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Dot your i’s and cross your t’s my babies, ruling the skies from August 23 – September 22 but running the show every damn day is Virgo. A mutable earth sign, Virgo energy is decisive, it’s about acts of service, the controlled cure and the vision of things not as they are but as they could be.
Virgo is ever operating from a place of intention rather than impulse; words are measured, actions weighed. It is in some ways the sign of our better angels and divine potential.
They make it look easy folks, but they work very, very hard.
As an earth sign, they aren’t concerned with acquisition and comfort like Taurus nor building a legacy like Capricorn. Rather, Virgo wishes to be useful.
Virgo shares the spirit of caretaking with cardinal water sign Cancer, but while crabs want to tend to others, Virgo wants to teach them how to tend to and fend for, themselves.
Consider Virgo musician Buddy Bolden, lauded as the father of jazz his style of playing was so powerfully original that it birthed an entirely new genre. Yet, not a single recording of his exists today. The ballad of Bolden suggests what Virgos innately understand, that the evidence of genius is measured in the enduring echo of influence.
By the numbers, Virgo is the most common zodiac sign but when distilled and distributed their earth born medicine and practical magic is wholly unusual. In a nod to the uncommon but common, the lesson for Virgo is perhaps best expressed by one of their own, the poet Mary Oliver. Though her poem “Wild Geese” is well read, oft quoted and taped to many a dorm room wall, it is a message that bears repeating.
“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.”
As Oliver intimates, Virgos shine when they are able to abandon themselves without hesitation or self-hatred to the purity of their primal selves, to exchange pain with others and conspire with the wilderness within and around them. In doing so, they offer the rest of us a standard of humility, wholeness and humanity to aspire towards.
Planetary ruler: Mercury
Virgo is ruled by Mercury, the planet of consciousness and communication. Named for the messenger of the gods, Mercury also rules Gemini but the energy of the planet manifests itself differently in each sign. For airy Gemini, Mercury is about the rapid exchange and absorption of information and the search for answers. For earth sign Virgo, the influence of Mercury is equally curious but more vested in practical solutions. Here, Mercury brings awareness to the material plane and natives are adept at seeing not only what is, but what could be. Mercury obeys reason more than emotion which lends Virgo a critical lens and an objective approach to problem solving.
Virgos have an undue reputation for being uptight when in fact the influence of Mercury in conjunction with their mutable modality lends itself to folks that are highly affable and relentlessly adaptable. Virgo is willing to change their mind, methods or microbiotic diet if it makes sense or allows them to be of greater help to others. To that end, Mercury governs service and daily routines, these people want to be useful, to do well and be well. Not for nothing, nun organizing, poor aiding, Nobel Peace Prize winning humanitarian Mother Teresa was a Virgo and International Make Your Bed Day falls during Virgo season.
Mythology
The largest of all the zodiac constellations, Virgo has many mythic ties but is most often associated with the story of Persephone, daughter of earth goddess Demeter. Once upon a time the world lived in an unending season of spring, with Demeter ensuring that all things stayed in full bloom, full time.
Seasons changed and winter came when Persephone was abducted by hell daddy Hades and taken to the underworld to be his bride. Bereft at the loss of her daughter, Demeter cast the earth into barrenness. She beseeched Zeus to return Persephone and he, in turn, appealed to his brother Hades. A deal was struck and Persephone was permitted to leave the underworld under the condition that she eat nothing until her return to the land of the living. Hades, dubious character that he is purposely gave Persephone a pomegranate seed to suck on. Thus, Persephone was returned to her mother but because of the seed, was forced to return to the underworld for four months every year.
This cycle of surrender and return explains the change of seasons; winter reigns when Persephone dwells in the underworld and spring returns when she is reunited with her mother. On a metaphorical level, the synergy between Virgo and Persephone is reflected in the sense of duty and service within the Virgo, a willingness to go to hell and back if necessary, and a propensity for choosing sub par partners at every turn.
Charms/strengths
Apex Virgo and repentant aristocrat Leo Tolstoy wrote, “The truth is obtained like gold, not by letting it grow bigger, but by washing off from it everything that isn’t gold.” With this sentiment Tolstoy points to one of the high shine strengths of the Virgo ilk; discernment. Virgos are naturally adept at divining value, sensing faults and recognizing potential in all things and all people. This translates to the tendency to be preoccupied with refinement and perfection, a tendency that can come across as judgement or critique but is more about observation and assessment than condemnation. They aren’t judging you, they’re seeing you. Moreover, what they see makes them want to help. While Virgo is absolutely about pushing an agenda and keeping order, the soft belly of that bullying is a desire for efficiency and efficacy that benefits the collective.
Virgo is not in it for the glory and rarely pauses to appreciate what they’ve achieved, fixed as they are on what else can be done. Further, adversity is akin to diesel fuel for Virgos they thrive on being underestimated like Virgo GOAT Jesse Owens. To that end, Virgo, like all earth signs is built to endure though they often take on and take more s**t than necessary.
Poised and averse to attention and high octane drama, Virgos are rarely messy, even and especially when they are falling apart. Adept at survival and averse to appearing weak, they want their suffering to have meaning, to benefit others and to stand as an example of what can be overcome. We see this modality in Virgo Evan Rachel Wood whose own experience of abuse led her to became an activist on behalf of other victims and survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Her efforts led to the passing of the Phoenix Act which extends the statute of limitation for sexual assault survivors.
When it comes to making a stand, making art and making their way through the world, Virgos don’t showboat, they just show up. As Beyoncé explained to Vogue Magazine, “I’m not alive unless I am creating something. I’m not happy if I’m not creating, if I’m not dreaming, if I’m not creating a dream and making it into something real. I’m not happy if I’m not improving, evolving, moving forward, inspiring, teaching, and learning.” Indeed it is the process of creating and evolving that is more important to Virgo than the product of that trajectory. For further evidence of Beyoncé’s incomparable Virgoness, watch this clip, where our regal earth queen gets her hair caught in a fan onstage and doesn’t panic, stop the show nor miss a single god***n beat.
Imbued with relentless imagination, Virgos are natural world builders; we see this expressed in artists, writers and proud power playing geeks like Tim Burton, Roald Dahl, Stephen King, Tyler Perry and George R.R. Martin.
The influence of Mercury makes Virgos clever and quick but also prone to anxiety, over thinking, questioning text messages they sent ten tears ago and tensing at the thought that they have been wrong or done wrong. Their preoccupation with cleanliness, order, spotless floors and color coded condiments are ways to divert and expend this mental energy. The taxing, contemplative nature of the Virgo mind is beautifully personified by the viral Sad Keanu meme. Our boy is a Virgo and he’s got a lot to think about folks, not least of all the legion of people having sex with his avatar and how to redistribute the cash he has earned but doesn’t think he needs or deserves and the Bless.
Some upshots of the overactive mind of team Virgo is that they remember everything and are absolutely hilarious, making high art of self-deprecation. More than happy to ruminate over the personal problems of others as well as themselves, they are excellent at giving advice, shining light, showing levity and providing practical solutions to pressing problems. We love you Virgo and we see you too.
Challenges/weaknesses
The very desire for betterment that drives Virgo can also paralyze their progress. Needing something to be perfect before it can be seen and shared is a bit of a blessing/bane among this contingent and they tend to get in their own way. Additionally, for all of their prodigious talents and gifts of discernment, they fail to see their own worth. This makes them endearingly modest and infuriatingly hard on themselves. Many among them harbor the secret fear that they are not fun and somehow unlovable. There’s a bit of a “nobody likes me, everybody hates me I guess I’ll go eat worms” vibe here except they won’t really eat worms because their bellies are preternaturally vulnerable to upset.
We’ve established that Virgos are adept at seeing where and when things can be improved but their keen vision and “helpful” insights can only be received and applied if their perspective is invited. Not everyone can stand to be seen and natives would do well to tread lightly and suggest gently. Along these same lines, the Virgo ability to see what could be rather than what is lends itself to them routinely slumming it in romantic relationships. These people view derelict houses and derelict romantic partners as irresistible DIY projects, looking at you LeAnn Rimes, Lala Kent and Amy Winehouse.
Critic Roger Ebert once said of Virgo director Werner Herzog, “even his failures are spectacular” and that sentiment rings true for his zodiac brethren. Virgo tenacity is astounding when applied to constructive and/or creative pursuits and downright staggering when they put it towards their own unmaking. Case in point, the arch of cocaine snorting, tiger blood drinking, goddess bedding Charlie Sheen or George “I will ride this lawn mower to the bar if you hide my car keys” Jones. Some of the most illustrious trash monsters in history have been Virgos. Caligula, the ever industrious Ed Gein and Ivan the Terrible who has been described as “intelligent and devout but also prone to paranoia, rage, and episodic outbreaks of mental instability that increased with age.” All of which is oretty inline with low vibrational Virgo energy.
Tarot
In the Major Arcana of the tarot, Virgo is represented by the Hermit card. The card depicts a cloaked, bearded figure atop a solitary mountain, holding out a lantern. The figure can be interpreted as a shamanic father time type and the lantern as the light of truth and consciousness. The Hermit card carries with it a spiritual connotation suggesting that it is through separating the self from the masses and retreating into the richness of reflection and the natural world that cures can be found and wisdom sought. Fully formed, wholly himself and with the vantage of the mountaintop, the card, like the sign, serve to remind us that when we look within, we never feel without.
The energy of the Hermit card is distilled by writer, super freak and fellow Virgo D.H. Lawrence who espoused, “This is what I believe: That I am I. That my soul is a dark forest. That my known self will never be more than a little clearing in the forest. That gods, strange gods, come forth from the forest into the clearing of my known self, and then go back. That I must have the courage to let them come and go. That I will never let mankind put anything over me, but that I will try always to recognize and submit to the gods in me and the gods in other men and women. There is my creed.” And so too is it the creed and the cure for Virgo; nothing is finished, nothing is perfect, we honor the clearing in the forest by bowing to the godly, resisting the lowly and exalting in the knowledge we find between.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars
Sixth House
Virgo rules the sixth house of service and survival. Commonly called the house of health, the sixth house concern itself with our ability to maintain ourselves and keep the true north of our bodies amid crisis, illness and discontent. It ain’t all green tea, colonics and billowing linen pants, folks, it’s about the way we build ourselves back from devastation, how we are shaped by that journey, and how we can apply that knowledge to help others. This is where and how service and health begin their braiding. We need strength to serve others but our own frailty teaches us what it means to need.
The lesson of the Sixth House is to integrate mental, physical and spiritual energy and to balance self-care and acts of service so that we can fill up and pour from the same proverbial cup.
Body
In relationship to the physical body, Virgo rules the abdomen, spleen and digestive system. This lends itself to natives relying on their strong “gut” instincts and a tendency to feel emotional upset, stress and anxiety in their bellies first. Sensitive to what others say as well as the food they eat, the great Virgo gift of oder is best applied to a clean diet that keeps their bodies functioning like the temples they are rather than the truck stops they can be.
Compatibility
True astrological compatibility is divined through synastry, a kind of birth chart cross-examination that takes into account the entire astrological scape of two individuals. For general, expedited purposes it’s safe to say the following signs stand a good chance of going the distance with a Virgo:
Virgo and Gemini are both mutable signs, meaning natives are highly adaptable and prone to change their minds, plans and middle names. Ruled by Mercury, planet of intellect and exchange, these two prioritize communication and find in the other a mental match. For evidence look no further than Virgo high priestess Zendaya and her Gemini main piece, Tom Holland.
No one understands the complexity, obsessions and dedicated spirit of a Virgo better than a fellow Virgo. We see this common sign and uncommon bond distilled in musician Nick Cave and his designer wife Susie Bick. Together for decades, they operate as mutual muses to one another and we suspect, keep an impeccably organized home and curated closet.
Virgo and Taurus are a pair of earth signs that don’t balk at hard work or the harder aspects of a relationship. This is a ride of die coupling that goes for miles as is the case for Virgo Jimmy Fallon and wife and bull king Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his Virgo lady love Lauren Hashian.
Virgo and Cancer are the uncontested care takers of the zodiac and in each wother they find the reciprocity they deserve but so often deny themselves.This is the match of tended home fires and a relationship of retreat and restoration. We see this dynamic at work in the longtime love between Virgo Lisa Van and Cancer business partner and househusband Ken Todd.
Recommended Listening
“I’m Your Man” – Leonard Cohen
“Formation” – Beyoncé
“What Kind of Man” – Florence + the Machine
“Work Hard Play Hard” – Wiz Khalifa
“Love Is A Losing Game” – Amy Winehouse
“Try A Little Tenderness” – Otis Redding
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.
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