This Virgo box is made of mango wood and measures 10 × 10 cm at the base and 6 cm high. Gold dots cover the dark blue lid around a cream circle. Inside it is a young woman’s face with two flowers in her long, wavy hair and a large crescent moon beneath her. Twelve sections around her hold the zodiac constellations. Two small hinges hold the lid at the back, with a metal clasp at the front. Lift it and the lid stays open on its hinges. Made in India; you receive one box.
Spica, the star of the wheat
Old pictures show Virgo holding an ear of wheat. The brightest star of the constellation is Spica, a Latin word for an ear of grain. Virgo season runs roughly from 23 August to 22 September.
Tradition has it that Virgos love order, notice details and are glad to help others.
An earth sign at summer’s end
Virgo is an earth sign, together with Taurus and Capricorn. Astrology links it to Mercury, just like Gemini. Of all the figures in the zodiac, Virgo is the only woman.
Spare buttons and safety pins
A tidy Virgo can keep this box next to the sewing basket. A handful of spare buttons, a few safety pins and a small reel of thread fit inside. If you would rather keep jewellery in it, there is plenty of room for rings and earrings. Larger sewing scissors will not fit, but the buttons stop rolling around the drawer. Wipe the lid with a dry, soft cloth and never soak the wood.
A late August or September birthday is a good occasion for it, as a Virgo will see their own sign on the lid. Peridot is the birthstone for August and sapphire for September.