On Thursday, September 14th, at 9:40 pm ET, there is a new moon in Virgo. A new moon, which occurs when the moon meets up with the sun, marks the beginning of the monthly lunar cycle. With the moon in Mercury-ruled Virgo, a sign that’s all about service and taking care, it’s encouraging us to think about fresh ways to serve and take care of ourselves.

Mercury itself is still in Virgo, its home base, but has been retrograde since August 23rd, so circumstances these past few weeks have made it ripe for us to reexamine and reevaluate our processes, the ways we think, and the ways we work. An example from my own life: I was sick for a couple weeks, and I felt like it was a personal failing. After being annoyed by myself and my body, which I felt betrayed me, I tried to channel the “re” rule of Mercury retrograde and reevaluate why I would feel this way. It helped me accept that I can’t control everything, and I shouldn’t beat myself up. The universe made me rest.

The new moon on Thursday offers a new beginning, and Mercury stations direct the next day on September 15th (huzzah!). This new moon, think about what has come up during this Mercury retrograde for you. What flaws in your systems have been made visible? What fallacies in your thinking have been laid bare? How can you create new routines that will better allow you to fulfill the Virgoan activities of working hard, analyzing, iteratively improving, and nurturing yourself and your goals? For me, I’m going to try to ride the sense of acceptance I learned from my bout of illness into the new moon.

The moon, which will be at 21 degrees of Virgo, is making a helpful aspect with Uranus, which is currently retrograde in Taurus. Uranus is the planet of disruption but also innovation, which can give new beginnings under this new moon an element of surprise or uniqueness. Virgo is a sign for getting things done; the new moon bolstered by Uranus can lend some innovation to the things we are trying to accomplish or the intentions we set during this phase. It’s a great opportunity for manifesting, if that’s your thing. Write your list of goals down, but also write down some steps you can take to try to accomplish those things. There’s a good chance ingenuity will strike, but with the sun, moon, and Uranus in earth signs, it helpfully will be grounded and practical.

The only potential downside of the new moon is that it’s within 5 degrees of being opposite Neptune in Pisces. Neptune casts a fog. We may find that our emotions and our feelings create some illusion or delusion around the goals that are set at this time, which is also why thinking through the tactical steps to achieving your goals will be useful. It’s important to lean into the Virgoan qualities of discerning and critical thinking to counteract any emotional overwhelm you may feel. 

To see the areas of your life where this new moon will potentially bring about a fresh start or a new way to thinking, reference your Virgo season horoscope.