Well today is the new moon in Virgo and I created a new card to honor it. I focused on the positive qualities of Virgo (famous for its criticalness). Since Virgo is a feminine, earth sign ruled by Mercury its attributes reflect a mixture of opposites. It's mentally oriented because of the rulership of Mercury but yet earthy, so grounded and practical. And because earth and water are considered the feminine elements Virgo brings qualities we associate with that side of the equation, such as care and nurturing. In fact Virgo's greatest pleasure is "work in service" and there is also a connection between Virgo and health, both mental and physical.

With all this in mind I set out to depict a self-realized version of Virgo expressed through the female form. I chose an old color drawing of mine taken from an ancient image which has always attracted me. It originally showed a figure that had both male and female symbols, but my version definitely leans to the feminine. By the way, you can see the completed card on my Flickr page by following the link that's listed on the right hand column.

Behind her I chose a background from a Georgia O'Keefe painting with lots of green to show she was grounded on planet earth and aware of healing plants and such. The Mayan temple of Chichen Itza symbolizes to me advanced spiritual knowledge and healing. I visited it 11 years ago and it left a profound impression. In the foreground are two hands meeting, one dark and one light, part of a Frida Kahlo painting. In general the left side of the card's image is dark and the right side is light. The Virgo figure in the center seems to portray an ability to handle these seeming opposites with poise. I've named the card: "Virgo - I Am in Balance." I hope you can use it for inspiration to set your own intention for this moon's cycle which begins today.

A week ago I created a card to celebrate a recent event that was positive for me. I belong to a group of 8 women who call themselves the "dream group." We usually meet once a week. Now that's dedication! Once a year, in summer, we drive up north a couple of hours to a lovely wild property on a river and spend the night. This year we had a yurt for sleeping, in addition to the tipi we usually pack ourselves into. It's probably the same every year but I swear this year was quieter and sweeter than ever.

For this card I chose an image (from a Frida Kahlo painting) of two women nude, one with her head in the other's lap. I call it: "The Sisters - The Healing Power of Love." I think by "sisters" I meant good friends who happen to be women, as in "sisterhood," but because it's art they could be literal sisters. It just so happened that the moon was full at the time of our trip and that is always impressive to the senses to be camping overnight under a full moon. The tipi and the yurt are both located near the river so a night sleeping near that sound is healing in itself. In my collage I show the sisters next to a waterfall. Same idea.

I don't think I ever did a card for the summer season, although this was on my to-do list. Oh well, I think I'll pass and focus on creating a card for the first day of Fall on the 22nd. This will also be the first day of Libra, for those keeping track. It's called the Fall Equinox. Yes, that's because the hours of day and night will be equal. And you know what comes after that. The hours of day actually shorten and the nights get longer. Get our your art materials and your journals and have a favorite-reading book swap.