Virgo Full Moon
The Virgo Full Moon reminds us we’re not perfect. We may be uniquely talented in certain ways and can excel in some endeavors with practice and effort, and we may be smart, hardworking, and cope well under stress — but we aren’t machines and not error-free all the time!
During a Full Moon, we may notice a gap between what we strive toward and the hurdles that threaten to thwart our endeavors. Gaffes are magnified and the gaping crevasse can pull us towards rock bottom. However, this Full Moon reminds us we can swim, instead of sink, when the tide gets a little rough. If fortune smiles on us, then we make rapid progress without any cuts or bruises, or at least only to the ego!
Besides, soft contacts to the lunar nodes (Moon trine North Node and sextile South Node) indicate that finding balance between the tension of perfection and a messier “go with the flow” approach may have karmic benefits. In other words, we can clear up part of a tricky, past pattern by making an adjustment at this time. According to evolutionary astrologer Steven Forrest in The Inner Sky (Seven Paws Press, 2012), there are two models we can draw on to understand the kind of past to which the South Node refers.
The first is genetic, indicating that we each inherit a legacy from our family. Our genes reflect some sort of crystallization, displaying our ancestral impact — such as a physical characteristic or a behavioral trait; we may view these as strengths or weaknesses. The second model is rooted in the notion of reincarnation — an ongoing consciousness that lives through different lifetimes whereby we may experience greater insight — and pick up a few bad habits en route! Either way, the insights and habits gained form a kind of imprint and come with us into each lifetime. This tends to influence our choices in the here and now; we can call such propensities our karma. Whichever model seems most meaningful to us, the basic mechanism is much the same — facets of “past lives” (from our own cycles or those experiences that involved our ancestors) show up in the present.
The suggestion in this lunation is that our perfectionism — or failure to reach and sustain the “perfect” state — might threaten to plummet us to Scorpionic depths of despair, the so-called rock bottom. In the darkness of shame or anguish, it’s hard to find the buoyancy and clarity needed to best salvage the situation. Yet, if we can be present to the salt in the seawater — that is, the earthy, rocky, yet also nutritious (i.e., Taurean) element in the ocean — we might remember that if we relax, it will help us float effortlessly to the surface. And at that point, we can come up for air and experience a breakthrough, perhaps receiving a bolt of insight along the way! At the very least, there will be a reminder that we can get through a problematic moment or incident and draw breath into something new.
The Moon is opposed by Neptune in Pisces — a reminder that the sea holds treasures. It may be murky in the depths but is also representative of the area of our deeper consciousness. If we can tune into the universal pool of knowledge — which C.G. Jung was keen for us to appreciate — we can draw upon information open to all of us, which may otherwise have been closed to some of us. A curtain will have parted, opening a wonderful drama for us to be inspired and assisted by!
The Moon’s trine to Pluto in Capricorn also speaks of buried treasure, perhaps right at the base of that metaphorical seabed. We should not fear a moment of being seemingly stuck in the sand, but instead motivated to dig deeper and feel what treasures we can pull from the depths to admire and benefit from!
This article is from the Mountain Astrologer written by Diana McMahon Collis