Virgo is the Zodiac sign most known for its ability to compartmentalize emotions—for their ability to “get the job done” no matter what the personal cost (or consequences). This is one of the few personality traits stereotypical of Virgo that tends to be true across the board. And the New Moon in Virgo, exact at 7:00 am (EDT) on September 17, is no exception. 

Though it’s true that Decan 3 (20°- 29°) of Virgo—where this New Moon falls—is probably the most ideal in that it’s sub-ruled by planet Venus, giving Virgo Suns born in this Decan a decidedly more persuasive, artistic and generally “attractive” personality type.

On the other hand, though, Virgo’s inferiority complex can get, ahem, quite intense at times—depending on their current life circumstances and the stress level in their immediate environment, naturally. This can, in its negative expression, translate to an extreme level of self-sacrifice and/or passive aggressive tactics designed to use (and sometimes even abuse) others for personal gain (ahem, Lance Armstrong).

Speaking of passive aggressive, the primary astrological configuration of this Virgo New Moon in Virgo involves Mars in Aries—currently stationing, about to begin its Retrograde motion on the 9th, where it’ll move “backward” from Earth’s vantage point until November 13—in harsh aspect to Saturn in Capricorn. 

When Mars in Aries clashes with Saturn in Capricorn, there’s a marked tendency to cruelty, or other perverse expressions of anger, as well as a noticeable selfishness in one’s motivations. We’d do well to be as (self) aware of this fact as possible as we move through the month of September—and to find some kind of (relatively) healthy outlet for our anger, whether it’s affecting us most in our personal, professional lives, or both. 

Sun-Moon Inconjunct Mars: The Art of Being Selfish

The Sun and Moon in Virgo both at tense angles to Mars (only one week away from its Retrograde station) in Aries create what can best be described as an itchy feeling of discomfort and oversensitivity, to both others and our environment.

We’re restless and enthusiastic one minute, yet easily drained the next. We’re angry, but too tired to fight. We desperately need/want to feel desired by the object of our affection, but they seem to disappoint us in some way at every turn. 

The central question of this September centers around re-calibrating and becoming more aware of the way we express ourselves, particularly in terms of the ways and contexts in which we either allow ourselves to be selfish vs. those in which we feel compelled to give. And, as a result, to examine whatever imbalances we notice in how we express ourselves with different people, places and things in the Chex Party Mix. 

For instance, we might be feeling the accumulated stresses of balancing a new Work-From-Home routine (Virgo rules All Things Routine), only to now have to re-adjust completely to meet the demands of our child’s virtual schooling.

If you’re a student, you’re adjusting to the realities of online learning or having several papers due while trying to get a breath of fresh air now and again (not to mention figuring out how you’re going to pay your rent).

Or you’ve realized that there are major issues with our Work/Life balance that simply don’t stand a chance of getting the resolution you need at your current job, but there’s not much of a market right now for starting anything new. It could even be the basic fact of the ongoing uncertainty that plagues us all now (still) to some degree—so much so that we feel compelled to stir the pot somehow, even if we don’t at first realize it at first (at least) right now. 

This doesn’t mean we want to stop being a Parent, quit School, or even nix your current job (or that it’s the right time to do so). But what do we do when “things” need to change, yet we constantly find ourselves enslaved (Virgo and the 6th house represent “Enslavement” and hard labor in Ancient Astrology) to circumstances we cannot change?

How do we deal with anger that’s been seething, desires left unmet, hopes dashed, friendships lost, frustrations that’ve built up to the point of Mount Everest? Do we keep letting it slide in the name of the status quo? 

Well, no. But “sitting tight” isn’t the best advice either, as I can’t emphasize enough the feelings of disappointment and frustration this September. The best advice I can give with this backdrop is not to fall prey to the aggrandized visions (fantasies?) of a Certain Relationship you might be entertaining as a “way out” now, as Frustration isn’t exactly known to pair well with Damsel in Distress.

And with Venus in Leo aspecting Uranus in Taurus at this New Moon, there’s little chance of Forgiveness entering the picture, as the corners we’ve backed ourselves into this year (don’t worry, we all have in some way or another) feel more claustrophobic and untenable than ever. 

Mars Square Saturn: Kind to be Cruel

Mars’ transit through the sign of Aries is unusually long due to its Retrograde phase, occupying the sign from June 25, 2020 all the way through February 2021 (much longer than its typical six week transit of any given Zodiac sign).

Mars in Aries enters its pre-Retrograde Shadow phase on July 25 - Sept 9, 2020, when the stage was set by actions that led us to the circumstances or obstacles have been thrown your way through most of August.

By the time September 9 rolls around and Mars comes to a standstill, we’ll all be totally wiped out from exhaustion and psychic stress, so lashing out around this date is not unlikely.

Following its post-Retrograde standstill on November 13, 2020 and until it completes its post-Retrograde Shadow phase on January 2, 2021, we’ll be “seeing the light” and making amends, as Mars makes its final slew of tense angles (as it does at this New Moon) to Saturn (and Jupiter-Pluto) all lingering in final degrees of Capricorn for almost all of 2020.

Though each of these planetary conflicts has its own “flavor,” much of this Mars Retrograde in Aries phase of 2020 is about forcing ourselves to slow down—physically, professionally, mentally, emotionally—and to create a plan of action or set of personal goals. 

Yet, during the “Mars Retrograde Proper” phase of the cycle—September 9 - November 13—it’s as if we’re coming out of our hibernation dens after far too long a hibernation: for so long the focus was exclusively on physical survival and maintaining a certain level of (hyper) vigilance to whatever perceived (or actual) threats to our basic needs have arisen.

Coming to terms with our perceptions, illusions or delusions re: the level of person control we have over the basic circumstances of our lives—the need to be at peace with the realization that we can’t control every variable in our lives—has been a source of extreme frustration for all people in 2020, and rightly so.

However, it’s imperative at this point that we do the best we can to balance independence with interdependence; rules with freedom; and, ultimately, to find a way to reconcile our need to survive (Capricorn) with our need to thrive (Aries). 

One of the most potent aspects of Mars’ Retrograde transit through Aries is its tense square to Saturn. This is an especially challenging planetary combination in general, but with Mars almost at a complete standstill until it slowly turns Retrograde on September 9? There’s a heavy cloud of passive-aggressiveness, seething anger and (I’ll just go ahead and say it) cruel intentions in the air. 

Are we leading someone on? Are we using manipulative tactics like withholding or unhealthy coping mechanisms like denial to dominate our thought processes as Survival Mode 2020 has taken hold? In what area(s) of our life are we operating on autopilot?

See, most astrological interpretations of the Virgo New Moon in exact trine to Saturn in Capricorn reads as something along the lines of “increased self-control, self-discipline and carefully planned action” (or something to that effect). And, interpreted in isolation, that’s not necessarily incorrect. 

But the game-changer here is the added psychic stress, physical exhaustion and interpersonal strenuousness (or tenuousness) as shown by the Virgo Sun-Moon and Saturn in Capricorn’s tense angles to Mars in Aries, both of which are all the more intensified by Mars’ near standstill in the sky.

It helps if you understand the basic meaning of these planets in their signs. For example, the basic motivation of Mars in Aries is to achieve—quite literally, to “win” at everything they do. Ironically, as different as Aries and Capricorn can be, Capricorn is equally ambitious, and wants to be recognized for its personal accomplishments just as much as Aries does. 

But unlike their Leo predecessors of the Zodiac, the Sun and Moon in Virgo will gladly forgo the spotlight, working quietly in the background. This tendency to hide is amplified by its trine to Saturn, the symbol of self-discipline, martyr complexes and, oftentimes, self-doubt.

When you factor in the seething drive of Mars stationary in Aries, along with the extreme pressure of practical obstacles getting in our way at every turn this month, the collective feeling of frustration is at such a peak that there’s ironically more danger at this New Moon of sharpening not our strengths that make us more independent (Aries) but of falling prey to sharpening (outdated) defense mechanisms that we’ll become painfully aware, well, aren’t doing anyone much good anymore (yes, I’ve brought this up in past posts this year, so…THEME). 

Mars Retrograde in Aries is a great time, especially in 2020 with its tense alignments to Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn for late Summer through early Winter of 2020-2021, to release toxic defense mechanisms we see in ourselves. The ways we handle things that don’t make us look (or—let’s get real—feel) any better here.

These include backhanded compliments, subterfuge and manipulation, passive-aggression, withholding, denial, bottling (followed by explosions) of anger…Whatever the case, it’s important to consider that there’s a noticeable lack of (or unwillingness to) empathize with the struggles of others in this New Moon char.

We’re tired. We feel powerless. And we certainly don’t feel like listening. There’s just too many practical things to do, work situations to address, bills to pay, deadlines to meet—and not enough time, money or, more importantly, physical energy to do it. At least not from our vantage point. 

Some of you may feel the compulsive drive to “prove yourself” in some way—say, at Work, or to a potential Romantic Interest—only to feel disappointed or defeated if you fail to consider any discrepancies between your expectations vs. the other person’s.

Clarifying expectations and making sure you take care of your personal needs first (and not by means of manipulation either) before go into any negotiation, liaison or offering yourself to any other business or personal partnership will likely determine your frustration levels when it comes to what you’re giving vs. (what you think you should be) getting.

Should you find yourself extremely angry that no one “loves you for you,” you’re more likely to act out in self-destructive ways, or in ways that either directly or inadvertently damage your relationships. Mars rules Action and Impulse as well as our “animal instinct,” so the atmosphere is ripe for explosive conflict this September.

My advice? Ideally, do your best to remain aware of your intentions before you impulsively speak or act—especially if your message (or lack thereof) is more cruel than kind. Otherwise you could alienate yourself from others in a way that makes you seem so selfish that it’ll be a challenge to come back from when the question of your Reputation comes up down the line...

Sun-Moon Trine Saturn: Discipline or Punish

So, the New Moon in Virgo’s alignment to Saturn in Capricorn provides a measure of practicality in that hard work will at least keep the status quo. But how to balance the drive for self-fulfillment and to focus our energy on meeting personal goals with the desire to go forth, independently and blazing a new trail, saddle...whatever—and the necessity to keep our emotions (at least somewhat) “undercover”? 

The biggest danger with the involvement of any aspect to Saturn, whether it be a trine, sextile, square or any other relevant astrological aspect—particularly in a chart with the Sun and Moon in Virgo and an Earth-heavy chart overall—is the likelihood of becoming prisoners of our own making. 

Stuck in gilded cages, pining for an Outdoor Space of One’s Own. In other words, the self-imprisonment that comes with becoming mired in our own staunch routines and self-discipline we’ve cultivated as a way of staving off the many fears and phobias that’ve come up for review in 2020.

With the Sun and Moon’s tense angles to Saturn and Mars at this New Moon, it’s likely we’ll end up expressing ourselves in unhelpful “outbursts” (either in the form of impulsive actions or poorly-timed/chosen/delivered words) or blatant withholding in some situation or another. The key to this New Moon? For once, it’s not the time to be cruel (there’s too much of that out there already). So just cool it and be kind.