Venus in Aires February 20, 2015 – "Come Feel the Warrior in Love"

The sign of Aires carries the energy of firsts – first in line, first to discover, first to start again.  It is the first sign of the Zodiac and from its position in our birth charts we derive our concept of self, as well as our personality.  Aires' symbol is a ram and there's no question as to why that is.  Powerhouse Aires likes to lead the way and has no room for half measures.  Aires embraces its character traits and blazes a trail by effectively using whatever planetary energy comes to hand.  On February 20th fair Venus entered dominant, male Aires and the wild rumpus began.

Venus in Aires does not tolerate half-hearted efforts.  She falls and falls 

The Emperor - Aires power as depicted in
"The Wizard's Tarot"© by
Corrine Kenner and John J. Blumen

hard when her romantic interest is sparked. Sparked?  More like spontaneously combusts.  When Venus transits Aires there's much more leaping than looking and in the cold light of reason the results of that high dive can leave a lot to be desired.  A sleek body, a winning smile and a great wardrobe cover a multitude of sins as far as Venus in Aires in concerned, so if you have this transit prominently in your birth chart, or were born under the Sign of the Ram ( a particularly tawdry, late 40's black and white, B movie, by the way) you can find yourself transfixed by passion and romance with very little substance.  Venus in Aires does not always love wisely, but certainly loves well.

One note of caution:  Since Aires likes to be first place in virtually everything it touches there can be some egocentric behaviors attached to this transit.  Remember that healthy love doesn't impose or dominate.  It supports, joins, emboldens and enhances.

Sexy and savvy, Aly Fell and Barbara
Moore's depiction of The Empress fills
the bill for Venus. From "Steampunk Tarot"©
An astounding deck!

The tarot cards to watch in your readings during the Venus in Aires transit are the suit of Cups (naturally), in particular, the Queen as she is intensely focused in her passions, as well as the 2 of Cups (relationships).  Also watch the Major Arcana cards, #6, The Lovers, #3, The Empress (Venus' card), #4, The Emperor (Aires' card), #16, The Tower (tarot association for Mars, the ruler of Aires) and last but still important, #18, The Moon (for those romantic illusions). Happy shuffling!


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Venus in Cancer, July 18, 2014 – “With Fronds Like These, Who Needs Anemones”

“Finding Nemo,” is one of my favorite movies and every time I 

Kris Waldherr uses the goddess Venus for
#6, The Lovers in her "Goddess Tarot"©

watch it, I chuckle over Marlin the Clown Fish’s rather lame joke. If you’ve ever visited a tidal pool and poked an Anemone you know that stimulating their fronds makes them quiver and close up in an instant. Venus’ transit of Cancer this month turns all turns us into untral-sensitive creatures who react instantaneously to both negative and positive romantic stimulation.  We also become incurable romantics. 

Mercury has been in the sign of the crab since July 13th.  (See blog: “July Astrological Trends”) That’s a witty intellect.  Venus is another story.  The goddess of love rules the seventh and second houses of the Zodiac, dealing with primary relationships and self- esteem, respectively.  Cancer lives in the fourth house where we house our family and foundations.  The fourth house is ruled by the Moon, which gives us insights, but can also make Venus’ attractions remarkably strong this month.  Don’t worry, though.  You’re unlikely to throw everything away for love. Cancer is too practical for that.  Venus in Cancer makes us want to hug the world, or at least our corner of it.  We all become more sentimental and our romantic roles, more traditional in the game of hunt and chase. We want to woo and be wooed as the situation dictates.

#3, Estsanatlehi (try saying this three
 times fast!) represents the Empress, Venus' tarot
 association from Waldherr's "The Goddess Tarot"©

If there’s a down side to Venus in Cancer, it’s the heightened sensitivity we have during this transit.  Cancerians are shell people.  Much like an Anemone, they close themselves off when they become confused, or hurt. They have a need to hide emotions. Expect a little tug of war inside yourself with the need to emote and the need to protect your super sensitive feelings.

Venus in Cancer is a great transit for summer romances (as opposed to summer flings).  Enjoy the idea of romance and romantic gestures.  Think about possibilities, but stay away from obsessing on a particular person.  Like the summer, keep it light.

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March 2014, Venus Goes Vintage While Jupiter Pays It Forward

The Goddess of lover, herself, as she appears
in "The Goddess Tarot"© by Kris Waldherr

Venus rules the signs, Taurus and Libra – an interesting dichotomy to say the least.  While Taurus is an earth sign in the fixed modality, Libra is the element of air and carries a cardinal quality.  Taurus ferries about yin, or feminine energy and Libra is steeped in the more direct yang, or male energy.  Taurus rules the second house where self-esteem, possessions and income potential are stored and Libra, in house number seven, is all social grace, refinement and primary relationships.  

On March 5th, Venus put on her bellbottoms, wove flowers in her hair and glided into Aquarius.  Why the sixties symbolism?  That would be because Venus in Aquarius is open, compassionate and loving, but, more than anything else, loves her freedom. There's emotional detachment going on, but not in a cold, or analytical way. Aquarius carries an expansive energy for group participation, grand projects and for attracting a wide range of friends. Venus in Aquarius  is a student of human nature – free-wheeling and always extending the benefit of the doubt to those around her.  Don’t worry about spending endless hours seeking meaningless hook ups.  You won't.  Venus in Aquarius is a platonic energy and while there may be a romantic fling involved for some people, this transit is about socializing.

Jupiter in Cancer normally carries a wonderful expansive

Kris Waldherr depicts #3, The Empress as
Estsanatlehi, Goddess of Fertility in
"The Goddess Tarot"©

energy. The Santa Claus planet has been in retrograde lately however, and we’ve all felt the slow down in drive, as well as a tighter than usual feeling in our pocket books.  You might have experienced more bills than money during normally flush cycles.  Investments with significant growth potential were slow starters during Jupiter’s retrograde. Wall Street, notoriously fickle, even neurotic at the best of times, struggled and in many cases refused to live up to projections.  On March 6th, however, Jupiter went direct and anyone watching the world markets saw the shift.  For example, this morning saw Coupon.com’s IPO and in milliseconds, the price per share jumped from just over $12.00 to more than $28.00.  

Jupiter

The expansion we’ll enjoy is not simply limited to money-making (thank Heaven!). Our sense of compassion expands as well.  Jupiter in Cancer demands largess from our emotions.  There’s humor in this energy – big belly laughs.  Hence the likening to Santa Claus: Jolly, generous and sympathetic.  Jupiter plays well with the Taurus side of Venus’ nature that enjoys pleasure and opulence.  Is there a down side? Oh, heck yah. While Venus says, “Spoil me,” Jupiter responds with, “Sure thing, Doll-face.” Overindulgence of yourself and others can lead to a continuance of financial woes, or emotionally giving ‘til it hurts.  Remember that socializing energy?  You can still socialize without buying drinks for the whole bar.  Know your limits and stay within their boundaries.

It’s a great feeling to have Jupiter moving us forward again. Even with the caveats for March’s retrograde mania ( See Blog: “Astrological Trends For March 2014” )we still have plenty of room to bloom this month. Simply keep your goals insight and your boundaries tight.

LADY ORACLE

"The Goddess Tarot"© is a tremendous deck.  If you've never used it, you should!  It's are available for sale through Lady Oracle Tarot - email me  ladyoracle56@yahoo.com

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January 31st, “Ending the Month With A Bang – Venus, Jupiter and Pluto, Oh My!”

Venus' tarot card, #3 The Empress
from "Steampunk Tarot"© by
Barbara Mooreand Aly Fell

While in retrograde, Venus, planet of relationships and possessions (7th and 2nd houses respectively) asks us to review what me value in people, possessions and baggage.  Venus has been retrograde in Capricorn since November 20, 2013.  As a result, we’ve had lots of time to sift through our emotional and mental closets – particularly if you happen to have Venus retrograde in Capricorn in your birth chart. 

Today Venus goes stationary direct in thirteen degrees, thirty-three minutes of Capricorn.  The keyword here is ‘attachment.’  We are attached to what remains in our closets, i.e. the people and things that we value most. We’ve created a solid platform that will support the life we wish to build for ourselves. Love that has passed our personal litmus test thrives under Venus in Capricorn. The goddess of love tells us to be committed, dedicated and unflinchingly honest with our partners.  

Balanced attachment is a good thing.  It means you are

Ciro Marchetti give us cosmic
balance in his depict of #11 Justice
"Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

invested in the outcome and will work hard to keep your commitments on track.  However, attachment for attachment’s sake leads to possessiveness, both in relationships and in the material world.  Guard against being a clinging vine.  People need to be free to grow and clinging to things just makes you materialistic.  

In other news, Jupiter is in opposition with Pluto today.  If you feel as if you're running a marathon on a treadmill, you’re right.  Jupiter, the planet of fortune, has a difficult time moving your life forward against Pluto’s resounding, “NO!” Pick your battles during the next couple of days, but engage only after carefully redesigning your strategy.  Ears tend to be deaf right now, so if you can delay pursuit, do so. On February 5th Jupiter goes trine Chiron (wounded healer) and this energy salves bruised egos so that you’ll have a more congenial audience.

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Venus in Scorpio, Sept. 10th & 11th to Oct. 7th - “Endless Love”

The Empress, ruling tarot card for
Venus from the RWCS deck by US Games

September’s astrology heats up as Venus moves into the sign of Scorpio during the wee hours (2:16 a.m. EDT) of the 11th, or on the west coast, the waning hours (11:12 p.m. PDT) of the 10th.  We all feel some effect from this transit, but those of us who have Venus in Scorpio in our birth chart get an extra energetic kick.  This Venus transit speaks to us of passion and sparks our quest for that often elusive creature, the soulmate.

Venus in Scorpio isn’t simply passion

Death or, Transformation - intense but not as scary as
you think.  This is Scorpio's ruling card.
Scorpios loves to reinvent themselves
Legacy of the Divine Tarot©
Ciro Marchetti

for the sake of great sex. (Although, who’s complaining about that?) This energy is colored a deep, almost purple shade of red – an intense emotion that while it both excites and incites us, can be almost painful in its fervor.  The practical side of Venus still wants the security found in a solid partnership, however. While the passionate setting designed by Scorpio can be distracting, Venus will ultimately remain true to her quest for a solid relationship.  

Scorpio is the darker side of the equation here – and nobody does darker better than an ungrounded Scorpion.  Those of us in relationships, particularly those of us with Scorpio in our birth charts may find we are more possessive of our partners than usual, leaning more towards jealous and brooding.  Check these impulses because no one wants to feel controlled and manipulated in a relationship.  Take a step back and center yourself to avoid projecting your issues on someone else.

7 of Cups, the ruling card for
Venus in Scorpio
Barbara Moore and Aly Fell
Steampunk Tarot©

The tarot association for the Venus in Scorpio transit is the Seven of Cups.  This is a tarot card of great potential and infinite possibilities that have yet to manifest.  The seven objects appear before the dreamer out of the ether.  What will he choose?  What would you choose?  There’s a two-fold lesson in this card.  While you have many options open to you nothing solid has materialized at this time.  Also, although it is important to choose wisely, i.e. make an informed choice, it is just as important to understand why you make the choices you make.  Consider this card’s meaning in your own life as you negotiate the Venus in Scorpio transit.

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Decks available for purchase at my tarot mercantile!

Venus in Libra August 16th To September 11th - "Love, Sweet Love”

“Once on a high and windy hill
In the morning mist
Two lovers kissed
And the world stood still”

"Love Is A Many Splendored Thing"

(Words by Paul Frances Webster and Music by Sammy Fain)

The Empress is the tarot card for Venus
from Barbara Moore and Aly Fell's
"Steampunk Tarot"©

When Venus comes home to her planetary sign, Libra, she trades in her boogie shoes for a pair of four-inch stiletto heels – flattering, fabulous and perhaps just a tad bit naughty.  Venus blooms best under the harmonious eyes of Libra, though the signs Pisces and Taurus are close runners up.  During her transit through Libra, our planet of love enhances our softer, more charming nature.  We are in love with love itself and naturally explore the romantic side of any situation.  We value harmony in our relationships – personal and professional – and are willing to compromise without drawing battle lines.

During Venus’ transit through Libra, we will be more inclined to actively seek out partnerships. We strive to make our homes calm spaces that foster creative energy.  There will also be clearer signals between people spotting a mutual attraction across the proverbial, ‘crowded room’ and much less need for gamesmanship.  That doesn't mean that we're willing accept crude overtures from the people we find attractive; quite the opposite. Male or female – we'll want romance with a capital 'R' and that includes all the bells, whistles and social niceties.  Sun in Leo lends a little extra gloss to our own patina of charm.  Avoid sounding glib and overly smooth, lest you be accused of being superficial.

The only downside to all this harmonious compromise is the

Libra's tarot card is Justice
from Ciro Marchetti's
"Legacy of the Divine Tarot"©

tendency for people with self-esteem issues to become overly agreeable for the sake of romance.  Healthy boundaries are a necessity no matter who’s transiting what.  If you abandon your own needs for the sake of romantic harmony you end up short-changing yourself and in the long run, build up resentments against your partner (again, personal or professional) and risk engaging in passive-aggressive behaviors farther down the road.

Venus in Libra is a gift of romance and romantic possibilities.  It’s a wonderful way to close out the summer and either relive a little magic from your past, or create some that’s brand spanking new.

LADY ORACLE

Below is my Top Ten Picks for favorite romantic movies.  Make your own list, or borrow some of mine:

1)  Casablanca

2)  Sleepless in Seattle

3)  When Harry Met Sally

4)  Love Is A Many Splendored Thing (You had to have seen that one coming)

5)  A Summer Place

6)  Splendor in the Grass 

7)  Under the Tuscan Sun

8)  Doctor Zhivago 

9)  An Affair to Remember

10) It Happened One Night

Actually, the list is endless!  

Send me yours @ ladyoracle.net

"The Flight of the Red Balloon" - Releasing Your Pain and Anger

We carry baggage with us wherever we go.  Sometimes there’s only a small duffle bag and sometimes we have a matched set of luggage - pieces we’ve collected over time from trauma we’ve experienced during our life. Our baggage shapes the way we relate to our world and there’s no easy way to drop it off for someone else to handle - no Sky Cap for the human psyche.  We have to learn how to handle our own bags one piece at a time.  How do we release our anger, or let go of people who cause us frustration and pain?  One of best techniques to release unhealthy emotions is the Red Balloon.

Begin by identifying the person or situation that upsets you. Think about how nice it would be to have some emotional distance, to be able to respond to a recurring situation instead of over-reacting to it.  Sit quietly in a place where you won’t be disturbed. Close your eyes and allow your body to relax. Feel the tension leave your forehead as the relaxation drifts down your face.  Notice your jawline softening as the stress eases from your head, neck and shoulders. Continue to talk to yourself, inducing a state of relaxation throughout your torso, down your arms, legs and to your feet.  Enjoy a feeling of ease and well-being throughout your whole body.

Now visual the person(s) or circumstances that distress you - a relationship, workplace friction, school, etc.  Get the sense of what triggers your emotional response to that situation.  Suddenly, drifting towards you on the wind, is a bright and shiny, red balloon.  Envision putting what or who disturbs you inside the balloon.  Don’t worry, it stretches.  

It may not be easy to successfully complete this exercise the first time or two. You’ll find that people don’t want to get inside the balloon.  They’ll fight, argue and even threaten you to stay out of it, but stick with your resolve.  All of this is occurring in your own mind so you get to control the outcome.  Let ‘em kick, yell and beat on the inside of their new red home all they want.  They’re not getting out.  Gather up the hurt, the anger and the fear the situation causes in your life and put all that energy inside the balloon.  Now you can talk to whoever is inside.  You will likely feel tightness in your throat and chest the first time you try this.  Perhaps you’ll even cry as you tell your captive audience how you feel and that you will no longer allow them to control your emotional well-being.

See yourself tying a brightly-colored string onto the balloon.  Imagine the balloon drifting away from you.  Up it goes, higher and higher until it’s out of sight.  People inside the balloon might look sad and try to make you feel guilty.  Don’t let them.  Release them into the Universe with love and with understanding. That, my friends, is the hardest part.  Releasing with love.  Everyone adds their baggage to a situation or circumstance, but not intentionally.  When you let go of the effects someone else’s baggage has on you with compassion and love, you lift yourself higher.  You lift yourself to a place of peace and understanding where their negative energy has a much more difficult time reaching you. You make your own life better and isn’t that the point?

LADY ORACLE