Virgo is the most analytical and detailed of all the signs in the Zodiac. This faculty of critical thinking is an important function of human nature. It is the principle of discernment and of differentiation and of critical analysis where details do matter. Virgo is symbolic of the writer and the analyst, the teacher and the engineer and all aspects of life where the factual details allow us to live create and function with degrees of precision where approximations and estimates simply will not due. Only 3 Signs of the Zodiac reveal a person, Gemini the twins, Aquarius the Water Bearer and Virgo, the ‘virgin’ maiden. Not surprisingly, these signs do share interesting associations yet the relationship dynamics are not easy at all, as is the case with people in relationship with one another generally. While purity and hygiene are important to Virgo, the ‘virgin’ should not simply be interpreted as chaste, celibate and sexually innocent or inexperienced. The deeper meaning of this symbol is independence and wholeness where learning to be more whole unto ourselves is important. By extension, Virgo is the holistic sign where the whole is understood to be greater than the sum of the parts.

A machine that works because every part is working and that won’t work at all, or at least not well, if a part is broken or missing is a Virgo theme. Looking to the whole chart is very important when it comes to reading an Astrology chart in terms of really understand the overall theme and deeper meanings of the planet and sign archetypes. If you visit an Astrologer and they do not assess the chart as a whole, you are getting a clear sign that the Astrologer does not appreciate the holistic nature of Astrology and they will not tap your deeper essence at all. Rather, you may get dates and predictions and hear a lot of jargon and sometimes even get charged a bundle, so take note.  The ideals of the holistic approach should apply to all areas of life actually and the ancient traditions like that of Taoism and the Vedic tradition of India did and still do honor this fundamentally important principle. Sadly, Western science operates more on parts and our entire medical model is based on parts and so does not work so well when it comes to holistic healing approaches. Our system has produced other benefits but we have and continue to pay a high price at the expense of a holistic understanding. Sadly, the ‘big pharma’ capitalizes on this lack of wholeness to the tune of trillions annually. Fortunately, the holistic healing movement has emerged and continues to grow yet even it without a holistic understanding will fall short of the ideal mark. Our culture certainly has work to do in this regard and we are still quite a long way off to realizing it.   

Wholeness and holism and holistic healing in particular, both Virgo themes, imply an appreciation of the fact that as human beings we are comprised of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. In this respect, the term holistic only officially applies when all four are considered as interdependent working parts. Virgo is also linked to lifestyle in general and the health or lack thereof. Tending to our health holistically suggests that we are aware of and bring attention to all 4 aspects of our being. Sorry, 5 kinds of massage, for example, are not holistic if attention is not brought to all four aspects of our being and their various levels and layers.

Invariably, the health that Virgo is all about requires that we focus on our whole being and that we do so as a fundamental feature of our lifestyle. Given the amount of attention given to pop culture and to shallow trends activated by private and corporate interests which invariably focus on parts verses wholes, it is no wonder that despite all the products and services on the market, the majority of people in society remain unhealthy to some degree and even ‘dis-eased’, out of tune and confused. You can tend to your physical health ‘til the cows come home’ but you will still only be addressing a quarter of your being.

So, if you want to be healthier, take a tip or two from Virgo and begin to focus on your whole health. If and when you do you will notice that each serves to uplift the other and the result will be an upward spiral of your health. Of course, there is a lot more to health, but if it is the emphasis of our lifestyle and we take a truly holistic approach, improvements will be felt and become apparent. An example of emotional health is to be more sensitive to your own and other people’s feelings. Mentally, we can learn to cultivate a more conscious and refined quality of inner and outer dialogue. Spiritually, meditation is a classic but so too is chanting and any other activity that nurtures a communion with our soul and sense of unity with life and others in general. These are just examples and a short list at that.