Great Bones
Venus symbolizes the things that give us pleasure, and one thing my Venus in Capricorn sister has loved since she was a teenager is blueprints and floor plans for houses. Back when my own Venus in Cancer was designing my imaginary dream home by the sea with cabbage rose print throw pillows, she dreamed of becoming an architect. Her path eventually led her into into banking (also a good fit for Venus in Capricorn), and later bookkeeping and raising a couple of awesome kids. But to this day, you’ll find a book of blueprints tucked amongst her more conventional coffee table reading material.
Venus in Capricorn loves the bare bones of things, the elegance of functional forms. So as Venus enters Capricorn (Jan. 23, 2024, 00:50 am PST, through Feb. 16), think about what you want to build in the coming year. Be sure it’s something that’s useful, that you truly consider it beautiful, and that it’s got great bones.
The Mystery Play
Humans are social creatures, and it takes nerve to stand apart from the crowd and be your own person. The Full Moon in Leo (Jan. 25, 2024, 9:54 am PST), the sign tasked with celebrating the unique self, sheds light on any ways in which we’ve followed the crowd to our own detriment and in contradiction to our own nature. It’s a time to contemplate the essential quality of our own characters and to realign with our hearts.
Full Moon times are intrinsically dramatic, with emotions a bit close to the surface. And in theatrical Leo, opposed the Sun with powerful Pluto, and all three exaggerated by a square to Jupiter (the peak comes with the Sun’s exact square to Jupiter on Jan. 26, 11:18 pm PST), this Full Moon inspires more and bigger displays of drama, power, and emotion. (Even the Sun’s Sabian degree, 6 Aquarius, A performance of a mystery play, has a hint of the theatrical.) In the end, what’s important to remember at this Full Moon is to celebrate what’s unique about you, the beautiful artistic qualities you offer the world, your warmth, your spirit – but to rein in unnecessary drama, if you should find yourself going overboard.
Whoosh
Retrograde since August 28, 2023, Uranus stations direct this week (Jan. 26, 2024, 11:35 pm PST) at 19º05′ Taurus. I’ve come to expect a whoosh of energy when the slower-moving planets change direction, and Uranus stations on the Sabian symbol, 20 Taurus: Wind, clouds and haste – whoosh!
Feeling unsettled and rebellious are hallmarks of a Uranus station, along with an irrational impulse to do something that can’t be undone. There are moments in life when that’s just what’s needed. But for a few days either side of this station, extremity and overreaction are in the air, so proceed with caution. Uranus in Taurus will want to shake us loose from ways we hold ourselves back from pleasure and prosperity, but there’s nothing wrong with moving a little more slowly toward liberation.
Passion in Stone
All great things begin with passion, an impulse that connects us with the vital pulse of the world. Sit with that passion long enough, and you’ll find a story that longs for expression.
Now dwell there for a little while, and dream up various ways of sharing that story. You pick up a guitar or sit at a drafting table, write a story or make a YouTube video. And finally, you find your path and set forth, unafraid to share your passionate story.
This has been the trajectory of Mercury’s three recent conjunctions with Mars. The first, on Oct. 29, was in Scorpio, and activated passion; on. Dec. 27, in Sagittarius, came the nature of the story and the desire to share it with the world. And now, with Mercury conjunct Mars in Capricorn (Jan. 27, 6:59 am PST), we book the venue for the concert, draft a blueprint, and storyboard a video. We make the passionate story a reality.
Loving Saturn
When I’m asked what I do for fun, I usually reply, “…I work?” I’m not that good at relaxing and enjoying myself, and it seems that no sooner do I adopt a creative hobby than I find a way to turn it into a business.
Venus is the symbol of what we enjoy. Right now, it’s moving through Capricorn, and Venus in this sign does love building a business. I’m lucky to have found a way to make my living doing something I truly love, but I won’t lie – it’s taken a lot of Saturn to make it work.
As Venus sextiles Saturn in imaginative Pisces this week (Jan. 27, 2024, 10:03 pm PST), an invitation or idea may come across the transom and lead you to wonder: How can you bring more love to your occupation? Maybe you’ve got a book inside you that needs only Saturn’s discipline to find its way out. Or perhaps you meet someone who works remotely, on the road in an RV, free to enjoy some of the world’s greatest natural spaces as their office, and you think to yourself, “Well, as a matter of fact…”
Can you make a living doing what you love, where you love to do it? Loving Venus is easy. Much depends on whether or not you can love and embrace Saturn as well.
Shopping
Mars in Capricorn squares the North Node this week (Jan. 28, 2024, 6:19 am PST) at 18º02’ Capricorn and Aries. The Sabian symbol for Mars is 19 Capricorn, A child of about five with a huge shopping bag. Is this an empty shopping bag, or is it full and weighing this little kid down? And the symbol for the North Node is 19 Aries, The magic carpet. Do we have to work so hard and take on quite so much Mars in Capricorn burden and heaviness, like that young child with a huge bag, in order to pursue our North Node path? Or, should we relax and put ourselves on that magic carpet?
That approach of just letting ourselves enjoy the journey forward is a challenge when we’re talking about the North Node, which represents what we’re not that comfortable with yet. And in Aries, the North Node path it is about taking bold, daring, pioneering leaps. We’re not always comfortable with that, especially if we feel that we need to focus on the needs of others, which is symbolized by the South Node in Libra.
But the square from Mars in Capricorn asks: Do you want to keep working so hard, or does straining so hard become counterproductive at some point? And could you can actually get further along your path by giving yourself over to a little faith and magic?
Preparation Meets Inspiration
Once upon a time, young people were encouraged – coerced, sometimes – to learn to play a musical instrument. Many homes had a piano, and generations of young people dutifully practiced their scales and learned simple pieces. They might never have enjoyed playing, any more than other young people enjoyed the skills they reluctantly acquired – cooking, say, or overhauling a car’s transmission.
But let’s imagine a girl who, having acquired some proficiency with the piano, one day puts away the sheet music and begins working out the chords of a popular song. Within an hour, she’s playing it pretty fluidly and with real pleasure. And in that afternoon, she’s suddenly happy about those hours of practice that were so boring at the time. Because now, they provide the tools for her to play something that excites her.
This is what it can be like when Mercury, planet of skills, unites with Uranus, planet of inspiration and excitement, in a harmonious trine (Jan. 28, 2024, 1:06 pm PST): it’s one of those moments when preparation meets inspiration.
The Grand Lunch
Many years ago, after over-indulging in a big Mexican lunch with a couple of margaritas, my husband and I almost bought a house. Every grand adventure seems like an even better idea when you’re under the influence of tortilla chips and tequila. We did end up putting in an offer, but eventually pulled out after we came to our senses.
Venus trine Jupiter (Jan. 28, 2024, 5:02 pm PST) feels very much like a big, festive, indulgent lunch, complete with a cocktail and dessert. Venus symbolizes the things we desire, and Jupiter is the planet of “gimme more of that.” With these two casting inhibitions to the wind, watch your spending, especially when it comes to household luxuries – or even households.
Writing and images © 2017-24 by April Elliott Kent
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