Illustration by Walter Crane

July 21 - August 16, 2021

If Virgo is the sign of the initiate, then Venus has just been sent to finishing school (an odd name, if you think about it, to impose on lives only just beginning) It’s a chore, to be sure, but chores bring their own kind of rewards.

This type of charm is about polishing and preparing. It is about analyzing the Feminine (money, material goods, creativity, emotions, the body, and food, for example). In Mercury’s earth sign our goddess keeps busy, as idle hands are the devil’s workshop—and Venus normally loves idle hands. But here, relationship is worthwhile work. The dance of love is a technique to learn and perfect, a balance sheet of giving and receiving. And so, her carnal, luxury-loving self sets to cleansing and purifying, improving and fixing where needed, in order to eventually enjoy the fruits of her labor. With such high standards, and an ever-critical eye, the challenges she faces are grappling with disappointment and managing expectations—both of herself and of others.

During Venus’s time in Virgo, you might ask yourself, how does your garden grow? We are tending our beds of love and friendship, with silver bells and cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row. With nine pentacles on the vine and a bird in the hand. Under this influence, we remember small details, perform humble acts of service, show up when needed, and even give the shirt off our back. We process our feelings by talking things through and we keep trying harder— all to show our devotion. No grand gestures, just honest, evident efforts. A blossoming life and the best buds are proof of a happy heart and a job well done.