Sun Sign Secrets (16 page)

Virgo As Employee

A typical Virgo employee:

• has an inquiring, logical mind
  
• possesses excellent research and writing skills
  
• expects to be paid well
  
• demonstrates courtesy, reliability, and thoroughness
  
• works in a cautious, critical, and methodical fashion
  

Virgo As Coworker

Virgos take their professional relationships seriously, combining duty with devotion. Loyal and committed, they tend to develop the kind of bonds with coworkers that are more often found among family members.

Details, Details

Virgo is detail oriented and will make lists of things to do, executing them one by one. She remembers dates and agreements to the letter. She can be a wizard when it comes to the sensible balancing of the budget. She loves her work, honors her commitments, and criticizes everything—to make it better, of course.

Virgo is shy but as tough as nails when the need arises. In business, she is cool, intelligent, and fully committed. Virgos often meet their romantic partners through their job or profession. They feel more like themselves when they are fully engaged in their work than at practically any other time.

Of all the signs, Virgos are the most adept at suppressing their feelings and emotions for fear that they may be seen as weak. They are thus quick to criticize decisions based purely on “gut instinct,” preferring logical analysis instead. For this reason, a Virgo is best off working with individuals who are able to counter the Virgo's point of view with gentle but forceful insistence that intuition is the complement to logic, not its antithesis.

Money

Virgos have the ability to attain any reward they work for diligently and patiently. Being practical ensures that Virgos have enough when they need it the most. Fortunately, Virgos do not succumb to the temptation of immediate gratification. And while they tend to wait until they can afford the best, they won't break themselves to do so. Virgos save their resources for the future. These resources are not always money or wealth in the material sense, though they often are. What Virgos consider necessary for their own success is what is important. These necessities can take the form of family connections, friendships, favors owed, and even secrets shared. The strength of their faith, in terms of religion and what they are committed to, is as important as any material resource.

At Home

Virgos thrive at home, as they are the most relaxed in their own space. They prefer to putter around, fixing, tidying, and tending to household chores, rather than being out and about. They are usually either compulsively neat or total slobs. Virgos often have prized collections of things, sometimes things others might consider odd things to collect.

Behavior and Abilities at Home

Virgo typically:

• enjoys planning and fixing
  
• is adept in such areas as cooking, management of general maintenance, and gardening
  
• likes to be doing or making something instead of sitting around idly
  
• pursues several hobbies at or from home
  

Leisure Interests

Most Virgos enjoy engaging in intellectual pursuits and hands-on hobbies during their free time. Restless by nature, they need plenty of activities to keep them occupied. They are not, however, naturally inclined toward sports, though many exercise regularly for the sake of their health.

The typical Virgo enjoys the following pastimes:

• playing with the latest high-tech gadgets
  
• attending concerts and plays
  
• gardening
  
• reading books and magazines
  
• creating detailed craft projects
  
• engaging in needlework or model making
  
• taking self-improvement courses
  

Virgoan Likes

• lists and plans and punctuality
  
• nice soaps
  
• small animals
  
• flowers and herbs
  
• name brands of high quality
  
• healthy foods
  
• beautiful serving plates
  
• interesting collections
  
• ingenious storage bins and boxes
  
• muted colors
  

Virgoan Dislikes

• crowds, noise, and brash people
  
• slang and cursing
  
• dirt and disorder
  
• people who complain a lot
  
• sitting still for a long time
  
• disrupted routines
  
• lids left off boxes, or tops off toothpaste
  
• being obligated to others
  
• having their personal things moved by others
  
• bright, bold, primary colors
  

The Secret Side of Virgo

Inside anyone who has strong Virgo influences is a tendency to worry too much about every personal imperfection and to never be satisfied with her own standards. A Virgo may appear on the surface to be a know-it-all and a compulsive worker, but these aspects of her personality mask a deep fear that she is not good enough, especially for her job or her partner.

Mercury

Mercury, the planet of the mind and communication, rules the sign of Virgo, so those born under this sign are mentally quick, incisive, and sharp. Drawn to education—both teaching and learning—Virgos are particularly interested in computers.

Thanks to Mercury's strong association with communication (in Roman mythology, the god Mercury was known as the “winged messenger”), Virgos are good at keeping in touch. Great correspondents, they enjoy sending letters and e-mail. What's more, they're witty and wonderful conversationalists, able to recount and act out whole scenarios and events in detail.

Bringing Up a Young Virgo

Young Virgos need plenty of hugs and sincere compliments every day to build self-confidence—a trait that Virgos typically are not born with. Young Virgos try very hard to please, as long as they know clearly what is expected of them.

As they grow up, Virgos often find close relationships with the opposite sex challenging. Offering them much genuine praise and encouragement early in life will help to smooth the path to true love in the teenage years and early adulthood. It takes a lot of convincing to make Virgos believe they are physically attractive people and worthy of love, as they are extremely self-critical.

On the whole, young Virgos strive for good grades at school and help out around the house. Exacting about time, food, and orderliness, they tend to be extremely neat, almost to a fault, when it comes to their belongings. An untidy Virgo will have some other strong influence countering her Sun sign in her astrological birth chart.

Virgo children have a tendency to be critical about everyone else in the family, especially when asked for an opinion. They therefore need to be taught to accept other people's foibles and not to get upset about little things that aren't important.

The Virgo Child

The typical Virgo child:

• is quick and alert
  
• is an excellent mimic
  
• can learn many things in a short time
  
• is often an early talker and reader
  
• gets upset if she forgets something that she previously memorized
  
• rarely questions authority
  
• frequently questions facts
  
• is honest and reliable
  
• demonstrates shyness with strangers
  
• loves to do jobs around the home, imitating an adult
  
• can be a fussy eater
  
• tends to be tidy, with occasional bouts of disorganization
  
• gets very upset if teased
  

Virgo As a Parent

The typical Virgo parent:

• encourages children to ask questions
  
• supports practical activities during free time
  
• worries about the children's health
  
• may find it hard to express affection warmly
  
• gets upset by children's dirt and untidiness
  
• explains the demands he makes
  
• does anything to help his children
  

Health

Virgos are typically healthy and usually take good care of themselves. However, if terribly worried or unhappy, they may succumb to their sign's tendency toward hypochondria.

Virgos can experience frequent stomachaches stemming from their anxious, nervous nature. To maintain their health, they should be wary of working too much and instead learn to relax. However, Virgos often have to trick themselves into relaxing by thinking of it as one more job on their long to-do list. They should sleep more, and spend as much time as possible walking outdoors. Virgos should also avoid alcohol and foods that are very spicy.

FAMOUS VIRGOS

Fiona Apple

Lauren Bacall

Leonard Bernstein

Andrea Bocelli

Sean Connery

Cameron Diaz

Greta Garbo

Richard Gere

Faith Hill

Michael Jackson

Jesse James

Lyndon B. Johnson

B.B. King

Stephen King

Sophia Loren

Marlee Matlin

Bill Murray

Bob Newhart

Otis Redding

Keanu Reeves

Jada Pinkett Smith

Mother Teresa

Lily Tomlin

Twiggy

Luke Wilson