Mercury transits Virgo from Aug 7 - 27, 2015
Click here to learn about Mercury. Click here to learn about Virgo.
A friend linked an article to me recently that tells a very different story about Virgo than what we are accustomed to hearing. Thanks to these new insights, I’m really excited for the upcoming Virgo season. She’s not neurotic or nitpicky or anal, Virgo is a badass goddess with total agency over her body and choices, and she’s here to set the record straight. Mercury last transited Virgo from Aug 15 – Sep 2, 2014. Any themes that predominated then will now resurface.
Efficient speech
Mercury in Virgo gets his point across in the most efficient manner possible. Virgo has a reputation for being dry, uptight or even cynical because she speaks in a straightforward, factual way. When properly channeled, Mercury in Virgo demonstrates the virtue of patience and self-discipline. It’s time to reframe our dialog around this exquisite sign. Mercury in Virgo is concise and practical, yes, but there’s a whole field of wheat to be harvested and the daylight’s burning! You would do well to be just as methodical, focused and thorough if you had such a job to do. This is the awakening of the inner worker bee.
Mercury rules Virgo, so he is “at home” here as we say in astrology. Planets at home are auspicious placements. Virgo is a familiar voice at the end of summer, whispering that perhaps it would be nice to reinstate a routine, a daily program. It’s time to prune, to sort, to clear out all that no longer serves us. Virgo rules mundane work such as chores and cleaning as well as bodily health and nutrition; she loves to be of help to others, especially in health and beauty-related fields. Yes, she can be quite particular about these areas of life. As such, imbalanced Virgos are typically lacking in this department: prone to messes, poor health regimen, no distinct routine. Mercury in Virgo demonstrates that even minimal attention to detail and organization can be of great help. Virgo gets a bad rap for being so concerned with precision and perfection, but this is how she accomplishes all that she does. The trick is learning when to leave the mind - read: stop thinking! - and return to the body, to the hands, to the field before us.
Axis of reality
Mercury transited Virgo’s opposite sign (Pisces) in March earlier this year. Through this axis, we delve into reality (Virgo) versus dreams (Pisces). Pisces energy makes life feel illogical, irrational…rambling, utopian, subjective, even delusional when imbalanced. Mercury in Pisces is the proverbial death of the outward personality. Mercury in Virgo does not have the luxury of slipping into a reverie - she must constantly judge the usefulness of all that surrounds and inhabits her soul. Mercury in Pisces is scattered and doesn’t mind. There is no point to be made, no message to get across, just deep and abiding presence. Mercury in Virgo is equally present, but with a definitive plan of action in mind.
With Mercury in Pisces, we allow the mind to relax. The fishes struggle to attain that which comes effortlessly (seemingly) to Virgo. Whereas Virgo masterfully juggles many responsibilities at once, Pisces finds it difficult to remain devoted to more than one endeavor at a time. Mercury in Pisces is rather undisciplined, disorganized, disconnected from time and space. Mercury in Virgo rids our life of excess; Mercury in Pisces blends, confuses, muddles, swirls…the inclination here is to glance, to gloss, to slip away. With Mercury in Virgo, we learn instead to harness the power of objective analysis and productive critical thinking. Pisces and Virgo both have a habit of stuffing thoughts and feelings deep in the psyche. With Virgo this manifests as constant criticism and harsh words, both to others and the Self; Pisces chooses to simply ignore the building pressure within, giving the Self and others free passes and endless second chances.
If it’s not broke…
It’s time to examine the apparent “order” of daily life and the manner in which we carry the Self through this strange external world. When imbalanced, we might be self-conscious. One major challenge for Virgo is learning how to let go – to let things be as they are. Virgo can be quite nervous and cautious. It is in her nature to want to fix everything, but not everything can or should be fixed! Think coordination rather than control.
If you were born with Mercury in Virgo, these next few weeks are your Mercury Return. If you don’t know your personal Mercury sign, click here. To learn more about how this transit affects you personally, please contact me for more insight.
Mantra: I speak with purpose