The Sun moves into Virgo in late August and it is time for Leo children to grow up. It is fun to play, but then what? When you are ready to ask this question you are ready to advance to the next level: Virgo.

We tune into Virgo energy when we move from dabbler to master craftsman. To go from the sandbox to the big leagues we must learn, practice and polish our skills.

Remember the old saw about how to get to Carnegie Hall? The route takes you through Virgo.

Virgos goal is perfection. And nothing pleases Virgo more than to be of service. While Virgo cleans her share of messes, she finds her highest expression as the consummate professional who executes complex tasks flawlessly.

Virgo is the place where we take pride in our finely honed skills and the satisfaction of a job well done. But to get to the level of master craftsman, one must develop an eye for detail. It is that attention to detail that makes it possible to execute work to the highest standards of quality.

Virgo wont be satisfied with anything less.

No one is half as good as Virgo at cleaning up and organizing disorder. And no one is half as good at picking things apart.

And so you will find many researchers with lots of Virgo energy in their charts.

Virgo rightly earns her reputation for her skill at analysis. Give her a forest and she will find the trees.

Give her a computer and she will write a program. That is because Virgo, a mutable sign, is so resourceful, no one is better at organizing disparate elements into a system that works.

Virgos gift to the rest of us is clarity.

Mutable Virgo can adapt to changing circumstances. And because she is focused on getting the job done, she can work around voluminous egos without the need to hog the spotlight herself. But a pat on the back and extra money in the paycheck wont hurt.

Virgos often get a bad rap. They carry labels: dull, stick-in-the-mud, nerd.

Often their best work is unnoticed - we dont think of their contributions when the trains are running on time. But it is the Virgos with their dedication and attention to detail that keep the trains running.

Virgo is an earth sign. She is aware that we have to function in a material world not in the realm of imagination or ideas. And so she is fundamentally practical.

The price we pay for living in a material world is to be confined to the limitations of living inside a human body.

Virgo is attentive to the bodys rhythms and so she pays attention to health and nutrition.

As a result you will find Virgos prominent in the medical and health professions. And because they see their connection with animals, they are often found in the veterinary field as well.

Virgo is ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication. But unlike Gemini, the other planet is ruled by Mercury, she doesnt just engage in idle chatter. Rather she is the editor, the observer.

Nonetheless, a Virgo emphasis in a persons chart can be an indicator of superb writing skills. That is because a good writer must be a consummate observer. Think of the way the best novelists make a character seem real by describing the smallest details of his speech or movement.

When the Sun travels through Virgo in late August/early September, the summer is waning. It is harvest time in the northern hemisphere; a time when we make an accounting of the results we produced through the growing season. And so accountants and bookkeepers find their home in Virgo.

In our personal lives, this is an excellent time to make an accounting of our efforts.

Cleaning out clutter, organizing your environment, getting current on your financial matters are all productive ways to use Virgos energy. Cleaning up your diet, exercise and staying current with medical and wellness checkups are particularly beneficial at this time.

The harmony of mind, body and spirit is important to Virgo. A useful meditation during this Sun in Virgo time is to focus on Tarot card, the 7 of Pentacles. It depicts a male figure, resting his chin on a hoe, gazing at his crop the fruits of his labor. 2006 Ellen M. Zucker