Virgo (August 22 to September 23)

by: Alfred F. Seward

People born under this sign, as a rule are marked by several very distinct characteristics and tendencies.

Perhaps the most prominent of these are their orderly and methodical tastes and habits. They are naturally neat, precise, accurate and discriminating, and this natural tendency is manifested in various phases of their character.

These people are usually well formed, of average height or a trifle above, with strong, intellectual, full faces, pleasing voices and agreeable manners.

They are well balanced as a general thing, and not likely to go to extremes in anything. The safe middle ground between extremes seems best to them.

Behind almost every distinguishing feature of the Virgo character it is possible to discover two things that are most essential to their peace and comfort—Order and Harmony.

There is no method without order and the harmonious relation of all parts to the whole; and method is one of the things Virgo insists upon.

Discord and disorder cause them acute distress, and they are so sensitive to it that they discover its presence almost instantly and at once seek the cause of it or the conditions that give rise to it.

When they discover the cause of the conditions they are not content until they have at least made an effort to correct it. If it exists in affairs outside their own province, they rarely hesitate to bring it to the attention of those in whose control the matter may be, hoping it will be rectified.

Their minds, it will be seen, are very analytical and discriminating and wherever such minds aided by keen eyes are needed, Virgo people are successful.

They make the best proof readers in the world, seeming able to locate the errors in a whole page at a single glance. This is one manifestation of the love of order, since an error in print is, of course, caused by the misplacing of a letter or word or line.

Their desire to have all things about them, or that they encounter, brought into harmony, leads them to take great interest in the social love affairs of their friends and acquaintances. Their self-assumed knowledge of what is fitting and proper makes them fond of arranging matrimonial alliances among people they know; but they are equally fond of breaking off such matches as seem to them inharmonious and unsuitable.

Virgo people love music, which is the embodiment of order and harmony, and have exceptional taste in selection of color combinations. All things really beautiful appeal to them, although their inveterate habit of analysis and criticism frequently leads them to discover imagery discrepancies, which destroy for them the real beauty of the object.

They may become very successful in editorial work, especially where they may be called upon to feel or reflect public sentiment. As book reviewers their powers of analysis and criticism are likely to make them very successful. Unless they have been awakened to the true light, however, they are apt to be severe and unkind, lacking patience with the efforts of others which do not measure up to their own self-established standard.

As lawyers, writers, public speakers, musicians, architects, designers and chemists, they are qualified to achieve much distinction and horror, and it is a fact that many eminent members of the professions named have been born under Virgo.

It should be noted that the faculty of close analysis and careful presentation are essential to success in all lines, and this fact furnishes the reason for expecting Virgo people to succeed in them.

In chemistry, particularly, these people are invariably and unusually successful, their nature being especially adapted for the work. The study of physiology is peculiarly agreeable to them also, since it is in the effect the analysis of the human composition.

Virgo people are very much given to the use of medicines and remedial drugs in the effort to drive away a host of imagined ailments. It seems that their sense of order is disturbed by fancied illness or pain, and their physiological instinct advises them that some drug or medicine will restore harmony and banish the trouble. So they are nearly always going to or coming from the doctor’s office, although when their knowledge of physiology is fairly advanced they often feel competent to prescribe for themselves.

Virgo people are possessed of great curiosity, which while in no sense mischievous or malicious, often gets them into ill favor. They can scarcely help taking a lively interest in the affairs of others, and are extremely fond of using their powers of observation, analysis and discrimination in ferreting out things which arouse their curiosity and thirst for information.

When thus engaged no detail is too small, no course too cunning to escape them, and every resource of their nature—diplomacy, daring, intrigue, shrewdness—is brought to bear until the problem is solved.

They have peculiar and ingenious ways of extracting information from their friends, without these later being away that they are giving it until it is too late and the Virgo person has learned all he wished.

They are sometimes careless of such of their friends’ secrets as may come into their possession, but it is only necessary to caution them and they guard such secrets as religiously as they do their own. Their own confidence once lost is very hard to regain.

These people possess very elastic natures, and recover quickly from reverses or disappointments. There are not many of this sign who are poor in this world’s goods, and it is a difficult matter to get them down, or, when they are down, to keep them there.

Even if untoward circumstances should overcome them, no matter how low they may appear to have fallen, the observant eye will not fail to discover that they still retain much of their physical and mental power.

While professional or public employment seems at most attractive to Virgo people, many successful merchants and businessmen are found in this sign. They are quick to perceive the advantages of a business deal and do not allow many opportunities to escape them.

They have epicurean tastes, and try to get all they can out of life. While they naturally aspire to do the best things, they are sometimes easily discouraged in the pursuit of them. The Virgo nature is generous and solicitous for the welfare of others.

These people are the great readers, their minds retaining much of the substance of what they read, and they are able to reproduce in original form the wisdom garnered from outside sources. In this use or adaptation of borrowed thought they are very clever.

The men of this sign are fond of learning while the women are fond of finery, dress, society and display, and will go to great lengths to gratify their desires in these particulars. They are the leaders of fashion if their circumstances permit.

Both men and women in this sign are what is termed “good dressers,” their costumes being noteworthy for harmonious effects, and strikingly neat and tasteful.

This sign is the only one of the twelve which indicates absolute freedom from disease. The Virgo person needs no medicine, and should take none. Notwithstanding this demonstrated fact, they are the most inveterate medicine-takers on earth. Nature is their physician, if they but knew it. When fatigue overcomes them, or a fancied illness attacks them, an hour spent in the peaceful-scenes where nature reigns among the trees and fields, “far from the haunts of men,” will restore Virgo persons their wonted elasticity and vigor. “Throw physic to the dogs,” might well have been written expressly for people of this sign.

Strife, discord, disorder, and inharmony are peculiarly distressing to these people, and family quarrels and bickerings especially cause them acute suffering. They are very susceptible to pain, also, and their skins are sensitive to a high degree.

These people should never partake of a meal when there is discord or anger present in themselves or their associates. This however, will apply to people of all signs.

Virgo people have an extremely strong loving nature, which is, however, generally under thorough control. The women are very steadfast in their loves, and make loyal and faithful wives.

Independence seems to be a prerogative of the Virgo nature, and they prefer to live their lives in their own way. Though misfortune may overtake them, they are soon up and trying again, and usually their fate leads them to brighter futures.

There are a number of serious faults inseparable from this sign, none of which, however, are beyond hope of complete cure. It is a peculiarity of these people that they will admit and endless number of faults that they do not possess, but cannot be brought to acknowledge those that actually do afflict them.

Their principle fault is their desire to interfere with the affairs of others and to insist on other people ordering their lives and conducting their affairs along lines laid down by these self-appointed dictators.

Closely allied with this disposition is their tendency to wholesale fault finding and sharp criticism. These are very unpopular attributes, and Virgo people should learn that the most successful, congenial and popular people are those who mind their own business.

Virgo people also have a weakness for wealth and position, and many snobs, imitators and toadies disgrace this sign. False pride and unseemly ambition, too, often bring these people into disfavor. Such people have a great fondness for appearing prosperous and influential, and frequently allow themselves to become deeply involved in hopeless debt in their efforts to maintain false positions.

As previously mentioned, Virgo people are imbued with an almost unconquerable inclination to imagine that they are the victims of diseases and ailments, when the truth is they are disturbed mentally by their unfortunate habits of fault-finding and criticism. They worry over the shortcomings of others until their minds react on their bodies, and they imagine they are ill. What they really require is to get rid of their unpleasant, unprofitable habits, and to get as near to nature as they can, as often as possible.

The natural impulses of this nature is materialistic. Their deductions and conclusions are usually drawn from the material point of view. Once they cross the threshold of the spiritual domain they make rapid progress, and soon comprehend the principles of soul and spirit, becoming true teachers of the highest philosophy of human life and the immortality of the soul.

Those born in this sign who are not held in subjection by their lower natures are destined to long and useful lives, and they resist the advance of age wonderfully. Frequently, at sixty they appear scarcely older than they did at thirty. Those who yield to their appetites, and dose themselves with dugs and so-called medicines, do not fare so well. It is true; nevertheless, that nearly all Virgo people retain their youth and vigor to a remarkable degree.

These people are capable of great accomplishments, and of blessing humanity to an incalculable extent. They must bring themselves to realize that there is nothing absolutely perfect in this world, and that they must not expect to find perfection lying close about them.

Truth, virtue and genuine goodness and nobility of character are the things they should strive for in themselves and admire in others, rather than the superficialities, the pomp, pretense and outward show that sometimes attract by their glitter.

The perfect order and surpassing harmony that pervade the universe should impress the Virgo mind, inspiring it to absorb the beautiful lesson here to be learned, and drawing it upward to the higher life of the spirit.

Harmony, congeniality and happiness in marriage attend the union of Virgo people with those of their own sing, but it is important that there should not be great disparity between the social and intellectual attainments of the contracting parties. In Capricorn (Dec. 21 to Jan 20), also Pisces (Feb. 19 to March 21) and fairly well with those of Taurus (April 19 to May 20).

In the rearing of children born in this sign, the inherent tendencies of their nature should be carefully considered. Care should be taken that they do not overhear discussion gossip or comment on the evils of life and the faults of others. The good and true things of life should be pointed out to them, and they should be encouraged to believe that there is some good in all things. They should be prevented, if possible, from acquiring the habit of forming unkind or unjust opinions of people.

They are students by nature, and should be provided with good reading matter and thrown into the companionship of pure-minded and light-hearted people.

Pure food, pure air, kindness, with early habits of personal cleanliness and neatness, are what these little ones require.

Physically, the seat of Virgo is in the stomach and bowels, hence the people born in this sign are very fond of the pleasures of the table and dainty in their tastes. The digestive tract selects the nutritive elements of foods, and rejects the rest, thus the Virgo people are great discriminators, instinctively choosing what is valuable and useful for sustaining life and rejecting the useless and harmful. They can never eat any food that is scorched or improperly cooked. In fact, these people have faith in the efficiency of dieting to ward off illness.

The ailments they are most susceptible to are trouble with throat and eyes, bowel disorders, colic, dysentery, diarrhea, uterine affections, constipation, all irregularities of the digestive system, dyspeptic action arising from debility and blood impurities. Eczema is also common with these people. Worry, anxiety, constitutional changes, and even the weather tend to disturb the system.

The occupations to which Virgo people are best suited are vocations or professions which bring into play a discriminating nature, and their taste for analyzing combined with their love of detail, form and color make them very able as art, music and dramatic critics. They display much tact and cleverness in their commercial undertakings, and being conservative, they usually accumulate great wealth in the course of their lives.

About the Author

Alfred F. Seward

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