Virgo New Moon: The Road Less Travelled

 When Chinese businessman Jack Ma was a boy, he rode 17 miles on his bicycle each day for nine years to work as a tour guide for foreigners. The goal – to practice his English – eventually paid off. But this determined young man faced other challenges. Jack Ma (born Ma Yun), struggled academically, and it took him two years to gain acceptance to an ordinary Chinese high school, as his math scores were so low. By 1988 he managed to graduate from a Chinese university, after which he applied for 31 entry-level jobs and was rejected by all. As he once told interviewer Charlie Rose, a hotel dismissed him as too skinny and short (he’s 5’4), with a “bad physical appearance that could hurt the restaurant’s image and tarnish its reputation.” On top of that indignity, he was rejected ten times by Harvard Business School.

Thankfully, Ma caught a lucky break in the form of the rising Internet. In 1995, he registered a domain which quickly became a million-dollar venture, leading to many others. His worth is now estimated at $24 billion. A philanthropist dedicated to improving education, the environment and public health, in 2015 Ma purchased 28,000 acres of pristine forest deep in New York’s Adirondack Mountains for $23 million. His goal was not to develop the land, as many billionaires would do, but to restore and protect it. Instead of building luxury resorts or extracting resources, he’s returning the land to its natural state. Under his stewardship, he has stated, there will be no logging, mining, or commercial projects. The land will be a safe sanctuary for wildlife, where forests grow undisturbed, rivers run freely, and future generations can experience a thriving landscape.

Jack Ma (Sept. 10, 1964) was born with the Sun and retrograde Mercury in earthy, caring, industrious Virgo. Mercury, his chart ruler, though strong in its own sign, is opposite Saturn, which accounts for the educational obstacles he had to overcome. And its retrograde status makes him a unique thinker, though it may have held him back in his youth. These planets create a stellium with Uranus and Pluto, then travelling together in Virgo. Ma grew into a determined innovator and advocate for what he holds dear. He was born during the “back to the land” movement, a quintessential expression of Uranus-Pluto in Virgo. In addition to civil rights, women’s rights, indigenous rights and animal rights, the Sixties initiated revolutionary change in our approach to the Earth herself. And Jack Ma is still doing his part.

The Virgo New Moon (August 22, 11:07 pm PDT) makes a tight square to Uranus, a planet that loves to shake things up. Uranus is currently trine Pluto, planet of power, a combo which echoes the Uranus-Pluto conjunction of the Sixties. This energy favors change and healing – especially for those with prominent Virgo placements. The Sun and Moon will join at zero degrees of Virgo, setting the stage for a 29-degree Virgo eclipse on Sept. 21. That’s two Virgo New Moons in a row, amplifying the call for purity, hard work and caring for others. Whatever you begin at this New Moon could experience a rewarding harvest or change in direction at the Sept. 21 Virgo eclipse. The final Virgo lunation happens at the Fall Equinox here in North America, lending it even more power and initiative (more on that in my next New Moon essay).

Even if you have no Virgo planets, the upcoming Aug. 22 lunation brings a “back to school” feeling of returning to basics. It’s time to get serious about what matters, or rectify whatever’s off-kilter, especially in your Virgo house. Perhaps, like me, you’ll commit to a cleanse after too much summer indulgence. Or you might dedicate yourself to deep cleaning your home or yard. It’s a good time to reach out to a friend in need or lend a hand to an organization working toward freedom, justice and well-being for all.

You don’t have to be loud or in-your-face to effectively wield this energy; Virgo favors the quiet revolutionaries. We can all be inspired by folks like Jack Ma, a self-made man who took the road less travelled. His actions prove that not all billionaires are greedy and selfish. Ma admits that his purchase of Brandon Park was not entirely selfless; he also envisioned a vacation home for his family on it. Still, his actions remind us that the greatest return on investment isn’t always financial. Sometimes it can be measured in results like clean water, healthy wildlife and the quiet beauty of a pristine forest.