Mercury, perhaps the most influential planet for Virgo, stations retrograde later in the month. As it moves in reverse (from our point of view on Earth) it will gradually form a perfect trine to Chiron in your opposite sign Pisces. In this we see an aspect that points to the bridge between friends and lovers. This reminds me of one of my favorite true jokes—when someone says they don't have sex with their friends, I ask if they prefer to have sex with their enemies. Yet the intimacy suggested in this aspect applies to other facets of relating, perhaps highlighting what distinguishes a friend: in my view, the commitment to healing. I know there are many other definitions going around, and I would propose that this is not a word to use casually, but rather, to use thoughtfully. Your circle of friends is your circle of light. The people you call your friends are the ones with whom you share mutual support, and willingness to heal and grow. They are the people willing and openly offering to support one another. It may take you some time to apply this definition to the people around you and see who stands up to the test, though events this month will make it clear who qualifies. What will be more abundantly clear is that you do have friends, and one friend in particular who transcends all of the usual boundaries and is your companion on every level.
