♍︎ Virgo · August 23 – September 22 · Mutable earth

Virgo Zodiac Sign: Traits, Dates & Compatibility

By Dima Tretyak · Updated October 23, 2026 · Sun dates calculated, not copied

Virgo is a mutable earth sign ruled by Mercury, known for careful attention, practical skill and a sharp inner critic. This page explains what its element, modality, planetary rulers and decans suggest about people born under the sign.

Virgo at a glance

Dates: August 23 – September 22
Sun enters: August 22, 2026 at 10:19 PM EDT
Sun leaves: September 22, 2026 at 8:05 PM EDT
Symbol: ♍︎ The Maiden
Element: Earth
Modality: Mutable
Polarity: Receptive
Ruler: ☿︎ Mercury
Exalted here: ☿︎ Mercury
In detriment here: ♃ Jupiter
In fall here: ♀︎ Venus
Opposite sign: Pisces
Same element: Capricorn, Taurus
Natural house: 6th · work & health

Virgo traits

Virgo belongs to the earth element, which in astrology points to practicality, patience, the senses and steady building. For Virgo that often shows up as a preference for things that actually work. You may be the person who spots the loose detail, repairs the process and quietly keeps a project from falling apart. Virgo's receptive polarity adds another layer: the sign tends to take in what is around it before acting, so its energy leans toward careful response more than loud initiative.

Virgo is also mutable, the modality that adapts, adjusts, finishes and moves on. Mutable earth explains an unusual mix. Virgo can be exacting about a standard yet flexible about how to reach it. People with strong Virgo placements often adjust easily to those around them and may revise a plan several times without minding. The other side of that changeability is a habit of tinkering after a job is already done.

Mercury rules Virgo and is also exalted here, so the planet of thinking and speech shows its best in this sign. That fits the analytical, discriminating streak: Virgo sorts and edits, and it is good at explaining. Jupiter is in detriment in Virgo. Jupiter stands for growth and faith, and Virgo's close attention to detail can work against that wide, trusting outlook, so big promises may get picked apart before they are enjoyed. Venus is in fall here. Venus favors love and harmony, and Virgo's habit of grading everything, itself included, can make easy enjoyment harder to accept. Across the wheel sits Pisces, a receptive sign with a strong imagination. Where Virgo checks the facts, Pisces trusts the feeling, and each can show the other what it lacks.

Strengths

Virgo's strengths come from attention and follow-through. You tend to be industrious and methodical, with a talent for noticing what others skip. Self-criticism usually comes first, so standards are applied to yourself before anyone else. Adaptability helps too: this sign adjusts to people and circumstances without much fuss. Mercury's rulership gives an orderly way of thinking and a knack for explaining things clearly. Practical help, offered quietly, is often how Virgo shows it cares.

Weaknesses

The same sharpness can turn inward. Self-critical habits may harden into constant doubt, and the urge to correct can slide into nitpicking. When Virgo acts from purely personal motives, it may become domineering or materialistic, using its intellect against others while expecting from them what it won't give itself. Mutable restlessness can also mean endless adjusting, with a task refined long after it was good enough. Noticing these patterns is usually the first step toward easing them.

Virgo in love

With Venus in fall here, romance may not arrive with grand gestures. Virgo tends to show love through reliability and practical help rather than display. Pleasure can be hard to accept at face value when the inner critic is busy, so you may hold partners and yourself to exacting standards. Earth favors patience, so trust often builds slowly. Taurus and Capricorn share Virgo's earth footing and its practical pace. Pisces, the opposite sign, offers the attraction of opposites: feeling and imagination set against analysis.

Virgo as a friend

In friendship Virgo tends to be loyal in small, useful ways, such as remembering details, offering a second look at a problem or turning up with a workable idea. Mutable adaptability makes it easy to fit into different groups, so you may have friends from several circles. Honest feedback is a Virgo habit. It is valued when kind and tiring when constant. Taurus and Capricorn friends share the earth approach to time and effort, while Piscean friends offer a softer, more imaginative contrast.

Virgo at work

Mercury's influence points toward work that uses thinking and communication, as well as trade. Business and commerce, along with roles that reward mental discrimination, often suit this sign. Precision makes Virgo a natural editor, planner, organizer or analyst, and mutable flexibility helps when plans change midstream. The risk is perfectionism: waiting until everything is right can delay finishing. Colleagues may value your eye for detail, especially when criticism comes with clear priorities and an end point.

The three decans of Virgo

Decan	Sun from (2026)	Sub-sign	Ruler
1 · 0°–10°	August 23	♍︎ Virgo	☿︎ Mercury
2 · 10°–20°	September 2	♑︎ Capricorn	♄ Saturn
3 · 20°–30°	September 13	♉︎ Taurus	♀︎ Venus

First decan (0°–10°, Sun from August 23): colored by Virgo itself and ruled by Mercury. This is the most typical Virgo, with a precise, analytical mind that rarely rests. Second decan (10°–20°, Sun from September 2): colored by Capricorn and ruled by Saturn. Ambition and perseverance enter, along with Saturn's sense of limits and duty, so this Virgo may be more reserved and self-reliant. Third decan (20°–30°, Sun from September 13): colored by Taurus and ruled by Venus. Steadiness and a love of comfort soften the edge, and Venus adds a stronger pull toward harmony and pleasure.

Virgo compatibility

Questions

✦What are the dates for Virgo?

The Sun is in Virgo from August 22, 2026 at 10:19 PM EDT to September 22, 2026 at 8:05 PM EDT. The exact day can shift by one from year to year, so people born on August 22 or September 22 should check their birth year.

✦What element and modality is Virgo?

Virgo is a mutable earth sign (receptive), ruled by Mercury.

✦What are Virgo traits?

Virgo is often described as analytical and practical, with a precise eye. People with strong Virgo placements tend to be industrious and adaptable, and they usually aim their criticism at themselves first. Under stress the same sign may turn doubting or overly critical.

✦What is Virgo's ruling planet?

Mercury rules Virgo, and it is exalted in the sign as well. Mercury covers thinking and speech, which fits Virgo's focus on sorting and editing. Jupiter is in detriment here and Venus is in fall.

✦Who is Virgo most compatible with?

Taurus and Capricorn share Virgo's earth element, so they tend to understand its practical, patient pace. Pisces is the opposite sign, which brings the attraction of opposites and a lot to learn from each other. Compatibility depends on the whole chart, not the Sun sign alone.

✦What is Virgo's opposite sign?

Pisces sits opposite Virgo. It is receptive and imaginative, with a sympathetic, emotional streak, while Virgo is analytical and exact. The pairing often highlights how detail and intuition can balance each other.