New Moon in Virgo: Answering the Call
The etymological root of the of the word desire simply delights me. Its earliest latin origins are believed to have come from considerare "to look at closely, observe,”more literally "to observe the stars," assimilated form of com "with, together" + sidus (genitive sideris) "heavenly body, star, constellation.” In other word the word desire literally means to come from or to observe the stars! How cool is that?
It was both a cosmological viewpoint, during a time culturally when people viewed the known universe as alive and full of enchantment as well as a nautical direction, literally using the stars to find one’s way home.
Metaphorically I like to view our heart’s desire in that way, that it is the soul’s way of steering us home. Back to a place where we belong that all along was contained within us.
What does this have to do with this New Moon in Virgo?
Each New or Full Moon holds its own unique energy. When I sat down and mused about this month’s New Moon in Virgo a James Hillman quote sprang to mind: “Each Person enters the world called.”
One of the archetypal myths associated with Virgo is that of the Goddess Astraea (Dike) and the orderliness of nature. Renowned historian Jane Ellen Harrison wrote in Themis: A Study of the Origins of Greek Religion:
“Dike (Astraea) is the way of life of each natural thing, each plant, each animal, each man. It is also the way, the usage, the regular course of that great animal the Universe…"
To put it more simply, an acorn can only grow into an oak tree, that is the natural order of things. Virgo, which takes place during the time of the harvest, reflects this innate sense of the natural order of things. Our “calling,” our vocation, is part of that natural order.
When we hear the word vocation in the modern world we often interpret it as our job…aka vocational school. But its origins?
Spirit calling packs quite a punch doesn’t it? Sometimes, when we have been trying to drown out its voice in service to something we tell ourselves is more logical, more responsible, it is the thing that we are in essence being haunted by; the path we quietly wish we had taken, wondering what if? Or perhaps the thing that we yearn to devote more time and attention to in the present moment but somehow never quite find the time.
Virgo is also associated with being of service. Our vocation, our calling at its essence is asking us, what is worthy of our service? What is worthy of our apprenticeship throughout the course of our life? What is worth devoting our allotted time within this lifetime to aka, what is worth it?
It doesn’t necessarily need to be a profession. It doesn’t need to be monetized. Let us acknowledge here that our culture tends to want to monetize everything. And I am not saying that monetizing something is bad, but when we lose sight of the real reason we are drawn towards something it also looses its pleasure. And when we lose pleasure the loss of desire shortly follows. Your calling at its core is something that brings you joy even when you are not making money doing it. Because your calling is not about money, it is something you do because on some level you must or you are miserable. Though, you may make money while practicing it.
Your calling may be the care and tending of your relationships, your family even your garden. It could be feeding your soul through travel. It might be the joy of painting, hiking, yoga or journaling practice. It really doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you answer your soul’s call.
The Moon is the fastest moving heavenly body. It moves through all twelve signs over the course of a month, it is constantly changing. It moves from New to Full and back again in a little less than 30 days. The New Moon is known for initial, rebirth the beginning of a cycle.
So during this year’s annual New Moon in Virgo I invite you to be in service to yourself by profoundly connecting with what truly calls you. And then to invoke that calling.
This will enhance and energize all of your intentions, even your smaller, more detailed, monthly intentions. Virgo is known for its diligence and focus. It is the perfect energy to distill to set knew habits in place, launch a work project, to begin to reorganize and declutter, commit to a new health regimen or perhaps deal with the details of some item that you have been procrastinating about. Virgo gets stuff done and it is good at details.
Invoking the Energy of the Virgo New Moon
(lighting a candle, listening to music, a deep luxurious bath or simply going our and looking up at the stars…are all types of rituals that definitely enhance the process but aren’t necessary)
Prior to setting New Moon intentions take a moment to center yourself, feel your embodiment (in other words get out of your head) and ask yourself what tugs at me? What sings to me with its siren song luring me towards it? Perhaps even importantly what is calling me that I keep dismissing because it doesn’t make any logical sense? Just breathe deeply and open yourself. Visualize your self consciously aligning and vibrating with your soul’s intentions. Allow yourself to welcome this precious awareness.
Please take your time with this, you will feel a profound sense of satisfaction within your body when you completely align. There is no rush. Your soul has its own logic, a sort of ancestral logic of sorts all unto its self. Make use of the energy and focus that is the essence of Virgo.
After you have taken the time to do this, to consciously move into this space of profoundly welcoming to your soul's desires, set your intentions for the month. They will then be infused with the energy of your alignment with your vocation, you soul’s calling.
