Virgo ♍︎ fixation on purity as a key to unlock the hidden forces of nature

Virgo is the last stage of the jiva’s enmeshment in the physical world and makes one aware of their limitations as well as the possibility of liberation from them. It is also the feminine in its pure aspect (the maiden/virgin/prakriti) that has not yet received the active male potency of the purusha. The Virgo diagram has three vertical lines which can refer to the three gunas or the three stages of consciousness (dream, deep sleep, and waking consciousness) which can be transcended. The snake tail crossing the third line represents the limitations of Virgo and the “submerging of the primeval consciousness under physical sheaths.” (B. Behari) This submerging also speaks of the unavoidable confrontation with one’s karmic reactions, which makes Virgo a difficult and painful sign, but also one deeply connected to purity & purification. In Virgo, the soul is completely under the influence of matter, and so the natural desire of liberating oneself from this dense influence also starts to arise. The human body is given all the attributes to enjoy materially in this world but also carries latent spiritual powers and faculties that Virgo can tap into, through the integration of the (positive) masculine potency. 

The purification process that happens in Virgo is likened to the churning of the ocean that takes place within the individual in the Virgo sign, or sixth house - a difficult yet necessary process for initiation into higher truth. Uttara Phalguni represents action taken within the larger universal field, and this action creates reactions that unfold within the time-space matrix of Hasta (the “field of action” which provides the space for these reactions to occur); the time-space matrix being the limitations the individual in Virgo has to face and work with. The awareness of these material limitations brings an end to the enjoyment experienced in Leo, causing sickness in the individual as a result, or making sickness itself a purifying tool, as Virgo represents the painful process of physical, mental, and emotional purification (ie: Bhuta shuddhi, the purification of the five elements within the body, is a process in which mind and body are brought back into health and balance through intense purification methods.) Virgo is fixated on purity because it is aware of how deeply enmeshed the soul is in matter, and how these outer sheaths (the body and its various subtle and physical layers) are so different from its inner, pure self. This relates of course to the conscious or unconscious awareness of one's sins and the desire to cleanse oneself of them. As a result, Virgo seeks to restore this purity while remaining deeply rooted in the field of action, since purification ultimately requires the individual to work through their karmas. Virgo is therefore linked to health, wellness, and the desire to maintain or cultivate purity, as well as the latent potencies within man that can transform the individual into a mystic or healer (because Virgo possesses an awareness of both spirit and matter, a spiritually inclined Virgo is especially likely to channel their inner powers toward healing through herbs, medicine, reiki or acts of service, including those that contribute to the healing of the world itself).

At the same time, the inability to find the means or strength to achieve purity can create frustration and a counteracting effect in which the native ends up self-destructing. The desire for perfection and purity can also make afflicted Virgo too picky and detail-focused to the point of stagnation. Their thought process, taking too many things into account, can bewilder the Virgo native, making it difficult for them to make decisions and operate in the world. This can also affect their social interactions as they become hyper-aware of how they act (the details and intricacies of social etiquette). Being sixth to the natural first house of body and identity also makes Virgo and 6th house planets enemies to the self, showcasing a self-critical tendency that often expands into criticism of others. Additionally, the influence of the earthly plane in Virgo increases the sensuous propensities of man. The pure, untouched aspect of the feminine as experienced in this sign usually manifests in two opposite ways when operating in the material field: it can make natives under its influence sex-phobic because of the inner desire to preserve purity, or conversely the desire to access the untapped masculine potency may develop into sex-mania or an exaggerated approach to sexuality; creating a madonna-whore complex & reflecting the spirit–matter duality experienced in Virgo. Yet this same latent energy (the active masculine potency), when tapped into and channeled in a healthy way, grants access to the hidden powers of nature, making Virgo the sign associated with siddhis (mystic powers which grant one control over the natural elements), as it then develops a practical understanding of how to transcend its material limitations.