While I have always thought of myself as being meticulous when it came to the work I did for others, it was only recently I had to acknowledge I may be a tad anal in all aspects of my life. When my husband and I were shopping before Valentine’s Day, he told me he wanted me to pick out the candy I liked best as well as the flowers. I said I wasn’t that fussy and he just looked at me. Huh. He was right!
While I don’t nag about having things done to my standards, I will quietly go around rearranging and redoing. For instance, one of my pet peeves is sour dishcloths and facecloths. I regularly wring the dishcloth out and spread it out to dry when someone else besides myself has washed up. And there is a certain way I want the clothes hung on the drying racks by the wood stove. Yeah, anal all right!
So is this my Virgo Midheaven? Or is it Mars-Mercury conjunct the Ascendant in Scorpio? Or maybe having controlling Pluto square my Mars is why I want things just so. By the way, this seems to have little to do with a need for organizing. In that respect I am not anal at all. Now I have an aunt with Pluto conjunct the Ascendant opposing her Mars-Mercury in Capricorn who is ferociously meticulous and has everything neatly labeled. Hmm, maybe it does have to do with Pluto aspecting her Mercury because her handwriting is very small and tight too.
There is a place for us anal types in the greater scheme of things. My son-in-law has the same inclination and he works as a lab technician in a hospital – not a place for “good enough.” He has a natal Mars-Jupiter conjunction trine Saturn and Pluto trine Mars. I recall working with a couple of different computer troubleshooters; one was a typical geek, willing to keep after the problem until he figured it out. The other was more slapdash in his approach and most his patches came apart or had to be replaced later, not cost efficient at all.
Will I stop wringing out dishcloths and straightening pictures? I doubt it. I will continue to do my best not be too offensive and just accept this is one facet of who I am. Besides, whenever Pluto is part of the equation the best solution is accept and move on.
Anyone else feel they may lean towards the anal side?
This photo of the Full Moon in Virgo reminds me of a story about the Moon being caught by a tree.
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Important Newsflash: Astrodatabank information is now available to the public thanks to Astrodienst, bless them! This is possibly the most accurate source of good birth data for a wide cross-section of noteworthy individuals.
Two things come to mind:1. Does “anal retentive” have a hyphen?2. That final question is a *little* risque!
ha ha joe!my aunt was incredibly fastidious…she ironed her sheets, even. i actually loved it. i knew she didn’t judge me or look down on me. she just had a way of doing things and they were all sort of house related things. she had sun/mercury conjunct in Leo, and Venus/Mars conjunct in Cancer. to be honest, it was great for me to be around her. i felt more compelled to be more tidy at home. i think my venus/mars in the 4th is in Aries, aspecting her Leo.
oh dear. is there a mercury rx coming up? i’m starting to jumble my words…i actually know for a fact my v/m is in aries.
ROFL! Joe, you are sooo funny!
Hey Christy!my aunt was incredibly fastidious…she ironed her sheets, even. i actually loved it.ooooh, ironed sheets! That sounds heavenly to me. While I don’t iron my sheets, I am very particular about fluffing my pillows and smoothing my sheets every day. Hmmmm, she had a Venus/Mars conjunction like you do, only in Cancer instead of Aries. Venus/Mars conjunctions aren’t all that common in natal charts and here you have two in your immediate family. Cool!oh dear. is there a mercury rx coming up? i’m starting to jumble my words…LOL! Nah, just a Venus in Aries Rx . . .
As you described-I am not anal it is just that everyone close to me thinks that I am. I laughed so much and now feel warm all over.By the way I have always ascribed my analness to mars/ venus in Taurus and rising square saturn,moon, pluto in Leo in the 4t. I just like things to be nice.
Welcome, Singing Sparrow!By the way I have always ascribed my analness to mars/ venus in Taurus and rising square saturn,moon, pluto in Leo in the 4t. Yeah, that would do it! Mars/Venus in Taurus is a wonderful sensual combo. Makes me think of not only ironed sheets but lightly misted with lavender water before ironing! My mother talked about using something called a Mangle Iron during the thirties & forties for pressing sheets, pillow cases, etc. Practically impossible to find now.I just like things to be nice.ROFL!!!
And those mangles scared me to death but they were the machine of the grownup women in my life. I knew that I would one day be able to manage one but as you say by the time I was equal to the honor they were gone.
Oh wow, Astrodatabank!!:D*happy dance*great for snoops like me.Wait, you don’t iron your sheets?…I’m not sure, but perhaps. I do have some strongly idiossincratic methods in doing things, especially house chores. But I’m not organized neither. You only have to look at my desk.
Oh wow, Astrodatabank!!:DYup! And they list birthdays in the left sidebar each day. Perfectly marvelous for those of us with curious minds (that’s the polite was of saying “snoopy”) heeI don’t iron my sheets but I do fold them right out of the dryer and prefer hanging them on a clothesline to dry in the sun and fresh air. But that’s only possible from April thru October. This year is very bad yet . . . it’s snowing again today! YUCK
I have Pluto in Virgo and you would think I’d be very anal about details but, in fact, I HATE them. I hate having to focus on details and going over things over and over again. This is a problem in my present job, where I have to do these intricate weekly reports that must have accurate data. Oh, I can’t tell you what a pain in the ass they are! I feel like I really try and try and nevertheless I’m always making one tiny mistake. And then my boss and my boss’ boss rake me over the coals. Details. I hate them.
Hey Eme Kah!I have Pluto in Virgo and you would think I’d be very anal about details but, in fact, I HATE them. I hate having to focus on details and going over things over and over again.You have a natal Mercury-Neptune square (plus Moon in Pisces opposing Pluto) giving you a wonderful imagination but making it very tough to do detail work. Maybe that’s why you feel like the proverbial square peg on the job!
Huh. You know, I never knew about that aspect. I thought my Merc was unaspected. Anyway, yes, I’m a big picture kind of person. Or, rather, I can only focus on details if the work itself is creative in nature. Then it’s no problem… But don’t worry. I’m slowly slowly manifesting my dream career. I am very good at manifesting. OOh, can you do a blog post on manifesting and astrological aspects? Please?
Dear Neith,Very enlightening post. I have Mercury and Mars conjunct my ascendant, and Pluto and Saturn square my ascendant. I am a bit anal with details, but not with organizing, myself (no planets in earth signs). I also share your quality of loving friends intently when with them, but keeping track of only a few after we part. I attribute that to my strong Scorpio (all or nothin) influence in my chart. Birth data: 10/15/46 born 7:49 a.m., Crawfordsville, IN.I suspect we are close to the same age.Sally
Hey Eme Kah!OOh, can you do a blog post on manifesting and astrological aspects? Please?It is noted! One of the times I’m most aware my Mercury falls on the 12th house side of my ASC, is when this sort of request is made because if I sleep on it, the information will filter up to my conscious mind. Rather strange but that’s the way it works.
Welcome Sally!I have Mercury and Mars conjunct my ascendant, and Pluto and Saturn square my ascendant. I am a bit anal with details, but not with organizing, myself (no planets in earth signs).Well said!
BTW, while I’m sure there are plenty of exceptions, most of the people I’ve known with Moon in Virgo have messy homes. However! They can lay their hands on any item at will. The organization is all held in their minds (Mercury rules Virgo).
“One of the times I’m most aware my Mercury falls on the 12th house side of my ASC, is when this sort of request is made because if I sleep on it, the information will filter up to my conscious mind. Rather strange but that’s the way it works.
”I use this approach all the time! It works like a charm with life problems, dilemmas, writing and even with creating Excel charts.I have known a lot of EXTREMELY messy Virgo Suns, btw. But I mean extremely.
Yah, I’m anal alright! And I’m seeing it even more now that I am in a relationship. !