"We find in Virgo, more than in any other sign, reflections of the belief about the Great Goddess held most dear by her worshippers. The Goddess was seen as both the fertile Earth mother and the sanctified virgin, the Queen of Heaven and the woman who lives in obscurity; she was in every woman. Virgo’s oldest associations were with fruitfulness and fertility.

"Virgo represents the harvest (the mother Demeter) as well as the planted seed (the daughter Persephone). In the Americas we hear of the Mother of Maize and the Blue Cornmaiden, while in Europe people made corn dollies at harvest time to contain the blessing of the Cornmaiden/mother throughout the year.

"The apparently paradoxical combination of both sexuality and virginity in the Cornmaiden and mother had no contradictions for Goddess-worshipping peoples. Sexuality was sacred and the word ‘virgin’ did not imply celibacy or inexperience as it does now. A virgin was a woman who did not belong to any man, who was her own mistress, aware of her powers and her value. She formed relationships and made love when she chose it, but never gave up her right to self-determination."

Temple priestesses were called vestal virgins, showing again Virgo’s dedication, as well as its ability to intercede with divinity on behalf of humankind and life on earth. This term also shows the close connection between asteroid Vesta and Virgo. Vesta was Goddess of the Hearth, and in our charts she shows where we dedicate and focus ourselves, where we find our personal inner security.

Virgo is the earth sign that makes the connection between the material world and the heavenly world. Virgo’s tools are a super-sensitivity to all of life, an extraordinary mind, and an intense desire to serve.

Virgo is a very grounded sign—in touch with the earth, its plants and animals, its winds and waters, and its natural rhythms. In Virgo there is appreciation of life’s simple pleasures, a recognition and enjoyment of every tiny part which contributes to the fabric of life.

Virgo is often a gardener or a farmer or an environmentalist, like Demeter, who brought the fullness of harvest to her people. Virgo understands the complex web of nature and is eager to work to maintain its integrity and its usefulness.

In the same way Virgo understands the human body and is a natural healer. Virgo is especially suited to alternative therapies, for its way of healing is to cooperate with nature, not fight it. Virgo also understands very well that mind affects body.

Virgo’s analytical abilities are as acute as its sensitivities. Virgo wants to make sense out of the world, and will observe, study, research, compare, and record. Virgo likes paper, where ideas are presented in tangible form. In fact, an ancient picture of the Goddess shows her with a papyrus headdress. Virgo is often a fine writer, or poet, or critic.

Dedication is Virgo’s path—dedication to improvement, to healing, to serving, to the refining process of purifying his/her own creative path. Virgo tries to live intentionally—to be conscious of its actions and to know that they serve a higher purpose.

Virgo is associated with health, good diet, exercise, and taking care of oneself. Virgo is a realist, willing to recognize and work with what exists. This, combined with fine problem-solving ability and desire for improvement, means that a situation is never hopeless for Virgo. Analysis will always turn up workable options for improving things.

Virgoans need to work, they need to dedicate themselves, and they need to express their convictions about life and growth. Virgoan Margaret Sanger, for example, helped women control their bodies through family planning. Another Virgoan, Margo St. James, founded COYOTE, the self-help group which campaigns for the rights of prostitutes.

More often, though, Virgo is found working behind the scenes. It is service, not power, which attracts, and Virgo is willing to devote all of its energies to a worthwhile cause.

The Virgo addiction to perfection can be a problem at times. Virgo needs to relax sometimes, to let things go, to look at the whole picture, and to criticize problems, not people. This is especially true with regard to self, for Virgo can be very self-critical.

Competency and skill are important to Virgo, and during Virgo time our talents and abilities are a major focal point. As we gain new understanding, do we find new ways to express it in our lives?

Harmonizing the spiritual and mundane elements of life is also important during Virgo time. Peace is Every Step, the title of a fine book by Thich Nhat Hanh, is a very Virgonian concept.

Virgo is a time for introspection, contemplation, and review of who we are, where we are heading, what we have achieved, and what we can do to improve the effectiveness of our efforts.

During Virgo time it is easier to notice what is out of alignment in our lives, and what adjustments we need to make to realign with our ideals and our inner nature. We can diagnose and heal our own problems. We can update our attitudes and align them with our values.

The aspect of love which nurtures growth is one of the great archetypal forces of Virgo. A challenge of Virgo time is to recognize the great importance of growth in our lives, especially growth toward divine ideals. Says my Saturn-in-Virgo friend, "My path has the value of healing and nurturing life, and I will always be committed to that."

Leichtman and Japiske, in Forces of the Zodiac, say,

"because the forces of Virgo lead from the mundane to the sublime, one of the best ways to tune into them is by paying attention to the symbolic meaning of ordinary events. The tangible signs of the events of life will be our surest guide to discovering and tapping the forces of this time…..The work which is done in Virgo will reappear as a powerful basis for self-expression and service next year in Aquarius, and will in fact sow the seeds for the new direction and focus which will emerge in Aries. It is therefore of great importance to work intelligently with the forces of this time."

The keys for tapping into the deeper resources of Virgo are very simple—self-acceptance, and paying attention to ordinary daily life.

The major pitfall of Virgo is worry. Both self-acceptance and attention to life’s daily details will counteract worry.

The strength of Virgo’s creative impulse is indicated by the fact that most famous Virgo people are musicians, writers, or movie stars. The list is endless, and includes such people as Goethe and Agatha Christie, Leonard Bernstein and BB King, Sean Connery and Sophia Loren.

Henry Ford is a Virgo who dedicated himself to improving transportation. In addition, Henry Ford rode his bicycle daily, ate tofu regularly, and promoted all types of soy products.