One of my favorite ways to work with zodiac energies is during the time of transition each month when the Sun moves from one sign to the next.
The current transition from Leo to Virgo is one of the most dramatic of the year. These final days of August hold a bittersweet quality. Although the sun still brings warmth to our skin, we feel the chill of fall in the air. These are the days when we soak in the last joyful expansiveness of summer sun and prepare for the coming seasons when nature slows down and energy moves within.
There is a great deal of contrast and intensity to this shift. Leo energy is fiery and expansive, the most out-going of all the zodiac signs. Leo energy is filled with creative excitement and the eagerness to expand and explore.
In contrast, Virgo energy is filled with sensitivity and inner knowledge of the beauty of the light we hold within. Virgo understands how to work with subtle energies. It knows the power held within each ordinary moment. Now that we have entered Virgo’s earthy container of self-mastery, we must bring all of that Leo fire within. Virgo knows how to capture all of that Leo fire and turn it into gold. That is the beauty of these precious days.
My Taoist teacher Liu Ming used to say that this energetic transition we face in August is the most ‘dangerous’ time of the year. He wasn’t speaking of physical danger, but of the challenge we have of making our own big shift from the expansive Leo energy of summer to the much more concentrated internal energy of Virgo that prepares us for the fall.
The challenge (‘danger’) of the transition shows up in different ways. We may have underlying resistance to the coming changes in season, or hold regret for unmet expectations, or feel overwhelm with urgency of preparation for the future, or pressured to get the most out of every day. The more we can be aware of the reasons for intensity, the more we can return to the present moment and feel into the natural potency and beauty of this time.
This is a time to be fully present, to be fully in your body, to be ‘all in’ to the incredible presence of each moment. Remember, Virgo helps you find the beauty in each ordinary moment of life. The more you can come present the more you can find your connection and participate in nature’s shift.
Be Here Now
I love this picture. Children reflect the purity of our spirits. They remind us of who we really are. The help us return to our hearts and to the joy of simply being.
When Liu Ming taught about the challenges of the energy shift from summer to fall, he told the story of the powerful emperor and his young granddaughter, and how it was she who actually held the most power in the land. This is because she had his heart. In any moment, no matter how serious or important his task, she could climb into his lap and he would immediately be present and give her his full attention.
The emperor in this story represents your active authority, your ‘adult’ self who is inspired to show up fully in all of your glory. The child is the light you hold within. This story reminds us of the importance of continually moving to our hearts, slowing down and being present to what’s happening here and now.
In the midst of the intensity of change, the present moment holds all we need.
“Be Here Now.” There is much wisdom in these three powerful words. I say these words – out loud – to myself often, sometimes several times a day. When I find myself feeing pressured, stressed or overwhelmed, I take a breath, move to my heart, and say “Beth, slow down! Be Here Now.” Sometimes that’s all I need to do to return to calm and ease.
May you find ease in the midst of the fullness, and may your final days of summer be filled with potent ordinary moments of simple pleasure and wonder at the beauty of life.
Much Love,
Beth
