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"A fine, open equatorial constellation with its brighter stars well distributed, occupying the ecliptic between Leo and Libra. Its leader alpha (Spica, magnitude 1.0) shines prominently in the south on a northern spring evening."
The description of Virgo by James Muirden, one of the world's great skygazers, is an illustration of the role personal perception plays in sky watching. Virgo always appears to me as a few strings of dim stars strung out over a large area of the southern sky. Not only do they lack any definable pattern (in my eyes at any rate), but they never rise far enough above the horizon for me to get a good look at them. The best way to find Virgo, so that you can make your own decision is to jump over from a neighboring constellation. Sweep your eyes along the handle of the Big Dipper and reach the read star, Arcturus of Bootes (a summer constellation), continue your sweeping in a gentle curve till the next bright star. It should be alpha Virginis, Spica, the only bright star in the area.
Spica is Latin for the ear of wheat held in Virgo's hand. Virgo, the sixth sign of the zodiac, is for the most part south of the ecliptic and any bright points in the area other than Spica will be planets.
The Greeks associated Virgo with Astraea, the daughter of Zeus who lived on and rules the Earth during the Golden Age. Her reign lasted unto bronze and iron were invented and men started to wage war on one another.