by Dominique Jones
One of the most reliable methods to align ourselves with a high spiritual vibration is through the energy of appreciation. Nature’s treasures sustain us and surround us daily, providing a spark of crucial energy, and if we meditate on their beauty, we find our hearts and spirits developing in valuable and interesting ways.
One of the ways to grow during our journeys is to recognize the relationship between astrology and nourishment. You will find a correlation between a sign and a food in this article and methods you can use to attune your energy.
Virgo is the mutable earth sign in the zodiac, ruled by the planet Mercury. Virgo rules the hands, and in Virgo, Mercury expresses itself as the alchemist and as the archetype of the Egyptian god Thoth, the mentor of Isis, who taught her healing arts. Virgo energy seeks to balance body, mind and spirit. With Virgo, get ready to DEVELOP.
In Egyptian mythology, the god Thoth was the author of The Book of the Dead and the keeper of knowledge and wisdom, both human and divine. In Greek mythology, he was the same as the god Hermes. He was depicted as a man with the head if an ibis, or, if he had entered the unconscious and shadow world with helpful knowledge, he was depicted with the head of an ape/baboon.
The ability to author one’s spiritual development on a divine level and access our deepest wisdom is the high calling of those with strong Virgo influence. Learning from the legend of Thoth, we learn that it’s wisdom that allows us access into the flexibility we need to enjoy the virtuous cycles of ever-improving spiritual improvement during our lives. The many choices we can make from moment to moment that allow us to tap into our highest potential bring joy to the Virgo sensibility, and provide a model for us all to live better human experiences.
Astroplasticity, a term I believe I am creating here for the first time, is the ability of an individual to use astrology to form new patterns and connections, create new responses, and adjust their actions based on changes to their environments or new situations. Just as the brain can grow new pathways over time with neuroplasticity, a person’s spirit and routines can find new pathways with Astroplasticity. Astroplasticity refers especially to the utilization of astrological energies and wisdom in one’s growth and developing one’s highest purpose, level of functioning, and expression in life.
If you were to utilize the information in these articles, for example, to enhance your life on a daily basis through nourishment and meditation—based upon the information in your particular astrological chart—you’d be practicing Astroplasticity. Over time, you could learn more and more about the astrological energies that you can call upon to support your personal development. Eventually, you’d have a very personal experience of an internal model that would support your daily meditation.
Virgo is the model for Astroplasticity. As mutable earth, Virgo has the ability to actually implement and actualize chosen changes in their energy patterns in life. One by one, on a daily basis, Virgos adapt new insights into wisdom and teach their insights to others. They turn living life into an art and a craft with such beauty that it’s astounding to witness. There is no artifice about it either—they do it for the sheer joy they experience. They are humble and authentic. For that reason we are all attracted to the way that Virgos use what they learn about the energy fields around them to better the planet and to help others thrive.
Virgos can, of course, encounter challenges. They may run up across perfectionism, stubbornness, depression, and health issues that point them to their own states of unhappiness or boredom. These are learning opportunities and it’s important to be patient and continue to learn and grow into maturity. Virgos are often late bloomers—but hang in there because it is OH SO WORTH IT! Not only for the Virgo, but for every single one of us, because those with strong Virgo energy in their charts are a gift to those around them as well as themselves!
If you are interested in bringing forth more Virgo energy in your life, you can use two methods. The first method is through nourishment and the second method is through a guided meditation. If you combine the two, you have even more manifestation energy.
You can manifest Virgo energy if you want to increase your ability in any or all of the following areas of your life:
- Hands
- Digestion, duodenum, bowels, intestines
- Craftsmanship, dexterity
- Reliability and industriousness
- Analytical ability, technical ability, and systems thinking
- Service or service-oriented activities
- Medicine, chemistry, pharmacy, first-aid
- Consideration, inquiry, memory, order, harmony
- Teaching, photography, assistantship
- Equality, humbleness, authenticity
- Personal Development
Method 1: Nourishment
Virgos rule the lettuce plants. Lettuce grows quickly in cool weather, and is a member of the Asteraceae, or sunflower, family of plants. Lettuce plants grow on stalks and then bolt to create a flower and reproduce. According to what we know, lettuce was first cultivated by ancient Egyptians.
Lettuce provides Vitamin A / beta-carotene, which is excellent for mucous membranes and the skin, as well as for vision. Notably, lettuce contains Vitamin K, thought to increase bone mass and known to limit neuronal damage in the brain and help in Alzheimer’s disease. Lettuce also provides a dietary carotenoid named zea-xanthin, which is believed to aid in the protection against age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). There are many other details of lettuce’s nutritional virtues, but it comes down to the fact that daily lettuce intake provides prevention and support for iron-deficiency anemia, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and obesity.
For me, lettuce is a mainstay cure for my chemical addictions such as soda and sugar. I had years where I experienced malnutrition when I was working in corporate America, just trying to get through the day by picking up whatever was already prepared—vending machine food, restaurant food, fast food, etc. My personal revolution has been to find healthy local sources for (primarily) vegetables and fruit, understand what I should be eating, and actually implement the plans I make to eat healthy foods each day. At the forefront of these plans is eating a salad a day.
According to nutritrarian eating, “the salad is the meal.” What I found after daily consumption of salads and vegetables was a restoration of my body’s ability to tell me when my nutrition needs were being met. Now, if I miss a salad, within 48 hours, I CRAVE lettuce. It is an interesting phenomenon.
Where I used to crave sugar or carbohydrates, over time, my body adjusted to crave spinach and spring greens and arugula. It was a wonderful transformation. During my switchover period (especially), the salads I made needed to be hearty and delicious. Often I made Taco salads with black beans or chicken and salsa with chiles/peppers, tomatoes, fresh avocados and a few corn chips—topped with plain yogurt in place of sour cream. Sometimes I made salads using fruit combinations like pears, goat cheese, and pecans. I often mix hot ingredients like stir-fried vegetables with spinach or kale for a dinner. Whatever your palate likes, make sure you please yourself when making the salad changeover. There is sure to be a set of tastes just for you. Get creative, as that is half the fun!
Dr. Joel Fuhrman, who bases his advice on nutritional research, recommends aiming to eat about a whole head of lettuce per day—seriously! At first I thought this recommendation was wild, but then the majority of my evening meals became salads, and the burst of biting into lettuce has become one of the most comforting feelings in my life.
Avoid eating lettuce leaves that are discolored or have spots. Also please avoid any slimy lettuce. You can soak lettuce in salt water to remove pesticides and parasitic eggs / worms in case you are worried about these problems. Organic lettuces are believed to be free from pesticides. You can grow lettuce in your own kitchen/patio garden to be assured of your source.
Method 2: Guided Meditation
This guided meditation is full of images and thoughts that are very grounding. You can use the following guided meditation in a few ways. The first is to read it silently, slowly to yourself, letting the images wash over your imagination. The second is to visit IntuitiveMoon.com and listen to the audio recordings. Allow a few minutes during the day for yourself, close your eyes, and be led in a meditation that is nourishing and deeply refreshing.
Virgo Lettuce Guided Meditation
You are a lettuce plant. As a lettuce plant, you sit softly at the edge of everything. Your roots do not delve too deeply into the ground. Your leaves do not stretch too tall, but instead wrap like the arms of friends around one another.
Your compact form is perfect to express swimming in the middle of the heart of ourselves. Taking lazy backstrokes in the middle of our lives and destinies. We can breathe and enjoy the space we are in, the place we are at, the present moment of time.
It’s as if your essence is to translate messages from the hearth and soul of the universe from heaven to earth. Life provides unexpected portals into wisdom and knowledge that you find and trace like the veins of your leaves within the waters that are encapsulated there. How expansive you become as your leaves plump up in response to environmental support.
Through all kinds of early Spring weather, you relish the cool air. You listen to the late snows and early rain fall. You can even outlast a freeze if it occurs. The seasonal change helps you learn about how to adjust your attitude. You learn how the heart thaws itself out of stagnant things like anger, frustration, worry and fear.
By simply recognizing them and waiting for them to break up like chunks of ice in a pond in the spring time, you know you can quietly manage your state of being. As worry turns to water and leaks out of you onto the land, the world rights itself and you can direct your life more efficiently once again.
You teach us to swim easily in the center of the flow of our beings. We are free now to listen to our hearts. Our spirit will provide insight through our hearts to the true nature of our highest selves. We live on the edge of becoming, where the roots meet the leaves of the lettuce plant. Our balance is easy and light and flexible.
Our heartbeat is easy, flexible, effortless, and joyful.
What does your heart tell you to do?
We are free to obey the insight from our heart, to do what our heart tells us to do.
You build new capability in these waters—the heart-flow you have found as you examine yourself inside the veins of a lettuce leaf. At the edge of the ground, without grasping too tightly to land or air, you are filled with water.
You are now able to actualize your innermost dreams and your heart has provided you direction. Life provides everything you need each moment. You trust the earth and the heavens, and allow your dreams to unfold brilliantly.
Wholeheartedly listening is now followed by wholehearted action.
Dominique Jones is an internationally known astrologer, psychic, and writer. She is the author of the upcoming book “Nourishing Astrology,” a compendium of correlations between astrological elements and foods, along with recipes for manifesting astrological energies. She is also a professional metaphysical consultant at Kajama. Visit her at www.intuitivemoon.com to schedule a reading or sign up for her FREE monthly newsletter, featuring a comprehensive monthly astrological overview, healthy recipes and more!