Tag Archives: Venus

Ask Real Astrologers: Moon’s Nodes in Synastry

Our question this week comes from Jennifer.

How would you recommend someone handle synastry where someone’s planet is conjunct another person’s node? Even though it’s not a romantic relationship, somehow this makes me feel extremely obligated and bound to the person, and I don’t quite know what to do about it. With the people who are bugging me, one has Venus conjunct my South Node (and conjunct their North), the other has Venus conjunct my North Node. Even worse, that one’s my mother. I am constantly irritated with her, but it feels like I’m married to her! I think we reinforce the bad traits in each other somehow.

Libra ponders . . . Neith’s answer:

Jennifer, awhile back I waded through a bunch of family birth dates to look for reversed nodes patterns. The most reversed nodes were between mother and child for some reason. Reversed nodes are not easy to live with, because the nodes represent a strong theme in our lives and in the case of reversed nodes, very simply put, you are going in opposite directions. Most often the child moved far away from the mother as soon as possible because of the irritation factor.

With a planet or planets conjunct a node, they act to amplify the nodal energy. Even Venus, who has a reputation for being pleasant, can come off as cloying. Jan Spiller, in her book Cosmic Love, suggests the South Node person may feel a sense of indebtedness to the Venus person, who is inclined to be overly permissive in this instance. The Venus/North Node conjunction is about helping each other with self-worth issues.

In the case of the North Node/Venus conjunction, finding a balance between being supportive and nurturing oneself may be easier to sort out, because we are usually more detached when it comes to the North Node. However, the South Node/Venus conjunction may take more tact to handle. If it were me, I’d opt for distance. Then, I’m a Libra and not fond of confrontation!

My mother’s North Node was in Libra conjunct my Moon/Neptune. In the end, I had to move out of town for several years to help separate my emotional baggage from hers. We were always close, but it was my choice to keep a measure of distance between us. Otherwise, I ended up feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes it’s what we need to do to preserve our sanity with nodal connections . . . maintain some distance.

Both Pat and I do synastry work (check out our reports on Love and Relationships) and either of us would be happy to offer more feedback based on the rest of the charts of the individuals involved.

Aquarius expounds . . .

Pat’s Answer

I’m not sure I can add much to Neith’s response, as she was very thorough. Two things do come to mind, though:

First, a relationship is never based on one aspect, dramatic though it may be. Chances are, you have lots of other things going on between your charts, and these are feeding into your Venus-Node discomfort. If you have to interact with these people on a regular basis, you might want to order a compatibility reading to help you determine where you might be able to connect positively.

Second, while there are often cases of simple “bad chemistry” over which you have no control, that the nodes are involved with these two people tells me that there may be a valuable lesson for you if you stick with the relationship. I believe this is especially true with your mother, since it’s your North Node that’s involved here.

Not everyone is amenable to having heart-felt discussions, and you may not trust them enough to want to reveal your innermost fears and vulnerability. But at the very least, have that discussion with yourself. How do these two people reflect what’s going on inside of you? In the case of your mother, did she project her issues onto you as a child, so that now it appears that they’re yours? If so, might she be reinforcing them? My therapist in the late 80s called this the “family trance.” No matter how much we grow and evolve or how aware we are of childhood programming, when we get back together with family, we’re somehow sucked back into the old patterns.

Good luck, Jennifer!

Got a question for Neith and Pat? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers.

Weekly Forecast June 1: New Moon with Mercury Retrograde

Mercury enters his second week of retrograde motion this week as we head into a new lunar cycle.

The New Moon on Tuesday falls at 13 degrees Gemini, just a degree from the point at which Mercury will return direct on June 19. Since Mercury rules this New Moon, you may have to wait a couple of weeks to see any real effects. By then, the Moon will be full and conjunct the Galactic Core, no less. Unfortunately, knowing that positive changes are on the way may not help you keep your cool, as Gemini isn’t known for patience.

It does, however, like to be entertained, so deal with your frustrations by seeing a good movie. Go for a light and fluffy romantic comedy – better still if you own it and won’t have to stand in line or risk a late fee because something unexpected comes up that prevents you from getting the DVD back to the video store on time.

For more on the New Moon, check out the excellent analysis that Neith posted on Saturday.

Meanwhile, I’m hearing about healing crises of all kinds this week, a manifestation of the triple retrograde of Chiron, Mercury, and Neptune. This is powerful medicine, and it tastes awful. You can read more about it in my new post on The Pisces Chronicles.

Venus, Mercury and Cupid

As for Mercury, the little bugger, he’s wreaking havoc in classic retrograde style. Twitter is overloaded, my replacement ATM card didn’t arrive before the old one expired, the bank’s customer service line wasn’t answering, and my last paycheck from my old job got sent to the wrong place. Paperwork for my new job is stuck in bureaucratic purgatory. The ferry system is down yet another boat, so there will be long lines to get off the south end of Vashon for the next two weeks.

There will be plenty more where that came from, so do keep in mind my usual Mercury retrograde caveats: give yourself extra time to travel and accomplish tasks, be prepared to get put on hold and wait in line, keep a close watch on keys and credit cards, and be clear in all of your communications. If there’s a mix-up, don’t bother trying to figure out who’s to blame. Forgive, forget, and move on.

We’ll get some help with the latter courtesy of Venus. On Friday, she forms a snappy sextile with Mars. Sparks ignite when the universal feminine contacts the universal masculine. Whether you’ve got your eye on someone or are single and looking, check out where these two are in your chart. The Sun sextiles Mars mid-week, giving us an energy boost and getting Mars in the mood for his hot date.

Both the Sun and Mercury will conjoin Venus this weekend, providing small opportunities to clear the static and get a good connection. This also would be an ideal time to say “I’m sorry.” It’s amazing how far those two little words will go, and they don’t cost a thing.

Love and blessings,
Pat

Need help making sense of your life? Check out our exclusive forecasts, or contact me for a telephone reading.

Image: Venus, Mercury and Cupid, by Nicolas Chaperon, 1612-1654 (Musée du Louvre, Paris).

New Moon in Gemini, June 3

waning crescent moon This New Moon features a nice stellium of Venus, Moon, Sun and Mercury from 12 to 19 degrees Gemini. In general, this is a quieter lunation than some we’ve had so far this year. Usually Gemini is more outgoing, but with Mercury in its retrograde phase, the overall tone is more contemplative than usual. Venus closely conjoining the Sun and Moon adds to the softer note, too.

That said, Gemini corresponds to the third house, and all third-house pursuits are going to be favored, from spending time with friends and siblings to hanging out at the local hotspots. Be sure to double-check all of your meeting times and places, due to the Mercury retrograde effect, and be prepared for delays and long waits! If you are traveling with children, don’t forget to take their favorite games, books and toys to keep them amused.

As the New Moon peaks, the luminaries and Venus are moving into a tighter square with Uranus, so we can expect the more erratic side of Gemini to emerge over the week to 10 days following the New Moon. Anyone with planets or chart angles from 19 to 22 degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) can look forward to the finger-in-the-light-socket effect of Uranus. All plans will be subject to change without notice . . .

There is one notable aspect to the Gemini stellium, an energizing sextile from Mars in Leo. If you keep in mind the importance of thinking before speaking, this aspect is very good for expressing warmth and caring with candor. It’s also geat for good times in the neighborhood. Mars in Leo is adept at finding the nearest party to be the life of.

An interesting aspect in this chart is the trine between Neptune in Aquarius and Ceres in Gemini. A good way to demonstrate the compassion of Neptune is to practice kindness to all. Ceres in Gemini always has a kind word or three to offer and is good at thinking up many different ways to express them. Because trines don’t demand our attention like squares, we need to consciously take advantage of this gentle, caring aspect. Besides, this Libra person says it never hurts to use honey instead of vinegar, and the Gemini stellium with Venus repeats this message!

Use the next couple of weeks wisely, because we have a very powerful Full Moon in Sagittarius coming on June 18, with Pluto back in Sagittarius conjoining the Moon. Check back for the next installment.

**It’s that time again! New Moon Abundance Checks!

posted by Neith . . .

This photo is from Rendezvous Gallery.

Pole Dancing on May Day

“It’s every girl’s dream to be on the Internet in her underwear.”

I was at my day job, and the TV was on, tuned to the E! Channel. The show was called The Sexiest Jobs in Las Vegas, or something like that, and the first thing I noticed, besides all the pole dancing, was that the screen was frequently blurry in certain spots.

At first, I couldn’t figure out why they were spending hours on topless dancers, until I caught the gist of the show (I was working, catching glimpses here and there). In one segment, there was a guy talking about how the women who work these jobs make videos and put them on the Internet to get discovered. And that’s when he popped out the quote above.

I was a bit shocked to hear that. I mean, where have I been? I thought girls still grew up wanting to be ballerinas and maybe supermodels, with an occasional astronaut thrown in. It never occurred to me that posing in lingerie for Internet videos was even a profession, let alone a desired one.

But this clearly is a trend, and so I set out to understand it.

Now, I’m not exactly sure that astrology will explain this, but the timing was interesting. The show (a rerun from 2004) was being aired while Mercury was in Taurus – Mercury being the planet of communications, and Taurus being one of the two signs ruled by Venus, planet of love and desire. I admit that this could be a mere coincidence.

The bigger trend at work here appears to be the return of feminine energy to the planet. There’s been a lot of discussion about this in the astro-blogosphere, and we assume that return of the feminine means that we will see a resurgence of values such as nurturing rather than killing, cooperation rather than competition, intuition integrated with logic, and many other attitudes and behaviors that are kinder and gentler.

But what about feminine sexuality?

Tell me that this subject doesn’t make a lot of people nervous. I was squeamish watching hour after hour of firm, smooth cheeks in thongs writhing around a pole. I had to have a talk with myself to understand my discomfort. And I think the simple answer is, we’ve been programmed to believe that it’s bad, so even if we’re cool with it intellectually, we make up “reasons” to object. The biggest is that it’s degrading to women, that it sets up an impossible ideal that most women can’t meet – and that even the women in question didn’t meet until they were surgically enhanced – that we want to be loved for more than our bodies … all the usual suspects.

Enough already. It has to be OK for women to be sexual beings, in any way we wish, and if pleasing men is the objective, that’s OK, too. Ideally, when the masculine and feminine energies on the planet are integrated, the pleasing will be a two-way street. That’s what we should be aiming for, but someone has to go first.

I hope that this is what’s behind the surge of soft porn on the Internet, so I’ve made a pact to allow this energy to flourish. Something to think about as Venus enters Taurus, the day before the sexiest holiday of the year.

Dancing around the May Pole indeed.

Pat

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Marina, pictured above, is a 27-year-old Russian philologist and Internet phenom whose video series “Hot for Words” gets millions of hits a week. If I thought I could get millions of hits posing in my underwear, I might try it, too. :-)

Slogging Through the Obstacles

This is an exciting week, with major astrological shifts that should leave everyone feeling a lot better. I’m more than ready to get out of this stuck space, and I know you all are, too.

The week begins with several planets in their detriment or fall, including Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. As I noted in last week’s SkyWatch post, when planets are in their detriment or fall, the energies they embody are somehow “off,” and we feel it. Venus has been demanding and selfish in Aries, while Mars is paranoid, moody, and passive-aggressive in Cancer. In Capricorn, Jupiter turns into a workaholic, when he’s so much more jovial as master of ceremonies.

Although Mercury isn’t technically in detriment or fall in Taurus, this isn’t his best sign, and this will be doubly true when he squares Neptune on Tuesday. Slow, foggy, and confused thinking will be the order of the day. Have you ever been on the phone and momentarily forgotten who you were talking to? It’s like that…

On Wednesday, Venus enters Taurus, which is one of the signs she rules. We should start seeing signs of beauty, grace, and a general return of yumminess, with fewer selfish demands, especially among couples.

Thursday is May 1, celebrated as May Day and known to the ancient Celts as Beltaine, when virgins were deflowered, and it was OK to mate with someone other than your spouse. Venus trines Pluto, which is sure to create some irresistible temptation. And if you’re looking to make it more permanent, her trine with Saturn later in the day could bring just what you’re looking for. Saturn is about to turn direct, too, so this will be a powerful day for romantic commitment.

Saturn turns direct on Friday at 8:07 p.m. on the West Coast of the United States. He’ll take a week or two to start moving forward, but we all are going to start seeing some real progress in areas that have had us stuck for months. As I noted in a new post today on The Pisces Chronicles, the simultaneous station of Jupiter in Capricorn and Saturn coincided with an interesting experience over the weekend that seems to have bumped me up a notch on the consciousness spiral. Among other things, I made some progress in a couple of areas where I’ve been desperately stuck. Could the chant to Ganesha (pictured above) have had anything to do with it? He’s apparently an expert on dealing with Saturn issues.

Earlier on Friday, Mercury enters Gemini. Seeing as how we’re interacting primarily in cyberspace, we’re going to feel this, and I’m betting it will be almost instant. Look for lots of communications activity this weekend.

Sunday will be deliciously lazy and sensual, with the Moon exalted in Taurus trining Pluto and Saturn, then conjoining Venus – all in preparation for Monday’s New Moon. Effects of the New Moon can be felt within three days before or after peak fullness, so we should start seeing the results of all the painful breaking down we’ve been going through since the Full Moon in Scorpio.

So hang in there, and keep in touch. One of the ways we learn about how astrology works is through the stories you leave here. And don’t be shy, even if English is not your native language. RealAstrologers.com is a truly international website, and it’s always exciting for us to hear from the four corners of the planet.

Much love and manifold blessings,
Pat

Sexual Tension and a Bit of Drama

hawk flies free . . .

Even though the Sun and Mercury are now in placid Taurus, unstable reactive energies continue to dominate this week, promising sexual tension, melodrama, and overindulging in what isn’t good for us. Or is it?

As I write, the Moon is gliding through the last degrees of Scorpio, and we’re still trying to determine what manifested out of Sunday’s Full Moon. It has been uncomfortable for me, and I sense that many of you share that watching-and-waiting feeling. I think we’ll have an answer by the end of today.

Mars in Cancer trines Uranus in Pisces today as well, and the Scorpio Moon completed a grand trine in the water signs yesterday. Among other things, you might have noticed a spontaneous outflow of feelings, in yourself or in others. Miracles can happen when you take a chance and tell another person what’s in your heart.

Enjoy it while you can, because the cardinal T-square between Venus, Mars, and Jupiter midweek could make you squirm. It’s interesting to note that all three of these planets are in the signs of their detriment or fall. In other words, they aren’t expressing their best qualities. Venus, the planet of love, desire, and harmonious relationships, is in demanding, me-first Aries. Mars, normally the initiator and macho guy, is in nurturing, tender Cancer, where he can get resentful and passive-aggressive. Normally ebullient Jupiter is in Capricorn, which puts a chill on his warmth and generosity.

All types of relationships may suffer under these astrological conditions, but especially ones in which sexual intimacy is an issue. If you try to get what you want through manipulation, it likely will backfire. And with Jupiter involved in this three-way, it’s likely to backfire in a big way. However, I think it’s more likely that this energy will manifest as overindulgence of some kind, be it sex, alcohol, or, most likely, comfort food. Running for chocolate or diving into a bag of chips may be your fix of choice for emotional discomfort, and you won’t stop at just one.

The best way to handle these situations is to state your needs and desires very clearly and let the other person respond as he or she wishes. Of course, we’d like the same honesty and directness that we’re putting out, but it doesn’t always happen, for one reason or another. The best you can do is to take responsibility for yourself. That said, the nature of this week’s convoluted energies may make it hard to do so in a way that makes everyone feel OK.

The Moon enters Capricorn, the sign of her detriment, on Friday, and she hooks up with Jupiter on Saturday night. Moon-Jupiter conjunctions are usually upbeat occasions, but I think there will be a lot of commiseration going on, probably over events earlier in the week. It may be hard to tap into how you really feel, but try. It’s the only way to make a heart connection.

On Sunday, the Moon opposes Mars and squares Venus. If the tension you felt early in the week didn’t find a release, it could happen at this time. Once again, keep in mind that others may not want what you want, and that’s OK for now. Conflict is not always a bad thing and is necessary for growth. If nothing else, events this week may help you understand your own wants and needs better, which is a needed precursor to getting them met.

Let me just add the usual caveat that I’m describing broad planetary energies. How they apply to you depends on where they fall in your chart. If you’d like to know that, Neith and I both do transit reports.

I’d just like to add a note to thank you all for dropping by. Neith just installed Site Meter, and it’s been great fun to see where you are located. We have readers from all over Europe, as well as Canada, Australia, Brazil, India, Singapore, and, of course, all across the United States.

Love and blessings,
Pat

This is one of Neith’s photos of the emerging spring growth. That speck at the top is a hawk.

Leo and Gemini couple – What Happened?

This request came from a Gemini woman about a relationship with a Leo man whom she met some time back online. Their initial meeting in person went very well, but things went flat after that.

They have good synastry between their charts, with both Moons in Aries and excellent Sun to Moon exchanges with her Gemini Sun sextile his Aries Moon and his Leo Sun trine her Aries Moon – all comfortable fire and air signs.

In fact, the overall compatibility between the two charts is strong with several intra-aspects (where the same planets aspect each other from both charts). There are Venus/Sun and Venus/Neptune aspects for fun and romance, along with Mars/Uranus and Mars/Pluto aspects for really great chemistry. The Saturn/Mercury intra-aspect is a little more challenging, because on some level, communications feel blocked and there may be a sense of not feeling understood by each other.

Another positive factor is having the harmonious aspect between their Ascendants. She has Pisces rising, and he has Capricorn on the Ascendant. This indicates that they have similar ideas about what a good partnership is all about. His Venus/Saturn/Jupiter stellium in Libra falls in her seventh house conjunct her Saturn/Jupiter – a lot of Saturn for durability, balanced with Jupiter’s optimism.

The difficulties may arise because of issues hinted at in the natal charts. His Sun in Leo is the apex of a T-square with Uranus in Scorpio opposing Chiron in Taurus. Uranus/Sun aspects make for a very independent personality, and whenever I see Chiron aspecting the Sun I suspect self-image problems – an uncomfortable pattern to learn to work with.

Also, his Moon in Aries opposite his Venus/Saturn/Jupiter stellium in Libra indicates a tendency toward emotional ups and downs and difficulty assessing how he feels about his partners. Her Saturn/Jupiter conjunction in Libra squares her Venus in Cancer. This parallel between their charts offers an avenue to understanding, but when Saturn aspects such as these are present, it can take time to develop a level of trust.

They both have Saturn in Libra, so relationships are a serious business and, as I’ve noted before, this inclines a person either to avoid commitments or to embrace them completely. These two have a lot going for them from an astrological perspective. I wish them well.

posted by Neith . . .