Today is Friday, July 8, 2011. The Moon spends the day in Libra, leaving for Scorpio tomorrow. During the past 36 hours, the Moon has made a lot of aspects — and that can feel exciting or emotionally exhausting. Through the day Friday, the Moon opposes the new planet Eris in Aries– and this may continue a theme of sorting out identity crisis in our relationships.
Now that the Moon has come through so many aspects — what we’ve been describing for weeks as the cardinal cross — Venus in Cancer is fully into the act. Venus is an emotional influence. This is a planet everyone can feel. Venus has been making many aspects, more slowly than the Moon, which means they’re more influential: deeper, more sentimental, more poignant. Today, Venus is making an opposition to Pluto. That is a culmination of some kind. Something may be coming to an emotional peak, or reaching a new depth. You may have the feeling of being backed into a corner, indeed, into several corners at once. Oppositions can indicate our responses to seemingly external situations, such as relationships. This can be any kind of relationship, not just the ones with the big R.
I suggest you be conscious of how you feel in the presence of others, and note those feelings. Also, monitor your own sense of being trapped: whether by your own passion, your hormones, your sense of being a victim, or some emotional circumstance beyond your control.
At the same time, Venus is trine Chiron. That is a kind of escape hatch, and like most things involving Chiron, the escape is in the direction of healing. This is the part that is left out of most conversations, or confrontations. The thing about healing is, you have to go there consciously, or invite it in consciously. But there is an opening indicated by Chiron.
Today’s opposition between Venus and Pluto picks up the energy from the Venus-Uranus square that we highlighted yesterday — and polarizes it. The square may have brought a surprise development; the opposition seems to be about the consequences or the results. Pluto in Capricorn pushes for upheaval and evolution; Venus in Cancer urges us to nest and nurture, but mainly to be secure. And Venus has been feeling anything but secure lately.
The squares and oppositions inherent in the cardinal cross provide more layers of energy and tension than many of us can keep sorted, and I don’t mean astrologically — I mean emotionally. If you happen to have any natal planets conjunct any of these transits, it can be hard to know where to start working things out. Heck, even if you don’t you may have no idea how to work this out. I would suggest gradually, consciously, and putting as little pressure on yourself and others as you can. Which does not mean no pressure, it means using focus and awareness and directing them toward understanding and empathy.
That’s the thing about Venus — at her best, and she’s close to it in Cancer — the name of the tune is empathy. That’s cultivated through practice. Notice how you’re feeling. Notice how others are feeling. Remember that feelings don’t always ‘make sense’ but we’re happier for knowing that they exist.
Venus opposing Pluto can provide something solid to push against or contrast with, or provide a container for the needed healing to take place in. Venus-Chiron reminds us that healing (and pleasure) are available. And, as we will get to later in the week on Wednesday, Venus squares Saturn — which sets a limit of some kind. But it also means this whole process, this whole journey, is taking place within a container. You can work with that.
— By Amanda Painter with Eric Francis
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Forgot to mention – thankful for the healing potential Chiron offers…and for the article, Amanda. Perhaps our marriage is the container for the healing?
Thanks Amanda, for a great horoscope and lyrical analysis. I really appreciate these new daily (or weekendly) horoscopes on the blog page. As always, thought provoking, providing a starry metaphor for the events of my life.
Love the work you all do at Planet Waves- thanks one and all!
Hard to wrap my mind around it all…have both transiting Pluto opposite natal Venus and transiting Venus conjunct natal Venus opposing transiting Pluto, not to mention soon to square transiting Saturn. And so many more aspects at once…
My husband and I (married August 7, 1999) have been struggling in our relationship for a while, but it feels like we are just moving into more mature love/relationship…doing the hard, hard stuff that makes most of us just want to boogie (out of there.) so far, we seem committed for the long haul.
Did I imagine a soon to be Mars opposite Pluto transit? That will oppose my natal Mars which is conjunct Transiting Pluto and will be for a few more years (we won’t even mention the looming Uranus square to Pluto) it was during a Mars transit opposite my natal Mars that I was hit by a car while on my bicycle back in 2000…
a big thank-you to eric for revising this post! i had a feeling i didn’t quite hit the mark on this one, and he was kind enough to take the time to walk me through how and why he was reworking things while we were on the phone.
len — i’m afraid the container metaphor you mention didn’t quite make it through the revision, but i’m glad you liked it. i did too, though it remains in spirit, as the venus-pluto opp still gives something to push against, and still can serve as that container for healing.
probably i should reverse our names in the byline at this point. 🙂
Well, between this reading and Eric’s Midyear audio, PlanetWaves is saving my ass once again. Thanks for the focus on incipient co-dependency informing my experience of a family situation that called for a full flare of the ‘rescuer’ in me, in your audio Eric! Instead of rescuing, I practiced ‘being with’ the family members in their difficult situation with the assistance of my brother-in-law and advice from my 12 step sponsor. Do not do for others what they can do for themselves. While I have a great deal of concern and sadness for these loved ones, these problems are not my problems. I can ‘be with’ as a loving family member, and assist as reasonable within the limits of my ‘response ability,’ but I will not give myself up for anyone’s problems anymore. I backed out of corners as soon as I felt myself backing into them. Thank you PlanetWaves and loving and creative powers of the universe.
That photo is not only extremely beautiful but very symbolic for me, Amanda!
It’s all wonderful, Amanda. I miss beachcombing…
it occurred to me this morning that some of what gary described last week about the Rx properties of pluto should probably be considered here; didn’t have a chance to think that through fully last night as we worked on the subscriber issue. i’ll have to dig up which post that was & put the link here.
and thanks everyone — i appreciate the appreciation. personally, i get a kick out of the little piece of dry seaweed flying in the breeze…
The photograph is wonderful, Amanda. I often experience your photos as capturing the essence of the transits you are describing with words. Of course, words are powerful, too, but for me, it is the visual that most brightly reflects back the multiple dimensions and interplay of energies we are all trying to make sense of. Thank you.
Thanks Amanda… for all that you do <3
Yes. I agree with lovely Len on both counts. So very helpful. And your photo is absolutely gorgeous. xx
As before, your photograph deserves separate mention. No only because it honors the field of conceptual art. An especially good catch is how the colors of the wood and the rope echo the clouds and sky.
Thank you for the acknowledgement.
Thank you also for taking on a complex dynamic and rendering it with innovation and elegance. Really like your idea of utilizing the square as a container or fulcrum to get the best potential out of the trine.