VIRGO: The Love of Service
Source: Unsplash/Markus Winkler
This part 6 of a 12-part series. It’s a little meditation on understanding the signs based on the Archetype.
Virgo is the 6th sign of the Zodiac, and through its symbol, the virgin, represents the purification of the self through service to others. It’s season is the harvest, when the heat of August begins to fall away and we transition into autumn, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. The time for basking in the warmth and heat sun is over and we focus on taking care of what needs to be done to ensure the health and wellbeing of the community.
Virgo’s connection to the 6th house has to do with the rational development of our talents, using diligence and attention to detail as the path to mastery. The 6th house governs work & co-workers, health, and originally, apprenticeships where we serve under another to develop our talents. It is related to commerce and the need for security in the real world, and in the Archetype it represents the ideal expression of service as seen through the qualities and planets associated with it. Virgo is a feminine mutable earth sign, meaning we should adapt to the needs of our environment by utilizing our skills in the real world and working on continuous improvement.
Mercury is in domicile and exalted here, indicating intellect, skills, and information are used like a knife to discriminate and break things down. Words are precision instruments that can affect the interpretation of the law, contracts, and how we’re perceived by others. Jupiter is in fall here, suggesting faith and optimism are less useful than purposeful action when it comes to self-improvement.
Virgo is 10 signs away from Gemini, so the realization of Virgo is found in Gemini’s ability to facilitate the flow of information, such as teaching your skills to the community. Conversely, Virgo is 10 signs away from Sagittarius where we live our philosophy through service to others. It is also 5 signs away from Taurus, the 2nd house of talents/self-esteem and earned income, so here we have the expression of love through work and selfless service to others. Inconjunct Leo in the Archetype, Virgos tend to be reserved and shun the spotlight, preferring to counsel rather than lead. Through exaggeration and connection to malefics, Virgo’s strengths become twisted and can be expressed as hyper-criticism, greed, deceit, and apathy.
Just as an aside, I have two very strong Virgo children in my house, the oldest through their Sun sign conjunct an exalted Mercury in the 6th, and the younger with their ruler Saturn in Virgo conjunct the ruler of their 10th in trine to the ASC. Although they both are extremely intelligent, they could not be more different. Child #2 is a perfectionist and a very high achiever but suffers from the anxiety and lack of confidence that a strong Saturn & the earth element can bring. Child #1 is much more outgoing (Aries ASC), loves to argue their point of view, and has zero use for emotion.
Think of how Virgo operates in your own chart and in those closest to you. Perhaps this helps you gain insight into their approach to life.