Venus entered its Pisces exaltation at 9:03 pm EST yesterday as if to say it’s time to put your best foot forward with a new sense of what that means. It’s partially because Pisces is associated with feet. In addition, the meaning of Venus includes what you sense is most attractive.
Finally, exaltation is a form of distinction (or dignity, as astrologers put it) that means both the planet and the sign of its exaltation attain the highest ideal of expression in each other’s company.
This year, Venus ingressed Pisces to find a lot of company. The Sun, retrograde Mercury, Mars, Neptune and Chiron are just the major players now wearing the same energetic uniform from which Venus expresses itself best.
If uniforms make a team, then Venus by benefit of being most dignified in the outfit, is the acknowledged leader. In the case of Pisces, the team captain has arrived at a good time. The team’s ruler, Neptune, is still getting its feet wet, having returned to its home sign less than two years after having drifted around the zodiac for nearly a century and a half. During that long absence, Neptune acquired the reputation of a salty dog, and all of us will need some time to trust the Foggy One enough to follow the dreams it represents.
Mercury, for its part, is moving in an entirely different direction from the rest of the team. Who could blame it? When the innermost planet is in Pisces it is opposed to Virgo, where both its exaltation and rulership are. In figurative exile from its place of best and brightest expression, and getting out ahead of the rest of the team, it makes sense for Mercury to backtrack and check in with everybody else. You should do the same thing.
Since Mercury is emblematic of your mind and its means of communication, it makes a lot of sense to turn your thoughts not only towards others, but also what makes you attractive to them.
Venus is about attraction. What makes you attractive as a teammate are the same things you find attractive in others. Funny how that works, but Venus is both that simple and that profound. It is no surprise, then, that other people will find you more attractive if you are receptive to their thoughts, as well as their presence.
Venus is about receptivity also. It is being interested in others besides just yourself. That means listening, and responding to confirm what you think you hear in order to make sure you understand what is being expressed.
How you express yourself is important, too. That’s where the water element and mutable quality of Pisces come in. If you want people to work with you, the quality of your communication matters as much as or more than the content. It means being flexible and accommodating, willing to yield to a new season just as a mutable sign does. It also means being amiable and working to smooth emotional waters rather than stirring things up to get an advantage.
That’s what putting your best foot forward is really all about. It is not about being the charismatic sales person with the starched white shirt and flawless teeth looking to get the advantage of exchange with others. It’s about showing others that it is to their advantage to work with you.
From today until Venus enters Aries two days behind the Sun and its Vernal Equinox (beginning a new year for astrologers) you will want others to work with you. As the astrological year winds down, the majority of the sign-ruling planets are dissolving together in the mutable waters of Pisces — symbolizing something you will want to emulate if you want to go with the flow of the cosmos.
It means showing through your outward expression the inner truth that you are one with other beings who share this planet. It does not mean being an empty suit to pretend you are somehow better and entitled to more than others. Because Pisces rules the feet, that is where it begins for you.
Where your feet turn, the rest of you will follow. To be in harmony with the sky now means turning toward others, checking in with everybody else, and living as if you have something in common with all beings. That, contrary to what representatives of a dying paradigm may have told you, is what putting your best foot forward really means now.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
“. . .responding to confirm what you think you hear in order to make sure you understand what is being expressed.”
I am reminded of something I learned in college (four decades ago): “I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I’m not sure that what you heard is what I meant.” As someone required to speak legalese, communication is a double-edged sword.
Using this fishy post-New Moon in Virgo to prepare for all those planets and both luminaries lodged in Pisces on March 11. Hip boots are the needed fashion item.
Thank you as ever, Len, for your eloquent and wise words.
JannKinz
Thank you b and everyone for your feedback and good wishes. I wish I didn’t have to have the surgery either; I would rather be traveling. I have had few surgeries in my life, and I have worked hard to heal each one of them along with the underlying problem.
I have an acupuncturist girlfriend who is convinced she can remodel my heel to stop its impingement on my Achilles via needles, topical herb lotions and her light machine. But my faith in her ability to do that is intermittent. If I had perfect faith I could remodel it with the power of my own soul, right?
I absolutely do receive relief from her treatments, but my western medicalized brain and background as a healthcare worker myself make me doubt that remodeling bone is possible without more invasive technique where the Achilles is partially dis-attached and offending bone is carved off and then the Achilles is reattached. The surgical process is daunting. Permanent loss of the attachment of the Achilles to the heel bone is disabling to say the least.
In my work, I am very active with children all day, M-F. It’s a joy. I am on my feet and moving quite a bit. And I tend to over-estimate my energy, going beyond the call of duty, working with whole classrooms at a time, (10-12 children tops, because these are SPED classrooms) with many more children than are actually on my caseload, because I like to ‘spread the wealth.’ And part of it is that I see each child as part of a larger organism–their class, their school–and I like to contribute to seeing the class working together as a team, having fun together and learning to view each other positively, enjoying each other’s strengths and helping each other with their struggles. The teachers and aides do come with when I take the whole class to help out; otherwise I don’t offer these extras.
I do have the option of seeing each child by him or herself or in a small group of children who are all on my caseload. But A., that seems boring to me, and B., it seems boring to the children too, and C., it seems selfish. Maybe that’s crazy.
I have learned this first year back in schools that I do need to pace myself and I have some ideas for next year, but once you set a precedent it’s hard to change. There are other pressures, a health-challenged husband, a disabled sister and an elderly mother who lives with my daughter who is a full-time student. Doing too much? Maybe so. But really, I do say “No,” from time to time and work hard to live within my limits.
My early years were defined by victimization and my identification with that role. I have received so much healing; I am far from the needy creature that I used to be. Now, giving back is a priority, but the quality of what I can give back is definitely determined by the quality of the self-care that I give myself. Maybe this is my big lesson for now.
susyc,
Weakness (Achilles tendon) being pressured to Heal (heel bone)?
Is there an area where you feel vulnerable that could benefit from a long period of relative immobility? The sub (or un) conscious can speak to us through physical problems as well as dreams. Have you been pushing yourself too hard? Use your Healing Time to reflect on areas of your life which need shoring (stablizing) up. Saturn rules limitations (such as immobility) as well as bones, and maybe even the heels, I can’t remember for sure. Your natal Saturn as well as transiting Saturn could reveal any hidden advice from your higher self regarding some purpose associated with your physical problem.
It could be an emotional (transiting Saturn is in water sign Scorpio) area that would benefit from a period of recuperation. Having the surgery scheduled 2 1/2 months off might suggest that time, also ruled by Saturn, is a factor related to your healing. Slowing things down (Saturn), easing up on your schedule of “things to do” seems to me to be a very strong message here. I say this from personal experience. If you have a natal planet in Gemini (8 to 11 degrees especially) it could be receiving pressure from the transiting sextile of Pluto in Capricorn and Saturn in Scorpio.
As you note yourself, consistent self-care will be required to heal properly, and your reflection on the symbology of the Achilles tendon has probably led you to similar conclusions I’ve just mentioned. As long as we can learn from our problems and setbacks we grow in our wisdom. Thank you for sharing.
be
Hi Len! Interesting post. Last night, I gave a talk to graduate students entitled “Tending the Soul of My Place in the World.” It was one of those times where everything aligned and my heart did all the talking. Although I usually feel ease in public speaking, I don’t know that I’ve ever bared my soul to this level in public. Afterwards, I had a dream that I was walking home from the school and, when I looked down at my feet, I saw that I was wearing the pair of shoes I only wear inside my home. When I looked again, I noticed that my toes were showing, but they were nicely painted in a rich red. Then it started to snow & I felt concerned that my feet would freeze, but they didn’t. Soul, sole? Thanks for your post. Annabelle
susyc: Please also accept my best wishes for a healing procedure and speedy recovery. It appears as though be has already covered the medical astrology very well in answer to your question – prospects look good for you to find relief from the pain.
biren: Thank you for your generous words.
P. Sophia: Thank you for sharing your experience of the astrology. It appears as though you are in the flow.
be: Thank you for answering susyc’s medical astrology question. What would we ever do without you?
DivaCarla: It is good to be of service to a Pisces and know that the service is useful. Your idea of honoring Venus is a thing of beauty in and of itself.
aword: Thank you. It appears as if you are on the right track.
Mia: Thank you for your kind words about the interview. It was rather spontaneous and improvisational, but also a lot of fun.
Len,
I just listened to your interview on Zany Mystic from the last full moon in January available on youtube. You make lots of interesting points including the Mercury retrogrades for the year and the importance of water during 2013. It would be great if you could keep us posted when these interviews happen so we can tune in.
Thank you!
Mia
Well, best foot forward or not, I have spent the day walking, tying up loose shoe-strings on any number of things which certainly clears the way for strides in new directions.
Thank you, Len. You’ve sent my tickled tootsies off on the right foot.
susyc: Best wishes for an uneventful surgery and rapid recovery!
You make it so good to be Pisces right now, Len ! Your posts and all the commenters ferl like one long birthday party!
I’ m seeing my hairdresser this week. Not even snow and ice will keep me from this appt ordained by Venus!
susyc,
I wish you didn’t have to go through the surgery in order to relieve what must be a very painful problem. However, I looked to see where Mars (the surgeon) would be on May 15, and he will be in Taurus and conjunct the south node of the Moon. Since the south node symbolizes what is ready to be released, I am assuming this surgery will release you from the pain and discomfort you have been experiencing. The Sabian Symbol for the degree Mars will occupy is “A New Continent Rising Out Of The Ocean.” It has a keynote phrase of “The surge of new potentiality after the crisis.”
Out of curiosity, I checked on the whereabouts of Achilles that day and remarkably, he will be at 1 Virgo, a sign of healing. His symbol is of A Large White Cross that Dominates The Landscape, and Dane Rudhyar believes it symbolizes the mystic path leading to Initiation, and refers to it as “A Liberating Ordeal”. In any case, what we all hope for is that you will have a rapid recovery and that your experience will serve you in more ways than just the obvious. Please keep us posted on your situation and we will all pray for your well-being.
Len, ditto what biren says.
be
Great, how very timely for us. I love how Mercury is checking back in with each of the planet points and angles to make sure the message is clear to us.
Personally all morning I spent hours reworking my résumé. Something I have been procrastinating on now seemed to move enthusiastically, feels good Putting my best foot forward, as you Len, and she Venus speak.
amazing, len…
that is all i can manage to say.
if you go back and read what you have written, you will be as blown away into a speechless daze as i am – is all i can add.
thank you suddenly seems impotent.
warmth
b.
Love this Len! I do think feet are sacred. I think on some level they must carry our entire history within them… Speaking of feet however, I am scheduled to get ankle surgery May 15th for something called Haglund’s deformity, a problem where the heel bone is putting constant pressure on the Achilles tendon. It’s a pretty heavy duty surgery that can take as long as 9 months or more for recovery. On the other hand, I’ve been dealing with this pain for 3-4 years now, on an ever increasing level. I’ve been using this difficulty as an opportunity to reflect on all the symbology of the Achilles tendon, considering the legendary aspects of a weakness in that area. I’m afraid my mother wasn’t completely thorough about dipping me in the sacred spring of invulnerability. Some of that in my case may be a less than perfect commitment to what serves me, what is good for me; the tendency to fall into defiance towards the footwork that feeds me and imaginary separation from others. I hope May 15 is an auspicious day for my surgery and that my recovery will progress into complete healing. The recovery process will definitely require consistent self-care and defiance and separation will NOT contribute to that.