exhilarating and frustrating. But every step we take builds our strength, encourages the lungs to breathe in truth and the heart to beat with love.
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Fairlie Theta is a professional astrologer and lifetime student of the esoteric. You can find more of her work and book a personal consultation through her website, ThatAstrologer.com
