Venus in Pisces

Vénus Astarté by Emile Jean Baptiste Philippe (1894)

Astrology has long spoken of the 'exultation' felt under that pearlescent mist of feeling which is so very Venus in Pisces. Whether or not we consider ourselves spiritual… attuned… or intuitive in that very special way which allows us to respond before we really ‘know’…all that is Venus in Pisces.

As is grief. And longing. To feel sorrow under Venus in Pisces is to sense the power of emotions as a maelstrom whether we succumb to it or not.

That is, as it happens, one of the greatest secrets of Pisces: to feel and to have sufficient presence of Self that we can feel our own reactions to our emotions…?

From that comes not the wisdom of knowledge but instead that of consideration - compassionate consideration. To win under the Piscean banner is to be willing to lose out on any untrue conviction, for Pisces embodies the precept of humility. To heal under Pisces means walking through the pain of our darkness and the depths of despair, for Pisces requires faith.

Faith in our Self…and how that Self is going about being who they are, maybe most of all.

Bringing all this to Venus, whatever latitude we give ourselves during the month following the Venus ingress of Pisces on April 6th at 8:32 in the evening (UT/+0 time)…that may play well or much to anyone’s displeasure depending on how fully any given person has accepted their place in what they’re doing. As part of this, everything which passes through our lives during this time will produce or show up some effect – and such effects come either from who we are being in the moment (a response or reaction), what we are currently doing (a reward or loss), or something which we’ve done in the past (a lesson learned or being learned now).

And in response to that…some of us will now be done, some of us will recognize the cost, the pain, the mistake – and some of us will receive broad based honors or some ‘outpouring’ which results from tapping into an innate ‘quality of nature’ which may be quite raw as it overtakes us, but which in the end is nothing more or less than our reality of this moment.

Some of us will understand the value of what they see. On the other hand, over the course of this month of Venus in Pisces we’re also likely to feel some shifting of our values and priorities – all of which reflects the process of our eclipsing who we have been coming into this time.

We know what we’re seeing. But do we only know what we’re seeing?

As a different way to look at the idea of the 'marketplace' mentioned in the Sabian symbol

for 0 Pisces, a 1939 photograph of activity on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange

(photo credit Library of Congress, April 1939)

With Venus in Pisces, the reality can be anything. Moreover whatever appears first during this Venus passage is most often not the final nature or ultimate realization. So one must work with what happens, some of which will affect us more – at least in our own eyes – than what we felt going on around us.

That’s just the nature of this time. The things we do, whether required or optional, are all part of a process which in bringing us into periodic stress with our sense of Self inspires a ‘breaking away’ from something we have focused on…or maybe held onto for so very long.

The astrological origin here being Jupiter, our impetus comes from ‘beyond’ us.

Yet that which is empowered and emboldened begins within, as an awareness which, given where we are in time will become ever more of the eclipsing of some notion, some…valuation – which is where both the Sabian symbol for 0 Pisces and the magic rectangle set up at the ingress) seem to come into play.

The Sabian for 0 Pisces being ‘IN A CROWDED MARKETPLACE FARMERS AND MIDDLEMEN DISPLAY A GREAT VARIETY OF PRODUCTS’ this  Venus in Pisces passage pits us against the wanting (even longing) to ‘see’ things (at least in our own mind) the way we want them to be, or the way we like seeing them – against the need to deal with the reality that there are many choices, many voices to be heard (and either considered or dismissed, one by one)…and in general, an opportunity to ‘partake’ of much which commonly needed, bought into or desired by all of us for our own particular reasons.

The reference here being ‘products’ instead of ‘food’ (or nourishment), the normal Piscean feeling state which operates basically in terms of what we have in common with others is here “annotated” (if you will) to reference a more… Aquarian sort of reference, which isn’t unlikely as first and last degrees (0 and 29) of signs tend to display that they have just finished ‘learning’ about (the previous sign) or that they’re preparing to deal with (the sign ahead). With Venus being the ‘nature’ of the energetic implied, what we have or are which is different or unique is what creates the “Venusian” response “going into” this time (as the transit begins). Moreover, since the symbol references farmers and middleman (but not the ultimate consumers), we are being told that the ‘Venus process’ we move into and through during April is but a first step in the process.

Which when we think about how solar eclipses work…namely how events during the two months preceding the eclipse ‘breaks down’ some set of walls.

And of course the closer any point in your chart is to the eclipse (which in this case will be at 8 Taurus) describes the intensity of your process.

So the idea of Venus signaling the beginning of some process – whether that’s just thinking something through or actively doing it – fits. Moreover, we aren’t due for a shift in the ‘thrust’ of current dynamics until April 29th (the date of the eclipse for everyone east of the America’s Pacific coast).

Meanwhile, the tone for these weeks ahead is being set by a magic rectangle – an astrological figure which refers to a ‘golden’ sort of ‘everything working for me’…right up until the moment it doesn’t work for you – and maybe anyone else, in which case the situation isn’t working for you because its considered a negative by others.

Magic rectangles are often a sign of grace. But they are also astrological figures which if ‘broken’ (or violated) represents forces which seem daunting when we try to contemplate fixing things.

If we can fix things, that is.

This image is not the ‘standard’ sort of astrological figure (i.e., one made of planetary or dwarf planet placements) in that it’s composed mostly of fixed stars and the lunar nodes. But that too tells us something. Fixed stars tend to indicate ‘prevalent conditions’ (or standing/traditional methods, notions, emotional expectations or alliances) and the presence of the lunar nodes in this figure assures us that relationships and the question of relating is involved.

Venus/Nessus being an ‘enduring’ method, legacy, orientation, belief (etcetera), in Pisces we would expect reactions to ‘that again’ or something which “simply will not die,” abate or go away, all of which adds to Venus’ passing through that most broad-spectrum of all emotional signs, Pisces.

Do you need to make an emotional effect? This may be the time to make it.

Of course…given the incoming eclipse, you may be in for something or someone provoking you.

And yes, both may happen during this April 5 - May 3 Venusian transit of Pisces. They may even both happen repeatedly. And in connection.

Or completely separately. It just depends. Astrologically we would look to where natal Venus is – the aspects, the house, the sign…and whether it’s retrograde or direct in the natal chart.

Then again, we could just think back on the recent Venus retrograde, an event which began on December 21, 2013 and which ended on January 31, 2014 (both dates UT/+0). To some extent, what we were experiencing then comes back to us now – mostly at a ‘playing out’ level. The North (lunar) Node at 28 Libra refers to a direction we should go in society or a ‘direction’ which should be taken with the degree (28 Libra) referencing the successive generations of mankind and our sense of connection to others, groups or collectives in particular - whether that’s a reference to strength, weakness, a need to be stronger, more gentle…or even the need to let something go.

To this Mirach/South Node adds the idea of being perfectly happy with what you’re doing…or the way things are, with the trine to/from Regulus creating a note of “nobility of intent.” Regulus in particular having a reputation for taking on the coloration of (and) being stronger when aspected in someone’s natal chart, that of course applies on an individual natal basis. But because such precepts also apply on a global basis, that Venus is in opposition to Regulus means that there’s a stronger Venus-Regulus emphasis on the plus-and/or-minus of nobility…and what exactly constitutes being or acting noble. Considering Venus’ rulership of Taurus as the sign of the incoming eclipse, being faced off by someone else – or maybe just questioning our own reasons and rationales has some meaning in the (magic rectangle) moment as Venus goes direct…and may well also ‘contribute’ to the overall purging of values and (e)valuations associated with the eclipse.

And that – in turn – will like as not trigger not our sense of worth, but our reasons for being who we are..some of which may be needing some review (in particular for those whose charts will directly aspect the 8 Taurus solar eclipse). 

On the other hand, considering how Venus also rules Libra we may now be asking whether what someone is saying is consistent with what they do as in the old ‘talking the talk’ as opposed to ‘walking the walk’ sort of thing – which in our minds may have us wondering whether anyone believes us. This may well be most apparent in those in whose life the magic rectangle is ‘broken’ – where everything it refers to is non-functional (or close to that). Most transiting magic rectangles tend to manifest more positively, but in the end energetics are simply what they are. So the ‘picture’ which offers advantages or strengthens the positive to some by harnessing abilities, timing and karmic grace harnesses…or it brings something pretty or comfortable to an end.

And of course because life is never just one single thing, in one part of life all may go well now…while in another things are inexplicably unworkable or uncomfortable.

Venus’ transit of Pisces is always a sensitive time. Those who can spent time in contemplation, study or simple appreciation of those precious personal moments… those who can take it easy… those who take the time to take that walk through nature, or enjoy simple pleasures in good company…they will find that in spite of life’s pressures there are moments to be enjoyed, moments which will get us through those other things.

Under Venus in Pisces, all that which is human provides us with the means to find commonalty and acceptance from others. That would be the exalted Venus promise.

But first we have to find our own most human humility.

That's the Pisces way.
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