September Theme: Clean-up Time

By Simone Butler

In one of my earliest memories, my mother and I are bent over the nubby brown living room carpet, painstakingly picking up crayons. I scream as she forces me, her hand clasped over mine, to keep my promise of putting away my toys--no matter how long it takes.

Mom was a Virgo. Though caring and gentle, she was a stickler for order. As the Sun moved into her sign this week, I invoked her patience and perseverance to help me make it through the final lap of renovations. My parents' home, which I inherited, has been in disarray since April. Now it's almost complete, and I'm moving back in.

While the Sun is in earthy Virgo (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) we hone in on details, refurbish our nest, redefine our work and take better care of ourselves. The Aug. 28 Virgo New Moon (8:04 p.m. PDT) is the perfect time to launch a clutter-bust or commit to a hearth or health makeover. The New Moon's trine to Pluto in Capricorn lends potency, wisdom and efficiency. And, trickster Mercury will have just turned direct on Aug. 26, greasing the wheels of progress after a stressful three-week retrograde. If you need to make an important purchase or begin a creative project, the New Moon energies along with a beautiful Venus/Jupiter trine on Aug. 29 are ideal.

September promises calm and productivity. It's a month for purging old habits and detritus from our bodies, minds and homes, and moving ahead. In Virgo, we tap into Sacred Vulture medicine. Native traditions tell us that Vulture feeds on the remains of the dead, clearing away the past and releasing karmic patterns. Vulture swoops down to clean up filth and corruption on Earth, helping us do the same in our personal lives.

Transformational Pluto, retrograde since early April, turns direct on Sept. 16, bringing power and punch to our efforts at reform. My home renovation began in April; Pluto's forward turn triggers its completion. Whatever you've been working on or struggling with since April should also come to fruition. Set your intention at the August 28 New Moon. Call on Sacred Vulture to help you purge the past and move forward. And, if you need any help picking up your crayons, just light a candle to my Virgo mama--I'm sure she'd be happy to oblige!

Here's an Astro Feng Shui New Moon ritual to purify the Health gua at the center of your home and boost your well being in the process.

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