By the time of the New Moon on September 2nd, Mercury will have completed its retrograde period on August 28, and by September 13 moved out of the retrograde shadow, making for greater ease with communication, technology, scheduling, and travels.

This Virgo New Moon brings with it the energy of service and perfection, two traits strongly associated with Virgo. Being a mutable earth sign, Virgos are generally adaptable, and grounded, and get a strong sense of satisfaction through helping others. Virgos like to analyze themselves, other people, and life situations, and are known to get caught up in the tiniest details of life. A tendency toward perfectionism is highlighted this New Moon cycle because the Sun and moon are in opposition to Saturn, a planet associated with achievement and striving for excellence. The earthy nature of Virgo, combined with the organizational ability of Saturn suggests that the first week of September is a good period to get things in order and for those folks going back to school, or with kids heading back to school, there may be extra energy available for planning and thinking ahead. Saturn likes seeing the big picture and set goals, while the luminaries in Virgo can pay attention to the details.

Complicating things a bit, Saturn in Pisces is currently in a square to Jupiter in Gemini until April 2025. These two planets represent opposing energies. Saturn is the planet of contraction, while Jupiter expands. Saturn represents realism, and Jupiter idealism. Saturn tends to worry and fret, while Jupiter trusts. This square will be felt most strongly, by people born under or with many planets in the mutable signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces, though everyone will experience this to some extent. This planetary combination offers a unique opportunity to integrate the principles of expansion and contraction wherever you feel conflict in your life. If you are anxious, take a moment to feel gratitude, and if you are overconfident, take a moment for a reality check. Learning to keep your idealism and realism in balance is an excellent use of this energy.