Grand Tetons National Park, August 2017; photo by Chad Woodward
Mercury is entering Virgo, its home sign, and place of exaltation. From Sept. 5 through Sept. 21, Mercury in Virgo empowers mental and communicative precision, favoring the editing of words/documents, clarification of messages, and technical mastery. For all cerebral tasks, projects, and activities, a more precise focus can fuel productivity but can also overwhelm with minutiae.
Hyper-awareness of imperfections can lead to rigorous and laborious digressions. If you need your words or thoughts on point, Mercury in Virgo is invaluable. With Saturn's direct station Sept. 6, anticipate a notable increase in ambition the next few days. For those just getting into the work groove this Virgo season, Saturn direct is pure motivation.
If you think you're not living up to some higher expectations at the moment, assess whether or not that's true. You might have internalized an unhelpful inner voice which has now become a tyrannical critic. Guilt tripping is never useful nor helpful, so make improvements where needed, but then forgive yourself for not being perfect. Start with small steps now, and you'll rise with the new lunar cycle next week.
The week's end brings us high-capacity earth energy, and yet, from the background, the numinous invades our perception through the Sun's building opposition to Neptune (exact Sept. 7). Beyond delusions of grandeur and paranoia, lies the awareness of one's participation in a vast synchronistic field, rich with meaning, inspiration, and insight. While the magical and pragmatic may clash toward the end of this week, the mystical can infuse the physical, revealing their separation as a total illusion.