Each sign has its own lunar cycle, just a bit different from all of the others. We wane with some signs and wax with others.
Today is the dark of the Moon, the last few hours of the old Moon before she is born anew. Today she is Balsamic, the most ancient of crone Moons, negotiating with the Sun for new life. Tomorrow she will be born again as the Maiden, the New Moon, waxing chaste. She will have only a few hours as the Maiden. The next time we see her she will be the crone again, but growing brighter and brighter, younger and younger, with the passing months. In six month’s time she will present herself in all her magnificent glory as the Virgo Full Moon, consort to the gentle Pisces Sun. This is her Cinderella story.
We think of the Moon as growing in brightness from the New Moon to the Full, and of course she does as the phases wax. But each sign’s lunar cycle is different. The Virgo New Moon cycle is one that moves backwards through the phases.
The Details
(Skip if you want only magic)
The Virgo Moon will be a waning Moon from October until March. In October, she will appear twice as the Balsamic moon. In late November, she will be the Last Quarter Moon. In December, January, and February she will be in the Disseminating phase. This is how her Cinderella story unfolds. She grows younger as the months pass by.
In March of next year, she will be Full. It is then that she will begin her journey through the heavens as a waxing Moon.
This is hard to imagine, I know. This illustration should help. See how the Virgo lunar cycle’s “backwards” journey through the phases increases her luminosity? Also note the “triple goddess” formation of the first three days.
(Readers in the southern hemisphere ~ reverse this procession.)
The Anti-Aging Ceremony
In these last few hours, consider adjusting your New Moon meditation to cycle backwards with Virgo. Think of her as the anti-aging Moon. What would it be like to see a beloved grow younger? Would you feel you had been of good service to your beloved? Would you feel older? Happier?
Tools for the Ceremony
The Balsamic Virgo ~ Find an object, preferably silver, in need of polishing, to represent something you would like to renew. Have some polish on hand. (If you intend to polish silver, toothpaste is one of the best silver polishes you can use. No need for a chemical polish.) Place your object in a prominent place. If you use an altar, place it there.
The New Virgo ~ On the day of the New Moon, do nothing but imagine what this renewal will feel and look like as you meditate on your object and what it represents throughout the day.
The Waxing Virgo ~ The day after the New Moon, polish just a portion of the object you have chosen.
Timing
You can take a day, a week, or the entire month of the Virgo New Moon cycle to complete the polishing. It’s important not to polish the object in one sitting. You want to spend some time seeing the object grow brighter and brighter in stages, younger and younger in appearance, as the time you’ve allowed yourself unfolds. You may decide to spend some time each month polishing just a portion until next March, when the Virgo Moon is Full. The timing is up to you.
Bright Moon blessings and happy New Moon.
Auntie Moon 
cj, this is a fabulous ritual; so appropriate for Virgo! Thank you!
I’m so glad you like it, Sandra! {{{{{big smiles and hugs}}}}}
Love your posts CJ. Will surely be doing this new Moon ritual. Got everything ready. We are leaving for home on the new Moon tomorrow, and I have been planning all our trips this way, and now it seems to magically work out on it’s own. I could not pick our day to leave, but just happened it is the new Moon. We left home on a New Moon. I love following the Moon as I am such a Moon Child.
It’s great hearing from you, Susie. Yes, you are definitely a Moon Child. Enjoy the ritual and your New Moon trip.
Hi CJ!
Just wanted to say that I LOVE this ritual! This morning I was thinking that I was tired of dreading the so-called ‘inevitable’ decline as I age and thought wouldn’t it be wonderful if I got more beautiful (inside and out) and more powerful as I grew older instead of the opposite. I even wrote out few affirmations. And then I received your post! Not merely a coincidence I’m sure 🙂
So, I’m not exactly sure if I am able to follow the details as described. Could you explain a bit further how the ritual works? Also, how big of an object do you suggest that would take until next March to polish? I was going to use a spoon but that seems too small.
Thanks!
Namaste
~MF
Don’t you just love these kind of coincidences?! We are of one mind today.
You don’t have to take the whole six months to polish the object. You could adapt the ritual to polish the same object every month until the Virgo Full Moon next March. If you want to use the spoon and gradually polish it, that would work, too. Virgo is adept at working in miniatures ~ it’s okay to polish just a tiny portion. Is the spoon a regular sized spoon, like a soup spoon? You could start at the tip of the handle or the bowl, divide the spoon into 7 sections (one for the New Moon and then 6 for the next 6 Virgo Moons). Each month you could polish what you had already polished and add another section. It’s really up to you. The ritual is about intention, detail, and steadfast attention toward renewal.
I’ve chosen a silver candle holder that has been neglected. I think that handling it regularly for six months and caring for it will renew my love for it. And maybe it will inspire me to care for myself more, too.
Have a lovely New Moon, MF. Here’s to growing more beautiful (inside and out) and more powerful every day.
What a lovely response, CJ!
I just remembered that I have a formerly beloved Silver Bean from Tiffany’s that was gifted to me many years ago. I foolishly allowed a careless remark from a friend who said it was ‘old’ and out of style to diminish my joy in it and I stopped wearing it (which is kind of how I’ve been feeling about myself lately). It has since grown nearly black from lack of use and polishing. The chain is silver too and the bean is small to medium sized. Maybe paying that much attention to detail in restoring this item to its former glory will, as you say, renew my love for it and also inspire me to love and appreciate myself too 🙂
Here’s to us both, and women everywhere, loving, appreciating and polishing our inner & outer beauty more and more and more until we glow as bright as the Moon.
Happy New Moon!
namaste
~mf
Now that’s a beautiful thought, MF. Thanks so much.
Mf a silver bean is a perfect symbol for a “magic” harvest!
oh my, how I needed this! thank you and brightest blessings.
Bright blessings to you, too, Cynthia.
I a glad you said miniatures as I choose a silver tomahawk pendant to polish. Very small, so I can be meticulous about polishing it. I wore it all day before the full moon and will continue to wear it. I can imagine using it to hack out the deadwood….or in my husbands case, hack out the cancer.
That’s a wonderful image, Susie. My heart and thoughts are with you both.
Followed your advice to “do nothing but imagine what this renewal will feel and look like as you meditate on your object and what it represents throughout the day” and feeling calm and blessed even days after!
That’s fantastic, rashee. Thank you for letting me know. 🙂
i’ve been polishing…. not sure if i feel or look any younger but my silver bean is certainly shinier! 😉
this is mf by the way… wordpress is so interesting sometimes lol
I’ve been polishing my silver bean… on 3rd oct…. not sure if i’m looking or feeling any younger but my bean is certainly shinier! 😉
You put a big smile on my face, mf! And I’m glad to know that your old friend the bean is shiny again.