Virgo New Moon: Collecting Scattered Parts
“I’m going to go collect my parts.”
My wife taught me this phrase. We tend to offer it up whenever we’re feeling like our emotional bits and pieces have been strewn about – when we’re scattered or flustered, and just need a moment to gather ourselves.
Just got an unexpected medical diagnosis? Roof leaking? Or maybe ten little things have been irritating you today?
Sounds to me like you might need to go collect your parts.
Granted, putting our shattered pieces back together again is not always easy; life tends to throw all manner of difficulty at us. Eventually, hardship is bound to make our acquaintance at some point.
But lately, I’ve been thinking about the Japanese art of Kintsugi*, in which broken pieces of pottery are put back together with gold.
What a beautiful concept: The idea of Kintsugi is that when things break open, there’s no reason to hide it. In fact, the elegant, mended cracks become a visual part of the history and story of the earthenware – by becoming highlighted within the clay, the fractures show that there can be a way to find beauty, even in the broken. Some say the object becomes stronger, too.
Perhaps, during periods of great grief, fully healing our hearts isn’t always possible.
But the craft of Kintsugi reminds us that sometimes, when things fall apart, they can come back together again and be of service to others. And sharing the cracks and imperfections contains a brilliance all its own.
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If any astrological sign is a pro at collecting parts, I’d have to put helpful Virgo at the top of that list. And on August 27th (3:17am CT), we welcome a New Moon at 4° Virgo.
All New Moons initiate a fresh 4-week, 6-month, and 2.5-year cycle. They push us to start something anew, to sprinkle seeds of intention that might flourish down the line.
The detail-oriented sign of Virgo is known for its ability to sweep up, clear out, sort, analyze, and discern. During this time, how can you evaluate and tend to the daily tasks that add value and meaning to your everyday health and wellness… the ordinary habits that build your life?
Earthy, practical Virgo tends to see things through a lens of improvement, in an effort to be of service to others. And although Full Moons are usually the time in the lunation cycle when relationships come in focus, this motivating New Moon does have a connecting-with-others quality to it… this is messenger Mercury’s realm, after all, and the planet of communication is now in partnership-oriented and fair-minded Libra: How can you convey your message in a way that enhances or mends relationships? How can you show care and support to those you love?
The cosmic winds are reminding us to pay attention, to make improvements, to dissect and gather and tidy. Take care, though: With the Sun and Moon in a close square to busy Mars in Gemini, things may feel grating… and rational Virgo, with an eye toward betterment, can sometimes wander across the line to criticism. Balance is key: How can you mindfully respond and take action, rather than react in a big way?
This Virgo New Moon presents an opportunity to go collect your parts: Where have you been scattered, and what grounding techniques do you find effective? As you ponder refining your day-to-day life, can you make a concrete list of what has worked in the past? And is there an avenue for helping out others?
What are one or two ways that you can sweep up the jagged pieces of your life, to bring yourself to more fully into wholeness? And what daily practices or rituals would support that?
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As I was talking to my mom this morning, she reminded me of the Leonard Cohen song Anthem, “Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.”
To me, the grace in the practice of Kintsugi comes from the recognition that in knitting together our frayed bits, we can still be of value to the greater good and to those we love.
Once we’ve broken open, we’re never quite the same again. But by allowing ourselves to be vulnerable – by collecting our parts and offering them up – perhaps we can gather and repair what’s been fragmented, and our golden radiance can still shine through. It’s never too late, as long as we’re still here, to try to make things better… and that’s a quintessentially Virgoan ideal.
What are the fractures in your life? And how can you take your hard-earned scars, recognize their value, and allow yourself to be motivated by them to put your life in order?
Can there be beauty, even in the cracks? Can there be meaning, even in the rifts? Can we still be of service, even after we’ve been shattered?
This Virgo New Moon invites you to go collect your parts and find out.
Essay and photo ©2022 Jen Braun, JJ Boots Productions LLC
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*Wondering what the art of Kintsugi looks like? Check out these very cool Kintsugi offerings on Etsy. (Just sharing – no money comes to me from this link.)
