In the writings of medieval Muslim astrologers, Virgo earned a reputation as a sign of the wise. Today known as The Virgin in the zodiac, Virgo had a far more complicated depiction among Muslim astrologers.

A thread on Virgo in astrology from the Islamic World-

Those born under Virgo or al adhra are said to be pleasant, but anxious about the future, playful, but restrained. They grow to be wise, are just, generous, judgmental, and cultured. They enjoy music.

Al Biruni says they have good-manners and truthful.

Reputedly they have a tendency to spend money early in life, but will grow wise with their money as they grow older.

Virgo is described as feminine, nocturnal, cold, earthy, dry, and melancholic. Its season is the end of the equinox.

Green is a good color for them to wear and they find much of their fortune on Wednesdays but Sundays will be difficult for them.

They are sterile or have few children and have marks either on their chest or abdomen.

They make good administrators, bureaucrats, secretaries, bosses, philosophers, poets, singers, and thinkers.

Virgo is said to be the home of Mercury. Interestingly, Al adhra was also commonly called al sunbula after the constellational star and so Virgo sometimes is depicted as a man in harvest.

You can see such a depiction from the 14th C Kitab al Bulhan above in the first tweet.

The image of the virgin will come from Abu Ma’shar’s description of its first face: a virginal woman with a baby in hand and wheat in the other.

It is said Aries obeys Virgo who is friendly with Capricorn and Libra.

Virgos are said to struggle at 19 and at 30 will face a great adversary.

The human body was divided up by the zodiac with Virgo associated with the stomach and belly.

Muslim astrologers also designated parts of the world as governed by the Zodiac with Virgo corresponding to Syria, Persia, and the lands of the Tigris and Euphrates and all places women gather.

Because of its connection to Mercury, Virgo became the prominent sign of wisdom.

If Gemini was intellect, games, and science then Virgo was memory, philosophy, and wisdom.

One famous charm involved making a ring of power under the auspices of Mercury, the Moon, and Virgo. Done properly, it would bestow upon the wearer vast powers of memory, hidden knowledge, and skills in philosophy.

Some famous Virgos from Islamic history include the 9th century caliph, Al Ma’mun who deposed his brother & established a caliphate of philosophy and science.

He held ideological purity tests and favored and patronized scientists, mathematicians and fancied himself a philosopher

When he defeated his brother, Al Ma’mun reputedly marched into Baghdad with his retinue all wearing green, the color associated with Virgo

Like in the case of Baghdad, many cities were built using astrology. Lutf Ali would claim the great city of Shiraz, the home of poetry, philosophy, and wine, was rebuilt when Virgo was in the ascendant.

Virgo would also appear in the poetry of Hafez

The Mughal emperor Akbar the Great would have two horoscopes cast, one would have Leo on the Ascendant the other Virgo. The difference was a result of the Hellenic tropical zodiac favored by Muslim astrologers versus the sidereal zodiac favored in Vedic astrology

Abul Fazl would favor the Virgo chart arguing the judicious, philosophical nature of Akbar was best reflected by Virgo.

It also gave explanatory power to the preternatural memory attributed to Akbar who claimed to remember his own birth.

Abu Ma’shar also set Virgo to Jesus’s ascendant. Describing the Isis-like image of the first face of Virgo as the Virgin Mary nursing the infant Jesus.

The Catholic cardinal and astrologer Pierre D’Ailly would use Abu Ma’shar’s description to cast Jesus’ horoscope, reproduced here by James Holden

Virgo would become the sign of a just leader (one who could be harsh, but only righteously).

It would also be strongly linked to truth.

In a famous tale about Abu Ma’shar, a client approaches the astrologer to ask if a woman accompanying a man was his wife or his mistress.

Abu Ma’shar casts an interrogational and consultation chart and computed a lot from Jupiter and Venus which fell on Virgo.

The astrologer declared the woman the rightful wife.

Virgo for medieval Muslim astrologers would become the sign of the philosopher, the poet, the wise and just king, and even a little wine.

I’ll cover the rest of the zodiac in future threads.