Full Moon in Virgo – Growing Pains

The Virgo Full Moon of 2017 closes the cycle that began with the life-changing Virgo New Moon Solar Eclipse six months ago.  The article I wrote for that eclipse began with a deeply personal, uncomfortable story about the physical injuries I acquired from deranged sexual abuse and my journey towards healing- physically, mentally, and emotionally.  The date that was chosen for my restorative surgery (without any input from me) was within 24 hours of the Virgo New Moon solar eclipse.  And now, six months later, here we are.  The seeds planted on that day are now in full bloom.

The single most crucial paragraph of that entire article was this:

“Donald Rumsfeld famously said, “There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don’t know we don’t know.” Knowing that you know nothing is the level of consciousness that passed for wisdom in the time of Socrates, but the goal of this Virgo solar eclipse opposite Neptune in Pisces, and the intention to set during this new moon, is to turn the unknown unknowns into known unknowns. Neptune is the key to this crucial alchemy. His low vibration is superficial and his high vibration is deep. We cannot know what we know until we know what we don’t know. The amount of depth that we are able to surrender to the mystery is what creates space for the influx of gnosis- knowledge that can only come from experience. The depth of our knowledge matches the depth of our surrender.”

Between then and now, it was honestly easy to turn the unknown knowns into known unknowns.  But it is remarkably difficult to proceed.  The truth often isn’t fun, pretty, or easy.  It can suck when you’ve put your entire heart into finding a solution, and then it turns out the solution you’ve uncovered feels impossible, insurmountable, and all you can think is how unprepared and unfit you are to do any of the further healing work that lies ahead.

Good news: This Full Moon will stretch us into new forms.

Bad news: This Full Moon will stretch us into new forms.

Two months ago, the Full Moon in Cancer was square to Jupiter in Libra opposite Uranus in Aries, forming a grand square. Last month’s Full Moon in Leo was sextile to Jupiter and Uranus, forming what is sometimes called a mystic rectangle. Today’s Full Moon in Virgo continues the pattern, aspecting Jupiter and Uranus by quincunx, forming a rectangle that is sometimes called “the rack” (yes, after the device designed to torture a person by stretching- the splayed-out human body appears as a stick figure in the two oppositions).  Jupiter square Vesta, and Mercury square Saturn, add a challenging spin to an already stressful situation.

Growing. Pains.

I am making new connections in the web of my traumas, experiences, and identity, and my partner’s traumas, experiences, and identity- like a net adding more and more strands to the weave, so it can catch smaller and smaller objects.

I am moving through mental health issues(panic attacks, PTSD triggers, mood swings) with awareness, fully allowing the depths of my multidimensional experience and then purposefully traveling through it.

I am taking a major step away from associating my abuser with the parts of my current daily reality that involve acknowledging and caring for the permanent damage that resulted from his actions.

All of this is proof of my growth. All of this hurts.

All of this is supported and assisted by the Sun Stellium in Pisces opposite the Virgo Full Moon- Athena and Chiron, Apophis and Mercury.

Athena conjunct Chiron is the synthesis and fusion of the meditations on mentors and students that I explored in one of my very first articles, Athena opposite Chiron.

Apophis conjunct Mercury can bring radical shifts in perception through bizarre events- the exact square from Saturn implies the possibility of a major change in the daily grind. (Apophis and Sekhmet were the two asteroids flanking the Virgo new moon- during the Virgo full moon, Sekhmet is exact conjunct Pluto in Capricorn, which is congruent with the idea of a significant change in the routine of everyday life.)

Vesta’s square to Jupiter is about building up our self-esteem in order to have a stronger foundation to do the work of navigating the power struggles of both partners feeling truly seen and heard in relationships.

And then finally, the grand earth trine medicinal balm- Juno in Capricorn, Psyche in Virgo, and Eros conjunct Ceres in Taurus- aspected with love by Venus retrograde in Aries.

Oh, and during the Virgo new moon six months ago, asteroids Persephone and Prometheus had just crossed the summer solstice point- between then and now, they simultaneously turned retrograde and stationed direct in Gemini- and now during the Virgo full moon, they are once again at Zero Cancer. Click here for my article about Summertime Persephone.

The richness of each piece of this grand trine is overwhelming.  Juno trine Ceres, Ceres conjunct Eros, Ceres and Eros trine Psyche, Psyche trine Juno.  Sacred geometry in resonance around our planet, unifying themes of seeking and finding, needing and receiving, strength and vulnerability.  The supportive connection from Venus retrograde in Aries is marvelous.  I have not yet published my article on Venus retrograde in Aries but I will update this with links when I do- stay tuned for Sun conjunct Venus (the inferior solar conjunction) on March 25th.