Venus in Cancer: Stick to the Facts

Venus ingresses Cancer today at 9:43 am. As I mentioned yesterday, its extraordinary stay in Gemini extends back more than four months to April 3. Venus represents some of the most palpable feelings, yearnings and desires that humans are capable of. The Venus in Gemini experience has taken us many places, and through many different experiences.

Seen one way, we’ve gone through a review phase on every value we might have associated with love, attachment, attractiveness and desire. Surrounding the Venus retrograde were a Mars retrograde in Virgo, and two retrogrades of Mercury — and much else besides. It’s possible that you’re on entirely different ground than you were in January.

I suggest you tread that ground carefully over the next few days and indeed the next few weeks, as we’re currently transitioning into new and potentially unfamiliar territory.

When Venus shifts into Cancer, a new aspect pattern forms. In terms of the major planets, Venus will be approaching an opposition to Pluto, a square to Uranus and a trine to Chiron, three powerfully transformative aspects, though those don’t come up to full temperature until next week. That represents a new phase of the story; I won’t be covering that today, though it will be a key focus in Friday’s weekly horoscope for subscribers (interpreted for the Sun signs and the rising signs).

We can learn a lot from the aspect pattern that Venus makes when it arrives tomorrow. Above is a table with a partial list of the minor planets in the early degrees of the cardinal signs, and they tell a story about not getting caught in the web of your own emotional overreactions. Particularly with Mercury — the planet of mind — in transition to direct motion (that happens Wednesday), it’s essential that you stick to the facts of any situation, and that you make an effort to find out what those facts are.

Any conclusions you come to over the next 72 hours have a high probability of being wrong, so I suggest you keep the book open on any pending matters. At the same time, the planetary pattern suggests just how challenging that may be for some people. If I may stoop to the level of specific advice, avoid controversy. Avoid it as in say “goodbye and I’ll talk to you next week,” walk away from arguments and don’t make accusations. What comes out over the next few days will make that worth any temporary discomfort or sense of delay.

It will also be necessary to pause coming to the assistance of others until you have the necessary facts; you will know you do because what you learn may radically change your perception of any important situation. Change may include deepening your present understanding or arriving at a whole new point of view.

Let’s take a look at the aspect pattern. Venus joins several points in the very first degrees of the cardinal signs. Currently there are three other points exactly aspecting the Aries Point (the first degree of Aries, and by exact I mean an aspect of less than one degree). They are Industria, Arachne and Ophelia. When Venus arrives, it will blend with these points — and this is suggesting caution.

Industria has a way of focusing things in one direction. Think of any industrial or professional activity which is focused on a specific goal — which often happens without thought of the consequences. It’s about cleverness and skill that can work constructively or against itself.

Arachne indicates situations, or perceptions of situations, where there is a web of intrigue, a conspiracy, or a story of some kind that has to be sorted through. With Arachne it’s important to look for the connections, though not to exaggerate them. There can be the sense of a conspiracy that’s not really there. Many other factors in the sky say wait for the facts to come out, particularly when this involves an emotionally-based placement like Venus in Cancer.

Ophelia is about emotional reactions, which can be exaggerated and as a consequence, destructive. When Ophelia is in the picture, it’s essential to hold your reactions in check, and what you would do in the meantime is either seek information, or wait for it to arrive (preferable occupying yourself with something more creative or productive).

There is one additional point that I’ve left out of this diagram for brevity, and that is a hypothetical planet, a very slow mover in early Cancer called Hades. While this often has negative consequences, it’s really about going deep — in this case, deep into feelings, and into the history. Hades can have the sensation of the occult, past lives, or anything beyond the veil of the obvious. Be patient and be attentive.

Again, with Mercury stationing direct, don’t make assumptions. I will be interpreting this aspect pattern in Friday’s weekly sign-by-sign horoscope report.