Monday, February 22, 2010

Venus Girls, Fleeting Beauty

© 2010 by Joyce Mason
All Rights Reserved

Beauty is like a Jupiter Transit. It’s a drive-by cute-ing. It brings great gifts but its duration feels way shorter than any of the more challenging transits from Saturn through the outer planets. How come good fortune and good looks are gone in a heartbeat while the “inner groanth” transits take forever?

Whether you’re 25 or 75, especially if you’re female—though males are not exempt!—we all have to deal, ultimately, with fading looks and how we “do Venus” over time. I don’t care if you never thought you were a glamour girl or a drop-dead handsome guy. Just take out your albums and look at your “young” pictures. Admit it. With few exceptions, you looked great then compared to now, especially if you’re past your midlife transits. It’s all relative.


The Venus Girls

I, myself, am a Venus Girl through and through—Taurus Rising, Venus-ruled chart with Sun conjunct Venus and three planets in Libra.

Two of my close friends are also Venus Girls. We share a Venus emphasis in our charts and  resonate to the goddess of love, relationship, beauty, peace, and justice.
When an individual has an abundance of Taurus or Libra in his or her chart, especially in the position of Ascendant, Sun, Moon, or Venus itself, s/he, too, is influenced by Venus. This is the case for the Venus Girls Trio. When we go to lunch, you could recognize us by overhearing these kinds of conversations:

Wendy: So, would it be so awful if we had just a little work done sometime? A little nip ‘n’ tuck?

Lucy: I’d be for that. Nothing too unnatural; after all, we’re all into natural …

Me: Maybe we could get a package deal with a local plastic surgeon and do it together. Maybe he’d consider a quantity discount! Take a few crinkles from around the eyes. Nothing drastic or too artificial …

Wendy: A trio facelift! We could play soft music, have a massage therapist come, do aromatherapy, recover together …

Lucy: Yeah! Sip herb tea and hold each other’s hands.

You’re probably laughing out loud at how typically Venusian we are, creating ambience by the yard, worried about our good looks and being beautiful—so into relationship, we can’t even have our faces fixed without each other.

Drive-By Cute-ing

Whatever your astrological or bare minerals make-up, turning the corner on 40, 50 or 60 or beyond leads you smack into the issue of how you will handle aging from a cosmetic perspective. To one degree or another, we all bow—or refuse to bow—to the Goddess Venus.

Genes and self-care both play a role in how “well” we age. I’m lucky to have great skin, but my bottled auburn hair has very gray roots, nearly every one of them. I have friends my age and older without a single gray strand in their entire heads, but some of them show visible signs of aging in other ways such as wrinkles or liver spots.

How each of us handles the transition to a more seasoned look is a personal choice. I’m not willing to have my face drawn and quartered, the kind of work that ultimately looks fake and more unattractive than au naturel … but if I could afford it, I might go for a mini-lift, just because looking youngish and vital is more uplifting than my Maidenform bra. And believe me, at this stage of the game, I need all the uplift I can get!

I am in no way ready to see myself in a head full of gray hair, although I often wonder, as I risk potential brain cancer every time I use those chemicals on my head, if I don’t have a hole in it. Then there is the practical consideration. If I ever wanted to grow it out, how would I do that without looking like I took an ugly pill? A gorgeous gray highlighted wig, I’ve decided, as a transitional stage, “when the time comes.” (Around 95?) Meanwhile, Lucy told me just tonight that she knows of a holistic plastic surgeon …
This is a “think post.” No answers, just questions to ask yourself.


Beauty is important to me. When I look as good as I can, I feel like I’m doing my part to help keep America beautiful. I don’t deny that I’m vain, but Venus types honestly resonate to beauty and harmony so much, we are miserable without it. Almost nauseous.

More Fundamental Questions

The bigger issue, of course, is our inability to see the inherent beauty in every age and stage of life. If we worship Venus, the Goddess of Beauty, it’s only because we worship Youth like a god even more. Granted, so much of our obsession with this false idol stems from advertising, Hollywood, and our belief that men are only drawn to nubile creatures. (I bet Demi is glad no one told Ashton.)

As women, we buy into these stereotypes, too, and the sexism perpetuated in aging men who have “character” while aging women “need work.” We buy into it by our desire to maintain a maiden appearance when we’re long into the crone stage of life.

Yet, as baby boomer, I’m part of the generation expected to redefine aging itself.

How Will We Do It?

It’s a big job. Appearance is just one issue. To redefine aging is more than skin deep, because our skin will again never look like the ads we see in Glamour, if it ever did.

I don’t have all the answers. I think a lot of them are individual. Just like some girls go through a tomboy stage, others, like me, never had one and preferred dresses to pants from little girlhood. Some never got out of their tomboy stage, never were much for make-up and frills or high heels. That’s who they are—as natural to them as primping, preening, and color coordinating are to me.

Part of me thinks that looking as youthful as possible is OK, at least until we evolve more in our group-think about beauty in all stages of life. Looking young and feeling young and vital seem to be linked somehow, and no one would fault us for a second for wanting as much vitality as we can hold all the way to the finish line.

Yet, another part of me feels like a traitor. I am part of the community of boomer women and spiritual seekers. Our mindset toward aging and beauty won’t change unless or until I, too, change my mind. When many others make that same decision, it creates a divine domino effect.



Beauty is
beauty is as one perceives it.
if you see it in yourself
others will believe it
do not refer to me
as a woman of a certain age
i am just a woman
who will not be
chronologically caged

~ Karen Lyons Kalmenson


Hints from a Pro on Stretching Appearance

I’m fond of the movie, The Birdcage, especially its anthem of self-expression, the song, “I Am What I Am.”* In this 1996 comedy Robin Williams stars as Armand, a gay cabaret owner. He and his drag queen companion, Albert (Nathan Lane), agree to put up a false straight front when their son wants to introduce them to his fiancé's conservative parents. Her father is a U.S. Senator (Gene Hackman). As with all comedies, things go horribly awry. While I always thought Albert’s attempts to look womanly fell a little short, he manages to charm and convince the Senator, who is quite taken with him as “her.” But when the paparazzi threaten to storm the house conjoined to the cabaret and splash the Senator’s presence at it in the tabloids, it’s time for drastic measures. All bets are off; all secrets must be revealed. Albert rips off his wig and sings “I Am What I Am.” It’s a tune of the ultimate freedom—of self-acceptance. I hope I can sing it proudly, someday, when it comes to being what I am as a woman of a certain age.

I keep asking myself, why is the statue of Venus depicted without arms? Like Venus, many of us have no arms to wrap around true beauty just yet … and when we acquire them because of a change of heart, Beauty herself will be What She Really Is.

~~~

Photo Credit: Venus deMilo Statue, VENUS OF MILO © Eishier Dreamstime.com

*Enjoy this link to David Engel's moving performance of "I Am What I Am" from the Broadway musical, La Cage Aux Folles.  The movie The Birdcage was based on it.

Poet Karen Lyons Kalmenson is hovering ever closer to sixty and is proud of it. I have managed to incorporate my eternal 60's nation spirit with the high tech 21st century world. I am a "wanting to be paid for my writing" writer, who dabbles in rhyme, and, sometimes, reason.

My passions are my husband, who is truly the wind that ruffles my sails, animal rights, baking, yoga, the beach, waking up in the morning. I find inspiration in too many things to list, and far too many more to remember. From living with a chronic illness, I have learned the beauty of each day, and treat each as another sun salutation, and another chance.  If you are interested, or even if you are not, here’s my blog, My Heart—Musings and Confusings.


COMMENT CONTEST!  Don't forget to comment this week, Feb. 22-28, the final week of the Valentine's month comment contest.  The final  prize is a mini reading with Joyce by e-mail. Comments on any post qualify according to the guidelines in the announcement. Need a how-to on commenting? Click on The Cosmos Comments.

Winner of the Week #3 Comment Contest is Pop Art Diva.  Pop Art commented on the post, Marquee de God. She has won a copy of  Chiron and Wholeness: A Primer.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Marquee de God


Movie Review ~ Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief

© 2010 by Joyce Mason
All Rights Reserved

Virgos are supposed to be great critics—both book and movie reviewers. I could not resist trying my hand at the game with the debut of the movie, “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief.” (I will refer to it as Lightning Thief from here on out. What were they thinking with such a long, tongue-twister title? It took me three days to memorize it. Uh, what’s it called again?)

Lightning Thief is a mythological movie that brings the gods down to earth in modern times through their demi-god offspring, three teenagers played by Logan Lerman (Percy), Brandon T. Jackson (Grover) and Alexandra Daddario (Annabeth).

Pierce Brosnan stars as my spiritual mentor, Chiron. You know, the centaur who has a recurring role on this blog.


To see how Hollywood “did Chiron” was one of the major lures of the movie for me.

I can’t help but wonder if the producers consulted an astrologer on the release date of this film, just days before an exact conjunction between Neptune and Chiron. These two characters are key players in the movie, and it’s even more cosmic and mythical if no one was conscious of their meet-up in the sky.

Interspersed throughout this review are quotes from a real movie reviewer and certainly my reliable favorite, Roger Ebert. As a born-and-bred Chicagoan, I love the Sun Times critic for his old home location and casual wit. His full review of The Lightning Thief is linked here, and I think you’ll agree, this guy gives great raised quotes! (Roger’s a Gemini, born 18-Jun-42 in Urbana, IL).

For a Good Time, Pretend You’re Going to See Harry Potter

I have to say outright; we’re not talking Oscar caliber, deep or cerebral cinema here. Park your disbelief and leave it locked in the car, but bring your sense of humor and adventure. Lightning Thief was directed by Chris Columbus who did the first two Harry Potter movies, so it’s no surprise that there’s the same quality to the film, down to the trio of two male and one female friends who are on a quest, fighting alls sorts of demons and god/esses gone amuck. There’s even a school involved, of course. Otherwise, why would Chiron be there?


I’d rate it higher than most of the reviews I’ve read—a solid 3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars. But then, I’ll be the first to admit; I’m easily entertained.


The Story Line

Percy Jackson goes underwater to think where he can hold his breath for seven minutes at a time. Before long, we understand why. He is the son of Poisidon (aka: Neptune) and a mortal woman. Many people around Percy are secretly mythical beings disguised as “normal” in his everyday world. Soon Percy must learn the truth about himself. He’s in danger because Zeus (Sean Bean) is powerfully peeved that someone has made off with his most potent lightning bolt—and the Z-god thinks it’s Percy. This is actually not the case, which makes Percy’s imminent danger all the more thrilling, because he has to find a way to clear his name. He can’t just turn over what Zeus wants and fix the problem. Percy is given till the Summer Solstice—two weeks away—to return Zeus’s lightning bolt or the gods will stage a war that’s likely to destroy the earth. Talk about pressure, especially when you don’t even have the thing in the first place. Believe me, after seeing Zeus’s temper in action in this film, I’ll no longer await my Jupiter transits like they’re upcoming picnic days with ice cream.

Because he’s so sure Percy stole the lightning bolt, Zeus is on the outs again with his brother, Poiseidon, the kid’s absent father. But he’s absent for a reason. Zeus has forbidden the gods, who have borne half-breeds with humans, to see their children, which sets up some wonderful lines and wonderings about “Daddy issues.” There are some Mommy issues, too.

To spare you any spoilers, I’ll go light on the plot but comment that there are moments of witty comedy in-between never a dull moment of action heroics and edge-of-your-seat happenings.

Director Chris Columbus has fun with this goofy premise, but as always I am distracted by the practical aspects of the story. Does it bother the Greek gods that no one any longer knows or cares that they rule the world? What are the genetic implications of human/god interbreeding? ~ Roger Ebert

Compliments to the Casting Director

Although I have mixed feelings about Pierce Brosnan as Chiron, which you’ll read below, in general, the cast was most appealing. Catherine Keener as Percy’s mom is sweet and long-suffering, putting up with spouse Gabe Ugliano, who has ugly in his name for a good reason. If he were one of the mythical beings, it would be half-pig. I’m sorry to say, he’s an abusive, base, woman demeaning creep. Percy says as much and stands up to his stepfather with help from Grover in a defining moment. Gabe is played by someone who has the creep factor down pat, Joe Pantoliano, best known as Ralphie from The Sopranos.

Uma Thurman demonstrates she can wear a snake-covered head as gracefully as Pierce Brosnan can trot around with a horse's netherlands. ~ Roger Ebert

Rosario Dawson is hot as Persephone, and even though we know he’s the same kind of animal—far worse than Gabe Ugliano—when Hades takes form in Steve Coogan, he’s utterly magnetic. He made me see why I used to go for all those Plutonian guys!

Although her appearance is tantamount to a short cameo near the end, Melina Kanakaredes (Stella Bonasera in CSI:NY) is breathtaking as Athena. A beautiful woman in urban America, in her goddess garb, Melina’s classic Greek looks are even more stunning in their natural element. The “real” Athena could not have been more beautiful.

Who Would You Have Cast as Chiron?

Even before I saw the movie, Pierce Brosnan did not initially strike me as Chiron incarnate, but I've had a hard time deciding who does. I’m still scratching my head on that one. Alec Guiness in his Ben “Obi-Wan” Kenobi persona from the original Star Wars, so far, is my only candidate. But he is no longer incarnate whatsoever. That probably shouldn’t matter when it comes to mythical beings channeling wisdom, but starring in a movie is another story. Although Hollywood special effects could probably pull off a starring role by a deceased hero-maker, I’d still like to come up with a live one! I’d love to hear your ideas!

To his credit, Pierce did a wonderful job of capturing Chiron’s kind, caring, but task-mastering spirit, training his young charges constantly for battle, presumably both literal hand-to-hand combat and their future struggles between good and evil. He looked a little young for the job in my mind, and like all the gods and demi-gods portrayed in this movie, he was almost too handsome. My disbelief was barking from the car that his horse half did not look too authentic nor its intersection, hidden by a wide leather belt, but since I’ve never seen a centaur, what do I know? At least I can agree with Roger Ebert that he wore it well. Chiron gives a one liner toward the end that encapsulates the point of all spiritual warrior training when he tells Percy why he’s his favorite student.

Give Brosnan a lot credit for wearing the back half of a horse as if he'd been doing it for years. ~ Roger Ebert

If you’re curious about Pierce’s birth data, note that it was time for Chiron to shine through him, given the close square between his Taurus Sun and the Neptune/Chiron conjunction. This show had to go on!


Don’t Miss the REAL Ending

Stop! Don’t head for the exits as soon as the credit start to roll or you’ll miss one of the best and funniest scenes in the entire movie, even though it’s entirely predictable, once you see where the action is headed. I had to look up the term for what I’m talking about—a post-credit scene, also known as a movie coda. I don’t want to spoil the fun for you. Let’s just say that someone gets his or hers in a way that’s not only satisfying down to the viewer’s toes for instant karma; it also juxtaposes a scene for which this actor is famous, and I didn’t even get the play on it till I got home. I have to give a lot of credit to any movie that keeps on giving after some and all of the credits.

If any of my reactions tempt you to see The Lighting Thief—or if you’ve already seen it—I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments. I really enjoyed myself.

~~~

Photo Credit: Marquee ~ © oxygen64 - Fotolia.com

Pierce Brosnan as Chiron ~ Filmofilia.com, used by permission


Blog Comment Contest! Don’t forget to comment for entry into this week’s comment contest for Valentine's Month. Comments on any post qualify according to the guidelines in the announcement. Need a how-to on commenting? Click on The Cosmos Comments.



Week 2 Comment Contest Winner! Congrats to “LB,” winner of this week’s drawing among readers who have commented on The Radical Virgo between Feb. 8 -14. LB commented on the post, The Depths of Change. LB, since I have no contact information in your comment, please e-mail me and provide me with your e-mail address to receive your prize of my e-book, Chiron and Wholeness: A Primer.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Valentine’s Day Special! Gift with Purchase, Chiron & Wholeness


Dear Radical Virgo Readers,

For only $7.95, Chiron and Wholeness: A Primer will bring waves of healing to your heart and life. Check out this reader feedback.



Today only—Valentine’s Day—you’ll receive a free gift with purchase of the Chiron e-book, my fiction e-book, The Training Tape. Both are balms for the spirit! Each has deep insights on how to live—to be the best you.

I hope you’re enjoying this month’s comment contest and posts on the themes of love and relationship as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them. The gift-for-purchase is an extra Valentine.

Happy Hearts Day,
Joyce

~~~

Blog Comment Contest! Don’t forget to comment on any post for entry into this week’s Valentine’s Month Comment Contest! Need a how-to on commenting? Read The Cosmos Comments.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Where Does Your Love Live?

Venus in the Houses

© 2010 by Joyce Mason.
All Rights Reserved


Valentine’s month is the perfect time to think about where your love lives. Your Venus sign is your love style—its house, your base of operation. There are so many aspects of life to love, but the house where your Venus resides will tell you about the slice of life where your love shines. We all do our best from home base or home court. We even call it the “home court advantage” in sports when a team plays a home game. So, get out your comfy house slippers and let’s take a spin around the zodiac wheel and a look at your love and comfort zone!

Venus in House 1 ~ Your love lives in a House of Mirrors where you wear your heart on your sleeve. The 1st House tells us how we appear to others or how we project ourselves. It could be literal; you look loving, sweet, or kind. Or maybe you have a heart-shaped face. Another option? Your loving nature may be what first strikes others about you. Venus is especially interested in her good looks, particularly if she’s in either of the signs she rules—Taurus or Libra. In that case, you may be a looker or perceived as one by others. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what we project contributes greatly to what others see. Example: You may be overweight, but if you carry yourself well and exude self-love, people often will not perceive you as heavy or unattractive. A cinematic case in point comes from the teenage character Tracy Turnblad in the movie “Hairspray.” She was pudgy, but that was outweighed by her other characteristics, no pun intended. Tracy was a sweetheart and a great dancer who loved others. She had a strong sense of justice and fair play—all Venusian characteristics. Tracy got the cool guy, too! Similarly, while many people are not that attractive, if you analyze their features, but they make the most of what they’ve got with style, grooming, and charm. Their warmth of spirit permeates their being and transforms them. They project beauty, even if they are not classically beautiful. On the downside, you could be vain; obsessed with looks and image, or think your looks are really “you.” You love best when you feel good about yourself. The challenge of Venus in the 1st is to align your image with your heart.

Venus in House 2 ~ Your Venus lives in a pamper palace. You value beauty and ambience, often above all else! Let’s face it; you’re a material girl or guy, too. You love security and luxuries and bestow fabulous gifts on the objects of your affection. You cannot live without a harmonious environment, which might include color, furnishings, and a healthy indoor forest of plants and living creatures. Your home is not just your castle; it’s your art gallery, and health and beauty spa. It’s full of things that arouse and thrill the senses from breathtaking art on the wall to aromatherapy scents in the bathroom to swoon over and soak in. You love best when supported by earthy, sensual delights. But make no mistake; in the 2nd house of values, Venus values love and money above all. (I consider it humorous in cosmic proportions that Venus rules both.) This is one of the two houses (the other being the 7th), where Venus is most at home. You give yourself to love because it is clearly #1 on your list, even though your love lives in House #2. The lesson of Venus in the 2nd is to make love your home and to let your material resources serve only love.

Venus in House 3 ~ Your heart camps out in a call center! You keep in touch with everyone by many of the vast array of modern gismos—phoning, texting, tweeting, or talking. In fact, Twitter and texting were made for you with their short clips of clever conversation. Whoever loves you must be prepared to have his or her ear talked off and whispered in with a frequency that could require major adaptation if s/he isn’t of similar wiring. You love by sharing information, especially with siblings, neighbors and those in your immediate surroundings. You flit here and there, especially for love, and don’t think twice about a relationship that requires a couple of hours’ driving to keep up. After all, you can be in constant touch thanks to wireless! Your challenge is to listen as much as you talk and allow yourself to be introduced to the deeper communication in moments and hours of silence.

Venus in House 4 ~ You’re a stay-at-home lover. If your Venus is in one of the people signs like Gemini or Aquarius, you express affection by inviting like-minded friends to your place for a dinner party. You love with food—baking cakes or the favorite dishes of your loved ones. Family has your heart, and you love to give and receive nurture. You're unlikely to feel comfortable until you own your own home where you can nurture your loved ones in your own way in your own style. Nothing could please you more than cooking for and fussing over your family and friends, giving them a warm nook where your mutual love can thrive. You love by habit and with lots of feelings. You want your loved ones to be in a routine of being at home with you on a regular basis. Your challenge is to walk the fine line between nurture and smothering, or to quote my husband, “Be close, but don’t crowd each other.”

Venus in House 5 ~ Your love house is a stage and your lovers are your audience. You’re playful in love or/or act out your affection with big, dramatic gestures. The latter might be toned down somewhat if Venus is in a more inner sign like Scorpio or Pisces. You’re a big kid at heart, and you’re nothing if you aren’t entertaining to the objects of your affection. From your love stage, you play the hero in your romantic comedy or melodrama, whatever genre you like. One thing to remember: Not everyone is comfortable, especially at first, with billboards declaring your undying devotion or singing telegrams at the office. For some people, love is a more private affair. You might consider toning it down just a little until you’re sure how much drama your new love can take. It may work better to introduce them to a more showy love style in small increments. Love is also highly creative in this sector of the astrological pie. Nothing would stoke you more than having a partner for duets in painting, writing, running lines, or playing music. That is, as long as he or she realizes that you’re the King or Queen of Love and allows you to take the lead—even if it’s just a little. (It will probably be healthiest for most relationships if it’s as little as possible.) In the same way Venus in the 4th can overdo nurturing to the point of smothering; Venus in the 5th can overwhelm and turn off with gestures of love that are just too much for some people’s sensibilities. If your Venus is in Leo, the concerns are bigger because the 5th is the “natural” house where Leo’s heart’s afire. Something to consider. Bonfires burn out, but a steady slow burn keeps love alive in the long haul.

Venus in House 6 ~ Your love nest is a social service agency or wire service for dispensing helpful information. You live to serve your loved ones—and to save the world. If anything, your intimates have to learn to share you with your various causes and a pile of people who need your help or wisdom. Somewhat like Cancer, you often love through food spiced with information. Your love style is to keep an eye on your beloved’s diet and digestion, making sure s/he eats only the best and purest organic produce and pops the right vitamins and herbs. (Of course, you have researched nutrition extensively.) Work is your love zone; hence, it’s easy to fall in love with a workmate, encountering all its allied complications. You adore animals, and you attract love objects that need nursing or healing, both two and four-legged varieties. Health and work are so conjoined; one of your biggest challenges is to keep balance between the two. You get sick if you don’t work enough, but you get sicker if you work too much. If you can’t share what you know, you’ll wither away all together. Your partners must believe in your work, give you space to do it, but gently lure you away for some fun when you over-do. Your challenge is to learn that taking care of yourself is your #1 job, if you’re to continue helping others. When there’s nothing left of the helper, there’s no help to be had.

Venus in House 7 ~ Your Venus lives in a cozy love nest for two. The 7th is the other house, in addition to the 2nd, where Venus is at her comfiest! The house of relationships, partnerships, and close friendships is a great place for your love to live. It fits there perfectly. The downside? It’s so easy to lose yourself. You are so much an “us” kind of person; it can sometimes take a long time before you realize that the desires of the other in your many one-to-one relationships may not actually be yours. Sharing is so vital to you; you turn Maslow’s hierarchy of needs on its ear. Love and belonging are almost always at the base of the pyramid for you along with physiological needs. You probably know too well, how this knocks your life off its foundations whenever a relationship is going through a rough patch. Your lesson plan is to learn to know yourself so that you are giving your true self in partnership. Meaningful relationship cannot exist or survive between one person and a mirror or a clone of him/herself. To quote the old Marvin Gaye song, It takes two baby—me and you. (Not you and you—or a carbon copy of the other person.)

Venus in House 8 ~ Your Venus is at home in a love cave. You probe the psyche and mystical realms. Your cave is filled with candlelight—maybe incense and haunting music. Loving you is a visit to a psychic. You often “read” your beloved with such piercing accuracy; it’s scary. You can really shake up a would-be love, causing him or her to bolt. That kind of “getting into another person’s head” is just one example of how your partner can feel smothered or strangled, turning your 8th House love nest into a lair. To love well, you will need to control any compulsive or obsessive desires and function on the high spiritual end of this “mansion.” Studying spirituality together, creating a safe psychic space to share your deepest feelings and heal your secret pain—this is the 8th House room where your love will thrive. There is plenty of space for both sexual healing and holding hands as you explore higher states of consciousness. Eighth House Venus often has deep issues with trust; therefore, you need to take it a step at a time not just for fear of scaring your partner but also to keep from scaring yourself. The upside of this placement is the capacity for the deepest intimacy. It’s worth the wait.

Venus in House 9 ~ Your love is a schoolhouse or travel trailer—a college of higher learning about love. Broadening your horizons is the red carpet you roll out for both you and your loved ones. You thrive on long distance travel and anything “foreign.” Chances are you’re attracted to lovers from distant places and different cultures. You can meet “the one” through travel, or meet him or her at a class and bring their culture and country home through your relationship. Conversely, you could be comfortable living in a foreign land where you won’t feel like a stranger. Notice to would-be loves of Venus in the 9th: If you’re not into a relationship, where there is a lot of growth, adventure, and exploration, pass on this person. Philosophy, religion, and ethical values also are a big part of your mobile home or “university at your house.” You can be as exciting as an Indiana Jones movie or Dan Brown novel. Your challenge in relationship is to open doors for loved ones, but to realize this is parallel play—each of you is on his or her own journey in your own style, even if you’re traveling the same paths. Don’t force your views, interpretations, or values on your loved ones. Enjoy your synergy and learning how you each grow and learn from the quest.

Venus in House 10 ~ Your love house is the office, and you take the office with you everywhere. You are ambitious, career-oriented, and take your reputation, profession, and public life seriously. There’s no room for you to be a failure when it comes to your career. Therefore, the love of your life must be understanding, tolerant, yet balance your workaholic tendencies. Chances are you’ll bring a lot of money to the relationship, if not now, later as your career grows—possibly even fame. Would-be lovers need to be comfortable with the limelight. If not, this will set up a dichotomy between home and work that will tear both of you apart. Of course, the thorny issue you’re likely to struggle with is apportioning your time. It’s crucial for you to realize that your personal life provides the balance and recharging you need to be good at your work. If you take the vacations, weekends, and as much personal time as possible (the business runs better without you than you think), this will add to both the success of your relationship and your work. It is difficult to get the big picture when you’ve got your nose to the grindstone.

Venus in House 11 ~ Your love house is a convention or political rally. Here many people will listen to your progressive ideas. Lovers compete with your causes, your other passions. Friendship is paramount to you, and a relationship must have a strong component of liking each other and enjoying each other’s company. In fact, yours may be one of the likeliest placements for friendship turned romance. You may meet would-be loves in groups and organizations. Don’t count him or her out if s/he takes the opposing view while you’re railing about your latest reformist vision of how the world could be. (That’s how I met my first husband.) You are intellectual, original, and wed to making the world a better place. Much like Venus in the 10th, your lovers need to be tolerant of your mission in life and pull you back when your mission is about to overtake you. Look for love with smart, like-minded people; keep love by remembering that you’ll only be as successful as you’re replenished for the good fight. That means taking time for your lover/best friend—who for you is likely to be the same person—your partner.

Venus in House 12 ~ Your Venus lives in a haunted house or museum. You may unwittingly carry psychic cords and remain bonded to anyone you have ever loved or have sticky residue from past experiences. This leaves your love house sometimes crowded with cobwebs and Ghosts from Romance Past. You may also surprise yourself by being unclear about your feelings for someone until the words just fall out of your mouth on the day you’re ready to commit. Unconsciousness is both the upside and downfall of this placement of Venus. Your subconscious may actually be a fine matchmaker. On one hand, those psychic cords may allow you to “signal” your soulmate in the ethers that you’re waiting for him or her. This can cause a chain reaction of events that draw you together. Your capacity for psychic bonding also makes you so sensitive to your lover’s needs, you are romance incarnate. On the other hand, you can be so unaware of your beloved at times; it can be infuriating—or simply hilarious. Example of the latter: I called my Venus in the 12th husband from the grocery store one day during a long bout of errands to say I’d be home later than expected. “You’re not home?” He’d forgotten I had gone out and thought I was just in my office in the back of the house, working away as usual! Your homework is to practice grounding. Engage often with your beloved in earthy pursuits, whether they’re sexual or practical like planning menus or digging in the garden together. In other words, be in your bodies. While teleportation might a nice experience to try or a nice place to visit, floating around out of body can lose its charm in a hurry, especially when you hit the ground with a thud. If those cobwebs and old cords keep getting in the way, see a professional psychic who knows how to cut them and help you move on into the mystery of your new love with all its potential for mystical union.

Venus in the Signs—Once Home, Put It into the Blender

Of course, while this article focuses on Venus in the houses, you can’t keep your Venus sign out of the equation. Sometimes for the sake of simplicity and getting to know one aspect of our charts more deeply, it’s good to concentrate on one astrological concept alone. As a last step, however, you might want to delve into the blend of your house and sign, starting with just a few key words from this list:

Aries ~ self-confident, forceful, strong, courageous, impatient

Taurus ~ stable, wealthy, patient beautiful, artistic, sensuous

Gemini ~ communicative, flexible, changeable, detached, energetic, mobile

Cancer ~ feeling, nostalgic, attached, moody, sensitive, reflective, domestic

Leo ~ playful, childlike, warm, self-expressive, dramatic, artistic, optimistic, loyal

Virgo ~ sensible, mental, logical, intelligent, work-oriented, efficient, helpful

Libra ~ balanced, just, other-oriented, considerate, diplomatic, peace loving

Scorpio ~ intense, secretive, determined, energetic, psychic, compulsive, jealous

Sagittarius ~ friendly, outgoing, blunt, enthusiastic, expansive, generous

Capricorn ~ ambitious, hardworking, practical, organized, responsible, wise

Aquarius ~ friendly, insightful, unique, communicative liberal, tolerant, inspired

Pisces ~ sensitive, imaginative, compassionate, meditative, creative, escapist


The aspects to your Venus will tell you how easy or difficult it is to express your love nature. Easier aspects like sextiles and trines are usually a piece of cake. The aspects you’ll really learn from, though, will be those challenging squares and oppositions that create tension between two planets. Even that tension has an upside. Who doesn’t want to learn more about love?

Why Venus Matters So Much

Venus is important not just during Valentine’s month, but anytime. Love is the force field that glues together all living things. I think Johnny Depp said it best, playing the title role in the movie Don Juan deMarco:



“There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love.”


Photo Credit: HEART SHAPE © Zimmytws Dreamstime.com



Blog Comment Contest! Don’t forget to comment for entry into this week’s comment contest for Valentine's Month. Comments on any post qualify according to the guidelines in the announcement. Need a how-to on commenting? Click on The Cosmos Comments.


Week 1 Comment Contest Winner! Congrats to JuliaAna from Shell Knob, MO, winner of this week’s drawing among readers who have commented on The Radical Virgo between Feb. 1 -7. JuliaAna’s prize is a copy of my e-book, Chiron and Wholeness: A Primer.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Valentine’s Quotes for the Signs


The Quotes for the Signs feature seems to have taken on a life of its own. It’s out of control, like H.A.L. the computer in "2001, A Space Odyssey." Quotes insists on celebrating everything! Virgo has two quotes because my Mercury in Libra just could not choose between equal greats. (This is The Radical Virgo,  so I figured  the extra one is for the blog.) Much love to you on this hearty holiday and every day!

~ Joyce


Aries ~ You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip. ~Jonathan Carroll, "Outside the Dog Museum"

Taurus ~ What I need to live has been given to me by the earth. Why I need to live has been given to me by you. ~Author Unknown

Gemini ~ Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. ~Author Unknown

Cancer ~ A baby is born with a need to be loved - and never outgrows it. ~Frank A. Clark

Leo ~ I need the starshine of your heavenly eyes/ After the day's great sun. ~Charles Hanson Towne

Virgo ~ Ah me! love cannot be cured by herbs. ~Ovid

The eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them: there ought to be as many for love. ~Margaret Atwood

Bonus for All Signs: Love is the magician that pulls man out of his own hat. ~Ben Hecht

Libra ~ Loving is not just looking at each other, it's looking in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939

Scorpio ~ If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular? ~Author Unknown

Sagittarius ~ Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly. ~Rose Franken

Capricorn ~ Grow old with me! The best is yet to be. ~Robert Browning

Aquarius ~ We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. ~Author Unknown

Pisces ~ When love is not madness, it is not love. ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Bonus for Lunar Types: Love wouldn't be blind if the braille weren't so damned much fun. ~Armistead Maupin, Maybe the Moon

~~~


Photo credit: AND I QUOTE © Zitramon Dreamstime.com, decked out for Valentine’s Day by Joyce and her clip art.

More Quotes for the Signs. Quotes for the Signs #1, Quotes #2, Quotes #3, Quotes #4, and Holiday Quotes for the Signs.


Blog Comment Contest! Don’t forget to comment on any post for entry into this week’s Valentine’s Month Comment Contest! Need a how-to on commenting? Read The Cosmos Comments.