Musings on Venus in Aries

What does it feel like for love to be in a hostile land? That’s Venus in Aries. That social, reasoning, consensus seeking, courteous planet in Aries is in a place where manners don’t matter.

Love becomes a challenge, a fight. Love that divides. Maybe you seek partners that see your love as a threat, or at the very least a challenge. Or maybe it’s you who recoils from intimacy. Just when your partner is vulnerable and receptive, you put up your dukes.

Venus in Aries by @PeoplesOracle
Venus in Aries could also be a love that separates one from their community. It could be a marriage that challenges cultural norms and the antagonism that brings to the relationship (or that the relationship brings to the community).

Venus in Aries is a consuming love., like the consuming fire of Mars. It’s a love that burns quickly and brightly, but just as soon fades. Love serves one’s need assert their individuality and will separate from the tribe.

Venus in Aries bonds with soldiers. It’s community in combat—cohorts of a revolutionary movement, banding together against a common enemy.

Do you have Venus in Aries in your tropical or sidereal birth chart? Talk to me about it on Twitter.

Saturn in Scorpio, Redux: June 20, 2017 – October 26, 2017

Since January 26, 2017 Saturn has been giving us a brief introduction to its transit in Sagittarius. But beginning June 20, and ending October 26 of 2017, Saturn in Scorpio will handle some unfinished business. Saturn stations direct at 27 Scorpio on August 24, 2017

All transits are in sidereal. If you’re curious about your chart using the sidereal zodiac you can find a guide with instructions on plotting your sidereal chart here, and a post outlining some of the philosophical differences between tropical and sidereal here.

Mars ruler of Scorpio, has had a lot to say over the past few months. Between Mercury’s retrograde in Aries and Uranus entering Aries permanently for the first time since 1933, the planets, and our lives have been answering to Mars. Saturn in Scorpio will soon be answering to Mars.

Saturn in Scorpio Redux - 2017 - The People's Oracle

Saturn in Scorpio in the Natal Chart

In the natal chart, Saturn shows where and how we are establishing ourselves as competent adults; what we are building over time in our external lives; and where we bump up against limitations and expectations that admonish us to grow up and be real.

Saturn generally needs evidence to change or relinquish control. Ideally that evidence is competence and sovereignty: proven ability (Capricorn) and self-determination (Aquarius).

Is Mars supportive, indifferent, or hostile to Saturn’s agenda? It’s complicated. There are places where their agendas overlap and places where they conflict. Ultimately, Saturn in Scorpio, the domicile of Mars, is volatile.

Being malefics, both Saturn and Mars lend themselves towards separation, loss, and even death. But where Saturn denies, blocks, and resists, Mars persists, cuts through, and explodes. They both can bring endings, but it’s a matter of how and why.

Saturn in Scorpio maintains with an indomitable will; it controls using subversive tactics and coercive force. In the natal chart, Saturn in Scorpio lends towards power struggles; but it also challenges us to harness our power and wrestle with our need for control. It questions how we go about getting it or keeping it.

Natives with Saturn in Scorpio often deal with themes of domination and surrender in the house where Saturn is in their chart. During their Saturn return they may come face to face with their own powerlessness or even struggle to use their power effectively. Natives with Saturn in Scorpio may ask themselves:

Are you prepared to accept the responsibility that comes with having the final say? How much will it cost you in the end? Is it better to surrender or can you find a balance?

The Saturn in Scorpio lesson is to learn when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em.

Transiting Saturn in Scorpio

Saturn in Scorpio can be stealthy and relentless. Whether that’s good or bad depends on where Mars is at any given time during Saturn in Scorpio’s transit. Where will Mars be during Saturn in Scorpio’s upcoming transit?

Mars in Gemini, June 20 – July 11
Mars in Cancer, July 11 – August 26
Mars in Leo, August 26 – October 13
Saturn enters Sagittarius, October 26, 2017 – January 24, 2020

In the next part of this article, I will talk about Mars in each of the signs as it pertains to Saturn’s final movements through Scorpio.

Do you have Saturn in sidereal Scorpio? If you aren’t sure, use this guide to cast your sidereal natal chart for free. I am offering a special Saturn Reading for those going through their Saturn return (Saturn in sidereal Sagittarius and Scorpio). It is also for those interested in how these transits affect their chart even if you’ve been through your Saturn return or haven’t had it yet. It may especially be helpful for those with natal planets in sidereal Scorpio and Sagittarius.

You can also read more about the first Saturn return here.

View all of my available readings and book them online.

Venus in Aries

Venus has been in sidereal Pisces since January 27, 2017. Normally in one sign for 4 or 5 weeks, Venus has been in the domicile of Jupiter for 4 months due to its recent retrograde. Venus enters sidereal Aries, the domicile of Mars, on May, 30 2017 at 10:26pm CST.

Shea Rose: Little Warrior
Shea Rose: Little Warrior courtesy of Wikipedia

Where Venus seeks consensus via pathways to a common end, conscientiousness as the awareness of oneself within the context of others; Mars (ruler of Aries) abandons the middle line compelled to choose sides. Mars is self preservation and the will to live, the courage to deviate from the status quo. It’s the answer to the stagnation of contentment.

Venus in Aries brings the courage to take a risk for the common good. Who is willing to deviate from the consensus which has shown itself to be spoiled? Who will relieve the pressure of progress pressing against the complacency of comfort?

Mercury through the Signs

People love to talk about planetary heavyweights, but don’t let this magician escape your understanding: MERCURY! This article focuses on the sign of Mercury in your natal chart.

Mercury is the planet responsible for putting words to what the Sun perceives. It communicates our perception of reality It is language we use when we talk to ourselves; it’s the words we think and the words we speak.

Have you ever felt like you and the person you are talking to are speaking different languages? Have you ever felt like you couldn’t get on the same page with the person you’re talking to, no matter how hard you tried? On the other hand, have you ever experienced telepathy and the ability to communicate without words? Have you ever felt like you could complete their sentences effortlessly?

All of these experiences can be traced back to the symbolism of Mercury in your natal chart.

Mercury is the fastest moving planet and is never more than 28° from the Sun. Its phasal relationship to the Sun, its speed, and its sign each say something important about you and your communication style.

Mercury through the Signs by @PeoplesOracle

Mercury Through the Signs

Mercury in signs ruled by the Sun and Moon

Mercury in Leo is ruled by the Sun. This placement here can be brilliant and intellectual with the ability to communicate clearly and succinctly what one perceives. This communication style can be dogmatic and obstinate in communication, unable to pick up on nuances. Mercury in Leo speaks with authority and may dominate discussions believing that their way is the only way.

Mercury in Cancer is ruled by the Moon. Its mode and method of communication waxes and wanes. At times they can be talkative, others mute. These natives can be intense and forceful in their language if their emotions precipitate such a response. Because Cancer tends to take things from one extreme to another (just like the Moon’s light), Mercury here is dramatic, running hot then cold.

Mercury in Mercury Ruled Signs

Both Mercury in Gemini & in Virgo are concerned with the symbols that hold the space for the thing itself. Mercury in Virgo’s symbol can be number and image, Gemini’s word and mannerism, sound.

Mercury in Gemini is air. It can be a ‘say anything’ kind of communicator because they are detached from the meaning of the words they say. The epitome of “don’t shoot the messenger”, it’s another placement where nuance and subtlety can be lost. Remember, when a planet is in its own sign—like Mercury in Gemini and Virgo—it’s its own boss. That authority equals power and responsibility.

Mercury in Virgo is earth. Earth is concerned with what is tangiblee. Here, Mercury is its own boss. It’s concerned with both the technical and practical aspects of communicating. Mercury in Virgo can be quite literal. A messenger too, Mercury in Virgo is precise and seeks accuracy over “perfection.” It translates using symbols, bringing down to earth what is perceived.

Mercury in Venus Ruled Signs

Mercury in Taurus is ruled by the earthy Venus. Rather than speaking to be understood, Mercury in Taurus speaks to be accepted. It uses its faculty of communication in order to find social validation via race, class, gender, and sexuality. Mercury in Taurus often says what they feel people want to hear in a tone that will elicit a particular response, for good or ill.

Mercury in Libra is focused on using language as a tool of reason, one that unifies and finds consensus. Mercury rules all air signs (by triplicity/element) at night so it has some dignity (authority) here. Striving for consensus and an honest appraisal, Mercury in Libra brings detachment, seeking fairness, equally acknowledging the various ways to communicate. Communication is a function of connecting people and ideas.

This detachment can be problematic when an empathetic or personal approach is needed.

Mercury in Mars Ruled Signs

Mercury in Aries is fire. Fire is the will and the light of conscious awareness. Don’t sleep on Mercury in Aries as an intellectual who can speak with clarity and willfulness. think. Still their word cut, burn, explode. Words as an axe that chop right down to the essence. Distilling and delineating difference. Being the exaltation of the Sun, Aries Mercury brings unification of perception and word.

With Mercury in Scorpio language is used to conceal and protect rather than to reveal. It’s more about what isn’t said. Mars is always about separation and division, though not always in a negative way. But with Scorpio expressing the watery side of Mars there is this feeling that words are creating closeness, but they are really creating division, maintaining boundaries of separateness. Mercury in Scorpio uses language to guard. It doesn’t want to reveal what it perceives.

Mercury in Jupiter ruled signs

Debilitated (lacks authority) in both Sagittarius and Pisces, their ruler Jupiter is indifferent and somewhat hostile to Mercury’s agenda of using symbols to communicate what one perceives. Words often get in the way of what Mercury in Sagittarius and Mercury in Pisces really means,

Mercury in Sagittarius may have issues with hyperbole or saying what they really mean. Mercury here can get caught up on controlling how others interpret them leading them into paralysis, saying nothing at all. Words limit their ability to articulate their intention so they may speak in story or myth rather than succinct concise language.

Mercury in Pisces seeks to give word to the unspeakable. It’s language as a means to connecting to something bigger than the individual self. Pisces is the exaltation of Venus. With Mercury there it can be poetic and prone to soliloquy. Mercury in Pisces speaks in images. It communicates by creating pictures rather than quantifying specifics. Mercury in Pisces wants to say things perfectly rather than precisely. Perfectly as in articulating the meaning even if the words don’t literally translate.

Mercury in Saturn Ruled Signs

Saturn is the planet of death, loss, fear, anxiety. But it is also the planet of conceptual reality and reimagining what is.

Mercury in Capricorn is the earth side of that power. It uses language to express competency. Communicating methodically, efficiently, and concisely, Mercury in Capricorn uses words as a tool to establish order and impose structure.

Where Mercury in Capricorn uses language to manage the world and people around them, Mercury in Aquarius is the word as self-determination. Mercury in Aquarius uses words to conceptually reimagine the self and the world. Mercury here can be quite technically adept in writing, the sciences, and music.

Saturn & The First Saturn Return

In this post, I will talk about the 5 stages of the first Saturn cycle which begins at birth and ends at the 1st Saturn return between ages 28 and 30.

Saturn &The First Saturn Return by @PeoplesOracle

Saturn in the Natal Chart

Over time, Saturn seeks to cultivate sovereignty over oneself—the authority one has over one’s life. It’s authority one is born with. Yet during the first Saturn cycle, between birth and about 28 to 30 years old, we awaken to that power and wrestle with it. We tussle with external authority figures and ultimately take over where our parents and other authority figures left off. Over that time period we internalize our experience of power and authority figures who have influenced us and held responsibility for our lives.

  • How did our caretakers handle their authority over us and responsibility for us?
  • Were we responsible for ourselves before we were appropriately capable? Or, did we make a relatively smooth transition? Or, did we never fully take over responsibility?
  • Did we have to take care of those who were supposed to take care of us?
  • Was cooperation demanded? Submission coerced? Trust nurtured?

The other side of Saturn represents external markers of authority, power, and responsibility. It’s when we explore the limits of our power and influence in the world around us. This is the kind of authority that is, ideally, earned and built over time. It’s granted to the one who has shown competency. It’s recognizing the impact of our authority AND our responsibility for the world around us.

Who’s The Boss?

Saturn at Birth is 0°
Age 0 to age 7
The boss has all of the power and all of the responsibility. You are not the boss, at first. You are completely helpless and 100% reliable on others to take care of you, to make decisions for you, to provide structure and boundaries for you—even if no one is there, which is the case for some people. The boundary of where you end and others begin is molded during this phase.

The first seeds of self awareness and our innate authority sprout during this time. We flex our muscle but mostly retreat to the familiarity of the boundaries we know.

The 1st Saturn Square is 90°
Age 7 to age 14
The 90° square of any two planets’ is about awareness and emergence. There is friction between what is known and what is unknown. One is awakening to the limits around them, feeling along the walls to see where they end.

But at the 90° square between transiting Saturn and natal Saturn the boundaries of home and family are the foundation upon which the rules of the emerging world around you are built. A solid foundation makes this period a quick build; an unstable foundation often calcifies boundary issues—whether too porous/non-existent, or impenetrable. But, the rules you know and the new rules your experience rub up against each other. Authority figures and the limitations of your world now bring another set of rules, not just those unique to your home and family, but also to your community and culture.

The Saturn Opposition 180°
Age 14 to age 21
The Saturn opposition is a face-off. You want to take the reigns, and in some ways you are ready. But the authority figures in your life tell you, “Not quite”. At this point, authority figures take the form of parents, teachers, law enforcement, etc. You feel physically powerful in your body (thanks to puberty), and you feel like you have a grasp on reality—enough to “see things as they are.” Power struggles often color this time period as you push back against boundaries that you feel are being forced upon you.

The Saturn Square 270°
Age 21 to age 28
This is the time where the rubber meets the road. We finally have the authority, and the responsibility, that we’ve craved all along. How prepared are we? How prepared do we feel? Pressed by the world around us to make important decision about the trajectory of our lives; we feel pressure to think of the future and make long-term goals.

Squares bring friction, and the friction here sparks awareness of an impending end. Something in us feels what’s coming: the return of Saturn to its natal position, our first Saturn return. It’s an ending and a beginning. It’s where we come to terms with reality of our inner authority and responsibility.

Are the decisions that we’ve made a result of our own will and desire? Or are we living someone else’s dream? Will we accept it or change course?

The 1st Saturn Return 0°
Age 28 to age 30
This is an ending and a beginning. The natal house and sign placement of our Saturn gives us clues as to which area of our life and who or what is involved in this transition. This time reinforces our understanding of authority and responsibility. We may ask ourselves:

  • Who or what secures the foundation of our lives?
  • How can I take on the mantle of responsibility and adulthood in a way that honors my own voice, not just replicating the voices of those who have heretofore been responsible for me?
  • Who am I becoming and what do I need to do in order to develop competency in this becoming?
  • What am I doing to lay the groundwork to be an authority and garner respect in my community and the world around me?

Many of these answers do not come until after Saturn leaves the sign where it is in the natal chart. But the return itself is a completion and a seed planting phase. It’s dark, like a New Moon. It is very clear, for some people, what is happening and where things are headed. For others it’s a time of fear and many unknowns. Those born during the day (Sun in house 7-12) tend to have a more constructive experience, while those born at night (Sun in houses 1-6) tend to deal with more fear, resistance, and difficulty.

Think of this return as being born all over again. Yet you are already a full grown adult this time, and you have to do the work yourself to prepare for your birth. You’re emerging from a womb and coming into another world with new rules and expectations,. This time you are responsible for finding and creating those people and things that will be a foundation for you and your life as you mature into the role you’ll play in your community, career, and the world.

Got questions or comments about Saturn & The First Saturn Return? Let’s talk about it on Twitter @PeoplesOracle.