Raised by Virgo

My Dad turned 80 on September 9th.

He never thought he would live this long. In fact, he didn't think he would see 50, so according to his own projected timeline, he has now enjoyed 30 years of gravy. Ha!

Dad and his three girls on his 80th birthday. ❤️

Harrison's Dad, Harry, would have turned 94 on September 14th had he not passed away in his 91st year.

So Harrison and I both have Virgo Dads.

And that is actually a thing.

My empirical evidence, gathered over decades of working with astrology clients, has convinced me that it matters what sign you were raised by. There is plenty in the birth chart describing our experience of our parents, particularly the placement and condition of the Sun and Moon, but I also find it fascinating when I meet someone raised by the same sign I was. I lean in when I meet someone who was raised by an Aquarius mom, too.

Now, not all Virgos are created equal, and not all siblings experience the same parent in the same way. Some get the meaty bone and some get the scraps. But Harrison and I both got a lot of the good Virgo from our Dads.

These were men who took care of practical things. They provided. They cared about education and direction. They created fun for us as children and were genuinely excited when we came home as adults. Always.

My Dad was a grocer and butcher who owned his own business, just like his father. They worked together for most of Dad's adult life, and if you get to know my Dad, one of his favourite things to tell you is:

"We worked together 38 years and NEVER had a bad word between us!"

And man, that really is something to brag about.

Both of our fathers deeply respected their parents and took care of them until the end. They believed in duty and service. Different lives. Same Virgo bones.

Interestingly, Harrison and I have both worked for Virgo bosses and quickly became favourite employees. You learn how to please them when you've been raised by a good Virgo. Not placate them. Please them.

Be dutiful. Arrive before start time. Work hard. Be mindful of money. Never steal so much as a ketchup packet, or I'll report you myself. (Direct quote from my father.)

And be mannerly. Virgos love manners. On a larger scale, I think it's why they can make such good diplomats.

Your house, your rules.

Which brings me to Harrison's first meeting with my Dad.

It was the summer of 2006 and Mom and Dad were at our cottage on the Northumberland Shore of Nova Scotia. And when I say cottage, I mean an actual cottage. Dad built it himself for about $2,000. You could poke holes through the walls between rooms and we didn't have an indoor shower for the first ten years.

Harrison and I arrived after driving 17 hours straight from Toronto and were desperate to get into the ocean. After hugs and snacks, we went to change into our suits.

Harrison hissed at me, "I don't think your Dad likes me!"

"Dad likes everyone. What are you talking about?"

"He offered me beer and pepperoni, but I didn't want that in my stomach if we were going swimming."

I stared at him.

"YOU SAID NO TO BEER AND PEPPERONI?"

I told Harrison to say yes to whatever Dad offered next.

And that's how he got drunker than I've ever seen him on Captain Morgan rum, told my parents he intended to marry me and eventually puked into the bulrushes beside the cottage.

Dad liked him just fine after that.

When Harrison and I first started dating, I was nervous about meeting his father. Harry was a Superior Court justice in Ontario who presided over serious criminal cases. I was a small-town girl from Nova Scotia with a BA, a history of working in restaurants and a secret life as an astrologer.

How was that going to go?

I needn't have worried.

Never once did Harry make me feel small. He made me feel warmly welcomed, thoroughly enjoyed and like it was a treat to see us every time we visited. He loved telling stories and I loved encouraging him to tell them, so we were a very good match.

One thing he was especially proud of was the address he gave jurors before they went away to deliberate. No matter how complex the case or complicated the evidence, Harry had refined it until it lasted exactly one hour. He explained their job, the burden of proof and how to approach the task in front of them.

What pleased him most was that when he finished, there were rarely any questions. That tells you a lot about Harry. He was known as an extremely fair judge who took time with young lawyers, and if one needed putting in their place, he did it privately in chambers rather than humiliating them in court.

It never mattered to him that I came from a family with less money or didn't have a grander career. He also never asked why Harrison and I weren't having children because, you see, that wouldn't have been polite.

And speaking of polite, after Harry and I had enjoyed a few drinks together I would inevitably start swearing, and he'd get after me. He thought swearing was terrible. Lol.

A butcher and grocer in Nova Scotia. A Superior Court judge in Ontario. Two very different men and two very different lives, but something recognizably Virgo ran through them both.

Do your work well. Respect people. Mind your manners. Take care of what is yours to take care of. Don't embarrass somebody unnecessarily. Don't waste money.

Don't steal the ketchup packets.

And when somebody you love comes home, be happy to see them. ❤️