If you’ve spent much time studying Virgo or spent time with an actual Virgo, you’re probably acquainted with the reputation of “clean-freak” they’ve been given. It’s not necessarily true ~ every Virgo isn’t a clean-freak ~ but cleanliness does fall under Virgo’s rulership. The cleaning isn’t superficial. It’s meticulous ~ all the way down to scrubbing the corners.
There’s something very rewarding about scrubbing out the corners every once in a while ~ even metaphysical or metaphorical corners. Once you’ve dragged yourself toward getting started (which can take days, weeks, or months), and then immersed yourself in the “I’ll get that hateful speck of gross grunge out of that corner if it kills me!,” attacking it with a toothbrush, ice pick, comet-laced dynamite, or whatever it takes to get rid of it, it just feels good to lean back and enjoy the clean. You might be filthy from head to toe and the rest of the room may be covered with the debris of your efforts, but the corner is clean. Sometimes you have to make a mess to clean something up, right?
But Virgo’s clean-up duties go much farther than the corners. Virgo’s ruler, Mercury, is the messenger of the gods. Is your Sun messy, or your Mars? What about your 4th house or your Ascendant? Mercury is going to send you the message first. First Thought ~ that’s Mercury. He moves so quickly, you may not even notice the first thought flitting through your head. Delivered, and gone! That’s his style. Mercury tells Virgo to scrub the corners. Virgo says, “Hey, this is a bigger job than I initially thought. We need some help around here!” Then the big boys move in for the major overhauls ~ Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. You thought Virgo was tough? The big boys are capable of giving you some major housecleaning blues.
So, while Virgo ~ through Mercury ~ tells us to brush our teeth for the “minty fresh clean,” Saturn tells you to get a water-pik, Uranus gives you a sudden ache that you can’t ignore, Neptune has you sitting in the dentist’s chair getting a movie-star smile, and Pluto…well, I don’t want to think about what Pluto might do.
You can take this example and apply it to anything ~ your car, your home, your marriage, career, your network of friends ~ it doesn’t matter. Virgo’s attention to detail is going to see the first flaw, and run a message via Mercury over to whomever is in charge of that department. If you keep it clean every day, the major overhaul is going to go a lot more smoothly.
I stumbled across this video and just had to share it with you. It’s the inspiration for this post, and the title of the post is borrowed from the song title, “Housecleaning Blues,” performed by Tess Wiley. Anyone immersed in the daily chores of Virgo will certainly get this, but there’s a deeper message here, too. As Tess says, “I know I’ll feel better when it’s been done.”
Tess Wiley
Housecleaning Blues
You can learn more about the artist, Tess Wiley, on her website and listen to her music on youtube. If you enjoyed this home-made video, you’ll probably really like her Raise Your Hand video. If you like the video, click on the link to her site. Let her know you’re listening.
TIP: For getting down and dirty with housecleaning, put on music that gets you moving. It makes the whole experience a lot more “fun.”
Auntie Moon 
I’ve known so many Virgo Suns who are not neat at all (mostly men). I have a theory that a Virgo’s neatness is tied to how mentally sound and stable they are. The more chaotic their mental state, the more they begin to mirror their opposite sign, Pisces.
You’re probably right about that, Michelle. When I see a formerly tidy Virgo who has slipped into chaos, my worry-meter registers high.
Good discussi0n here. There’s more to corners than just dust. When clearing a room of psychic dust–which is a good thing to do–don’t neglect the corners, because that’s where the worst gunk hangs out! Donna Cunningham
That reminds me of a quote I love, Donna. “A new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows the corners.”
Great article. Virgos are sticklers for detail. I’ve worked in offices where all the bosses were Aries and Capricorns and somehow most of the workhorses under them were Virgos. They tackle every project with a dedication and thoroughness unsurpassed by anyone else. I always thought if I ran a business I’d hire Virgos for my staff. They’re also modest about their abilities and never seem to ask for raises. They’re great at organizing a mess too! Having no Virgo planets in my chart, I highly respect them.
Hallelujah!! Employers, never overlook your Virgos!
Bravo for this post, which brings much needed complexity to the often superficial view of Virgo. We need those folks and that energy within ourselves that dives in and does the work, that brings that mutable Earth willingness to muck about in the material world. And I agree that if you do that work consistently on whatever level then the big work that comes with the outer planets is easier.
Thank you!
I posted a Virgo post just the other day that hopefully also helps with the lending complexity piece.
http://www.point-circle-line.com/2010/09/harvester.html
Putting the Virgo energy to good use, cleaning up the house, purging the closets of unneeded clothing and cleaning out the house. It can be a bit hard for this Cancer to let go of some of those sentimental items, or any items for that matter. 🙂 Feels great!
Housecleaning blues indeed! This Virgo Moon’s been in a funk for weeks, and I only wish I’d read this post earlier. I saw the title, and *didn’t* read it, it in the midst of some heavy corner scrubbing of my own … but you and Tess are right, it feels better when it’s done *smile*
Hey, Mary Pat! Yes, it does feel better when it’s done. It’s the starting that can be soooo hard.