September New Moon in Virgo: Act Like a Boyscout and Be Prepared

"Men make history, and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better." -Harry S Truman (1884 - 1972)

I chose the above quote while I was writing this because it uses the words skillful and change- two themes I see in this month's new moon. But after I pasted it into my document I also noticed the word "leadership" - a topic that I wrote about over the past two months as it related to the lessons of the lunar cycle.

In those articles I talked about the qualities of leadership and how we're called to be leaders in our own lives. And as Harry puts forth in the above quotation, leaders seize opportunities to make things better.

However, this particular new moon isn't about seizing opportunties for change, but about becoming skillful enough to be able to seize them.

The Astrology of the New Moon

The new moon occurs at 25 degrees of Virgo on Friday, September 18, 2009 at 2:44 PM (see chart: September 2009 New Moon). There are five planets in earth signs and five planets in mutable signs- meaning this month will be about adjusting and adapting our skills and analytical abilities to meet the changing and, at times surprising, circumstances. Do we have the dexterity to accept change? Have our skills matured enough to help us through times of uncertainty?

The Sun and Moon are closely joined by Saturn. Since every new moon is a symbolic beginning, the presence of Saturn at this new moon adds a somberness and even potential delays to what we're trying to initiate. Saturn in Virgo requires that we stick to the plan in order to overcome the fear that we're somehow unprepared for what we're doing.

And if this weren't challenging enough, the new moon plus Saturn are all being opposed by Uranus in Pisces. Uranus is the new, the iconoclast, the disruption that compels us to see things differently. Saturn and Uranus opposed on November2, 2009. Collectively we were all watching the contest between the old (Saturn) and the new (Uranus); between generations, ideologies, and parties. We chose progress (Uranus).

Now these two planets are opposing in the sky once again. Things need to be restructured - the current debate on healthcare is another timely and collective example. It's about a system (Saturn) that needs to be totally revamped (Uranus) in order for progress to happen. And there may be things in our personal lives that need to be restructured. Astrology is a symbolic language that assists us in thinking about and describing our human experiences. It helps us stay plugged into our inner selves. And it shows us when the best times are for making changes, looking for opportunities, and moving forward with confidence. We may not be accustomed to making such big choices, but through these choices our lives are given room to grow.

This new moon is also close to the retrograde Mercury. Mercury will be going backwards through the end of September, going back to where it was in mid-August. Think back to that time for clues on what may need to be restructured and revamped in your plans.

Our new moon group of planets is also being challenged by Pluto this month. We may feel like we're being forced into making a decision or difficult choice. Before you do this take time to review the facts- with Mercury retrograde in the mix it's important to be mindful.

With the Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Saturn all in Virgo the theme is definately "serving," as that's one of Virgo's functions (along with analyzing, documenting, and discriminating). We may be motivated to make a decision based on what we think we need to survive, but the more we focus on our service to others and less about our own needs, the easier the choice will be. And it will be a decision made from a mindful state. Mercury doesn't turn direct until the end of September so don't expect to see any quick results; the consequences of your choice may not manifest until then.

Saturn is the judge, so take account of your personal and professional goals and judge them- are they worth pursuing? Prune what needs to be pruned to make room for the new. Leadership isn't always about just moving forward. It's about taking the time to review one's progress, revise one's goals and objectives, and respond to exteranl circumstances.

To summarize, this month is about creating plans that are structured and well-conceived and can be adapted to new opportunities as they present themselves. Use the Mercury retrograde period to review, revise, and repurpose the things in your life that aren't helping you move forward. Accept that times are changing (fast!) and think about the skills you have to help you adapt to those changes. It's the leadership principal of preparedness that makes seizing opportunities seem effortless. May you be prepared for all that is presented to you this month. Namaste'