Persephone Rising

Virgo New Moon Deep Dive

I don’t typically write about New Moons here on the old TOTEM Readings’ Substack, but today’s Virgo New Moon just has a little something extra on it.

Anyone else been dragging ass for the last week or so? Feeling exhausted for “no reason”? Finding yourself going to bed earlier and earlier, sleeping deeper and deeper, and even daydreaming about getting more sleep? Have you found yourself overwhelmed by the prospect of getting out of leggings and into “real pants” for work meetings or social engagements?

Yah, me too.

And I’ve been hearing this chorus from clients in sessions and coaching check-ins— a theme seemingly permeating everyone’s experience of reality, regardless of location or occupation.

Freedom from the Devouring Mother

Virgo Season is the beginning of fall and, because of this, is linked with the Hermit tarot card. In our TOTEM Tarot Deck, we’ve transformed the Hermit card into Persephone: the goddess that went into the earth to vacation in the Underworld, resulting in the end of summer and onset of winter here on the earth’s surface.

The Persephone myth is a fascinating one, deepening our understanding of the archetype— and zodiac sign— of Virgo, and giving us a mind-blowingly accurate blueprint for surviving modern society.

You see, Persephone’s mother is the Goddess Demeter— aka Ceres in Roman mythology. Demeter is the goddess of grain, agriculture, and the labor of spring and summer. She is the embodiment of working the land, of accumulating stores of food to eat or trade and sell, and all of the business of the activity that gets kicked up in the warm, sunny months.

Demeter was also a notoriously overbearing mother, demanding perpetual summer from both her daughter and the humans on planet earth. Carl Jung writes at length about Demeter in his book Man and His Symbols, describing her as the archetype of the “Devouring Mother”.

In reflecting on this Virgo New Moon and Persephone’s emergence on the scene, this myth took on new, modern meaning for me.

In our culture— particularly in a time of inflation, high interest rates, mass layoffs and economic challenges— we are never allowed a rest period. We are forced into a state of perpetual summer, measured by our productivity, output and even, in the case of social media, extroversion and content. In this way, our Devouring Mother enmeshes with us constantly, feeding off of our energy and burning us the fuck out.

And just like with the myth of Persephone, our attempts to individuate and set healthy boundaries and figure out who we really are are met with fierce anger and resistance, so much so that we are often financially and socially punished for our brief respite.

Long story short? Withdrawing from the overtly codependent system of modern society is now officially an act of rebellion. If you take a break, schedule some time away from work or even indulge in a little digital detox, you’re a modern seditionist— hoisting the black flag to announce your devil-may-care, anarchist attitude that subverts the status quo by simply taking care of yourself.

So, what happens when we break away? When we take back our energy and embrace a season of quiet and darkness?

The short answer: magic.

Self-Care for the New Moon

This Virgo New Moon is all about intensive self-care. It’s about cutting the cord with our metaphorical Devouring Mother and living our own lives, if only for a little while. So, how do we manage this as we head deeper into Persephone’s season?

Go dark

Structure some unstructured time by literally block off your availability for meetings, client sessions, or even social engagements in your calendar. This ensures that you’re actually showing up for yourself and making the time to feed your soul— instead of providing constant output for others.

Use these little windows of time to read a book, go for a long walk, listen to a fictional podcast, or simply sit out in the beautiful fall weather. The key? Turn off email, text and social media push notifications and enjoy the miracle of realizing that the world actually doesn’t explode when you don’t keep an eye on that shit.

And no, going out to a bar or boozy brunch with a bunch of screaming banshees doesn't count as quiet time or self-care. Come on, now.

Create a home altar

September is a perfect time to create a sacred space in your own home. Whether this altar or area is “full witch” or not, the basic concept holds: a sanctuary that provides you the space and quiet to reflect and relax during your day.

I like to stock my home altar with Japanese incense, Tatine candles and little statues and objects that evoke a sense of peace. I’ll keep the tarot deck I use for my personal work on this altar, and spend some time here hanging out in the late afternoon.

I like to place a yoga mat and some comfortable pillows and bolsters and blankets within (or underneath) the altar as well, making it seamless and easy to simply sit or lay down for a short meditation. The easier you make it in the moment, the more sustainable this new healthy habit will be.

I view my home altar as my spiritual hearth, warming me in the cooler, darker months and connecting me to an ancient thread of tradition.

Embrace herbalism

As seasons change, so do our bodies’— and our energy bodies’— rhythms. It’s important to note this shift and support our systems in the work they’re doing now— not trying to white-knuckle it or force more productivity than is reasonable for this slower season.

I’m personally taking the approach of “letting the field go fallow”, meaning: I’m focused on not doing anything new, including psychically. For me, Persephone Season is a time to get back to basics: sleep, nutrition, cellular repair, and passive energy recollection as cords naturally dissolve.

As of today’s Virgo New Moon, I’m pivoting my flower essence regimen to include Bees Knees (for deep relaxation and cellular repair), Sweet Dreams (made of valerian, for deep sleep), Reclaim Yourself (for energy recollection) and Sacred Temple (for overall self-care and sacral chakra support).

All of our TOTEM Flower Essences are currently 60%, so check out our Etsy Shop HERE to take advantage of these very reduced prices.

Cook your own food

Taking time every day to slow down and prepare a home-cooked dinner is a great way to reconnect to natural rhythms and ground your energy body.

I view prepping and cooking dinner as a way to neutralize the metaphorical chemical reactions still happening in my mind and body from the stimulation of the day’s activity. Peeling root vegetables, soaking rice, tying up little chicken legs, and starting to simmer some stock are all energetic cues that work is over and the time for nourishment and relaxation has come.

I also like to actually set the table, get out the cloth napkins and even light a few candles when I eat dinner, even if I’m eating by myself. All of these are gestures that I’m not just a pleb working a field in a never-ending feudal system, but rather a human being worthy of basic human stuff.

It really is the little things.

Just Say “No” to Energy Vampires

Perhaps the biggest “to do” for this Virgo New Moon is to say “no” to energy vampires.

And please note: energy vampires are real, kids. Like, really real.

Back in the day, I would resist going into the corporate office (which was always no more than five blocks from my house) with the focused energy of a military campaign. Why? Well, because corporate offices and group chats and meetups are absolutely chock full of energy vampires.

If I was working from home, I could at least use my magical amulets and sage and take a salt bath and go for a walk to shake off those draining energetic cords they would put into me like a legion of blood-draining lampreys. In the office, however, I was just vulnerable food, finding myself hiding in “drop in” rooms and pretending to be on confidential conference calls until the ending bell rang out and I could run out of the doors on Wacker Drive.

And it’s worth noting: energy vampires are not bad people. In fact, I’ve found them to be overwhelming nice (on paper), polite and generally pretty cheery. They’re just DRAINING, likely because their self-care regimen died around the time of the dinosaurs. Everyone out there is running on empty, effectively creating a world of soul-sucking energy vampires subconsciously looking for their next meal.

Don’t be that meal.

Set boundaries, focus on self-care, and throw out any outdated notions you’ve had about feeling mean or antisocial or sensitive— odds are, you’re just healthier than everybody else.

I’ve found that yarrow flower essence helps me keep these parasites out of my energy body, and I’ve even started making our Self-Defense TOTEM Flower Essence out of our own backyard yarrow. Now I get “high” on my own supply— and so can you. Head over to our Etsy Store to learn more!

And, if nothing else, have a good laugh today. I’ve personally fallen in love with the Colin, the What We Do In The Shadows TV show energy vampire. The writing is hilarious— and a little too accurate:

Take it easy. Eat some food instead of being the food. And enjoy your Virgo New Moon!

-Rachel