Tag Archives: Venus

Venus Squares, Again! His Juno, Angles, and What Makes You Vulnerable?

30 Wednesday Sep 2009

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Hi Julie,
I don’t really know how to begin this question, so…I’m just gonna lay out my concerns.
I want love, I need love, I crave it; but I’m just so SCARED!
I have Venus Square Saturn, Venus Square Chiron, Venus Square Midheaven, Venus Square the North and South Node’s, Venus Semi-Square Moon, and Venus is also in my twelfth house. Actually, I have very few “good” aspects in my chart…I must have some major karma baggage or something.

It feels as if I’m just not meant for love, that it’s just always going to be a losing battle.
Consultations I’ve had with some astrologers just drive home this fear, one woman told me I’d be in my sixties before I found love, and another actually pointed out to me that I also have Ascendant Square Saturn, which he says indicates a delay in love, for the fact that the vibe I put off means nobody will want to start a relationship with me…great, something else to obsess about.

And, not to get too personal here, but I haven’t had the best relationship’s with men…none I could depend on.
An absent father (Sun Square Saturn), and an extremely authoritarian grandfather (Pluto in the first), so I know that adds to the fear.

But, when I do seem to finally get in a relationship, I sabotage it..and I have no clue why!?
The same thing happens every time, I start to feel guilty, start thinking that this guy deserves better than me, that I’m not worthy, why am I being selfish keeping this guy committed to me when he can find someone who’s better.
So, inevitably I break it off…and I’m back to my lonely self.

With all the square’s to my Venus it’s gonna be work concerning love, I know that much…
Your Venus Square Saturn post was really helpful and probably the first encouraging thing I’ve read concerning that particular aspect, so any help on the other ones? Or just any advice at all?

Sorry for rambling and writing such a long post.

I know I’m still pretty young, so please don’t think I’m foolish for my concerns, notice all that Saturn in my chart, I’m an old soul. 😉

Thanks for your time.

Hi O,
I think you’ve laid the actual, real-life problem out in your letter, as your chart suggests you’ve been sold a bill of goods by astrologers who’ve been playing a little fast and loose with orbs, and who may have found it easier to whip up your fears than to tell you the Venus and Saturn pictures are not what you think they are–in fact, difficulties lie elsewhere entirely. Let’s talk about the chart first, then we’ll see how you’ve been shaping your relationships, one withdrawal at a time.

First, Saturn is not square Venus, and it’s not square the Ascendant, either; sometimes it’s tempting to make orbs bigger than we should, in order to support the client’s expressed reality–but if we look elsewhere, which is really our job, we always find the source of the client’s upset–and a correct vision of reality (or at least something close) is the only thing that equips us to change that reality to our liking.
Venus semi-squares the Moon=some dissonance between your concept of love (which, with Venus in Libra, may be overly romanticized according to society’s idea of love and relationship) and your emotional perceptions and needs–you may be aware of the friction here, and I think you are–but it appears you may have decided that your needs are overblown or out of whack, rather than that your idea of what constitutes love needs re-vamping–and I would say it’s the opposite. Venus, in Libra in the 12th, closely conjunct the Ascendant, the Sun in the 1st, and Mercury in the 1st, both also in Libra=this places the concept of love in the subconscious (where it may not be understood or examined consciously, because it’s difficult for you to grasp–and this is where that societal image of what it should be comes in, so that you may substitute that for your own concept of love, and thus neatly shoot yourself in the foot), and this also unites love and values, communication and thought, and the Soul urge, identity, and personality very tightly, so that it may be almost impossible for you to distinguish these concepts from you–they seem to be who you are–and the Sun and Mercury so close ushers in a difficulty in perceptual accuracy and clear thought–there can be a tendency for someone with this relationship between the Sun and Merc to see his or her thoughts as constituting their Beingness, and words and concepts can powerfully form the identity and influence the Soul’s expression.

Venus sextiles Pallas=this exemplifies an idea that’s echoed throughout the chart, that as a woman you are wise, confident, and skilled, with much to offer–if you can access that positive Libran ideal of yourself. Venus is conjunct the ASC=beauty, grace–you are somehow a shining example of these, with a lovely personality–and this too is echoed throughout the chart–so no, you are not giving off a nasty vibe of ‘stay away’! Quite the opposite.

Venus also makes one other aspect, a square to Chiron–I think we’ve got a winner! Here’s a big part of the problem–you perceive yourself to be severely wounded in the love area, and if we see ourselves a particular way, we tend to act that out–so despite your having had any number of suitors, you, by your own testimony, dump them before they can dump you (and it’s very egotistical, by the way, to follow a train of thought that says “I’m not good enough for this guy, I feel so guilty taking up his wonderfulness so that someone better than me can’t have him, I’ll spare him my bad Self and break up!” Huh? You are desperately hoping to receive love, but won’t participate in a relationship? Listen up, young lady: Others get to decide their relationship to you, and also what they think of you–you can’t control that and shouldn’t try–to believe you can and should is grandiose.

Chiron is also involved in a T-square with the Sun/ Earth axis, Mercury and Venus, is sesquiquadrate the Moon, semi-square Mars, trine Juno, and opposed Saturn, as well as sitting at the midpoint of the trine between Vesta and Ceres. All these feed that concept of wounded Self into vital life energies, gumming things up and making you doubt the veracity of your emotions, making you feel you can’t get along with males (a little friction, in your case, is normal and good, as it will help you focus on who you are and what you need), and a word about Chiron opp Saturn–it is likely manifesting for you as swinging between denial and suppression of hurt, and total indulgence in it. The goal is to connect to reality and express the Chirotic gift (Cancer) in the world, possibly in a communication or educational capacity (3rd/9th involvement).

That’s the heart of things, as I see it. With all that Libra, I know finding partnership is very very important to you (I know, I have four planets there)–but you are young, and to fret about not having found your life companion before you’ve even reached twenty is impractical–you aren’t ‘cooked’ yet, you’ve got many things to do, see, and learn, especially about yourself–you don’t want him to come along and not be interested in you, which is a distinct possibility if your focus is on nothing but finding a partner–so get your life going, take your mind off love, and it will come to you (and you can’t fool the Universe, don’t just pretend to busy yourself–really set some goals and go to work!)

A couple of hints: Sedna, the body that represents our ‘blind spot’ in life, is placed in your 7th (partners!) and is exactly square Jupiter (the social arena).  You may tend to look in the wrong places for mates–and your use of the word ‘obsess’ with obvious familiarity with the obsessive state, might suggest that Pluto is a stronger force in your life than you may think–reaching out to destroy and cause obsession when held subconsciously or when we try to repress what should come to light, but powerful in its ability to transform when accepted as a positive ally–just sayin’

You come across as a truly lovely person, with a bright, effervescent spirit and many gifts–love will come to you, and you won’t have to wait until your 60s! Just take a step back, deal with the world as it is, and let go of the notion that you are so flawed you’ll never find love–because when you say that, you’re talking about romantic love, and the reality is that actual, sustaining, nurturing love is all around us all, all the time–let that in, know you are worthy of it, and romantic love won’t be far behind.
Thank you for your letter, O, and best wishes!
jd
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Hello Julie

Help me to understand the Juno of my boyfriend, because worries me: Juno in twelve house in Libra (Libra is the ascendant too and the Sun in Virgo 11 house) and with the following aspects: trine Moon, conjunct Venus, Mercury, Mars and Pluto, semi-sextile North Node, semi-square Ceres and square Vesta. Too many planets in twelve house (all in Libra)and Juno to. North Node is in Scorpio, first house.

Please help me to understand.

Hi R,
I don’t know exactly what you’re concerned about, though it seems you’re focused on the fact that there are many 12th House placements, and that one of them is Juno–and you need to understand that that isn’t necessarily bad at all. It may mean that your boyfriend naturally is secretive, or at least contains himself, his thoughts and intentions, as a matter of course, and this can make others, especially those who don’t have a 12th House affinity, very uneasy. Without a full chart I can’t really say too much, though I would suggest this: I would guess that his energies (subconscious and conscious) are very much deployed into the partnership/ mate arena (Juno conjunct Venus and Mars, Libra involvement)–and that the goal might be his own personal power ends (Scorpio NN in the 1st). That implies that if you’re a more submissive sort, you may be a sought-after mate for him, and a possible victim, at least in terms of autonomy and exercise of your own power. With Juno conjunct Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Pluto, your boyfriend may be very Self-contained, in many ways, and it seems this raises alarm bells of some kind for you. So much, in fact, depends upon your own personality make-up, your strengths, weaknesses, and preferences, that to say whether this is a good relationship for you is impossible. I wish you well, R, and urge you to listen to your intuition, and let it be your guide.
jd                                                                                                   

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Hi Julie!

My son has always said he wouldn’t have many girlfriends, as most young people do, but he would be the man of one woman. And indeed, being serious and slow in everything he does (Sun conjunct Saturn, I guess), he waited till he was 25 to find HER. Now they live together and things seem to go well. Yes, his Venus-Mars conjunction in Virgo falls exactly on her Ascendant and her Moon is in his 7th house.Yet I have a query: can love last when it is based on contacts between one person’s planets and the other’s axes? Is it as dynamic and fulfilling as contacts between the 2 persons’ planets?
Many thanks, K

Hi K!

This is an excellent question–yes, contacts to the angles from planets in another person’s chart, and vice versa, can be every bit as dynamic and binding as planet to planet contacts, provided the birth times are completely accurate. Since angles are dependent on the local time at the point on Earth where someone was born, it’s extremely important to have as accurate a birth time as possible. When the Ascendant and Midheaven, especially, seem to be responsive to transits and Solar Arcs, with corresponding life events sometimes correlating, then we can be sure that the timing is very close to perfect.

In looking at the two charts, I see why you’ve asked this question, as the contacts are not as compelling as we might typically see between lovers. If you’d like to know what I think, K, please email me and I’ll give you a brief rundown.

Thank you for your question, and my best to all three of you!

jd

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And finally, what makes you vulnerable? An experience I had last evening made me start thinking of this, as I became deeply emotional as the Moon passed over my Ascendant (I had the experience, then later found this was so–I’m not one who is living my life with a ticking clock and transit chart in my head–not that there’s anything wrong with that!) So I wanted to ask

On Purpose

06 Sunday Sep 2009

Posted by in astrology, Consciousness Explored, current events in the sky

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I was listening to Dr. Wayne Dyer (http://www.drwaynedyer.com/) speak this morning on Purpose; how we as individuals are prone to continually ask, ‘What is my Purpose?’ (at least, those who have reached the stage of considering such things–though I tend to think even those who are totally unconscious in their Beingness are ‘working the Universe’ the same as everyone else, with the same goals and intentions, though their true goals are much more likely to remain unknown to them!) and Dr. Dyer says that the asking of the question is our Purpose trying to re-connect with us; and in tandem with this, he quoted a teacher of his (the name escapes me– apologies to this individual) who, when queried on how he could experience peace when others suffered all around the globe, replied, in essence, that nothing in his life was an accident. Together, these two ideas, that our Purpose is at every moment trying to connect to us, and that nothing is unintentional, combine to suggest that, even in our darkest, most misguided, or confused moments we are seeking to make contact with our Purpose, and that nothing we do is without point, without an opportunity to express who we are and why we’re here.

So, we can approach the idea of Purpose in a very simple, straightforward way: the Purpose for each and every one of us is this: to add to the World. That’s all. The term ‘Purpose’ is almost useless when we look at it this way, as the inclination is to believe that purpose itself comes from the outside, like being cast in a role in a movie, or as if it’s something with almost magical properties for happiness (possibly that we chose pre-birth) and that now, if we can just discover it, all elements of our life will fall into place–no more problems, serenity NOW!–while if we see it as ‘what we add to the World,’ we see that it consists of literally every thought, word, and deed, and that all of these are a matter of personal choice, with total control and responsibility (the ability to respond) falling squarely to ourselves.

And now, a bevy of excellent contributions to the World:

Enlightened discourse on the state of our union  http://starsoverwashington.blogspot.com/2009/09/falling-romes-and-americas-us-sec-full.html

The joy of Saturn/ Uranus in action http://lucywatchthesky.com/2009/09/02/hands-up-who-wants-to-die-a-cardinal-t-square-a-saturn-uranus-opposition-and-one-exhausted-lucy/

Fun with maps http://questionofmindfulness.wordpress.com/2009/09/06/relocation-charts/#more-1730 

Lessons in love http://laurenlesko.com/7939 

And a few notes on upcoming influences:

Jupiter, Chiron, and Neptune are all paddling in reverse right now as fast as they (figuratively) can, which I anticipate means it’s a form of ‘every energy for itself’! Expect these to seemingly pop up on the grassy knoll of your life like a lone assassin (though of course we know they really aren’t working alone), with each bringing to matters of the House transited and/ or the natal energy contacted the following: Jupiter bringing the tendency to exaggerate or overdo (or perhaps broadcast indiscriminately), Chiron struggling to control the sense or possibility of wounding, and Neptune making it at least as tough for you to see clearly as it was for Michael Jackson’s kids when they were still veiled, masked, or, like the little one, wearing a blanket, translated as your own private sense-muffling Idaho, which of course only confuses us all the more with the onset of Merc retro. Just take it easy, would be my admonition.

Venus is sextile Ceres (love, relationships, finances, or values must be negotiated, and/ or nature takes a gentle, season-changing swing at our assets or what we love); Venus then sesquiquadrates Juno the 7th and 8th (this demands adjustment of assets, relationships, or values to accommodate the needed empowerment position); and then Venus quincunxes Earth, and they travel in aspect together now through the 15th (we can’t avoid rearranging or modifying Venusian subjects as required either by our current material circumstances or by what we must seek in order to create a more copacetic material environment).

Thanks, everyone–you’ve all been incredibly supportive and encouraging as I ease off online engagement–though as you can see, I’ll still be back plenty–have a great week!

Just in case you’re wondering, I used hitchhiker’s screen name in the tags only because, though I know her actual name, it’s not even hinted at on her site–so I thought discretion was in order.

What You’re Asking: Composites, Political Suns, and Venus! Venus! Venus!

21 Tuesday Apr 2009

Posted by in 12th House, aspects and placements, astrology, Venus

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Please explain composite charts–

Composites are composed of the nearer midpoint pictures of each energy of two natal charts in relation to each other; some astrologers place them by figuring the composite Ascendant and using the preferred House system, placing the cusps from there, some use a more literal approach and figure each cusp based on the two natal cusps. This method is used widely in studying relationships, particularly between mates.

If you are an astrologer who uses composites, I say, More power to you! Many astrologers feel they get very illuminating results with this method. I don’t use composites, and here’s why: when we enter into a relationship, we don’t lose our individuality and morph into a single, compromise being; we instead act and react based on the interactions of energies as represented within our individual charts. Above all else, we are unique Beings, and I don’t think that disappears when we enter relationship.

What is indicated when a man’s Juno is conjunct a woman’s Moon?

If these individuals are the appropriate ages in relation to each other, then the strongest possibility may be that they will be partners in parenting. He will see her nurturing, feeling, and maternal nature as perfect partnership material, while she would vibe strongly to his need for and model of partnership. The connection will be an emotional one on her part, and one that feels ‘right’ on his–but without more specifics we can’t begin to guess whether this would indicate a true, intimate partnership, or a functional one that focuses on raising children or centers on maintaining a household.

Is there a connection between politicians and having a 12th House Sun?

In order to try and get a handle on such a broad category, I looked into one of the most exclusive clubs on earth, those who hold the office of U.S. President. I found five presidents with 12th House Suns (though one, Andrew Jackson, is questionable due to uncertain birth time). The others are Chester A. Arthur, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Ulysses S. Grant. Anything stand out to you about this group? What struck me was the way four of the group (Jackson, Bush, Carter, and Grant) are all assessed in stark terms, with no shortage of those who would point to them as presidential failures.

Does a 12th House Sun limit abilities in some regard? No, not at all–but the aspects may say a little something more, and combined with a typical 12th House Sun’s fulfillment often coming in a behind-the-scenes capacity, could suggest that a 12th House Sun may find it extra difficult to act effectively as leader and figurehead for a nation–it tends to be harder for this placement to be seen, and you’ll note that most rose to prominence in another arena before entering politics (Grant and Jackson as generals, Bush as failed oilman, failed Rangers owner, and son of a President, Arthur as school teacher, lawyer, customs official, only elected to Vice-President and succeeding to the top office with Garfield’s assassination, and both Bush and Carter, a peanut farmer, were governors just before they won the office).

Arthur, second only to Millard Fillmore in forgetability

Arthur, second only to Millard Fillmore in forgetability

Astrologically the most notable thing was that these 12th House Suns didn’t enjoy many positive aspects; in fact, Bush and Carter have only hard aspects between their Suns and other natal energies, while Jackson has one positive aspect, Grant has a few trines, and Arthur a few sextiles–but even with these positives their Suns carry the brunt of some outnumbering negative aspects, as well. It’s more like these men rose to the presidency in spite of their 12th House Suns, and in suffering some of the difficulty a person with this placement faces in mustering support  to lead a country, they also suffered as carriers of the Collective shadow. All were president during especially unsettling and challenging times when the country itself was undergoing huge turmoil–and we may consider that this may be why, at least in part, they won out over others, as the populace sensed the ability of each to recede into the flow and change of the times.

Does Venus retrograde natally indicate unfaithfulness?

No. No one placement ever defines a behavior–and there’s also the matter of free will, and choice.

Does Venus in the 2nd indicate you’ll have a beautiful partner?

No; the 2nd indicates what assets you possess–and as we know, partner’s are not possessions!–and though physical beauty can be suggested by particular placements or configurations, we must remember, when it comes to people, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

What happens when Venus transits in Capricorn?

The general atmosphere may skew values and aesthetics toward the practical, the useful, and tempers lean toward the no-nonsense. We may appreciate things like architecture, industrial design, and civic improvements more than usual, and around the house we may stick to making sure systems run soundly. Cappy Venus can offer us a chance to make money through things we’ve already studied/ prepared, or through plain hard work–and love may boil down to what’s dependable, rather than what’s exciting.

See my latest over at Been There, Done That on men and mood http://askjulie.wordpress.com,  buy my work at http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com  and see my ongoing series on Juno at http://sasstrology.com

Is Your Love Conditional?

14 Tuesday Apr 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Consciousness Explored, relationship astrology, Venus

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Unconditional love is the love we’re all seeking, all the time, whether we’re aware of it or not, and in our ideal life, we’d be surrounded by it in every circumstance. But how often do we inspect the quality of the love we offer others? Often, we give it with expectations, assumptions, and qualifiers; and we may then ask, is it still really love? Yes, it is, it’s just that we may without realizing it hook needs of our own to loving someone else; ideally, we will in the course of a lifetime (or many!) learn to love purely, without those requirements or pre-conditions–but how?

Our expectations are often quite reasonable; for instance, we should expect to be treated well within an intimate relationship, as healthy Self-respect and Self-regard demand it. We run into a problem, though, when we say through our behavior, “I love him; he’s rude, arrogant, thoughtless, and cheats on me, but because I love him I must stay engaged in the relationship and try to change his behavior.”  This is based on the belief that everything would be fine if he would just conform to the mate’s expectations of treatment.We feel justified in demanding this because, well, we say we love him. But what we fail to realize is that love is beside the point; love can exist no matter the behaviors of any of the parties, it’s intimate relationship that’s where we must choose to be with those who treat us well–and we must do this by recognizing and accepting another’s behavior as it is, not as we think it should be.

Too often we are attracted to someone, draw closer, and then immediately begin to judge their attitudes and behavior. We feel that we can criticize and demand changes because we claim to love the individual–but what do we love if we don’t accept them as they are?

What we must learn not to do is tie our own willingness to love another to how they treat us, how they behave, or what they are out in the world; and we can only love another by seeing and accepting who they are. What I’m saying is this: we must learn to love without condition, even as we love ourselves enough not to continue in relationship with those who don’t love and respect us. It’s very simple: at the bottom of every successful and loving intimate relationship is a love for Oneself that says, “I love you no matter what; but to stay in intimate connection to me, you must continue to behave in a loving and respectful manner.” If the partner doesn’t treat us kindly, we can continue to love them, but we don’t need to remain in an intimate relationship with them–in fact, we cannot stay in intimate relationship with them if we love ourselves. Part of our weakness in loving both ourselves and others is to confuse the two, to believe that a love relationship exists even when our partner is behaving in an unloving way. It’s true that love may exist, but a loving relationship does not–and that is the heart of how we must choose our companions. It’s noble to continue to love someone who mistreats you–it isn’t noble in the least to remain open to, vulnerable to, and in intimate contact with someone who mistreats you. A truly loving attitude toward others is not based in how they treat us, but a relationship is.

One of the most mature and loving things we can do for ourselves is to recognize when we are in a close relationship where love and respect are not shown to us and to say, as Buddha is reported to have done when confronted on the path by an angry man, “I respectfully decline your gift of anger, and ask that you keep it for yourself.” You see, we may love someone, but just because they offer us something ugly or destructive doesn’t mean we must accept it. To subject ourselves to the unloving denigration of others is to treat ourselves in an unloving way–and if we don’t love ourselves, we don’t have love to give others–because we simply can’t give away what we don’t have, and if we don’t have a resource for ourselves, tangible or intangible, we are unable to share that resource with others. So, to remain in a relationship where we are treated badly is to be unable to love, since to continue involvement says we do not love ourselves, and so cannot truly love another.

Where do we find the conditions we might place on our love? In the state of Venus in the natal chart, of course, but also in the situation of the Sun, as this represents the Soul, the essence of the pure love known as life energy, and in the condition of Neptune, as representative of our ideals. The Moon, too, might give us useful clues, as significator of the feeling nature and the intuition, and the Moon, Venus, and Neptune elaborate on how we relate to others in intangible ways.

With these ideas in mind, let’s look at the chart of Clara Petacci, 29 years younger cousin and mistress of dictator Benito Mussolini, born 28 February 1912 at 10:15 AM Rome, Italy. Clara’s Venus sits on the Midheaven just minutes inside the 10th in Aquarius and conjunct ruler Uranus which sits in the 9th, making the love nature the most visible part of the Self, seen publicly and emblematic of the reputation, making it almost, unfortunately, Clara’s career. Being placed in Aquarius likely only confused the matter for her, as Aquarian Venus may mistake ideas for love, and values having modern attitudes toward relationship–and what could be more modern in tradition bound, early 20th century Catholic Italy than ‘free love’ (very Aquarian!) and status as an openly acknowledged mistress? clara-petacci

Her Venus rules the 1st and 6th, making it integral to the persona and to everyday interaction and activity. It trines Mars, ruler of the 12th, and here we have a suggestion that co-operation with the male energies in the life might be not only easy and comfortable, but an expression of love with origins in the subconscious (12th connection). The only other aspect for Venus is a semi-square to Juno, automatically linking Venusian subjects to personal empowerment as a woman. With so few contacts it may have been inevitable that Venus was able to express in only the handful of ways she knew how.

Her Moon is in Cancer in the 2nd, making for a sensitive and nurture-seeking and giving nature, the success of which likely was reflected in how she felt about and saw herself, a Moon expression more vulnerable than most to the emotional appeal of a mistress’ situation of caretaking and ‘special’ status. Her Sun is in Pisces conjunct Chiron in the 11th; this may have only reinforced the idea that she and her nature were the commodities she had to share with the world. It’s a hyper-sensitive combination and placement, to some extent dependent for identity security on feedback from friends and other allies, and likely imparting the feeling that she was very much synchronous with the Collective.

Her Neptune is, like the Moon, in Cancer, but in the 3rd, perhaps showing vulnerabilities in communication, and an idea that she may have felt connected to the Collective through thought and ideas–but it can also suggest she may have believed she knew what the Collective was thinking, and this is something she badly misjudged. At war’s end Clara Petacci suffered the same fate as her lover, shot, then the next day dragged through the streets, hung upside down, and mutliated by an angry mob, and I can’t help but wonder how shocked she must have been at the Collective she probably felt so much a part of, and which she was sure she understood, turning on her as all the things she valued through Venus came crashing down.

Clara Petacci clearly attached love to the world of concepts and ideas, to the subconscious, to animus energies in herpetacci-portrait life (and it appears she probably ceded her own animus to Mussolini, as well), and had a deep need to be loved and nurtured on both an individual and a larger, public level. Like all of us, she was looking for unconditional love and acceptance in the only ways she knew how. It’s rumored that in the last hours of her life she was offered the chance to go free, but she declined; and what kind of life would it have been for her if she had, having lost her Venusian status, the man who carried her animus, and her illusions about the nature of love and her role within the Collective? Clara confused her relationship with love itself, and in not sorting out the difference, would have suffered at the end of the war whether she’d gone on to live or ended her life as she did, at the hands of those for whom she was a symbol of the worst of Venus.

Please note, this article uses a Placidus chart for analysis. See my book on the astrology of intimate relationships at Dog and Sunflower Press http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com

A Meeting Between the Queen of the Mountain and the King of the Sea

25 Wednesday Mar 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, current events in the sky, Dark of the Moon

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juno So have the past few days just been an anticipation of this meeting between Juno, Queen of Olympus, and her brother-in-law Neptune, King of the Oceans? The run up to this through the Moon’s Dark period suggests the nature of the meeting may sneak up on us, and, depending on our circumstances, we may see what’s eventually revealed in one of several ways.

This may represent exactly what it sounds like, an instance of adulterous betrayal, a turning-to of one person to an inappropriate other; and what is the crime? A sharing that should not be, a breaking of trust and confidence between a commited pair, or revenge–after all, Juno was married to the biggest rake of all time, Jupiter/ Zeus, who, once the honeymoon was over, thought nothing of pursuing anyone he fancied; maybe Juno’s had enough of that. It can also signal a meeting between the heights and the depths, between the intellect and the emotions that may drive it, or symbolize an encounter between those inhabiting two entirely different environments, with probably predictably tumultuous results.

The cuckolded King of the gods

The cuckolded King of the gods

Or maybe for you this is more subtle, not the alliance of two gods, but an anima/animus clash that sees the female energies exercising Will and ego, and the male energies confused, delusional, or trying to realize a dream; in this instance, you may be attuned to the semi-sextile of Venus in Aries to Mars in Pisces. These two make oblique contact and we may see a reversal of the typical receptivity/ aggression labels; the usual suspects behave in opposite character in relation to each other, which can bring disorientation or behavior that is out-of-sync with one’s true nature. It can also bring forward struggles or disputes that are not really concerned with the subject, but with the too passive stance of what should be active, and/or the too assertive stance of what should be less defensive.

Or this may take a materially-centered tone with you, where the power that exerts overt control over all that can be seen must negotiate with he who rules all that is unseen, shown by Ceres’ trine to Pluto. This may be the easiest situation to deal with, as the interplay is relatively smooth and both sides end up satisfied (trine). The fact that the bargained-for items refer to tangible assets or physical things helps, as well; being able to see and weigh the objects of the negotiation makes it much easier to handle. This may in particular refer to situations of obtaining credit, negotiating for an initial salary or pay raise, the matter of possession of assets, or in choosing material investments.

Mercury moves into Aries before the Pisces Moon can come along by conjunction, so emotional perceptions about these past few days may not be completely formed into communicatable thoughts and words; this recent period may just be like a long dream that upon waking we are unable to share with others, but are molded by, or even haunted by, just the same.

Catch me on Twitter, jdem759, visit Been There, Done That http://askjulie.wordpress.com for the dish on relationships, and buy my work at http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com which features new, pdf versions of my books at a new low price!

Another Installment of ‘What You’re Asking’

12 Monday Jan 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Capricorn, Jupiter, Mercury retrograde

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There were so many great topics this week, I’m going to be doing this in two parts, and keeping answers brief (at least for me!) First up:

Is it okay to travel when Mercury is retrograde?

Excellent question, the kind of thing we think about when we try to apply astrology to real life, and find that sometimes it gets in the way! Why would travel be prohibited? Chiefly because Mercury rules movement, transportation, and in retrograde hitches are common, so we have a smaller chance of things running smoothly at this time, in a mechanical sense, and the electrical systems of vehicles can be more testy than usual, as well. But I think the real difficulty lies in the planning and communication aspect of things; inevitably, we think we’ve planned carefully for our moving day, only to find our route is blocked by a three-hour parade, or we agree to be at that place by the thing where we went that time, for lunch, and we think that means 12, and our meetee thinks lunch starts at 1. Where mechanical hold-ups can be addressed, and even anticipated, with a little care, it’s the thought processes behind our travel that may suffer, and upon which we can have least conscious effect.

Because of this, I wouldn’t recommend travel, particularly the kind where we’re at the mercy of a form of transport where we are not in charge (such as an airline or train) or where we’re at the whim of someone who may speed along well ahead of schedule and miss us (like a bus). Of course, there’s no reason to stop living life, just be prepared to deal with glitches and difficulties as they arise; typically the biggest problem is delay, and in this case, a little flexibility in expectations goes a long way. Best methodology for coping during travel on Mercury retrograde: use your intuition (Venus) in the moment; where the mind is muddled on the retrograde, the intuition is right on, and can, if accessed, make the trip an easy, and sense-filled, delight.

For more on activity during Mercury retrograde, see this https://juliedemboski.wordpress.com/re-examining-mercury-retrograde/

What is the combust degree for each planet?

Since we measure combustion from only one source, the Sun, all planets and bodies are considered combust within the same frame: 17 minutes from exactitude to 8.5 degrees, and other bodies cannot be combust each other–if we say “Mars is combust Venus,” well, we’re speaking gibberish! Closer than 17 minutes to the Sun is cazimi, a condition of fusion that is believed to greatly strengthen a planet. For more on the whys of all this, see https://juliedemboski.wordpress.com/mercury-combust-and-retrograde/

What are the likely health effects of Jupiter in Aquarius?

This question is highly individual, depending on how Jupiter and Aquarius are hooked into the health picture of the natal chart. We can venture a few guesses, though, mainly on what may be more susceptible at this time; for example, Jupiter rules the liver, and Aquarius is a fixed Air sign–under the ‘right’ circumstances in an individual’s chart, this could signal a hepatic embolism, or CNS damage (Aquarius) that comes from or causes liver damage; we might even see the pain of the intellectual situation spurring some toward drink; or when we look for society-wide effects, with Aquarius ruling the higher functions, and Jupiter symbolizing expansion and the social order, advances in autism studies and therapies are possible, or perhaps we’ll see a resurgence of interest in ‘remote viewing’ experimentation, or in good old mental health programs, and we may see fads in the direction of outdoor recreation, perhaps involving Jupiter’s big animals, such as equestrian events, or for international events, such as chess–or, Mathlympics, anyone?

How do I seduce a Venus in Capricorn?

Hey, is this the same person who asks about Capricorn every week? Haven’t you given up on Cappy yet? Or are Capricorns the latest irresistible sign, with their frowns and rules and big bulging wallets. Well, no matter, let’s see what we can do here. Venus tells us what appeals to someone; it explains their tastes in a sensual way, what’s pleasing, what’s appealing. We take a chance when we look only at Venus’ sign, though, as contacts can tell a much more effective story: Venus in Scorpio says they want a little mystery, but if that Venus is connected to Pluto, we might see a preference for dangerous sex (sex with strangers, sex on cliffs, sex in public), a taste for S/ M, or just someone who associates (sadly) pain, punishment, or destruction with love (and not even with sex, at that). So, Venus in Capricorn suggests the appeal of security, of rules and ‘safe’ words (in bed, or at a party, like when you say in the presence of your partner, “I love cupcakes!” when you desperately want to leave) and Cap finds the beauty in order and constraint–you can flirt with Venus in Capricorn by simply lifting an eyebrow, crisply serving a summons, or folding his or her laundry, really really neatly.

Seduction, however, is another matter; since seduction is about persuading, in essence gaining control of another, or at least drawing them to do your bidding, it is the antithesis of what Venus in Capricorn is about: he or she is in control of the sensual, of love and sex, thank you very much, and the goaty Venus will resist (and resent) mightily any attempt to connect that smacks of you having more control than they. So, the seduction scenario of Venus in Cap isn’t promising, because if they even get an inkling that they’re being seduced, they will bound up the rocky ledge of indifference and cold shoulder you until you go away. So, I’m sending all who are interested over to the experts at Sasstrology http://sasstrology.com/2008/09/astrology-of-kink-complex-capricorn.html  Or, for relationship analysis that gets into the whys and wherefores of attraction http://dogandsunflower.wordpress.com  Happy goat herding!

More to come!

The Package We Expect: Knowing Our Venus

03 Thursday Jul 2008

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, relationship astrology, Venus

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Most of us believe that inherent to our Beingness is an ability to discern a potential mate when we first see him or her. True, there is that thing we call chemistry, indicated astrologically by a variety of cross-chart contacts (usually those involving ‘heat’=Mars, Vesta, Eros; intensity and a pull to darkness=Pluto; desire=Venus, Vesta, Eros; and/ or the 5th or 8th Houses) and there is compatibility, the way two personalities complement each other, and of course there is love–but the odd part is how we think we will know the mate when we encounter him or her–and how that judgment springs forth in an instant, based not on what is presented to us, but on what form we believe our love will take, indicated generally by the state of Venus in the natal chart.

Venus describes the characteristics we think our love will have; we assess every person we encounter based on the picture Venus has given us. Her sign, aspects, and placement all tell us how she assesses desireability, and, there is no way around this: if our Venus cannot relate to someone, if they do not possess at least one or two of those things Venus designates as embodying our desire, then we will not be able to be interested in another, no matter how the individual, others, or society define him or her on the ‘desireability scale.’

Two brief examples may show something of how this works. First, Gwenyth Paltrow (27 Sept 1972, 5:25 PM, Los Angeles California USA) shows Venus in Leo–she wants a star! Her very public dating history corroborates this, from a long term, serious relationship with Brad Pitt to current hubby, Coldplay front man Chris Martin, all have been at the top of their respective fields. Her Venus sextiles Saturn=she likes them steady, dependable, mature; Venus quincunxes the North Node=successful attraction is based in part on the partner’s ability to cause adjustment to her life course, almost as if she doesn’t perceive a relationship as serious unless she quite literally must change her life for it! And her Venus semi-squares its own ruler, the Sun in Libra in the 7th=she really only feels she can ‘shine’ in partnership; someone who has the same outlook is required.

Venus represents desire in the chart of a man as well. Well-known serial dater Warren Beatty (30 March 1937, 5:30 PM, Richmond Virgina USA) spent most of his successful acting career characterized as a womanizer–and he capitalized on this persona, particularly in 1975’s ‘Shampoo,’ a witty and perceptive exploration of what it’s like to live so much in the moment that you let real happiness slip away. Beatty’s dating history is far too long to summarize; suffice it to say that his Venus in Taurus required real beauty, and loyalty and steadfastness from his partner, if not himself. He very much dated ‘beauty of the era,’ women who reflected the current fashion in looks. His Venus is conjunct Uranus=he likes something ‘new,’ in perpetuity! Venus quincunxes Mars in Sagittarius=he wants a woman who will adjust to his masculinity (and possibly to his roving ways, courtesy of Sag). His Venus is sextile Vesta, suggesting that his prolific love life might have very sincere roots; he may indeed be motivated by a sense that sex is sacred. And his Venus is semi-square his South Node, suggesting that at least in part, his desires and behaviors in love and mating are rooted in the past.

Next time you find yourself attracted to someone, check your Venus, and see if that person doesn’t in one way or another express something vital to your sense of desire. You might be surprised at how many forms Venus can take!