Venus RULES!!
Venus as Planetary Ruler
of Libra and Taurus
 Libra and Venus - Allies and Enemies
Libra is an Air sign, and as such is associated with the mind and
interaction. The Libra side of Venus is about intimate interaction, like
love and sex. In modern times of equality between the sexes, I think
Libra also relates to very close friendships (which may or may not be
sexual). Basically, it is about the
partnerships that we are committed to and that we choose to maintain and
invest ourselves in. This could be a spouse, romantic partner, business partner
or even a known enemy.
Enemy??? Yes, the people for whom we share a
heartfelt hatred or other adversarial relationship fall under the
rulership of the 7th House, which is Libra's natural house and therefore
also connected to Venus. It may be a bit of a stretch from traditional
astrology to draw a line between them, but an argument can be made. Think about it ― we can be just as committed to
relationships that are based on disagreement, loathing and rivalry as we
are to the ones based on love, harmony and admiration. There can be as
much connection, commitment and attachment to our enemies as to our
loved ones ― only it's negative instead of positive. (However, hatred
itself as an emotion is more associated with Mars or Scorpio or Saturn,
according to Rex Bills' indispensable reference, The Rulership Book, whereas Venus and Libra
are connected more specifically to love, attraction and interaction.)
The Libra side of Venus holds the basic principles about relating. Libra
is the opposite sign to Aries, which is ruled by Mars. Aries is about
the basic thrust of life force that propels each of us out of the womb.
It is about the Self. Aries says, "I am!" Libra is the other side of the
coin, and says, "We are!" As Aries is about individual identity and
self-assertion, Libra is about the bridge between people that generates
an inter-personal energy that can take on a life of its own and provide
points of view not available to the individual.
In any relationship there is I,
You and Us.
You will see Me
differently than I see myself. What
You see in
Me may be something that
is difficult for me to see on my own because it's difficult to be
objective and impartial about myself. This is perhaps the most valuable
gift of any kind of relationship ― the mirror effect. We each bring to
any kind of interaction the ability to see the other person in a unique
way. No other person will see
Me in quite the same way that
You do. This
is part of what makes each relationship special and precious.
However, interpersonal dynamics can be very complicated. For one thing,
what we each think we see in each other might not be entirely accurate.
Each of us view others through our own filters of past experiences,
defenses, hopes, expectations, fears and values, and these are often
project onto other people to one extent or another. Trying to untangle
the knot of mixed up perspectives can be quite a task!
These interpersonal dynamics can be seen in the Synastry between two
individuals' charts, where an astrologer will look to see what aspect
connections the two charts have with each other. For example, if
Your Sun is trine My
Moon, this shows that Your sense of purpose
and identity (Sun) can support My need for
belonging and security (Moon). It also means that
My ability to nurture You (Moon) can
reinforce and strengthen Your self-esteem
and self-image (Sun).
And then, just to make things interesting, I
may be different when I'm around You than I
am by myself or with others. This creates yet another filter that can
colour or distort how I see
You, as well as how
You see Me. This gets into the
Us part. The whole of any significant
relationship is larger than the sum of its parts...or its people. The
combined chemistry of You and
Me forms a third entity ― the relationship
or Us ― which tends to take on a life of
its own, for better or worse.
The relationship as an entity in its own right is found in the Composite
Chart, which combines the positions of each planet in two charts to
create a third chart. The aspects and placements within the Composite
Chart tell a story all their own that can be very
revealing. It will describe the potentials and the challenges inherent
in the relationship itself; in the combined energies of the two people.
This composite entity, and the interpersonal dynamics that define and
shape it, are the territory of the Libra side of Venus. Librans and
people with a prominent Venus in their chart live in this territory,
exploring and navigating through the jungle of interactions. But every
one of us has a Venus in our chart, which is one indicator of how we
experience the territory of relating and interaction.
When Venus goes retrograde, we usually find ourselves much deeper in
that jungle and farther off the familiar path than we usually go. That
means those interpersonal dynamics can seem unstable and possibly
unworkable, but there is exotic and nourishing fruit to be found far
from the main path which can enrich the relationship of those who are
able to get through the experience intact.
Venus ruling Taurus - Our Internal Balance Sheet
Libra and Taurus may seem as different as chalk and cheese, yet they are
both ruled by the same planet: Venus. The mythology of Venus seems to reflect
this dual nature. The Greeks saw Aphrodite as a goddess of love and
beauty, which reflects Libra traits. The Romans saw Venus as an
agricultural goddess of gardens and vineyards, which sounds more like
Taurus.
Taurus is an Earth sign, and as such is connected to the body and the
physical world. The
Taurus side of Venus is rooted in sensuality, pleasure and celebrating
the blessings of the material world. This includes money, possessions
and resources of all kinds that collectively represent what you "have."
The Taurus bull's horn becomes a Horn of Plenty, overflowing with Venus'
gift of luscious abundance.
What we "have" reflects what we're worth and what we value. But material
worth is not the same as self-worth, even though we often equate the
two. If our bottom line is low, our self-esteem may become deflated too.
Our "things" can become a mirror that we take a bit too literally.
In that sense, Venus and Taurus also symbolize our sense of self-worth.
The Taurus side of Venus is our internal balance sheet that tallies up the gains and losses in
our sense of self. It is what we "have" ― what we have going for us, the
resources we can rely on. It is whatever we can use to barter for what
we want, which might be tangible (like money) or intangible (like the talents, abilities, credentials and people
we can draw on when we need them).
It is also what we "have not" ― the
qualities, gifts and advantages that we lack or feel we don't have
enough of. At its worst, this can produce a kind of poverty mentality
where we tend to assume that our heart's desire will always be just out of reach.
Alternatively, to
ensure that this does not happen, we may become so obsessed by material
accumulation and possessiveness about what we "have," that we lose sight of
the inherent personal worth and value that are our birthright.
At its best, our experience of Taurus-Venus can also take a very down-to-earth view of
both the tangible and intangible things in life. Venus' Taurus
nature can see the value and worth inside any person, thing or
situation, and can appreciate it for its true worth. Venus can also show
us how to achieve a feeling of security and groundedness in the ways of
the material world. Ultimately this is not done by becoming a workaholic
―
it's done by learning to appreciate what we have and to be satisfied
with "enough."
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© 2005 Wendy Guy, All rights reserved. This
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