Symbol – The Virgin
Ruling Planet – Mercury
Element – Earth
Keywords – I Analyze
Key Notes – Efficiency & Precision
Power Color – White
Traits
Common sense
Modest and shy
Meticulous and reliable
Practical and diligent
Intelligent and analytical
Medical Astrology
Virgo rules the digestive system, intestines, spleen, and nervous system.
Gemstone Affinities
Virgo is a practical and well-organized sign. As befits its ruler, Mercury, Virgoans are analytical and discriminating. Moonstone magnifies the inner aspect of situations, enabling Virgo to get to the nub of the problem or experience. Always seeking perfection, Pearl helps Virgoans attune to the ebb and flow of life. Opal taps Virgo into universal harmony, helping them to achieve their health goals. Health—or lack thereof—is a peculiarly Virgoan fascination. This helps explain why Virgo seeks to understand the psychosomatic nature of disease.
The Moon of Harvesting (Aug 23 – Sep 22)
This period is one of gathering together and receiving. This is the time to see what your seeds of labor have become; to harvest and use the potential inside. The influence is one of discovery.
Earth Element
Virgo is an earth element—practical, careful, reliable, and resolute. They impart form and structure.
Material and sensual earth signs like to enjoy the pleasures of life. Earth shapes matter. Earth is the element of the material world—it’s stable and grounded. Practical and productive, it’s concerned with self-sufficiency and security. Earth signs are sensual signs. This is the element most involved in the physical body and the senses.
A Mutable Sign
The epitome of perfectionism, Virgoans are reserved, modest, practical, discriminating, and industrious. Analytical and painstaking, they seek to know and to understand.
Zodiac Compatibility
Virgoans in any relationship are classy, intelligent, and witty, but they’re most compatible with Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
Famous Virgoans
Mother Teresa (Aug 27), Michael Jackson (Aug 29), and Hugh Grant (Sept 9).
Do you have any Virgos in your life?
“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
— Laurie Buchanan
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© 2011 Laurie Buchanan – All Rights Reserved
Tuesdays with Laurie 
My goodness–this is the first sign that you’ve shared that both of my examples (1) my brother and (2) my friend, Melinda, who are both Virgos, do not seem to exhibit these traits. They are both the opposite of shy and modest and…OK, I had better not reveal anything more about them without having them here to defend themselves. Thinking deeper, they do have some of the characteristics, though. Hope you are enjoying this pre-Christmas week and not too busy.
Kathy – “Thinking deeper, they do have some of the characteristics, though.” I’m glad to know that a few lined up. We are approaching our busiest day of the year. On Christmas Eve we sell $75 gift certificates for $60. Not only do people give them as gifts, but more people than not stock up for the year 🙂 I hope that you’re enjoying this pre-Christmas week as well. Seems to me you folks are traveling soon to see Barry’s folks if I’m not mistaken.
You have a good memory, Ms. Laurie! We are headed to the knee doctor and then to the airport and then to Georgia today–within a couple of hours. I’ve talked Barry into getting a wheelchair in the Detroit airport because we only have a half hour to make our flight. We’ll see how this goes… Also had a very challenged morning today and lost the spare keys to one of our cars. The elves stole it. If you have any Inside Information I will be eternally grateful. (What a bargain your customers get on Christmas Eve. How fun!)
Kathy – I hope you and Barry have an incredible adventure over the Christmas holiday. And I’m absolutely confident you’re using this opportunity to add to your photograph portfolio to share with us 🙂
Kathy, you will be coming into Georgia on a rainy day! We are getting rain for Christmas! It’s a good thing, we are having another drought. But remember, compared to where you live, it is nice and warm, the rose bushes are blooming at the courthouse in Forsyth County and that makes it very cheerful.
Thank you, Laurie. Now I understand why my son, a Virgo and now 30, read all the instructions on activity sheets to his classmates in Kindergarden (irritating his teacher who had planned for only half the lesson to be done that day). I always thought he would major in English as he would pass up the toy store for the book store in his early years. He surprised us when he went to college and ended up with a major in Economics and a minor in Organizational Development. Your description of a Virgo is right on!
Have a wonderful Holiday.
Chris – Your son sounds like a pretty darned terrific person! My son is a Virgo too 🙂
Many years ago I had a good friend who was a Virgo, married to a Sagittarius, which is what I am. She used to say she spent her life picking up the pieces we left behind.
Carol – My son is a Virgo and I can say that I’ve spent a wee bit of time picking up after him 🙂 Your Zodiac sign — Sagittarius — is just around the corner. I’ll post it on December 29th. You folks are amazing 🙂
Hi Laurie – Well, at last, my beloved! He sure IS analytical and his uber case of perfectionism sure makes me nuts so that is right on. However I think you weren’t speaking to the high level criticism factor. Pretty picky creatures they are! But the picky seems to be at others, not himself, same with the perfectionism.
I have to laugh – I know he is “supposedly” organized but holy cow, his desk here in the den is massive chaos. He’s made up really nice files for everything but rarely files anything! It’s his assignment over the holiday when he is home to clean up the area – it is time for the bi-annual dusting of the actual desk!
All in all I’m lucky to have this earth element so close. Butterflies do land sometimes. 🙂
Holiday Hugs,
SuZen
SuZen – I’m fairly confident there’s not a Virgo on this planet who has the tiniest spect of lint on their clothing, toothpaste in their bathroom sink, or that are secretly harboring any dust bunnies. And the thing about a “messy” desk — they can probably find anything you ask for in under 60 seconds (and definitely know if their stacks and piles have been tampered with). I love when you said, “Butterflies do land sometimes.”
susan,
My desk is a mess, but I can surely do as Laurie says – find any piece of paper on it or in the house that needs finding – also my husband’s tools which he leaves everywhere
I do fight with the perfectionism thing…but let me tell you the bigger battle is within. If I am criticizing or judging others outside, you have to believe me we are worse on the inside and working it not to let anyone else ever know.
Hi,
I don’t think I know any Virgo’s, but I love the picture of the white flower with just that little splash of red, really stunning. 🙂
Magsx2 – I’m glad you enjoyed that photograph. I took that shot in front of the apartment complex that’s next to our local library here in Crystal Lake. I’m not sure what type of flower it is, but to me it looks suspiciously like a GIGANTIC poppy. Those blooms are at least the size of a toast plate in diameter.
Yes, I do know a Virgo – ME, ME, ME!
Health and Digestive (problems)- yes, indeedy ME,ME, ME
I wanted to be a Naturopath but not being able to memorize and little math – I could not qualify…then I tried Opera…well music is math too… Professional Listening and Counseling seem to be better for me. ( I am an amazing teacher, but not of small children – people think I should be great with small children?)
I grew up in a family of perfectionists and just do battle with controllers ( I am constantly attacked by controllers) and perfectionistic traits on a daily basis..I work on being relaxed, but it is work.
I am married to a Cancer and have one child who is ever thus! and one Pisces
I am quite an introvert in person. I do better on paper….
My youngest HATES with a passion all my clarifying questions….but I think those questions just got daughter #2 a huge discount for being a teacher on a new car….it pays off…
You just know I am going to need to book mark this one!
Then again I was born at a very cuspy location so maybe I am just confused!
Patricia – Your comment had me grinning all the way through. I can well see where a Virgo wouldn’t want to be under anyone else’s thumb (controlled). As the mother of a now-adult Virgo, I can admit (to my horror and shame) that I was a “smother mother” as he was growing up. And I can tell you with a certainty that he didn’t like it in the least! Like you, he’s an introvert…but will willing to talk ’til the cows came home if I would formulate the questions — fun and serious, alike.
I am a total failure at play – trying to remedy that too these days – way to intense
Patricia – Playing is such an important ingredient. I’m glad you’re working on that 🙂
Laurie, That huge flower is a hibiscus of the Dixie Belle type. Down here my Dixie types grow as big as my head and are very showy. I am a Virgo and my favorite color is White, it is my maiden name, and the color I wear most often, nearly everyday in summer. My truck is white and as you already know, White is a tidy mixture of all other colors. As for being an Earth type, I can’t get out of it, I only go inside when it is inclement weather, otherwise I have something growing that needs to be seen to. Perfectionism is a terrible trait, it breeds judgement, dissatisfaction when your own work doesn’t measure up to your own exacting standards and a hair-splitting attention to detail that would numb another person. Of course, on the other hand, no one else sees these miniscule flaws but yourself so you are usually right on the money. Michael Jackson was born the day before me, 8-29 and my cousin was born the day after, 8-31. Michael Jackson shy? Maybe. My cousin Joanne is the proverbial church mouse. Me, I can meet and greet anyone and not turn a hair. Oh, and I have married 2 Virgos. What was I thinking!?! Being born one is enough bring on the gray hair, 2 under the same roof, married, is hen fight. Picky, picky, picky. On the whole I enjoy my sigh and try to make the most of it.
Sandi – Thank you, I was hoping that you’d tell us what type of flower that is. The embodiment of all color, WHITE is bright, pristine yet bold, crisp, and elegant. Your self-description put a huge grin on my face 🙂 And knowing you I think we can add a couple more Virgo descriptors:
– Independent
– Can do ANYthing they set their mind to
Well well Laurie, here we are at my sign. I like the comments about orderly chaos. When I a working on a project I like to have my thinking visible to me. Please do not move my piles until I am finished and then I will put them away myself so I know where they. Everything is visually filed and often by subject rather than alphabetically. I always kind of squirm when reading a description of my sign but I know others would find it to be true. It just doesn’t always feel the same on the inside as it appears on the outside. I am not a perfectionist though I just like things to be the very best they can be… they will never be perfect 😉 Thank you for this. A great reminder.
Terrill – I love the word picture you painted of having your thinking VISIBLE to you, and your VISUAL filing system — It’s no wonder you’re an artist 🙂 Would you say that sight is your strongest/most important sense? If yes, I would imagine that for an artist, touch would come in at a very close second.
Laurie what a good question. I recently participated in an international collaboration between photographers and painters. For the first time ever I painted a painting using other photographers photos for reference. What an ordeal and learning experience. It took reviewing images from five different photographers of the site that was to be painted, listening to videos for sounds and reading about the rhythms of the day, the foods that were eaten before, and finding maps so I knew the global location by the directions plus transposing the smells of Mayne island’s Salish Sea before I could settle down to paint the painting. It is not release yet but I will let you know when I do. Through this process I realized that I use all of my senses when painting.
I also still have exceptional hearing (just had it tested and surprised the technician), sense of smell and taste but my eyesight is actually not all that great. I have been wearing trifocal lenses since I was about 28 years old. I wear the kind that you can see all the levels because it give me the largest viewing field for my art work. I don’t know if this has contributed to the strength of the other senses or if it is just that I use my senses extensively in my daily living.
Touch is also important but I really don’t have to physical touch things if I can energetically touch them. I often seem to be able to “feel things” without using my hands if that makes any sense.
Terrill – Ohhhhhh, your comment here was a delicious read and I can HARDLY WAIT to see the piece you’ve eluded to 🙂
Laurie, alas I am a VIRGO. Ha! My birthday is Agust 26. Although I grew up as a shy person in school (God did I dread speaking in public and singing in the music class) things did change in time. I’d like to believe I have a fair degree of the flattering traits inherent in the Virgo make-up, but self-analysis is just as alien to a Virgo as some of the qualities that define it.
I’ll leave it to others who know me to connect the dots, which all told are most persuasive here.
Sam – When I connect your dots, I clearly see an amazing father, a cool teacher, and a loving husband and family man 🙂