A Very Virgo Season Begins
The merciless end of summer always fills me with melancholy and a concern that I didn’t live it enough. I spend all year waiting for the season’s chill vibes, only to have them race by like the quick flash of a lightning bug.
The cure for my despondence: School supply shopping.
I am not a Virgo, nor do I have it anywhere in my chart, but something about the fresh start promised by a combination of back-to-school and the Virgo sun invokes the most organized, meticulous, detail-oriented part of me. In the aisles fully-stocked with colored pens, it is unleashed.
The one BTS purchase my daughter was excited about: Merch from her favorite band.
A goal-minded Capricorn, my daughter shares my enthusiasm—to a point. She entered Kindergarten in September of 2020, and spent much of her first year on a hybrid schedule that found her learning handwriting over Zoom (spoiler: not ideal) or spaced six-feet apart from her classmates, unable to see their smiles or those of her teachers under masks. I could write forever on the heartbreak of this particular year of kids who, like the high school seniors who missed their proms and graduations, felt the unfair disruption of the traditional milestones of an American childhood. As she enters fourth grade this year, she’s excited for the very first time to go back to school—and it’s been a long time coming.
Still, she didn’t understand my need to compare and contrast which colors of spiral notebooks felt most in line with the spirit of each academic subject (yellow for math, purple for writing, obviously), and she barely cared—barely cared—which blue pens we selected for her pencil case. I could not relate.
Who is SHE wearing that velour pants suit? Here I am in the middle, bringing first-day-of-school fashion to the streets of Brooklyn, circa 1980.
As an adult, I am still on a mental back-to-school schedule. This time of year inspires me to dust off my day-to-day routine, to find opportunities for orderliness. When school starts, I wake up much earlier than needed just so that I can sit in the darkness of a quiet house and do some creative writing over coffee. I file paperwork that has been sitting in a “to-be-filed” folder since springtime. I plan meals for the first time since June, dusting off my crockpot and readying it for battle. I thrive on the structure, the predictability. As much as I love summer and its devil-may-care spontaneity, there is peace in this, too.
“This is the perfect moment: To pitch, to create, to organize, to build, to brainstorm, to declutter processes and streamline efficiencies.”
In the workplace, there is always a renewed energy right after Labor Day. Back from vacations with ample time before the holidays stuff us with merriment and distraction, this is the perfect moment: To pitch, to create, to organize, to build, to brainstorm, to declutter processes and streamline efficiencies. We spend much of this time thinking long-term, gathering what we need to set up the next year successfully. In this culturally disciplined, astrologically divined season, our strategy is always sharp.
When kids go back to school, you may be like me—finding yourself connecting with colleagues more, having bigger, more thoughtful, more organized conversations. You may be inspired to check out your favorite networking groups to see when the next meetup is, ready to rub elbows and talk shop with likeminded professionals. There’s a momentum of productivity to this time of year that isn’t reserved for those heading back to class—so I say make the most of it.
It's obvious why Virgos, my hardworking queens, own this season. It's the perfect time of year to get it done.
Be well,
Julia
PS: I made a playlist in homage to Virgo diligence, designed to inspire you with ambient beats that energize your workflow. Check it out here.
