Virgo in Tarot: Part Three

In part 2 we discovered the significance of self-governed routines that allow us to perfect our craft through the 8 of pentacles. What manifests from this space? Venus enters the chat to reveal what comes of it, let’s see what she has to say.

Terminology:

Decan: A 10-degree section of an astrological chart

Domicile: Place in the zodiac where the planet is ‘home’

Detriment: Opposing sign to the ruler (domicile); uncomfortable energy

Exaltation: where a planet functions at its strongest

Fall: opposing sign to the exaltation; weakest positioning

Femininity: passive, receptive, still energy

Masculinity: active, action-oriented energy

Seeker: Self or the person being read for

The Tarot Deck

Venus in Virgo

Venus is in its fall (its weakest energy) when transiting through Virgo. Where Venus appreciates the beauty of the moment, Virgo aims for practicality and refinement of every detail in the experience. Venus wants you to see the value in what it is without judgment. Virgo seeks to cut the fat.

Whether we’re discussing Venus in Virgo as a natal placement or transit, you may feel a bit obsessive and worrisome over the details of a situation. It’s like this demand we place on ourselves to get things right, instead of appreciating things as they are. Of course, there’s a time and a place for both. Know when to zoom in, but don’t forget to zoom out to see the full picture. Balance is key, here.

9 of Pentacles

A woman dressed in yellow and red stands in front of grape vines with a village and mountains in the background. A bird is perched on the woman’s gloved left hand and a small snail creeps along the ground.

The Pentacles suit isn’t just about careers, money, and financial wealth. It also focuses on the behaviors we must embody in order to attain said wealth. The woman in the 9 of Pentacles takes a moment of stillness to appreciate what she’s worked towards. The unglamorous, tedious, and sometimes monotonous work we experienced with the card prior (8 of Pentacles) is now paying off.

The village we see in the background shows that separation from external influences, similar to what we discussed in part 2 with the 8 of Pentacles. Just like the Virgo-ruled Hermit from Part 1, Virgo season asks us to retreat to our own inner wisdom to manifest change. Our personal connection to God/Source/Spirit is what’s driving us forward. And, as you can see, the rewards are bountiful when we lean into this approach.

There’s this striking resemblance between the 9 of Pentacles and the Venus-ruled Empress. There’s a steady, slow, graceful energy in both cards that encourages us to appreciate the fruits of our labor. Look how open and receptive the 9 of Pentacles appears as she looks to the bird perched on her gloved hand. Both women are relaxed with an open posture, embracing a moment of stillness to take in the beauty that surrounds them.

The flowers on dress of the woman in the 9 of Pentacles resembles the Venus symbol-shaped pomegranates on the Empress. Where pomegranates represent the Divine Feminine, the grapes on the 9 of Pentacles represents the abundance we align to when we embrace the femininity that governs both cards here. The birds symbolizes the receipt of good news, so if you receive this card in a reading there could be some good news coming your way as well.

Earth energy is the slowest of the elements, but it’s also solid. The time, effort, and refinement of your craft didn’t arrive overnight. The snail in the lower left corner of the 9 of Pentacles reminds us of this. It takes time to change habits and behaviors. But sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day that we forget to look up and look around. This is what Venus teaches us, here.

Thoth Tarot Integration

This card is labeled “Gains”, the realization of material gains, goods, and riches. Each of the pentacles (disks) are separated into groups of 3, where the 6 outer pentacles are arranged along the unicursal (able to draw in a single continuous line) hexagon. Each of the 7 points corresponds to a specific planet and alchemical metal (clockwise from the top: Saturn/lead, Jupiter/tin, Venus/copper, Moon/silver, Mercury/mercury, Mars/iron, & the Sun/gold in the middle).

This sacred geometrical symbol represents unity, magic, and balance, and our connection to Spirit. It is highly magical and associated with spell work in occultism, used to both invoke and banish energies like a portal of sorts.

Being able to draw this symbol from a continuous line reflects the unity of the two triangles forming its hexagonal shape. It shows the balance of the masculine and feminine, the push and the pull, the give and take. Opposing energies uniting as one. Remember, Mercury takes on the energy of the zodiac signs and houses it transits through. So Venus’s influence here reminds us of the bountiful harvest we can attain when duality co-exists in a harmonious way.

Final Thoughts

The 9 of Pentacles shows the abundance we achieve through our individual journeys towards self-actualization and enlightenment. It is the moment of appreciation we experience when we step into and fulfill our purpose. Our human experience involves refinement towards becoming our best self. This Venus transit asks us to stop and smell the roses from time to time. See the value in the work you’ve put in thus far. It may even motivate you to maintain course, or adjust as necessary. Hope this helps.

With love,