Venus is often called the planet of love. I guess that it is, but it’s represents so much more than love. It’s more about what makes us feel good- and love is one of those things.

It’s about what we find beautiful, how we create beauty (or art), how we decorate ourselves, and where we find pleasure. It’s how we style and accessorise ourselves; and it’s how we socialize, attract and relate. It’s also how we relax and feel good about ourselves. Because of this, Venus is also associated with money- and what we buy and indulge ourselves using it. The law of attraction, I suppose. When you’re under times of great stress, it’s Venus that you look to for the answer.

Venus spends just under 3 weeks in each sign, and makes one full trip around the zodiac in 224 days. Venus is never more than two signs, 48° , away from the Sun. To keep within this orbit, Venus goes retrograde for just under six weeks every two years.

The Symbol…

The symbol for Venus is below.

Nature…

• By nature, it is warm, soft, feminine, relaxing and moist.
• Venus rules physical sensations
• Venus is involved with all the methods by which we perceive and appreciate beauty.
• Venus in difficult aspect to other planets could lead to over-indulgence and other vices. I have Venus square Jupiter…yep, over indulgence…
• Venus is strongest in Taurus, Libra and Pisces, and weaker in Aries, Scorpio and Virgo- again relatively, not absolutely speaking.

Sign Placement…

The sign that your Venus is in will tell you how you relate, appreciate beauty, attract who and what you want into your life, express affection, what relaxes you, how you give of yourself.

I have Venus in Aries. With me it’s about enthusiasm and impulses. I find pleasure in the new- new starts, new opportunities…I’m less keen on the middle bits and the endings. I can be demanding, selfish and willful in how I go after things- that can sometimes mean that I find intimacy a tad difficult to achieve.

I relax through physical activity- I need to exercise to feel good about myself.

Doing it for yourself…

1. What sign is your Venus in?
2. What element is your Venus in? What do you think this might say about what you look for in a partner? What about what you bring to a partnership?
3. What does this say about how you relate, relax, find pleasure or beauty? Any strengths or challenges?
4. Is there something that your Venus wants that it’s not getting?

House Placement…

Wherever Venus is in your chart is that area of life where you look for and find pleasure.

Eg my Venus is in the 2nd house. Money is important to me. Because my Venus is in Aries, it’s more from the experiences that money can buy me than the things. Oh, and I’m an impulse shopper.

Doing it for yourself…

1. What house is your Venus in?
2. What does this say about where you look for pleasure, relaxation and potential relationships?

Who does Venus talk to?

Aspects to other planets can help and hinder Venus in expressing itself to its fullest potential. Difficult aspects can mean that you have difficulty in allowing yourself to relax, find or accept affection and pleasure…or know when to stop when it comes to indulging yourself. Relatively speaking.

Happy Venus

Relaxed, balanced, able to relate and form bonds

Not so happy Venus

Lazy, vain, manipulative, over-indulgent

Retrograde

If you have Venus retrograde natally*, you tend to go within before you can give of yourself. You could be socially shy, or feel inadequate around prospective partners.

This doesn’t mean that you won’t find a partner, but more that you have (possibly unfounded) doubts around your personal worth. You’re likely to be more freely and innovatively creative than you give yourself credit for.

*Don’t know if Venus is retrograde in your chart? If you’ve cast your chart using astro.com, there’ll be a little r beside the symbol. If you’ve cast your chart using astrogold, the degrees will be in red.

Rulerships

We’ll talk more about rulerships as we go along, but for now:

• Venus rules the signs of Taurus and Libra, so is influential over that part of life that has these signs on the house cusp.
• Venus is exalted in the sign of Pisces
• Venus is in its’ detriment in Aries and Scorpio- both Mars ruled signs. This makes sense: Mars is about direct action to get what they want and Venus ruled signs tend to attract it into their life.
• Venus is in its’ fall in Virgo.

For now? Hold this thought too…I promise we’ll get back to it.

Next time….Mars.