The celebratory, sun-drenched days of Leo give way to the second of the threshold seasons. Virgo is summer transitioning into autumn, and this energy is indelibly imprinted into the archetype, which gives way to the mercurial nature in the Virgo personality. There is now an imperceptible shimmer of gold beneath the riotous green that has held sway for the past few months. Virgo is a mutable earth sign, meaning it bridges one season into the next, and resonates with the practical, realistic element of earth. The Virgo archetype is tied to the preparation for harvest. We begin the task of separating the grain from the chaff in our lives. What will we harvest? What will we turn back into the soil to be used as compost for next year’s crops? It is a natural time of weighing and evaluating, sifting and sorting. Virgo season has often been equated as the time we clean up after the party that is Leo. It’s true that at this time of year, many of us are getting ready to go back to school or work after enjoying the pleasures of summer. There is a simultaneous burst of purposeful activity and organization, as well as a subtle turning within as we prepare for the longer nights ahead.
Virgo relates to the archetype of the Virgin goddess, and no matter how devoted Virgo can be to the people in her life, a certain part of Virgo’s psyche will always remain unaffected by the opinions or influence of others. Virgo embodies the aspect of the priestess that is self-purified and dedicated to practical ways of serving the Goddess. To Virgo, the body truly is a temple, and daily ritual and spiritual practice connect her to the innate wisdom of the body as well as allow her to cultivate a deep reverence for the cycles of nature. Virgo aligns with the archetype of the Healer and aspects of the Shaman. She also conjures the motif of the Wise Woman living in a cottage in the woods, crafting healing elixirs and herbal remedies from what grows in her well-tended garden.
Service is a spiritual practice for Virgo. Part of her life purpose lies in improving, purifying, and edifying—not rushing in and rescuing like Aries or being a hero like Leo, but being of use. Virgo resonates with the focused yet humble spiritual archetype of the Zen master. This old Zen adage sums up Virgo’s approach to both life and her personal spirituality: “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” Essentially, the meaning of this proverb is mindfully embracing even the most mundane activities in life as an integral part of spiritual enlightenment; there is no separation between the practicalities of daily life and the spiritual. Virgo brings to mind the quiet contemplation of monastic life and is connected to the tarot card the Hermit. This does not mean that she is destined to spend her life alone but that she is discriminating about what influences and individuals she will allow into her world. Virgo is inextricably tied to the concept of personal boundaries and is not afraid to say no to that which does not make sense to her.
The Virgo Woman
The Virgo woman is born under one of the most misunderstood signs of the zodiac. Contrary to pop-astrology lore, she is neither boring nor prudish. Truth be told, the Virgo woman often has an earthy sensuality that gives Scorpio a run for her money. She is also highly intelligent and sharply analytical, which are a far cry from the dull Virgo stereotype that is often bandied about on the internet. Part of the reason for her undeserved reputation comes from the misunderstanding of the symbol of her sign, the Virgin. When it’s taken out of context from its original mythic meaning of “whole unto herself,” the Virgin brings up visions of an inexperienced, uptight, straightlaced, and puritanical woman who is disconnected from her sexual nature. There are many virgin goddesses throughout numerous mythological traditions. Notable virgin goddesses in the Greek pantheon are Artemis, Athena, and Hestia. The main defining characteristic of the virgin goddesses is that they did not marry or have children. In the patriarchal society of ancient Greece, women were considered the property of men and were not a viable part of social life. Women’s main role in life was to bear and raise their husband’s children. To be a virgin goddess, not beholden to any male authority, was to have a kind of freedom not known to most mortal women. Because they were not preoccupied with the business of procreation and marriage or the distractions of romantic love, these goddesses embody a myriad of other attributes, such as independence, strategy, and self-governance. So in terms of Virgo the Virgin, let us redefine the meaning of the word so it is closer in definition to its original meaning. This is not to say that Virgo women cannot have children or successful marriages, but these things are not the only way she measures success, nor are they necessarily driving forces in her life. She is her own woman: complete, self-sufficient, autonomous.
The Virgo woman is a perfectionist and knows that everything (including herself) has room for improvement. Many Virgo women spend a great deal of time and energy in the quest of self-development, taking classes, workshops, and webinars in the pursuit to better themselves. Virgo has a discerning eye for detail, and if something is out of place in her life or in her environment, it will not escape her attention. The old adage “God(dess) is in the details” is like a Virgo mantra. Her connection to the harvest, especially the aspect of separating grain from chaff, gifts her with an analytical mind that clearly sees what is useful and what is excessive or a waste of time. She is constantly honing her skills, her work, and herself. The alchemical work of streamlining, clarifying, and shaping her psyche is rooted in her connection to her ruling planet, Mercury, whose deity is associated with alchemy and magick amongst other attributes. Because Virgo is an earth sign, she channels Mercury’s energy in a practical way, constant perfecting, polishing, and fine-tuning, which is part of Virgo’s higher spiritual purpose.
Health is one area of self that Virgo is especially prone to perfecting and is where she can be her most stereotypically obsessive. Whether she is in a healthcare or healing field professionally, Virgo is often an expert on everything from Ayurveda to vitamins. She can be an obsessive label reader and usually knows the exact origins of what she chooses to put into her body. She knows her way around the natural foods store like the back of her hand and is often on a special diet, being in tune with her body and exactly what it needs to run optimally. She is an advocate of whole foods and organic, non-GMO farming practices—she does her research and will tell you everything you could possibly want to know on the subjects. Most Virgos are also highly sensitive and cannot abide harsh chemicals in their skin-care products, housecleaning products, or furniture. She prefers pure and natural and will go the extra mile to make sure she and her loved ones have only the best organic clothing, bedding, and food. Virgo is also a regular at the gym or the yoga studio and often schedules massage and acupuncture treatments to keep her body running like a fine-tuned machine. A Virgo likely coined the phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
The Virgo woman is rarely caught without a plan, and you will never hear her say, “We’ll just see how it goes” or “Let’s just wing it!” She is obsessive about order and abhors devil-may-care improvisation or spontaneity. She is a natural list maker and feels a sense of calm and accomplishment when she puts a neat little checkmark beside items on her to-do list. She has a talent for organization and can magically transform even the most hectic environment into a smoothly running machine. To Virgo, the act of preparation is akin to performing a sacred ritual that will ward off chaos. In fact, Virgo women are intrinsically drawn to practical forms of ritual; it helps them focus and enter a meditative state of mind. Whether she performs a daily morning grooming ritual before leaving the house or lights incense and puts on her favorite music to clean the kitchen, Virgo elevates everyday tasks into an art form.
The Virgo woman is keenly observant and sees the world without romantic illusions clouding her view. To some, her no-nonsense, realistic appraisal may seem cold or judgmental, but to her it is an efficient and logical approach to life. Virgo has a highly developed faculty for critical thinking, and she is often accused of being skeptical. This is not the woman who will buy into anything without having done her research or due diligence, be it a spiritual path or an insurance policy. She is not gullible, and she is rarely naïve. To Virgo, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. She is not prone to idle fantasy or escapist delusions, in part because she finds them a waste of time, but also because indulging in psychological opiates would distract her from the real work of improving something to the point where it achieves her high standards.
Virgo is smart as a whip and, due to her Mercury-ruled nature, often has the vocabulary to back it up. She integrates all those self-improvement classes and webinars and classifies all the information into a formidable whole. She is both capable and efficient and often has a repertoire of useful skills that at times make her seem almost superhuman and can have other signs feeling less than “adult” around her. However, she does have a great sense of humor, although she usually is drawn to sarcastic or observational humor. She herself is also quite funny, but beware—her laser-like ability to notice subtle things about others combined with her critical mind can make some people uncomfortable. Remember, one of Mercury’s aspects is the Trickster, and he can bestow a way with words that rivals the best stand-up comics.
Of course, every sign has its shadow, and Virgo is no exception. The shadow side of Virgo surfaces when her natural predispositions are taken to the extreme. When she is feeling overwhelmed or unbalanced, her critical thinking may turn inward and become self-doubt. Some Virgos are overly self-critical and may suffer from body image issues. She might zero in on one particular detail of her appearance and obsess about it to the point of seeking cosmetic surgery to “correct” it. In the pursuit of bodily perfection, some Virgos drive themselves mercilessly at the gym to meet a standard that can only be achieved through airbrushing and Photoshop. In her pursuit of perfection in her work, she can burn herself out, with no amount of effort resulting in reaching her impossible standards.
Bouts of self-doubt can also turn her wonderfully analytical mind into a tool for self-deprecation, which can lead to anxiety and obsessive thinking. Although any sign can suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, Virgo can be especially predisposed to its tendencies. In an unconscious effort to analyze, organize, and control her environment, Virgo sometimes develops anxiety-relieving rituals, such as repetitive checking, counting, and ordering, when she’s feeling overwhelmed. Although Virgo is an earth sign, it is also a mutable sign and has the tendency to become ungrounded, scattered, or anxious when out of balance. Virgo’s sensitive nervous system benefits greatly from mindfulness meditation, grounding exercises, and channeling her need for ritual into a conscious daily practice. Meditation, good nutrition, avoidance of stimulants, and flower essences such as Bach’s Rescue Remedy can also help. Making lists can get it out of her head and onto the paper, which can go a long way in helping Virgo find moments of relaxation. In addition, Virgo can also tap into the qualities of her opposite sign, Pisces, and consciously work on the art of letting go of that which she cannot control. Virgo must remember that the task of weaving shadow and light equals wholeness.
Virgo’s natural discernment is no more evident than in the area of love and relationships. Much like the virgin goddesses, being part of a couple is not usually her main drive. For the most part, she tends to approach love with both eyes open and without romantic projections or illusions. It is very difficult to seduce a Virgo woman or sweep her off her feet. She is rather coolheaded in romance and may initially appear detached. Virgo is generally sensible and levelheaded when it comes to relationships, and her relationships are rarely based solely on romantic attraction. While other signs may pine away for dashing but unobtainable lovers or move from one serious relationship to the next so as not to be alone, many Virgo women are content to live a full life on their own until they meet someone with whom a relationship makes sense. When Virgo does find someone that she considers committing to, she is a devoted and engaged partner and will show her affection through useful and practical gestures that demonstrate she cares. She is not prone to public displays of affection and can be embarrassed by grandiose proof of devotion. Virgo is a supportive mate, sometimes to the extreme. Her well-meaning ideas on how her partner can improve some aspect of their lives can be perceived as controlling or criticism, especially by the more independent signs.
Sexually, Virgo is a technically proficient lover. Contrary to her undeserved reputation as a prude, her attention to detail and desire to master everything she does often make her a brilliant sex partner. What she may lack in creativity or unbridled passion, she makes up for with techniques and positions that may shock even the most amorous signs. Her sexual health is often fastidious, and if it is a new relationship, don’t be surprised if she expects you to come back from the doctor with a clean bill of health before sleeping with you. Virgo’s alignment with the earth element also means she is attuned with her sensual nature and is no stranger to the physical realm and the things of the body. To Virgo, the body truly is a temple, and she will often pride herself on being healthy and fit, taking scrupulously good care of herself. Some Virgo women make their physicality and sexual attractiveness part of their craft and raise the bar to a whole new level. Notable Virgos that knock over the uptight librarian stereotype include Beyoncé, Raquel Welch, Salma Hayek, Cameron Diaz, Sophia Loren, and Greta Garbo. However, far from being either prudes or sex goddesses, most Virgo women have a very matter-of-fact attitude toward sex and the stuff of the body. Not the luxurious sensuality of Taurus or the seething sex appeal of Scorpio—just pure, natural, and uncomplicated.
On the other hand, there are some Virgo women for whom sex is not a driving factor in life. Parallel to the virgin goddesses, she can be self-contained. She may not be a virgin, but she is autonomous and often concentrated on other areas of life—she quite simply has other priorities. She may choose conscious celibacy for short or long periods of time, as she focuses inward, and finds her own path to fulfillment and awakening. Some Virgo women are drawn to a spiritual path where the body as temple means self-purification and dedication to a way of life that may preclude sex for the sake of sex. They may also choose to eschew alcohol, technology, or dietary substances such as meat and sugar to further facilitate connection with the still point within. The Zen monastery, certain yogic paths, the Christian convent, or other forms of cloistered spiritual study may be the call she answers.
The concepts of right livelihood and meaningful work are an integral part of Virgo’s life purpose. She also has an inborn need to serve in a way that contributes to the greater good. Although as an employee she is reliable and humble and has impeccable standards, service is a concept that is easily misunderstood. Virgo’s desire to serve does not mean that she wants to literally be a servant, although old-school astrology and many pop astrology columns certainly seem to think that this is her role in the zodiac. I think it’s time to update this, just as it’s time to update the outdated notion that it’s hard to be an Aries woman because she has natural leadership skills. The sign Virgo’s archetypal connection to service stems from the Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome. For over a thousand years, these priestesses were chosen between the ages of six and ten to serve the goddess Vesta by tending the sacred flame that would ensure the continuation of the empire. As Vesta was the goddess of the hearth, the Vestal Virgins were essentially the sacred hearth keepers for all of Rome. Amongst their other duties were preparation of ritual food, maintenance of sacred objects in the sanctuary, and, perhaps most importantly, keeping their vow of chastity. Although the terms of their contract stated that they were to remain celibate in service of the goddess for thirty years, they enjoyed privileges that were not the norm for women at the time. For one thing, as they were considered married to Rome, they were not under the control of a father or husband. They could own property, and their persons were protected under law. However, if it was suspected or proven that a Vestal Virgin lost her virginal status, she would be severely punished and in some cases buried alive for her transgression, as it was considered taboo to spill the blood of a priestess of Vesta.
In terms of vocation, the Virgo woman’s on-target sensibility and sharp eye would make her an exceptional editor, proofreader, researcher, statistician, systems analyst, or auditor. That same meticulous attention to detail would also make her a brilliant surgeon. With her exceptional organizational ability, she is often a sought-after executive assistant, or she might channel this superpower into a successful career helping others clear and organize their clutter. On the other hand, her connection to the body opens up careers in the healing arts, such as teaching yoga, herbalism, making natural products, and hands-on healing work like massage or acupuncture. Further, she may find a fulfilling career in health and medicine as a naturopath, nutritionist, fitness instructor, physician, or veterinarian. She can also make a down-to-earth sex educator. Virgo’s reverence for nature may draw her to holistic living and turning her talents to homesteading, organic farming, landscaping, animal care, beekeeping, and horticulture. Virgos also make exceptional craftswomen. Whatever medium calls her, she has the attention to detail as well as the patience and drive for perfection that produces sought-after, high-quality artisan work. Whatever Virgo does, she does well and often elevates it to a whole new level of perfection. Once she has found her calling, she aligns herself so completely with her work that it becomes synonymous with her identity.
Virgo tends to work well on her own, with minimal supervision. Even if she is part of a team, she needs solitude to focus. For this reason, Virgo excels in a work situation where she can preserve and control the quality and environment of her work. Many Virgo women appreciate quiet working environments where they can concentrate on the task at hand. A calm work space also helps her keep her anxiety at bay. The Virgo woman can also happily work behind the scenes or in a support role. She does not need to be the center of attention or receive personal glory for her work, but she does appreciate respect.
Guiding Goddess Archetype: Hestia
Hestia is one of the three virgin goddesses from the Greek pantheon and is the first daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Both Poseidon and Apollo desire her, but with Zeus’s blessing Hestia rejects both suitors and instead chooses eternal virginity, thus preventing rivalry between the two gods. In gratitude for her keeping the peace, Zeus honors Hestia by making her one of the most important deities in ancient Greece: every home and temple has a shrine to her, and she is honored with the first offerings of any sacrifice. Hestia embodies the hearth fire itself, and as such she is the very center of family life. Although the hearth is a gathering place and provides heat and the means to cook food, it is also an altar: it holds the sacred fire that represents the soul of the home and the innermost circle of the sanctuary. In later times, the Roman equivalent of Hestia, Vesta, is also the goddess of the hearth. Her perpetual fire is tended by the Vestal Virgins and is considered the collective heart and hearth of the entire city.
There were numerous rituals connected with Hestia. Moving to a new home, marriages, and consecrating the birth of a child were all accompanied by rituals that invoked Hestia’s blessings. When a new colony was built, fire was taken from the central hearth fire of the host city to light and bless the new village. When a woman married, her family would light a torch from their own hearth fire and light the very first fire in the new couple’s home. Underlining the magickal or ritual use of the hearth fire, in The Greek Myths Robert Graves speaks of the connection between the Great Goddess of the Mediterranean and the charcoal mound, or hearth. He describes how a prophetess would induce trance through inhaling the smoke of barley grains, hemp, and laurel, which were warmed over the fire to produce visions.24
Although Virgo is an earth sign and Hestia is associated with fire, there are many parallels between Virgo and Hestia. The most obvious is that both are identified with the Virgin archetype. Both are self-contained and autonomous, without the need or desire for personal glorification. In Goddesses in Everywoman, author Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen refers to Hestia as “Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth and Temple, Wise Woman and Maiden Aunt,” all apt epithets for the Virgo archetype.25 Virgo’s propensity to work behind the scenes suggests a self-effacing or humble quality that she shares with Hestia. Hestia’s synthesis of the everyday and the sacred, which are embodied by the hearth fire, echo Virgo’s propensity to find spiritual sustenance in the mundane—both Hestia and Virgo are connected to the rituals of daily life. And finally, Hestia and Virgo share an ability to create and maintain personal boundaries. Virgo is known for her ability to say no, to draw the line in any situation that does not work for her. Similarly, Hestia said no to the attentions of both Poseidon and Apollo and chose eternal virginity as her path.
Pathworking: Hestia’s Hearth
The first time I met Hestia, I was in the integration phase of my Saturn return. I had recently extricated myself from an abusive marriage and was rebuilding my life from the ground up. This was the era of Lilith Fair, back in the late nineties, and I felt a quiet, nurturing support with all the women’s music and poetry that embodied that time. More than that, I felt that I had crossed a threshold into a place of peace and solitude: the incredible sense of being alone, or all one. There was no one to placate. No one’s mess to clean up, and no need to walk on eggshells. I was completely self-sufficient, and my time was filled with the calming everyday tasks of getting my house in order on my own terms. When I reflect on that time now, it glows with quiet magic and a centered feeling of serenity.
You are walking through a noisy, bustling cityscape, trying in vain to shut out the cacophony of the street vendors, the clatter of wheeled carts, and the jostling of passersby. The discord and harshness match your jangled nerves, and you yearn for a moment of respite from the tumult, both inner and outer. Ahead of you, you see what appears to be a temple. Although you are not sure if you are permitted to enter, you take a chance and quietly open the door and step across the threshold, closing the door behind you.
Immediately the chaos of the outside world disappears, and you find yourself in a quiet, softly lit sanctuary. The silence is soothing, and you feel yourself exhale as a sensation of calm envelops you. The subtle scent of natural incense perfumes the air. You breathe slowly for a few moments, every breath releasing the distractions of the outside world and taking you deeper into your center. You look around you and notice that there is an order to this place of hushed serenity: the stone floors are neatly swept, and the space is uncluttered except for a wooden chair with a white cushion sitting near the fire and a simple altar before the hearth. Atop the altar is a clay vessel holding several small unlit torches.
The round hearth is in the center of the sanctum, a small fire glowing amongst the coals. Slowly, reverently, you make your way to the hearth fire and kneel before it. The fire is welcoming. Not a crackling blaze, but a steady, comforting fire that seems to have a presence of its own. As a gesture of respect, you feel moved to cover your head with the hood of the garment you are wearing and take a few moments to gaze into the dancing flames.
As you allow yourself to enter a light trance state, a voice comes to you that seems to be coming from the fire itself. It is the voice of a wise old woman that comes to you: “The three tasks before you now are simple in nature but of great importance. Your first task is to learn to find the calm within so that you can weather any storm. Your inner hearth fire is always there. You need only to seek it. Your second task is to remember that you are whole and complete, just as you are. And your third task is to honor your own boundaries, to be true to yourself without the need for the approval of others. You can always enter the temple and shut the door behind you, finding sanctuary and sustenance within. My fire belongs to all who seek it. You may take an ember with you to light your way, and if you remember my words, you will not allow it to burn out.”
You bow and give thanks to Hestia, goddess of the hearth. You take a torch, light it from the hearth fire, and quietly make your way back into the world with a newfound sense of calm focus.
Ritual: Sorting the Seeds
Virgo teaches us the value of sorting, selecting, sifting, and evaluating the things in our lives so that we may purify, prioritize, and grow as self-actualized beings. Sorting seeds is a common archetypal motif in mythology and fairy tales. The Russian tale “Vasilisa the Wise,” also known as “Vasilisa the Beautiful” and “Vasilisa the Brave,” tells the story of a maiden daughter sent into the forest to face the fierce Baba Yaga and bring back light for the fire. One of her tasks is sorting poppy seeds from dirt. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite also gives Psyche the impossible task of sifting and sorting a variety of seeds. And in the Grimm Brothers’ version of “Cinderella,” the wicked stepmother casts a bowl of lentils into the fire and assigns her the job of sorting them from the ashes to prevent her from going to the ball.
On an archetypal level, sorting the seeds is the first step toward forward motion and psychic growth. Seeds symbolize potential and possibility, and when we take the time to sort them, we decide what is important, what is essential in our lives, and what is dross. In Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés beautifully sums up the archetypal dimension of sorting the seeds: “Like Vasalisa, we have to sort out our psychic healing agents, to sort and sort and sort to understand that food for the psyche is also medicine for the psyche, and to wring the truth, the essence, out of these elements for our own nourishment.” 26
Hestia’s Purifying Oil
1 part each:
Rosemary
Camphor
Eucalyptus
Laurel leaf
Sorting the Seeds
Hestia’s Purifying Oil
Small pure beeswax candle
An assortment of seeds: rice, beans, lentils, corn, etc. (choose two or more types depending on what you are sorting in your life)
Paper
Pen
Digging implement
First, clear your space by burning Hestia’s Purifying Oil. Ground and center. Anoint the candle with Hestia’s oil and light it: this is her hearth fire. Meditate on the flame and find your center. Spread the seeds on the floor before you or on an altar or table. When you are ready, take the paper and pen and make two or more category headings. Each type of seed symbolizes one category. You can write “Harvest” and “Release,” or you may want to be more specific depending on what it is you are sorting. Write down your specifics in each category. When you are ready, call on Hestia and say,
Hestia, lady of purity, integrity, and personal boundaries,
Help me to sort the seeds in my life.
What to harvest, what to release and give back
to the earth that it may be recycled.
May my life be designed by divine order.
Mindfully sort the seeds into piles. Each seed represents a potential, a possibility, or an actuality in your life. Give thanks for what you are harvesting and for that which you choose to continue to nurture. Reflect on that which you now see needs to be sacrificed back to the earth or integrated back into the psyche. Dreams, plans, and hopes that you know need to be recycled so something new can be born. Take the seeds to be recycled and go outside and bury them for the goddess to transform them into something new. Remember, nothing is ever wasted, only transformed. Take the seeds of harvest and possibility and place them on your altar as a reminder of what is truly important in your life now. Do not extinguish the candle but let it burn out safely. Give thanks to Hestia for her wisdom.
This ritual is best done during Virgo season, when the Moon is in Virgo, or when the Moon is in its waning phase.
Virgo Correspondences
Astrological Dates: August 23 through September 22
Sabbat: Threshold sign between Lammas and autumn equinox
Virgo Goddess Archetypes: Hestia, Vesta, Astraea, Hou Ji, Inari, Austeja, Airmid, Frigg, Iden-Kuva, Pszeniczna-Matka, Baculbotet
House: Sixth
Element: Earth
Mode: Mutable
Planet: Mercury
Colors: Pure white, green, brown, earth colors, gray, gold (the color of fields during Virgo season)
Crystals: Amazonite, axinite, chiastolite, jasper, peridot, petrified wood, vesuvianite
Essential Oils: Frankincense, peppermint, camphor, eucalyptus, cypress, rosemary, juniper
Parts of the Body: Digestive system, nervous system, spleen