Behold; the Garden Goddess! The fruits of her (many!) labors lay lusciously upon the vine as she luxuriates in the gifts her own efficiency and productivity have begotten. A Vestal Virgin’s pleasure she takes in a job well-done and in the financial independence she has as a result!
The 9 of Pentacles, courtesy of the RWS Tarot.
Sometimes, though, Venus in Virgo feels more like:
I’m rather fond of referring to this placement as “Cinderelly Venus” at times – Venus is located in the sign of her astrological Fall in Virgo, meaning this planet has a difficult time expressing herself in a manner that’s truest to her intrinsic nature. Rather than refined and elegant, she is relegated to mere “Serving Wench” status when in Virgo – the ball gown becomes an apron and the sparkling tiara naught but a humble kerchief.
Complicating this even further is the fact that Venus is currently palling around with malefic Mars; a further coarsening influence upon this genteel lady. And once this conjunction w/ Mars perfects on 10/5 (Thursday), she’s also besieged by a square to restrictive Saturn. Translation: This is likely to be a tough week overall on the love & money fronts; both domains which Venus rules. Cease any carping, general fussbudgeting, and stinginess and instead invest considerable mental and physical energy into something you love doing – busy yourself in wholly immersive work and you won’t have time or energy to sweat petty stuff. Other areas of particularly productive micro-focus can also include nutrition, exercise, health & wellness, and cleanliness – Venus in Virgo loves all these areas and its prolonged contact to Mars gives us the drive to do something about it!
“You’re like a bad penny; you keep turning up!” Such an apt phrase for Venus Retrograde, as Venus rules copper and the retrograde period is a time when ex-partners and ex-friends tend to resurface. While verdigris patina can hold a “shabby chic” charm for some, in my eyes I see the deterioration – it’s still corrosion, even if the age and wear do give it a certain je ne sais quoi. Rest assured that when I’ve stopped taking a shine to someone, it’s for good reason – I do not just allow my love to rust.
I find the phrase “pennies from heaven” especially apropos with Venus currently in Pisces, denoting there may be an element of Divine Intervention for reasons we may not fully comprehend. But it is important to remember that pennies are essentially worthless currency; it’s not necessarily a “gift” just because there is a spiritual or karmic reason for a (temporary) Re-union. With Venus also now sitting in a square to Saturn as it stations Direct, this may actually refer to there being a “lesson” involved; a sort of cosmic “What have we learned here?” about our faults and foibles in relationships and the ways in which we’ve learned how *not* to shoot ourselves in the foot anymore.
Maybe we’ve grown up & matured. Perhaps we’ve gotten “too old for this”. It’s possible we’re tired of hurting ourselves – Venus will halt movement very near wounded Chiron, so the pain is there but the ability for healing with compassion is as well. It can be simple forgiveness for the pain someone has caused us as we (re?)release them with strength; certain in our heart they’re no good for us. It can be self-compassion for the ways in which we now have the benefit of experience to understand that we’ve grown wiser and don’t have to perpetuate any lather-rinse-repeat cycles of pain/suffering/self-undoing when it comes to partnering. We can love someone unconditionally without being a martyr to an ideal – sometimes this entails good boundaries and/or loving from afar, à la ”Surrender, surrender, but don’t give yourself away…”
So is it worth the time and effort to try and put a polish on a relationship that we know in our heart already had its day during Venus Retrograde? Particularly if/when we know the other party is still up to their old tricks? I see the prospect of such a would-be reunion – of that “(bad) penny from heaven” turning up at this moment – as naught but a validation from The Universe that we indeed made the right (but difficult) choice…even though it may still hurt a bit. Sometimes we have to be willing to say “no” despite the history and there being “no love lost” (in the most antiquated sense of the phrase) between the parties involved. Way back when I was a teen, a friend of a friend had left a suicide note with those exact words, telling all of his crew how much he loved them and how sorry he was that he just couldn’t take it anymore. My friend then had that haunting line tattooed across his shoulders as a massive memorial back piece to his fallen companion, with Christ on the cross set amidst a field of boulders in the pouring rain below – I wept when I heard the story. I’m welling up now, as a matter of fact. But my point in retelling the tale is twofold; that sometimes time changes context (both literally AND as a metaphor for past relationships) and that sometimes pain and sadness are just a part of the experience of truly loving someone – it wouldn’t hurt if it wasn’t real. ❤
Originally written and performed by incomparable Bill Withers, this cover is a personal favorite due the addition of crescendoing violins – a lovely touch! Upon hearing it today, I was struck by how it seems to epitomize the current square between Venus in Leo and Saturn in Scorpio – a vibe that will more or less pervade during the next 3 weeks courtesy of Venus’ slowed motion and subsequent (impending) retrograde. Venus square Saturn can indeed be a time of hardship or testing in relationships…the shields may seem to be up and it may be a lot more challenging to access some lovin’. Since we have Saturn in Scorpio involved, there may be a psychological, sexual, or other energetic barrier involved – remember what I said in an earlier post about the possible tendency to put ourselves on lockdown. It could be self-protective, and there may even be an element of fear involved when real intimacy is on the line.
Typically, Venus in Leo would rather play, but this is serious business and she’s less able to be footloose and fancy-free than she would otherwise be when unbound by Saturn’s constraints. It would appear she has some commitments she may be duty-bound to honor and simply might not have the time to invest in her relationships the way that she might like. Demands and responsibilities seem to be cramping her style – especially due work – and she may well have to take her sunshine away and TCOB for the time being. But it won’t be this way forever, nor for comparatively very long, so freak not if things seem to be stalling for you on the partnership front. Venus clears her second square with Saturn after August 5th, her next point-of-contact being liberating Uranus on August 19th – that is the ideal time to really jailbreak and remove any hardware restrictions!
So we’ve already discussed some of the financial implications of Venus in Capricorn in a previous post. But now we’re going to talk about the relationship angle of this placement since Venus symbolizes love as well as money – think of it as some parting words for Venus in Capricorn as she prepares to leave for Aquarius in just a few day’s time. Now while I do not personally have Venus in Capricorn in my own chart, I do have another form of this energy in the guise of some Venus/Saturn action, so we could say I’m pretty familiar with the dynamics. To illustrate, here’s an anecdote about a neat little parlor trick this energy sometimes pulls on me: When I’m typing too fast, sometimes the word “relationship” turns into “realtionship”, which is quite amusing as Saturn/Capricorn energy combining with Venus is all about REALNESS in relationships! This is a good starting point for understanding how Venus in Capricorn functions in love: this grounded, pragmatic energy inherently understand that fairy tales involving handsome princes and beautiful maidens are only for children. It would rather direct its efforts toward a relationship that’s real, attainable, and decidedly more concrete than waste time dreaming about some illusory Prince Charming or Fair Maiden that may never manifest.
There is also a seriousness to this energy that tends to favor commitment in relationships – Venus in Capricorn generally prefers partnerships that will stand the test of time and that incline toward the traditional, and while this can sometimes incline them to be a bit old-fashioned, it does also confer a degree of maturity because this energy naturally understands that allunions take work and require regular maintenance! It may take time for a Cappy Venus to warm up to somebody because they do tend to be innately cautious regarding love, but once they feel safe they’re generally inclined to stick in it for the long haul…sometimes even to their detriment. And this is certainly worth noting, because if we remember the “scarcity consciousness” touched upon in the previous post, we can understand that – in some respects – this energetic pairing (under the wrong conditions) can sometimes be inclined out of all to “settle for crumbs” from a partner or in a relationship when self-worth is an issue. And this is not necessarily an uncommon phenomenon, because Venus is symbolic of our sense of self-worth – the value we place in ourselves – and one of Capricorn’s many titles is The Lord of Lack and of the the Have Nots. In cases such as this, we should look in particular at parental modeling – not only because Capricorn is very much a sign associated with parents, authority figures, and role models – but also to look at what love they gave (or didn’t give) to the Venus in Capricorn individual that may have provided the framework – the basic nuts and bolts – of how partnerships are viewed.
Now it should be noted that none of these tendencies by any means dooms an individual to an unhappy love life – it just means that if any of the above are issues it’s likely going to take time, maturity, wisdom, and effort to bring this energy into a more healthy expression. It may entail stumbling and cutting our knees more than a few times and learning from our mistakes in relationships. It may require working with a professional. It could be that we need to seek more positive role models and strive to emulate those who have relationships we respect. Perhaps learning how to take personal responsibility for challenges we encounter in our love life (and ONLY our piece in them!) so that we can take them as lessons learned WITHOUTpunishing ourselves for this is what’s called for. It could also be that perhaps we’ll come to see the necessity for better boundaries, for higher standards, and to develop the ability to say “no” to persons and relationships that aren’t in alignment with our priorities, expectations, values, ethics, etc. rather than try to cobble something halfway workable together out of poor raw material. Capricorn is the Master Builder of the zodiac, and whenever a planet is found here we do well to take a good look at the bricks and mortar that we’re trying to build with. Remember, this energy is about REALNESS, and if we’re not real with ourselves about what (or who) we’re working with on a very basic level, somewhere on down the line this is likely to impact the overall structural soundness of a union.
If on some level we feel as if we deserve less, then the de facto result is we’re then inclined to settle for less from others. But balanced expression of Venus in Capricorn isn’t about swinging to the other extreme and having nosebleed-high expectations in relationships – it’s not about deciding we’re only going to marry a doctor, a lawyer, or someone else who could artificially prop up our (evidently flimsy) sense of self worth with “status” of some kind. Although Venus in Capricorn is predisposed towards being impressed by people who generally have goals, who are working toward a career of some kind as opposed to just punching a clock, and who (for all intents and purposes) have their shit together, it’s not about the artificial attainment of some kind of “title” via a union in order to bolster social position/reputation nor is it about only holding out only for someone that would be considered “Best of Breed”. It IS, however, about working on any of the barriers and impediments that make union with a decent, worthwhile, reliable, respectable, trustworthy, salt-of-the-earth type of person possible. And about overcoming any obstacle(s) that prevents a lasting and enduring love from entering our life.
Now that we’re into Venus in Capricorn season once again, I think it’s an appropriate time we talk about some of the qualities and traits (both Hi & Lo) associated with this placement – specifically, from a financial standpoint since our gal Venus is such a “material girl”. Often when I contemplate astrology, phrases or songs come floating through my mind, and sometimes this combines in funny (but true) ways. Upon noticing that Venus was entering Capricorn, a little scene from the movie “The Birdcage” came to mind, which was instantly followed up by a South Park parody of the same tune – the song in question was:
Now random amusing pop culture references aside, there is a strong grain of truth in saying that Venus in Capricorn is apt to “work hard for the money”. Capricorn is the sign of hard work; Venus the planet of money, material possessions, and values. A Hi-Fi Venus in Capricorn individual isn’t generally predisposed to simply expect things to be handed to them, no – they’re usually more than willing to earn every cent they get. They tend to value financial self-sufficiency as well as income stability, so they can be inclined to be smart with their cash and into making budgets/financial plans. This placement can epitomize the saying “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” as there can be an inherent frugality to this vibe that prefers making purchases based purely on necessity. More likely to be a cautious spender, Venus in Capricorn will take the time to do the math & make sure they’re not overpaying for something, to make sure they’re getting a quality product for their hard-earned dollars (regardless of however much or little they decide to spend) , and is usually into looking at long-term financial goals – whether that’s a house, retirement, or whathaveyou. Seldom found is the Venus in Cap who doesn’t have a 401(k) or IRA set aside for old age, LOL!
But this is just one (financial) facet of Venus in Capricorn – like all astro-energies, it carries a full spectrum of potential expressions and how it operates is usually in direct relation to the consciousness of the individual wielding it. There’s also a side of Venus in Capricorn that can be very status-conscious – it has to have name-brand EVERYTHING because it finds off-brands or knockoffs to be very low-rent, and if it’s one thing Venus in Cap tends to have hangups about, it’s appearing “poor”. Venus in Cap can also be a financial climber, with a Rolex watch, a closet full of designer clothes, a Bentley parked in the driveway, and a 10,000 square foot mansion to complete the picture. Nothing says “success” and “You’ve arrived” quite your possessions do, afterall, and oftentimes Venus in Capricorn is willing to work long and hard in pursuit of financial “pinnacles” that enable them to have high-end items….even if/when it means they pinch pennies elsewhere.
I think it important to note the underpinning of this sort of thing may relate to scarcity consciousness. There is something about Venus in Capricorn that can – on occasion – seem to fear lack on a material level like no other placement. Whether they came from poverty and worked hard to rise above it (Dolly Parton being a prime example of a Capricorn Venus in action), or their material values were strongly shaped by the influence of a parent or parent(s) who maybe didn’t show love any other way than to buy them things, there can be – in certain circumstances – an experience intrinsically tied to their value system that does seem to indicate there being a noted lack of something or other at one time. Perhaps as a direct result, this is why the Lo-Fi expression of Venus in Capricorn can also veer outrageously cheap, watching where every penny goes, nickel-and-diming people to death, and generally being what most would consider a stingy skinflint. Under the wrong circumstances, Lo-Fi Venus in Capricorn can indeed be quite miserly; crying broke at every turn yet all the while locking money away in the bank vault for safekeeping. Forever protecting resources “just in case” and needing to have that financial “safety net” at all times, this can occasionally even lead to scenarios where fear gets in the way of love (the prenupt, for example).
On a more esoteric level, we might say any imbalance to our monetary values directly correlates to our sense of self-worth, as this is also Venus’ domain. Whether we feel “good enough”; whether we only value ourselves insofar as our relative financial “usefulness” to others (i.e. being the “breadwinner”); whether we’re inclined to “settle for meager crumbs” regarding how others treat us; or whether we learn from experience to have higher relationship standards (while also keeping in mind this shouldn’t be nosebleed-high where we consider ourselves “too good” for others and shut perfectly decent & worthwhile people out)….these are all Venus in Capricorn lessons. More on the relationship angle of this placement at a later date…..
I chose the Venus De Milo as an archetypal representation for this energy as classical art is quintessential Venus in Capricorn – especially a true masterwork such as this sculptured out of pure, rock-solid, Capricorn-approved marble that provides an enduring symbol of beauty through the ages. It might be worth investigating our visceral response to this image in the wake of its repeated conjunctions to Pluto…Does the resultant “wear and tear” of surviving through thousands of years – minus two broken arms – detract from her appearance and value? Or is she a symbol of loveliness in her current state nonetheless – the hardship, time, and scars only transforming her beauty into something supernatural? The slow state of deterioration adding a certain je ne sais quoi that cannot be replicated……
One might ponder if it is the act of restoring such a masterpiece that profanes and defiles. This brings to mind the concept of wabi-sabi….
I wonder if perhaps we find it easier to accept her as-is because we have not known her any other way. Having no firsthand knowledge of her “before” state, we have nothing to subjectively compare her to. This is where Venus in Capricorn excels – by setting a standard for beauty rather than caving to crumbling self-esteem and the fear that her realness isn’t “good enough”……
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