Chiron as the Ruler of Virgo

[Psalm]

Barbara Hand Clow suggests Chiron as the ruler of Virgo in her book "Chiron." I'm interested to hear some thoughts on this rulership assignment.


<i>This is of</i>particular interest <i>to me since my sun is conjunct my ascendant in Virgo and in a t-square with Chiron/Moon (right on top of my Gemini midheaven) and Jupiter/Uranus.</i>

[Frank]

In my opinion, Mercury is the Domicile ruler (and also the Exaltation ruler)of Virgo. It's the Nocturnal (or some would say Feminine - but I'm trying to de-genderdize this usage) expression of Mercury.

Although Chiron's mythology may be similar in some ways to what we think of as "Virgoan" traits, similarity is not a basis for rulership.

The Classical rulership/dignity scheme, as I've said here before earler in another thread, is a logical, symmetrical system whereby seven Luminaries and planets are divided amongst the twelve signs of the Zodiac.

Not to say that only the seven Classical bodies are the only thing we can look at in a chart - but other bodies do not fit into the Essential Dignity scheme.

[Lapis]

Ever since I first heard of Chiron, it's always made sense to me that it is the (evolved) ruler of Virgo. The other thing that did it for me with this topic is looking at this, as Clow points out too in her book, the Virgo/Pisces and Chiron/Neptune combination or polarity.

Sorry but there's no way Mercury can go toe-to-toe with Neptune! Chiron on the other hand...perfect fit and balance imo.

I've got Pisces Asc. and Chiron is conjunct my Sun (in Capricorn) so I've got a rather intimate relationship with these energies. To me, Chiron is the new evolved ruler of Virgo. Humanity outgrew Mercury as ruler of Virgo.

[Frank]

How much observational data do we have on Chiron through each of the signs to even consider assigning it to be the ruler of anything?

[R4VEN]

Originally Posted by Lapis

Ever since I first heard of Chiron, it's always made sense to me that it is the (evolved) ruler of Virgo. The other thing that did it for me with this topic is looking at this, as Clow points out too in her book, the Virgo/Pisces and Chiron/Neptune combination or polarity.

Sorry but there's no way Mercury can go toe-to-toe with Neptune! Chiron on the other hand...perfect fit and balance imo.

I've got Pisces Asc. and Chiron is conjunct my Sun (in Capricorn) so I've got a rather intimate relationship with these energies. To me, Chiron is the new evolved ruler of Virgo. Humanity outgrew Mercury as ruler of Virgo.

I'm with you, Lapis.

We're all having to keep up - Chiron is dragging us kicking and screaming....

[Pallas-trine-Mars]

I'm intellectually opposed to it. It seems to me that Chiron represents emotional/psychological/spiritual issues. It doesn't to me seem to represent the Virgoan conscientiousness, the work, health, education and order habits of Virgo and the sixth house; so while I have great respect for Chiron (and I think its 50-year orbit could be great for Virgo), it doesn't seem like a match to me. I kind of like the asteroid Pallas; I feel it's been overlooked and matches Virgo and the sixth house very well.

I had a discussion about it where I attempted to use horary to determine if Chiron could rule Virgo on this page for anyone whose interested.

I read her book and thought it was mostly amazing, but I wouldn't take someone preaching Nibiru very seriously, sorry if there's any hurt feelings about Scientology but that's what it is. I disagreed with some major things (Venus preferring Taurus, Nibiru) in her book and thought she didn't do enough research, like at one point she misquoted Jesus about the "camel passing through a needle's eye" thing; It's just that if I were releasing a book I'd want it to be perfect. (Chiron doesn't rule the critical nature of my Virgo ascendant! ..Though it might wound the person it's directed at)

[Lapis]

Originally Posted by Pallas-trine-Mars

...I read her book and thought it was mostly amazing, but I wouldn't take someone preaching Nibiru very seriously, sorry if there's any hurt feelings about Scientology but that's what it is. I disagreed with some major things (Venus preferring Taurus, Nibiru) in her book and thought she didn't do enough research, like at one point she misquoted Jesus about the "camel passing through a needle's eye" thing; It's just that if I were releasing a book I'd want it to be perfect. (Chiron doesn't rule the critical nature of my Virgo ascendant! ..Though it might wound the person it's directed at)

Pallas-trine-Mars,


"...but I wouldn't take someone preaching Nibiru very seriously, sorry if there's any hurt feelings about Scientology but that's what it is."

Clow has nothing to do with Scientology (and neither do I) so what was your point in saying that...besides the obvious?

You can have your Virgo Asc be ruled by any old little planet or asteroid you wish.

[Evolutionmuse]

Originally Posted by Lapis

Ever since I first heard of Chiron, it's always made sense to me that it is the (evolved) ruler of Virgo. The other thing that did it for me with this topic is looking at this, as Clow points out too in her book, the Virgo/Pisces and Chiron/Neptune combination or polarity.

Sorry but there's no way Mercury can go toe-to-toe with Neptune! Chiron on the other hand...perfect fit and balance imo.

I've got Pisces Asc. and Chiron is conjunct my Sun (in Capricorn) so I've got a rather intimate relationship with these energies. To me, Chiron is the new evolved ruler of Virgo. Humanity outgrew Mercury as ruler of Virgo.

Originally Posted by Pallas-trine-Mars

I'm intellectually opposed to it. It seems to me that Chiron represents emotional/psychological/spiritual issues. It doesn't to me seem to represent the Virgoan conscientiousness, the work, health, education and order habits of Virgo and the sixth house; so while I have great respect for Chiron (and I think its 50-year orbit could be great for Virgo), it doesn't seem like a match to me. I kind of like the asteroid Pallas; I feel it's been overlooked and matches Virgo and the sixth house very well.

I had a discussion about it where I attempted to use horary to determine if Chiron could rule Virgo on this page for anyone whose interested.

I read her book and thought it was mostly amazing, but I wouldn't take someone preaching Nibiru very seriously, sorry if there's any hurt feelings about Scientology but that's what it is. I disagreed with some major things (Venus preferring Taurus, Nibiru) in her book and thought she didn't do enough research, like at one point she misquoted Jesus about the "camel passing through a needle's eye" thing; It's just that if I were releasing a book I'd want it to be perfect. (Chiron doesn't rule the critical nature of my Virgo ascendant! ..Though it might wound the person it's directed at)

As a Virgo myself, I may have to suggest putting the intellectual cap down on this one. Getting away from the illussion of separation, let's discuss health and work as not only a physical phenomena but a psychological-mental, and spiritual phenomena. The 6th house has to do with health and healing modalities. Virgo as a sign, focuses on systems of movement. The Process or journey, as oppossed to the fixed state that one arrives at. Pallas does have a relationship to Virgo, I can agree. But rulership. The precision applied in healing and health which spans the physical and spiritual realm is very much Chirotic in nature. The mercurial mental energy of Virgo is not the intellectual knowing that Gemini rules, it is an innate intelligence being tapped into. It is Intuition. Intuit. Into it. How does one trvers waters of inner hell, walk through the shadow abyss of the soul, eyes closed, mouth shut, hands tied?..... With the third eye open. The soul's gaze takes you through. Endurance is the name of this game and the Virgoan tenacity is up for the challenge. The endurance to stare ignorance in the face. To question harmful illusion.
And the compassion, patience and service-oriented nature, to fix it. By fix it, I dont mean make things go away. To fix is to honor the lessons learned from painful growth, and applky them in the future.

[Evolutionmuse]

Originally Posted by Lapis

Ever since I first heard of Chiron, it's always made sense to me that it is the (evolved) ruler of Virgo. The other thing that did it for me with this topic is looking at this, as Clow points out too in her book, the Virgo/Pisces and Chiron/Neptune combination or polarity.

Sorry but there's no way Mercury can go toe-to-toe with Neptune! Chiron on the other hand...perfect fit and balance imo.

I've got Pisces Asc. and Chiron is conjunct my Sun (in Capricorn) so I've got a rather intimate relationship with these energies. To me, Chiron is the new evolved ruler of Virgo. Humanity outgrew Mercury as ruler of Virgo.

I agree. I was just researching Chiron + Virgo and found this lovely site. I would have to agree with the Barbara Clow observation of the Pisces/Virgo...Neptune/Chiron axis. As energetics go, Neptune sits atop the head, Chiron rules the third eye. Clarity through the fog of pain.

I am a Virgo, Leo Rising, with Chiron in Taurus in the tenth house. Grand Trine btw Ciron, Mercury (Libra) and the Moon (Aquarius). So I think the proof is in the pudding with regard to data and knowledge concerning rulership. She who feels it knows it.

[Claire19]

I dont think Chiron is a planet and therefore cannot rule a sign is my opinion. It is supposed to be the wounded healer and I think that Vulcan if anything rules Virgo.
It has been also connected to Sagittarius because of the Centaur connection.
THe jury is still out on what the nature of CHiron is, asteroid, planetoid.....
I would use tight orbs with Chiron in connection with planets. No more than 3 degrees.

[digofthedump]

Hello Psalm. I'm not an astrologer...but I'll give you my list of rulerships with some reasons why....

....Aries and Mars (war and male sex, action)

....Taurus and Jupiter (big, abundance, enjoyment, expansion and zeus is associated with bulls)

....Gemini and Mercury (hermes the trickster, the psychopomp, the shadow self, twins)

....Cancer and Moon (motherhood and Goddess, the senses)

....Leo and Sun (fatherhood and God, the will)

....Virgo and Ceres/Asteroids (sisterhood, women as women themselves rather than in relation to men or children, also determines therefore sacrifice and duty. Ceres is the most massive asteroid and the first discovered but she represents the whole asteroid belt and leads us to look at it as a whole)

....Libra and Venus (female sex, beauty, harmony)

....Scorpio and Pluto/Outer Beyond Planets (death and rebirth/creation, the TNO's are names after creation deities but Pluto is the primary lord of the 'underworld' and is a gateway to all those bodies in what we currently call the kuiper belt (the outer solar system))

....Sagittarius and Chiron/Comets (brotherhood, hero, journeys, Chiron is half comet and leader of the centaur class of bodies who is a key also to cometary activity)

....Capricorn and Saturn (restraint and order)

.....Aquarius and Uranus (revolution, technology, eccentricity, genius)

....Pisces and Neptune (dissolution, mystic, art)

[Pallas-trine-Mars]

Originally Posted by digofthedump

Hello Psalm. I'm not an astrologer...but I'll give you my list of rulerships with some reasons why....

....Taurus and Jupiter (big, abundance, enjoyment, expansion and zeus is associated with bulls)

....Virgo and Ceres/Asteroids (sisterhood, women as women themselves rather than in relation to men or children, also determines therefore sacrifice and duty. Ceres is the most massive asteroid and the first discovered but she represents the whole asteroid belt and leads us to look at it as a whole)

....Scorpio and Pluto/Outer Beyond Planets (death and rebirth/creation, the TNO's are names after creation deities but Pluto is the primary lord of the 'underworld' and is a gateway to all those bodies in what we currently call the kuiper belt (the outer solar system))

....Sagittarius and Chiron/Comets (brotherhood, hero, journeys, Chiron is half comet and leader of the centaur class of bodies who is a key also to cometary activity)

.....Aquarius and Uranus (revolution, technology, eccentricity, genius)

Nice, but this is mostly mythological affinity, not rulership.

[waybread]

We should also keep in mind Virgo's natural affinity with Mercury. Mercury rules the hands as well as speech and communication, and Virgo rules a lot of crafts as well as teachers. Unfortunately so many people seem to equate Virgo only with health and healing that many of this sign's demonstrably non-Chironic rulerships are conveniently overlooked. A good source on these is the encyclopedic book by Rex E. Bills, The Rulership Book, published by the American Federation of Astrologers.

I don't think mythology can or should be left out of rulership issues. The meanings ascribed to asteroids by astrologers who have worked with them for the past 40 years are based on their mythology, where it is possible to do so. The meanings that we ascribe to planets today are based upon Graeco-Roman mythology; and oftentimes Egyptian and Mesopotamian astrology. Mars, for example, today is interpreted as the planet of aggression and assertiveness, and it rules soldiers and weapons. Why? Because Mars/Ares was the ancient god of war.

Consequently, I think if we want to explore the possibility of Chiron co-ruling a sign, I think it would make sense to look at Sagittarius. Both are Centaur emblems. Part of Sagittarius overlaps with the "13th" constellation Ophiuchus--i.e., Aesclepius, the great physician of antiquity. As R4ven points out, Chiron's main wounds and healings are those of the soul, which is what Sagittarian faith and "big picture" life philosophy is all about.

I also think that if we want to explore assigning the recently-promoted dwarf planet Ceres to a sign, or to find a co-ruler for Virgo, that they are a natural fit. (Thanks, Nexus!) Manilius, for example, says that Ceres rules Virgo even though the planetoid Ceres was unknown in his day. Ceres inherited a lot of the tradition of the Egyptian goddess Isis, another agricultural deity, who was often identified with Virgo. Although Virgo's many rulerships have been neglected with a near-exclusive emphasis on health, the sign of Virgo rules many, many things related to food and agriculture, which show a real affinity with Ceres in her "cereal" guise.

But again, rulerships in astrology are more than simple affinities. Affinities exist all over the place in astrology. One kind of has to determine, as well, how theorized planetary rulers work as "lords" in house interpretations, in horary astrology, in mundane astrology, and so on. And this takes a lot of research into various types of charts.

Ceres, BTW, still isn't understood very well. It is often prominent in charts of natural disasters, which may relate more to the goddess's long sojourn of grief and rage than it does to her nurturing, maternal nature.

[Pallas-trine-Mars]

Manilius also placed Mercury as ruler of Cancer, Jupiter as ruler of Leo, THE SUN AS RULER OF GEMINI and didn't give Saturn jack squat (though, to be fair he was focusing on actual Olympiads which Saturn was not one, and I think by rulership he might have actually been theorizing about actual rulership by these Gods over these signs, religiously, not in terms of astrological planets)

Mythology is meaningless, if I wanted to I could write a story about Saturn being a pimp or about about Uranus being a rice farmer, that WOULD NOT have any affect at all on the way that the planet works astrologically, so you can keep preaching that, Waybread, but I don't buy it as a reputable way of getting a real understanding of the planets.

Affinities do not exist all over the place, I see very little affinity between the serious, morose Saturn and the optimistic and free sign of Sagittarius. A sign has a given nature, a planet has a given nature (though it will be tweaked by placements and aspects), it cannot be mere coincidence when given accumulations of rock and gas and partitions of the sky that logically shouldn't even have any ability to affect anything match with each other.

Chiron has nothing to do with Sagittarius, Jupiter pretty much always works best as sign dispositor. People don't only equate Virgo with healing, it's also a methodical, analytical and laborious sign, but even though these things are similar to Mercury, Virgo does not have the energy and love of attention that the planet has, which is why the affinity is lacking, which is why most of us who've bothered to check the tradition with doubt believe it is not the ruler (or main ruler) of that sign and why Mercury's power as a dispositor of it isn't as reliable.

[waybread]

Pallas, I hope that in the future you will come to love and appreciate mythology as a foundational part of astrology. Mythology has truly enriched my understanding of planets, asteroids, and sensitive points. And I am not alone. Many of the psychological astrologers like Liz Greene have written extensively about links between astrological and mythological archetypes.

I am not a traditional astrologer, but I have a lot of respect for it. If modern astrologers wish to rethink the traditions of our craft, I say, "More power to them!" But then the burdern is on the iconoclasts to make a convincing case for new changes. This is one point I have repeatedly made in discussions of assigning planetoids or asteroids as modern rulers of signs.

I totally agree that your inventing a new myth about the gods Saturn or Uranus would have zero traction in terms of how those planets function astrologically!!

The reason is because both of these entities have lore that goes back for some thousands of years; if not in the form of the Roman deities who bore their names, certainly in their prototypes in other cultures whose astrology pre-dated the Greeks and was ancestral to it.

Why such a tie should exist I don't know. But one probably has to get away from viewing astrology in a deterministic cause-and-effect mode, to consider synchronicity as well as human affairs and the cosmos as part of the same holistic system.

I am not a big fan of the Rudhyar and Rupterti efforts to divorce planets from the myths surrounding their namesakes. I could be mistaken, but you appear to be a fan of their camp of astrology. [Basically they tried to explain planetary behaviour in terms of cycles in which one could mark trines, oppositions, and whatnot to starting points.] Unfortunately, Rudhyar substituted his own mythology which was a pastiche of theosophical and psychological views prevalent in his day.

I would not assign Saturn to Sagittarius, nor did I. My suggestion, above, was that if someone wishes to assign Chiron as ruler of a sign, Sagittarius works better than Virgo. I am not going to the mat on this one, BTW.

We would have to address each of these possibilities in detail. One of the problems with modern astrology, however, is that so many people iterpret signs as a collection of personality traits, rather than looking at the sign's "end point" or "evolutionary strategy" [to quote Steven Forrest.] Once we do this, we can focus on Sag's quest for expanding horizons. Its natural ruler Jupiter rules mind-expanding pursuits like law, publishing, philosophy, theology, and higher education. In short, wisdom. So here is Chiron's affinity. He is not simply the Big Ouch. Nor is he simply the medic. He symbolizes the wisdom that comes from the School of Hard Knocks.

I note that signs with modern rulers also hang onto their traditional rulers, and some of us look at them. With signs that have both modern and traditional rulers, their functions do not overlap 100%. For example, Mars and Pluto have some qualities in common, but also significant differences. Yet both rule the sign of Scorpio.

Also, if you are familiar with the 13th constellation on the ecliptic, Ophiuchus, you know that it overlaps with both Scorpio and Sagittarius. Ophiuchus is none other than Aesclepias, the ancient physician, wrestling with his snakes. [The origin of the symbol for medicine, BTW, the staff with two snakes around it.] Perhaps some day healing will come more from wisdom than from its current profit-motives and tendency to throw strong prescription drugs at most problems.

As I stated repeatedly above, a modern ruler has to work in all kinds of astrological contexts, such as house "lords", horary, mundane, and so on. Until this kind of research is done, assigning new rulers is speculative.
I find that in the various other uses of astrology [excepting horary, which I don't practice], Mercury works fine as Virgo's traditional ruler. I have Virgo rising, BTW.

You are no doubt familiar with a kind of "tree" that explains the sequence of signs and their traditional ruling planets with astronomical and seasonal distance from moon/Cancer and sun/Leo. This may be at the heart of why Mercury rules Gemini (one off from the moon and Cancer) as well as Virgo (one off from the sun and Leo.)

[cameron]

As a Virgo, people need to realize how serious this is. This is my life, a human life just like yours, being wasted because of the wrong planetary energies being fueled through me. I can't talk to anyone about anything comfortably because I'm caged inside of my own head. I don't do anything but think, but I can never think about anything productive because I'm so stressed out. I'm in constant limbo with positivity and negativity but never do I feel free. I think the whole perfection trait is ********, as that is just an external manifestation of Mercurial Logic. There needs to be a reform in this new Age of Aquarius. Virgo's cannot live like this anymore. Something must be done. We are not going to be your servants anymore. We are not going to be the health obsessed, neat freaks you make us out to be. We are not ******* fairies. I am a man goddamnit not a woman. The energies we are to be receiving are either from the Moon, Venus or Vulcan (associated with the goddess of thunder & Hephaestus). For all of the reasons Pallas Trine Mars has mentioned. To add to that, the fact that I as a Virgo will be honest and admit that I can be overly critical, gossipy, sexual deviant and twofaced like the Mercurial pattern of Gemini makes me act, as well as many other Virgos. However, I also recognize that this nature, my current nature, goes against my TRUE nature. My Virtues are all out of whack, and I keep coming back to one reason: because of the wrong Planetary energies. This is truly the answer. I know it in my heart. I have read that Virgos have uncanny psychic abilities, and I've known this to be true of myself my whole life. This is definitely one of those instances. This is the answer that so many people have been waiting for. There is finally going to be peace for Virgos I just know it. I don't want to go on living if it's not true. After all, why would the Universe, a Universe made essentially of Good Energy and Love, make people that are so universally inharmonious and hated by and large? Makes no sense to me... no sense at all.

[Amy Vir Sn Ari Mn Pis Ris]

I don't see being Virgo as a bad thing. However, since it is a female sign it is more naturally suited for a woman than a man to be Virgo. My Dad and paternal Uncle were both Virgo's and they were quite manly. My Dad worked in construction and loved working outside giving up his college degreed office job to be where he loved to be most...outside.

I think it's a matter of universal flow and balance. We're ALL needed somehow.

My x husband of 24 years is a good example....NO earth in his natal chart....he's fire, water and air. I have 3 planets in Virgo. Balance between us - more so than apart. So we're all needed somehow.

Think about this too (tho I don't know your religious inclinations and don't mean to be insulting so please don't take it that way) Jesus is a servant of Man......that's what has had me wondering whether he was a Virgo. But astrologers know he could've been a Pisces with other Virgo included since we know it's not all JUST about a sun sign.

[cameron]

Originally Posted by Amy Vir Sn Ari Mn Pis Ris

I don't see being Virgo as a bad thing. However, since it is a female sign it is more naturally suited for a woman than a man to be Virgo. My Dad and paternal Uncle were both Virgo's and they were quite manly. My Dad worked in construction and loved working outside giving up his college degreed office job to be where he loved to be most...outside.

I think it's a matter of universal flow and balance. We're ALL needed somehow.

My x husband of 24 years is a good example....NO earth in his natal chart....he's fire, water and air. I have 3 planets in Virgo. Balance between us - more so than apart. So we're all needed somehow.

Think about this too (tho I don't know your religious inclinations and don't mean to be insulting so please don't take it that way) Jesus is a servant of Man......that's what has had me wondering whether he was a Virgo. But astrologers know he could've been a Pisces with other Virgo included since we know it's not all JUST about a sun sign.

I have heard the Jesus comparison and it is really impossible to tell. I realize that Jesus came to this Earth to give us a "Sword" with which to fight evil. I realize his words have had the most powerful (and costly) effect on this Earthly Plane of anyone before or after him. But I also recognize he was unique and special. Perhaps influenced by planets we have yet to discover or acknowledge, or perhaps he was simply the son of God.

This is not my quandry. I think it is righteous and noble that your Dad worked in construction and loved it. But what was his personality like? Besides, anyone can have a hard working Construction Job because most people hate being inside a cramped cubicle (although traditional astrology would have us believe that is a Virgo's sanctuary...ugh). I think the real issue comes about when talking about creativity. Why is it that every single famous Virgo musician is in some way extremely effeminate and usually very pop and not that creative (Queen, Michael Jackson, Pink, Shania Twain, LeeAnn Rhymes, Hank Williams). I like none of these artists except for some Michael Jackson which is creative due to his Pisces Moon & Hank who is on the cusp of Libra. That being said, Mike was a Child Molester and Hank died in the back of a taxi cab at age 30 because he drank himself to death. The question then becomes: why are there so few Virgo Artists 1. And 2, Why are they always so tortured and imbalanced/stressed? My answer is invariably Mercury and the **** logic it has imposed on Virgo people. Growing up in a Virgo household raised by two Leo's, and having a Leo Moon/Sag Asc. has given me interesting insight into the problems with Right-Brained Virgo's, and leads me to believe that Virgo (the sign which represents the Goddess of All Creation, born during the Harvest Season, when the fruition of yearly labors comes to a point of creation) should in fact be a CREATIVE SIGN and not a Logical Knowitall who comes across as an ******* to anyone who truly gets to know them.

[Claire19]

Until we establish whether Chiron is a planet then it cant really rule a sign but it may be connected with Virgo and then again maybe Ceres is.

I have a feeling that there is a small undiscovered or unseen planet called Vulcan/Icarus from myth that may be the ruler of Virgo. It is close to Mercury which currently rules the sign now but that may be only co ruler in effect. Virgo is the aunt or uncle and Gemini is the brother or sister.

[VirgoLibraDaze]

I would posit a few things. I am a Virgo, and I definitely have an intuitive hunch, if you will, that Chiron rules Virgo. But I am no authority on the matter, and I lack enough experience with the wealth of astrological data available to really argue the case.

On the contrary, I would like to present some ideas for why Mercury fits the idea of rulership of Virgo, at least as far as the traditional rulerships go.

There are a few things we need to clarify about Virgo, about earth, and about Mercury in order for these ideas to fit together. Let's begin with Virgo.

Virgo. Mutable earth. What type of earth is mutable, changeable, reconfigurable? That type of earth is clay. It can be molded to any form, and then, so long as it has not been fired, it can be remolded into another form, almost infinitely. As someone who has worked with clay as an art medium, I can tell you that there is a certain mixture of elasticity and solidity that is preferable for working with clay. Too moist, too elastic, and it won't hold shape; too dry, too solid and brittle, and it will crumble (also not holding shape). So we have the image now of Virgo as clay.

Earth is the most receptive of elements. Some would challenge this idea and say that water is more receptive; however, if you mold water into a form, a container, and then remove the container, it does not hold the shape. It again returns to fluidity (with the exception of ice or fixed water, but even that is only temporary). It has not received fully the idea that was impressed upon it by the form. Earth can be molded into a form, a container, and upon removal of the container, the earth maintains the shape. It has fully received and maintained the impression or the idea of the form. Therefore, it is more receptive. (This idea also gives validity to the idea of earth signs as more stubborn than others. Once they've received an idea, it's more work to remold them.) Also, on a molecular level, a substance in solid form (earth) has the least amount of space between atoms. The transmission of energy from one atom to another happens quickly. From thought to emotion to form quite rapidly. This would be why we see earth signs as being rather intuitive. They "just know" things or they "just act", but couldn't tell you why. They don't have the luxury of enough distance from a thought form in order to see it coming, like the kind of foresight or imagination we see in the air signs. Though with Virgo, being of a somewhat more fluid nature in a mutable modality, they can get that sort of lost-in-thought or spacey quality more likely to be observed in water signs, especially Pisces. The earth perspective is not from the position of one sending a message, but more at the one receiving the message. They're not dialing the numbers on the phone, the phone just rings and they answer. They don't decide to make the call, they can, however, choose to complete it.

Mercury. As a planet, it governs travel and change. As a substance, it is not unlike a very watery clay or slurry in that it is both metal (earthy) and liquid, defying most understandings of either substance. (It would seem this idea of defying understanding is a theme for Virgo.) Add to that the lore of Mercury, the god, who was hermaphroditic, neither male nor female, yet both. Some would say, at least anecdotally, that many men who are Virgo natives exhibit more receptive/feminine qualities and that many women in Virgo exhibit a more aggressive/masculine nature. (E.g.: the sissy-boy male Virgo or the strong-willed female Virgo who often gets labeled as a *****).

Taking these ideas together, we have to ask ourselves, what sort of change or travel occurs with earth? Transmutation. While it is not the transmission-of-thought kind of travel that we see with airy Gemini, it is the transmission of energy into physical form. That would certainly be a good quality for anyone hoping to cause healing. It is the movement of emotion (the prefix e- meaning forward, so e-motion is forward movement) outward into physical expression. It's the delivery of the message. They hear the phone ringing, and they answer, thus completing the transmission.

Virgo does have a dual nature. I would see her as both mother and daughter, as someone posted earlier. I know astrology doesn't really relate to Christian ideas, necessarily, but if we can use the mythology of the Greeks and Romans, why not the mythology of the Christians? In this way, I see Virgo as the Virgin Mary. Both virgin and mother. Pure and caring. An expression of love for love's sake. It would also make some sense, as some have undoubtedly heard here and there of the idea that Jesus was a Pisces, correlating with transcendence and martyrdom. Are they two sides of the same coin as are Virgo and Pisces?

But I digress. I hope I have given a clearer picture as to how Mercury could rule Virgo. I absolutely believe in the dualistic expression of every idea, so the traditional planetary rulers being split between one masculine sign and one feminine sign makes sense. There is also the idea of the outer planets, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto - and Chiron - as being rulers of a collective consciousness and outside of our ego or personal control. This idea has me thinking more broadly in terms of duality. What if there are co-rulers to each sign? So it's not that Pluto has supplanted Mars as ruler of Scorpio, but that one is of a personal nature and one is of a more collective nature? Mercury could be the "personal" ruler of Virgo, or the ruler of those parts which are incorporated into ego identity, and Chiron could be the "collective" ruler of Virgo, or the ruler of those parts which affect society, or things that cannot be fully kept under egoic control because they are not our to control. If that be the case, then it's really a moot point to argue rulership because each sign would have two, in which case, just think of all the possibilities for planets that are to be discovered or of which asteroids/planetoids might be assigned a rulership. It's such an expansive thought, one that has me connected to my inner Pisces. :-)

Namaste to all.