New Moon in Virgo Sets a Preparatory Tone For the Upcoming Mars Retrograde

We unfold into the New Moon in Virgo today and specific new work/service assignments begin to be defined ahead of the Mars retrograde in Virgo. You know the kind. This is "my purpose and role on the planet at this time" type stuff, with work (hopefully) acting as a vehicle for that. 

These newly defined assignments coming into play could be completely new gigs or they could be the refining and clarification of roles within old work arenas. In light of the current circumstances on Planet Earth, Mars, the planet of personal will, goals, direction, and physical energy, will be re-directing us down only the most crisply effective channels during its almost eight-month transit of the sign of virginal purity. 

And in light of the monstrous levels of unemployment and underemployment that have been purposefully and systemically created, this retrograde is about the fight (Mars) to remain engaged in one's life's work or any work at all (Virgo) at a time when people (at least the people who are not on the top rungs of the socio-economic pyramid scheme) are being treated as if redundant. 

We're not redundant. We're the most potent, influential, rock-and-roll force there is. And this retrograde asks us to stand up and prove it by being the most effective, the most useful, the most thorough, the most practical, the most down-to-earth, the most organized we can be. 

The splashy, fiery, everyone's-an-artisan Mars in Leo overlay, kicked off almost two years ago during the Mars in Leo retrograde in winter of 2010, quiets and draws to a close. 

In order to achieve our goals now, we have to practically and effectively apply the creative fire we've spent two years blazing in ways that hit just the right spots to fix, straighten out, heal, clean, clear whatever fucked up mess we find before us. It's hardcore, warrior holism, and at this time on Planet Earth, we have lots to work with. 

This is the fight (Mars) to heal (Virgo) and to stay healthy, to maintain health as Fukushima spews, as our environments are poisoned physically, emotionally, psychically, electromagnetically all around us, as we are manipulated by those who profit from us being unintegrated, toxic, unbalanced, disconnected, dysfunctional. 

During this Mars transit of Virgo, we address all that, right down to the teeny tiniest detail. 

Mars will transit Virgo for almost eight months - from November 10, 2011 until July 3, 2012. It will be retrograde from January 24 to April 14, 2012 - prime re-direction processing time. 

Just before, as Mars transits Leo (September 18 to November 10), the creative fire in our hearts becomes concentrated. The big, blazing, dancing flames die down, and we start to work with the distilled, with the quietly glowing embers that, despite appearance, are the smoking hottest, the most alchemical, the most transforming. The most pure. This is what Virgo can work with. The pure. And if it's not, it'll carve it down until it is pure. 

This is what Mars in Virgo is after: right action. Only the right action. Just the right touch, the right word, the right angle, the right analysis, the right effort, the right medicine. Smooth, flowing functionality. Work that is a natural extension of self. Work that is self. Nothing more, nothing less. 

There's a re-direction and a restraint in application of our physical energy with this retrograde that stills the over-the-top showiness, the grandiosity, the tendencies to self-promotion of Mars in Leo. 

You know what, Mars in Virgo asks? Who gives a shit? Who gives a shit about your fashion statements or who your influences are or how much of an ego-pampered pretty, pretty peacock you are? 

Virgo is the sign that gets things done utilitarian-style, no frills, no hoopla, no ego stroking. It separates the coddled artistes from the people who can really play ball. And when war planet Mars comes to town amidst initiations of World War III, it doesn't give a shit about your artist's statement or how many magazine interviews you've done or who you had dinner with last night or your greatest fucking hits. 

If you can't break out of the self-flagellating ego bubble and hit the most pertinent marks just because 1) they're there and need to be hit and 2) you just might have the means to do so, you're excess, and Virgo has very little tolerance for excess. 

Be of use in the most practical, immediately necessary ways and flow with that shit like it's a second skin or you're really not hitting the heights you think you are. 

Pretty hardcore, that Mars in Virgo. Demanding standards. But there's the gauntlet as it is about to be thrown... 

Mars in Virgo touches this New Moon point at 5 degrees Virgo November 20-22, and we officially begin. 

Mars enters its retrograde shadow November 18 at 3 degrees, and we start to get an understanding of what will be sanded down, honed, sharpened for efficacy in our lives and selves during the retrograde process. 

Mars stations retrograde at 23 degrees Virgo January 23, and it stations direct at 3 degrees Virgo April 13, 2012. 

It leaves the retrograde shadow at 23 degrees Virgo on June 19, 2012 and enters Libra July 3, finally conjuncting Saturn in Libra August 14/15, 2012.