Your fundamental needs, values and orientation toward life are symbolised by the four astrological elements. Each person has their own unique balance of these four basic energies: Fire (warmth, inspiration, enthusiasm), Earth (practicality, realism, material interests), Air (social and intellectual qualities) and Water (emotional needs and feelings).

Your 'elemental make-up' is described below. Remember that most people are 'unbalanced'; if you are lacking or deficient in a certain element (or elements), it simply means that you need to consciously develop that aspect of yourself to learn to appreciate and/or to work harder in that dimension of life.

Sometimes we overcompensate for the element that we are least endowed with, sensing it as lacking within ourselves, but more often we neglect or ignore it. The qualities described below will be reiterated and explained in more detail in the following chapters.

You are prone to underestimate rather than overestimate your own abilities and worth and, through your humility, to settle for much less than you are capable of. You may think of yourself as dull or unexciting for you do not like to take risks and you value safety and security over adventure, stability over change.

Like most Virgos, you do everything in a premeditated, orderly fashion and tend to be rather serious. The responsible, rational, adult aspect of you is quite strong and the spontaneous, carefree, childlike side of yourself is less developed. You can be 'all work and no play.'

Developing self-confidence, enthusiasm, joy, generosity and a larger vision of life is important to you.

Physically, you are apt to get cold rather easily and may find that eating spicy foods, exercising vigorously and being out in the sunshine to be helpful.

You are not solely mundane, however. As you will read in the following chapter, your basic Virgo Earthly common sense is strong and sometimes overrun by your moods, sympathies and deep instincts that at times may run counter to a purely practical, cut and dry approach to a situation.

Section 2: The inner you: your real motivation

At heart you are a modest and humble Virgo and you rarely strive to be in the limelight or in a position of power. You have a sharp analytical mind, a keen eye for detail and you prefer to observe, dissect and study life from a distance. Conscientious and conservative, you can be relied upon to be careful, efficient and thorough in your work and you take pride in doing a job well. What you may lack in self-confidence you often make up for in skill - developing expertise, technical knowledge and competency in some specialised area.

Like many Virgos, you are adept at using your hands to create or fix things; meticulous attention to detail and careful craftsmanship are your forte. Some would say you are a little too meticulous, for you can be extremely critical and petty if everything is not done exactly as you think it should. You worry about things that other people consider trivial and unimportant. You like to organise, categorise and arrange everything into a logical system and you are often distinctly uncomfortable when something does not fit into a neat category. Disorganisation vexes you. You probably wish that you were not such a perfectionist, for besides being a stickler for details, you can be mercilessly self-critical as well. Whether in your environment or in yourself, you tend to focus on the flaws, with a desire to improve, refine and perfect. You are strictly factual, truthful and scrupulously honest in your self-estimation; you often do not give yourself enough praise or credit.

You are also highly discriminating and may be especially particular about your diet, hygiene and health habits. Like most typical Virgos, you have high aesthetic standards and refined sensitivities and will be bothered by elements in your surroundings (such as disorder, cigarette smoke, etc.) that others overlook. Your tastes are simple, understated, but refined. Coarseness, bluntness and vulgarity really offend you. Like many Virgos, you can be difficult to live with sometimes because of your fastidiousness, your sensitivity and your idiosyncrasies about food and cleanliness.

Though you seem rather cool and self-contained, you have a very helpful nature and you enjoy serving others. You are content to be in a supportive, assisting role rather than in the lead. You are quietly devoted to the ones you care for. You are careful and cautious in your approach to life, realistic, practical and disinclined to gamble. You analyse before you act. You are too serious sometimes. Allowing yourself to play and to make mistakes would be really healthy for you.

A typically realistic and practical Virgo, you set goals for yourself that are modest enough for you to actually achieve. You are able to tackle long, difficult projects and see them through, for you possess self-discipline, concentration and perseverance. You also have a strong sense of responsibility and are very conscientious in fulfilling your obligations, which is enhanced by the influence of the Sun Trine Sagittarius aspect of your chart. Often you do things because you feel it is expected of you.

Your deep Virgo comprehension and good powers of concentration give you the ability to judge matters wisely and prudently. You are a keen observer and also can be a persuasive speaker. You like to be in control, but need appreciation and recognition for your efforts.

You are somewhat excitable and quickly aroused. You could be a little self-centred, but at the same time also magnetic. You like to flirt and tend to fall in love at first sight, but then transfer your affections to someone else for no apparent reason.

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Celebrity profile: Hugh Grant

Celebrity profile:
Hugh Grant