New Moon in Virgo: Self Improvement, Re-Organization, and that Unattainable Thing Called Perfection

© Lily Moon

On August 25th 2014 at 7:13 AM (PDT) there will be a New Moon in Virgo. There isn't a whole lot of action going on around the New Moon, but it still might bring forth some issues related to perfection, self improvement or organization. If you have a planet in Virgo in your chart then it will probably affect you a little more deeply than others. 

Virgo is greatly concerned with perfection. This means in general that the New Moon asks us to decide what we could make better in our lives. What area needs improvement? Is it your work life, home life, relationships etc.? Virgo is also concerned with organization so another great question to ask is which area of your life needs organizing? Is is your home, your desk, your office, your life in general or even your thoughts?  If you can find an area of your life that needs improvement or organizing then now is a great time to set intentions for that. 

Those little simple issues will be what most people will have to think about and set intentions for, but if you have any Virgo planets in your chart that are somewhere around 2 degrees of Virgo than this New Moon will be a more intense experience for you. If you have a Virgo planet than you might already be a perfectionist in some way shape or form in a certain area in your life. This means that one way the New Moon could affect you is by bringing up any tendencies to over critize and get overly caught up with a state of perfection that simply isn't possible to reach. If you are doing any of those things than you might feel like you are living in cage that you created for yourself and are blocking some good things from coming into your life or blocking your own happiness. If this is the case than the Virgo New Moon will remind you that to truly improve yourself it would be wise to stop being so hard on yourself and everything around you. The New Moon could encourage you to manifest a way of living life where you stop trying to over perfect everything and drop the 'I'm not good enough' syndrome. If this is something that you feel needs to happen in your life, than the New Moon could be really empowering for you.  

Another way the New Moon could manifest if you have a Virgo planet in your chart would be to help you get organized if you haven't been lately. Then the New Moon could help you kicks start into a cycle of re organization. 

~Overall the New Moon probably won't be too intense or strong for a lot of people. If you have Virgo in your chart though, it could be quite powerful. Remember that complete perfection is unattainable and that you are your own jailer. So if you've been too hard on yourself, set yourself free already with this wonderful New Moon. If you need to get yourself organized on the other hand than use the Virgo Moon's magical abilities of organization to get your life in order! Also, don't forget to set intentions, as they are the most important part of manifesting what you want during the time of the New Moon ~

Virgo: The Maiden

© Lo Scarabeo

Today, August 22nd 2014 the Sun has entered the wonderful sign of Virgo, so Happy Birthday month to all of the Virgos out there! In this article I'm going to talk about the sign of Virgo and the personality of someone with a Virgo Sun.

Virgo is the 6th sign in the zodiac and therefore represents the 6th stage of evolution through the signs. In Cancer and Leo we discovered our relationship to other people. Virgo though, is the first sign where we start to put other's needs in front of our own. This makes Virgo a very helpful sign that wants to be of service and be reliable to others because it gives them a sense of approval. 

A very important thing to a Virgo is perfection. They strive for perfection like no other and want to perfect the physical realm. It's important for them though to not be too hard on themselves about achieving perfection. Otherwise everything will end up disappointing them because nothing is ever truly perfect. Instead they can gently encourage themselves and others to be the best they can be, while knowing that they can indeed improve things, but reaching a level of perfection is physically impossible. 

Virgos as said before, are exceedingly helpful and useful. They want to be of use to others and feel good when they are told that they are super reliable and efficient. They are also very hard workers, but must make sure that they do not become workaholics. 

The sign of Virgo is ruled by Mercury making Virgos highly intellectual. They are usually pretty smart and analytical. They have a great eye for detail and are great at staying organized. They also can become quite critical. This can be a good thing for being some sort of a critic and for giving constructive criticism. They must make sure though, not to become overly critical or judgmental of themselves or others. 

Virgo is the sign of health, so Virgos can sometimes have quite an interest in health. They usually have really good hygiene and become germaphobic when others are sick, staying away so that they don't get sick as well. 

Virgo has a complicated sexuality. A lot of the time the sign of Virgo is associated with virginity and other times it is associated with goddesses of fertility. They usually have two different sides to their sexuality because of this. There is a side of them that can be a bit prudish that thinks sex is a bit messy. Then there is the other side of them that is quite earthy, sensual and sexual. 

~Overall Virgo is a lovely sign that is always striving to make the world a better place and always trying to help out fellow human beings and encouraging them to keep trying their best. Remember to wish any Virgo friends Happy Birthday and this month use the Virgo energy to achieve your goals on the journey to becoming a better person and be helpful to those around you ~

Introversion and Extroversion: It's in Your Chart!

©Pleated Jeans

Yes, you can tell whether you are introverted, extroverted or even a balance of both through your natal chart. You can find this out through something called polarities. There are two polarities, negative and positive. They both correlate to yin and yang energy. Negative energy is yin and introverted; and positive energy is yang and extroverted. All the earth and water signs are negative and all the fire and air signs are positive. If you have a preponderance of negative planets you are most likely an introvert and likewise if you have a preponderance of positive planets you are most likely an extrovert. If you have a balance of both positive and negative then you are probably both introverted and extroverted, or what some like to call an ambivert. Now let's explore in greater depth what these polarity balances mean. 

If you have predominantly negative planets than of course you are most likely introverted. People with mostly negative planets have broad inner lives full of introspection. They love alone time which they gain energy from and aren't too fond of lots of social activity as it can be draining. Negative people are very reflective and have lots going on in their minds. These people usually have greater self understanding than others and find comfort in solitude. They usually favor close intimate relationships, instead of tons of causal friendships. 

If you have predominantly positive planets than of course you are most likely extroverted. People with mostly positive planets love being social and being around people. They gain stimulation from other people and need constant social stimulation to give them energy. They are very oriented towards the external world. Unlike people with lots of negative planets, they like having tons of friendships that are casual. 

If you are balanced in negative and positive planets than you are most likely ambiverted. People who have balanced negative and positive planets usually are introspective and oriented towards the external world. They just need a balance of both to be happy. Too much social activity or too much solitude might not be good for them. The key for them is balance. 

Some people think that the negative polarity is bad and the positive polarity is good. This is not true however. The names can be misleading, but neither one is good or bad. Whatever you have more of is perfect for you in this lifetime and there is no need to change yourself. I think becoming aware of polarities is an important part of astrology because in today's world people are sometimes not very understanding of introversion and extroversion. Extroversion is particularly glorified and introversion is seen as a bit weird. The truth is that both of these personality traits and ambiversion as well, are wonderful and everyone should become more accepting of the polarity balance that they were born with which influences their personality. Everyone should  live their lives in a way that caters to this personality influence, so that they can be more energized, happy and fulfilled. 

Modalities in the Natal Chart

© wubalicious.deviantart.com

Modalities, also known as Qualities in astrology, represent the way a planet uses energy and takes action. There are three modalities that are used in astrology; Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable. In a Natal Chart you can count the number of planets that are in the different modalities to see which type of energy is used the most. A lot of people have a dominant modality in their chart , although there are people who have a balanced amount of modalities which would mean the way that they use their energy is relatively balanced. 

Cardinal is the first modality. The Cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. A person who has predominantly Cardinal planets in their natal chart usually have a good deal of energy and are great at starting things. In the northern hemisphere all the Cardinal signs start at the beginning of each season. This is why Cardinal people love new beginnings. Cardinal people have lots of drive and love taking action on ideas. Cardinal people are initiators and can be pretty assertive at times. They are trailblazer and pioneer type personalities. The problem with Cardinal people though is that they may have trouble seeing things through to completion. 

Fixed is the second modality. The Fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. A person who has predominantly Fixed planets in their natal chart are usually really good at sustaining things and seeing projects through till the end. They usually dislike change and love stability. They can be very resistant to things they don't want to do and they are known for being quite stubborn.They have a good deal of stamina to get through whatever they have started. Basically Fixed people are great at 'sticking ' with anything that they are currently involved in and are very reliable. 

Mutable is the third and last modality. The Mutable signs are Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces. A person who has predominantly Mutable planets in their natal chart usually are very good at going with the flow. They are flexible and adaptable to whatever life throws at them and they actually like change. They can be great multi-taskers and can get bored if they don't have enough going on in their lives. The problem with Mutable people is that they can be a bit scattered sometimes and may have trouble committing to things. 

~There you have it. Those are the modalities in astrology which show what type of energy a planet uses and the type of energy that a person predominantly uses. If you are curious about which modality is dominant in your natal chart count the number of planets that are in each modality. Like I said before, you  may find that you are completely balanced or are balanced between two modalities. If you are unsure about how to look at your natal chart, getting your chart done is always recommended~

Super Moon in Aquarius: Time to Let Go of Those Fears

© Lisa Falzon

On August 10th 2014 at 11:09 AM (PDT)  there will be a Full Moon in Aquarius. This will be a Super Moon and the closest one of the year. Super Moons affect everyone more intensely than a typical Full Moon, and this particular one has a lot going on with it aspect wise, so expect this Full Moon to have some strong effects.

Now let's talk about what's going on. To begin with the Sun is in Leo and the Full Moon is in Aquarius, also Mercury is conjunct the Sun. Basically the desire to do what you want to do and creatively express yourself (Sun and Mercury in Leo) is at odds with your desire to do what other people want to do and what would make them happy (Moon in Aquarius). There may be a juggling act going on between the desires of the Sun and the Moon. To top it off Saturn in Scorpio is square to  the Sun , Mercury and the Moon. Saturn in Scorpio may bring up some fear or paranoia about Aquarian and Leo issues. There could be fears about being approved, being able to express yourself, belonging, or  pleasing others around you. Saturn could also make some people desire to try to control the situations that could be making them paranoid. 

Saturn may sound like it's causing trouble, but in reality Saturn can help you figure out what's been holding you back. It can help you discover any fears you have about self expression, approval, other people etc. so that you can let them go. Full Moons are all about letting go anyways, so it's important to let any issues go, so that you can experience a wonderful balance between yourself and your needs and other people and their needs. 

~Overall, this Full Moon will probably be intense, but it is helpful because it can help us realize and release our fears. I hope everyone has an empowering Full Moon and don't forget to let it all go!~