As the sun continues its transit through Virgo, we get to experience Virgo energy personally and collectively. Now is a great time to get our lives in order by developing and instituting healthy routines. Another aspect of the Virgo experience is discernment.
What exactly is discernment? It is the ability to judge correctly. While Virgo gets a lot of slack for its critical nature, criticism is necessary for effective discernment. In fact, the ability to discern allows Virgo to hone on the details to determine what is important and what is not. From carefully analyzing someone’s character to closely detecting food reactions, Virgo’s ability to discern allows it to use its discriminating nature to remove and/or avoid that which does not work. After all, Virgo is an earth sign and making sure everything has a meaningful purpose is important. Virgo can teach us the importance and value of discernment.
Virgo is represented by the Virgin archetype in astrology. Virgins are known for being untouched…pure. Part of the Virgo archetype is making sure to keep Itself pure by keeping out anything that could soil its “clean” nature. This is one of the reasons why Virgos are often accused of being so finicky and picky. Virgo is on alert for anything that could cause tarnish or blemish its innate sense of perfection.
In order to maintain a pure state, this is where discernment comes in. While many people accuse Virgo of being critical, criticism is required to properly discern whether something is a good fit. The only way that Virgo can properly discern is if it can be critical of what it is exposed to since discernment requires correct judgment. Virgo uses its critical nature to compartmentalize people, places, and things as either good or bad or somewhere in between. By doing this, Virgo ensures that keeps out anything that doesn’t meet its high standards.
The Virgo Filter
Virgo has a filter. In fact, Virgo rules the intestines which are where nutrients are absorbed by the body. Anything that is not useful and nourishing to the body is processed for elimination. This is essentially what Virgo does when it uses its discernment. Whether anyone likes it or not, Virgo’s filter is accompanied by standards that help to determine whether someone or something is allowed to enter.
The use of the Virgo filter is witnessed in its relationship to food. Many Virgos are very picky eaters due to their sensitive constitutions. Intestinal issues are quite common if Virgo eats foods that don’t agree with the body. For this reason, many Virgos prefer to eat organic foods that are free from harmful chemicals. From the outside looking in, Virgo may seem to be uppity and/or difficult. However, Virgo knows for itself that being discerning in all aspects of its life is necessary in order to achieve overall health and well-being. Virgo’s sensitivity requires a heightened filter in order to maintain purity. For this reason, discernment is necessary.
The Clarity in the Details
Ruled by Mercury, Virgo is a stickler for details. Details are a major part of the discernment process. Why is this? Because in order to make a correct judgment, you have to have clarity about what you are dealing with. As an earth sign, Virgo is interested in what can be proven needing solid, concrete facts provided by Mercury’s attention to detail. Virgo obtains clarity through details and uses this information to make proper judgment calls.
For example, let’s say Virgo is dating, and they are unsure about continuing a romantic relationship. Virgo will begin to look at the person’s character and other aspects of their personality to make a judgment as to whether the individual is partnership material. Again, this can make Virgo seem overly picky about whom they choose to partner with. However, when you really understand discernment, being picky is not so bad after all. Discernment allows Virgo to choose the best option for itself.
Separating the “Wheat from the Chaff”
Virgo represents the physical harvest. This is aligned with the energy of “separating the wheat from the chaff.” The art of discernment enables Virgo to be able to determine what is useful versus what is not. So, when Virgo is determining whether something is correct for their lives, they consider how a person, place, or thing will impact their overall daily lived experience. This is the reason why discernment is so vital to the Virgo experience.
The last thing Virgo needs is to let in the wrong partner, consume the wrong foods, or place itself in an unfavorable environment. More than any other sign, Virgo understands the importance of the everyday lived experience. If each day matters, it’s best to practice discernment to choose wisely and make correct judgments about what is most beneficial.
The Axis: Virgo’s Discernment; Pisces’ Intuition
While Virgo gets a bad rap for their critical nature, this is not a trait that is only associated with Virgo. Virgo shares an astrological axis with its opposite sign, Pisces. The axis represents energies that are different…yet the same. While Virgo uses discernment, Pisces does the same through intuition.
Virgo uses Mercury energy through the collection of details and facts as part of its discernment. With Virgo, discernment is determined through concrete, identifiable information that reveals whether someone or something should be allowed in.
On the opposite end of the axis is Pisces who uses its intuition in parallel to Virgo’s discernment. Many Pisces will tell you that their intuition is usually spot-on. However, the major difference between discernment and intuition is that intuition is based on “knowing” that is not grounded in concrete information. Intuition is often based on what one picks up energetically.
A great example of this is when Pisces decides they don’t care for someone without knowing them at all. How does Pisces make the determination that someone should not be in their space without knowing them? Pisces is sensitive to energy, and if a person’s energy is off, Pisces decides not to engage. Thus, Pisces focuses on energy, the unseen, in alignment with its ruler, Neptune, the planet that governs all things hidden and mystical to determine what is allowed in its space.
Thus, Virgo’s discernment is similar to Pisces’ intuition. Virgo points out the flaws as part of its s discernment while its opposite sign Pisces intuits and reads energy and that which cannot be seen to determine what is beneficial or not. Both signs have their own way of knowing what is acceptable. It is simply executed in a different way.
Overall, discernment is key in helping Virgo live a life that is most beneficial for itself. As we continue through Virgo season, we are encouraged to consider how discernment can be used to positively impact our lives.
Oftentimes, it is through noticing those details that we don’t want to see is necessary so that we can become the human filters that are able to remove what is toxic, impure, or unclean from our spaces in order to allow in what is wholesome and nourishing. If there is anything that Virgo can teach us through its use of discernment is how to acknowledge those red flags so that we can take action to eliminate accordingly in order to live a life that embodies wellness.
