Virgo Myths
Ruler: Mercury
Virgo represents Mary, Mother of Jesus. The mother of Christ remains a Virgin in the minds of others even when Jesus is born. This does not mean an untouched woman, or intact. In ancient times this meant unmarried lady.
The Greek Goddess Astraea is Goddess of Justice. The Goddess Demeter, an earth Goddess who has a natural affinity with agriculture. The Syrian Goddess Atargatis. Associated with Uranus, and the Moon, the sexy Goddess.
The Goddess Astraea is the Goddess of Justice, and she represents the four seasons and the natural order including birth, change, abundance and death - spring, summer, autumn and winter. She once lived on the Earth in the golden age according to Myth. She mixed with the people teaching of the natural order of the world which was in tune with universal energies. As corruption penetrated the Earth she became disgusted, went back home and became the constellation Virgo.
The Goddess Astraea represents the natural order of everything from vegetation to animals, every thing has a life and unfolds according to its fate, which was totally dependent on the influence of the heavenly bodies.
There is a natural order of the Universe and of the Earth. This is especially important to Virgos - they feel they must behave according to their own inner values. Conflicts arise when external factors come along, which seem to shelve their most inner needs. When they continually try to accomplish the needs of others instead of their own this is where conflict begins, from outer issues in the environment to inner tensions.
Virgos must first be true to themselves and this is what the word 'virgin' means. Astraea does not have time for those that mess things up, when she can see that if the natural order had been followed, there would have been no mess up. She literally hates disorder, as most Virgos do.
The Syrian Goddess Atargatis was herself a harlot, who served men, and so enhanced and allowed them to be semi-divine - this is where men were initiated. The principle of Atargatis is to be true to ones inner-self. She represents the struggle that accompanies a Virgo's life.
The Moon and Uranus represents the more lusty side to a Virgo's nature, which creates a polarity and is difficult to master. They need to master this before becoming whole- and they may struggle between opposites, career and home, spirituality and materialism, their choice often creating a lonely path in one part of their lives. This is a sacrifice which can lead to transformation.
This sign also represents Persephone. She chooses to be a virgin, rather than a harlot. So Hades the god of the underworld takes this right out of her hands. She is abducted and taken to the underworld, to live for 6 months in the darkness and then 6 months with her mother.
Transformation has taken effect, because she was not allowed to simply remain a virgin but rather the necessity to become a woman. The mother and daughter relationship reflects the daughter's need to look back, and the mother to look forward through her daughter.
The sign of Virgo is a complex one where the individual wishes to remain intact inside - a virgin from within. It's important to them to do what is right. External conditions do not usually allow this and there tends to be an internal struggle to reunite the spirit with the physical.
Virgos bring into this world an innate feel for the truth, especially to oneself. They do not feel the need to react to another because they know deep inside what is right for them in a relationship. When external conditions occur which do not allow this inner morality to be activated, this can cause all sorts of troubles because it is against the natural flow. The struggle for Virgos is to find their uniqueness that is part of them, no one gave it or taught it to them. It is part of them. So the natural order of inner values can be applied solely on their own judgment.
Vassoulla