On August 23,
the Sun will move out of royal, radiant, outgoing Leo
into sensible, earthy, hard-working Virgo for four weeks.
In the Western Hemisphere this is the time of the harvest, reaping the gifts of summer. The astrological glyph for Virgo is a goddess holding the sheaf of corn which will produce food for the time ahead.
Virgo has a reputation for being nit-picky and critical but this meticulous trait is hugely useful when you are separating the wheat from the chaff, storing up the apples, and bringing in the goodness of the year and storing it for winter.
The cosmos and the season demand that this is the time to roll up your sleeves and get cracking. Duty calls and there will be rewards for service, effort and attention to detail. Virgo is not a sign that blows its own trumpet or stands on its dignity. It prefers being understated and just getting on with the job at hand. Taking pride in what you do for its own sake without expectation of fame, success or glory is what works best at this time of year.
On August 24, the new Virgo Sun is opposite or across the zodiac from the Pisces Moon and we have what is known as the Harvest Moon, Corn Moon or Barley Moon. In American Indian folklore this full moon marked the right time to start the harvest and farmers could work late into the night by the light of this Moon which rises early and is very bright.
Full Moons signify a time of culmination, a time to bring plans and a project together. It is also a time of romance, fertilization, relationships, emotions and feelings. Emotions tend to run high during these times and as always, this is a time to find a balance between opposites. On one side, there is Virgo’s earthy common sense energy and on the other side is Pisces’ urge to find spiritual or artistic nourishment. “Man cannot live by bread alone” really is the motto of this Full Moon. There should be time for work and time for inner solace; time to give to others and as well as yourself.