Organize the Harvest for a Season of Simplicity

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PURIFYING VIRGO: ORGANIZE THE HARVEST FOR A SEASON OF SIMPLICITY

“Living simply makes loving simple.”
-Bell Hooks

Summer has been good to you—really good. There were outings, road trips, mountaintops, moonlight lake swims, farmers’ markets, ocean breezes, and probably a picnic or two. You took advantage of the extra sunlight, and said yes to it all. And now you’re feeling it—a bit overwhelmed and craving simplicity, yes? Hello, Virgo—a season of purification, organization, service and harvest.
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PURIFICATION

You inhaled summer. Happily. Now it’s time to sift through what will continue to nourish you (keep those essential nutrients) and what has become excess (share it and give it away). Digestion is Virgo’s principle characteristic reminding us that there are consequences to the experiences, places and relationships we consume. Turns out not everything or everyone sits well within our hearts and souls—what seemed like a good idea then might start to result in heartburn if we can’t digest it properly. Pay attention. What isn’t sitting right with you any more?

Make a list. Trust your gut. Make two columns, one labeled “nourishing” and the other labeled “to give away.” Keep the experiences and people that you know deep down inside will continue to bring you strength, well-being, and won’t keep you up at night. The things that feel like you’re forcing them down your throat, say a brief “thank you” and give them up—someone else will find use of use for those things. It can be hard to let go of a good thing, but it might be better for someone else and it creates space for you.
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ORGANIZATION

Of course the first word that comes to mind when organization comes up is clutter—it’s opposite. Organization can be painful because we know how tedious digging through the clutter can be. It’s possible that we fear organizing because there’s a perfection subtly connected to the thought of cleaning something out. We tell ourselves, “I can’t clean out my closet until I have an entire weekend to work on it and the money to buy those shelves I’ll need,” or “I’ll deep clean the garage when…”.

Avoid perfectionism. Once you’ve identified the nourishing elements of your life that you want to keep, don’t mull over them and wait for the perfect circumstances to continue to nurture them. Make your list, prioritize it quickly and succinctly, and simply move forward into all that space you’ve just created. As you spend less time on indulging in everything you thought you needed in your life, you’ll have clarity of heart and mind to offer your gifts to yourself and to others.
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HARVEST

The first rule of the harvest: never harvest alone. The excess you are freeing yourself from should not simply be thrown into the trash—there’s a very good chance that the excess and abundance can be shared and provide opportunities for service. Virgo’s harvest season is about both partaking in and sharing the feast with those you love and cherish.

Give and Gather. Is there something you’re giving up that can find life with another? Who can benefit from all that you’ve planted? What can you give away to create space to plant new seeds? A meal shared is better digested—so, too, a life shared is more complete.

Organize a gathering where all the guests can give, receive and let go into a season of simplicity—a direct result of Virgo’s purifying characteristics.

“’Tis the gift to be simple; ‘tis the gift to be free.”
-Shaker Folk Song

CREDITS
Words and Images: Ann Whittaker @annwhittaker9
Model:
Bri Cook @brianajeanphoto

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