The heavy energies of the last several lunations have not gone away, and now we are feeling that accumulation of a burden which is compounded by a nervous tension of worry for the future. As the passions of Leo are subsiding, we are faced with the havoc it wreaked, and all the work that needs to get done, which was left behind. We are in a sort of a muddle and we need to get things right. It is the New Moon that takes place on 3 September 2024, at 11:12 GMT, and at 11 degrees and 03 minutes of Virgo. The endings and completions of the last three months have left a lot of debris behind, but also a lot of useful and unexpectedly beautiful stuff that can be used productively for the future. The point is that we have to sift through it and make a rational sense of it.

Virgo seasons tend to be more quiet and clean in energy and concerned with the practical aspects of life, as well as the least glamorous service to others, the environment, connection with the physical world in a more humble way. The ruler of Virgo is Mercury, also the ruler of Gemini. And we have a lot of movement, shifting energies and expanding possibilities with Jupiter and Uranus having a long sojourn in Gemini. They are shaking up Gemini, and create a restless atmosphere around its sibling sign of Virgo. Indeed, brotherhood, sisterhood, family relationships, ties to our roots and family, the immediate environment around us and familiar routines and habits are strongly affected.

But the energies do not look like a walk in the park. It wouldn’t ever be with the Virgo obsession of helping others and with healing the world. Sitting on the axis with Pisces that has already transcended the physical world to imaginary realms, the push and pull tension is unmistakable.

Here we have the Knight of Wands coming to our rescue. Or is it us, the Knight of Wands, that is heading towards a friend, or a family member or colleague, to defend and offer protection? Either way the Virgo energies are manifesting unequivocally, and we’ll all be feeling them before we even know it. Knights are fast moving servants of higher lords. Wands represent fire. Virgo’s ruler, and ruler of this lunation, Mercury moves fast. Virgo’s earthiness will not be hindering, but rather grounding this quickness of pace and of decision making. We are being discerning. We are analysing and organising. This curious card from the Dante Tarot deck has the Knight riding forwards on a horse – with two heads on his shoulders, a rudder and keys – representing sudden, almost god-like help, arriving quickly and unexpectedly, from a friendly, yet, stranger support, as is depicted by the shield with the different coat of arms on the ground. Moreover, the faces on the Knight’s shoulder reference Demeter (Ceres), goddess of agriculture, fertility and crops, and Dionysus (Bacchus) god of wine-making, orchards and fruit bearing. The Knight is carrying a huge staff. This is such a powerful scene alluding to a strong protection drive of wealth creation, healthy disposition and fruitful outcomes for the future.

Look at the Page of Coins as the third card and be mindful. We do not want to end up miserly and arid, filled with suspicion and mistrust. Saturn is opposing the new moon, so whatever we are starting now, has both the potential for longevity, as well as finding limitations on the way, obstacles to overcome and a negating power baked into the mix. Action planet Mars will be frustrated through his square to Neptune. Yet another challenge to overcome. Mars wants concrete plans and a vision to fight for, he doesn’t like doubts and uncertainty. But that’s what he’s going to get. So we better prepare for a very long next six months ahead of us, until Mars gets out of the square and away from his upcoming retrograde in Cancer and Leo.

The Page of Coins or Pentacles here, is an unusual one, but well-aligned with the lunation’s energies. He talks of a relative (same coat of arms as depicted to that of the house) who is jealous (rooster on shoulder, wings, eyes and ears on clothing and thorny branches on the ground), and who selfishly keeps money to himself while looking around in a suspicious way. Furthermore, the card represents a messenger – very Mercurial – who brings unpleasant news, as shown on the scroll we see on the ground with the words iniucundum nuntium.

In a more traditional understanding of the Page of Coins, she is described as a student of scholarly pursuits and, of course, we are in September. A month strongly associated with the back to school season. The student is learning about the physical aspects of life, how to be healthy, focusing on the body, prosperous, succeeding in life, acquiring possessions. And there is reverence of money. Materiality is esteemed. It is a material card. Normally, a pleasant card, yet the message of alerting us to the naivete of obsessing with our material conditions, and how it can have a detrimental effect on us, bringing about insecurity and doubt about our identity, is embedded in the meaning.

The Moon card is almost literal, though in a different context it can also be interpreted as a full moon energy. But now we are at the dark night of the new moon. And here the moon is more about dreaming, travelling on water or with our imagination, searching for meaning through strange, unknown, unspecified encounters, having visions and sensing falsehood and danger. And the dangers are real. Do not forget, Neptune is watching from across the axis in Pisces. In its last crisis degrees, it is more about distorting realities, delusion and deception. Though Virgo wants clarity and every item in life accounted for, this quest is riddled with challenges and fake news. Or perhaps a reminder that in our Virgo state, we can only do as much as we can, and for the rest we have to leave it up to the higher powers and trust on Pisces ease of dissolving energies to help us achieve our goals.

We should take ownership of our situation, we are still learners, for better or for worse. So we are encouraged – as we plant the new seeds – to be patient with obstacles and do all we can in practical discerning ways in order to move our lives to a healthier and happier future. We are setting new goals and starting something new. We are moving into new ground and a new chapter. But when it comes down to it, we should also let go of expectations, material obsessions, messages of grief and allow things to grow organically, and we might be surprised by the outcome when it arrives. It could look like something even better than we had ever conceived in our wildest dreams.

Flavia