A more balanced view is that Venus in Virgo is a time when pleasure is derived by understanding the fine details of life, be they related to love or work. An appreciation for refinement in the arts, food, nature and people is more likely during this period. This can help further the development of skills and techniques in all areas of creative expression.

In personal relationships Venus in Virgo can correspond with excess criticism. The idea is to take the sharpened perceptions of the moment and apply with a constructive, rather than destructive, attitude. In this way so-called "faults" are not reasons to tear down a person, but to clarify the issues that need attention and adjustment. This positive approach can make this a time in which relationships grow through greater awareness of what makes them tick and, thus, help to iron out the kinks. Passion flows more freely when obstacles are removed. Work makes way for love.

That handy expert in life's little refinements, Martha Stewart, was born with Venus in Virgo, as was fellow foodie Julia Child. Tennis champions Martina Navratilova, Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe, and the great conqueror of more than basketball, Wilt Chamberlain, also have this in their birth charts.

Hollywood couple Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas share Venus in Virgo, along with singers Chrissie Hynde, Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt. Ms. Perfect Julie Andrews is a different kind of Venus in Virgo singer, as is Luciano Pavarotti. Penny Marshall, Carrie Fisher, Catherine Deneuve, Robert DeNiro, Robert Redford and Chevy Chase also belong to this group.

Conservatives Jesse Helms, Jerry Falwell and Casper Weinberger represent one end of the poltical spectrum, while George McGovern and William Kunstler come from the other. Ex-football coach Jimmy Johnson is a perfectly coiffed example of Venus in Virgo precision, but revolutionary rocker John Lennon reminds us that these symbols can stretch to include less conventional forms of personal expression.