Venus in Capricorn

Named for the Egyptian goddess of truth and justice (Maat), Maat Mons on Planet Venus is an

8 km (5 mi.) high volcano situated at 0.9 degrees north  Latitude by 194.5 degrees east Longitude.

(photo credit: NASA-JPL)

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There’s something quiet... sometimes even somber about Venus in Capricorn. Some of that is no doubt due to the fact that the sign prior to Capricorn is Sagittarius, and under Venus in Sagittarius things can get wild and woolly, unpredictable and unexpected. That’s what Sagittarius is all about - the new, the growth, the testing of a theoretical limit (if not the limit itself). So while Venus passed through Sagittarius, results of various doings (results being the Venus thematic aim) while there were pluses and things to be happy about, there were also a lot of surprises and things which got out of hand in unexpected ways.

So part of the change we’re likely to feel once Venus is in Capricorn is just about comparison. After all, in comparison to Sagittarius, Capricorn can seem downright staid. Or slow, as the pace or frequency of things does seem to pick up under Sagittarius - which means that if they slow down now they may be simply be going back to what's generally our more 'normal' pace - but in comparison, there's a difference.

That means we shouldn't think things can’t - or won’t get done now. They can - Venus in Capricorn is often a very  productive time, especially where we need to deal with obligations to others... or even our Self. Venus being all about trying to produce the result/results which will make things easier, as it passes through earth sign Capricorn we're all going to be looking for, working with and seeing real results come to be in real-time, in-the-flesh life.

Will they be what we want?

Well, maybe yes... and maybe no (what else is new, right?). But seriously...ruled by Saturnine precepts (those being about hard work, having/taking direction, regard for others/the world around us and in general, The Responsibility Principle) Capricorn is a sign which is about what we earn as a person (or for a nation or company, as an entity). It's about the 'reality' of our 'standing' in life - never mind the money or the bank account(s), though this is a pairing of sign and symbol considered good for the conducting of business, if not specifically or directly as an indication of income.

Think of it this way... getting the job, the 'business of business' - the Capricorn part of the process - has to happen before you get a paycheck, which makes the receiving of income as something intrinsically Aquarian far more understandable: Capricorn precedes Aquarius just as getting the job precedes getting the income from that job. 

Under Capricorn, it's our reputation (being known for who we are and what our abilities and capacities are) or what we are thought of by others (and the world) which garners whatever 'response' we get in said world, whether that amounts to respect, money, accolades - a job offer - or anything else. And that means Venus traveling through Capricorn is all about who we want to be in this world versus who we are being or being seen as in this world (inclusive of who we may have been)...and how well all of that is working, or not working, in good, bad or iffy Venusian style.

And for those who have issues? This is also a good time to think about or work on seeing what you can do to improve things. It may take time (hardly anything we initiate under Venus in Capricorn yields instantaneous results) ... but if we started doing something some time ago, this may well be a time of stabilization.

There is a touch of 'let's keep the status quo status' with Venus in Capricorn (more than a touch, actually...) yet risks - though not seized upon with the glee one might see if Venus was in a fire sign - are still acceptable.

Well, maybe. Venus in Capricorn signals moments and situations which ask us how important something really is. We end up thinking about risks to what we have, and we'll tend to 'protect' or look at providing for things as they are first under this influence where at other times (read: while Venus is in a sign with less allegiance to less hard-core practicality) we might think the situation merits taking a risk in order to protect or provide for our 'status quo' as we go forward. And when we think of Capricorn in its 'what we are seen as' mode it's easy to see Capricorn as a sign of (or about) consequences in life... and life consequences, which in the sense that 'consequence' and 'result' are words which might be thought of as non-kissing cousins means Capricorn's 'style' meshes rather seamlessly with Venus as whatever situation, action or connection brings about some 'response' or 'result.'

Though granted, those results aren't always what we want them to be. Sometimes we get what we want under Venus in Capricorn, even though we always get what we've managed to earn - at least on a karmic level.

And why karma? How did karma get into this conversation? Answer: that very special 'karma' quality brought to this discussion courtesy of Scorpio, as Capricorn is - and ever shall be - the third derivative sign from Scorpio..

Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn show in terms of their position on

a 'natural' (i.e., unmodified) zodiac wheel.

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All third astrological derivatives equal the 'voicing' - the 'putting it out there' at least in theoretical form, which makes Capricorn - and transits of planets through Capricorn - times and indicators of situations which though totally Capricorn in nature embody something of a Scorpio 'voice,' that 'voice' being the heart of the challenge we all face as we achieve (the Capricorn thing) and through that achievement acquire power - or a powerful voice. Or the power to speak - and be heard.

This precept - by the by - has great implications for the next 2,000 years or so as Scorpio will be on the 10th house (the native house of Capricorn) for the whole of the Aquarian Age... and also why we are seeing - and likely to see - this struggle to maintain internal (Scorpio/Taurus) balance/s of worth in worldly institutions and on the worldly level appearing first in or through natively 10th house institutions. We're going to see the other side of this too - the 10th house professions which 'embody' or hold power over our mortality, the most obvious of which would medicine, food and anything connected to weaponry, war and/or the civil sector entities which embody a governmental power (tax, spy, policing agencies, etc.).

The wheel of any given Age has the sign of that Age (in this case, Aquarius) on the Ascendant

of the wheel, rotating the rest of the signs counter-clockwise from there. Because of that, Scorpio

is on the 10th house of the Age we're now in/moving into, which explains to a great degree many of
the problems we're encountering in our life and which we see in our world. During the Age of Pisces
(that which is now over) the great emphasis on learning, religion and the idea that there's an ethical
responsibility which goes with being in power or having power was tempered by what we might
think of as a 'spiritual-moral' clause. That clause - the Sagittarian clause - now moves to the 11th house,
meaning it now resides (and will reside, moving forward) in the hands of 'marketplace systems'
and various mass and social  movements, meaning that governments and those 'in power' (whether
embodied as corporations or as a household) will tend to 'act' from the Scorpio basis (whether
or not they are claiming to be acting from a moral (Sagittarian) position) until a new paradigm
about the relationship between power and security based on the needs of populations as opposed
to Scorpionic desire/will of those 'in power' is developed. This may take time and does not say that
those who haven't made the change are "evil" - merely that things are changing and that such
people or institutions (or some of the means through which they operate) are destined to change
even while we all move forward, together manifesting that beginning of Aquarian Age evolution
which over time equates the (Taurus) security of power, use of power and those with (or in) power
with the opportunity to learn how to (Taurus) value, develop and wield power in one's own mortal
and individual life in and as the whole of any global and universal (Aquarian) system.

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Venus in any sign is about whatever makes something plain, evident or obvious. We even have expressions which cover such times: Venus in an air sign 'brings things to light' and Venus in an earth sign like Capricorn 'makes things concrete,' none of which guarantees we'll like something, not like something or that it's even the end of a given process. Sometimes realities please us and sometimes they just prove how what we thought we would want isn’t what we really want at all.

That's also rather Venus in Capricorn, just as in 'solidifying' certain situations under Venus in Capricorn means we've been 'validated,' approved or given some go-ahead which we will begin working on now and see about capitalizing on once Venus moves into Aquarius (read: after New Years). For now we're looking for opportunities - and among those we will find some which give us a chance to turn disappointment into understanding in such a way that we are then able to change things.

You know...once Uranus goes direct and the 'changes' in life become more external than internalized?

How life works, and who we are in our life gets a bit of quality attention during this time. And because perseverance is another Capricorn trait, while Venus moving through Capricorn that path which needs long(er) term effort and the best our determination and patience can offer may not seem as annoying as it did just a couple of weeks ago.

Or rather, it may seem just as irritating, but also the path we need to take because we really do want to reach that personal goal. So don't be surprised if what you focus on now is something bigger, more substantial or more 'consequential' (read: full of potential) than what you've tackled up until now: Venus in Capricorn often stirs us to demonstrate our abilities and capacity - most of all to our Self.

Yet in spite of this, we shouldn't expect everyone to be in a nose-to-grindstone 'give it your very best effort' sort of mood - which isn't surprising, as it's holiday season. But maybe that's the point. Nothing we've said here says the period between December 10th (when Venus enters Capricorn at 4:43 p.m., UT/+0 time) and January 3rd (when it moves on into Aquarius) can’t be warm, wonderful, rewarding and well worth savoring.

It’s just that with Venus in Capricorn, success is more human - think less razzle-dazzle and more time-tested, classic or dignified.There's also a reflective sort of quality to Venus in Capricorn which tends to lead to quiet admissions - even if they're only to ourselves. We're aware of losses... and where we stand with regards to those things we want to achieve in life, whether that's a professional or personal aim.

As for the reputation for fiscal caution which goes with this combination. Under Venus in Capricorn we would expect less experimentation and risk rather across the board than that we’ve experienced of late...or what we would have more comfortably tolerated under Venus in Sagittarius.Part of this goes back to the essential yin-yang quality of the zodiac - a quality which we see in every part of life: we breathe in, we breathe out... the pendulum swings in one direction, and then swings back. Starting with Aries (an assertive and yang sign) the entire zodiac goes back and forth between this yin and yang, metaphorically hot and cold pattern, which is why we experience Scorpio’s tendency to try to hold onto things (or keep them as they are) which is followed by Sagittarian fervency which is again followed by Capricorn’s classically cool control.

And please note: that reference to control under Capricorn (or in the 10th house sense) starts and ends with control of Self - not others. As much as it is a sign of achievement, Capricorn is also the sign of governance and governments, both of which in this metaphysical sense are said to work well only  when the Capricorn drive to ‘structure’ durable things which provide what is needed so everything else about our human lives can function successfully.

Given this - and the Venus reputation for producing results, this Venus in Capricorn time is likely to show up/bring out how well (or not well) our efforts to reach our current goals is really doing.

Or not doing.

Whichever way things go, there's going to be some emphasis on maintaining a status quo even while needing to look forward with an eye to the lessons of history.

(Welcome to your next little exercise in unlikely balancing acts.)

Imaged by Venus in Capricorn and Mars in Aquarius, these next few weeks are a time when things may (and can) be sparked... or they can just fizzle, or even short circuit. Since the astrological Mars and Venus are also thought of as primary symbols of lunar/feeling 'modification,' even without anything untoward or specific going on, staying in emotional balance within the Self and with others is one of those places which will take a bit of effort. This isn’t necessarily bad and there's nothing Herculean necessarily indicated. Some of us will take some time off, some of us will pull back a little in some way and all of us will be thinking 'what next?' about something, whether we're in our career planning mode or standing in the kitchen thinking about when to put cookies in to bake considering everything else we need to do.

With Mars having changed signs (into Aquarius) a few days before Venus enters Capricorn, Venus (the faster moving planet) will do a bit of numerical degree catching-up for the first few days of its transit. Then as of December 14th, the real heart of the semi-sextile effect resulting from Mars and Venus being in adjacent signs increases. And though this semi-sextile won't last more than a couple of days (suggesting that only a small tube of mental anti-itch ointment might suffice), because those days are the specific dates which lead into the Uranus’ station-direct/Capricorn Solstice moment of December 21st, changes and challenges are likely to interrupt, distract or disrupt our focus.

Moreover, the degrees at which Venus and Mars will proceed in numerical (not sign) tandem start at ten and continue on through fourteen, we know that emotional drives and those motivating forces which lie below the surface are causing some of this, with that 'hidden' or 'unspoken' factor creating a lack of clarity, whether or not there's true insecurity.

Venus conjunct Pluto in Capricorn (glyph chart)

December 20, 2014 - 11:02 a.m. (UT/+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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Venus conjunct Pluto in Capricorn (text chart)

December 20, 2014 - 11:02 a.m. (UT/+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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Some want to act, some are dying to react. We know something needs to be done...but we also don't want to act in haste. With Venus conjuncting Pluto there's no question but that we're each being driven by what we want to happen (which is natural) and let's not forget: any astrological contact between Pluto and Venus indicates some level of passion... or for those prone to same, obsession.

And that's what's being tested about now through a configuration we know of as Uranus squaring Pluto from 12 Aries with Uranus slowing down to take its station.

That's a lot of pressure. Internal pressure which is seeking a way to 'break through' whatever is holding it back.

This transiting Uranus-Pluto square has been with us now for a while, and its many manifestations have not been altogether pleasant. Uranus first came into orb of square to Pluto (this time around the zodiac) back in June of 2009 - a fact which may ring a bell for you and which certainly will set off chimes in the heads of those who watch domestic and international politics and economics. Since then life and our times have ... with increasingly shorter breaks ... been trying to get us to change, and where we don't change (or where we don't flex and/or change) change - sometimes drastically dramatic change - has been thrust upon us.

To put this in Aquarian Age terms we all have been being challenged to move out of some ‘past’ - most likely personal and global - into a more present-and-future mode, and we’ve probably all done some of it, but then again... probably not.

And that part we would know because Uranus is still transiting Pluto. The active square having begun in June 2012 (June the 24th, to be exact) it remains with us with the next edition of exactitude occurring on December 15th at 6:15 in the morning (UT/+0 time) with March 17, 2015 marking the last such event we will experience for a while, though it will be early 2017 before this influence fully dissipates.

So what is Uranus squaring Pluto - and why do we care amidst a conversation about Venus entering Capricorn?

There are a hundred different ways (at least!) to describe Uranus square Pluto. But since they all seem to fall within one rather indistinctly succinct outline, we’ll just go with that: Uranus squaring Pluto by transit is the need to change coming into balance with the willingness to be transformed.

In this textual word equation, Venus conjuncting Pluto represents the attracting of the result (that being the Venus factor) which will prove transformational. Occurring in Capricorn, we know the nature of this Venus/Pluto coloration is a reality - maybe one we want, maybe one we have and want to keep. We want to have things as we want them, we are fully vested in whatever it is we’re convinced of our focused on.

And yet... we’re changing. Things are changing. We know it - and yet we are unlikely (at the moment) to show it - that being part of the nature of 12 Capricorn, a degree which represents the ways we (at least some of us) get so very clever that we sometimes outsmart ourselves.

Firmness is called for here, lore tells us - but with Pluto in conjunction with Venus, though some will fight to the (literal or proverbial) death for change, just as many are likely to be tenaciously invested against some change they feel is being ‘thrust’ upon them in such a manner as to rankle their (Uranus-in-Aries) imperatives.

Read: survival...and surviving our mistakes.

Not necessarily physical, though. No, thought this could refer to physicality it could just as aptly pertain to anything any one of us is ‘being,’ doing, aiming to do...or even that which we are known for, whether in our career or personal life. And with the Sabian symbol for 12 Capricorn being ... ‘A fire worshiper meditates on the ultimate realities of existence’ ... we also know that this Pluto/Venus contact is generating something we could ‘get’ and learn a great deal from. To have this conjunction occurring in Capricorn speaks to the basic nature of that we will consider and confront - and with fixed star Vega in orb of this conjunction there is a definite aura of something which had held 'charm' which now doesn't seem so all-fire important.

So...will we change? In the long run, yes.  Are we willing to be a participant in our own transformation at this very moment? That depends. Some will see necessity and rebel where others will loathe the necessity but see pragmatic (Venusian) value in changing our mind, our position, our aim, our priorities - or anything else which needs to be changed.

People tend to attach huge importance to the transits of Venus because we think in terms of what we want to be true - or valuable to others because we like it so much. Venus is all about that sort of energy - but it's not the 'thing' which always counts as much as the connecting, however and whatever that effects.

Venus isn't about what we get, have or look like, it's about that part of us which motivates this or that, learning about our own "Venusian attractiveness" through how things work, through how others react - and in the end, by how happy with our own estimation of who we are we end up being.

While in Capricorn, that experience comes through life, through our comfort and satisfaction with our world - personal or global.

Or our lack of same, of course.

And yet...sometimes we're happy enough with that. 
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