Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.
— William Shakespeare, The Tempest
For most, there will be another side to the tempest now being endured by those of you in the eastern United States. On the other side of millions in misery, there will be November. On November 1, from its Libra high ground, Venus will oppose a Uranus retrograding through the vernal fields of Aries. Venus opposite Uranus will recall the quoted line from The Tempest, and the versions that followed, in ways that will test and reveal the current state of humanity.
Venus, as used in astrology, is not anathema to Uranus. As a matter of fact, there is a nominal connection so ancient as to be almost lost. Not lost is the energetic difference between Venus and Uranus.
Venus is about attraction, receptivity and charisma. The brightest planet’s expression in your life often involves no energy at all. Therein is both its charm and curse. When you are working with Venus properly, abundance is drawn to you spontaneously without effort or grief. If, on the other hand, a Venusian predominance is not handled mindfully, stagnation prevails. Working with Uranus presents very different prospects.
First among the planets in our solar system properly identified with a telescope, Uranus is associated with initiative. Having been an unexpected find confers it with the element of surprise. Discovered between the American and French revolutions, Uranus will long be connected to sudden, galvanizing change. In other words, Uranus has abundant, but unpredictable, energy. Much like the storm now afflicting the eastern seaboard, Uranus can wreak havoc by itself. A waxing opposition with Venus, however, indicates both unusual alliances and serendipitous associations could initiate an unprecedented path to recovery from havoc present and past.
In ancient Greek mythology, Uranus was Saturn’s father, the savage deity of all things sky. When Saturn’s mother, the deity of all things Earth, got fed up with the wanton destruction Uranus wrought, she enlisted Saturn to slay his father. The killing was gruesome. Saturn severed his father’s genitalia and tossed them into the sea, posthumously germinating Uranus’ final progeny — Venus — representing a new harmony of land, sky and sea.
When European astronomers of the 18th Century collaborated to name the new planet Uranus, they did so as unlikely bedfellows. It took 80 years to resolve, but finally agreement came in a precedent that represented a new harmony of intellect. That agreement helped germinate an ideal of scientific cooperation that transcends politics. Such cooperation, recognizing the wholeness of humanity, is still emerging from the sea of human consciousness. It is an ideal that will be tested yet again when Venus opposes Uranus across the equatorial axis of the zodiac on Thursday.
When Venus exacts its opposition to Uranus, the United States will face a choice that will, for better or worse, set an example for all of humanity. That choice will be whether to leverage the misery of millions for political gain or to transcend political differences for the sake of a new harmony. Shakespeare was correct. Misery does acquaint us with strange alliances through necessity. But further through those new connections, an ancient yet still nascent ideal long stagnant may finally complete its germination. We all now know once again a tempest can bring destruction, of that there is no question. The question is whether we can rise above habit and ascend to a greater level of conduct even as we recover on the level of material.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
And now we see what “strange bedfellows” have emerged; it’s all I think about while watching Obama and Gov. Christie in the aftermath of the hurricane. Strange, yes, but also seems to be bringing out the best of both. I’m glad they’re working together this way.
Thank you Len,
Very insightful. I guess we will see the final outcome the end of March 2013 when transiting Sun, Venus, Mars and Uranus conjunct at 8 degrees Libra. With my Venus at 8 Libra– I’ll let you know how it goes this week through then! To strange alliances and higher levels!
The Daughter stands opposite her Father, under the auspices of Pluto, perhaps a new relationship is being forged?
Thanks Len for your wise words.
Thank you for your wonderful piece, Len. And thank you, Be for your amazing comments. As I think I’ve said before, it’s as if the two of you dance a graceful, fascinating minuet together.
Len,
Your words, (and I rarely repeat lengthy quotes from the same blog I’m replying to) “When you are working with Venus properly, abundance is drawn to you spontaneously without effort or grief. If, on the other hand, a Venusian predominance is not handled mindfully, stagnation prevails. Working with Uranus presents very different prospects.”
Case in point, it has come to light that Venus and Jupiter were conjunct in March this year at the same time they formed a grand trine in Earth signs with Mars and Pluto. I believe you wrote about this grand trine. The landfall of Sandy (chart) shows Jupiter (opposite Mars) on the ascendant in the same degree as Venus was when she was occult the Sun in June this year. Sandy’s chart also has the Moon within arc minutes of where that Venus-Jupiter conjunction took place in Taurus. More detail in Eric’s FM Special on the Sandy event to which I just updated my reply.
My point is, you nailed it buddy. “Such cooperation recognizing the wholeness of humanity, is still emerging from the sea of human consciousness.” 🙂
be
mia and be: Thank you both so very much.
Leave it to you Len to find the silver lining of these trying times. Partnership trumps individuality in most cases of misery I should think, but to achieve a greater level of consciousness in the process makes it, in hindsight anyway, worth the effort of relaxing one’s standards and become more inclusive. So glad you brought this ancient myth to the surface for us to ponder.
be
Len,
Your post today has echoes of a powerful dream I had early Saturday morning. If Venus is land, sky and sea, she definitely showed up in my dream during which I had finished some type of sweat lodge experience and cleansing. I was wearing a soft green sweater similar to one I had owned and worn constantly a number of years ago and in the dream I was given two beaded necklaces, one with deep blue lapis type stones in a large cluster. The death of Russell Means last week was certainly a part of my dream. A man dressed in brown came over to me. He was significantly taller than me so it was easy for him to kiss my crown chakra and say, “You are going home.” He repeated this mantra and kiss time after time and I woke up knowing I had arrived at a whole new place. The colors in the dream were green, blue and brown. Earth, sky and water, not necessarily in that order. We are all on the bridge, so to speak, in between where we were and where we are going. Not for the faint of heart or weak of knees.
Thanks, Len.