Virgo In The time of Coronavirus
We are living in a time right now where ideas of health and healthcare are squarely in focus. The news is full of pictures and updates from doctors, nurses, mental health professionals, and those taking care of our population through practical acts of service such as delivering food and supplies to those in need.
The Astrological glyph for Virgo
What do all these have in common? The astrological sign Virgo, whose energy is often manifested in these occupations, fields, and actions.
Virgo is often referred to as “The Virgin”. This can be very misleading to us when we apply societal ideas around this concept and bow to religious views around sex and sexuality. The idea of sexual purity is NOT in view here. In fact, while Virgo doesn't lead with sexual aggression and is not necessarily overly flirtatious, it is often referred to as the undercover freak of the Zodiac when it comes to sex. So, erase that idea of tying Virgo’s symbology to sex. A better way to understand her is through the image of The Maiden rather than confuse her with religious views on virginity. The Maiden is a part of the three-phases of the Goddess (Maiden, Mother, and Crone) and she signifies fertility and fruitfulness.
The symbol for the Planet Mercury
She is pure, though. Pure human potential. That earthy, material quality that brings great ideas and practices into the real world on behalf of others.
Virgo is ruled by Mercury, planet of intellect and communication. And this sign is tied to Mercury’s keen analytical powers.
The constellation Virgo with its pictorial depiction of The Maiden holding a sheaf of wheat (or corn)
Most depictions of Virgo have her as an angelic woman holding a sheaf of wheat or an ear of corn. Some very important concepts are communicated through this symbology. Virgo, the mutable nature of Earth (read more about that here), occurs during the late summer, approaching the time of harvest. The Sun moving into Virgo signaled a time of extreme fruitfulness. Food stores would soon be full, the labor and dogged responsibility of those working the fields would soon yield very practical, real world results. Planning meeting discipline.
Virgo is usually associated with work and service. This is why the sign (and the Sixth House, read more about the houses here) is associated with societal occupations such as doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, therapists, food bank directors, caregivers, emergency medical providers, and other areas that provide important, practical services to humanity. Virgo isn’t about service for the sake of serving, however. There is a bigger drive to this sign than that.
Virgo is primarily focused on perfection.
No other sign is as relentless in its pursuit of that goal. With Virgo, serving is more about perfecting the act of serving. It is driven by the results of such service, sure, but more important is the perfecting of the self that comes through this function. When it comes to self-analysis, Virgo is brutal, incisive and absolutely undeterred in its campaign towards this lofty goal. The daily grind, our routines, responsibility, habits, rituals, and self-improvement are Virgo’s tools, characteristics and motivations that drive us toward evolving our natures in very real world ways.
It is associated with The Hermit in the major arcana of Tarot, symbolizing the devoted and solitary work of truly understanding and cultivating the self.
This is the part of you that strives to develop the perfect expression of the self through principles of serving others. That is the evolutionary path of Virgo in your astrological profile. A highly effective combination of “what could be” inextricably matched with “what actually is”, with an intense eye for the details that need to change to make perfection reality. This energy is not about accepting how things are, it is about relentlessly analyzing and putting in the work to change them into what should be.
This is why the sign is so tightly associated with healthcare workers, and it is demonstrated powerfully in the scenes unfolding around the world during this crisis. People driven by these very Virgo ideals as they desperately seek to bring people back to health, to perfection. They see what is happening and refuse to accept it as something that should be. And so they risk their lives, working endless hours with little to no relief, walking into situations that pose great risk to themselves as they unceasingly try everything possible to serve and care for others.
Sound like some demure little virgin to you? No way. Virgo is a badass and is not anyone to mess with.
Along with this striving for perfection, though, comes Virgo’s most shadowy qualities as well. It turns out, that same perfection-seeking attitude that is projected outward into the world, is just as readily turned inward, and when Virgo sets it sights on rooting out internal imperfections, it can be especially harsh.
Self-criticism is the dark edge of this energy.
It is very important for Virgo to establish an extreme sense of self-acceptance, lest this shadow get particularly gnarly. Once Virgo turns on itself and starts picking apart every little thing, it is only a matter of time before this leaks out onto others. Everyone has probably felt the cutting criticism that can only come from people with strong Virgo influences. They aren’t doing it to harm you or make you feel bad, however, it is about identifying things that are and changing them to how the should be.
The Hermit from the Thoth Tarot deck - Notice the glyph for Virgo to the right of the card name
So, what does Virgo mean for you in this period? You may not be a doctor, a nurse, or some other person on the front lines of this health emergency, but you still have this energy working in your chart.
Sun in Virgo ☉♍︎
Take this time to really look at yourself and evaluate the work and discipline needed to reach the goals you have set for yourself. Maybe there is a business endeavor you have always wanted to pursue but didn’t have the time or energy. Or, maybe you have always wanted to start that Astrology website 😈. Don’t beat yourself up when you find deficiencies or a lack of progress. This analysis is intended to identify where things need work, not an opportunity to hammer yourself.
Moon in Virgo ☽♍︎
This may be a time to really take a look at your inner world and emotional sense of security. The very practical energy of Virgo wants to take things apart, order them, analyze them, and perfect them. This can cause some interesting tension as the Moon wants to dream and gaze into mystery. The object is not to chastise your emotional, intuitive nature (represented by the Moon) as these are not tethered to materiality and stuff you can touch, taste and smell and thus can confuse practical Virgo. Also, be careful not to spend all your time wondering if you are dying of the virus. Virgo will identify every little potential symptom as a master analyst, seeing various “imperfections” which can lead to hypochondriacal states. If you want to know more about your Moon Sign - get your Moon Reading Here!
Virgo Rising (Virgo in the First House) ASC♍︎
Talk about perfectionists! While other influences can have Virgo operating behind the scenes or informing your personality, people with Virgo as the Ascendant Sign wear these characteristics right on their sleeves. When you encounter them, they are put together, always. During these uncertain times, Virgo Rising needs to focus its attention on self-acceptance in a very strong way. Without the ability to be out in the world, serving and working, you may feel very useless. Maybe now is the time to work on a hobby that has been neglected due to your typical business, or fix up your pad, paint those corners you missed and are bugging you, or organize some shit. Virgo rising will need to keep busy while locked up, lest this time turn into a crushingly negative analysis of yourself. If you are staying in with someone else, this lack of practical outlet can have you nitpicking everything they do and say. This situation is out of your control - which has you feeling very unsettled probably. Find some thing to analyze and perfect rather than focusing too much on yourself or other people.
Maybe none of those influences are present in your chart. Don't worry, Virgo is still there. Everybody is an amalgam of all twelve signs. Maybe you have another planet (or planets) in Virgo. Whatever the sign’s position on your chart is, Virgo brings an intensely analytical, responsible, service-oriented nature to your personality inline with the planets function. You may also simply have Virgo in a house with no planets in the sign. While this may not bring these qualities out in super obvious ways, they are still present, waiting to be triggered by the area of life represented by the house it was found in at the time of your birth (read more about the areas of life the houses represent here).
Where is Virgo located on your chart? Understanding and evolving its influence can bring a dose of much needed discipline and work ethic to your life.
