7 Ways To Manifest The Potent Lunar Potential Of The 2021 Virgo New Moon

Clean, green, and serene? That's the recipe for success as the 2021 Virgo new moon (the only one this year) shifts our focus toward salubrious systems.

As the sign symbolized by the Virgin or Maiden carrying a shaft of wheat, Virgo is the zodiac's purist and green thumb. Think carefully about what seeds you want to plant during this earthy lunar lift. (And for best results, make sure they're heirloom quality and that the "soil" is organic.)

Virgo is the zodiac's sustainable "cleanfluencer," a la Marie Kondo, always looking to tidy things up—but only in the purest, most nontoxic way. Since many of us will spend more time indoors now at work and school, do what you can to breathe easier.

During these times of ongoing political unrest, weather-related travesties, and social conflict, it's tempting to withdraw into solitude. But that's not what benevolent Virgo wants (or, for that matter, what humanity needs). As quintessential Virgo, Mother Teresa said, "I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love." Those words have never mattered more.

Virgo is the sign of sacred self-care, and this lunar lift can level up your nutrition and fitness regimen. If chatty Mercury, Virgo's ruler, balks at going it alone, recruit friends. Motivate each other along as accountability buddies—you can stream workouts together, do weekly check-ins, or share results on the same app. Meet for weekend bike rides or rent a cabin with your pandemic pod at a location with legendary hiking trails. Since methodical Virgo loves learning steps, try out new choreography, or take a dance lesson.

Yes, altruistic Virgo is all about selfless service and even sacrifice—but that spirit doesn't just flow one way. The 2021 Virgo new moon reminds us to be receptive to the kindness and generosity of others. How often do you catch yourself saying, "I've got it handled," or "I'm good!" when you're actually overwhelmed and on the verge of a stress meltdown? Under this new moon in humble, modest Virgo, be willing to wave the flag and admit that you could use a hand.

Is there clutter in your head, too? Zen Buddhists tell the story of Nan-in, a Japanese master who poured tea into a visiting professor's cup until it was full—and then kept on pouring. When the professor protested that his cup was overflowing, Nan-in told him that, like the cup, the scholar's head was full of opinions that made it impossible to show him Zen. First, he had to empty his cup.

Virgo is the innocent newborn, the pure and unspoiled being that has no sense of inadequacy. Alas, that sense of wholeness seems to be the hardest state for humans to hang on to. While this new moon can help us purify in healthy ways—through our diets, our intentions, and the words we choose to use—it can be a slippery slope to perfectionism. Brené Brown calls it armor or, "a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it's the thing that's really preventing us from flight."