Virgo is the one who comes sweeping in after a long night’s party in order to clean up the mess. Hands on hips, clucking her tongue, she makes her annoyance known but gets right down to business. In an orderly, precise fashion she opens some windows, turns off the music, shoos the last guests out, throws out the garbage, sweeps up the ashes, and even manages to repair a broken lamp- all before noon! Feeling well satisfied with her work, she treats herself to a tasty lunch and a relaxing massage. Efficiency, attention to detail and time-management are her specialties.
Virgo is the clean-up crew and Leo is the party in this case. The Fifth House of Creative Expression represents our creative pursuits, any activities that punctuate our unique expression, and the things we do that bring us pleasure. This is the natural home for Leo, and it involves activities that allow us to shine, to stand out as individuals. Virgo dwells in the Sixth House of Health and Service. No longer concerned with the party, the Virgin sets up shop in a place where dedication to organization, daily routines, work, service and health maintenance take top priority. Her home involves activities which are useful, pragmatic and helpful for others.
As the sun enters Virgo on August 22, the amount of daylight continues to dwindle. The path of the sun visibly shortens and rests lower on the horizon. This equates to longer, weaker sunrays, due to having to travel farther distances to reach the earth. Interestingly, it is because of these longer rays that the sky takes on a sharper, crisper, even bluer look to it, but there is more to this explanation.
A phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering, when nitrogen and oxygen molecules scatter sunlight in the atmosphere, works the most effectively on short wavelength light, like those at the cooler end of the color spectrum. Blue, indigo and violet coast most easily through this process and fall onto Earth, where our eyes take it all in. Thus we have the iconic, beautiful azure hues showing up in the late summer and autumn skies. The lighting outside takes on a clear, well-defined quality to it, bringing natural phenomenon into sharper focus.
This relates to Virgo, symbolized by The Virgin, because part of her mission is to see reality clearly, and plainly, without fanfare or distortion, ushering in a deep appreciaton of the ordinary. She wants to see everything with sharp eyes so she can scrutinize it, in order to perfect it. She equates symmetry with beauty, and strives to bring elegance into all things. Neat, ingenious in her simplicity, the Virgin loves bringing order out of chaos.
Her nature is virginal which means a number of different things. Untouched, having never engaged in sexual intercourse. It also denotes someone who is naive, innocent or with a lack of experience. A third meaning is something not exploited or spoilt, as in virgin forests. Virgo represents a pristine state, or the striving for such.
She is a yin feminine sign, and the one preceding her Leo, is yang and masculine in nature. Yang is all about taking action, acting assertively and engaging logical thought processes. Yin focuses on intuitive thoughts, receptivity and nurturing. Leo the Lion exerted his will constantly, striving for achievement, yearning for recognition, and basking in the spotlight.
Virgo goes inward, giving attention to detail, analysis, perfecting and purifying what is out of balance. She tinkers with the spotlight Leo so adores, and fine tunes it into a microscopic light, enabling her to suss out minute imperfections. She engages in a review of her personal process, assessing what serves her, and how she can best serve others. The Virgin expresses her desire to purify through her focus on hygiene, health and ordering her immediate environment. She will refine and purify as necessary to improve life, not just as an aesthetic move.
The signs of the Zodiac follow a well-ordered plan, typifying the journey of a human being. Successive signs perform a corrective function to the one that came before it. For Virgo, she seeks to contract (yin) the extroverted (yang) qualities of Leo. Not prone to bragging, and comfortable remaining hidden (yin) Virgo quietly organizes the creative expression of Leo (yang) so that it can become a purpose-driven reality meant to serve others. It may be the less glamorous work of editing, sorting through the red tape, or doing logistics to make a project happen, but it must be done.
Virgo is an earth sign and as such, she grounds the outward expression of Leo in order to make it useful, practical and tangible. She does not thrive on drama as the Lion does, her quiet demeanor prefers to tackle work which offers practical benefits to others. Her main concern is to use her talents to lessen the burden for others. Her value comes from her ability to promote order for the well-being of the whole.
While Leo knows he’s special, just by virtue of being alive, being embodied with red blood and a pumping heart, Virgo lacks confidence in this way. It’s when she offers practical help with tangible results that Virgo shines and feels her worth. Modesty rules the day, satisfaction of a job well done trumps loud cheering and thunderous applause for her work. Her contentment stems from introspection and soul-searching, driven to refine herself most of all.
In lovable Leo marvelous discoveries of talents and abilities prevailed. A love of personal creative expression and a feeling of unstoppable uniqueness ensued. Adoration and praise served to boost confidence and let Leo know he was on the right track. However a kink in the armor presented itself too. Arrogance, hubris and an overinflated sense of importance. These traits conspire to bring down the very essence of Leo when left to fester.
Virgo corrects this blemish by countering with humility and a more modest view of one’s importance. The Virgin ensures her conduct is of the highest caliber and service performed is for the highest good. There is infinitely less time for drama and theater as there’s work to be done.
This is in preparation for not only the next sign of Libra, but for the second half of the journey around the Zodiac wheel. The first half corresponds to houses one through six, and the second half from houses seven to twelve. The first denotes a building up of the Self, while the half relates to Others. This is quite a leap, going from self-focused to relating with people one-to-one, in groups, societally and even globally.
The sun in Libra brings about the Autumnal Equinox, when the amount of daylight and dark hours reach equilibrium. However this also marks a time when immediately after, the daylight hours significantly reduce. We enter the Fall season, the Season of Dying, followed right after by Winter, the Season of Death. Virgo knows what’s up, the dog days of summer are nearly behind her and the time of reckoning is near. Saying farewell to the frivolous, light-filled days of summer as she prepares, knowing the days of judgment approach.
Was the crop harvest all that it could be this year? Did you prepare well enough because your survival depends on it. Did you lead not only courageously but fairly? Did you do your fair share? No amount of charisma and charm will get you through winter if you don’t have your health, enough food, adequate shelter and a strong community. Virgo must answer for this.
Libra, a yang masculine sign weighs up the sum of Virgo’s action with her scales. Justice is blind, making showmanship irrelevant and charm ineffectual. The totality of all Virgo’s deeds hang in the balance. However, Libra offers a refreshing correction to Virgo’s perfectionism- a sense of spontaneity prevails, irresistible urges to socialize and the affability to overlook flaws in others. Smooth and harmonious relationships are of the utmost importance.
Libra adds the paint, gold trimming and beautiful aesthetic touches to the working systems and structures that Virgo so tirelessly implemented. Now that things are in working order, Libra can decorate and beautify the world for all to enjoy.
The beginning of Virgo season greatly differs from the end, as happens in all mutable signs. She benefits from the shining sun in Leo, appreciating the abundance it brings, making the knowledge that it all ends in the coming seasons all the more poignant. Virgo season is the perfect time to squeeze the last drips of summer glory, while preparing to take responsibility for the challenges of the upcoming months.
