On August 27th at 4:15 am eastern time, the moon is reborn in the fires of the Sun amidst the pragmatic, industrious, perfectionist atmosphere of Virgo.

Each new moon gives us an opportunity for rebirth and renewal. As the moon purges and cleanses herself of the energies and tendencies of the previous lunar cycle, we can all be reborn as well.

For this reason, wise people throughout all ages have used new moons as a time for purifying the psyche of unwanted old habits, setting new, uplifting intentions for the next cycle, and reinvigorating ourselves with enthusiasm for life. The optimism and excitement of new beginnings can permeate our entire being so long as we let it.

This new moon occurs in the sign of Virgo. Virgo marks the end of summer and the final month before the days begin to darken. It is our time to gather our harvest and prepare ourselves for the cold seasons. For this reason, it is associated with practicality, groundedness, reliability, and managing details and minutia as if one’s life depended on it.

In this sign, the new moon initiates a cycle of achieving perfection in the physical world. As Virgo calls us to prepare for the upcoming cold seasons by setting our house in order now, this new moon initiates the cycle for you to begin managing your affairs and set new habits and intentions that promote groundedness, productivity, and rationally administrating your life. Virgo’s material, earthly focus opens up a doorway to bring perfection into our lives by giving every single aspect of our material life the respect and care it deserves. You can read more about the nature of Virgo and Virgo season here.

As an earth sign, Virgo brings our attention to the material world. This new moon impels us to look at our estates - all the physical aspects of our lives - and see how we can better manage them and improve them. The Virgo new moon will not let you avoid examining your current state of affairs - you will be compelled to give a proper accounting of your life and set your house in order.

Virgo is ruled by Mercury, the advisor to the Sun and administrator of divine will. Virgo reflects the capacity of an administrator to implement and enact the will of the ruler at a practical level. The Sun sets an intention, and Mercury works as the hands of the king to see it through on a practical level. Leo sets an intention, and Virgo gets it done - and gets it done right. For this reason, Virgo is very practical and earthy, but also rational and intelligent, with the mental aptitude to manage every single aspect of the Sun’s dominion.

In the same way, you will have the opportunity to turn a keen eye towards all the details and aspects of your own domain during this time as well. While Mercury and Virgo are preparing the Sun for the onslaught of winter and the colder seasons, you can prepare for your own personal winter too. Turn your industrious mind to problem-solving and improve your material state of affairs.

What physical aspects of your life could be better? What practical, tangible things can you do to begin making your life a heaven on earth? What intentions can you set - what habits can you form - that will bring more flourishing, ease, and mastery into your life and the lives of those around you?

The Virgo lunar cycle brings a reckoning in both senses. It brings a literal reckoning in the sense of doing lots and lots of equations and data analysis to get a clear picture of what’s going on in your life. You can find a lot of success during this period doing very mundane things - getting an early start on taxes, accomplishing all the smaller tasks on your to-do list that have been piling up for months, and organizing and sorting out all the piddliest miscellanea that you can possibly find in your life.

It can also bring a more ominous reckoning in the sense of metaphorical pigeons and bad choices coming home to roost. If you have resisted or ignored a call to give due diligence to the material aspects of your life, you will have catch-up work to do during this cycle. Neglected aspects of your “mundane” life will rear up to get the attention that they deserve.

The only aspect that the New Moon makes this month is a square to Mars in Gemini. For this reason, I really emphasize the ominous side of reckoning and household management here. Mars brings stress, aggravation, and tension. As this is happening across both signs ruled by Mercury, nervousness, an overactivated nervous system, and anxiety are also common. Stressful situations will arise within your personal kingdom for you to manage.

However, this Mars square will also cause stressful things to surface that must be addressed - both in your personal life and in the world at large. You will great strides and advances in the management of your affairs while Mars stirs things up.

This is the time to set intentions that will bring more groundedness and stability into your life. Set intentions that will lead to more mastery and control over yourself and your external kingdom. Build habits that ultimately free you because they eliminate chaos and ambiguity and simplify your life. If you want to set more spiritual, esoteric intentions such as opening your third eye, then be sure that you are setting up practical, realistic habits to make those things a reality - there are no shortcuts in this lunar cycle.

After you do this work, you will be happier because your life is more under your control, and you will feel more empowered because you have mastered the physical aspects of your life that need to function in order for every to her aspect of life to flourish. You will leave this lunar cycle with a significantly greater grasp over your material state of affairs and more mastery over your life.