Hello dear ones! We hope you have been doing ok during Mercury Retrograde in Pisces, we know it's been a rough ride for most. So, you'll be pleased to know that Mercury goes direct on Tuesday (phew) but do remember that a few days after Mercury goes direct we have a bit of a retrograde hangover so be prepared for there to be some lingering weird energy. We have a full moon on Monday 9th March in the beautiful grounded earth sign of Virgo and we can welcome in the Maiden energy of both Virgo and the beginning of spring (Spring Equinox is coming up on March 20th). It's also International Women's day on Sunday 8th of March so a wonderful time to celebrate the divine feminine! Virgo is actually ruled by Mercury, the planet of elevated thought, communication and travel and Virgo's symbol is the Maiden or Virgin and is often depicted as a maiden goddess carrying a sheaf of wheat (representing the harvest season but also the gathering of wisdom) - so again, we can turn our attention to thinking about the wisdom we have gathered over the wisdom and how to integrate that into the fresh energy of Spring. We can also use this gathering of wisdom in relation to our experiences during Mercury Retrograde, it's likely that over the last few weeks we have had difficult emotions and baggage churned up and old karmic patterns resurfacing. We could just breathe a sigh of relief that it's all over in a few days or we could spend some time sitting with the pain and discomfort of what's been illuminated. This is really what full moons are about, we use the light of each full moon to shine awareness on our inner darkness. We ask, what is hurting that needs to be healed? What do I need to let go of in order to move forward? What wisdom lies in my suffering? The Virgo energy invites us to see our pain as a teacher. As Buddha said 'Suffering has many good qualities' - it shows us what we have left to master. So for this upcoming full moon, we will have the sun in the water sign of Pisces (read our previous blog about Pisces if you missed it) and then the moon in Virgo. Pisces as we spoke about before is a deeply spiritual sign and enjoys spending time swimming in the depths of the unconscious - their shadow side can be favouring the spirit world over being grounded in reality and connecting to others, they are sometimes described as being aloof or unable to cope with the realities of day to day life. Virgo is also a spiritual sign but their Earth element gives them the ability to embody their spirituality here on earth whilst being present. This Virgo full moon can help us to balance these parts of ourselves - the ability to journey to our soul world but also the ability to embody what we've learned from our time in the soul world with our feet firmly on the ground. Virgo full moon asks us how can we balance the Spiritual with the practical? How are we showing up for our spiritual life? How can we integrate our connection with the divine into every day? In your journal, write a list of ways that you can create spiritual habits, simple ways that you can connect to the Divine every day. Do you have an altar space? If not, is this something you could set up? If you've felt a little bit dreamy or away with the fairies this Pisces season then use this full moon to arrive back in your body. Get a massage, have a bath, move, dance or so Yoga. Go outside and connect to nature, disconnect from technology for a little while and feel your feet on the earth. Virgo rules the gut and because of this they have very good instincts and are deeply guided by their intuition, this is also a big part of the Pisces energy. We looked at this during the New Moon in Pisces but we can continue to ask, how often do we allow ourselves to be guided by our intuition and gut feelings? Or do we allow our rational mind to take over? An interesting journaling practice is to ask yourself about two situations from your past, one where you followed your intuition and one where you ignored it. Where did these situations lead you? How did it feel in both instances? How did it feel to ignore your gut and how did it feel to follow your deep inner knowing? Intuition is a powerful aspect of the divine feminine - awakening, trusting and being guided by your intuition is a powerful way to awaken your Maiden sovereign energy. The archetype of the Virgin and the Maiden is very much to do with the idea of being sovereign - being self assured, self reliant and deeply connected to our wisdom and intuition. Do you trust yourself? Do your trust where you're being guided to go? Or are you resisting? Spring CleanVirgo is ruled by the 6th Astrological House of Healing & Health and with Spring just around the corner, now is a great to start thinking about gently cleansing and detoxifying the body after the winter months. Virgo rules the harvest - the picking and sorting of crops - it has an affinity with healing herbs and the archetype of the healer, so now is a wonderful time to go out foraging for herbs that can assist you with detoxing. Nettle and Dandelion are wonderful at this time of year. Ground Dandelion is a wonderful alternative to coffee and makes a lovely Latte. Nettle & Peppermint Tea Simply mix looseleaf dried peppermint and nettle leaves to boiling water and leave to steep for a few minutes, drink and enjoy. Nettle is a diuretic so just be sure to drink a lot of water alongside it. Virgo Tummy Oil Some essential oils associated with Virgo are Marjoram, Myrrh, Frankincense, Bergamot, Valerian and Thyme. Here's a recipe for a balancing tummy oil: 25ml base oil of your choice 5 drops Bergamot 2 drops Myrrh 2 drops Frankincense 3 drops Marjoram (not suitable for pregnancy, breastfeeding or if going out in the sun directly after using). Rub the oil on your tummy in circular motions, from right to left. Cleanse your space With all the weird energy in the air at the moment it's really important to regularly cleanse your space. You could do this by burning herbs such as Sage or Rosemary or you could create your own aromatherapy room mist using Sage, Juniper Berry and Lemon essential oil in water with a bit of alcohol. Like we did at Imbolc, light white candles in your home and call on the Goddess Brigid for protection and guidance. She is a wonderful Maiden Spring Goddess to work with. Re-charge and Cleanse your Crystals Sometimes our crystals get tired and lack lustre, even if we've been regularly bathing them in moon light and water. Sometimes, they just need a bit of timeout back in the earth. If you feel like your crystals are in need of a deep re-charge, bury them in the soil for 24 hours and then dig them back up and wash them in water. Then place them under the full moon to charge them up. Movement as Medicine This is a lovely time of year to start gently cleansing your body with movement. Yoga sequences that focus on gentle twists and flowing movements can be a really nice way to remove stale energy out of the body. There are also some simple Pranayama practices to help with gentle cleansing too such as alternate nostril breathing and Kapalabhati. Healthy HabitsAnother key theme associated with Virgo is healthy habits. With Virgo's love of being organised and healthy and winter beginning to recede, now is a great time to check-in with our daily habits and start to make tweaks to honour the change of the seasons. We can ask ourselves if our current daily habits are leading us where we want to go? Are we choosing things that make us feel good, well and balanced or are we relying on quick fixes and instant gratification? What would it feel like to add in new routines to our day now the days are getting brighter and longer? Perhaps a little bit of yoga first thing in the morning or a few minutes of meditation? Perhaps we could add in a new bedtime ritual of tv and phone free time and a calming practice like Yoga Nidra. How are we supporting our body at the moment? How are we caring for ourselves? Here are some suggestions for new daily habits: Start the day with Honey & Lemon Water During the winter months it's really easy to get into the habit of relying heavily on caffeine to get us going in the morning. This simple concoction of lemon and honey in hot water first thing in the morning is a lovely Ayurvedic way to start the day. Wake up Slow Porridge Another habit that's easy to fall into is not giving ourselves enough time to have a nourishing breakfast. A hearty and healthy breakfast can set us up really well for the day and help us to balance our blood sugar levels and not crave so much sugar and caffeine throughout the rest of day. As the weather is still a bit on the chilly side, a bowl of porridge can be a really comforting and grounding start to the day. Try adding spiced apples and toasted seeds. To do this: Slice a couple of apples and then fry them in a pan with a tablespoon of coconut oil, a tablespoon of maple syrup and sprinkle them with a teaspoon of cinnamon. Fry for a couple of minutes until they turn golden. Add in to your porridge and then add a mixture of seeds to your frying pan and toast them for a few minutes until they go golden brown. Drizzle some maple syrup and a sprinkling of chia seeds, sit down and eat mindfully :) Morning Stretch Do you find yourself continuously hitting the snooze button on your alarm and then leaping out of bed in a flurry to get ready and go? Take a moment to think about what animals do when they wake up from a nap, they spend some time stretching and moving their spine in lots of directions before the head off. Doing the same thing can work wonders for our body, our joints and in particular our fascia. Spend a few minutes before you get up rotating your wrists and ankles, hugging your knees into your chest and rocking from side to side and then when you do get out of bed, gently place your feet on the floor and take a full body stretch, reaching your arms up to the ceiling. Take some hip circles and a few rotations of your shoulders and then spend a moment connecting your feet to the earth beneath you. Take a few deep breaths and then go about your day :) Working with the Maiden energyWe will be calling in the energy of the Maiden further with the upcoming New Moon in Aries and Spring Equinox but for now start turning your mind to this Maiden energy. Think about the energy of Spring, all the energy of mother earth at the moment is being channeled into growth and nourishing seeds and new buds. It's a time for being curious about everything, of being open to wonder and new possibilities. Maiden energy is playful, creative, expressive and initiating. This full moon, pull out your journal and read about all the things you journalled about and moodboarded about over the winter months. The Maiden energy is all about bringing these goals and intentions out in to the world. It's about being seen. What can you put in place to begin manifesting your goals for the year? This could be another powerful time to moodboard - use the intuitive energy of both Pisces and Virgo to get a clear vision of where you're headed and how you're going to get there. Again, balance the ability of Pisces to dream and wonder with the organised and practical energy of Virgo...Virgos and Maidens know how to get shit done :) Make lists, create new pages and spreads in your bullet journal, create a plan of action! When Mercury goes direct, things can start moving forward again, what would you like that to look like?
We really hope you've enjoyed this blog post. We will be back soon for more lunar self care. Take care moonbeams x
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