Virgo II: Walking the Tightrope

By Marissa Jackson

Virgo Decan II is associated with the Nine of Pentacles, a luxurious card in which we see a woman adorned with jewels and surrounded by beauty. She’s moisturized, thriving, and satisfied. Standing all on her own, not begging to be rescued. She never begs for anything, to be quite honest. Virgo II is self-sufficient to a fault. She has no idea what it’s like to rely on another person, and what would happen if she tried? Disappointment, no less.

We view Virgo II as someone so meticulous and self-conscious, but have you ever considered that this is a projection? We expect our Virgo II goddess to present such a strong, independent exterior - anything less will cause further ridicule.

Venus rules Virgo II, where is in fall. Oh, the irony! Venus is all about drinking up the moment, savoring the ecstasy of connection, and surrendering to the power of love. Venus in Virgo feels extremely awkward doing all these things. Rather, we find someone who cannot handle the gaze and admiration of others and instead concerns themselves with improving people’s lives as a way of expressing affection.

Nine of Coins from the Rider–Waite tarot deck

In 36 Secrets, T. Susan Chang writes of the Nine of Pentacles;

“Very often I see this card appear for women who have either attained self-sufficiency and independence or are striving for it.”

After the Nine comes the Ten of Pentacles - the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. There we find the completion of the suit and what most humans work toward their whole lives – wholeness, companionship, and enjoyment of the fruits of their labor. But can Nine of Pentacles ever let down her guard enough to reap those rewards?

We shall see.

The Lonely Virgo II

My birth chart answers to a Virgo II retrograde Mercury, combust and under the beams of my Virgo II Sun. It is the final dispositor of every traditional planet in my chart save for my domicile Saturn.

I attended a destination wedding recently and had no idea what I was in for. Most people travel with their spouses, their trusty plus ones, to such events. I traveled solo because I am solo. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. My rental car agency was a scam, leaving me stranded in another state, 2 hours from the wedding venue. Since I didn’t have the car I was supposed to have, I couldn’t get out of the mountains and missed my original flight back home. I purchased a second flight (money I didn’t really have but had no other choice) that was subsequently delayed 7 hours. I had to make a quick decision: wait out the delay and see if my plane would take flight or fly all the way to Seattle and then back home to Orlando. I had no one to consult or trust except myself. I chose to risk it, getting home a full 15 hours after I was originally supposed to get home. A simple 48-hour trip quickly became a financial and emotional nightmare.

I was so unbelievably stressed about my livelihood, that I couldn’t even leave my hotel to eat, explore, or do all the things the other wedding guests were doing. Because my life all comes down to me: everything is on my shoulders alone. And I was never more aware of that fact than when I was sitting alone in that hotel room with no one to help me put on or take off my dress. Soft Girl Era? Never heard of her!

Both of my parents died by the time I was 30 - five years apart. My life is and will forever be marked by grief that I did not choose. The finality of death impacts the mind and body in life-changing ways. Studies have proven that grief resembles a brain injury and changes our brain chemistry. I have met whole humans well into their fifties who still have not experienced the death of a parent and I have lost the only ones I will ever have. I cannot call my parents for advice or to provide me comfort. I met someone on a date recently who is living with their parents while they save up to purchase a home. I will never have that option – I can’t just move in with my parents if my life falls apart or I want to start over. I don’t begrudge anyone who has such a luxury, but we live in completely different realities. A considerable number of people simply cannot relate to my reality – which further contributes to my loneliness.

There is nothing more isolating than the realization that you are walking this Earth alone.

We all are. However, I do not have the safety net of knowing someone I trust completely with my life is still on this Earth. I do not know a single person alive that I can trust without question. This automatically puts me on the defensive, a position I did not choose for myself, but life chose for me. I must look out for myself and my best interests because no one else is. There are tons of sociological studies and research conducted on how humans naturally run away from living life alone. We are social beings, after all. It doesn’t change the fact that we are all still living a singular experience.

This also introduces a larger conversation about Western civilization and how humans have been conditioned to be so self-reliant, that it is traumatizing to simply ask for a favor. The funny part is - no one who gains any type of material or worldly success has done it by themselves. It is impossible. Everyone needs someone to take a chance on them, to throw them a bone, to give them a leg up while they pursue their dreams. You can be the most talented person in the world, but if another human doesn’t recognize that talent and provide you with a platform or audience, it falls on deaf ears. And when you are a single person living in late-stage capitalism, you see just how difficult it is to exist in a world set up for two. Two incomes, two cars, split rent, etc. This is the punishment for refusing to settle.

Even in my youth, I played the part of self-sufficiency. “Marissa is an excellent student; her one problem is she doesn’t know how to ask for help.” Pretending you have it together 24/7 is exhausting for this perfectionistic decan, whose mental health teeters on the edge of collapse without a hug or someone giving them the permission to simply screw up and be human. Often, I’ve been met with the hypocritical nature of others: why is it ok for you to casually disregard other people’s feelings repeatedly, and when I do it, it’s suddenly a problem? Because Virgo II is held to higher, impossible standards - that is how it feels to us, anyway. I have felt deeply my whole life, if I am not perfect, I am not loveable. I am not deserving of love or praise until I have all my ducks in a row, or until I’ve somehow reached the finish line of life. Projecting this aura of confidence, knowledge, integrity, etc., makes people automatically hold you in higher regard. So inevitably you hear “We expected more from you.” Or “What were you thinking, Marissa? You should have done this instead.”

The Crutch (and Consequences) of Independence

Nine of Pentacles is doing it on her own, and this sparks a great deal of insecurity in others. Humans are naturally competitive and when encountering a person who seemingly doesn’t need to rely on other people, it sets off internal alarms. If our heroine doesn’t require rescuing, what can we really offer her? Being a confident, capable person is a curse when everyone thinks you’ve got it so together that you don’t deserve or need encouragement, love, praise, or gratitude. People are often motivated by their own objectives and watching someone walk so effortlessly through the world without much assistance doesn’t invite a lot of helping hands. I speak from experience.

I can’t tell you how many times I have been verbally cut down or unsupported in work, conversations, etc., all because someone could feel my strength radiate and didn’t want to build me up any higher or give me the slightest indication that I was capable of achieving greatness. An ex-boyfriend once told me: “your life would be a lot easier if you played dumb more.”

Imagine walking on a tightrope, your whole body and composition are at the mercy of a singular rope - you must get it right the first time. There is no room for error. The whole world is watching you, either amazed at the precision or praying for your downfall - you never know which one.

Virgo would sooner die than admit vulnerability or act as if we do not have our shit together. Perfectionism is a curse. Inevitably, people relish the moment when we do not have the answer, embarrass ourselves, screws up, and proves ourselves human just like everyone else. Virgo II expects excellence, which often forces people to examine their own inadequacies, something most people simply don’t want to do. Facing the reality of your shortcomings is no small task, making it much more common practice to project onto the person who triggered those feelings of inadequacy. It is a conditioned patterned response in the human brain. Which only further contributes to the isolation of our misunderstood Virgo II. Virgo lives in the world of dissecting flaws – we’ve got our magnifying glass at the ready, finding comfort in the discomfort swathes of people tend to avoid. Maybe that’s where the Virgo vitriol from society comes from – we exist in the realm of acknowledging imperfections and the ugly things others don’t want to scrutinize. The complicated places people don’t like to go - we dive right in.

“There is sometimes a problem – and the problem is loneliness. Our tough cookie, who has worked so hard to achieve her own security, sometimes finds it difficult to trust someone, (again.) She longs to share the good things she has earned, but what if they are threatened by the newcomer?”

T. Susan Chang writes, speaking the truth of my soul.

If you are exhausted from reading about all this pressure to perform and be perfect, imagine living with it. My hope is that with time and aging, our Virgo II can relax and know that they don’t have to please the masses, to walk the invisible tightrope to appease some invisible figure waiting to potentially punish us for not getting it right the first time.

We can sunbathe in the garden and enjoy simple luxuries without a care in the world! But after a brief period of rest, we will still try to find a way to better our environment and find solutions to problems, because it only makes rational sense.

Yes, some of the pressure on Virgo II is self-induced, but I hope this tiny slice of my life will also crystallize the lesser-known fact that we did not become this way in isolation – the tedious circumstances and environment we are presented with and the difficult hands we are dealt contribute in creating the self-reliant, hyper-independent goddess which stands before you. We did not wake up wounded and untrusting.

As for me, I can see the Ten of Pentacles just over the horizon, and after years of self-doubt, toiling away in the dark, navigating a challenging life path and ingesting tons of cruel lessons, I feel ready to embrace the blessings I know I’ve earned. After holding my breath on the tightrope all these years - I can finally let go.

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About the Author

Marissa Jackson (she/her) is a consulting astrologer, professionally trained dancer and marketing specialist based in central Florida. She has conducted extensive research on synastry, composite charts, and natal timing of marriage and romantic relationships.

She began studying psychic mediumship in January 2024 at the world famous Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp where she has developed her abilities at an accelerated rate. Intuitive coaching and pattern recognition are some of her strongest skills.

Instagram: marissaleighastro
Twitter/X: rissaleighastro
Website: marissaleighastrology.com

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References

Chang, T. S. (2021). 36 secrets: A decanic journey through the minor arcana of the tarot. Anima Mundi Press.