By NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA – New Moon, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51482526

In some places this is the second New Moon of the month, in others the Moon some saw on the 1st may have fallen on July 31st–you see the issue, which is why I don’t make much of those occasions of two New or Full Moons in a calendar month–they don’t hold everywhere, and only apply if one uses the current calendar–which of course is a man-made device, not a naturally-occurring one. So, forgive me if I’m not kvelling 🙂

The New Moon falls at 6 Virgo 46 at 3:36 AM Pacific time on August 30th. This duo (Moon and Sun) is chasing Mars, soon to catch him, and can also be considered widely conjoined Juno, Mercury, and Venus, as well, all in Virgo. This cuts a wide swath just a hair over 9 degrees wide, end to end, with the New Moon close to the midpoint. A New Moon in Virgo brings a new way of thinking or observing critically, making discernment, judgment, and efforts leading to reward and appropriate sharing the centerpieces of what’s begun here. In concert with so many other influences, the New Moon viewpoint may feel pervasive; the focus may be on what is ‘natural’ (in the Virgoan ‘Harvest’ sense, particularly in matters of the natal House where the New Moon occurs), and what’s needed to make that happen at an optimum level. We’ll be seeking personal empowerment through critical and corrective thought and action, particularly that which offers reward. And certainly, what we’re trying to achieve, one way or another, is worthy–but will we succeed?

The New Moon forms the arm to a T-square on the Hygeia-Ceres opposition (a Grand Cross, if we include Earth). The T suggests agricultural upsets, climate issues, environmental poisonings, natural disasters–as if we can’t point to dozens of these matters already–they didn’t wait for the New Moon to manifest, but they may take on new urgency, and we may gain a dawning new awareness of them, drawing much more of our attention as we watch them wax along with the Lunar energies. Personal manifestations may include onsets of allergies, asthma, dietary issues or responses, and much more noticeable links among health, our environment, and specifically how much we may be able (or unable) to affect things.

‘Ceres’ By Osmar Schindler c1902 {{PD}}

The Sun-Moon square Hygeia also forms the base for a Fist of God, apex Pluto, once again pointing to a crisis situation involving the health–and whether it’s the health of the planet or our own personal well-being, the pressure of crisis elicits either a destructive response or a transformative one, the latter offering the hope of an environmental or health-centered phoenix rising from the current ashes.

On top of all this the New Moon is trine Uranus and quincunx Chiron, suggesting that the unexpected surprises or delivers a bolt of understanding, and this either injures or calls forward our unique Chirotic skills. It may be that New Moon events or revelations lead us into a new, more active role in dealing with larger issues, whether they center on dealing more effectively with personal challenges to health or with challenges to the health of the whole damn planet. Via a lightning bolt of revelation, understanding, or sheer shock, the New Moon is bound to mobilize us, mentally and physically, in support of our values, in a way we weren’t ‘in motion’ before. Too, when we add New Moon aspect meaning to the Sabian, what we may find is how inextricable our place in the larger scheme really is. All we control is ourselves, within that defined space we occupy and can affect–this NM may point us toward our best, most effective impact, for both the individual and the Collective.

‘The Harem’ By Émile Bernard pre-1941 {{PD}}

The Sabian for the new Moon is, ‘A Harem’. Though we find the existence of a harem regressive, even offensive, today, we might do best with this image to define it not as captive sex slaves or something equally sensational and canted toward the exploitative, but as a cooperative living arrangement for women of a certain privileged status due to their relationship with a powerful Other. In that sense, harems are the province of Venus, in some guises, and most especially Juno, as status and power derived through the partner are two of her most prominent characteristics. As a symbol of New Moon events, then, this might signal that empowerment may be most effectively found within a role or status we already hold, particularly one that may otherwise feel restrictive or exploitative, one where we ultimately might wish for more freedom, but find current relationships (or even survival) require we continue in this function. When we look at it this way, we can see this could apply to the web-like restrictions of the social sphere, family, or even the need to make a living–whatever it is that both ‘protects’ us (offering benefit in some form) and concurrently proscribes, for good or ill, our movement.

See the forecast for the 29th and birthday for 6 Virgo here—

Good day to . . . start something new that requires energy, concentration, attention to detail, persistence, especially if this speaks to fulfilling some ideal. Good time to also take corrective measures with health/ diet.

For those born with the Sun at 07 Virgo. Check your natal chart for the correct Sun degree (you may want to read both the degree number and the one that follows, if you have minutes on your Sun position–together these offer a more complete picture of your year ahead). You may feel a lot like a Warrior this coming solar year, through to your next birthday, dear Virgo, and if you don’t, you may just be angry or highly motivated! In any case, you’ll have an enormous amount of energy, drive, and attention best applied to fighting for a cause, moving forward in life, and/ or in dealing with the matters of the natal House ruled by Mars. You’ve got the guts, and may earn the glory, if you can observe successfully a few rules: control and refine all energy expression–to fail this invites chaos and accident, but to do it inspires invention, innovation, originality, and may place you in a leadership role, well-deserved, should it come to you; cooperative arrangements can be very good–trust, but verify, to avoid surprises; and face health matters head-on–attend to them, because something dealt with now won’t flare up bigger and badder later. Good luck!