NEW MOON (partial) ECLIPSE in VIRGO
September 12
11:41pm PDT
September 13
2:41am EDT,
7:41am GDT
Image: Nice Birdie and Hello Birdie, by ML Gitchel, Photographer and Cosmic News reader. I solicited these photos for this Virgo article, delighted by these seemingly whimsical images of the Maiden and her Crow (or Raven)—although that second image with the intense psychic communication between girl and bird is not at all lightweight. What are they saying to each other? Google the artist to find more of her images and also see her work at www.Dartmouth61artshow.org. Her email address is Mgitchelphotos@charter.net.
Eclipses are like cosmic reset buttons. In Virgo, particular matters claim our attention. It’s all in the details. Something needs to be realigned to resonate with changes in the Earth’s energy field. Pay attention to your health via signals from your body. This eclipse offers a shadowy window, a pause to consider circumstances that need to and will shift during this dramatic month.
It is soon the turning of the season, heading into fall in the northern hemisphere, spring in the south. With so many planetary shifts of sign (Saturn into Sagittarius, Mars into Virgo and Jupiter still new in Virgo as well) and directions (Venus now forward and Mercury soon backwards) and Eclipses this month, this is not just your typical seasonal shift. We’re likely to be reminded that we are in a greater turning of galactic seasons. Apart from the two eclipses 12-13th and 27-28th), both Saturn and Mercury punctuate September 17th as particularly significant, as Saturn changes sign and Mercury turns retrograde. Mark your calendar.
Looking into the heavens, we see that the constellation of Corvus, the Crow or Raven, stands close by Virgo. These two birds are similar, sleek and black, though their sounds are different. The typical American Crow makes a strong, harsh caw, and has a rounded tail, while the common Raven has a diamond-shaped tail and makes a deep, throaty grunk, quothe “nevermore,” according to Edgar Allen Poe. Whichever your choice, this constellation is in a set of three, perched on the back of Hydra, the Snake, along with Crater, a cup, goblet or wine glass, perhaps the Holy Grail. These three images were once a triple constellation, and all are assets of Virgo, the Great Goddess. Birds and snakes are her common companions as she offers you a cup of the elixir of life. Constellation Virgo holds a sheaf of wheat or corn, the seed and fruit of the grain of life. Wherever there is grain, there are crows, as you know if you live near farm or field.
This Crow or Raven used to be white, a messenger of Apollo. He was sent to get that Cup of special water, but lingered and finally flew back with bad news, that Apollo’s favorite nymph was seeing someone else. Apollo took out his anger on the bird and turned him black as night:
“The Raven once in snowy plumes was dress’d,
White as the whitest dove’s unsullied breast,
Fair as the guardian of the capitol,
Soft as the swan, a large and lovely fowl;
His tongue, his prating tongue, had changed him quite
To sooty blackness from the purest white.”
—Ovid, Metamorphoses
I don’t think it was just a matter of punishing the messenger, but that Corvus had been gossiping with its “prating tongue” and that harsh caw. Let’s be careful of such gossip and be considerate of each other.
This is especially relevant with the North Node eclipse indicator on the Equinox cusp during Libra’s seasonal turn. This relational sign suggests the importance of engaging in consciousness-altering dialogue with others as we consider priorities for the coming season. Mercury emphasizes this point, going retrograde in Libra on September 17th, turning direct on October 9th and remaining in Libra until November 2. With your mind wide open, possibilities are extraordinary. Keep the conversation going. Weigh the value of other points of view. Be fair—to yourself as well as to others, as Libra tends to accommodate others and get off balance.
BLACK MOON LILITH stands at the Dragon’s Head Node, reverberating with spacious messages of brilliance, daring originality and authenticity. We may need to stretch deep into outer space and maintain patience in order to hear. It’s far to the Galactic Center, yet no more than a heartbeat away. Outer space is a mirror to our inner space. Globally we may need patience for all concerned parties to consider how radical options can be to their advantage and before they give assent. What does true leadership look like? As poet Rilke wrote:
“So many live on and want nothing
And are raised to the rank of prince
by the slippery ease of their light judgment…
You have not grown too old
And it’s not too late
To dive into your increasing depth
Where life calmly gives out its own secret.”
VENUS is now moving forward, still in heart sign Leo, and accompanied by Mars, scintillating with creative energy, romantic verve, courage and confidence or, on the low side, egoic fears, theatricality, reactivity and hesitations. SATURN is doing the last sweep of Scorpio, before moving into the new Sagittarian adventure as of September 17. This New Moon Eclipse helps open the way, inviting us to turn the corner and see what’s around it. Reality continues its elusive meanderings as our limiting belief systems melt down a bit more, stimulating our intuition and expanding our vision. If we can imagine it, it can happen! Really? Really! It may be just a matter of time and attending to the details. Keep your priorities straight.
We may need new leadership to help coalesce and articulate the new vision. JUNO, Queen of the gods, stands majestically in this New Moon, Mistress of Ceremony and Goddess of Marriage. Once ruler in her own right, she chose to share her throne with Jupiter. According to Greek myth, he took over the power as King and cheated on her with numerous nymphs. Though her fidelity to their marriage bed was legendary, she took revenge on his hapless lovers and their children, and even managed to mother a child on her own. She found a way to display her power, fanning her peacock’s tail, doing her thing in spite of him. Though the stuff of myth, does this sound like any modern political soap operas? Female power behind the throne has played out in many a presidency. As women are gaining political traction, we have to watch and wonder how they, as leaders, demonstrate values that are truly feminine—personal, inclusive and relational— contributing to the true wellbeing of the people rather than corporations. To get into positions of power, some female leaders play by the old rules, shouldering their way into what used to be exclusively the “old boys’ club.” Is this the kind of compromised leadership the world needs now? Playing by the old rules is not going to change the game. It’s more than a game now— it’s about our health and survival, and that of the Earth itself. Sometimes it is men of heart who really honor and express values that are inherently those of the life-giving Goddess.
Let’s reach down and touch the Earth in reverence for the great planetary being that sustains us.
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ASTRO-SPECIALS
BIRTHDAY MONTH—VIRGO, claim your birthday overview. LIBRA, you’re next up, starting Oct. 23rd. We use the special window of your birthday chart along with current planetary cycles. One hour, $120, that’s 20% off. This special fee also applies to a birthday gift. Give a Gift of the Stars! I have special cards and e-cards you can use.
