The chart of a New Moon sets the stage for the month ahead, offers new beginnings, and highlights upcoming challenges and opportunities. The New Moon of September 2nd brings Virgo’s insight, knowledge, and consummate professionalism to the fore. Virgo can take things apart, figure out what’s wrong, and put everything back together. Virgo sees the layers and the details, how everything needs to work together, and then sets out to make all the things happen, and in the right order.

We all have Virgo (and every other sign) somewhere in our chart. New Moons affect us all, and this month most of us will have the opportunity to reorganize at least some part of our daily lives. It’s a great month to identify the habits that are holding us back, and replace them with ones that will help us move ahead.

We are also likely to be dealing with the effects of criticism, both constructive and destructive, as well as the uncritical acceptance of ideas that don’t pass the reality test. We’ll see this in the wider world, but we can also look within at how we receive and dish out criticism, where we accept what others tell us without examining it, and possibly where we ignore solid evidence that may contradict closely held beliefs. There will be reality checks.

We also need to look closely at our relationships, but I’ll lay out the astrology first. If you’re not interested in the technical details, skip over the italics.

~ Cast the chart for September 2, 9:56 PM EDT.
The New Moon is at 11° Virgo in an approaching opposition to a retrograde Saturn and a wide approaching square to Jupiter forming a T-square.

The opening Jupiter-Saturn square is separating but still in a close orb. (They’ll square each other again in late December and mid-June, when they both change signs, so this is an ongoing and important aspect, pretty much in orb thru July of ’25.)

Mercury is in a slightly awkward sign-based mutual reception with Sun. Mercury in Leo can indulge Mercury’s tendency to dramatic expression and the bon mot, but Sun is in the nurturing sign of Virgo, focused on growing the plants that feed us, on radiating light and warmth, and not inclined to join in the song and dance. “Be here now” is its current motto.

On the other side of the New Moon we find Venus, unaspected by other planets, in its home sign of Libra, and conjunct the South Node.

Mars in Gemini is square Neptune in Pisces, and I have a feeling this aspect may be manifesting in some pretty obvious ways — Fighting on the water, effects of this season’s exceptionally hot ocean temps, information warfare using disinformation and/or technical back doors, and possibly active destruction of means of communication and travel.

Watch for the changes that happen when Mars moves into Cancer on the 4th, and again when Mercury moves into Virgo on the 8th, and again when it reaches the degree of the New Moon on the 15th. (Conjunctions will sensitize a degree for a time).
And though they’re a bit out of orb for a sextile, Mercury and Mars are still complementing each other’s efforts toward communication and self expression.

Pluto is back in Capricorn. The next 10 weeks or so should be interesting. Also note we have the lovely Minor Grand Trine among Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto that will remain in orb for some time to come, moving from Earth and Water to Fire and Air as the planets change signs over the next couple of years. ~

There’s a focus on relationships this month, but not only with other individuals. It will be important to look at how we relate to the world around us and the collective.

What we expect from any relationship doesn’t always reflect reality. We’ve all had the experience of judging a person or situation that turns out to be very wrong when we discover that we didn’t have all the facts. The grumpy co-worker who turns out to have a heart of gold, the “perfect” lover who neglected to mention they were married, or what looks like a carjacking being a person who is trying to get the car keys away from a drunk friend.

It’s more important than ever this month to withhold criticism unless you are certain you have all the facts straight. Judgment, and the boundaries put in place as a result, can be necessary. But it can be anywhere from hurtful to disastrous if the judgment is not based in fact.

This chart also suggests that we learn something about letting go — maybe of people, goals that no longer resonate, problematic habits, or something we’ve been hanging on to for way too long. It also suggests that we focus on listening to and/or offering critiques — useful, requested analysis — but not on criticism — blaming and pointing out faults.

It’s also time to celebrate the harvest. I spend a fair amount of time in Pagan spaces both online and off. And it amazes me how frequently I read or hear that the seasonal celebrations of the Wheel of the Year are no longer relevant to modern Pagans because they were based in an agricultural society and we no longer live in an agricultural society.

News flash: If you get your food by any means other than foraging, you live in a society whose very foundation is agriculture, which is tied to the cycle of the seasons and the entire web of life on Earth.

Pagan or not, it is imperative that we learn to recognize and honor these cycles, this web, because our collective ignorance and carelessness is leading us down a path of multiple ecological disasters.

So celebrate the harvest. Go to a farmers’ market or a U-Pick farm and get some local food. Maybe learn to preserve it by canning or freezing or drying. Put some food away for the winter.

Think about where your food comes from, because climate change will bring problems with both the growth and distribution of food. Support your local farmers. Start a garden or join a community garden. Figure out who needs food in your community and how to get it to them.

Modern agriculture as it is currently practiced is not sustainable, and the astrology suggests that we are going to find out just how unsustainable it is over the next decade. A grassroots focus on local food is needed to begin to turn the tide.
And the tide will be turning.

Over the next 2-3 months, watch as Pluto does some final undermining of the rigidly materialistic, unfettered capitalism of our current culture. This is likely to involve the further highlighting of governmental corruption, because a healthy government is necessary to a fettered (i.e. regulated) capitalism that works to improve the lives of all its citizens. The question is if we will take the necessary steps to hold our governments to account. (Speaking of which, have you checked your voter registration? People are being dropped off the voter rolls without notice. You can do that here.)

So to wrap it up spend some time this month assessing and changing your daily habits, and celebrating the harvest — not just of food, but the perhaps less tangible harvests in your life that you brought to fruition through your hard work. And help others celebrate their accomplishments as well.

There’s more to write about this month, but I’m out of time. I’ll try to post about the chart of the Autumn Equinox later this month.

Blessings of the Harvest season to you!