How Venus affects your love life
Have you ever sat at the water’s edge and watched the sun slowly sinking below the horizon? Have you ever danced with the pure joy of simply being alive? Have you ever felt the sensation of an ice-cold drink on a stinking-hot day as it slides down your throat? Or climbed into bed on a freezing-cold night, pulled the doona up around your ears and listened to the rain? Or heard the sound of a young child’s laughter or put your nose into a deeply perfumed rose to draw in the scent, or lay in silence next to your lover drinking in each other’s presence? What about experiencing the feel of silk sheets on your skin or the smell of new leather or fresh pages in a new book? Have you seen the delicate colour changes in an early-morning sunrise and heard the tinkling of a windchime as a breeze gently wafts by, or the words: “I love youâ€.
If you have experienced any of the above you have known the power of Venus. Venus is many things, most of which are difficult to explain or describe. That’s probably because Venus is more about the senses, being sensual, experiencing sensuality and looking sensational than she is about words. Venus has been described by one eminent astrologer as the “aaahhhhhh……†factor. Whatever it is that stops you dead in your tracks and compels you take in a moment of pure joy, happiness, love, peace and beauty — that is Venus.
Venus, Aphrodite and myth
The myth surrounding the goddess Venus provides some clues as to where these indescribable moments of joy initiate. Venus is a Roman goddess, her counterpart in Greek mythology being Aphrodite. Their stories are similar and tell of a goddess rising from the sea. Cronus (Saturn), son of Ouranus (Uranus), castrated his father on request from his mother Gaia. The castrated genitals were thrown into the sea whereupon they started to churn, causing sea foam to form. It was from that foam that Aphrodite was born. Zephyrus, the west wind, gently blew her to land. There she was greeted by Horae (goddess of the seasons), who clothed her and draped her in precious jewels. She was then taken to the assembly of the Immortals. Beside her walked Love and Desire. She was beautiful, graceful, exquisite, radiant and poised. Aphrodite embodied all that is feminine.
Zeus, the supreme god, could see the eyes of all on magnificent Aphrodite and decreed she should be married immediately lest she be carried away by anyone less scrupulous. An ongoing dispute between Hera and Zeus meant Hera’s son Hephaestus, a blacksmith, was the lucky man to gain Aphrodite’s hand in marriage. But Aphrodite was not into marriage. Monogamy was not her style. Aphrodite was a free spirit and if she were to go against that sense of freedom she would destroy her joy. While she was still officially married, she took many lovers and had several children, including Eros (Cupid).
Venus represents beauty, poise and gracefulness. Astrologically, she is the indicator of your ability to attract the opposite sex and shows how you “do†relationships. Venus also signifies beauty as art and denotes what is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Ultimately, the Venus myth talks about values. For Venus, her values lay in her ability to remain a free spirit. The Gods decreed Venus should be married, but in surrendering herself to the demands of marriage she was destroying her soul. Likewise, you may try too hard to fulfil other’s expectations, in turn destroying your own sense of joy and happiness. For joy and happiness to be real, they must come from the depths of your heart and be a result of being in love with yourself and your life.
An unfortunate fact of life in the 21st century is that our capacity to enjoy sexuality has been severely curtailed. Ancient cultures viewed sex within an entirely different context. Sex was seen as a sacred rite. Various festivals included sex in honour of the goddesses. Over time, various civilisations and belief systems have denigrated many of the qualities of Venus. Sex as a natural human expression, the enforcement of monogamy by a patriarchal society and the demise of women to a secondary role both within a relationship and within a culture are just a few examples of how Venus has been dishonoured. The experiences of the past have replaced the sacredness of sex with shame and guilt. The human body has been portrayed at different times as evil, with natural desires said to be the work of the devil. These beliefs have infiltrated modern thinking so that many now carry a form of a repressed Venus. When Venus is scorned, her love turns into jealousy and rage. This is manifested in pornography, child sex slavery, prostitution, domestic violence and all forms of abuse, to name just a few of the more reprehensible expressions of “loveâ€. Venus challenges you to once again become promiscuous with life, to find your joy and to surrender to it, to play and create wholesome lives of love and peace. Everyone is attracted to different qualities of Venus. Some are attuned to her beauty, some to her sexuality, some to her modesty, some to her self-assurance and composure. This mostly depends on the sign Venus is attached to in your birth chart. One of the more popular depictions of Venus is the painting by Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus. If you take a moment to study this scene and allow it to evoke a personal response, chances are what catches your imagination reflects your natal Venus. Below are some possibilities. Men with Venus in Aries typically notice the naked woman and their imagination travels along the lines of planning how to seduce her into a night of sexual passion. Aries is the most masculine and testosterone-driven of all signs, therefore it’s possible that passion would overcome any affection or chance of romance. Women with this placement will see an independent female and may enjoy the idea that Venus refused to be dominated by a man. Here Venus represents a champion for the cause of women’s rights. For both sexes, relationships can be a battlefield as each partner fights to keep their autonomy. Marriages are often fraught with argument and conflict, something Venus in Aries finds stimulating and which is sometimes used as a forerunner to sex. Famous people with Venus in Aries: Robert Downey Jnr, Liza Minnelli, Marilyn Monroe, Melissa Etheridge, Tony Blair, Sigmund Freud. Women with this Venus placement are often captured by the richness of the cape about to be thrown over Venus’s nakedness. The precious jewels and other lavish adornments, perfumes and oils used to ready Venus before her presentation to the Assembly of Immortals are enough to capture these women’s imaginations. Men with Venus in Taurus note a voluptuous, sensual and seductive woman, but probably want to know if she can cook as well. For both sexes, intimacy is just as much about sating the senses as it is about the physical act. Comfort and security within a relationship are paramount. Both men and women with this placement prefer traditional gender roles. Famous people with Venus in Taurus: Princess Diana, Ann Margret, Paul McCartney, George Lucas, Burt Bacharach, Karl Marx. Both men and women with this placement would be interested to know what Venus was thinking. Maybe Venus was preparing her presentation speech or perhaps she was wondering if there was to be a welcome party after the formalities were over. And possibly both of you were drawn to her suggestive, flirtatious nature. With Venus in Gemini you need to have a mental rapport with your partner — it’s often a case of “If I can’t talk to you, I can’t have a relationship with youâ€. It’s friends first, lovers second. Certainly, her stance on the freedom to take lovers would appeal. One of the other key elements for those with Venus in Gemini is the need to have fun with their partners. Relationships are generally kept light and are centred on having a good time. Famous people with Venus in Gemini: Kylie Minogue, Richard Branson, John F Kennedy and Jackie Onassis Kennedy, Cher, Venus Williams. For those with Venus in the sign of mothering and nurturing, the thought may have crossed your mind that the first thing you need to do is get Venus dry and dressed. Then you need to get her home and feed her something warm and nourishing. She has just been through an ordeal and needs looking after. And that is exactly what men and women with this placement will do in relationship: take care of each other. Cancers need safety and security so marriage becomes a goal. Monogamy is important, as is having an emotional rapport with a partner. Cancer is a sign that’s happy with traditional gender roles. With this placement, women tend to be stay-at-home mothers and men often look for women with strong maternal instincts (which sometimes suggests men are looking for mother substitutes in a partner). Ultimately, it is about being with someone you can care for and who cares for you. Famous people with Venus in Cancer: Camilla Parker Bowles, Meryl Streep, Donald Trump, Dustin Hoffman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Princess Anne. If you have Venus in Leo, your imagination would probably have taken you straight to the heart of the painting — Venus herself. Women may well have been captured by the romance of the myth or Venus as the heroine. Your eyes will take in the royalty of the scene and in your mind’s eye you note how all eyes are on Venus as she was paraded before the gods. Men perhaps noticed Venus’s glamour, her star qualities and the fact that she could turn heads. You would appreciate the offer to take her down the red carpet on her presentation walk. Relationships for those with Venus in Leo can be high drama. Both parties can be demanding in their need to be loved and adored, but Leo also gives much love in return. Famous people with Venus in Leo: Nicole Kidman, Barbara Cartland, Greta Garbo, Madonna, Coco Chanel and Andy Warhol.
Both men and women with this placement will probably be grateful that at least Venus had the good sense to cover her private bits as best she could. Modesty is high on the list for Venus in Virgo, as is a conservative, almost unassuming nature. With Venus in Virgo, it could be you felt uncomfortable with the whole show. You may have preferred to see Venus a little more demurely dressed, maybe with eyes downcast rather than looking wistfully into the future. The partners of Venus in Virgo need to be clean and tidy, both in appearance and in living standards. With this placement, both sexes need to be competent and independent. In relationships you can easily become critical of your partners, for you seek perfection in all areas of life. Famous people with Venus in Virgo: Brigitte Bardot, Sarah Ferguson, Antonio Banderas, Bob Geldof, Mae West and Guy Pearce. Venus shines brightly in Libra. Here, you see her beauty and elegance and this is what both men and women with this placement notice first. Women strive to imitate that beauty and men will seek out women who have that special poise and style. You may also have noticed the special relationship between Venus and those assisting her. You will understand their contribution to her magnificence, for you are aware that it takes two people, at least, to create such a happy scene. Aloneness is foreign to those with Venus in Libra; relationships are paramount. Your partner often becomes the focus of your life. Outside of relationships, you are gracious and good-natured to all. Your manners are impeccable and your conversation full of tact and diplomacy. Famous people with Venus in Libra: Grace Kelly, Claudia Schiffer, k.d. lang, Prince Charles, Woody Allen and River Phoenix. After careful consideration of the portrait presented, both men and women with Venus in Scorpio will shrug off the initial images of beauty and grace and start to search for a deeper meaning to the whole scenario. Questions like: “Where did she come from?†“What does she want?†arise in the minds of those with this placement. First impressions don’t matter an awful lot if you have Venus in Scorpio. You are far more interested in the hidden motives of a potential lover. With Venus in Scorpio you are often suspicious of anyone trying to get too close, staying on guard until you have enough proof that others are who they say they are. Relationships can turn into power plays. They can also swing from emotional highs to all-in brawls. Partners are intense, serious and demanding of loyalty. Both men and women with this placement are attracted to dark, silent types. Women are usually seductive and enticing. Men are often mysterious and sexual. Famous people with Venus in Scorpio: Martin Scorcese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bill Gates, Annie Lennox, Steven Spielberg and Mohandas Ghandi. It probably didn’t take you long to see in Venus her strong sense of self. This lady is nobody’s fool. She is self-confident, she knows what she wants and is prepared to go after it. And you are ready to take that adventure ride with her. Venus in Sagittarius needs a big-picture story, wants to go on journeys and experience life in as many different ways as possible. Venus in Sagittarius also has a certain sense of irreverence about it. Fun, humour, gregariousness and a bubbly nature are qualities that both men and women with this placement look for in a partner. Relationships are formed with those who can expand your horizons. If they happen to be sports-minded, all the better. Famous people with Venus in Sagittarius: Jane Fonda, Germaine Greer, Billy Connolly, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimi Hendrix, Tina Turner.
Venus in Capricorn values maturity over anything else. On sighting this painting, those with this placement will have detected poise, confidence and composure. Venus in Capricorn is serious. Both men and women with this placement are attracted to partners who are level-headed, realists and pragmatists. Both sexes admire a business-like style in others. Emotions are not cared for and can be embarrassing, especially if they are displayed openly. As a woman with Venus in Capricorn, you’ll look for strong men who aren’t intimidated by your need to forge your own career. Men with this placement look for women who are refined, no-nonsense types who can turn on the charm when needed. These relationships are more like a business partnership than an intimate encounter. You might even need to make an appointment for sex. Famous people with Venus in Capricorn: Paul Newman, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Prince Andrew, James Dean and Helena Rubenstein. Those with Venus in Aquarius probably just walked away from the suggestion to engage with the painting. Venus in Aquarius is not interested in doing what everyone else does and is not usually captivated by Botticelli-type paintings. There would probably be a “No comment†from this lot. Venus in Aquarius is attracted to the unorthodox, the unusual and those with a different cultural, religious or educational background. They are inspired by what is different. Men with Venus in Aquarius look for women who are unpredictable, free-spirited and in some ways eccentric. Women with this placement pay attention to men who can offer another viewpoint or with whom they can engage in good banter. Relationships are almost always open-ended. Independence and free thinking are admired. Sex is more often than not a one-night stand. Famous people with Venus in Aquarius: Simone de Beauvoir, Gloria Steinem, Glenn Close, Nicholas Cage, Wolfgang Mozart, Elton John. Of all the signs, Pisces will be standing in front of the painting long after others have moved on. Venus in Pisces is full of imagination and is captivated by imagery. Venus in Pisces would hear music playing, would feel the breeze and would smell the flowers in the painting. Imagination plays a big role in how Venus in Pisces chooses a partner. This group wear the rose-coloured glasses more than any other sign. As a result, those with this placement are more often disappointed and disillusioned in love. Venus in Pisces is very sensitive, passive and delicate. Relationships can be fraught with victim/martyr complexes. Unfortunately, women with this placement can be caught up in domestic violence situations and men can easily find themselves falling in love with a fairy princess rather than a real human being. It is all about fantasy. Famous people with Venus in Pisces: Brett Whiteley, Vanessa Redgrave, Vincent van Gogh, Billie Holiday, John Travolta and Christian Dior.
Modern sexuality
Botticelli’s Venus
Venus in Aries
Venus in Taurus
Venus in Gemini
Venus in Cancer
Venus in Leo
Venus in Virgo
Venus in Libra
Venus in Scorpio
Venus in Sagittarius
Venus in Capricorn
Venus in Aquarius
Venus in Pisces
