Getting to Know Venus in Astrology

Astrology is a vast subject, but the doorway in is pretty straightforward.  Once you cross the threshold, it can be like walking through the wardrobe from our world into Narnia, which makes astrology a rather amazing spiritual tool if you are willing to plumb its depths, either on your own or with the guidance of a professional astrologer. Come explore this subject with me. I want to show you how beautifully complex the subject is and how useful it can be in many different ways in your life journey.

This article is the fourth in a series that looks at the many points that make up your chart when cast by a professional astrologer.  The astrology chart is a two-dimensional representation of the layout of the solar system when you took your first breath, and each astronomical point relates to an aspect of consciousness.  Not only are you so much more than your Sun sign, but each point, including the Sun, is packed with an immense amount of information that you can only get with a fully rendered chart. This article looks at the planet Venus.

Points in Astrology

Most people do not know any other points in their chart outside of their Sun sign.  Each major point in our solar system is represented in an astrological chart.  Before the telescope, the chart consisted of points visible to the naked eye:  the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn (the big 7).  With telescopes, we added:  Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto (to make up the big 10).  Then we found Chiron, and a host of asteroids beginning with but not limited to Juno, Pallas Athene, Ceres, and Vesta.  We are going to look at all these points and many more in this ongoing monthly series.

What Does Venus Represent in Your Astrology Chart?

Venus represents the energy of attraction, both in terms of who we attract and who we are attracted to.  Venus plays a profound role in our relationships, especially as the point in our chart interacts with another person’s Venus and that other person’s Mars as well.  Venus is tied to pleasure, what we enjoy and why; entertainment, the kinds and forms of entertainment we appreciate; and our bodies, what makes us feel beautiful and healthy.  Venus rules two Signs, Taurus and Libra, and two Houses, the 2^nd House of Needs and Wants and the 7^th House of Partnerships.  It has both an Earth and Air elemental designation.

When people consult with me about their relationship, whether it is parent and child, siblings, or romantic, it is Venus’s placement that I look at fifth (behind the Moon, Mercury, the Sun, and the Ascendant). Where Venus is and how it aligns with another person will determine how they relate with each other and whether that “relating” energy will be very much alike (in the same sign or element and near the same degree), challenging (in signs that have elements to do not easily mix, like fire to water or earth), or not really connected at all.  Venus is a feminine point and is considered receptive.

I was born with my Venus in Aries.  It shares the same sign as my Sun (and Mercury, Chiron, North Node, Vulcan, Eris, and Saturn).  With Venus in Aries, generally speaking, I am attracted to and attract independent, maverick people, both romantically and for friendships and professional engagement. Much of the literature on Venus includes the point in books about the Inner Planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars) or about astrology and sex/relationships. A couple of Venus specific books to read would be Venus Signs by Jessica Shepherd and Venus: Her Cycles, Symbols & Myths by Anne Massey.

The Meaning of Your Venus is in the Details

My Venus is at 5 degrees 10 minutes of Aries between Chiron at 0 degrees and Mercury at 10 degrees.  My Venus is in the 1^st Decan of Aries (each sign is divided by 10 degrees into Decans that shape the flavor of that point by degree position).  The first decan of Aries is Aries/Aries, the second is Aries/Leo, and the third decan is Aries/Sagittarius.  I have an Aries/Aries Venus. In short, I prefer to relate independently and with a strong attraction to people who like to take action in life.  For entertainment, I do enjoy action films, especially heroic stories; I will never get comic book movie fatigue!

Marc Edmund Jones, working with Elsie Wheeler, determined special meanings for each degree of the Zodiac called the Sabian Symbols.  My Venus is between the 5^th and 6^th degree, thus the 6^th Sabian Symbol for Aries, which is interpreted as “a square brightly lighted on one side”.  The keyword assigned to this degree is “set”, and the positive expression is “absolute unimpeachability of a genuine self-direction” and the negative expression is “a complete loss of self-efficacy in a surrender to frustrations” (154).

With Venus in Aries, I prefer to “drive by myself to the party” and be able to “leave when I want to”.  I am very comfortable being by myself and get a lot of pleasure out of having dinner by myself or going to see a movie on my own.  I am not offended if someone does not want to do something with me and I appreciate people who act in accordance with who they honestly feel they are, even if it means I do not want to spend time with them or they with me.  In my relationship history, I have been strongly attracted to independent and strong-willed women.

Where Does your Venus Reside?

Last but not least, with an exact birth time, we can determine which house or “domicile” your Venus resides in.  In the case of my chart, my Venus is my 6^th House of Service.  The 2^nd, 6^th, and 10^th Houses are earth domiciles and relate to how we get our needs met with our resources (2^nd), what skills we need to work successfully in the world (6^th), and how we need to produce over time to be prosperous in a career (10^th).  With my Venus in Aries in the 6^th House, my “way of relating manifests through my independent and heroic quest for and attraction to maverick and individualist service to others.” (Astrology Unlocked, 105).  I use my independent relating as a skill in my day-to-day work and I enjoy working one-on-one with people in a maverick way.  Spiritual advising using astrology and tarot/oracle cards is a great way for me to connect and put myself out to others in a “Venus in Aries” way.

If you want to know about YOUR Venus, really know, then you need to get your chart cast and either do the study to learn about all the different pieces of information that make your Venus unique or pay a professional to help you really learn what it means to have the Venus you have.  Once you dig deep into your Venus, by sign and house, you will want to know the depth of all your other points.  With that in mind, please join me next month to learn about Mars.