The Power of Love

In mythology, she is known as the goddess of love and beauty.

In our solar system, she is the planet next door, just a little closer to the centre (the Sun) than our own home planet. Perhaps this is an indication that, in order to feel centred we need love and beauty in our lives. Impenetrable mists shroud Venus. Is this symbolic of the mysterious nature of love? Who among us really understands what draws two people together? What makes us ‘fall in love’? Who can explain or define beauty, which, as we know, is in the eye of the beholder?

Astrologically speaking, Venus represents the principle of attraction. It describes, in part, what we find attractive or beautiful, and how we experience and express love. Venus rules over two different signs, Taurus, an earth sign, and Libra, an air sign. This dual rulership seems appropriate given that Venus is sometimes seen as the ‘evening star’ (Hesperos), setting after the Sun, and sometimes as the ‘morning star’ (Phosphoros) rising before the Sun. You may have noticed her shining brightly quite high in the western sky in recent weeks.

Sensuality, comfort, physical beauty and material values are all associated with the earthy facet of Venus. Fairness, equality, peace, harmony and social values are represented in the airy, Libran Venus.

On May 17th this year, Venus turns retrograde in Gemini (at 26 degrees). Many people have heard of Mercury retrograde, usually associated with glitches and delays in commerce, communication, transportation, etc. All of the planets (except the Sun and Moon) have retrograde periods in their cycles, times when they appear to move backward against the backdrop of the Zodiac. It is, of course, an illusion created by the relative positions of the planets, their distances from the Sun, the speed of their orbits around the Sun, all relative to our perspective here on Earth. As with any planetary retrograde, we often begin to feel the effects a week or more before Venus actually turns around.

Venus has a cycle of 584 days, during which she retrogrades for 40 days. By contrast, Mercury turns retrograde every four months, for about three weeks each time. Of all the planets, Venus is retrograde the least. Five of her 584-day cycles add up to eight years. Every eight years, Venus retrogrades in the same sign, but each time, she begins her retrograde motion two degrees earlier in that sign. Some of the issues you were dealing with eight years ago may need re-examination and introspection now, as Venus highlights that same part of your horoscope.

On a global level, the time when Venus is retrograde is a time we can expect to see increasing focus on diplomacy, international relations, peace negotiations, etc. The Aztecs and Mayans apparently followed Venus’ cycles with great interest and kept careful, and very accurate, records. They paid particular attention to her retrograde phases. One point during the retrograde period was found to coincide with especially unstable political situations and with leaders displaying greater fallibility and insecurity.

On a personal level, this is a time of introspection, which allows each of us to re-evaluate our relationships and our patterns of relating. Are we growing in our current relationship? Do we need to reconsider our habitual patterns and establish new ways of relating? Is it time to end any of our relationships to make way for something new to enter our lives when Venus turns direct again?

This particular retrograde cycle, Venus will be opposing Pluto. This will add an element of intensity and even greater depth to the introspective nature of Venus retrograde. The balance (Venus) of power (Pluto) will be an issue on both the global and personal levels. We may also see examples of the transformative power (Pluto) of love (Venus). Environmental issues, associated with the earthy Taurean quality of Venus, and ethical social issues related to her airy Libran face, will be even more prominent in the news in the weeks ahead.

In mythology, it was Venus who sparked the Trojan war. A handsome young shepherd named Paris was called upon to judge a beauty contest between Venus and two of the other goddesses. In order to win, Venus promised Paris that he could have the most beautiful woman in the world for his wife. Unfortunately, that woman, Helen of Troy, happened to be married already, to Menelaus, king of Sparta. And the rest, as they say, is history. The theme seems to fit with the current Venus transit opposite Pluto, love (beauty) and power. Isn’t it interesting that the movie, Troy, is being released just about the time that Venus begins her retrograde journey?