Happy September!
This week, we’re talking about detail-oriented Virgo. Virgo is a mutable sign, which means that she marks the transition between Summer and Autumn. She’s also an earth sign, which begs the question, what does changing and transforming earth look like? Perhaps a bit like the leaves turning red and the flowers tucking themselves in to read a bedtime story?
The image of the virgin or maiden represents her wholeness, rather than the notion that she’s never done the deed.
The story in the stars
The Virgo constellation is freaking massive. In real terms, she’s the second largest star pattern in the Zodiac belt, with the sun taking 45 days to transit past her1. Honestly, I love that for her. Take up that space, girl!
In terms of what the constellation actually depicts, there’s quite a bit of disagreement. Some believe she represents the Greek goddess of justice Dike, others link her to the Persephone myth, or a connection to harvest deities. Honestly, she could very well represent living legend and Virgo queen, Beyoncé. She’s a goddess too, afterall.
The queer girls of Shōjo Manga
I can’t talk about femininity without jumping into Shōjo (girls’) manga and gender fluidity. Manga and anime for girls have often dealt with themes of same-sex love and gender-bending – from Lady Oscar in The Rose of Versailles, to Sailor Moon power couple Haruka and Michiru.
These depictions don’t reflect the true state of LGBTQ+ relationships in Japan, but rather construct girlhood as a space for play before transitioning into the serious expectations of the adult world.2
The sun strikes a pose!
I’m a total Twitter newbie (*waves at her only follower*) so I was blown away when I discovered Andrew McCarthy’s breathtaking photographs snapping the cosmos in astounding detail. I’m obsessed.
Bits and Bobs
If you’d like a mini tarot reading via email, please take a moment to fill out this questionnaire to help me make some pretty products inspired by the stars. Thank you to everyone who has already filled out my survey. Your readings will be with you this weekend.
This has nothing to do with anything but my birthday is coming up! Did you guess I’m a Libra based on my obsession with pretty stuff?
I love the Astrology episode of Sounds Like a Cult with the amazing Jessica Lanyadoo. It’s a great middle-of-the-road chat on what Astrology is, what it isn’t, and whether it’s culty or not.
I talk about the difference between the astrological and astronomical understandings of the Zodiac wheel in the Leo issue of this newsletter. See the footnotes.
Mega nerd alert! I love this topic so much that I wrote a whole dissertation about it. If you’re the type to read academic dissertations about anime and BL, here you go.