So I wrote this astrology article last week…. freelancing project I found on Craigslist. I was given an outline, which told me the target audience was women 18-35. The title I was given was ‘Love, Career, and Money: How astrology can help you in these aspects of your life.’ I wrote this bit on love. The section on the signs I paraphrased largely from other sources. I’ve left out the prefatory paragraphs that open the essay. In astrology, love is ruled over by the planet/god Venus. Venus as a force of love. Venus as a planet whose workings we in no way understand. That’s what I’m talking about. And no, I do not believe astrology is the best way of understanding what I am talking about. It was what was at hand.
In astrology, Venus is the planet that represents love. Love as a sensual indulgence, love as the renewal of creative energies, love as the bond sanctified by marriage: these are what Venus stands for. She more than stands for them; she is the sensual experience, the creativity being renewed. When two people love one another they are under her spell, their faces reflect her magnificent glow. A child laughing gives her voice. An artist observing a scene sees through her eyes. Her energy exudes from material items of finery, and graces the contours of every beautiful sight. She beams through the paintings of the Renaissance; she was herself the Renaissance. She is the renewal of spirit over the decay of matter. With anything that gives us an impression of aesthetic perfection, a certain pleasure can be felt to course through one’s body, a wholeness, a sense of the sublime. This sensation is produced by Venus. Her power is a balancing act. To offset the hardships of the world, she reminds us of the sheer pleasure of sensuality. She is confident, often brazen, but certain of getting her way: a queen more subtle than the rest of the court. She slides amidst the labyrinthine territories of life, flickering everywhere over the landscape a steady plume of wildflowers. Apparently at random, her seeds sprout up through the thickest pavement. She is a breeze laden with scents of spring passing through the thickest concrete jungle.
A contemporary astrologer writes, “Psychologically, as astrologically, Venus is to be regarded as the function of relationship. Possibilities of relationship on various levels are embodied in her image. Like all planetary functions or archetypal forces, Venus works equally in men and in women. She causes the striving for completion in all that is incomplete.” (Gods and Planets, p. 49). A moment ago, we held relationship to be the very essence of life. Venus is the goddess of relationships. Is she, by inference, also the goddess of life? In some ways, she is. In general, people whom we consider to be ‘full of life’ are animated by the spirit of Venus. These people bring others together; they inspire love, and act as muse for artistic creativity. A woman (or man) who embodies Venus’ energy will arouse the desire for relationship in others. As we will see, this energy rules over the star signs Libra and Taurus. But even if you were not born in one of those signs, Venus still plays a role in your astrological chart. Venus is the mother of all relationships, and she is the one who sends Cupid at his bidding. Once he has cast his arrow, Venus’ energy is what makes his love-arrow stand the test of time. She acts differently in everyone, but she always seeks the same: love, beauty, and their perpetuation from one generation to the next.
Venus is the energy of beauty, and astrologers hold this energy to be an essential part of a woman’s nature, requiring expression in every woman’s life. Before you say ‘Uh-uh, it’s no woman’s duty to be beautiful,’ you should know that I agree: the way that beauty is understood in our culture leaves a lot to be desired. As many times as we hear the phrase ‘Beauty is on the inside,’ a thousand more advertisements barrage us with the opposite impression. Everywhere, we are trying to refute the oppressive notion that women are only good for relationships, only good for being beautiful. Isn’t this more important than reaffirming the old stereotype? This is where we must pull back, and take a wider look at astrology. When an astrologer determines the placement of Venus in your chart, they look at the star sign which the planet was in at the time of your birth. Your Venus sign is different from your Sun sign. We can talk about Venus as a general ‘function’, which is to say, as a divine force or ‘goddess’, but when it comes to the human individual, Venus is always particularized and given a specific role. You are a Venus-in-Aquarius, a Venus-in-Gemini; you are not trying to be Venus herself. Beauty functions differently in each star sign, and so people make different aspects of their lives beautiful. Some people put their desire for beauty into a garden, others into their home lives, and still others into their relationships. What is sad about our culture is that beauty has become so overwhelmingly affixed to the body. We are rarely encouraged to make other aspects of our life beautiful. Friedrich Nietzsche, while no friend to women, was certainly a worshipper of Venus in writing, “But we want to be the poets of our life - first of all in the smallest, most everyday matters.”[i] Again, beauty functions differently in everyone. We don’t all want to be poets, and most of us would prefer to leave the small, everyday matters out of the purview of aesthetics. The key is to know what aspect of your life is most fertile for the expression of your beauty - your personal, living poetics. Astrology can help you understand where in your own life this expression will be most productive and enjoyable.
This is the main thing to remember about Venus, that she wants to enjoy herself. This enjoyment is available to everyone, but it helps to know where you are predisposed to find it. Whether in love, matchmaking, the arts, fashion, or just simple sensual experience, the beauty of Venus is more in how she enjoys these things than in the things themselves. Venus is found everywhere that pleasure, play, luxury, or delight in the senses is expressed. Her power ‘rules over’ objects, and is found in flowers, jewelry, gems, fine clothes, and fabrics such as velvet and satin. It is more in how these objects are enjoyable to the senses - visually stimulating, pleasing to touch - than how rare or expensive they are, which makes them articles of Venus.
The Modern Day Myth-Understanding of Venus
By giving you a sense of the divine beauty of love, astrology can help you find it in your own life. Indeed, it is not at all commonplace today to believe in a goddess of love. There are gods and goddesses on the screen and in sports, and those coming from a religious background may believe in God, the loving Father. But a goddess? For this, we have only pop stars. From Marilyn Monroe to Anna Kournikova, it is easy to think of famous women represented in our culture as embodying the spirit of love. Some of these women - Madonna, Penelope Cruz, and others - even share names with ancient divinities. The Romans burned incense before temples dedicated to Venus; we moderns can buy the perfume line of Venus Williams. We watch stories of love on TV, in movies, and in advertisements. We hear about love in songs, we talk about it in conversation. To be certain, love is still a binding force, even if we consider its cultural representations to be incomplete or misleading. The question is always being posed to us, especially in advertisements: How can we ourselves come to embody love? How can we be like the stars? One eventually realizes that is not by modeling oneself on the goddesses that one becomes like them; nor is it by purchasing their products. One is lived by love, or has it not at all.
In Ancient Greece, there was a god or goddess for every human emotion and character trait, and these divinities were enmeshed in a mythological tradition. Aphrodite (called Venus by the Romans) embodied the living power and spirit of love. Of course, for the Greeks, she was more than this, more than an ‘embodiment’. She was not just an ideal against which a woman’s beauty and lifestyle could be measured, in the way that pop stars are today. Everything ‘represented’ by Aphrodite was in fact her own expression. For example, as goddess of love for the Greeks, Aphrodite was understood to be the origin of all laughter and carefree joy in the human world. A woman laughing was not merely thought to be “like” Aphrodite; Aphrodite herself laughed through the woman. The laughter and mirth of young girls, the gleeful exchanges of socialites, are all voiced by the spirit of love. There was something more complete in the Greek understanding of the world. With laughter, it was not just that something was funny and caused a person to laugh. The act of laughter was the expression of a goddess. It was the manifestation of a divine force, a decidedly female energy. To laugh was to be possessed by Aphrodite.
This is not to say that we should all take up polytheism. We have no way of knowing whether the everyday Ancient Greek always saw ‘Aphrodite’ in a human expression of love. The point is more that if a Greek person so chose, he or she could refer to the mythology passed down by their ancestors for a more inclusive idea of how love operates and manifests itself in human society. In our own culture, the reputation of some individuals as love-embodying may reach epic heights and stardom, but there is no satisfactory explanation for why this occurs. With many pop stars, we can explain their appeal by saying “Oh, they have good genes; look at their parents.” Or, we might argue that this beauty is entirely superficial. Cosmetics, unnatural diets, and a whole spectrum of behind-the-scenes preparation go into creating their appearances. We can go one step further, and say that none of the stars and models is objectively “beautiful” at all. Only the passing standards of a culture dictate what is beautiful, we might say. Finally, we can give up altogether with the idea that beauty is something natural by asserting, once and for all, that sex appeal is an illusion manufactured by hegemonic, male-dominated societies. While there is truth to each of these arguments, we have to recognize that they only get us so far. If we rest content with saying “Gods and goddesses of love are made nowadays; they aren’t born that way,” we have really just explained away beauty, rather than looking for its source. Sometimes a person walks down the street, perhaps not even a particularly good-looking person by culture’s standards, and everyone watches them, without knowing why. Before we have begun to care about careers, compatibility, and money, we have love-crushes, even as small children. What does one see in that person on whom one has a crush? Why is it so often a person’s smallest mannerisms that cause us to fall in love with them? What is it in a casual smile, or a toss of the hair, which catches our eye and makes our hearts beat through our chests with sudden glee?
It is sometimes remarked that while other cultures have a hundred words for love, we have only one. Yet, to whatever extent the English language lacks, it is still possible to understand the diffuse workings of love in modern society. To be certain, the way that magazines and the media portray love leaves something to be desired. From an early age, advertisements lead us to believe that love is found by acting like certain famous people. Reality TV, for better or worse, illustrates the comically harsh extremes to which a relationship based on infatuation, obsession, or idolization can go. As rational adults, most of us eventually learn that love can never subjugate itself to the cause of furthering one’s career or social standing. All the same, few can say what true love is. It is in this respect that astrology is a useful tool, as it can help us to recognize and appreciate the range of ways in which love is expressed. For some people, each relationship is different from the last. Others find themselves in the same situation over and over again. Astrology provides us with a system for understanding the patterns of our relationships, whatever they may be. Building upon the conceptions of the ancients, and turning to the language of the planets and the stars, it opens those willing to listen to a hundred new ways of understanding human love.
When most people think of astrology, they think of Sun signs. You probably know your own sign, and you may have an idea of which signs you’re most compatible with. It’s important to go deeper than this. The Sun and planets are energy bodies, and the signs of the zodiac are representations of how these energies work. To truly understand your horoscope, you have to understand not only your own sign, but the signs which the planets occupy on your natal chart. When we talk about Aphrodite or Venus, we’re talking about a particular cosmic energy. This energy enters into each of us, and acts differently in each person according to the conditions in which he or she was born. If you’re very eager, you can skip ahead and find a brief description of how Venus acts in each sign. But before doing that, you might like to know more about her. Who is this goddess we call Venus (or Aphrodite)? Where did she come from? What aspects of life does she control?
Venus in Greek Mythology: Aphrodite
Few characters from the annals of religious history can match Aphrodite for an origins story. She was born, according to those imaginative Greeks, when Uranus castrated his father, Heaven, who had been in the middle of making love to Uranus’ mother, the Earth. Put in another way, the Greeks believe that Venus, the goddess of love, sprung from the separation of the primal father and mother, Uranus and Gaia (heaven and earth). The potency of the paternal heavens is sundered by the child (Kronos/Saturn). Now, this is only the beginning of Greek mythology. After Kronos on the genealogical tree, comes Zeus, and with him all of the other famous inhabitants of Mount Olympus we learn about in school. The goddess of love is born before this. She arises, as Hesiod records, out of the foam that bubbled up on the surface of the ocean after Uranus’ genitals had fallen from the sky. She is even said to have emerged perched upon a scalloped shell. The Greeks were certainly imaginative. In any event, it is a highly significant story, and it is important to consider the different ways in which it might be interpreted, as the difference actually reflects divergent approaches that one might make in thinking about the role of love in one’s own life.
In astrology, Venus is regarded as the energy of relationship. The vivacity and health of one’s relationships with others, with the world, and with regard to oneself, is the expression of Venus’ power. The energy that brings people closer to the things outside them- binding them to the people and the activities they love, and giving those people and activities the power to complete a person’s happiness- is hers. How strange that in the original myth, this goddess of love and relationship should be born in an act of divorce! Without getting too psychoanalytical about this, we can see a few ways of approaching this story of dismemberment and emergent love. On the one hand, we could focus, as Freud would, on how the story portrays love as emerging from a family battle. Many Freudians believe that the need for love derives entirely from the child’s separation from his or her mother. What an unnecessarily sour thought! We could go more metaphysical, and lay emphasis on the fact that Venus’ birth coincides with the rise to power of the despot, Saturn. But this would be just one more means of reducing love to the status of a side-effect. In far too many ways, we are always being convinced that love is not of primary importance in our lives. The Saturnine values of discipline and well-structured approach to career are the main emphasis of our cultural education, while love is made to wait for the weekends.
Deep down, most of us want to be like Aphrodite, riding the waves aboard a colorful, sparkling shell. Of course, it isn’t really in our power to do so. Shells don’t even float! Yet, when we think about love in our own lives, it’s best to remember this image. We need that carefree drifting, that gravity-defying balance, that spray of life’s oceanic foam splashing in our face. We should never resign love to the status of being a lost vestige, a memory of our former power, unity, and prestige, a lost paradise never to be recaptured. Venus is always waiting to surprise us, to show us beauty somewhere. And she is by no means trying to ‘make up’ for something. While it’s pleasant to think of love as a counterbalance to the stern seriousness of the Saturnine ‘real world,’ that isn’t really Venus’ role in the world. Her true role, if she can be said to have a role at all, is to bring light. She is the brightest planet in the sky, the North Star giving guidance to every lost traveler. Love is the measure of its own value, and bows before no other. It is an immaterial currency emanating from the songs of birds and glinting in the corners of every subtle smile. Why debase its beauty by interpreting it in terms of a familial past or in relation to a harsh, material reality?
We all know about Cupid, that spontaneous and capricious element in love; but Venus’ power runs deeper. She was invoked before marriages by the ancients, in the hope that she would bless the newlyweds with a bond as spiritual as it was legal. She makes friendships deepen unexpectedly, revealing elements of a person’s character that we never thought were there. Ancient goddess of fertility, gardens, and vineyards, she is found in all the places that give us cause to rejoice and take pleasure in the senses.
Venus as Energy
Venus’ energy in your life is revealed in what you attract and how you interact with others. The placement of Venus in your chart can also tell you about your openness and acceptance of your femininity. We all experience and express our gender in different ways. Family life can play a large role in this, as can the community we live in, the friends we have, the career we undertake, our religion, and personal beliefs. People grow up with different expectations placed upon them as to what it means for them to be a woman, and the role of cultural education in making us who we are should be respected, or at least acknowledged, especially when it comes to thinking about how we have developed in our own lives. But prior to all the twists and turns, beneath the experiences both sweet and sour which serve to shape the way we think above love, we each have our own predisposition. This is something astrology can help you to understand. Openness to love, being receptive to its possibilities, is something that can be learned. It is also something we can be born with. Either way, it’s a matter of coming into a relationship with Venus on your own terms, such that your loves can blossom and develop to the full extent of their potential.
Venus can be your guide in love. Indeed, she already is such, exercising her power within your psyche’s deepest sensual cravings. While we cannot choose who we fall in love with, we can have a well-formed idea of the patterns that show up in our loving relationships. There is a timeworn adage, ‘Opposites attract.’ This is certainly true in astrology. We tend to be attracted to people in star signs at the opposite end of the zodiac, and this is because Venus, the energy of our attraction, aims to maintain balance. If you have always had relationships with people who are quite unlike yourself, this is perfectly natural. We often love others for having characteristics that we ourselves lack, or which we wish we had. This can be discomforting: we may find ourselves idealizing a partner, ascribing them a personality and power far beyond what others see in them. Of course, you can go too far in this. It can be detrimental to your own inner psychic health to praise your lover too highly, to consider them to be in a realm higher than yourself. Love should not be worship, but some dose of idealism about your partner, some exaggerations about their virtues and beauty are necessary. Venus has a will towards fiction. She carries the initial spark over in a relationship, permitting both partners to enjoy each other’s company in the long term, and to this end, some ‘mythologizing’ of your lover is of good use.
Opposites attract, but individuals very similar to one another can also make a good match. A fiery, outgoing personality may not need to strike a balance by forming a relationship with a more thoughtful and reserved lover. Venus also causes connections to form between people born under the same star sign, or between signs close to each other on the zodiac. What tends to happen is that we are met with a choice. You may be with someone now, or even just in the stages of an initial attraction, wondering whether this person is right for you. Astrology does not have black and white answers. It can tell if you and your beloved are incompatible in terms of your star signs, but there is always some leeway here. More so, your horoscope or astrologer will be helpful to you in weighing the advantages and disadvantages involved in choosing a particular lover. By giving you an idea of how you are predisposed in matters of love, and by providing an interpretation of the manner in which your personality wants to express its Venusian energies, astrology can help you make this choice. Are you best suited in a relationship centered around a shared career path or common set of interests? Are you likely to be happy committing yourself to someone who is ‘everything you want to be’, and for whom you, in turn, can be everything they lack? Should your love be like the wasp and the orchid - two very different creatures drawn together unconsciously, the one aggressive, and the other passive? Should you see your lover often, should you marry them, or will proximity only cause Venus’ embers to sputter out, having not had the time to ignite? These are the sorts of questions astrology can answer. For a woman, the position of Venus in a horoscope indicates what type of relationship, with what tone and intensity, what degree of independence or intimacy, is proper to her at a given moment. We are each of us changing, passing through moods and personal seasons, entering now a period of ease, now a crisis, now a reprieve. The position of Venus in our lives, which is to say, our energy for experiencing love and expressing beauty, is continually in transition.
Venus’ power is not restricted to our love affairs. She is a part of all our social interactions. Everywhere that we express ourselves openly, engaging with others in laughter and good humor, the light of Venus shines through. Venus makes friendships deepen. Her place in your horoscope also tells whether you are best off having a few close friends, or a wide network of acquaintances and confidants. We express our beauty not only with our lovers, but with everyone with whom we are close. Without a doubt, Venus is most visible in the lightness of love and erotic sexuality. Sitting in a park in springtime, one can be overwhelmed by the sensation of her force. The lilting melody from a street performer, the flowers, the dance of lovers wandering carefree amidst nature’s rejuvenation - all of this is Venus. But she is also found in less austere places, in material things like candy and cosmetics, insofar as these things bring us greater pleasure in life. Again, Venus is not a property inherent in objects and scenes; she is the energy expressed in our enjoyment of them. Music tends to emanate from Venus. The pleasure of plucking a guitar string, or playing a melody on piano; the revelry of dancing at concerts, listening to a new album, or singing in the shower; our perking up at the sound of a favorite friend or family member’s voice: these and more are the joys of hearing Venus’ eternal song. Every time that our aesthetic taste is awakened, or that we creatively add an aesthetic element to our environment, we pay homage to her.
In the rest of this section on love, we will first look at how Venus’ energies metamorphose from one sign to the next; following this are descriptions of Taurus and Libra, the two signs which Venus rules over.
Venus in the Signs
Venus works differently in each of us according to which sign it occupies in our horoscope. If you do not know your horoscope, you can still round down the possibilities. Seen from Earth’s sky, Venus is never more than 48° away from the sun, which means Venus can only be in your own sign or either of the two signs preceding or following your sign.[i]
Venus in Aries: Aries is fiery, courageous, and utterly impulsive. For those who have Venus in Aries, physical appearance will be the spark of love. They will be flirtatious, to the point that they can even fall head over heels in love, only to realize later that they were in love with someone other than the person they thought. All the same, they are deeply romantic. Whether passion can be sustained in a relationship will make or break it for Aries Venuses, and they will work hard to ensure that the flame of love keeps burning.
Venus in Taurus: Taurus is materially grounded, and never impulsive. With Venus in Taurus, a person will be patient in love, hoping that it will last forever. Love means everything to them, and a Taurus Venus will sometimes become possessive over a lover. The passion in their heart is solid and sustaining, and if a breakup occurs, they can have a hard time letting go.
Venus in Gemini: Gemini, an air sign, loves change. Gemini Venuses may tend toward lack of commitment, but they also need a strong, communicative connection with their lover. They like to maintain constant contact with their lover, having a passion for being stimulated. Romance and intellect are of equal importance here, and literary talent is often an effect of having Venus in Gemini.
Venus in Cancer: Cancer’s love is a sensitive one. Those who have Venus in Cancer want to be immersed in love. This is partly out of a need for security, but it also stems from a passion for growth and nurturing. Cancer Venuses are not likely to rush into anything, but when secure in their love, they are loyal and deeply caring. Learning how to fulfill one’s own needs is important here, if one wishes to avoid projecting a feeling of neediness.
Venus in Leo: Leo is an ardent sign, fixed in affection. Love thus tends to be the most important part of life for Leo Venuses. Passionate romance is what they dream about, and in a relationship, they form a generous and selfless association based on mutual self-expression. Relationships can be quite effusive and dramatic here, and Leo Venuses are well advised to do their best to maintain a sense of self apart from their lover, in order to avoid stifling them.
Venus in Virgo: Virgo is scrutinizing and detail-oriented, and those with Venus in Virgo know what they like, and what they don’t. With a strong sense of social and emotional values, Virgo Venuses are sometimes too critical in relationships. But they can also be the most sincerely affectionate lovers. They tend to be shy and soft-spoken, and when they love, they love deeply.
Venus in Libra: Libra is in love with love itself, and so, Venus is very well placed in this sign. Libra Venuses seek to create harmony and beauty wherever they go, and they form strong partnerships with those they care about. Their passion for social grace may make them appear superficial, but this is just the effect of their love of relationships in general. Marriage is especially important to Libra Venuses.
Venus in Scorpio: Scorpio is intense in love, often to the point of jealousy. Here, Venus becomes an all-consuming passion. Scorpio Venuses have a deep need to find true love. They seek the magical alchemy of connecting with a person in both heart and soul. Venus in Scorpio cares about security, and will sometimes form partnerships in order to attain that security. Their love is powerful, mysterious, and absolute.
Venus in Sagittarius: Sagittarius is idealistic and spiritually-oriented. Venus in Sagittarius is an expansive love, all about adventure and excitement? and their love doesn’t always last. Sagittarius Venuses tend to have an aesthetic lifestyle, which includes having many friends. They like to share a sense of humor with their lover, and find a love filled with honesty, truth, and understanding to be the most fulfilling.
Venus in Capricorn: Capricorn is practical and cautious, and with Venus in this sign, a person will seek a quiet, slow, and safe approach to love. Venus Capricorns make steadfast and loyal lovers, taking personal attachments very seriously. Material possessions and money are also important here, and a Venus Capricorn will be happiest in a relationship that provides a strong financial base.
Venus in Aquarius: Aquarius is rebellious and original. Aquarius Venuses often come off as emotionally detached, but they are absolutely magnetic. They take a unique approach to life and love, marked by freedom and openness. They have a deep desire to find unconditional love, but they also shy away from emotional scenes. Sometimes promiscuous, and never possessive, Aquarius Venuses seek a relationship which permits them to be themselves.
Venus in Pisces: Pisces is compassionate and sympathetic. Venus in Pisces has an intuitive, empathetic grasp of love, and has a strong sense of spirituality in life. Here, love becomes imaginative and creative, a spark of brilliance, transcendent and natural all at once. Pisces Venuses are generous and artistic, often finding outlet in writing and music. Their love is unconditional, and sometimes, exhausting.
Libra
Libra is the quintessential “people person.” Venus’ joy in laughter, casual conversation, and sensual delight pervades nearly every aspect of a Libra’s life. If you are a Libra, lucky you! You love bringing people together, and enjoy nothing more than to use your Venusian traits to draw out the best in others. Your tact and good humor makes you a pleasure to be around. When your friends want to go out for a night on the town, they call you first. Libras are the life of the party, born social swingers, and excellent matchmakers. They employ the power of love in everything they do.
Libras are aware of their own magnetism. It is said that Libras tend to be considerably more beautiful than other signs? is it a rumor, or Venus’ influence? Either way, theirs is an unusual beauty. They are not necessarily handsome in a classical sense, and neither do they put much energy into preparing their appearance. A Libra’s beauty works more like a magic spell; an allure, rather than an attraction. Their magnetism is simply irresistible. On some intuitive level, they tend to know this. They do not go around looking for love, but let their lover come to them. They do not want win over others, nor do they want to be won: they more enjoy being the object of affection, the apple of their beloved’s eye. In a relationship, Libras keep the upper rein, but always in a charming way. They are gentle and firm in taking charge, and while they may have fears about being dominated by a partner, they are never too authoritarian. Libras can often be promiscuous, but in love they will be thoughtful, and will always try to settle issues with their partner in a peaceful, harmonious way.
Venus’ kernel of balance and creativity comes to bloom in Libra. Friends will go to a Libra with their talents and be greeted with encouragement. They may even get some advice about how to make their talent profitable. In social situations, Libras lay the ground rules. Possessing a strong sense of what constitutes appropriate behavior, they have no patience for rudeness or bad manners. When conversation reaches a standstill, they know just what to say to spark it up again. They are also experts at resolving conflicts, taking time to consider all sides of an issue before looking for that perfect imaginative solution, a win-win outcome. Libras cherish the qualities of balance and beauty in all aspect of their lives. They tend to be big on fashion and the decorative arts, they are passionate about painting and music, and are often musically gifted themselves. With a penchant for collaboration and an exquisite eye for aesthetics, Libras often seem to have it all? at least when it comes to love, sociability, and art.
Taurus
In Taurus, Venus attains a more possessive, grounded character. Whereas in Libra, Venus exerts a delicate, intellectual influence, here the goddess of love becomes more material and forbearing. Those born under Taurus tend to trust only what is readily at their senses, and are motivated by pleasure and comfort. They will often be materialistic, taking pleasure in the acquisition of physical possessions, and in the establishing of a strong, secure structure to their life. For the most part, though, they do not let their materialism get the better of them. To others, they will often appear a beacon of calm, in whose company one can be assured of safe and tender retreat. They are good listeners, and will pay attention with unmistakable earnestness. Steadfast realists, they are not overly analytical; they do not delve deeply into matters of hopes and dreams. Taureans are straightforward, and give their allegiance wholeheartedly to the people and beliefs they value most.
When it comes to love, the Taurean will be patient, seeking a good pace and timing to any relationship. Their commitment to their partner and family is unflagging, and they will work hard to make good for those closest to them. Taureans will often be attracted to people who have the opposite temperament from their own. They admire and seek out spontaneity, flexibility, and versatility, but these characteristics may ultimately put them at odds with a lover. A Taurean does not like to venture far out of his or her comfort zone, which can make others think of them as stubborn and fixed in their ways. A commitment is a commitment, a belief is a belief: Taurean men and women stake their claim in the Earth, and hold on for dear life. They will build their reputation slowly, methodically, more practical than intellectual in their social interactions. They are very good at building trust and taking on responsibility, having a well-developed sense of community and social initiative.
Taureans are dependable, and they like dependable things. For this reason, their artistic interests will tend towards anything which stands the test of time - architecture and antiques, for instance. Just as a well-built building stands through storms and troubled times, the Taurean is almost unshakeable in his or her being. They have a close spiritual connection with the Earth, which gives them a sense of the eternal harmony of terrestrial things. This sense of harmony makes them adept at music, and even better as chefs. With Venus’ passion for luxury and indulgence brewing in their blood, they are great lovers of food and wine, sometimes to the point of gluttony. A Taurean will likely be capable of making a good meal, but moreover, they will make a good friend. Embodying good faith, even temper, and gentleness, Taurus brings the light and beauty of Venus down to Earth, turning her power to the most immediate, practical concerns.
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Venus is a major force in our lives, whether we currently are in love or not. She plays some part in all of our relationships, romantic or platonic, and is a large factor in our self-esteem. Her power flows through us whenever we experience sensual beauty or express this beauty ourselves. Astrology is of great value in how it makes us aware of how we can best exert Venus’ loving energy in our lives. It encourages us to plot our own destiny and become horticulturalists of the spirit, active purveyors of our most personal traits and talents. By giving us a sense of mythology and cosmic force, it helps us to deal with the harsher demands of our culture - the demands of sex appeal and career. In an increasingly secular and entrepreneurial world, it helps us to make informed decisions about the course of our life, decisions that will lead us to invest our desires in the spheres where they can best be satisfied. In this, astrology provides us with structure. But with this last word, structure, we have passed into the dominion of another astral body: Saturn. It is to this divine energy, the god of career, that we now turn.
[i] Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Astrology, p. 103.
[i] Nietzsche, Friedrich, tr. Kaufmann, Walter. The Gay Science. Random House. New York: 1974. Section 299.