An Example of How to Read Transits: New Moon in Virgo (September 2023)
Since there tends to be a lot of confusion about how to determine the best magic to cast for a given astrological transit, I wanted to use our upcoming Virgo new moon as an example.
The Basics - New Moon, New You?!?
A new moon happens every month which means that every month, we all get the chance to start over again. Many sorcerers use the phases of the moon as a framework for magical casting using a basic wax on/wane off method.
This means that the waxing phase (from the new moon to the full moon) is the phase where you start new things and do magic to increase things. If we consider the waxing phase the inhalation part of the month, our new moon - especially the precise moment when the Sun and Moon meet up in conjunction - is the first breath of new air. The new moon is always a good time to set intentions and do magic toward starting something new that you want to bring into your life.
That said, every new moon carries specific energy based upon the sign that it falls in and the transits active in the skies during the lunation.
Some Details - A Virgo New Moon
Virgo is the 6th sign in the zodiac and our mutable earth sign. It is ruled by the planet Mercury and resides naturally in the 6th house of Service.
Let's break each of these traits down.
Earth - Earth signs are dependable, practical, and concerned with the physical world as opposed to ideas or daydreams.
Mutable - Mutable signs are moveable and flexible. Each mutable sign occupies the last month of a season and their flexibility is needed to adapt to what is coming to an end and prepare for what is coming next.
Mercury - Mercury is our "yes, and" planet. They hold communication, technology, and travel under their domain. They are also fast-moving and retrograde frequently (3-4x a year) creating the framework for times that appear more internal/personal during retrogrades and times that are more external while they are stationed direct.
Number 6/6th House - It is wise to remember that in numerology, the numbers 1-9 are telling a story and each number plays a part in the number that comes before it and the number that follows. Six is a very calming and collected number, it is the calm after the conflict that often arises from "5" energy. 6 carries a nurturing presence and as a life-path number, symbolizes somebody who is likely to be a caretaker.
Likewise, the 6th house is the house of Service. In the 6th house, you may find your calling or your vocation - not necessarily where you will make the most money (career is found in the 10th house) but where you will find fulfillment through service to the greater good in some way.
Putting this all together, we can see that a Virgo new moon is a great time to set intentions or start work on projects that involve Mercurial pursuits and, most especially, those that involve a greater service in some fashion. It is worth keeping in mind here that Virgo is very rooted in the real so the more grounded and planned out your courses of action now, the better.
Additionally, given Virgo's placement as the last sign of the summer season, its new moon can be used to clean up after the summer to make way for the new energy of the Autumn ahead.
Now let's take a look at this upcoming new moon in particular.
New Moon 21° Virgo, 9/14 9:40pm EDT
As a third quadrant new moon (between 20-29°), we can see that we are nearing the end of Virgo season and the end of Summer. This heightens the natural mutable energy of Virgo to adapt to change.
Mercury, the ruling planet of Virgo, is retrograde at 08° Virgo and will station direct the next day on 9/15. This shows that the energy of this new moon will be pointed internally and the energy of the day will be slow and liminal.
Additionally, our conjunction between the Sun and Moon will be in a tight trine with retrograde Uranus in Taurus. Uranus is the great earth shaker and change-making of our universe. It is also, as one of the outer planets, completely outside of our sphere of control. Many liken Uranus's influence on our lives to the lightning bolt on the Tower card in the tarot - sudden and revolutionary but seldom fun.
There are a couple of more details about Uranus that are especially relevant here. The first is that Uranus is said to be the higher intelligence of Mercury: where Mercury is rational thought, Uranus is the inspiration or insight that comes from the beyond. The second is that Uranus transits can feel akin to eclipse season and this is the last new moon that we will experience before our solar eclipse in Libra during October.
Finally, the other major transit of the week involves Venus's third and final square to retrograde Jupiter in Taurus in her three-month-long retrograde cycle. Venus in Leo (ESPECIALLY recently reinvigorated and now stationed direct Venus in Leo) wants to go big, but she needs Jupiter's help (Jupiter is the planet of enbiggening, after all). Recent retrograde Jupiter in Taurus just wants to go home. There is a conflict here of excess in some fashion, perhaps the upkeep of excesses to maintain appearance to appease the ego in some fashion. Both Venus and Jupiter co-rule over money and finances which is worth noting here.
The Virgo new moon is always a major demarcation of the changing of the seasons, and this new moon will accentuate this energy for two reasons: firstly because it falls in the third quadrant of Virgo, and secondly, because it is the last new moon before the onset of eclipse season next month. Any magic done to clean up after the past or to get ready for the future will be augmented by these energies.
Mercury is retrograde and standing still in the sky in anticipation of its station direct on Thursday. This may make their energy hard to access so it will be more challenging to do work around communication, travel, and technology during this lunation.
The liminality on the other hand will lend itself to divination, spirit work, death work, and other magic that is often cast under the energy of the dark moon. One might say that the energy of the dark moon will stretch past our lunar conjunction and into the next day or two.
If you want to be a purest and set intentions once energy is moving forward again, I suggest waiting until Mercury enters 09° Virgo on 9/20. During he time in between (from 9/13-9/19), Mercury will hold the same degree which is creating the liminality that I was speaking about above. That said, from 9/13-9/19 is sort of time out of time as far as our Messenger God is concerned, and great magic can be worked in energies such as that.
With Uranus so heavily in play, there will be a lot of moving pieces outside of our control so it is best to do magic and set open-ended intentions that are concrete but not overly specific. This is wild card energy, but I don't think luck magic will go well during this time.
Likewise, money magic is ill-advised as Venus has it out with retrograde Jupiter. Virgo is not as concerned with the bankroll anyway as much as they are with being helpful. Cast magic to find your perfect calling but avoid naming dollar amounts during this time.
All in all, this lunar energy best supports preparation. What is your goal for the coming Autumn season? How do you intend to get there? Have you made a list and checked in twice? Have you cleaned your house lately?
This will be a great lunation to do a general upkeep house cleanse to ensure the energy in your space is aligned with where you want to be going. This is a great lunation to scry for the months ahead and begin to plan the magic that you will enact to keep yourself on target. This is a great lunation for protection magic designed to keep out chaos or other things that will blow you off your course. It is a great lunation for anything that must be hidden or obscured in some fashion.
The major energies that will be flowing for this lunation will be Solar, Lunar, and Uranian. The energies that will be blocked up will be Mercurial, Venusian, and Jovial.
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