This piece was first published by: The Astrological Journal, Mar/Apr 2022, later included in my anthology StarGates:Essays on Astrology, Symbolism, and the Synchronistic Universe, as well as on Astro.com.
If astrology is to play any kind of a meaningful role in the 21st century then it needs to ditch the reverence for tradition and switch to a more empirical stance. It's for this reason that I appreciate you listing numerous compelling examples to make your point about Venus in Virgo.
Terms like exaltation and fall strike me as simplistic, arcane and clearly incompatible with the evidence available to us as modern, psychologically complex humans in the digital age with access to thousands of examples of any astrological factor we care to investigate.
“Ahh—in certain contexts…Therein lies the rub.” I agree wholeheartedly with this distinction-- context being a factor which can so often shift the black-or-white value judgment as well as the astrological counselor's narrative (i.e., when planets in hard aspect are “reconciled” by softer aspects). You can add Don McLean to your list of famous singer/songwriters with Venus in Virgo's “fall.” In his case, context is underscored in the extreme! (Born Oct. 2, 1945 4:17 am New Rochelle, NY: Mercury—ruler of Venus in Virgo and Virgo Ascendant—closely conjoins Sun/Jupiter/Neptune/Chiron in Libra, and is in mutual reception with Venus in Virgo!)
Great points as always, but as a ‘tropicalist’ you’re missing an important perspective related to the list of creatives you think of as having been born with Venus in Virgo. This means they were born with Venus in Sidereal Leo, one of the most creative signs - and not shy about sharing it, which is more to the point.
I've heard that critique before, and I think it's a legitimate one, which we can usefully debate further (and of course brings us back to the whole tropical/sidereal debate). Having said that, I feel my essential point remains - i.e., even within the sidereal system I feel it's a mistake to adhere too rigidly to simplistic terms like "exaltation," "fall," etc., since even in that framework the most seemingly "bad" placements can be channeled productively while the most seemingly "good" placements can be squandered. On more than a few occasions I've read chart interpretations by siderealists on social media who I felt relied too simplistically and one-dimensionally on such labels, and imo missed the potential silver lining of those seemingly "fallen" placements. In short, both tropicalists and siderealists can be susceptible to overly simplistic interpretations. (p.s. Some of the examples I've used over the years to illustrate Venus in Virgo, like Joni Mitchell, have Venus in Virgo according to both frameworks, so don't really fit into the Venus-in-sidereal-Leo category.)
The notion of debilities is a superstition left over from antiquity. A planetary debility is not in the sign placement; it's in the dysfunction of the planet.
All planets have healthy and unhealthy qualities; any planet in any sign could bring forth a genius, saint, thief, or liar related to that planet's "department of labor" expressed through whatever sign it's in.
Also, I've observed that a planet in its ruling sign is "at home." It is "far from home" in a sign opposite the ones it rules. Exaltation is the quality of a planet's "greatest growth;" a planet opposite its exaltation sign is in its sign of "least growth." IOW, it already knows that quality as a default.
Having seen "The American Revolution," it's clear that GW was not a military genius; his Aries served him under very narrow circumstances such as Trenton and Saratoga when speed was of the essence. Otherwise he and the Continental army got their rears kicked all over the map.
Another factor in how a planet in its fall operates is via its dispositor. John Lennon's Venus was ruled by Mercury in Scorpio; Mick's Mercury is in Leo. Sting's Mercury's at 29 Virgo, Joni's was in Scorpio. Leonard's was in Libra, Jack White's Mercury is in Gemini.
I also think a huge deal in how Venus in Virgo, Scorpio, or Aries expresses its energy is whether it's in an earlier or later degree than the Sun, as that also would affect a musician's music.
Thank you...this is what I am thinking, too. And everything operates on polarity. Levels of Consciousness has something to do with it, too. That's how Yoganada can have a Mercury in Sagittarius and use it as a prolific writer and communicator on spiritual topics.
If astrology is to play any kind of a meaningful role in the 21st century then it needs to ditch the reverence for tradition and switch to a more empirical stance. It's for this reason that I appreciate you listing numerous compelling examples to make your point about Venus in Virgo.
Terms like exaltation and fall strike me as simplistic, arcane and clearly incompatible with the evidence available to us as modern, psychologically complex humans in the digital age with access to thousands of examples of any astrological factor we care to investigate.
This was a good read, thanks for sharing.
“Ahh—in certain contexts…Therein lies the rub.” I agree wholeheartedly with this distinction-- context being a factor which can so often shift the black-or-white value judgment as well as the astrological counselor's narrative (i.e., when planets in hard aspect are “reconciled” by softer aspects). You can add Don McLean to your list of famous singer/songwriters with Venus in Virgo's “fall.” In his case, context is underscored in the extreme! (Born Oct. 2, 1945 4:17 am New Rochelle, NY: Mercury—ruler of Venus in Virgo and Virgo Ascendant—closely conjoins Sun/Jupiter/Neptune/Chiron in Libra, and is in mutual reception with Venus in Virgo!)
Great points as always, but as a ‘tropicalist’ you’re missing an important perspective related to the list of creatives you think of as having been born with Venus in Virgo. This means they were born with Venus in Sidereal Leo, one of the most creative signs - and not shy about sharing it, which is more to the point.
I've heard that critique before, and I think it's a legitimate one, which we can usefully debate further (and of course brings us back to the whole tropical/sidereal debate). Having said that, I feel my essential point remains - i.e., even within the sidereal system I feel it's a mistake to adhere too rigidly to simplistic terms like "exaltation," "fall," etc., since even in that framework the most seemingly "bad" placements can be channeled productively while the most seemingly "good" placements can be squandered. On more than a few occasions I've read chart interpretations by siderealists on social media who I felt relied too simplistically and one-dimensionally on such labels, and imo missed the potential silver lining of those seemingly "fallen" placements. In short, both tropicalists and siderealists can be susceptible to overly simplistic interpretations. (p.s. Some of the examples I've used over the years to illustrate Venus in Virgo, like Joni Mitchell, have Venus in Virgo according to both frameworks, so don't really fit into the Venus-in-sidereal-Leo category.)
I agree with your points, but it's also important to acknowledge where someone might struggle. If not, they might not feel their struggles are heard.
The notion of debilities is a superstition left over from antiquity. A planetary debility is not in the sign placement; it's in the dysfunction of the planet.
All planets have healthy and unhealthy qualities; any planet in any sign could bring forth a genius, saint, thief, or liar related to that planet's "department of labor" expressed through whatever sign it's in.
Also, I've observed that a planet in its ruling sign is "at home." It is "far from home" in a sign opposite the ones it rules. Exaltation is the quality of a planet's "greatest growth;" a planet opposite its exaltation sign is in its sign of "least growth." IOW, it already knows that quality as a default.
Having seen "The American Revolution," it's clear that GW was not a military genius; his Aries served him under very narrow circumstances such as Trenton and Saratoga when speed was of the essence. Otherwise he and the Continental army got their rears kicked all over the map.
Another factor in how a planet in its fall operates is via its dispositor. John Lennon's Venus was ruled by Mercury in Scorpio; Mick's Mercury is in Leo. Sting's Mercury's at 29 Virgo, Joni's was in Scorpio. Leonard's was in Libra, Jack White's Mercury is in Gemini.
I also think a huge deal in how Venus in Virgo, Scorpio, or Aries expresses its energy is whether it's in an earlier or later degree than the Sun, as that also would affect a musician's music.
Thank you...this is what I am thinking, too. And everything operates on polarity. Levels of Consciousness has something to do with it, too. That's how Yoganada can have a Mercury in Sagittarius and use it as a prolific writer and communicator on spiritual topics.