Earth Lushness at a Rainforest Stream. Image courtesy of PDpics.

In the spirit of the current Virgo-Mysteries saturation, it’s perfectly timely (very Virgo) to revisit The Virgo Mysteries – Keepers of the Flame musing.

Virgo’s essence is wholeness, though other Virgoan qualities include: mindfulness, discernment, the power of the word, sovereignty, Believing Mirrors, healing, present-moment awareness that is grounded in little things done as if they’re the most sacred actions.

Those little actions add up.

Virgo shadow?

Withering criticism, nattering nabob of negativism, control-freakery, nitpicking on steroids, Diminishing Mirrors, a toxic misuse of the word (whether witting or not), hypochondria, and a non-amusing and tedious excess of fastidiousness.

Which leaves those on the receiving end of the chronic hen-peckery feel hopeless, like they may as well give up, stay in bed, cuz why bother when it’s impossible to achieve shadow-Virgoan perfectionism.

Or being prone to numb out, bliss out, or escape (attempting to achieve the bliss that ‘reality’ lacks) through substances (Pisces shadow).

Sirene, by Gaston Hoffman (1883-1926). Public domain image {US-PD}.

Virgo’s partner on the Wheel is Pisces, and with both Chiron and Neptune essences active in the Energies of Now, it’s a challenge to be focused and mindful while feeling the unifying, dreamy, liminal, oceanic fog of Neptune.

Like the mythic stories of Avalon, whose mists only the initiated priestesses could navigate.

The uninitiated found themselves lost in the fog, without the skill, discernment, and orienting clues to find their way through.

Those priestesses? Virgo-Pisces mystery adepts.

With this week’s New Moon near Virgo’s end, plus the Sun, Mars, Mercury and (very soon) Venus immersing in terra-Virgo, opposite Chiron and Neptune in oceanic, boundary dissolving, liminal Pisces, I often notice the diffusiveness … fog head.

Trying to ‘push the river’ is futile and fatiguing.

Where Mars (Lifeforce, energy) and Neptune (diffusive, flow) are concerned (I have them squaring off in my natal chart, so it’s been a lifelong study), I notice those tidal ebbs and flows in my own energy, and I hear the same from friends and clients (who often become friends).

The Path, by Nicholas Roerich.

That means being mindful and discerning about the use of my energy, but also focused and aware of how and towards what that energy wants to flow, or not.

Attempting to hold back or reverse the tidal flow leaves you feeling drained and fatigued.

Discerning and focusing on where energy wants to flow feels more graceful and effortless, and that means being in the body, not floating around in or above the head.

Being aware (paying attention), mindful and discerning about how we use those Virgo and Pisces ‘magics’ makes the difference between having a healing or toxic ‘word’ and presence.

Virgo is a Feminine Earth sign, and Pisces a Feminine Water sign, so this is grounded, centered inspiration, vision, spiritual practice, dream-seeding … little steps with big effects. Engaged spirituality. Mystic activism. It’s not esoteric or airy-fairy spiritual bypassing.

For more illumination on the Virgo Mysteries (and related inspiration-links):

Virgo Mysteries: Tending the Sacred, Keeping the Flame

For guidance and clues on more gracefully navigating the Energies of Now — or becoming more mindful and aware of how to work with the energies and clues generally:

Current Featured Mentor-Coaching and Sophiastrology Offerings.

Big Love,

Jamie

Featured Image Credit: The Blue Bird, 1918, by Frank Cadogan Cowper (1877-1958). PD-US. Gorgeous.