Virgo (August 23- September 21)
Virgo Quote: A physician without a knowledge of astrology has no right to call himself a physician … There is one common flow, one common breathing, all things are in sympathy. ~ Hippocrates 

Essential Nature of Virgo:
The essential nature of Virgo is shaped by the season of late summer and early fall, when the sun is in the sign of Virgo. This is the time right before the first harvesting of the crops, when it is important to ensure that what is harvested is going to be able to sustain and support the community. Virgo energy wants to ensure that everyone has what they need to thrive and survive during the long days of winter. This is what forms the service-oriented nature of this sign: the desire to prepare and plan ahead for the good of the tribe. Following the extroverted celebration of life that is the nature of the sign of Leo, the Virgo season (August 23-Septmember 21), is concerned with sustaining and preserving the very life force energy that Leo has just so joyfully expressed. 

Virgo is Acquainted with:
Virgo is intimately acquainted with the best food, healthcare, exercise and routines that can help create and maintain health and vitality for everyone. Virgo also rules over domesticated animals such as cats and dogs, small beings that contribute to the health of humans by providing love and companionship. Put simply, Virgo’s have a gift: the ability to create perfect environments for life. Unfortunately, this gift is sometimes underappreciated, simply because it is so necessary. As an earth sign, Virgo is closely associated with concern for the environment and an ability to know just what to do to take better care of the earth. Just as we often forget how dependent we are on the planet for survival, it is also easy to miss all the essential ways that Virgo energy contributes to our lives. 

Capitalize on the Virgo Season: 
The best way to capitalize on the Virgo season is to meditate on just what it is that you want to sustain you throughout the fall and winter. Plan ahead, clear out old clutter, and create new systems of organization that will help you more easily complete tasks for the future.
Now is the time to can or freeze summer fruits and vegetables that can be eaten later, to mend clothes that you might wear as the weather gets colder, and to get business plans in place that you want to carry out as the fall season begins.

This is also a good period to recommit to health routines that you might have let lag over the summer time. Return to the gym, yoga, hiking or whatever form of exercise it is that feeds your body the most. Review your diet and make any necessary changes. Look at your daily routines and assess what might need to be altered to alleviate the stress in your life, and make for an easier day, week or month. 

Virgo Challenges: 
Virgo challenges can involve feelings of guilt, perfectionism, obsessive worry and a critical worldview, so it can be important to release these tendencies during this time. Try to approach your efforts at self-care with feelings of love and acceptance, rather than a feeling of “must get it just right, or I/they will suffer.” The Virgo lesson is to express its desire to serve with an attitude of self-acceptance and self-esteem. Recognize that it is possible to serve with feelings of pleasure and enjoyment, while also receiving praise and appreciation. As Virgo demands recognition and respect for the essential services that they provide, everyone benefits: humans, plants and animals. 

Important Moon Dates: 
The new moon on August 31st is in the sign of Virgo and offers a fresh start and new beginnings for all those with their sun and rising sign in Virgo, particularly those born within five days of this date. If you were born on, or around August 31st, you are coming out from the limiting and focalizing energy of Saturn, which effected you all of last year, and entering a whole new terrain of possibility. Plant the seeds of the future you want to manifest, and make wishes to help this future come to life. Themes to focus on include: health and wellness, work, service and mentorship and anything concerning your pets or animals. 
The full moon for the Virgo season takes place on September 15th, and because it is in a close aspect to the trickster planet Uranus, those born within 5 days of this date can plan on a year that is interesting, unusual and full of surprises. This full moon promises to be somewhat explosive, though in a way that is hard to predict. The Sun in Virgo opposing the Moon in Pisces introduces a theme that revolves around both the physical and spiritual nature of service. We may be introduced to new and different ways to connect and help others now, or find ourselves moved to give unexpectedly. If your birthday falls near this date, you will be particularly affected by this full moon, and the aftershocks (good and bad), will reverberate throughout the year.

Void of Course Days to Watch for: 
September 10th 6:16 am pdt to September 11th 12:20am pdt The moon is void of course all day on September 10th, so this is a day to avoid any important appointments or meetings, but a great day to plan a retreat, get an intuitive or astrological reading, or take a break from the hustle and bustle of the everyday world.