On September 14 at 6:39pm Pacific, we have a New Moon at 21°58' Virgo — and it's a very earthy affair. Below, I'll talk a bit about the astro weather and share a quick tarot reading to help you ground in the energy of this lunar cycle.
It's a great day to fly a kite
Trine Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus in Taurus, and Jupiter in Taurus, the Sun and Moon are forming what's called a grand trine with these big hitters, creating an energetic flow between the planets that feels a lot to me like laying on a mossy patch in the sunshine and falling asleep midday.
Neptune in Pisces is the muscle relaxant. Opposite our Sun and Moon and sextile Pluto and Uranus, Neptune turns our grand trine into a kite — an aspect pattern that appears when another planet is opposing one corner of a grand trine and sextiling the other two. It looks like… a kite!
Check out the chart to the left to see what I mean. The big blue triangle is the grand earth trine. The nearly horizontal red line going through its center is the Neptune opposition to the Sun and Moon.
The oppositional planet in a kite tends to add some heft to an otherwise harmonious grand trine, which can activate all the other planets involved and act as a release point. Basically, it gives us somewhere to direct all the energy that moves fluidly between the grand trine players. With Neptune as that activating force, there's a dissolving, dissociative sheen to this otherwise grounded lunation.
Neptune in Pisces is anything but grounded
On the contrary, Neptune seeks to transcend the limitations of form and connect us to divinity. That's all the more emphasized in Pisces, its home sign — a mutable water sign often described as mystical and ethereal. Today, that time-warpy energy feels extra heightened. Opposite our Sun and Moon, which represent energy, vitality, and the physical body, Neptune creates a melting effect that might make you want to slip under the covers for an evening nap or get lost in delicious dissociation.
You might feel extra sensitive. You might want to indulge. (Venus is squaring Jupiter!) You might get lost in a daydream. And you might even tune into your extrasensory abilities a bit more than usual. Neptune is associated with the clairs — clairvoyance, clairaudience, claircognizance, clairsentience, and so on. It can compel us to tune into a sacred language that's more felt than spoken. But when Neptune forms a hard aspect to the luminaries, it can play with our antennae, creating confusion and even fear. Unless you're quite confident in your discernment (more on that below) you might want to steer clear of divination today. Answers are likely to be foggy.
Virgo wants the details
At the same time, the Sun, Moon, and Mercury Rx (all in mutable earth Virgo) are itching for answers. We might feel compelled to focus in on a problem and attempt to solve it. We might feel the urge to write, speak, communicate before we're ready. And I say "before we're ready" because we still have a day before our Mercurial messenger is direct once again. Mercury is preparing to station tomorrow, September 15, wrapping up its three-week retrograde cycle in Virgo. The info you want may require more time.
Virgo is a sign that's attuned to precision and healing. It appreciates the rigor of a well researched opinion and the careful measurement of herbs that form juuust the right tincture. It's also a sign that recognizes the mystical potential of the mundane. And that might be the inroad to soothing today (and this whole week). If you don't have the energy for an elaborate new moon ritual, think about how you can make a simple routine magical by with a dose of intention. Truthfully, anything can be made mystic. Especially with Neptune in the picture.
Take it easy this Virgo new moon
My short advice today: Take a damn nap. Tune out of the online noise if you can. Willfully dissociate through art, film, music, dance, but avoid anything that could further penetrate your boundaries if you can manage it. That might mean skipping the wine and the weed and opting for some tea instead. But look — it's your life. I'm just a random astrologer on the internet. :)
If you're interested in going deeper into the abyss, I published an hourlong podcast episode about this new moon (and a video version on YouTube if you prefer to watch). As usual, I talk about the cosmic weather and then share tarot and oracle messages to ground us a bit. It's a little more ramble-y than usual due to the Neptunian influence but I couldn't bear to edit today. It's time for my own nap. Go tune in if you're interested. ✨
Your new moon in Virgo tarot reading
Every new and full moon, I ask three questions: What is the anchor? What is the challenge? What is the gift? Below, you can see the tarot's answers, channeled with the help of my guides. As a reminder, you can listen to my Virgo new moon podcast episode for a more in-depth reading on the cards below. I'll only speak to the tarot in this blog post.
The Anchor: Page of Pentacles
Stepping forward into a new material venture is well timed this week. Approach whatever you pick up with a beginner mindset. Be open to mentorship. Listen for the words of experienced teachers who have ancestral wisdom to offer. But practice discernment. Let everything pass through your own unique filter of consideration. Virgo encourages it.
The Challenge: Four of Pentacles
We might be invited (or forced) to surrender this week. Frustration is in the cards. When you find yourself clinging to a false sense of control, remember: There's probably fear beneath that desire. And fear tends to make us lash out or grip harder, especially when something dear to us is threatened. That might be your sense of security — material or mental. Try opening to flexibility and inviting flow where you can find it.
The Gift: The World Reversed
My resistance to re-taking this photo means the image above features these cards out of order and The World in its upright position. Ahh imperfection. You sweet bastard. When reversed, it feels like there's a lesson that's yet to be learned or a cycle that's yet to be closed. You might be noticing your perfectionistic tendencies cropping up. If so, try offering them up to the divine and letting go when you can. It'll all become clearer with time.
Have a beautiful Virgo new moon
I'm off to wrap up client work for the day and get to bed as early as possible. I didn't have the energy for a proper ritual today after publishing a podcast, a blog post, and a newsletter, so I decided those are my ritual. It's very Virgo, after all. What can you repurpose into ritual just by adding a dose of intention? Be well, sweets! Happy new moon.
If you're interested in exploring the personal themes that are coming up for you, you can book a live tarot reading or purchase a recorded reading (under Services). I'd love to help you navigate the moment and discover the personal meaning this lunation is illuminating for you.