This new moon will be exact at 21 degrees and 58 minutes of Virgo on 14 September 2023 at 6:40 p.m. PDT/ 9:40 p.m. EDT/ and on 15 September 2023 2:40 a.m. BST

In This Article

• New Moons in General

• This New Moon's Chart

• TLDR Summary

• Recommendations

• Topics by Rising Sign

New Moons in General

New moons coincide with new beginnings and thus indicate good times for intention setting and initiating new endeavors.

New moons occur every 28 days. Over the course of one year, there will be one new moon in each of the twelve signs, which correspond to each of the twelve houses (areas of life) in your birth chart. You can use these events as occasions to annually review each one. Consider the topics represented in each new moon's chart and set related goals for the corresponding life area. That way, you'll intentionally work on every part of your life throughout the year, focusing on one per month. The Topics by Rising Sign section at the end of this article will help you determine which life area this new moon will activate in your natal chart.

Set your intentions on the day of the new moon. The two weeks following the new moon are typically excellent times to take initial steps related to those intentions. For the next six months, set goals, make plans and take actions in alignment with those intentions.

Six months later, when the full moon occurs in the same sign, check in with how your approach to your goal has served you, and readjust as needed.

This New Moon's Chart Features

• Moon conjunct Sun in Virgo’s 3rd decan: This new cycle concerns careful, detailed analysis and synthesis of practical matters. There is an eye on the inevitable demise of physical forms, and an effort to design something of service to others that will carry meaning beyond one’s own lifetime.

• Virgo’s ruler Mercury, retrograde but stationing direct less than 24 hours later, in Virgo’s first decan, applying to oppose Saturn in Pisces’ first decan but not perfecting: Since Mercury stationed retrograde on August 23rd, we’ve been reassessing our earthly works, going back and discovering mistakes and misunderstandings. Now we’re preparing to move forward with the new information we’ve gathered, revising our designs and drafting a new plan. Our thinking and communication seem to be hitting an invisible wall, blocking our efforts, but those issues are likely to resolve themselves in coming weeks.

• Sun and Moon applying to oppose Neptune in Pisces’ third decan: Our intentions to create or sustain something of practical service to others is in tension with an opposing inclination to daydream, space out, and lose touch with reality. Look for ways to compromise between these two needs as you make your plans, and be careful in discerning fiction from facts.

• Sun and Moon applying to trine Uranus in Taurus’ third decan: Whatever we are planning at this time will be in supportive flow with unexpected events that shock, awaken, catalyze and encourage greater authenticity. These surprising developments are likely to occur in an area of life that is usually stable and predictable.

• Taurus’ ruler Venus in Leo’s 2nd decan, square Jupiter in Taurus’ 2nd decan and sextile Mars in Libra’s 2nd decan: Our desire to boldly display our affections and desires inspires a somewhat contrary inclination to responsibly balance productivity and pleasure, and at the same time inflames our will to seek fair agreements with others.

TLDR Summary

It’s time to set intentions and create plans to make and do practical things that will be of service to others. These plans will need to overcome both real and imagined obstacles, and we’ll have to remember to keep one foot on the ground as we dream big. There have been many shocking developments regarding typically stable resources in recent months. Globally there have been floods, earthquakes, fires, food shortages, wars and government coups to name a few, and you may have experienced similar upheavals in your personal life. This new moon supports us in finding practical ways to be of service to others in the wake of such changes. We can find ways to do this while also leaving time in our schedules for fun. 

Recommendations:

1. Set intentions: Consider the topics and themes described in the Chart Features and TLDR Summary section above. If you know your rising sign, check the list below for the topics this lunation will activate for you specifically. Spend some time brainstorming on these combined topics. What are the most positive, desirable versions of these themes you can imagine for yourself? If you find yourself imagining negative scenarios that seem dauntingly plausible, think about what practical steps you could take to turn that situation positive. I like to write a list of my goals during new moons, but you could get creative with it and make some art or a vision board to visually represent your intentions.

2. Make plans: Once your intentions are set, consider actions to take over the next six months to make your vision a reality. Figure out what you'll do and decide when you'll do each thing.

3. Plant metaphorical seeds: Over the next two weeks (between the now and the next full moon) take the first steps toward the goals you've set.

4. Work that plan: Follow through on your plan for the next six months, until the Virgo full moon, which will represent the culmination of your effort.

Topics by Rising Sign

If you know your rising sign you can further individualize your approach by considering the house topics Virgo represents for you. If you don't know your rising sign, you can email me your birth date, time and city and I'll look it up for you: element@octothorpeindustries.com.

Aries: Physical health, work, chores, pets, service

Taurus: Creativity, children, leisure

Gemini: Home, family, private life

Cancer: Communication, daily schedule, siblings, commute

Leo: Finances, values, self-worth

Virgo: Self-presentation, appearance, personality, body

Libra: Solitude, meditation, dreams, substance use, mental health

Scorpio: Community, friend groups, goals

Sagittarius: Career, reputation, public life

Capricorn: Beliefs, higher education, long-distance travel

Aquarius: Inheritance, shared resources, taxes, debt, mortality

Pisces: Romantic partners, close friends, clients

* I use Austin Coppock's book 36 Faces, an excellent guide to the decans, as a reference for writing these articles.