New Moon is always a time of excitement and possibilities. A new cycle is beginning, new visions are forming and it is an opportunity to move on and leave the past in the past. This New Moon is a particularly welcome opportunity, coming right on the heels of a difficult Mercury Retrograde.

The Virgo New Moon brings a focus on practical issues and problem solving – just what the doctor ordered for recovering from a retrograde that began in Virgo. It’s a good time to take stock of your situation, see where you have veered off track, and get yourself going in the right direction.

You have probably developed bad habits, quit making progress on certain projects, neglected your regular routines a bit… Under the diligent Virgo Moon it’s tempting to ‘get back to normal’, and put things back exactly as they were before the retrograde. However, in the spirit of evolution we move upward and onward. Even in the little things, change is inevitable, and going backward is rarely desirable.

To reap the benefits of a Mercury Retrograde, you need to use it as an opportunity to learn. You see things from a different perspective and the little glitches that come up often point out problem areas that were being ignored.

Those habits, routines, schedules, projects and good intentions that fell by the wayside during the retrograde have probably left some areas of your life in a bit of disorder. The benefit of disorder is it gives us flexibility. It’s time for new habits, routines, and schedules. It’s an opportunity to address those issues Mercury brought to attention. It’s a time to evolve and progress in the little ways.

Taking center stage this month is Mercury, turning retrograde on the 2nd. Pay extra attention to details, double check paperwork, beware of miscommunication… All the usual retrograde advice applies throughout the month, as Mercury won’t turn direct again until the 26th.

Be especially careful of forming bad habits, or losing good ones. Prepare for routines and schedules to be disrupted.

The best strategy for successful navigation of this retrograde:

1. Details, Details, Details – This Mercury retrograde is occurring entirely in the sign of Virgo – the sign of meticulous attention to detail. During this retrograde, extra attention to those seemingly insignificant details will prove to be more than worth the time and effort.
2. Keep an Open Mind – While it’s not advisable to make important decisions, or wholly embrace new ways of thinking during a Mercury retrograde, it can be an excellent time to consider and explore such things. With Mercury opposing Neptune, this retrograde can be an opportunity to purge old worn out ways of thinking, and open blocked psychic channels. However, the opportunity comes as vague and incomplete ideas, concepts, "feelings", etc. Just keep an open mind in such matters – once the retrograde has passed you may realize some very important seeds were planted.
3. Have some patience- Expect a few extra glitches, delays, and extra details to deal with. When Mercury retrogrades in Virgo, the biggest problems are often the littlest things. It’s the frustration of too many little things that make it seem big.
4. Good Habits – Virgo is the sign of habits and routines. During this retrograde it can be all too easy to break good habits. Be extra vigilant to maintain the habits and routines you want to keep, and make an effort to break bad ones.
5. Health Matters – Of all habits to maintain vigilantly this month, those connected with health and well being are most important. Not only poor diet and exercise, but lack of attention to emotional, spiritual, or psychological health will take more of a toll than you expect.

The Virgo New Moon has a contemplative, thoughtful quality. This is a sign of purification and refinement. It is also a Mercury ruled sign, making it highly susceptible to the retrograde. Although New Moon is typically a good time for beginning new projects and endeavors, it’s not advisable this time.

The focus of this Moon lies in it’s ruler, Mercury. The general advice for a Mercury retrograde is review, look at things from a different angle, see what you’ve been overlooking. This is a Virgo retrograde, and that energy is enhanced by the New Moon in Virgo. This is a rather analytical sign, known for fault-finding.

The aim of Virgo is improving, refining, perfecting and purifying. The method is an efficient and practical one – beginning with exposing all that is less than ideal. With Mercury retrograding in Virgo, it sometimes feels as if Murphy’s Law ("if it can go wrong it will") is in full effect. And it is, for a reason. If it can go wrong, there is a flaw allowing this to happen, and exposing this flaw allows you to fix it.

New Moon brings the seeds of a new cycle; a new vision is beginning to form. The vision of this critical Virgo Moon is not likely a pleasant one. Throughout the waxing Moon – especially with new clarity after Mercury goes direct – there is an increasing awareness of imperfections. There is a restless discontent building. The vision forming is one of all that we have been settling for, making do with, letting slide, putting up with…

From the time Mercury goes direct on the 12th, the overall energies are shifting. Subtle undertones begin building – a sense of something heavier, darker, more potent. It is a time for facing inner struggles as well as outer ones. There is a strong sense of the need for purging or releasing.

Pluto follows Mercury, ending his retrograde cycle the very next day. It may mean some serious glitches around the 12th and 13th, so expect this retrograde to end with a bang. However, after a few days, when the energies begin to settle, clarity will begin to return. After the confusion of Mercury retrograde, heavily infused with vague Neptune aspects near the end, it may seem a sharp contrast. There is a sense of being snapped back to reality, like a fresh breath of startlingly cold air after exiting a hot, stuffy room

The highlight of the waxing Moon comes as Jupiter conjoins Neptune on the 18th. It is a whirlwind of chaotic and exciting energy passing through just as we are coming out from under the retrograde spell. Avoid making spontaneous decisions around this time, especially important ones. There is a sense of urgency, of "act first, think later". Anything to break out of a rut may sound appealing – and may be just what the doctor ordered, but not without a little grounding thought first.

This Waxing phase is building towards a powerful series of events. On the 21st the Sun reaches opposition with Uranus and Jupiter, on the 22nd Mabon, and on the 23rd Full Moon. Waning Moon, waning year, and waning Sun-Jupiter/Uranus cycles mark a powerful time of endings, release, purification… Spiritually of otherwise, it is a time for decrease and elimination of that which has completed it’s cycle, or has became detrimental rather than constructive. This Waxing Moon is painting a painfully clear picture of just what that is.