On the Full moon in Virgo
On March 7th at 11:22 (MT) the full moon in Virgo takes place at 16 degrees. The same day Saturn completes its’ 3 year journey through Aquairus and joins the Sun and Mercury in Pisces. This intensifies the power of the full moon and over the next few years, the themes that come up on this day could continue for the next 3 years, as Saturn continues to transit through Pisces.
The sign of Virgo is assocaited with the tarot card The Hermit. In the Rider Waite Smith deck, this card depicts an elderly man, wearing a gray shawl, carrying a staff and a lantern with a glowing light in the shape of a 6 pointed star. This card draws comparisons to Hermes Trismegustus, a legendary hermit and mystic for whom the practice of Hermeticism is named after. He is often thought of an incarnation of the Hellenistic god Hermes, or the Roman Mercury, the ruler of the sign of Virgo. Hermes. or Mercury, was the messenger of the Gods, and also a psychopomp, meaning he ushered souls into the Greek underworld / afterlife. The light or star in the lantern is thought of a metaphor for the Sun, as the Sun transits Virgo just before the Autumnal Equinox, Therefore, The Hermit, is sheltering the Sun through the autumn and winter seasons, when it can be though of as being “underground.”
Saturn rules the winter signs of Capricorn and Aquarius, and the God is celebrated around the winter solstice, the darkest part of the year. For the last 6 years the planet Saturn has been transiting through these home signs. Its’ ingress into the sign of Pisces, traditionally ruled by Jupiter, is considered to be a major shift. Saturn is known as the Greater Maleific, and is associated with subjectively bad experiences in peoples’ lives. On the other hand, Jupiter is the Greater Beneific, and is associated with subjectively good experiences. This transit takes Saturn out of its “comfort zone” of its domicile planets and puts it at the mercy of Jupiter.
Saturn takes approximately 29 years to transit all 12 signs of the zodiac, so those who are around 28-30 years old now will have Saturn in the sign of Pisces. The [first] Saturn Return is thought to be a time when one must pay the price for whatever one has sown over the first part of their life, especially their young adult years. This can be a painful experience and can mark a reckoning of some sort. Personally, even though I have Saturn in domicile in Capricorn, and in a day chart (meaning it is in sect and thus thought to be on my “team”), my Saturn Return was still a subjectively difficult time. I could no longer laugh off offenses against me, or blame my behavior on being young and inexperienced. Saturn is traditionally thought of the planet of boundaries, as it is the furthest classical planet, thus marking the boundary of our solar system. If you are entering your Saturn return, you will want to reevaluate your boundaries and consider enforcing them more strictly.
Furthermore, the full moon in Virgo may ask you how you are protecting your “light” and who you share it with. The Hermit, as opposed to The Moon, asks us to consider when we withdraw from public life or society willingly. Whereas, The Moon signifies when we are forced to withdraw from the spotlight against our will. Depending on where Virgo falls in your chart, you may want to withdraw to focus on your physical health (6th house) or mental health (12th house) or your family (4th house), etc.
As the new moon in Virgo (where the moon and sun are conjunct in the sign of Virgo) heralds the upcoming Autumnal Equinox and the coming of the colder, darker months, the Full Moon in Virgo heralds the opposite. You may also want to consider what you need to let go of to share your brightest and best self with the world.
The Vernal Equniox will usher in Aries season and takes place on March 20th at 3:24 PM (MT), and the first New Moon in Aries of this year takes place just over a day later on March 21st at 11:33 AM (MT). This is considered the astrological new year, as Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. So with this final full moon of the astrological year, you may want to consider what may be blocking you from setting intentions or astrological new year’s resolutions as well.