New Moon in Virgo

This is today, the 9th September, 7 pm GMT.

We've been dealing with a lot of planetary retrogrades this summer, so it's been a somewhat frustrating time of blockages and delays. But with this new moon in Virgo, it's time to get down to business. Mercury and Mars have been direct since August, and Saturn stationed direct in achievement-oriented Capricorn on the 6th September – so it's full speed ahead, there's nothing in your way. You might as well make the most of the potential for progress and get to work. There are a lot of little details to be taken care of and it's a great time for getting things done.

It's not an easy month by any stretch: there's some crazy tension going on, especially interpersonally. But if you can keep your head down and focus on your work, you'll make great progress.

Virgo is all about work, routine, service and craftsmanship. It's a very pragmatic, detail-oriented sign. It's also very prone to over-thinking, worry, and psychosomatic illness. These tendencies might be worse at this time because of a tight opposition between the new moon and Neptune in Pisces. So beware boundary-dissolvers like drugs, alcohol and fairy-tale romance, and don't fall prey to inertia and self-doubt. Just keep your practical head screwed on and do what needs to be done, one small task at a time.

These small tasks are not meaningless, they're part of a larger task: creating a better, more authentic life for yourself. It's not about plugging away in the same old rut forever. It's about building a new operating system from the ground up so you can live with greater independence.

It's an exciting time. And at this new moon, our plans are finally getting underway, things are moving. The returns on the investments you make now will be big.

We have a grand earth trine between Mercury in Virgo, Saturn in Capricorn and Uranus in Taurus, which helps with planning and articulating the practical possibilities. We also have the new moon trining Pluto in Capricorn and sextiling Jupiter in Scorpio, which indicates that there are deep shifts underway – these are not surface changes to our lives.

Neptune's involvement means things should flow easily – if you're having to push too hard, you're probably pushing in the wrong direction. Conserve your energy and focus your efforts toward what is actually working for you, not what drains your resources.

Venus is newly in all-or-nothing Scorpio, casting a ruthless light on love and money matters. It's all about the bottom line now: what you're getting in return for what you're giving. If you're consistently giving more than you're getting, the dynamic is just not viable, and you know this deep down. It either has to be transformed into something more equitable, or removed from your life altogether.

It's harsh. Venus in Scorpio is part of a t-square involving Mars and Uranus right now, and this is in play till the end of the month, though especially intense this week. Blitzkreig explosions and ruptures between people are likely at this time – don't be surprised to see a few surprising breakups. Intense new relationships or opportunities for material advancement may also flash into existence very suddenly. It's exciting but highly flammable, especially as Mars moves into Aquarius on the 11th September.

The potential for sudden accidents is heightened, so please be careful driving and operating machinery etc. And stay out of harm's way interpersonally if you can. People will be acting a bit crazy with this t-square, and then we have a full moon in Aries on the 25th September which looks like some more crazy. Don't expect relationships to run smoothly.

But do channel all this angst into doing what you need to do for yourself to secure your own independent future.