From now until Sept. 9, the light of the moon will grow smaller and smaller until it's fully shadowed in darkness, marking the beginning of a new lunar cycle otherwise known as a new moon. The new moon on Sep. 9 is in the sign of Virgo, and is an ideal time for fresh starts and new beginnings for all zodiac signs. But exactly what does it mean when a new moon is in Virgo? It's not your average dark moon, so in diligent Virgo fashion, let's make sure we're using the energy to our max advantage.
Let's talk about good ol' Virgo first, especially since the sun is currently sharing this sign, as well. Virgo is a true fixer — a skilled problem solver, organizer, analyst, and intellectual. The sign has a bit of a reputation for being critical or overly-serious, but trust that it's all coming from a place of love and a true desire for things to be as effective as possible — simply the best they can be. Given that, it makes total sense that another interpretation of Virgo is as a healer and humanitarian. As AstroStyle put it, "Virgo is the sign of selfless service," so when a Virgo's keen eye for detail notices a flaw or inefficiency, they don't want to fix it because they're picky — they want to fix it because it's genuinely for greater good.
New moons in general symbolize beginnings, so if you want to sync your own life with the lunar energy, it's generally a good time to start new projects or endeavors. A new moon is considered the beginning of a fresh lunar cycle. From that point, over the following two weeks, the light of the moon will continue growing until it reaches it's most luminous potential— a big, bright full moon. But the energy of having a new moon in Virgo, as we will in September, brings on a slightly different opportunity. According to Tarot.com, a Virgo new moon "is different in that we don't plant new seeds; instead, we try to figure out what to do with what we've harvested." So rather than beginning a brand-new project, look at what's in front of you: How will you use what you've built and what's been handed to you to move forward? It's still a shiny new beginning, for sure, but there's no need to start from scratch — efficient Virgo wants you to work with what you've got for its new moon and make it the very best. In more metaphorical terms, why go pick new lemons if you already have some at home? Turn your own lemons into lemonade.
So a new moon in Virgo brings new beginnings, yes — but duh, no new beginning will have a fruitful end without a nice, solid, ready-to-execute plan! As astrologer Jennifer Racioppi put it, "The Virgo new moon calls us back to a deliberate mind that has its eye on the details." It's asking us to critically reflect upon where we're at in all areas of our lives so that we can map out exactly where to head from here. Virgo is a grounded, sensible Earth sign, after all. "The New Moon in Virgo is the time to listen to your ‘gut’ instincts," described North Star Astrology on their site. "Stop wasting mental energies worrying about what you can not change ... analyze how your problem solving skills can best be put to use."
So how can you best take advantage of this new moon and its significant effect on you? Well, focus in on Virgo's areas of expertise: work and career, your health, and service-oriented, humanitarian efforts. Get organized at work so you can put your energy toward your career goals most effectively. Take charge when it comes to your health by cleaning up your diet, sticking to your exercise routine, and tending to your mental health. It's also a great time to get your living space in order, as The Hood Witch shares that the "Virgo New Moon brings some painstaking attention to detail, and house cleaning truly is an excellent way to work through Virgo transits." When your home is clean and orderly, it's almost a guarantee that you'll have more room to be more efficient in other areas of your life — and a clean house can do wonders for your mental and emotional health, too.
The Hood Witch also advised that Virgo new moons are a time when "women are mentally very active, however there may be tendencies to focus on excessive criticism of oneself as well as others." So shake off that Virgo seriousness and remember to lighten up. Use this moon's critical eye to your advantage to boost yourself and others up, not bring anyone down. Tough love doesn't have to be that tough to be effective, ya know? Focus on improvement, and be excited about it — the Virgo new moon is bringing us a really cool opportunity to re-evaluate all that we have, acknowledge it, and then make a plan to build something new and better.
