Saturday, March 21, 2009

Virgos of the World UNITE! Get Radical



Welcome to the launch and first full post of The Radical Virgo blog.

Let’s start at the endbeginning, because every ending melts into a new beginning:



“We are strong, we are invincible, we are Virgos. What other sign could single-handedly accomplish a global reorganization? So, Virgos of the world, UNITE! Get radical. After all, it’s your job.”

The Radical Virgo by Joyce Mason (1992)
Maybe you’re wondering why I’m starting a blog inspired by an article I wrote so many years ago. “The Radical Virgo” is timeless, reposted numerous places on the Internet since its original publication in The Mountain Astrologer. I have gotten trickles, even streams of readers, who tell me how much the article has changed their concept of Virgo—even their lives, if Virgo is their Sun sign and/or they have an abundance of planets in Virgo. I have noted in web searches that the term “Radical Virgo” has been coined and propagated, applied to some of the world’s most Radical of Virgos, such as Amy Winehouse.

But why am I really here? It took just one reader named Phix, a Radical Virgo himself, who took me literally about that last paragraph in my article, highlighted above. He asked innocently enough, “Where do I sign up?” (Hey, is that an astro-pun? Sign up? Since we’re talking the upside of Virgo here, maybe it’s a double pun, and you can guess why I like to call myself a Wordgo!)

Back to Earth: In the intervening years, our tools for interconnection have become sophisticated and global. The ability for Virgos to unite and organize in a big way on issues of healing and wholeness are now literally at our fingertips. We finally have the tools. Now we just have to get organized.

Organizing Virgos—Piece of Cake?
Well, it sounds good in theory; in practice, it may be only slightly easier than herding cats, especially if the Virgos we’re talking about are Radical. But we do love words, ideas, and mind-shares. (Cats, too, in most cases.) That’s what I’m counting on!

Raise Your Hands

Humor aside, I’m not egotistical or Virgocentric enough to believe that the V-Sign alone can change the world. (Do note, though, that in sign language, the letter V is the same as the two-fingered peace sign!)

Each of us, regardless of our astrology charts or unique spiritual and genetic imprints, holds the destiny of the world in our hands. Each of us and all of us. Virgo is closely connected to the centaur planet Chiron, which rules hands, and folks, we need all hands on deck holding Planet Earth together at this time in our space travel through the Milky Way Galaxy.

There are symbols and patterns found in the sign and mythology of Virgo that represent the start of a cycle, culminating in wholeness. Virgo is the first of what I consider the four transitional signs: Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. They take us from Self (starting with Aries and culminating in Virgo) to One Other (Libra and Scorpio) to Many Others (Sagittarius through the remainder of the zodiac). Read “Wholeness and the Inner Marriage,” my other oldie but goodie article, to get the details of my theory on the Chiron Sector (the four transitional signs), which pivots on learning the most evolved lessons of Virgo. We all have “something in Virgo,” even if it’s only a house in our chart that falls in the sign. Everyone has some part of their lives touched by Virgo, and now we can see how Virgos touching each other from the mind and heart can impact a planet that can use some hands-on healing.

Some Thoughts on Blog Culture
This blog will evolve to whatever it’s supposed to become, but here are some thoughts I’d like to offer as guidelines that make sense to me, open to comment and discussion:

• Let’s talk less about chart analysis here and more about symbolic meanings and practical applications of astrological ideas. I’d like a place where we talk more about the forest than the trees.
• Do not necessarily limit discussions to Virgo and/or Chiron, my astrological love and specialty, or Mercury, Virgo’s traditional ruler. Virgo may be our starting point, but wholeness is everything.
• Keep fun a part of the equation! Laughter is a great teacher, and when we’re having such heady conversations, we need a few laughs to bring us back into our bodies. After all, Virgo is an Earth sign.
• Share links to this site and help it grow. If you have the “Radical Virgo energy,” you’ll help draw in others who do, too.
• Let’s share ideas. There’s nothing wrong with differences of opinion, even heated discussions, but “The Radical Virgo” has multiple planets in Libra and lots of Neptunian sensitivity. She cannot bear unkindness, unfairness, or disrespect. She reserves the right to decline to post anything that does not foster word peace. (How did you like my imitation of Miss Manners back there? A Virgo? Probably. Radical? Not.)
• Remember, you don’t have to be a Virgo (Sun in Virgo) to play! (See sidebar, What Is a Radical Virgo?)

The Virgo Union
I envision this blog to be completely interactive—not just my blog but ours. I hope you will Comment often, and when you have a lot to say (longer input), contact me about guest blogging. My friends often call me The Queen of Synchronicity. I was editing some educational material today, just before writing this article. Within it, union was a glossary term: A group, especially an alliance or confederation of people, parties, or political entities, formed for mutual interest or benefit.

What could be more mutually interesting or beneficial than a better world? It’s up to us to see how this ongoing, online get-together morphs into its own identity and where we take it. Astrological insights? Social activism? Service projects? Changing minds to change the world?

Join me in this great experiment to harness the energy of becoming our highest Selves. Think about that quintessential characteristic of Virgo—to be self-reliant. Self-contained. Like snowflakes, each of us is programmed in a unique pattern—each one beautiful, needed, and transitory. (Put us all together, and you’ve got a White Christmas.) When we melt back into the water cycle (another endbeginning), we just come down to Earth again in another form. But before we can give our Selves, we have to be our Selves—to have a Self to give.

We don’t have to seek perfection; we just have to see the perfection that’s already there. The I, Thou, and Us of it.

We need to see it, sort it, and make bread from the remaining grains of truth.

Come. Union!

~~~
Photo credit: HOLDING WORLD © Jennbang Dreamstime.com

14 comments:

Susannah said...

Hi Joyce, I had been looking out for your first 'proper'post and here it is and here I am :-)

I identify with the concept of Radical Virgo http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt283/joyfrequencies/MyChart.gif (though I am not a virgo Sun) and I am really looking forward to being a regular visitor here.

(Synchronocity led me to your twitter post when you first mentioned this blog).

So congratulations and welcome to the Radical Virgo Blog - Count me in! :-)

Joyce Mason said...

Susannah, love having you here! I have enjoyed getting to know you on Twitter and your blogs. You always boost my day with your upbeat bits of wisdom. With Venus, Pluto, and North Node in Virgo, you definitely belong to this club.

BTW, I love the very British and Virgoan word, "proper." My husband and I bought a Dyson vaccuum (we're both Virgos), probably on sheer love of Mr. Dyson's commercial declaring that a vacuum ought to work "properly." It rocks! Picks up cat hair better than anything I've ever encountered.

Anonymous said...

Hi Joyce, I'm radically Virgo'd, if I can spin your blog title a bit. My Asc. is in Virgo and I've got Saturn conjunct it. I've got a Quintile from Uranus in Cancer to Vir Saturn, so that radicalizes my Saturnized Virgo :). Congratulations on the launch of your blog!

Warm wishes from Claudia and her Starcats - Jaqqi, Shadow & Orange Man

Joyce Mason said...

I am so honored to have not only my friend Claudia visit this first big post of "Radgo," but feline dignitaries! Cats have that Virgo self-sufficiency thing "down cat," don't ya think? Duffy and Bogey blow kisses to your trio!

Susannah said...

Well, if we are talking cats :-) then Mitz, Sammy and Bina send their love too!

Eileen Nauman said...

Hi Joyce
I just love a fiesty Virgo :-)). Having a Moon in Pisces, I slide the scale from the fish wobbling around to being my Virgo best! Does it count I have progressed Mars in Virgo! I'm a quilter! How much MORE Virgo can you get than that, haha.
Congrats on a great blog and idea.
Warmly, Eileen Nauman, medical astrologer

Eileen Nauman said...

Hi Joyce
Well, I guess redundancy is a Gemini thing :-). I tried leaving a comment and somewhere along the line I think my initial comment got lost in the internet ethers. So, here goes again. I love your Virgo blog. Having a Moon in Pisces, I slide between the confused fish and the woman spreading seed all over the place :-)). And of course, I'm a quilter. I don't know how much MORE Virgo you can get than that, haha. Congrats on a great blog and a good idea. Bean counters-- UNITE. :-)))) Warmly, Eileen Nauman, medical astrologer

Joyce Mason said...

Hi, Eileen--of course, it counts! I agree, quilting is very Virgo indeed. All those neat little squares, LOL! Welcome to the Radical Virgosphere. I love having you here. We need those complementary Pisces signs, like your Moon, to keep us from going off the deep end. At least if it's the deep end of the pier, we'll have some fish friends to keep us company. :)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on this wonderful new site! I know a little about astrology and look forward to learning much, much more. Although I don't share your Sun Sign, I do admire the many fine qualities to be found in the Virgos of the world.

So here's to celebrating your many lucky stars, and it's great to get to leave a comment after another Eileen!

Joyce Mason said...

I count my lucky stars that you're in my life, Eileen! Thanks for the good wishes. It has been a great launch day, with lots of action in the first 24 hours. I hope the various posts on this site will offer something for everyone from beginners to experts. Learning astrology is a bit like taking a language immersion course. You go on the trip, listen, and pretty soon you're throwing terms around you didn't know existed a few weeks ago! That's how all of us started, so welcome to the first your getaways to outer space!

Anonymous said...

Great materials, Joyce! But you've always been a stellar example of Virgo's desire to be useful and to give people specific information for their growth. Donna Cunningham

Joyce Mason said...

Thanks, Donna. My growth as both an astrologer and writer have been in no small part due to your fine mentoring skills. I can barely believe it has been almost 30 years since I first met you in an astrology class in Sacramento. I'm blessed to have you both as a friend and constant source of inspiration.

Anonymous said...

You said, "This blog will evolve to whatever it’s supposed to become" and you'll find that it will evolve with you and your readers. They will help shape it by what they respond to and how they respond. I've found this so often on my blogs - they grow and change as I do!

Isn't that the wonderful thing about blogs and life?

Joyce Mason said...

I was born to blog, and I could not agree more, PopArtDiva with the Capricornball sense of humor. Blogging appeals to my passion for writing and connection and fascinating conversation. Thanks for coming by for a little stargazing at my brand new baby blog! Love your energy on Hot Flashbacks, and I know you'll add a lot to this astro-fest.