August 30 - November 5, 2021
Our fleet-footed friend has now left his home of Virgo, but is well met in the airy marketplace of Libra. Mercury-Hermes, prince of thieves, athletes, merchants, messengers and movers of all kinds, dances atop the cosmic scales, doing Venus’s bidding, while she surveys her buzzing hive, and rules over the social milieu. His tricks, her treats; his cleverness, her cool—it’s bound to be an entertaining time. With a concentration of planetary players in Libra and Virgo at the moment, we find ourselves entering a liminal corner of the Zodiac, where things are in flux, and the seasonal shift heralds turning points of all kinds.
Mercury in Libra will highlight our network of connections, and the mind turns to the sphere of ideals and aesthetics, which contains concepts of freedom, justice, society, art and beauty. We are ready for dialogue, whether it’s casual conversation or more serious subjects. It could be politics or pillow talk, money matters or mask mandates or makeovers—they are all on the table to be worked out and we are desirous of agreement. Come the end of September, when our traveler goes retrograde, our equilibrium may be tested, but more on that when the time comes. For now, this is a welcome time for friends and lovers; and an activation of the place in our charts and lives where we hold the Libran mirror. What beauty, what truths, what lessons do you see reflected in its surface?
August 22 - September 22, 2021
“Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man…” goes the old nursery rhyme; and its earliest known version, from a 15th century book about chess: “Labourer, Smith, Clerk, Merchant, Physician, Taverner, Guard and Ribald” in describing the pawn. Whether we’re playing chess, or adding up buttons, or foretelling our futures with our friends, there is something about this counting game that reminds me of the ones we count on most: Virgos, the sons and daughters of the grain goddess, stewardess over us all, and of Mercury-Hermes, the clever companion and friend to man.
All mutable signs want to move their energy and give away their gifts, but Virgo is the most gift-giving in nature. Born at the first sign of waning light, they know the importance of making hay while the Sun shines—in every sense—and of the inevitable sacrifices we all must make, to each other, to the world, to life itself. The hustle, bustle and hum of everyday living is the mercurial made manifest. For Virgo hands, the dividends are in the details and the doing. To see with Virgo eyes is to notice the little things that everyone else seemingly misses or overlooks; and to use its natural discernment to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. And to follow the Virgo heart is to want to harvest something from life, in service to the nourishment of all, and to betterment itself.
This is the season for dropping down into the body and for coming down to earth, after the fiery fun of Leo is passed. It is a time for holding ourselves and others to our highest standards; and for honoring contributions of all creatures, great and small, to the world.
They say the higher the hair, the closer to God, and the Sun, enjoying a last hurrah in Leo, will concur. So this weekend, while the Moon is fully reflecting our star’s golden glow, grab your glitter, your glam and your hairspray, and go big. But while this one is about volume, it is not about the tease: it is in service to authenticity, and to your realest self. And it’s here (I’m here) to give us all a pep talk.
In the early morning sky on Saturday, the Sun and Moon will lock eyes and do their dance in the final degrees of their signs, while Jupiter, conjunct the Moon, hypes up the crowd, and amplifies the last of the Leo lessons; namely: how we take up our god-given space in this world, and our relationship to being seen and heard. Like it or not and to some degree, we will all take turns in life watching and being watched, influencing and being influenced, inspiring and being inspired. So when we turn the camera lens on ourselves, let’s aspire to like what we see, because our individual star power originates from within.
The particular polarities of this pair of signs create the following caveats to bear in mind: that confidence and humility are two sides of the coin of leadership; that specialness and weirdness are two sides to the coin of uniqueness; that individuality and community are two sides of the coin of Self. Aquarius teaches us that, in life (to quote Ram Dass), we are all just walking each other home, so let’s have a care for each other and remember our common humanity. And—says Leo—in the end, what matters more is not what others think of us but how we feel about ourselves.
This is a time to think consciously about where and how you direct your energy. It is also validation that self-love isn’t selfish, and fun isn’t frivolous. It’s vital! So go toward your best light—meaning, find your niche, play to your strengths, and follow your heart. Dance your own steps—meaning, allow yourself to innovate, and to play. “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” under these Friday night lights. It may sound like a paradox, but being true to yourself is your gift to the world.
