Lately, I’ve been feeling uninspired. At this point, I know myself well enough to know, that just means I am frustrated by the practice of showing up consistently. Disenchantment always seems to strike just after I’ve made real progress in my creative practice, and right before it’s time to put myself out there.
But maybe a better word is fear. A fear that my persistence might make me responsible for what I desire. And facing the reality that it might not come to be.
Still, there is value in the practice.
When I think about Virgo, I think about processes and systems. Sometimes I forget, that it’s sibling sign is Pisces, who is less concerned with the method and more comfortable with the willy nilly. The two feel more like 3rd cousins from my daddy’s side of the family to me.
As a pisces rising, I generally struggle with containment. While I respect it immensely, I just don’t want any parts. This is especially true when it comes to routine.
My birthday recently passed, and since structured practice is something I find myself lacking, I decided to gift myself discipline. I should have kept the receipt. Somehow, I made the mistake of thinking that after 38 years of going with the flow, time blocking my calendar would somehow change my life.
Gradually, I found things that once gave me a spark turning into chores. That can be one of the challenges with Virgo…becoming more concerned with the process than what the process is creating.
But when I sit with the Virgo-Pisces axis, both are deeply concerned with the magic of a matter. Pisces through the experience of awe, and Virgo by tending to the structures that promote wonder.
Virgo creates the container for our magic to take shape. It does not promise that we will get what we want, but it does give us the habit for sparking inspiration.
“Put enough magic into something nonliving, and it becomes alive.”
N.K. Jemisin from “The Stone Sky”1
In “Furor Scribendi”2 (A Rage for Writing), Octavia Butler famously says “First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable.” This text is a brief but powerful essay, drawn from a talk Butler gave to new writers on facing the challenges of writing for publication.
The essay ends with one word. Persist. But not before addressing the matter of imagination.
“Finally, don’t worry about imagination. You have all the imagination you need, and all the reading, journal writing, and learning you will be doing will stimulate it. Play with your ideas. Have fun with them. Don’t worry about being silly or outrageous or wrong. So much of writing is fun. It’s first letting your interest and your imagination take you anywhere at all.”
Octavia Butler from “Furor Scribendi”
When I read these words I recognized that I do in fact operate within a structure. It’s just called ritual.
I am in practice when I wake up and pray. I am in practice when I water my garden. I am in practice when a get lost down the rabbit hole of researching a new astro technique. I am in practice when I dance at my altar.
I am not arguing that discipline and efforting are not important! Just that we must consider all the ways we can develop a consistent practice of engaging with the world in a way that contains our awe and wonder. And then become dedicated to it.
As we move through this Virgo SZN, may we be gentle with ourselves and, as much as possible, engage in the actions that support the method to our magic.
Key Takeaways:
Listening as a Method: We’ve been taught to place trust outside ourselves and to dismiss our own knowing. But intuition is a valid form of gathering information and moving through our world. For it to become a reliable guide, you must begin by listening. Honor the wisdom of your intuition.
Divine Timing: For some of us, this is a season of preparation. For others, we have all that we need and our fear is standing in the way. Check in with your guides, and ask is this the right time? Spirit does not operate in urgency, but it is always on time.
The Full Range of Desire: We must honor the joy and grief that comes with desire. Name what you want, even if it feels impossible. Allow yourself to feel the full range of yearning.
Open Endings: Virgo season calls us to refine, taking in only what nourishes while releasing what no longer sustains us. Endings may feel uncomfortable, but they create fertile soil for what’s next. With two Virgo new moons and eclipse season ahead, this is a time to trus
t that every ending is also an initiation.
As we move through this Virgo season ask yourself:
What in my life truly sustains me, and what am I continuing to take in that leaves me depleted?
Am I aligned with the natural timing of my life?
How does my body and spirit signal truth to me?
What is naturally breaking down or ending, and how might its release create nourishment for what’s next?
What is my grief revealing about what I desire and can I allow it to guide me forward?
Mutable Signs: Bears & Bouquets
Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces
Happy Birthday Virgo! Since it’s your season, I’m sharing the Mutable signs reading as a gift to the whole community. <3
I just got finished saying all that about discipline and dedication but haven’t recorded the messages for the Cardinal and Fixed signs… but they will be available soon. I’m persisting!
update Sept 1st: Cardinal & Fixed Sign messages available HERE
If this reading resonated with you and you’d like to explore the other signs, consider joining the Bloom tier. You'll receive additional guidance tailored by modality and individual sign, offering a clear perspective on how the energy affects you.
Yes! Someone in the perimeter. I just linked up with someone Wednesday and they were like I want you to meet X- y’all have the same interest and goals. They told me about the land they have and straight up was like- soooooo are you tryna build with us?? 😍
This is the setup 😍