Back to school with Virgo; Astrology and the Chakras

This month I’ll be looking at Virgo, which, as the Sun leaves the gregarious and rather self-focussed sign of Leo, signals a return to work and the process of honing our creative urges into a more practical reality. As Virgo and the sixth house, where this sign traditionally resides, are concerned with health and the physical body, I’ll be taking a look at how astrology and the planets connect to another great tradition which brings together spirit and the physical being, that of Yoga. First, though, what does the sign of the Virgin signify in our chart?

As a mutable earth sign, Virgo brings together and consolidates the drives of the other mutable signs, namely the philosophy of Sagittarius, the spiritualism of Pisces and the curiosity of Gemini. Virgo is the recorder of information and the custodian of correct procedure. This means that those born under this sign are often labelled “picky” or perfectionists: however, they are very aware of the imperfections of life and the impossibility of attaining the perfect. Virgo is driven on by a need to improve things, to strive for perfection, both for herself and for others, whilst being fully aware that perfection cannot necessarily be attained – earth signs are usually very realistic.

Virgos possess a natural practicality and are likely to be very “in tune” with the world around them. But that desire to make order out of chaos keeps cropping up: so they can also be very rule bound. For Virgo, the ultimate horror is chaos, and this can lead to a rather controlling manner. This is not necessarily an indication of a personal agenda, it’s just that if your Virgo is in control and the world is put into a proper order, then she feels things will be better for everyone.

In addition, Virgos are quite sensitive. They have an almost psychic connection to other people, and because they absorb so much from others they tend to worry, and this can translate into digestive problems when taken to extreme. Like the other earth signs, Virgo is in touch with the senses and the physical side of life, and can, despite the soubriquet of “The Virgin”, be very sensual and is one of the most sexual signs of the zodiac.

Virgo and the written word
The written word is also a very important focus for Virgo. This fits in well with the ruler of the sign, Mercury, the planet of communication. Whilst Virgo in its purest form can tend towards shyness, especially when young, the need to communicate is ever present, and can take the form of an interest in writing – as a reader of great works, as a compulsive writer of lists, or as an author. A prime example of this latter expression of the sign is horror supremo Stephen King.

Famous Virgo authors
King has the Sun in Virgo in the 3rd house of communication in his chart, so communication via writing novels was always a potential direction for him. The horror route most probably comes from the very challenging combination of Saturn and Pluto rising in his first house. With this combination, the world around Mr King can at times seem very scary in real life, so what better way to exorcise some of his personal demons than to write them into works of fiction? Famously, King threw his original idea and draft for the story of a young girl with psychic powers into the dustbin, only for it to be rescued by his wife. Perhaps his high Virgoan standards were not fulfilled by this early work, but it was fortunate his wife had greater faith in his abilities, as this soon became the worldwide best seller Carrie. The novel proved to be one of his most famous works and was later made into a film which in its own turn is a modern horror classic.

Another well known Virgoan author is classic crime novelist Agatha Christie. Her chart has the ascendant, Saturn and the Sun in Virgo, with Saturn making a strong contact to Neptune, planet of mystery, and also Pluto, planet of death. Hey presto, a writer whose principle genre is murder mysteries! Virgo attention to detail comes out strongly in Christie’s work, in which her two main protagonists, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, are always sharp, observant, and ultra conscious of the smallest details. The fact that the culprit overlooks some trifling fact or makes a small but highly significant mistake is more often than not precisely what leads them to solve the crimes they find themselves embroiled in.

Astrology and the Chakras
As I’ve already mentioned, health, diet and a respect for one’s body are strong Virgoan themes. A healthy body is indeed a healthy mind for this sign. Exercise can take many forms, but the ancient practice of Yoga is particularly in keeping with the nature of Virgo as it is a spiritual as well as a physical art, requiring precision and diligence, two of Virgo’s watchwords.

What is a Chakra?
The Chakras in Yoga correspond to energy centres in the physical body. Each one acts as a transformer which channels pranic energy up through the body. When all of the Chakras are fully functioning, it is thought that Kundalini power (Kundalini means “coiled” and is likened to a serpent lying dormant at the base of the spine) can move unimpeded up the body’s central energy channel. When it reaches the top Chakra, it is said that a change of consciousness occurs, special psychic powers are obtained and liberation of the soul (the ultimate goal of Yoga) is attained. However it is in the nature of things that when we come under stress in our lives, one or more of the Chakras can be out of balance. There can also be an inherent misalignment in the makeup of each individual, which forms the basis of their karmic journey. The practice of Yoga can help stimulate the less active Chakras and move energy along from areas where it is most congested, therefore balancing the system. This is the point at which the astrological correlations used in conjunction with the Chakras can help to enhance the process of individual development.

How can we use Astrology alongside Yoga and the Chakras?
By using the birth chart to find out where blockages or difficulty in the personality might exist, via either difficult combinations of planetary energies, or strongly emphasised signs which have correspondences to the planets which rule them, we are able to more rapidly pinpoint where the Chakras might be blocked. This then enables us to choose Yoga postures which will facilitate stimulation of that particular area. We can also look at different emphasis placed throughout the individual’s life on the various Chakras as each is coming under stress, at times when the planet which corresponds to the Chakra is undergoing transits, which are challenging contacts from other planets.

Yoga Chakras and Astrology are similar in that they are both concerned with promoting the development of the individual on his or her karmic journey. This makes them ideal partners which can be used to complement each other as powerful personal development tools.

References:
Article: Astrology and the Chakras: Toward a Sacred Psychology of the Horoscope, Ray Grasse, www.innerself.com/Astrology/chakras.htm

The Book of Yoga, Christina Brown, Parragon, 2002

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