Full Moon Blessings to you all with this energising Virgo moon, the last full moon of Winter. We have the contrasting qualities of a dreamy Pisces Sun and a grounding earthy Virgo. Together they bring creative energy which is strengthened by the Venus presence adding more inspiration and compassion where required. Make use of the Virgo qualities to organise, clear out and get the essential jobs done to allow yourself to be in a much better place for Spring arriving soon. The astrologers are encouraging self-care, working on our shadows and using a mindful approach to our daily tasks that help to keep our world clean, nurturing and in order.
Feeling the need for a deep clean? Are there any areas that despite extra time at home we've been avoiding de-cluttering or passing on? Then seize this opportunity to clear the energy and freshen up with this methodical Virgo energy. Virgos are great at breaking down big tasks into manageable pieces and we can start small and get satisfaction from clearing the dumping drawer or bag hidden in the cupboard. See it as making space for new and exciting things to develop in your life.
Simone Butler, author of Astro Feng Shui recommends placing a ceramic bowl of lemons in the central area of your home. This area is related to our health, a strong Virgo quality, and therefore it needs to present a clear and vibrant energy. She explains by having yellow in this area we help to create balance in our health, and with the earth element of Virgo bringing in a natural connection is beneficial too. A vase of daffodils here in the UK sounds like a quick way to achieve that or as Simone suggests the bowl of lemons to bring in vitality and freshness. Let's add in a lemon essence oil and enhance the experience to even more of our senses.
April Elliot Kent is recommending we have a more mindful approach to the daily tasks that we all need to do as part of our existence with this moon cycle. By being conscious and giving them our full attention we will find a spiritual connection in them and they will cease to become just another chore on our to do list.
Suthesh is very good at this. He can become completely immersed in a house painting task or on preparing vegetables for a meal. Time stands still for him during these tasks, he will be fully focused and concentrating on only what he's doing. This is something he's been encouraging the yoga community to do for years and I feel it has great benefits when we do find that peace in our daily lives. My artwork is like that for me, I can become so focused on what I'm doing the hours pass so quickly but I feel greatly satisfied from what I've created.
During lockdown I've heard people say that they find preparing meals relaxing. That's the joy in being able to have fresh foods and prepare them to nurture our mind and body. As a society we've spent a lot of time and money designing gadgets and tools to make these jobs 'easier' and quicker and give us more time, and yet the mindful peeling and slicing of veggies is part of the day when we are brought out of our over thinking brains and back down to Earth to be grounded and process what we need to. I think more people would need less stress busting strategies if they gave themselves this time in the day and embraced it fully as April recommends.
" Virgo is the sign of habit, but equally the sign of ritual. Ritual is not magic; it is ordinary, everyday action performed with magical intention. It is the union of practical and spiritual, Virgo's practicality and Pisces' sensitivity. It is honouring spirit through the offering of our humble earthly abilities- modestly, with love and devotion."
" Ritual is ordinary action carefully performed with extraordinary intention. It is how we honour the invisible with visible gestures." April Elliot Kent
The body part associated with Virgo is our gut and as mentioned earlier we have the Sun in Pisces connected to our feet. The important digestive system which helps us to not only process the foods we eat but the information our body receives. A balanced yoga practise is constantly massaging our gut and abdominal organs helping it with both of these tasks. For a restorative posture to support this I recommend a seated forward bend, placing a bolster or pillow on your legs so you can sink deep down into the posture and notice what comes up or release through it. To connect to your feet in this posture you could use a belt around the balls of the feet and play around with pressure and then releasing. Like the playful movement used in baby yoga, when the Mum uses her hands to push into the baby's feet, have fun with it and notice our foundation, as we all too often neglect them.
Cathy Pagano talks about self-care and forgiveness being a focus of this Full Moon in Virgo.
" It is the full moon that forgives us all our mistakes, all the pain and darkness in us, all our self-loathing. Because Virgo sees the lessons learned and can integrate them into a new wholeness. Virgo can knit all those parts into a new pattern. The darkness isn't bad - it's just dark. Once you can acknowledge it and work with it, you can see the old pattern and let it go. "
She continues by saying, " But before we get swept into its tidal currents, this Full Moon wants us to realise something. We need to forgive ourselves. We need to forgive life for being hard. We need to accept that we have been through an intense initiation. And that we've all passed. "
Take time with this full moon to fully recognise the journey you've been on and how far you've come since last March. It really has been a time of intense self-development.
Cathy says "Channel your inner mother and take care of the new life you have birthed. The world needs each one of us to help heal it. "
I fully believe that. It's the small steps forward with a conscious decision that send out positive messages to the wider world. Each of us plays a part and each of us has to decide whether we add to the chaos sometimes presented to us by the media or choose a different path, the peaceful one to help find the balance we're all seeking from within.
" For the part can never be well unless the whole is well." Plato
Cathy also urges us to not allow the feelings of insecurity that may arise with Saturn in Aquarius at this time prevent us from developing our new ideas. Instead, she encourages us to use the energy wisely to help you organise things around you so your new priorities, ideas and dreams can be brought to light.
Divine harmony also emphasises the need for self-care. For those of us working in a caring/nurturing environment of others this is so important. Carers need time set aside for themselves to prevent burnout, exhaustion and staff running on an empty tank damaging their own health by giving so much to others.
In 2019 my late Godmother decided to sign herself out of the local hospice and travel to Spain to what was to be her last holiday. On arriving in Spain to find her at one of the few hospices there I was inspired and uplifted by the environment she was in for the last days of her life. The outdoor view and accessibility to a garden from her own private room was something I'd never experienced in hospices here in the UK. When I heard that the staff received regular Reiki treatments themselves as part of their health and wellbeing I was delighted. I think this should be made available to all carers or a therapy of their choice. It's much easier to give when we've looked after ourselves first and through my own experience lockdown has provided me with the opportunity for more of that myself. I'm happily busy and not giving out too much. It's taken me a long time to realise that in order to do my work as I want to I need to give the best of me and not what's left of me. Giving self-care and taking time for more mediation and relaxation has given me that. We must take time to attend to our own needs before we head out to take care of others. The golden rule of flying that we put our own oxygen mask on first should be applied to all areas of our life.
Some of us may be feeling out of balance or insecure with the changes happening around us and Divine Harmony suggests that working with the body and the emotions will help the transition process. She says," the body is the earth, the emotions are water - these are the two feminine elements that often get denied, avoided or shut down. The body is our sacred temple, and our emotions are information and key to full embodiment and full incarnation. Divine Harmony believes that in order to evolve we need to work deeply with all our emotions not just the pleasant ones.
She is offering courses online if anyone feels drawn to doing that at this time, see her website.
I had to do a lot of inner work when I was suddenly forced to stop with ME many years ago. I's allowed my life to become so stressful, I was working and studying too much, not eating right and had ignored the signals my body had been sending me that something wasn't right.
It wasn't easy but I was determined that my life wasn't going to be over, and I was prepared to do anything to regain my strength and get well enough to complete my teaching degree requirements. One of the self-help books I discovered at that time was by Louise E Hay called 'The Power is Within You.' I remember being attracted to this book because of the title, energy was something I had very little of and so I began researching it and this led me to her book. At that time, I had no idea on how prominent a teacher she is. It was a lucky find.
With the motivation and focus for positive change I believe anyone can face their shadows and get through them. It's not pleasant and can be exhausting, but the relief and lightness that comes from going through them is far worth it. I highly recommend her book if you wish to work thorough your emotions and more bring more positivity into your inner world. I haven't read her book in almost 20 years - just looking at the contents page today has already made me realise this could be really useful to a lot of people looking for answers today. Without knowing I'd read this book Suthesh sent me a link to it recently which was a double confirmation that this should be shared.
For support and guidance working with a therapist for deep inner work is something I highly recommend. It's a very brave request to reach out for help when we feel the need and is not something we should be ashamed of or guilty of. We each deserve to be listened to without judgement, shame or anger. Sometimes a qualified therapist is the best way to achieve this. To anyone feeling overwhelmed I would highly recommend seeking a supportive therapist to talk things through with. If talking isn't your thing then art therapy could be useful. Without verbalising it the emotions can be expressed in drawings and paintings and processed as they need to be. I've found this highly beneficial in the past and would recommend trying it.
This has ended up being a bit heavy today but perhaps this is what's required as we prepare to leave behind the dark half of the year and enter the light. The longer days returning and the sight of colour into our landscape is very uplifting.
Being a Virgo myself health is something I feel very passionate about however I will be making time for fun and nonsense too and remember to see the funny side of things, the power of laughter to heal and lighten the mood should never be forgotten.
Blessings,
Sarah
Questions to ask:
How can I release my anger without it hurting others?
Am I spending enough time on my own self-care?
Am I nurturing my soul with what it wants?
What am I losing patience with ?
What areas of my life have become stale and boring ?
Bach Flower Essence Suggestions:
Pine - for feelings of guilt
Holly - when we're feeling angry or jealous of others
Impatiens - for when we're quick tempered and lack patience
Crab Apple - for self-cleansing, when we pick at our appearance in the mirror
Honeysuckle - for when we're thinking back to the past and feeling life was better then
Centuary - when we find it difficult to say no to others, weak-willed
Clematis - for when we're not in the present moment, daydreaming to escape our surroundings
Walnut - Adjustment to change and times of transition, also good to protect sensitive people from outside influences, known as the chain breaker
You can order the above Flower Essences from healingherbs.co.uk. They're not expensive and will last a long time.
If anyone would like a one to one Bach Consultation then please email Sarah who will suggest a combination bottle to suit your individual requirements.
A new outline again this month of the vibrant yellow we're encouraged to have in the centre of our home to help balance our health.
To read what the Astrology experts are saying: