Venus!

b

The planet Venus in you chart tells a couple of different things. It shows where you attract things easily, how you act within relationships (romantic and non-romantic) and deals with your personal resources. It deals with the finer luxuries of life, but can also deal with vanities. So lets take a look at Venus through the signs and houses:

Aries/First- Self-centered at times within relationships, you are still generous with partners. You love the beginning stages of a relationship, with the butterflies, and you keep it going with lots of spontaneous activity. You are more likely to earn more resources, if you follow through on your high initiative capability, but watch out for splurging, as you are prone to spur of the moment purchases. Try to not jump in to financial deals, carefully weigh the risks.

Taurus/Second- Sensual in relationships, you are a true romantic. As far as priorities go, love and security are at the top. You enjoy the finer things in life (especially food) and surround yourself with beautiful things. Your hard work ethic makes it easy for you to obtain a higher income, and you are thrifty, always looking for a good deal.

Gemini/Third- The same thing everyday is not the way to keep you happy. You are excited by variety, which may manifest as multiple partners, or very spontaneous activities. You require a partner who stimulates you mentally, and you can be quite flirty in general. Watch that spending though, as it will deplete your money sources. Many people with this aspect will balance two jobs. 

Cancer/Fourth- Love can be emotionally gratifying or heartbreaking, as you are super sensitive regarding matters of the heart. You give all of your heart to someone, and only move forward when you feel completely comfortable with the situation. You do have a tendency of mothering everyone, which can become detrimental if it turns in to "smothering". This can also affect your need for security. Financially, you may gather resources through savings and home ownership.

Leo/Fifth- You tend to become the center of attention, whether you meant to or not. People are drawn to your warmth and energy. You enjoy the social scene. In matters of the heart, you are loyal and passionate. You have the ability to make much money, which satisfies your need for socializing, but be careful with money matters.

Virgo/Sixth- Venus in Virgo natives tend to be picky and idealize any partners they have, which can often set them up for disappointment. Many people with this aspect actually choose to remain single. In a relationship, you can be caring and sensual, but sometimes, you can become the force that lets you partner get away with their shortcomings. Emotionally, you analyze your feelings, with the emotions and thoughts being so intertwined, it might be hard to tell which is which. Like Taurus, your work ethic provides a higher than average earning potential, but watch out for impulsive buys.

Libra/Seventh- Venus in this aspect gives the native the need for a partner. You may mistake the need for partner as a sign of love, so make sure you look at what your motivations truly are within a relationship. You seem to know what makes people tick, giving you extra insight in to those you associate with, which helps you to avoid conflict. It is important that you surround yourself with comfortable things, and luxury items, as you enjoy the more aesthetic parts of life.

Scorpio/Eighth- Chaos surrounds your relationships, often because any insecurities trigger negative traits, like jealousy. No one really knows what you are feeling deep down, as you hide it well. Tight with your money, you know how to manage it well, and you have higher earning potential with this placement. Very protective of those you love, you never forget a slight from someone who harms you or your loved ones.

Sagittarius/Ninth- Not one to be tied down within a relationship, you leave one the minute you feel that being threatened. It is important that you have partners that allow you to do what you wanna do. Very outgoing and optimistic, you generally do not care about financial matters, you feel like you somehow always have what you need. Save up for periods when money is tighter.

Capricorn/Tenth- Only complete security will allow the Capricorn in Venus native to show their affections. They are very private, never engaging in PDA. Sometimes, they might enter in to a partnership for status or financial reasons. You're conservative nature blends in to the financial realm, and your hard working nature can bring about money, although watch out for spending, just to prove you have it.

Aquarius/Eleventh- Aloof and distant, but interested in people, you generally tend to stick more to friends, although your ideal partner is a best friend. Like the Venus in Sagittarius native, you need someone who can let you be independent, and embrace your quirkiness. Often erratic in saving versus spending, try to set up a budget will help to stabilize this area of your life.

Pisces/Twelfth- Sensitive and a romantic, you are often lonely without someone else to share life with. Sentimental, you remember all of the big moments within a relationship. Often, people with this placement need someone else to manage their budget, often ending up in debt. 

(Reference: Complete Book of Astrology by Kris Brandt Riske, MA)

So what if Venus is retrograde within your chart?

It may not allow you to come out of your shell fully. You only let yourself completely out socially when you are 100% comfortable with those around you. You might doubt the affections of others, become completely absorbed in relationships, and not feel that others feel enough for you. You also may feel that relating to other people is awkward, and not natural. 

Mercury Retrograde!

It is coming up on that time of year...again...where we are about to enter Mercury Retrograde. This phrase has gotten a pretty bad rap in the modern astrology community, often being the catch-all for any bad luck. I'm sure you have thought of it yourself, that any time anything goes wrong, "Is Mercury in retrograde?"

So what is Mercury retrograde? Every so often, usually about three to four times a year, our view of Mercury from Earth, looks as though it is spinning backwards. The first and last day of this movement, are viewed as Stationary, either Retrograde or Direct, whether it is going in to retrograde, or changing back to forward motion (Direct). If you were born during a retrograde period of any planet, the planet in your chart is typically accompanied by a Rx. If it was stationary (either retrograde or direct) there will be an S. This can affect how a planets influence manifests itself in your life. People who are born in Mercury retrograde, will often be more introspective, versus being outspoken. They tend to be more shy in their younger years, until one day, they begin to express themselves more easily, usually when an adult. With Mercury ruling thinking and communication, the retrograde motion focuses this aspect more internally than externally. If you were born while the planet was Stationary, then it is believed that the aspects of that planet or more prominent than a normal moving planet. So someone born in Mercury Stationary would be more focused on their thinking and communication, and it would be a more important part of that persons life.

Now of course, those affected by Mercury in retrograde will vary. Those who have a strong Mercury influence in their chart (Sun, Moon, Ascendant) in Gemini or Virgo, tend to be more affected than those who are not. Also, it depends on where Mercury is transiting your chart, any planets it is affecting within your natal chart, and sometimes, just how aware you are of this influence.

So what exactly is affected within a Mercury retrograde? Communications are a large factor, with things not coming out right, spelling errors, miscommunication, etc. Also, transportation, as Mercury rules short-distance travel. Electronics might seem particularly fickle at this time as well. It is advised that you do not make any super important decisions, sign any legal documents, take trips, or get married under this influence. Often, things that weren't done right the first time Mercury passed through those signs, will be revisited as it travels retrograde. This is a great time to do things that never got finished, although its also a time you are more prone to making mistakes.

This upcoming retrograde cycle, begins on October 4, 2014. The retrograde period of this cycle will be from 2° Scorpio-16° Libra (October 25).  To really understand how to look at a Mercury Retrograde cycle, its important to know some terms. It is not just important to look and be mindful the day that Mercury turns retrograde, but actually as it is first travelling through the signs that it will be retrograde in (September 14-October 4). A retrograde period actually causes a planet to travel through an area of the zodiac 3 times, first direct, then it moves backwards at retrograde, and then forward again, through the initial direct period. It is said that the first movement through the zodiac sign, gives it an initial perspective, the retrograde causes you to approach the same situations from a different perspective, than the period after the retrograde movement, is the integration of both of the prior movements through the sign.

So lets grab your charts, and take a look!

First, you need to figure out which houses are affected by the signs in the Retrograde, in this case, Libra and Scorpio. To find your house rulers, check out THIS POST. My 11th House is ruled by Libra, and my 12th House, although my 12th House is also kind of in Scorpio. So Mercury right now will be doing a little dance through my 11th house, and a little in to my 12th House. Not only will those houses be affected, but any house that is ruled by Gemini and Virgo (8th and 10th for me). 

Firstly, Mercury retrograde will mostly be in Libra, so at this time, any communications regarding partnership need to be heavily analyzed. Scrutinize every contract signed. You might feel as though things are not fair with how people treat you, and you might find yourself in more fights with your significant other. Indecisiveness may rear its head, so try not to analyze everything to death. The couple of days it is in Scorpio, be mindful of not telling anyone anything you don't mind becoming public knowledge, and watch for your tendencies to manipulate others, or to obsessively brood about situations. Be careful regarding any sexual decisions, or shared financial decisions.

With the retrograde mostly being in my 11th House, I will be paying close attention to any communications with friends, and making sure to not jump to any hasty decisions, and to try to be more understanding regarding anything they say. It may come out here who real friends are, and to help me reorganize my support structure. Here is a great link explaining mercury retrograde throughout your individual chart, and what kinds of things to be on the lookout for. 

Having Gemini and Virgo on my 10th and 8th House cusps, I am going to pay SUPER attention to my shared finances, especially with the Scorpio influence in this period, and to make sure that I am expressing myself clearly within my career aspect of my life. 

What are you going to do about this time period? How are you expecting it to impact the next couple of weeks?

The 6th House of Your Natal Chart

The 6th House of your natal chart rules a couple areas within your life. The sixth house is referred to as the house of "work and service". Any planet in this house, or sign on the cusp here, is going to affect your daily habits, work (not necessarily career) and service. Also health, animals, and relationships with your employer and/or coworkers.

Virgo naturally rules this house, however, the odds are that yours is not, unless you are an Aries rising. The different signs on this cusp might affect how you approach your daily habits, daily work, your health and relationships with those in the workplace. Here's a brief synopsis:

Aries/Mars- They take the initiative in the workplace, and are ambitious, however, relationships with their coworkers might be affected by the desire to be in charge, and you prefer a fast paced work environment. Work accidents are likely, due to Aries being a rush-in type of person. Make sure you follow safety protocol. Aries rules the head, so any malady here, such as headaches, may be common.

Taurus/Venus- These people are hard workers, and are reliable, although might be a little slow, and do things on their own time. They need a workplace that is comfortable, and prefer a slower one. They are likely to do things the same way every time, and hate changes to the procedures. Taurus rules the throat, so they might be susceptible to throat issues health wise.

Gemini/Mercury- These people need to multi-task to accomplish projects, and to not get bored. They prefer to work with their hands. Their short attention span might make it hard for them to keep a job. They need an active and fast paced job, with many different tasks they must accomplish. They are susceptible to nervous tension, so it is important to do things daily which help to alleviate this.

Cancer/Moon- These people are those co-workers which are the mom in the workplace. They always try to feed those around them, and make sure they are taken care of. They need a workplace that is calm, and one with a family undertone. They can get emotionally tied to their jobs, making it hard to leave. When nervous tension strikes, it may manifest in stomach issues, with Cancer ruling the stomach.

Leo/Sun- They take pride in their work, and always try to do their job the best that they can, although any sort of criticism (sontructive or not) can be detrimental. They like to be in charge, and hate being under someones elses "reign". Leo rules the heart, so there might be some ailments here.

Virgo/Mercury- Analytical and methodical, they pay attention to the details (so much so that they may get lost in them). These are the "ultimate workers", always doing far more than often required. They do expect to get reimbursed for all that they do, and have an environment that is clean. Nervous tension and intestinal ailments are common.

Libra/Venus- Focusing on relationships, they need a workplace that is drama-free. They need a job which often works with others and they make great managers. Libra rules the kidney, lower back and appendix, so you might keep an eye on health issues in those areas.

Scorpio/Pluto- These people are extremely hard workers, that can push themselves to the extreme when trying to accomplish a goal- no matter who gets trampled underneath them. Overexertion is an issue here to be mindful of, often resulting in injury and illness. They often take charge in the work setting, and prefer to not work with others, to maintain complete control.

Sagittarius/Jupiter- Optimistic and enthusiastic attitudes are what they offer to those working around them. They prefer autonomy over strict ruling of their work and they prefer a work environment where they don't feel trapped, and one that allows them many opportunities to interact with those they work with. Sagittarius rules the hips, thighs and sciatic region, so watch for ailments here.

Capricorn/Saturn- Organized and ambitious, they expect those also in the workplace to do the same. Always doing more than their responsibilities, they can turn in to workaholics. They often keep their work life and personal life separate. Capricorn rules the skeletal system, knees, teeth and skin, so there might be health issues here with this placement.

Aquarius/Uranus- These people need high autonomy in their work field, and often they might find themselves making up their own rules, if those currently instated do not meet their needs. Aquarius rules the circulatory system, calves and ankles, so there might be a weakness here.

Pisces/Neptune- Pisces needs a calm and drama-free workplace. They are generally compassionate and helpful to those they work with on a good day. They also do well in work where they can access their creative side, as routine work are not for them. Pisces rules feet, so be aware here.

Earth Mercury

Natural Sign Rulers: Gemini and Virgo

Natural Houses: 3rd and 6th

Orbit Cycle: 88 Days

Mercury in our charts can explain how we think, how we communicate, how we deal with short distance travel, our ease with writing, and how we learn and process information. Mercury naturally rules two signs, Gemini and Virgo. Mercury is never more than 28 degrees away from your Sun sign, so it is either in the same sign, or the one before or after. Given that we are currently Sun in Virgo, I am going to talk a little bit about the earth aspect of Mercury, versus the air element of Gemini. 

I already made a post a little bit about what Virgo entails. Having Mercury in an earth sign will bring a much more grounded and sure thinking and communication method. People who have Mercury in Virgo are the people that you want to go to for planning and organizing. Think travel planners. Analysis is of major import to the Mercury in Virgo native, and are always attempting to achieve perfection. This need for perfection can lead to anxiety and worry. This is very different from the scattered energy of Mercury in Gemini. 

People who have Mercury in the natural house of Virgo (6th House), will also have a Virgo flavor, along with the sign that their Mercury is in naturally. This brings out the organized efficiency (Virgo) within their daily work (6th House). You might be easily bored within your workplace, so it is important to have a job which is mentally stimulating, and constantly challenging, or allowing you to learn. 

Now, chances are that your Mercury does not appear this exact placement, so I would like to briefly go over some things that might help you look in to your own chart, and to learn about yourself. Mercury in each of the different elements, then further divided by the individual sign, are all going to process and communicate differently. Then add in the different houses and those which are connected by rulers can affect what you mostly talk about. This is no means all encompassing, but is a place for you to start and journey down the rabbit hole. I like to look in to astrology as more of a self-help and meditative tool, instead of a predictive one, and I feel like you will never completely understand your natal chart in the lifelong study of it. 

So, lets look at the different elements of Mercury. In a natal chart, you have 4 different elements- Fire, Earth, Air and Water:

• Fire- typically associated with drive, ambition, leadership, passion and aggression. 
• Earth- steady, slow, strength, foundation, physical matters
• Air- Thinking, communication, scattered energy, logical
• Water- Emotions, intuitive/psychic, moody, constantly changing energy

So this elemental flavor alone can affect how you communicate with others (and yourself).

Then, we get in to the individual signs:

• Fire- Aries, Leo, Sagittarius: Aries- Quick decisions and responses. Not always thinking actions through. Impulsive, competitive and argumentative. Prone to accidents due to not thinking things through.  Leo- Flair for the dramatic, natural leader and great for motivating others. Opinionated, and believe you have all the answers. Creative. Sagittarius- Pursuit of knowledge is guiding force. Highly principled, thinks in black and white. Optimists.
• Earth- Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn: Taurus- Thoroughly thinks things through. Stubborn in decision making. Often thinks about material security. Virgo- see above. Capricorn- Realistic. Problem solvers which work through everything. Mostly thinks about status and career. 
• Air- Gemini, Libra, Aquarius: Gemini- Scattered energy. Constantly learning and researching. Versatile and quick thinking. Libra- Avoids controversy. Persuasive and diplomatic. Difficulty making decisions. Aquarius- Innovative and creative. Emotions rarely influence decisions. Comfortable with expressing thoughts instead of feelings. 
• Water- Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces: Cancer- Emotions guide thinking. Thoughts are related to home and family. Often in touch with friends and family. Scorpio- Excellent researcher and communication is geared for amassing information. Secretive, stubborn. Some are jealous and vengeful. Pisces- Creative. Prone to wishful thinking and are compassionate. Highly intuitive. Empathic.

Hopefully this allows for a start for you to look in to your own thinking and communication processes. 

Sun in Virgo

The Sun left creative Leo on August 22 at 10:46 pm CST, and entered analytical Virgo. The Sun will be in Virgo until it moves to Libra on September 22 at 8:29 pm CST. So lets talk a little bit at what Virgo means:

Dates: August 22 - September 22

Element: Earth

Quality: Mutable

Natural House: Sixth

Ruling Planet: Mercury

Symbol: The Virgin

Key Phrase: I analyze

Sun in Virgo people are efficient, practical and organized. They are very detail-oriented people, and are natural planners. Being very analytical, they love to make pro and con lists, although sometimes that back fire in to being unable to make any decision, getting caught up in the details, losing sight of the big picture. Getting so focused in the details, sometimes Virgo people can go overboard, desiring perfectionism. This can lead to a martyrdom attitude, that they have to sacrifice their perfectionism for others, however, they need to avoid the tendency to get caught up in every piece being perfectly in place. Being ruled by Mercury, they have some traits which are also similar to Gemini (for they share the same planetary ruler). Mercury brings in a focus on communication, also bringing in obsessive worry and anxiety. The mutable energy allows the native to be adaptable and versatile, but sometimes this can allow them to go with the flow when taking a stand would be better. Virgo being naturally associated with the 6th House, also may cause a workaholic tendency, the 6th House ruling daily routines and service. It is important that Virgo natives be in a job at which they feel they are performing a real service, to better those around them. They have a strong work ethic, and are incredibly meticulous. They never do anything half-assed, and always finish what they start. They tend to appear very conservative, and proper, but that is only at face value. Around unfamiliar situations, they are ever cautious, shy, and lacking self-confidence in their abilities. 

Even if you are not a Virgo sun sign within your own natal chart, you are still being affected somewhere within your chart. For example, I have Virgo on my Midheaven, or 10th House cusp. I have no planets here, but the aspects of the 10th House (Career and most public self) are being pulled in to play here, and really emphasized within my own life. For those that know me, they know that I am now offering astrology readings at my local metaphysical shoppe. While my boss had mentioned weeks ago that I was to start doing readings, I didn't actually start doing them, until August 22. You will see above that this is when the Sun went in to Virgo. This energy finally manifested within my life, allowing me to get moving and get started. Being naturally a Fixed Earth (Taurus), it can be hard at times for me to start projects, but get me one that is already started, and I will finish it. So, taking a look at your chart, check where Virgo is. It is now being activated by the Sun. Any planets in Virgo will eventually throughout the month become activated, being conjunct with the Sun. 

Through my Living Temple of Witchcraft Volume 2 book by Christopher Penczak, I am looking forward to the exercises this month. In figuring out how I serve others, meditating and journeying to the Underworld, and also looking at my own personal habits of over-criticism, and personal standards of impossible perfectionism, I think this is the perfect sign for delving in to the Shadow, especially as the Wheel of the Year is entering the darker part of the year.

Where is Virgo in your chart (Need your chart? Go HERE)? Do you have any planets that are being positively or negatively aspected by the Sun in Virgo? Are you feeling the tendencies of Virgo to analyze, organize and perfect? How are you dealing with these energies in your life?