Virgo: Another Slice of the Orange

Dear Friend and Reader:

Friday morning, the Sun joins Venus and Mars in Virgo. Juno will be close behind, entering Virgo Friday evening.

We're continuing with an unusual situation in which four planets will suddenly be in a sign where there has been very little action for a while. This has just happened with Leo, and now it's about to happen with Virgo. 

Orange, the color and the fruit.

For quite some time, the astrology has been focused on Aries and Capricorn. Currently, many slow movers are making their way across these two signs -- Chiron, Saturn, Pluto and Eris, and minor planets Salacia, Pholus and Quaoar. Uranus recently spent seven years in Aries.

The centerpiece is the Saturn-Pluto conjunction that is happening in Capricorn now, which feels like pressure, the ground shifting, and changes that nobody understands. The Aries piece tends to make people obsess over themselves and either tune out how others are feeling, or make it difficult to perceive.

All this Aries and Cap is hot energy. Aries is hot, and Capricorn is hot in the style of a volcano or earthquake. And the square presents a tense balancing act, where one goes back and forth from the developments (or feelings) in Aries to those in Capricorn, struggling to make them work together. 

This is a big part of the perplexing chaos we're feeling: the sense that nothing seems to fit, or that things are only deteriorating.

The Virgo experience is going to take some pressure off the prevailing Capricorn experience; that's one of the things that trines do. And we need to let off some of this intensity, somehow. Virgo to my astrological sense will also present opportunities to put things together: to make connections, and to experience the sensation of weaving rather than of coming apart.

The essence of Virgo is integration, which is about integrity. You cannot have one without the other. It's not always a pretty process (there can be contention, controversy, self-judgment and other forms of psychological or emotional struggle), but in the end, it usually works (as far as we're willing to go).

One of the distinctions of the Virgo alignment that lasts for the next few weeks is that Venus and Mars will form a conjunction there, exact Saturday, Aug. 24. 

I'm going to keep saying this in different ways. If Virgo is about integration and Venus and Mars represent various forms of dualism, particularly sexual, then we have an occasion to engage that issue in a direct way. And to engage it internally, rather than as a political issue, or being about personal branding.

Betty Dodson poses with one of her classic goddess portraits in the front foyer of her East Side NYC apartment. Photo from June 2018, by Eric Francis. Her 90th birthday is Aug. 24. For a fantastic, funny, accessible and teen-friendly introduction to Betty’s work, check out "Her Life of Art and Sex" Part One and Part Two.

Western society is gaga over the sexual polarity theme lately, with the Me Too movement claiming that there are vast ethical differences between men and women; with the gay and lesbian movement asserting or demonstrating that men and women don't need one another; with the trans movement positing that one's sex at birth is less relevant than what gender we choose later (sex and gender being different things); and with concepts like asexuality, intersex and various forms of queer and questioning all challenging the binary concept of gender.

Yet for how many people is this an intellectual, social or political exercise, and for how many is it something that they do with their body and soul? I don’t mean members of a movement or participants in an ideology. I mean people with no special viewpoint -- or anyone else -- doing the challenging work of being whole. I think most people are looking at these phenomena like a kind of living social museum. 

Venus and Mars are inviting us directly into the experience. There are many, many more forms of gender than the ones flying on the flag at the LGBTQ center next door to where I'm sitting. And it's never, ever as simple as flying what colors you identify with. Everyone has their own sexual and relational orientation.

These are deeply, inwardly intimate experiences, not (as the old feminist idea goes) about how "the personal is political." 

The personal can certainly be politicized, politics can surely be made personal, and our bodies can be turned into battle grounds in the seemingly endless social war of our society. In our times, we have little concept of sex or sexuality apart from politics, supposed morality, or violence and aggression. And we need, dearly, to go into this largely unexplored and undocumented territory.

This weekend and over the next few weeks, the elements will be blending many different ways, forming many new compounds.

And as my teacher Betty Dodson proposed so many years ago, Juno entering the picture is here to remind us that our first relationship is with ourselves. It's the relationship on which all others are based because we would not have relationships if we did not exist. We all contain all potentials, sex hormones, genetic material, gender roles, feelings and emotions -- and the energy imprints of our (always) opposite sex biological parents. The challenge of integrating all of this is the very basis of our primary relationship -- with ourselves.

Remembering this would be a great place to start.

With love,
Solar Virgo: What Will You Harvest?

Dear Friend and Reader:

Tomorrow the Sun enters Virgo, at 6:02 am EDT (10:01:52 UTC), and begins the last sign of the current season. Speaking as one living in the Northern Hemisphere, I am wondering where the hell summer has gone. I'm not quite ready for the cooler nights we've had lately where I live, or for the Sun to be setting closer to 7:30 than 8:30 in the evening. But ready or not, here we are -- along with the benefits of this part of the season, namely the harvest.

Bee on a bachelor's button; photo by Amanda Painter.

Along with the literal harvest of vegetables, grains and fruits, the sheaves of wheat in the arms of the Virgo virgin also symbolize what Frances Sakoian and Louis Acker describe as "the wisdom that is harvested in the fields of experience."

They add that one lesson of this sign is that "although the body must serve the mind, ultimately the mind must serve the spirit."

I wonder if this idea about Virgo relates to its association with healing professions and processes -- not simply in the sense of one part of Self being ‘in service' to another part. But rather, in the sense that when we get those various parts of ourselves working together in such a relationship, healing occurs. With our own inner healing and harmony, we're able to hold space for others to do the same and can model how it feels and what it looks like.

One of our Planet Waves readers, Kelly Grace Smith, commented on the Monday Astrology Diary that three keys for humans in our quest for healing and growth are connection, balance and creation. In other words, there's the inner balancing of polarities that we must do (such as inner feminine and masculine, receptive and active, etc.); the essential connecting with our own bodies, with nature, with our sense of spirit, with other people (in person); and then there's all the ways we can be artistic, curious and passionate (sexually and otherwise) to bring our life force into tangible form.

If you've ever met someone -- or been in community with many people -- who are consciously working at and playing with those three keys to life, it can be a powerful experience. It might be a little destabilizing or off-putting or even feel threatening the first time, if their way of living contrasts starkly with how you experience yourself and the way your life is unfolding.

Meeting someone who's actively and consciously in this process can also be incredibly inspiring and motivating. I think part of the trick, especially at first, is not to assume that only 'special' people are the ones who can get this going in their lives. That's a form of projection.

Continue reading...
Any Space Can Be a Helping Space By Amanda Painter

We're about to transition from solar Leo (compassion, leadership, children) to solar Virgo (service, manifestation, teachers) -- and for anyone with kids or in education, it's back-to-school season. So what better time to highlight what appears to be a growing trend in many U.S. middle and elementary schools: teachers (and in some cases parents) taking a little time during their summer break to paint uplifting messages on schools' bathroom stalls.

It looks like the idea got widespread attention after teachers at Warren Middle School Forney ISD in Texas were spotlighted by USA Today last year -- though the article notes that, "One of the original schools to use this technique was Mary Moore Elementary," in Arlington, Texas. Educators came in on their own time to paint the decorative yet important messages on stall doors.

It's an instance of memes on social media offering the inspiration -- ironically -- to combat the kinds of growing pains and peer pressure that have arguably become more destabilizing for kids due to social media and smartphones.

"A lot of them address things that we hear on a day-to-day basis: 'Everyone else's life's perfect' or 'They get this, and I don't get that,'" said the school's Assistant Principal Kristy Mach.

"One of the goals was to create a culture of positivity and welcoming to our students, a place that our students and teachers want to be a part of and want to come to each and every day," Warren Middle School's new principal, Joshua Garcia, explained to USA Today.

The idea is to create a space of support and caring for middle schoolers who may be feeling lonely, or struggling in other ways.

"Our kids need to know that when they are in school that they are loved and cared for, and this is just one more way that we show it," said Tyson Jones, then-principal of Mary Moore Elementary.

As one of the Warren Middle School teachers explains in a video on the USA Today page, school bathrooms are where a lot of kids retreat to when they feel sad, or have a problem, or just need to get away from everyone for a few minutes. And while a painted sign is not the same as a conversation with an empathetic adult, the bathroom murals are a way of carrying teachers' caring voices into these spaces. That kind of service -- a hallmark of Virgo -- is something we can all carry out into the world in ways large and small, vocally or silently. Monthly Horoscopes and Publishing Schedule Notes

We published your extended monthly horoscope for August on Thursday, July 25. Your extended monthly horoscope for July was published on Thursday, June 27. Please note: we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope after the Sun has entered a new sign.

Aries (March 20-April 19) -- To be 'In the Zone' is a type of heightened awareness. Physical, mental and emotional focus all sync up to engage the task at hand so totally, that you tune out everything but the present moment, and enter a peak state through which you access optimal potential. The term was popularized in the sporting world, and athletes train rigorously in order to enter that state. You're in a profound process of re-fashioning your world; peeling away what you've outgrown, and building strong foundations based upon values that reflect more of who you really are. 'The Zone' awaits you with open arms, and with the right approach you can make important strides in coming days. Organization and discipline are your primary tools -- from there, follow your excitement. Working partnerships can be golden now. Healthy routines matter. Don't stress over the goal, but don't lose sight of practicality. This is your Tao of Zone for a while. Ideas are stalking you. -- By Victoria Emory Taurus (April 19-May 20) -- Look up the expression “Let Your Freak Flag Fly,” and you'll find approximately zero references to your sign. Yet Uranus is slow-walking your own private revolution, to liberate you from limiting self-concepts that you might not even realize were there. You're entering a powerful phase of creative discovery to help propel you in this direction. The genius of a child at play beckons, and the more you make room for a bit of joyful abandon, the more you'll be able to catch that ride. Creative projects should prove especially satisfying now; experimenting with self-expression in all forms has the potential for inspiring originality that can surprise even yourself. Enriching social encounters are equally possible, big time. Exciting frontiers may be explored even with partners of long standing. But you must give yourself permission. Look up 'Think Outside the Box' and you'll find approximately every reason to do so. To feel alive -- isn't that reason enough? -- By Victoria Emory Gemini (May 20-June 21) -- You're on the cusp of what can be a profound period of psychic integration and healing. Several aspect patterns repeat this message in coming days, and it's an opportunity to take seriously. Make yourself available by allowing yourself to withdraw from the constant drone of business as usual, as much as you can. Your roots, your past, your home and everything this means to you is the prime material you're working with. Aspects of your psyche are lining up to facilitate a kind of alchemical marriage, a union of opposing forces out of which a new birth is possible: a transformation that opens doors to greater wisdom and wholeness, on a foundational level. Gentle self-care will help. Paying attention to dreams will, too. This is a deeply personal process, but it's also possible to bring domestic partnerships to a place of greater depth and harmony at this time. Invite significant others along for the ride. -- By Victoria Emory Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Your mind has been firing on all cylinders lately, and that pace is about to accelerate. You may have noticed more energized identification with your ideas and especially forceful expression recently, but a window is opening through which your ability to perceive and express yourself can come from a place of unusual harmony: a balance between promoting your own agenda, and sensitivity to the relational environment, that will serve you well. Intense mental activity and focus on communications will increase in coming days; brilliant flashes of insight and original ideas are possible now, but so is nervous tension. Getting your body moving will help focus your mind and dissipate anxiety. Just a quick walk around the neighborhood can make the difference between enhanced mental prowess and thoughtless impulsivity. Added bonus: you could encounter unexpected inspiration along the way. -- By Victoria Emory Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) -- The words 'value' and 'valor' derive from a common root meaning strength. Courage. Worth. Keep this in mind as your focus on material resources increases in coming days. Your ability to attract what you require is blending in rare harmony with your will to go boldly after it. This works to your obvious advantage, and you may be able to reconnect with professional opportunities that were exciting a few months back, but since fell off the radar. Lay the groundwork, put out feelers and get organized. As the month winds down, leading up to and through next week's New Moon, excellent openings become available to connect with those who can further your interests. Like attracts like; remember that your power derives from inherent belief in your own worth. Proceed with a grounded, methodical approach, centered in your natural courage. -- By Victoria Emory Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) -- The wisdom-language of myth conjures a powerful image for your year ahead: the divine conception of the heroic -- the extraordinary virgin birth. This motif recurs throughout ancient lore, and is far from unique to Christianity. The solar rays first penetrate your sign tomorrow as the symbolic male and female forces (Mars and Venus) unite. The message indicates a rebirth from a place of psychic wholeness; a profound transformation; a potential to become your own hero. The hero's strength balances courage with love; that's how she or he overcomes obstacles and vanquishes darkness. Don't worry; you don't have to understand this with your mind alone. For now, simply focus on personal priorities, honor your body and psyche with care, and take time to recharge. This week's astrology brings another theme that repeats at next week's New Moon: this rebirth holds electrifying opportunities to expand your world in exciting ways. -- By Victoria Emory Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) -- That's quite a relationship you've got happening offstage, in the back of your mind; perhaps so far back it's a secret even from yourself. But that's where the action is, which is ramping up, so pay attention. What's playing out is easier to feel than to point at directly, so start there. Your ruling planet Venus has slipped behind the curtain to hook up with Mars in the most hidden, unconscious corner of your chart, and the Sun's presence spotlights their rendezvous. The direct current running between them and another, deeply personal, psychic center conveys a message of intense desire, perhaps denied, and working through emotional history that's been swept under the carpet. The good news is that you're wired for awakening, and relationship issues that might have haunted you are ripe for resolution. The more you balance inner work with attention to your body, the more fruitful the process will be. Self-esteem and physical wellbeing are inseparable. -- By Victoria Emory Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) -- What do relationships and lightning have in common? For starters, they're both intense agents of transformation, and can strike without warning. Uranus, the 'Great Awakener,' has begun work on your relational environment to shake things up; it's testing what works, what needs revision, and is presenting you with opportunities to learn that only the mirror of relating to others can. Your focus on future goals, and those who can help you realize them, is gathering momentum, and indicators as to how partnerships may factor in should flash across your screen in days ahead. Whether professional, intimate, platonic or some combination of each, tune your radar for connections that could play a significant role. You tend to keep what's going on inside pretty well concealed; just don't play games. Regardless of what's involved, remember that trust is the basis for any worthwhile relationship. -- By Victoria Emory Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) -- Professional aspirations will command your attention with increasing intensity in days ahead, and opportunities to reignite projects that have been on hold might seem to come out of the blue. What's in play is infused with an unusual degree of harmony between creative vision and hard-nosed will to succeed, and career-related partnerships may prove as personally enriching as they are productive. The potential for significant achievement is real, so don't let passing annoyances related to finances throw you off your game. Attention to detail and organized, grounded, cooperative efforts are the ticket now. Use this week to prepare and connect with colleagues, so that by the New Moon at month's end you'll be in position to go full speed. Heavy demands on your time and mental energies require conscientious self-care; the more in tune you are physically, the more you'll enjoy the ride. Prepare to be seen. -- By Victoria Emory Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) -- Location, location, location. Each has its own energetic signature, complete with unique probable timelines for any given series of events. Scheduled programming is bound to be a great deal more interesting on a different station than what you're usually tuned to, so adjust your dial accordingly. You needn't travel far, or even at all, in terms of spatial distance, but you'll expand your world in delicious ways by deliberately breaking up established routines and giving yourself permission to journey with your mind. It's Back-To-School season in the Northern Hemisphere, and if you've harbored any educational aspirations, now's the time to follow through. Even picking up a book you've thought about and re-arranging your normal schedule can lead to surprisingly uplifting experiences. If literal travel is an option, get packing. You need to explore some new territory. -- By Victoria Emory Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Desire; secrets; power; fear; deep, soul-level intimacy and transformation: that's the terrain emphasized in your chart right now, and the intensity will magnify. An opening for profound, psychic integration and healing is available, which extends into the subterranean reaches of your past and most private, inner world. Whatever this instinctually triggers for you is the place to start. If you think you've been there, done that, there's likely more going on beneath the surface than you're allowing yourself to notice. Emotionally honest exploration can clear the path to a new chapter in your relationships: to yourself, to your sexuality and to domestic or intimate partners -- past and future. Self-esteem and security programming weaves into all of this material, and is ripe for resolution. On a lighter note, significant encounters are also possible now, intimate or professional. Whatever the particulars may include, the impact should be illuminating. -- By Victoria Emory Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- This time of year always highlights your relational environment, but you're at the threshold of an especially powerful cycle right now. Over-arching themes involve integrating opposing psychic forces, within the framework of partnership: the outgoing, courageous and ego-oriented 'yang' with the receptive, sensitive and relationally oriented 'yin.' Whatever your circumstances, a renaissance in relations with others is possible; including your relationship with yourself. Opportunities are available for rich encounters that spark surprising insights and lead to original, transformative communications. Work undertaken for mutually fulfilling reasons, professionally or personally, should be especially gratifying. Note where any self-worth issues get activated: a message of healing informs this cycle, and it's a fine time to undertake work with a trusted counselor, if appropriate. To open in trust to another involves risk, but your greatest evolution is impossible without it. This is no time to go it alone. -- By Victoria Emory