Sorting Seeds
Harnessing this Virgo Moon Cycle to Collect and Reflect
“Mommy, Mommy! It smells like dates!!” I can still hear my young son’s excited shrieks, as he runs up to me, wild enthusiasm lighting up his face. His exuberance has always been catching, and so I’d stop and sniff the air with him, my own smile mirroring his. There we’d stand, in front of our little house, surrounded by acres of date palms, celebrating and welcoming the harvest season. Here in the desert, where many farm fields are used for 3-season-growing, the date palms native to desert regions only give up their delicate fruit once a year - starting in early September. I’ve not yet caught the sweet scent of dates on the air, but we’re close – and as in every year, that is something to celebrate.
Coinciding with harvest season in the northern hemisphere is the sun’s movement into the sign of Virgo, which happened on Friday, August 22nd, closely followed by a new moon at 0° 23’ Virgo. While Virgo is an earth sign - practical and grounded, its traditional ruler is Mercury, associated with quick thought and its namesake messenger of the gods. In this way, Virgo can be seen to connect mind and body, aethereal and grounded, the practical application of a reasoned approach. This often manifests as discernment or sorting the seeds of our lives to determine what to keep and what to toss before planning the next steps. In times such as these, Virgo can also help us ground amid the chaos, take a deep breath, connect to the earth under our feet, and decide how to move forward.
After yesterday’s new moon, we are now in the waxing phase, which will culminate in a full moon and lunar eclipse on September 7th. Waxing moons are building and gathering phases. I love the timing of this year in terms of an annual review. I am generally not the best at celebrating, tending instead to rush on to the next thing without always acknowledging what came before. As I head into these next two weeks, look back and sort the seeds of the year, I am asking myself what positive moments and experiences can I gather? Amid all the chaos, what went well in my tiny universe? What is cause for celebration? I invite you to join me in exploring this between now and the full moon. Then, on or near September 7th, take a moment to consciously celebrate those moments – make a special meal, gather with friends, throw up your hands and dance, or just write a congratulatory note to yourself and hang it up somewhere visible. No gesture is too big or too small – do whatever feels right to you.
The next step, in the liminal space between the full moon/lunar eclipse and the next new moon/solar eclipse, also in Virgo, on September 21st, is to flip the script and examine what can be let go of. What didn’t go so well over the last year? What moments of loss and uncertainty can we offer up to the compost heap to feed new experiences in this next cycle? What aspects of your life or behavior have overstayed their welcome and what concrete steps can you take to usher them out and make room for something new? In this way, we can embrace this year’s Virgo moon cycle and lean into both sides of the harvest – the fully ripe, usable fruit to be enjoyed and savored, and that which is best tilled into the field to decompose and nourish next year’s crop.
As the days slowly become cooler, take some time, too, to put your feet on the ground, connect with the land around you, and appreciate the beauty and generosity of this amazing planet we live on. What can you do to show your appreciation for your little piece of the world? Does the local wildlife need a little extra water? Can you collect some seeds to scatter next year? Is there an area near you that could use a hand in collecting trash? Or can you just take a few moments to slow down, sit, and observe the world around you – to give it the gift of your attention? What do you notice in these moments? What can you see that you might have missed before? Tell a friend, or better yet, bring them outside with you and show them!
I’d love to hear how this goes for you! Feel free to comment below. 😊
Yay, love that, Lori! Sorry for the slow response - I had a bout of covid to help me stay still and reflect - lol. 💚
Love this Kim! You and I on the same page for this Virgo season <3