Meditations for August 2000
by Pythia Peay

The New Moon in Virgo is joined this month by two other planets, Mercury and Mars, in the earth sign of Virgo. The restless, analytical, and mercurial nature of Virgo is a thin veil over its genuine nature as a seeker after truth and simplicity. Like separating the golden grains of wheat from the chaff, Virgo's task is to sift, sort, and scrutinize in order to distill that which is essential from that which is inconsequential. The Priest or Priestess of the Zodiac, Virgo finds its fullest expression in humble service to those noble ideals which transcend ordinary life. 
 

THE VIRGIN GODDESS

The virgin goddess is an archetype of the Divine Feminine found in myths and religions since the beginning of time. She is the Egyptian Isis, "She Who Gave Birth to the Universe."  She is the Roman Diana, "Lunar Virgin," goddess of the sacred grove and Mother of Animals. She is the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, the Divine child. 

Virgo in Latin means "unmarried," and, as Esther Harding has written,* the title of virgin goddess did not imply physical virginity, but the quality of being "one-in-herself." Thus the virgin goddess is not the feminine counterpart of a male god, or even his partner. Instead she is the Mother of the World who stands alone as a divinity in her own right. This is symbolically reflected in the temple priestesses who eschewed marriage in order to perform the sacred rites and rituals of the virgin goddess they served. 

MEDITATION: To attune to the virgin goddess, you may want to choose an image from history that is particularly meaningful to you. She may be the loving-hearted Virgin of Guadalupe, whose hands stream forth the light of compassion. She may be Isis nursing Horus on her lap, crowned with the crescent moon, or Diana in her torch-lit grove caring for her lively forest creatures. You may receive an image of her from your own imagination: your virgin goddess may be veiled with stars and mystery, or, like a dream I once had, appear as a young, laughing, long-haired goddess who was the joyful embodiment of unconditional love.

When you have a clear image of the virgin goddess, imagine her seated within the temple of your heart. Like a holy rain, her qualities pour out from her, filling your being with grace, loveliness, simplicity, and, most of all, love. Experience her as the vital source of life itself, for though virginal in her integrity and completeness, she is the mother of all creation and the original source of every being. She is the mother that you never had, or that your mother or her mother before her never had, as well. She is the one who heals you of your imperfections through the generosity of her forgiveness, and who contains you in the wide embrace of her acceptance. Her gift to you is healing love; the kind of happy, healthy affection that makes whole all that had been hidden in shame and woundedness. 

After you have spent some time in communion with the virgin goddess, imagine that, out of love, you have dedicated yourself to her as a priestess or priest. In your devotion to the qualities that she represents, you may wish to create a ritual that celebrates her being throughout the month of September. Like all rituals, this rite will serve to remind you of that which is truly meaningful in life, marking a boundary between the sacred and the profane. Your ritual may be a silent moment each day at a certain time; words of prayer outside in nature; or an act of loving kindness for a creature in need. When you have finished designing your ritual, close your meditation with loving gratitude for your reconnection to the virgin goddess who is ever-present within and without. 

CLARITY OF INTENTION: WHAT - OR WHOM - DO YOU SERVE?

"Whom does the grail serve?" was the question asked of the wounded Fisher King in the Arthurian legend. The health of the kingdom, as well as the healing of his own wound, depended upon his answer. As Virgo is a sign of service it is, as well, a timely question to ponder at this New Moon. For service without purity of intention lacks clarity or the ability to truly heal. Like the chivalrous knight who has dedicated him or herself in service to their kingdom, one's intention is the spirit that animates any form of service. 

MEDITATION: To clarify one's intention about the purpose you have chosen to serve in life, it may help to meditate on the image of a crystal. If you have a real crystal, place it on your altar. If not, then visually imagine a large crystal, centering it within your inner vision. Contemplate this crystal for as long as you like, absorbing into yourself its clear translucense. Imagine that its diamond-like light is penetrating your body, heart, and mind. Think of sunlight glinting off snow; landscapes of crystals; ice-blue mountain lakes. Breathe in crystal-clean, crisp mountain air. Slowly, begin to feel as if your whole being is coming into sharper and sharper focus. Everything that has clouded your vision has melted away in the brilliance of this light. 

Now allow a question to form in your heart: "what, or whom, do I serve?" Without forcing an answer, allow a response to arise naturally from within - whether an image, a phrase or even a piece of music or an emotion. (Later, you may wish to write down your response, as well as any interpretations, the way you might work with a dream.) Now, as any knight would do, place your hand over your heart and dedicate yourself in service to this purpose - the ideal that has chosen you to be its trusted servant.