Henry Seltzer ~ The Painful Presence Of The Virgo Full Moon [1]
Astrograph [2]February 23 2013
With Monday’s Full Moon [3] in Virgo [4] we come to an important turning point in our journey toward greater self-knowledge and integration. This moment in the lunation cycle represents some sense of culmination in what we have been attempting in the two weeks since the New Moon [5] of February 9th, and is accompanied by a Pisces [4] line-up involving six planets, including the Sun. Although one of these, Venus [6], is not officially in Pisces [4] until evening-time, she hovers on the very brink of entrance into the magical sign of Neptune [6]‘s rulership. With Venus [6] in the final degree of Aquarius [4], we are absorbing the lessons of detachment in relationship, the other side of the coin of merging and connecting. Venus [6] coming into Pisces [4] represents a different flavor of relating – we come into closer connection with spiritual purpose, and with the angel inside ourselves and in each other. This is indeed a special and a very mystical period of time. The Sun [6] is in conjunction with Chiron [6], the Wounded Healer, with the Moon [6] opposed, while Mercury [6] completes its turn to retrograde motion in conjunction with Mars [6], also in Pisces [4], promoting inner work over outer activity.
The Full Moon [3] also makes a T-square to Jupiter [6] in Mercury [6]‘s sign of Gemini [4], promoting an optimistic mental attitude, together with the spiritual energy for active contemplation, another chime with Pisces [4] and Neptune [6]. Neptune [6] itself resides in early Pisces [4], near Chiron [6] and the Sun. Mars [6] in close conjunction with retrograde Mercury [6] completes the sextuple of Piscean planetary energies. Then, too, since Mercury [6] is beginning its five-week cycle of retrograde motion and the regaining of its lost zodiacal ground, returning to where it started on the weekend of February 23rd, there is a strongly meditative element expressed all through this last part of February and on into March and April. Mercury [6] remains in Pisces [4] until mid-April, stationing direct on March 17th and only escapes its retrograde shadow on April 6th.