August Virgo vs. September Virgo: An Astrologer Explains the Difference

You don’t need me, an astrologer, to tell you that not everyone born during the same zodiac season has a similar personality. There are many ways to explain this. The first and most important one being that knowing someone’s sun sign is but one instrument in the symphonic journey that is a birth chart. But did you know that each sun sign can actually be broken down into three different types?

The phenomenon that shows up in memes as August Virgos vs. September Virgos (or July Leos vs. August Leos, etc.) can actually be attributed to something called: the Decans. Decans are 10-degree intervals of the zodiac or 10-day periods of the year. Decans have been used in magical, spiritual and astrological work throughout history. As far back as the 3rd millennium BCE! But how do they show up in our everyday life? Why are some Virgos in love with their lists while others are messy explorers of mystical arts? Let’s explore the three Virgo types.

• AKA: August Virgos
• Dates: August 23 - September 2
• Personality: "Attention to Detail Virgo," "Bullet Journal Virgo," "Cupcakes from Scratch Virgo"
• Virgo I Celebs: Blake Lively, Padma Lakshmi, Zendaya, Cameron Diaz

Virgo I people—who some might call August Virgos, or if they’re being shady, “Leo-like Virgos”—are thoughtful, attentive and insightful. Virgo is a mutable earth sign, ruled by communication planet Mercury. Those born in the first ten days of the sign are also ruled by the sun, our big hot fiery ball of life force energy. Similar to sign neighbor Leo, Virgo I’s are proud of what they do. These Virgos want to be recognized for how they bring chaos to order. Virgo I’s are the meticulous craftspeople and detail-oriented business owners and the cutesy home decorators. These are the bullet journal Virgos. The Virgos who keep a Notion spreadsheet of everyone’s birthday and always show up to the party with a perfectly curated card, a bouquet of (affordable!) flowers, and cupcakes baked from scratch. 

• AKA: September Virgos
• Dates: September 2 - 11
• Personality: "Beauty Influencer Virgo," "Libra-Like Virgo," "Beyoncé Virgo"
• Virgo II Celebs: Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba, Beyoncé, Adam Sandler

Virgo II people—often meme’d as “September Virgos” or “Libra-like Virgos”—are just as into lists and order as those born the first ten days of their season. But these Virgos, like sign neighbor Libra, also have a real sense of style. The second decan of Virgo is ruled by Venus, planet of love, beauty and connection. Though Venus is in the sign of her fall in Virgo, in this decan, Virgo becomes a beauty influencer. This is a Virgo who works as an eco-conscious clothing designer (a Virgo II childhood friend of mine owns a sustainable fabric bridal shop!), a visionary software engineer, or in quality control for a major corporation. This is the Virgo who is always strategizing how to make things run smoother and look better. If the point hasn’t been hammered home already, know that Beyoncé is a Virgo II so yes, this is the decan of the most stylish and talented moguls.

• AKA: The Most Virgo of Them All
• Dates: September 12-22
• Personality: "The Wise Agent of Chaos Virgo," "Mercury-Ruled Virgo," "Deconstructed Virgo"
• Virgo III Celebs: Amy Winehouse, Leonard Cohen, Nas, Amy Poehler

The third Virgo type is often left out of the August vs. September Virgo discourse. What’s interesting is that Virgo III might be the most Virgo of all. Unlike Virgo I’s who take pride in their arrangements, and Virgo II’s who are always doing it for the photo op, Virgo III’s, who were born during the last ten days of Virgo season, are the ones who most embody Virgo’s mutable chaos. This part of the zodiac is doubly ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication, technical skills and destabilization. When Mercury is strong, we don’t just write a list, we take things apart so we can put them back together again. This is the part of Virgo that gets messy. Virgo III is the artist and writer and poet Virgo. Both Amy Winehouse and Leonard Cohen were born with their sun in Virgo III. Though the other two Virgos are more stylish and direct and easier to make fun of in memes, this is the Virgo that though a bit worn down, is actually the most prepared. Virgo III knows that all things must end, and thus, you have to get your affairs in order, especially those that aren’t so neat and tidy.

Subscribe to Jaime Wright’s newsletter for more musings on the stars.