Moon Mondays: The cool kids and the cosmos

Even now, upperclassmen can still make me feel like I’m back in high school — awkward, nerdy, and definitely not one of the “cool kids.” I suddenly find myself slipping back into teenage insecurities. Not good enough. Not fitting in. Total weirdo — into stuff no one else cares about. 

That feeling came rushing back last weekend at my husband’s 40th high school reunion. Surrounded by all his classmates, it was remarkable how quickly those old shadow beliefs resurfaced. While they debated football stats, swapped gruesome stories, and downed tequila shots, I was buried in The Aspen Times — secretly wishing the conversation would shift to the cosmos or any of those geeky topics that fascinate me. 

That’s how eclipse shadow stuff works. You can be moving through life just fine, feeling confident and grounded, when suddenly something small (or big) triggers you. Before you know it, you’re back in your childhood, replaying the same inner stories: I don’t belong. I’m a fraud. I’m not good enough. 

For me, that old refrain of “not good enough” bubbled up. It’s one of those lifelong companions I keep working through, peeling back layers like an onion. Each time that self-doubt resurfaces, I get to heal a bit more and embrace who I really am, insecurities included. 

The eclipse portal and shadow work 

This is exactly what the current eclipse portal is about. We’re in the final week of it, closing this Sunday with the Virgo new moon solar eclipse. Even though it won’t be visible in our valley, the energy is here, and it’s potent. Eclipses have a way of illuminating what’s usually hidden, inviting us to heal and bring another little unconscious part back into the fold of our wholeness. 

Shadow work is all about making the unconscious conscious. That’s the heart of healing — bringing awareness to what has been hidden, so we can make new choices instead of staying stuck in old patterns.  

Mercury in Libra, Venus in Virgo 

Alongside the eclipse, we’ve got some other significant planetary shifts this week. 

Mercury is moving into Libra. Mercury reflects our mental state. The planets mirror the collective energy — the macro to our micro, as above, so below. Libra is all about awareness, balance, and relationships. This shift invites us to look more closely at how we relate to others and, more importantly, how we relate to ourselves. The inner relationship needs attention first. Personal growth work is a powerful tool here — when we shift our self-awareness, our connections with others change too. 

Venus is entering Virgo. Venus embodies our feminine energy, while Virgo radiates priestess-like presence. I love this placement. Venus in Virgo reminds us that we are spiritual beings living in physical bodies. Virgo is deeply anchored in her connection to the earth, noticing the yellowing signs that the equinox is approaching. She invites us to honor our sacred work: to ground ourselves, tend to what matters, and reconnect with mother earth. 

For thousands of years, our ancestors lived in deep unity with the earth — plants, animals, sky, and soil. Over the past 500 years or so, we’ve drifted far from that connection, imagining ourselves separate and even superior. Venus in Virgo is an invitation to return to that original, natural state of communion and meaning. 

Sky gift: Venus meets the crescent moon 

Lastly, a sky treat: The waning crescent moon will meet Venus on Friday morning. Look east before sunrise — Venus will be the bright “star” beside the slim crescent. Venus is nearing the end of her morning star phase, soon to disappear behind the beams of the sun. Ancient people described this as Venus descending into the underworld, an archetypal time for inner work around the feminine. In our patriarchal culture, that’s something deeply needed. 

As this eclipse portal comes to a close, notice your own unconscious triggers. What old stories rise up in you? What repressed beliefs are asking to be seen? This is the invite: make the unconscious conscious, peel back another layer, and thereby step into greater wholeness. 

Next week, we’ll celebrate the equinox, a time of equal day and night. It’s another cosmic reminder to seek balance — within ourselves and in our lives. I’m offering a free equinox workshop online next Monday: sheridansemple.com/equinox_sept_2025. 

Maybe that’s the real gift: realizing that no matter how many “cool kids” reunions life throws at us, our worth has never depended on fitting in. The stars remind us that we already belong — always have, always will. 

Sheridan Semple is an astrologer, astrology life coach, and founder of Moon Sisters Circle. She helps women embrace their dark sides to break free from self-sabotage rooted in past trauma through astrology and transformational coaching. Find her work at sheridansemple.com or email her at sheridan@sheridansemple.com.