Virgo Horoscope for week of September 20, 2012

Want to submit a letter to the editor of a major newspaper? The odds of you getting published in the influential Washington Post are almost three times as great as in the super-influential New York Times. The Post has a much smaller circulation, so your thoughts there won't have as wide an impact. But you will still be read by many people. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you're in a phase when you should be quite content to shoot for a spot in the Post. Please apply that same principle to everything you do. 

How are you going to change what needs to be changed and accept what needs to be accepted? 

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Visualize yourself being able to recognize the raw truth about the people you care about. Imagine that you can see how they already embody the beauty their souls' codes have promised as well as how they still fall short of embodying that beauty. 

Picture yourself being able to make them feel appreciated even as you inspire them to risk changes that will activate more of their souls' codes.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)
You are usually conscientious about attending to the details. It’s one of your specialties to take care of little necessities. You often know what to do in order to fix mistakes and messes caused by the imprecision of other people. For now, though, I encourage you to take a break from all that. In my opinion, you need to regenerate and replenish yourself, and a good way to accomplish that is to let your mind go blissfully blank. At least consider it, please. Give yourself permission to space out about the intricacies. Steep yourself in the primordial ooze where everything is everything.

That sounds really good.

“‘The moon asked me to meet her in a field tonight,’ wrote mystic poet Hafiz (translated by Daniel Ladinsky). ‘I think she has amorous ideas.’ You might soon feel a similar suspicion, Virgo. According to my reading of the astrological omens, seductive offers will be coming your way, and not just from the moon. Secret suitors may emerge from the shadows. Temptations could lure you toward the far ends of your imagination. The sheer profusion of invitations you’ll receive might make you giddily agitated.”

This cracks me up because I’ve been hanging out on okcupid doing the quickmatch thing. It amuses me how often I get 1 star match ups. 🙂 But uhm–I didn’t actually think it would go anywhere. Maybe I should stop?

This week is fascinating.

Virgo: “Success means controlling your own time,” observed actor Rod Steiger. “If you gain control over 60 percent of the time in your life, you are really successful.” In 2008, Virgo, you will have far more power than you’ve had before to fulfill this definition of success. And right now you happen to be in a phase of your astrological cycle when your hard work toward this goal will have maximum impact. The ironic fact of the matter is that it’s an ideal time to slave away in behalf of greater freedom.”

Libra: “”When it comes time to do your own life,” wrote author Rosellen Brown in her book Civil Wars, “you either perpetuate your childhood or you stand on it and finally kick it out from under.” According to my analysis of the omens, Libra, you will, sometime in 2008, reach the pivotal point Brown referred to. And the coming weeks could be a big turning point. So which way will you go?”

How interesting. Given how much the next few weeks are pivotal to me wrapping up loose ends this is fascinating. Hm. Worth thinking on.

Thanks, Rob!

Virgos were told: “At Free Will Astrology, we love to turn things upside-down and inside-out every now and then. It keeps our mental hygiene sparkling clean, and yours, too. This week, in order to incite a purifying ruckus, we’re offering you a challenge from psychologist James Hillman. Please suck the following thoughts into the deepest recesses of your understanding, and enjoy the brainstorms they detonate: “By accepting the idea that you are the effect of a subtle buffeting between hereditary and societal forces, you reduce yourself to a result. The more your life is accounted for by what already occurred in your chromosomes, by what your parents did or didn’t do, and by your early years now long past, the more your biography is the story of a victim.” What I’m trying to tell you, Virgo, is that it’s a fine time to rebel against your genetic heritage, your upbringing, and your conditioning. Imagine a life for yourself in which you don’t believe that those factors control what you’re capable of.”

Funny that I am doing my best to do this just as I am told that I am failing. Awesome timing.

Also amusing timing on the Libra end of things: “It’s the Season of Returns and Recoveries, Libra. You will generate good fortune if you look for what you lost. Here are some suggestions on how to proceed: Recall important memories you’ve almost forgotten, retrieve any valuable things you rashly threw away, and bushwhack your way back to a promising path you strayed from. For best results, you should forgive yourself of any mistakes you think you made that led to the loss.”

I take from this combination that I don’t need to “get over” the things that I am being told to get over, rather that I don’t need to let those things limit who and what I am. I get to decide how I react to those factors, not those people who wish I would move on. I get to decide what I should move on from and how I do so.

“Dear Rob: I have eight distinctly different voices in my head. There’s a hurt, oddly puffed-up voice that complains about everyone who has ever done me wrong. There’s an hysterical voice that nags me with the thought that nothing I could ever do or say will make any difference to anyone, so why bother. Then there’s the still, small voice. It has more gravity and feels more honest. It gives me useful instructions about specific things I could do to live a more meaningful life. The only trouble is, the other voices always blabber so loud I tend to neglect the only one that’s actually helpful. Any advice? – Drowned Out.” Dear Drowned: Set aside five minutes each morning and five minutes before bed. Whisper “Shut up, all the rest of you!”, and then listen reverently to the still, small voice.

I’m not even sure there is a still, small voice inside me anymore.

Rob tells Virgos:
In the language of the Hopi Indians, koyaanisqatsi means “crazy life,” “life in turmoil,” or “life out of balance.” It’s usually invoked to describe a culture that’s in disarray because of corruption and lack of vision. In the horoscope you’re now reading, however, I’m using it to identify a chaotic state that each of us periodically goes through in our personal life. It’s a phase when we lose our moorings, when we’re out of touch with our moral center. On the one hand, it’s uncomfortable and disorienting. On the other hand, the brain-scrambling it stirs up is often a blessing. It flushes out mental habits that no longer serve us. It provokes creative innovations by rearranging the contents of our psyche. According to my reading of the omens, this is such a time for you, Virgo. Happy koyaanisqatsi!

He tells Libras:
The muskmelon is a fruit that continues to ripen after it’s picked, whereas a watermelon stops ripening the moment it’s plucked from the vine. As you enter your own personal harvest season, Libra, keep that difference in mind; it’ll be a useful metaphor. Some of the “crops” you’ve been growing all these months are like muskmelons, while others are like watermelons. Do you know which are which? Let the watermelon-like fruits of your labors stay on the vine until you’re absolutely sure they’re fully mature.

Both of them seem kind of random for me.

Rob says:
Dwight D. Eisenhower was President of the United States for eight years after serving as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II. Early in his career, however, he didn’t win many accolades. Referring to his mediocre stint as an undergraduate at the U.S. Military Academy, he said, “If anybody saw signs of greatness in me while at West Point, they kept it to themselves.” Keep his story in mind during the coming weeks, Virgo. You may have to summon an extra measure of self-motivation as you keep pushing towards your goal despite a lack of recognition or applause.

Cause I’m told I should pay attention to Libra stuff too:
In their translation of a poem by Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai, Chana Bloch and Stephen Mitchell write, “I’m the chimp of chance, the champ of chance, I’m a chum of chance and a chump of chance.” Judging from your astrological omens, Libra, I suspect it’ll soon make sense for you to speak those words yourself. Dumb luck and blind fate will be swirling around you, whipping up both unexpected pleasures and knotty challenges. What can you do to be more of a champ and a chum of chance, and not so much of a chimp and a chump of chance? Welcome everything that happens, with no exceptions. Love the easy and the difficult, the playful and the contrived, the lucid and the confusing.

Your relationship with time seems to be one of your biggest problems. There’s never enough of it. You’re always fighting against the limitations it imposes. It frustrates you and even hurts you. But let me ask you this: Can you imagine yourself cultivating a more friendly and cunning relationship with time? Are you able to visualize the prospect of you and time becoming more like allies than adversaries? How would it feel to regard time as a loving taskmaster that compels you to realize you can’t do everything and must therefore focus on only your brightest dreams and truest pleasures? This is a perfect moment, astrologically speaking, for you to attempt this magic.

Sacred Advertisement is neat this week:
A Spell to Commit Pronoia, by psychotherapist Jennifer Welwood:

Willing to experience aloneness,
I discover connection everywhere;
Turning to face my fear,
I meet the warrior who lives within;
Opening to my loss,
I am given unimaginable gifts;
Surrendering into emptiness,
I find fullness without end.

Each condition I flee from pursues me.
Each condition I welcome transforms me
And becomes itself transformed
Into its radiant jewel-like essence.
I bow to the one who has made it so,
Who has crafted this Master Game;
To play it is pure delight,
To honor it is true devotion.

Rob tells us Virgos:
The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to become dramatically clearer about the nature of your ambitions. To jumpstart the process, read this insight from career counselor Robin Hirschberg: “People tend to confuse their purpose (‘What do I love to do?’), with their ideals (‘How am I comfortable behaving?’), and their desired results (‘What can I achieve?’).” Now get to work figuring out the truth about those three foundation stones, Virgo. Once you do that, develop a plan for getting them to work together synergistically.

It’s pretty interesting timing. I have already been working on some of my bigger ambitions and I have figured out a bit more about what is reasonable for me.

Virgo:
In Kabbalah, the tree of life is the primary symbol of the universe. In Norse mythology, the World Tree links heaven to earth and shelters all living things; beneath it lies a magical well with water that confers special powers on those who drink it. The ancient Chinese spoke of a peach tree that bore a single fruit once every three millennia, and provided immortality to anyone who ate it. In the mythic tradition of modern science, trees have a crucial role in maintaining the ecological health of the planet. I mention all this, Virgo, because in 2007 you’ll benefit tremendously from deepening your relationship with trees–both the actual and mythical kinds. Get to know them better. Learn from them. Plant some. Put a picture of a favorite tree on your altar. Hug one now and then.

Ironic considering the tattoo on my back. Also: hey Noah, remember telling me I could plant a tree?

And just to encourage your overwhelming laziness…
Gemini:
“Dear Rob: Did you ever hear of that monstrous experiment in which a monkey actually died from lack of touch? I often feel like that poor creature. For a while I thought I was being selfish to want more love, but now I’m sick of that idiotic intellectualized self-denial, and refuse to pretend I’m a self-sufficient saint who can go through life feeling a chronic grey bathwater haze of half-assed passion. Is there any hope? -Deprived Gemini.” Dear Deprived: Good news! The possibilitythat you’ll be inundated with love is higher in 2007 than it has been for years. Here are two tips to make it more likely that you’ll be inthe right places at the right times to capitalize: (1) Make yourself supremely lovable; (2) increase your capacity to give love.

Baby, I think you don’t have to worry about going out and finding it. Just keep being you.

Fine fine, Leo too:
My beautiful and talented Leo friend Alisha had a traumatic experienceearly in her romantic history. At age 17, she fell in love with the garbage man who hauled away her family’s trash every Saturday. Through her persistent efforts, the two of them started dating, even though her parents hated his surly vulgarity, his permanently dirty fingernails,and the fact that he couldn’t read. After a whirlwind affair, alas, he broke up with her. Ever since, even as Alisha has learned to make better choices, she has carried the tragicomic embarrassment of having been dumped by a mean, illiterate garbage man. But I predict that in2007 she’ll be healed: Delightful adventures in love will utterly expunge that old twinge. Moreover, I believe many of you Leos will find comparable romantic redemption.

Hm. I could make some comments on that one. I’ll be good though. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good……
EDIT–
And noirem mentioned her moon sign so I looked at mine too. It made me fall over laughing, so here you go Libra:
According to The Onion newspaper, the Catholic Church has abolished the traditional “blessed” status of the meek. The new official story is that the meek shall not inherit the earth. One Church official was quoted as saying, “Everything about the meek, from their quiet demeanors to their utter lack of can-do spirit, goes against Church philosophy.” I can’t confirm the accuracy of The Onion’s report, but it does underscore a point I want to drive home to you in 2007: It’ll be a favorable time for you to get tough with the docile, submissive aspects of your own psyche. Humility’s fine; that can stay. But you should take aggressive measures to lose any tendencies you might have to be passive. Capitalize on the fact that events in the coming months will help you tap into reserves of courage that have previously been inaccessible.

Rob says:
The 5.5 million people who live in Papua New Guinea speak 820 different languages, or one per every 6,707 people. Two villages within an hour’s walking distance of each other may use utterly different tongues. The situation there has a certain metaphorical resemblance to the current state of your fate, Virgo. The various parts of your world aren’t communicating with as much fluidity and frequency as they should be. Your job in the coming weeks is to serve as a master translator, spreading understanding among them. It’s time to unite the fragments.

Seriously creepy. Yeah. My life isn’t working well this week. Damnit.

Oh, I’m liable to be posty today unless this training gets more interesting. 🙂

Rob says:
Philosopher George Gurdjieff declared that most of us are essentially asleep, even as we walk around in broad daylight. We’re ignorant aboutthe higher levels of awareness we’re capable of; we’re blind to the continuous flow of life’s miraculous blessings. He said that in orderto wake up and stay awake we need regular shocks. Some of these are uncomfortable, forcing us to face our own stupidity. But other shocks are delightful. They’re doses of sacred medicine that entice us to shake off our sleepiness and come to attention in pleasurable ways. I believe that in the coming weeks you’ll be offered a steady supply ofthe latter.

I don’t think having my baby be far away, though it does point out some of my stupidities, is a delightful shock.

And so Noah doesn’t have to spend an extra three miutes waiting for his horoscope to download:

Russ Kick searches for messy facts that lie half-hidden beneath the official versions of reality. In his two volumes entitled 50 Things You’re Not Supposed to Know,he reveals, for example, that most corporations don’t pay federal income taxes, George Washington embezzled government money, a third of all American homeless men are military veterans, and Shakespeare filled his plays with sexual references. Russ Kick is your role model, Gemini. May he inspire you to find out about at least three things you’re not “supposed” to know. May you adopt his brazen approach as you breeze into off-limits areas to get the scoop on tantalizing truths that have been missing in action.

Oooh. This is a nifty one. I hope it works out for you Noah. 😉

Rob tells me:

My old philosophy professor Norman O. Brown would periodically interrupt his lectures, tilt his head upward as if tuning into the whisper of some heavenly voice, and announce in a mischievous tone,”It’s time for your irregular reminder: We’re already living after the end of the world. No need to fret anymore.” The implication was that the worst had already happened. We had already lost most of the cultural riches that had given humans meaning for centuries. All that was going to be taken from us had already been taken. On the bright side, that meant we were utterly free to reinvent ourselves. Living amidst the emptiness, we had nowhere to go but up. What remained was alienating, but it was also fresh. Use these ideas as seeds for your meditations, Virgo. You can apply them to both your personal life and the world at large.

It really is time for me to reinvent myself.

Everyone’s but Noah’s really.

Mine: “Have you heard of the Lorax, the fuzzy yellow hero of the Dr. Seuss story? When a greedy factory owner moves into his idyllic little paradise and begins despoiling the forest, the Lorax complains on its behalf, saying, “I speak for the trees, because the trees have no tongues.” Be like the Lorax, Virgo. Stand up for those who are too meek or weak or inarticulate to defend their own interests. It’s the right thing to do, and besides, by doing so you will make connections that generate lucky breaks for you.”

This is how I want to see myself. This is who I want to be.

“When lightning strikes a human being, it’s usually bad news. Not so inthe case of a man from Maine named John Corson. After experiencing awhitish-blue bolt shoot through his body during a thunderstorm, hetestified that his health became better than it had been in a longtime. “I feel lighter and 100 years younger,” he marveled. I predict acomparable (though less shocking) rejuvenation for you, Virgo. Whatyou’re going through or about to go through might cause a breakdown insome people, but for you it will lead to a breakthrough.”

As Noah just put it, “That’s kind of the story of your life.”

ha.

It’s a good time to work on your moon tan. I suggest you put on abathing suit and find a place where the moon can beam down on you for awhile. As you bask in its glow, periodically turning over to let itsaturate every part of your body, imagine that soaking up the lunarvibes will deepen and tone your emotional life, enhance yourreceptivity, make you a wiser nurturer, and build up your knack foradjusting deftly to change.

Ironic considering I CAN’T SLEEP!!!!