Virgo is the mutable earth sign. Its symbol is the virgin, and its horoscope glyph is a stylized rendering of a maiden carrying a shaft of wheat.
One of the defining traits of a Virgo is efficiency. There is a strong drive to get down to the essence of anything. Complex ideas and situations are deconstructed down to the atomic level so that they can be managed one essential ingredient at a time. Of course, this requires a facility to juggle a hundred moving parts, which comes easier to Virgos than any other sign.
Virgo is practical to the extreme. It is not interested in ideas that don’t hold up to reality. Virgo is attracted and attached to material things, but more from an utilitarian sense than one of beauty. How is this useful, asks Virgo. How can it make my life better? Improvement is a big thing for Virgo. Taking anything and making it better–the better organization, the better diet, the better exercise. This striving for improvement can tend toward perfectionism.
Motivated by a desire to get to the bottom of things in their starkest form, Virgoans are drawn to detail. Which makes them very picky in many aspects of life, including the people they associate with. This attention to detail and the accompanying pickiness arises out of a deeply felt need for purification and cleansing.
Whether it is tidying the home, or a quest for self-improvement, or a drive to exercise and stay super-healthy, or a careful screening of potential friends and mates, Virgo wants to make sure the result is of top quality, clean and pure. Quality control in all matters is a big thing for Virgos – they can be excellent in any job that requires close monitoring and maintaining quality.
Helpfulness and service are Virgo hallmarks. A sense of humility is an essential trait of Virgo. No matter how intelligent, how efficient, how wealthy, how famous a Virgo may be, she will wear her talents and her worth lightly, often accompanied by self-effacement – because deep inside she knows there is always room for improvement.
Being mutable, Virgo never holds on to any thing or idea too closely or possessively. She is always willing to consider other options and perspectives, and evaluate them for worthiness. Virgo is a genius at multitasking, and she always gets things done.
I came across an article in Forbes about Elon Musk that perfectly brings out several facets of Virgo. Musk has the Moon in Virgo in his horoscope. When he filled out forms at customs when traveling abroad, he entered his occupation as just a humble “engineer”, not CEO. Other Virgo traits came across clearly in his interviewing style when hiring. He asks candidates to put down in writing examples of problems they have solved (Show me the money). He asks for several examples. (Detail) He asks to see the process, the how. At one time he was asked about his reaction to the rocket like rise of Tesla stock. His reaction was muted, more or less ‘meh, back to work’.
Keywords for Virgo: Efficient, Detail-Oriented, Deconstructer, Practical, Humble, Picky, Critical, Perfectionist, Correcting, Service, Ministration, Multitasking
Find out if any of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, or Mars in your horoscope are in Virgo. If the Sun or Moon are in Virgo, understand which of the Virgo qualities described in this post most resonate with you–the Sun and Moon color the entire personality. If Mercury, Venus, or Mars are in Virgo, then you need to understand how certain Virgo qualities might find expression in the way you communicate (Mercury), relate (Venus), or assert yourself (Mars). The post on Earth Signs spells out more specifics for Mercury, Venus, and Mars expressions in the earth signs.
Following are the personality sketches of a few public figures who have the Sun in Virgo. Observe how Virgo qualities permeate their lives.
Mother Teresa.
Catholic nun, revered for ministering to the needy. Founder of charity organization that runs soup kitchens, mobile clinics, counseling programs, orphanages and schools. Known for decades of tireless effort to serve the sick and poor. Sainted for a lifetime of selfless service.
Freddie Mercury. Rock Musician.
Famed front man for the rock band Queen. Singer, musician, and electrifying performer, demonstrated talent for writing complex music, yet known to be unimpressed with his own abilities on the piano. When not performing, shy and retiring around people he didn’t know. When asked whether rock stars should use their power to shape the world for the better, he said, “people with mere talent, like me, have not got the ability or power.”
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Writer.
Her work ranges from novels to short stories to nonfiction. Awarded a MacArthur genius grant in 2008. “I think of myself as a storyteller but I would not mind at all if someone were to think of me as a feminist writer.”.. “I’m [also] hopeful because I believe deeply in the ability of human beings to make and remake themselves for the better.”