virgo-wedding-dressVirgo, August 23 to September 23, is the only Zodiac sign represented by a female. Lying between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it’s one of the largest constellations in the sky. Yin, Mutable Earth, her color is blue and birthstone Sapphire. It shares traits with the Chinese Zodiac’s Rooster.

This astrological sign has been associated with nearly every goddess in history including Ishtar, Isis, Cybele, Virgin Mary, Athena and Astraea the goddess of justice.

Extremely health conscious and a storehouse of information on diet and hygiene, exercise is elemental to this lady’s nature. Ruled by that swift-footed bundle of energy Mercury, the Virgin is in overdrive most of the time, both physically and mentally.

The Leo stage of life, as joy-filled and exuberant as it is, is much like an over excited child tearing open birthday presents, left and right. While the kid is totally self-absorbed in such excitement, all kinds of things are carelessly strewn about, instantly making a big mess. In fact, most festive parties are like this, especially those super-blasts that Leo likes to throw. But ultimately, there’s always lots of clutter and trash left for somebody to clean up afterwards. The Lion is not particularly interested in doing what’s required to restore such order. The zodiac’s specialist for that job is conscientious Virgo.

This is astrology’s second earth sign, meaning that it symbolizes another aspect of practicality, the mutable side of earth . Mutable energy allows earth a degree of needed flexibility, something that astro-archaeologists still have not been unable to uncover in fixed Taurus, but keep on digging folks. Think of mutable earth as potter’s clay. It’s solid and somewhat heavy, but malleable. Clay can be fashioned into a variety of shapes, even molded into many useful items (such as that big water jug Aquarius holds).

Virgo is a sign that adapts to all pressing needs imposed by necessity in the here and now. Life demands constant (but usually minor) adjustments that require level-headed thinking and common sense. The Virgin supplies all this in carefully measured amounts. It’s a sign that tackles life as if it’s a high-maintenance job requiring much patience and thoughtful planning. Putting life in working order is a must for Virgo, literally astrology’s neatest sign. This supreme analyzer wants to get busy finding smart ways to spot and solve problems before disaster strikes. Why wait for a situation to spin hopelessly out of control? This sign tries to analyze the little things that can go wrong, sometimes long before an actual crisis looms.

Leo sees its life as a bold but beautiful adventure in self-discovery. However, the Cosmos has enough wisdom and foresight to know that we need to figure out how to best turn our Leo-inspired creativity into productive assets that will enable society to reach more organized levels of complexity. This involves paying keen attention to the details of daily living. To do this, Virgo draws partly from Taurus’ patient, steady focus. The Bull’s message to Virgo is that a job well done takes time – slow down and do things right! Virgo rejects the speedier, less-prudent methods favored by Aries and Gemini (although as least the Ram will start a project, while the Twins can be aggravatingly non-committal, sometimes all talk, and plenty of options (but no action).

Virgo shares Cancer’s urge to nourish life in a careful, caring manner, but the Crab’s emotionality gets in the way of making hard, pragmatic decisions. The Analyzer finds its own sedate demeanor to be the most appropriate and effective, since it realizes that even Leo’s extravagant behavior is ill-suited for the humble and not so glamorous tasks that mundane life demands (like taking out the garbage every day). Leo doesn’t like to do dirty jobs or ordinary tasks that demand keeping a low profile. One way to know the details of something first-hand is to first take it apart. Doing this is of great interest to Virgo, a sign that loves to break things down into their many interrelated pieces, and then study each piece intently while learning how that particular part is meant to function. What practical purpose does it serve, and how is it constructed to do its job?

Next, Virgo studies how these pieces interact, as it puts everything together again in hopes of restoring things to their original wholeness. The Analyzer also learns what can happen when certain parts don’t interact well, and how this itself can lead to an overall malfunction. Virgo is the first sign to note the consequences of such disharmony – a theme carried over into Libra and even Scorpio, the next two signs to follow.

If details are that important to the understanding of how life works, Virgo’s mind needs to be forever organized to enable it to weed out non-essentials. Gemini finds all information temporarily stimulating, but regarding such data, Virgo devises a rating system in terms of relevancy.

The Analyzer’s challenge is learning not to become over-whelmed by trivial issues, don’t sweat the small stuff, in other words. Fussing with less important details can side track our main objectives, and fail to help us build the momentum needed to successfully move forward in life. We find ourselves stuck in irrelevant matters that nonetheless eat up our time and energy. Virgo’s job is to discriminate, to know what needs attention versus what can be put aside for the moment. Thus, being selective about what to focus its mind on is one of Virgo’s big lessons.

This is a good time to clear up one misconception. The Virgin is not necessarily virginal in a sexual sense, even though many Virgo types are cautious about the private, physical intimacies they share with others. Thus, Virgo may refrain from giving in to its sexual impulses in pressured, careless situations. Yet being earthy, Virgo knows there’s a proper time and place for sexual activity.

This sign is not the big prude that it has been made out to be, especia1ly by those friskier fire signs, whose policy is to have sex whenever the impulse hits. Virgo also knows that unplanned sex can later prove to be problematic (unwanted pregnancy, venereal disease, even wrinkled clothes on the floor). Why let momentary passion invite such complications into ones life? Virgo reasons. So the Analyzer lets its head rule its hormones in this regard.

Actually, the label of virgin more accurately implies that this sign strives to remain true to its essence – keeping its honor and virtue intact rather than to allow itself to be penetrated and thus corrupted by the baser energies of others. Heck, Virgo doesn’t even feel easy being around people who cough or sneeze, as if to say, “Don’t pollute me!” Inner purity is valued (think of it as the desirable purity of extra-virgin olive oil). Virgo, following a phase of theatrical Leo behavior, wants to retain its real, unembellished nature. Remaining self-possessed is one way to help make sure this sign will stay relatively uncontaminated.

Virgo obviously pays attention to those times when publicity-crazy Leo sells parts of its soul to the world in return for temporary notoriety. The Analyzer doesn’t want to be owned by anybody or anything, and has qualms about becoming too public a figure. In this sense,Virgo is less socially accessible than Leo. In fact, much of what the Analyzer is all about seems to be an adverse reaction to Leo’s self-promotional excesses. Of course, maybe its better to say that Virgo seeks to refine (even redefine) much of how the Lion expresses its ego.

Before Virgo came onboard to give the zodiac a close-up inspection and a ratings review, all five previous signs (Aries to Leo) felt they had unconditional freedom to express themselves in any way they wanted to – warts and all. Now, their shared lament is, Why did the Cosmos feel it had to hire this outside efficiency expert to do a productivity check on us? The Analyzer obviously makes these signs nervous, even more so by always carrying along its own regulatory manual of techniques guaranteed to improve day-today functioning.

This sign thinks it knows better ways to do just about anything, methods that its willing to teach others to perfect. It plainly feels that the current state of affairs needs immediate correction before the zodiac can efficiently progress any further. After all, Virgo believes there are things that all the previous signs have mishandled in life, although the Analyzer believes that at least Gemini can be easily re-educated. Surely, thinks Virgo, these five signs can try to do a better job at channeling their resources, and in more meaningful ways that not only benefit themselves, but even others in society. So why aren’t they doing it?

Virgo concludes that it’s here to teach all the signs a few new tricks. The Analyzer just hates to see any constructive potential being wasted due to laziness, ignorance, or a lack of training or discipline. Virgo also brings to our attention a new life concept – the theme of willingly serving others. We can’t all be selfishly preoccupied and still expect the bigger world to run like it should. There are many small jobs for all of us to do, and attitude adjustments will be required to perform those tasks uncomplainingly.

Cancer has a positive gut feeling about this new idea of service, although it has never looked at the nurturance it instinctively gives to others in that light (to the Crab, its more an act of love, not duty – of caring, not efficiency). Yet the other signs most likely think that Virgo has the makings of a pesky busybody, and they could be right!

Virgo naturally plays the role of a censor attempting to suppress or eliminate what it finds to be objectionable (and the Analyzer adopting a watchdog attitude can readily object to many things in life). Its main motive, however, is to be helpful and useful. Social service is somewhat an act of healing to the Analyzer, since it tries to do things that help make life better for all. This is a sign that thinks mainly of what will provide the best practical results for many people, not just for itself.

In some ways, Virgo represents the zodiac at an interesting turning point in awareness, from a “me” to a “we” orientation. However, unlike Libra, Virgo doesn’t feel equal to others, nor does it easily identify with its peers. Virgo types claim never to be truly angry about anything, they’re just peeved. A messy world can be so vexing to the Analyzer. Why do folks willingly do things the dumb or inconsiderate way? Why can’t they take the time to do things right? … and, who left this sticky gum wrapper on the floor?

What Virgo doesn’t always recognize is how irritating its perfectionism can be to those who don’t want to be flawless in all that they do. After all, making a mistake isn’t the end of the world. Maybe, responds Virgo, but making that same stupid mistake again and again is unpardonable. Virgo believes in looking before leaping, and is amazed at those signs who either disagree or simply don’t care. Don’t we all want to know exactly what were getting into before were caught up in the thick of it? Isn’t it always smarter to be fully prepared for what can go wrong before taking action? Maybe so, but Virgo sometimes has a nagging way of getting its cautionary message across. People can feel scolded by the Analyzer,who always seems to have the right answers to everything, making this sign sound like a know-it-all (of course, Virgo may seem all knowing because it studies life scrupulously).

Virgo assumes that its basically dealing with an incompetent world, and thus it doesn’t trust that others necessarily know what they’re talking about or doing. The Analyzer will therefore test that assumption by asking a list of questions about the subject matter of concern. Virgo doesn’t do wel lwith vague or generalized responses, but perks up when someone has truly done their homework and it shows. This sign has a high respect for knowledgeable people. Still, others find Virgo’s style of questioning to be annoying, as if theyre undergoing an examination. The Analyzer seeks concise, precise answers, and doesn’t tolerate rambling conversations or inarticulate responses. Wherever we have Virgo in our chart is obviously where we want to deal in realism and clarity, yet we leave the door wide open for disappointment when we expect others to neatly package the information they give us.

We feel almost compelled to establish order, but actually may unduly spend time attending to inconsequential matters that we find to be so irksome. Of course, the more imperfect something is, the more our Virgo energy gets a chance to analyze the situation and hopefully fix that which is in need of repair. Every fire sign is followed by an earth sign. Perhaps fires expression reaches a point where it becomes over-energized in dangerous ways that run rampant. Fire then becomes a destructive force. Earth acts as a necessary protective container that harnesses fire’s flames.

If the zodiac were to quit after the Leo phase,… “Great idea, let’s end on a high-note!”, says the Lion, …we’d all become burnt out from the fiery kind of high-charged, nonstop activity that always leads to self-exhaustion. Virgo follows Leo to teach us instead to replenish our precious physical, emotional, and mental energies. We do this by getting proper rest (fire signs hate to do this), nutrition, sensible exercise, and quiet time alone.

Everything in Virgo’s world is to be done in moderation. Life cannot afford to have its brightest lights always turned on at their highest wattage. Virgo thus designs a dimmer switch that will help tone things down (and save energy from being wasted). Virgo’s job is to regulate the body’s various systems so that none of them become prematurely worn out from unhealthy overstimulation. The earth element is always trying to teach us when to stop doing something that can otherwise harm us. Naturally, fire signs find earth signs to be classic party-poopers, but earth signs demand that we shut down for a while to conserve our vitality.

Virgo types seem to know that staying fit is very important to enjoying a satisfying life. And considering the workload that the Analyzer normally handles, good health is imperative. Sharing Leo’s independent spirit, Virgo doesn’t relish the idea of being beholden to anyone just because it’s in poor physical shape and can’t take care of itself. After all, Virgo is supposed to be the expert healer who learns which medications can relieve symptoms and restore health. This sign won’t allow itself or anyone else to remain sick.

Wherever our Virgo is found in our chart, we are concerned with keeping things working as well as they can, even if periodic tune-ups are required. This is seldom an area of neglect (and when it is, we suffer in obvious ways). Perhaps our Virgo qualities are also evident whenever we appear a bit too nervous about the wellbeing of something or someone. Still, here is where we believe in using preventative measures to avoid major hassles later on.

Whatever Virgo does for fun will seldom involve other people. This sign observed the frenzy of attention that poor Leo received from spending too much time in the limelight, and decided that this wasn’t the route it was going to take. Being modest and humble has its advantages. Virgo discovers that its okay to be alone. It insists it will have its privacy, and one way to ensure that is to act with discretion in all matters. Don’t try to stand out among the crowd or demand to be the leader. Blend in and disappear at times, and then nobody bothers you.

Virgo would rather spend quality time learning how to develop a variety of useful skills than be socially out and about. This sign would also love to be able to fix anything on its own rather than depend on hired help. To do this, Virgo teaches itself whatever it needs to be self-sufficient (remember, it doesn’t trust the so-called expertise of others, so a do-it-yourself approach is appealing). It will work hard to learn how to do things well, painstakingly so, if need be.

Like Gemini, Virgo learns much by asking questions – the right questions, that is. Since it’s not willing to be as verbal as the Twins, Virgo seeks out reading material that is lucid and educational, written by those blessed with common sense, as well. All in all, Virgo likes to keep its mind sharp and in active pursuit of timely, pertinent information. It likes to have concise facts at its fingertips.

Mercury is Virgo’s traditional planet, but here Mercury behaves less restlessly than it does in Gemini. The influence of earth helps this planet stay more grounded and thus better able to concentrate for longer periods of time. This Mercury is discerning regarding the information it gathers (Gemini’s airy Mercury, being less systematic, doesn’t organize data as easily, and may get its facts from questionable sources). Flexibility is reduced when any planet is in an earth sign, but Virgo is nonetheless excellent at adapting to change in sensible ways (Gemini is more prone to scatter its mental energies when adjusting too impulsively and indiscriminately).

The Virgo side of Mercury thinks things through logically, and then makes its final decision. It doesn’t like dealing with too many options, which cannot be said of Gemini’s Mercury. Related to either sign, Mercury remains alert and observant of life’s many pieces. Still, the earthier side of Mercury is better able to retain the most relevant information, while discarding the rest. It estimates what data will prove to be the most useful, and won’t let its curiosity create needless intellectual detours. Virgo’s Mercury stays better focused on its subject.

One problem here, however, is that this Mercury can become mired in too many details, a result of its ability to keenly observe the smaller things in life. Its gift of analysis makes it a sharpshooter when it comes to problem-solving (whereas Gemini’s Mercury doesn’t care to analyze anything too deeply, and only offers quickie solutions that may not get to the heart of the matter). Still, Virgo’s Mercury has to be careful not to over research anything it finds interesting, as information overload results. When well managed, earthy Mercury knows the value of eliminating the superfluous and instead sticking to the most essential facts.

Wherever Virgo is in our chart points to where we are learning to sharpen our critical faculties so that they can help us realistically assess existing conditions. Virgo is the enemy of faulty thinking and delusion. It favors down-to-earth solutions to life and shuns anything too abstract or impractical. The Analyzer is only interested in what is workable. It deals with what is evident, not speculative.

At times, our Virgo parts overreact negatively to disorder, fearing that we will be overwhelmed by chaos. This implies that Virgo is uneasy with the outpourings of our irrational unconscious, which can often seem uncontrollable. Still, we can’t expect to grow in self-awareness if we try to suppress this powerful, sometimes transcendent dimension of our inner world.

Even emotionality can scare Virgo, probably because it’s unpredictable (the unknown makes our Virgo side anxious) and also because it’s harder to classify (plus emotions can makes relationships messy). We’ll have to work harder with our Virgo energy to recognize that freely ventilating our feelings is as important to our health as making sure we get enough daily vitamins and minerals in our diet. Its also important t obe less critical of ourselves and others whenever we have Virgo emphasized in our chart.

Virgo is the second of the earthy triplicity, the second of the mutable signs, and the turning-point from the northern to the southern signs. This sign is specially characterised for its self-containing qualities. It is out of this sign that wisdom is to be born for the majority of individualities. Belonging to the earthy triplicity, we might suppose that too much of the earthy element would come into their make up, but this sign represents the virgin soil, the spirit matter, as it were, which yields the most readily to the vibrations passing through it from the other signs.

The individuals born in this sign are constructive and able to make the most of their conditions. They are more generally found in the business world, particularly in pursuits which provide for the general welfare of the whole of the community. As characters they are philosophical, and nearly always seem to blend the ideal with the practical in a marvellous manner, this makes them very discriminative, giving them large reasoning powers and very ingenious methods of working. They are the most critical of all individuals, but they usually turn this criticism also upon themselves. They are self-analytical, and seem to be always taking themselves to pieces. They are careful and cautious, and usually act somewhat methodically, or with much apparent forethought. They are very industrious, persistent, and tend more toward the practical than the ideal. They are usually precise in details, and can readily put right any errors and defects in their own character, but they are also extremely sensitive, not from a sympathetic standpoint, but more from a mental. attitude.

They are very introspective, and may be said to know themselves much better than those born under the other signs. They possess that keen intellect which comes from experience more than from education. They have remarkable tact and ingenuity, but they are usually fully aware of all their attainments, and are inclined to be somewhat proud of them.

When running along personal lines, these persons become more selfish than those of the other signs, since they are always alive to their own interests. They then become rather materialistic, and tend to carry the practical too far into scepticism and doubt, while they expect from others what they are not willing to give. They then seek to absorb all the good things in life for themselves, and may attain great worldly success, as they possess all the ability to enable them to attain their desired altitude.

They may be said to have many faults when running to the personal side of their nature; and they become very domineering, using their good intellectual abilities to the detriment of others. A certain hardness takes possession of them, which causes them to identify themselves almost exclusively with the external world; but when living more in their individuality, or becoming what is termed more self-conscious, they are really very splendid characters, becoming discriminative and wise, and often possessing the power to sense psychic conditions from a higher standpoint.

They are capable of making wonderful progress in spiritual development and usually seek to live the most chaste lives, becoming like their symbol, a virgin in purity. This sign acts to the maternal trinity in exactly the same way as Gemini acts to the intellectual, seeking to express in itself the union of Cancer and Leo.

Those born in this sign possess great recuperative powers. They are rarely sick or ill, and may attribute much, if not all, of their health to their own habits of life. Being natural students of the laws of hygiene, they know how to live properly. They should always avoid drugs of every kind, as, being very sensitive physically, they readily absorb the poisons of drugs into their system, which speedily affect their circulation. They are more sensitive to the vibrations around them than persons of other signs. They feel the changes in atmospheric conditions almost instantly, and their bodies act like barometers, expressing to the sensitive soul within every change that takes place in their surroundings.

Their best medicine for all disease is to be alone with Nature and to have around them harmonious conditions. They may do well to study diet and to be particular with regard to foods and the magnetisms surrounding them.

The Virgo type may be summed up as retiring, ingenious, discriminative, active and mercurial. They always seem to have their wits about them, and are generally self-possessed. They seem, however, to be capable of extremes of good and so-called evil, being much smarter than the majority of those around them; and when living only for themselves they are capable of outwitting others for the sake of personal gain. But, they generally act with a full consciousness of what they are doing. This arises from their inventive genius, and being alive to all the advantages and disadvantages. They can so readily adapt themselves to the requirements of those around them that they make excellent entertainers and splendid social companions, and when they succeed in letting go the personal element, they are really very beautiful characters.

Persons born in this sign can readily adapt themselves to almost any environment, but they have their best success in life in the business world. All commercial affairs succeed under their ingenious management. They are good providers, and do remarkably well in all matters connected with food stuffs. They are natural chemists, therefore succeed in all matters connected with chemistry. They have also a fondness for general literature, and have success in literary pursuits from author to printer. They make excellent agents, and in fact are quite ready to follow any avocation in which activity and general mental ability help them to succeed in life. But their greatest success is to be found more in the business than the professional world. They like to handle solid materials, and to deal in merchandise allows their mental discrimination full scope for all its activities.

Some famous Virgos include Sophia Loren, Sean Connery, River Phoenix, George Wallace, Regis Philbin, Elvis Costello, Lyndon Johnson, Mother Teresa, Yasser Arafat, Pee Wee Herman, Ingrid Bergman, Elliot Gould, Michael Jackson, James Coburn, Richard Gere, Gloria Estefan, Charlie Sheen, Ivan the Terrible, Darryl F. Zanuck, Bob Newhart, Raquel Welch, Buddy Holly, Peter Sellers, Otis Redding, Michael Keaton, Brian Depalma, Lousi XIV, Lauren Bacall, Greta Garbo, Mickey Mouse, Dr. Joyce Brothers, H. G. Wells, Stephen King, Bill Murray, and Joan Jett.

Famous people with Virgo Ascendants include Madonna, Kurt Cobain, Kevin Costner, Sissy Spacek, Tiger Woods, Annie Lennox, Woody Allen, Jeff Bridges, and Warren Beatty.

It’s one lover at a time for the loyal lady who seeks a relationship based on total honesty. She is compatible with her own sign, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces, Aries Taurus and Cancer. Explore Virgo Compatibility and Love Match Astrology.

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