Apple

This little watercolor depicts a single apple, perfectly ripe. Painted in watercolor on paper, its vibrant reds stand out clearly against the paper's stark white. At lower right, a bit of shadow situates the fruit in space by indicating it occupies a flat surface, but otherwise the painting concentrates solely on the apple. This subject harmonizes well with the astrological sign Virgo, which comes at the end of summer when apples and many other crops have reached ripeness. Represented by a woman holding stalks of wheat, Virgo long has been associated with harvest time. This deeply practical earth sign is adept at separating life's valuable wheat from its worthless chaff, in part because its ruler, Mercury, gives it an airy intelligence that achieves exceptional clarity by analyzing fine detail. Often, those born under this sign apply this skill to food and health, choosing what is best for their bodies (such as apples and other fresh items) in order to support excellent health.