On September 17, there’s a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Pisces—the first in a new Virgo/Pisces eclipse series, which is set to last from 2024 - 2027 emphasizing themes of work, health and boundaries between self and others. The last time we experienced eclipses on the Virgo/Pisces axis was from March 2015 - February 2017, so think back to this two year time period for insight—especially if you have planets in Virgo or Pisces in your birth chart! 

Pisces and Virgo are so-called opposites, and this eclipse highlights the polarity between logic and intuition, routine and escapism, common sense and idealism. Pisces is the visionary, always thinking about the big picture and dreaming of the future (“retirement” and “pension” are two of their favorite words); Virgo is the realist, rooted in the “here-and-now” and thrives in dealing with the details of life. 

At their best, Pisces embodies unconditional love and forgiveness, either identifying with or championing the underdog.

And while anyone with a Virgo in their life knows they love nothing more than helping others but often need to learn that there’s a fine line between “help” and “criticism.” It’s not that Virgo’s love is lesser in some way, but about keeping in mind not to conflate love and work—that sometimes it’s better to forgo the whole acts of service shtick and try a little tenderness.

What’s fascinating is that while both Virgo and Pisces require structure, Virgo is the Queen of the Mid-Life Crisis, while Pisces, too, can only embrace the mundane for designated periods of the year before their signature desert island fantasies kick into high gear.

If your birth chart has planets in 20° - 30° of the Mutable signs—Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and/or Pisces—you’ll be feeling the emotional “pull” of this eclipse the most. 

That said, no matter where this eclipse falls in your personal birth chart, the way to find balance with any eclipse on the Virgo/Pisces axis is to realize that, though technically opposites, each has a lot to learn from the other.

Virgo can teach Pisces how to embrace the day-to-day and create boundaries between self and others, while Pisces can teach Virgo that it wouldn’t kill them to focus a little less on productivity or on someone’s so-called “flaws” and a little more the need to take a break once in a while and on the value of forgiveness in relationships. 

Virgo Sun v. Moon-Neptune: Boundaries, Please

With the Moon in Pisces, this eclipse is a highly emotional one, as Water sign Pisces, is the most receptive, impressionable and psychic sign of the Zodiac, picking up on everything and everyone around them to the point where they easily become overwhelmed.

Never deny a Pisces their alone time: those with Pisces planets in their birth chart need periods of disconnection from people and especially from their work environment to recharge their physical batteries and calm their restless, overthinking minds.

The need for physical rest is paramount now, as the Pisces Moon is right next to hyper-sensitive Neptune (also in Pisces) at this eclipse, making us so sensitive and high-strung that we might feel like hiding from everyone—or just telling them to “f*** off” —the closer we get to this eclipse. 

Neptune in Pisces opposes the Sun in Virgo during this eclipse, highlighting the contradictory desire for the safety of “rootedness” v. the freedom of “rootlessness.”

Neptune is the planet of fantasy, so while we might feel the desire to lose ourselves in a relationship, job or some other cause, the nature of Lunar Eclipses is defined by realizations about what is or isn’t working for us, especially in relationships. So don’t be surprised if information or secrets emerge now that make you question whether your relationships—at work or at home—have become less than healthy in some way or another. 

With the Sun opposing Neptune, there’s a potential for delusion now, so avoid over-idealizing a person or situation to the point where the facts become blurry, and Moon-Neptune in Pisces opposite the Sun in Virgo creates the potential for excessive worry or even paranoia to get the best of us if we let negative thinking take over as we approach the eclipse on the 17th. 

Mercury v. Saturn: Chill Pill

Another factor to contend with is the opposition between Saturn in Pisces and Mercury in Virgo—exact at the time of this eclipse. Again, here we have the themes of Pisces and Virgo at odds with one another. Mercury is strong in the sign of Virgo, and tends to want to get things done. Saturn in Pisces, on the other hand, demands we deal with our fears, inhibitions and gut feelings. 

For those with Mercury-Saturn aspects in their birth charts, any alignment between these two planets signifies negative thinking, criticism and harsh words or quick-tempered actions. Avoiding these—or at least being prepared for them—will make a world of difference when it comes to how we’re able to confront whatever emotional challenges we have to contend with leading up to this eclipse.

Learning to relax is challenging with so much emphasis on Virgo and Pisces, and selfishness could become a problem if we get too caught up in getting things done at the expense of respect for others.

And though Venus in Libra at this eclipse helps offset this, Mercury in Virgo has little tolerance for “stupidity,” and with Mercury opposing Saturn, we could become unduly obsessive-compulsive or perfectionistic when it comes to getting work done “right.” 

This not only will undermine our relationships with others, but put pressure on ourselves (and our bodies), as Mercury-Saturn aspects are known for their intelligence but tend to be highly nervous, suspicious and distrustful—a fact that can lead to feelings of depression and make it difficult to concentrate. 

All Mutable, No Fire? Time to Retire

Of note at this Full Moon eclipse is that there’s both an overwhelming number of planets in Mutable signs—Sun and Mercury in Virgo, Moon and Neptune in Pisces, Jupiter in Gemini—and no planets in any of the Fire signs (Aries, Leo or Sagittarius).

Mutable signs represent changeability, adaptiveness and communication; Fire signs represent motivation, enthusiasm and the energy for goal-directed activity. 

So get ready for a lot of mixed feelings, mixed messages, indecisiveness or even delusional beliefs based on the heat of the moment. Watch too for flakiness or lack of a desire to commit.

Some relationships, for instance, may very well end, as Fire represents romance and passion while Mutable signs tend to avoid emotions if they can, focusing less on goals and more on the feelings of the moment. 

When considering any astrology chart, whether a birth chart or an eclipse, is that if it’s filled with planets in Mutable signs and no planets in Fire? There’s not a lot of confidence in the atmosphere. This makes it even more difficult to confront the negative thinking brought on by the emphasis on Virgo/Pisces planets, pitting Moon-Neptune in Pisces’ need to escape the daily grind against Mercury-Saturn’s push to get down to business. So with no planets in Fire at this eclipse in Pisces, drowning in worry could cripple us if we’re not careful or try to bottle all our insecurities until we explode. 

An important thing about Pisces: they worry. A lot. Even if it doesn’t show, they worry about every little thing until they drive themselves crazy (thus the desert island fantasies). This is one of the reasons Pisces Suns often find themselves drawn to or in close relationships with Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): Fire signs (or those with lots of Fire in their birth charts) have a natural confidence and certainty about what to do/what needs to be done, and are quick to act as a result. 

The feeling of certainty is soothing to Pisces who, unlike their Fire sign sisters, need that extra push to be decisive and feel confident in themselves when it comes to making big moves. Fire signs provide the warmth Pisces needs to feel safe to laugh at their insecurities and “just do it” when it comes to plans they dream of pursuing but are (secretly) scared to go forward with. 

The point? We all need a breakdown now and then—and this is exactly what’s called for at the Lunar Eclipse in Pisces on September 17th. It’ll be particularly cathartic for those who tend to deny or bottle their emotions for the sake of productivity or preserving the sanctity of a consistent day-to-day routine (ahem, attention: Virgos). Because, though seemingly contradictory, emotions, in fact, can be productive. 

Stress, as we all know by now, is the major cause of not just strife but physical illness, and holding onto resentments, pent-up feelings or even overly demanding schedules too long will only lead to frustration. So freak out if you have to. Go ahead, have a meltdown. Have a drink. Cry a little bit. But most important now? Forgive—especially yourself. And as they say in Disney’s “Frozen”: Let It GO. That’s the lesson of this Lunar Eclipse in Pisces.