The morning of Aug 7, Venus
leaves the sign Gemini where she has been since April and begins a month long
journey through the sign Cancer. First
let’s talk about what we mean when we say a planet enters the sign Cancer.
Cancer as Turning Point
Many people know that at summer solstice the sun rises higher in the sky than any other time of year. The word tropic (as in Tropic of Cancer and
Tropic of Capricorn) comes from the Greek ‘tropicos’ meaning turn. The summer solstice is the turning point in
the ecliptic where we see planets turn from an ascending direction to one that
is descending. I often imagine a Ferris
Wheel with the Tropic of Cancer being the position of highest elevation after
which the seats begin to return to earth.
Any time a planet is in the first degree of Cancer it is at that point
in the ecliptic of highest elevation.
Let’s look at the solar
system from above for another perspective:
when we see the sun highest in the sky on June 21 it is because earth is
in the point of its yearly trip around the sun where the tilted north pole is
pointed toward the sun. In similar
manner any other planet entering the sign Cancer is moving into a position
relative to earth where our north pole is leaning toward it, and in our sky we
see that planet at the most elevated point of the ecliptic.
So on the morning of Aug 7
(east coast North America) Venus reaches this turning point. But what does it mean?
Well…the sign before Cancer
is Gemini. In that sign Venus was slowly
climbing to the highest point in the
band across the sky. In the case of the
sun, we are still benefiting from an increase of its time above the horizon
from one day to the next, but that increase is negligible compared to the gain
we get in Pisces and Aries. In those two
signs we get about 2 more minutes of light every day, while in Gemini we go, in
thirty days, from an increase of 1 minute 28 seconds per day to an increase of
only 2 seconds. Though we are still gaining light, the amount we are gaining is dropping
off a little bit with each day.
What we are doing is
measuring the amount of energy the earth is receiving from the sun, or other
planets, in units of time. If we imagine
the sun’s energy as money going into a bank account, Aries would be the period
when money is coming in so fast we can hardly count it, Taurus would be when
the income starts to level out, Gemini would be when it slows down so much we
start counting and figuring out how much we’ve got, and Cancer would be when
the money starts to trickle out instead of coming in. When any planet is in the sign Cancer, the
time it spends above the horizon (in the northern hemisphere) diminishes a few
seconds with each degree it moves forward.
Planetary Rulers Tell Who is in Charge
OK, I'm not beating around the bush, all this is to give some
mechanical basis for the meaning of the zodiac signs. With that information we turn to which
planets are in charge of each sign- just like priests being in charge in churches,
teachers in the classroom, and cashiers at the register, there are planets
recognized as the ‘rulers’ of various signs based on the nature of their
cycles. The sign Gemini, where many small
adjustments occur, is ruled by Mercury, the yo-yo planet that we see pass back
and forth never far from the sun.
Mercury is associated with the mind, our ability to create within
ourselves a facsimile of our changing environment.
So while Venus is in Gemini she
is ruled by Mercury, the planet of the mind, or basic intellectual
processes. Taurus and Libra have both been
occupied with the Gemini process of gathering and filing information since
April while Venus has been in Gemini. I
should back up here and explain for those who are unfamiliar with planetary
rulerships that Taurus and Libra are both governed by Venus- so following Venus
for them is like checking in with the boss.
When the boss is in her own office she has more control, but when she
leaves it she comes under the influence of whoever is in charge of the office
she is passing through. During most of
March, Venus was passing through Taurus and so able to rule her own territory. People born when the sun was in Taurus or Libra
enjoyed a short month of inner peace and friendship while the ruler of
partnership was keeping melodious order in the house. When Venus had to leave one of her homes (remember
she also rules Libra) in April and begin her extended trip through Gemini she came
under the influence of Mercury. So if
Venus has been getting her cues from Mercury- let’s look at what Mercury’s been
doing.
Looking Back on Venus’ Trip through
Gemini
(But First-We Define Pisces)
On April 3, when Venus first
entered Gemini, Mercury was in Pisces, the last sign of the Zodiac where energy
is seriously building up like the engines firing on a rocket as it begins lift
off. In the case of the sun passing
through the ecliptic- (an aside here- we use the sun’s cycle to define the
zodiac not just because it is the main source of energy in our system, but also
because its cycle is the most consistent….every other planet (except the moon) stops and reverses course at some point in its cycle with earth…the sun marches
at a fairly steady rate through the zodiac as we steadily circle it)—OK, back to the
sun passing through the ecliptic… We gain 2 minutes 16 seconds of light every
day for the last 10 days that the sun is in Pisces. The ten days before that (sun passes through a
sign in 30 days) we get an average of 2 minutes 14 seconds extra each day; and
the first 10 days we gain about 2minutes 9 seconds per day. The sun starts out in the sign Pisces rising
quickly in the ecliptic and builds up in those 30 days to its greatest increase
in energy units delivered to the northern hemisphere by the time it reaches
Spring equinox. Spring is not just
spring because that’s when the sprouts pop out of the earth, it is also spring
because that’s when the sun springs up over the celestial equator and ascends
the ecliptic. Pisces on the Ferris Wheel
is like the part of the ride where the seats are starting to go straight
up. It is exactly like a ride in an
elevator. This is why the sign Pisces is
associated with hope, there is so much energy getting poured into the system
after the long winter nights, we can’t help but feel positive.
So when Venus came under the
influence of Mercury April 3, Mercury (the mind) was like a rocket in the early stage of lift off. The first half of April was positive and
hopeful for Taurus and Libra even though their boss was not in complete control. April 16, Mercury entered the following sign
Aries and was officially off the ground and on the way to god knows where. This is the nature of Aries. When a planet enters Aries it comes under the
influence of high energy Mars and things are happening so fast you can count on
surprises good and bad. Beginning April
16, Taurus and Libra through this chain of command beginning with Venus,
passing to Mercury, and finally to Mars because of Mercury in Aries, were in a
state of high alert. They were flexing
their mental muscles eager to take on any challenge.
May 9, Mercury entered Taurus
and all of a sudden the control, though indirect, was handed back to
Venus. Venus was still in Gemini and
under Mercury’s rule, but Mercury was in her
sign so looking to her for guidance.
They became a cooperative team, consulting with each other. Taurus and Libra got a chance to calm down
and turn their attention away from self assertion and crisis management, to more
relaxed consulting on how to keep things running smoothly.
By May 24, when Mercury moved
into Gemini, where it actively rules, Venus was on its way to passing between
earth and sun and so appeared to be going backwards. (It is because of this apparent backward
motion that we saw Venus in Gemini for 4 months while she spent less than 30
days in Taurus.) May 24 began a period
of rapid and prolific information processing for Taurus and Libra. But that was not to last long; on June 7
Mercury flew into Cancer, and I say flew because the little yo-yo planet was still
on the far side of the sun where we see its relative motion at high velocity. If we go back and count from May 24- June 7,
the total number of days Mercury took to pass through the sign Gemini was only 14! When Mercury hit the sign Cancer it was just slowing
down at the same time it was peaking at the summer tropic; it was entering the
sign ruled by the moon. So Venus, still in Gemini, was now being ruled,
through a chain of command going through Mercury, by the moon. June 8-25, while Mercury was in Cancer, Libra
and Taurus natives got an indirect preview of what’s coming tomorrow Aug 7,
they got a chance to think like Cancer.
That’s not the same as their
ruler being under the lunar influence, it was more a witnessing than walking in
the same shoes, an observation of what it is like to experience the gravity of the
moon.
June 26 Mercury entered Leo
and the party for the mind began. While
the sun was in Cancer the party was sketchy, because the moon ultimately had
the reigns, everything depended on the mood of the moment. July 22, when the sun entered Leo, the party
of the mind was unstoppable. Libra
and Taurus through Venus’ answering to the basic intellect were approaching
things from a more spiritual level. The conscious mind began running the show
instead of an urge to make a partnership work.
This handing over control to the ego can seem less spiritual, unless we
see spirituality as being true to our individual destiny as opposed to the pull
of relationships.
Today mercury is completing
its passage between us and the sun in the sign Leo. Leo is the fun sign. It is like the part of the Ferris Wheel ride
where everyone is dropping down and screaming.
The sun rules the sign Leo. We
feel intensely alive at that point of dropping, we are hysterically laughing at
our own fear, we are cresting on the outgoing energy that came from the
sun-Leo. The sun is now (Aug 6) in its
place of power and mercury is nearby at the celebratory banquet, they are both
in the sign Leo.
Leo is a place of
strength. No king or queen rules
forever, no summer is endless. But
summer is summer, and Mercury (Gemini’s boss), now so close to the sun is in
this place of spiritual strength and power.
The mind is under the influence of the spirit (Sun in Leo), enjoying
what it can do, like a child enjoying the long days of summer. This happiness of the mind impacts Taurus and
Libra as long as Venus (their boss) is in Gemini.
Looking forward to the Next 30 Days of
Venus in Cancer
As soon as Venus hits that
turning point of Cancer it comes under the influence of the moon instead of Mercury. From where we are, the moon is
a whole lot faster than even liquid mercury and a lot bigger. The moon, because it is so close to us has a
major impact on our lives from one moment to the next. Think of a baby, so small, so incapable of
sustaining its own life, but so important to its parents because of life’s
connection. The moon is the soul, it is our
connection to other lives. Taurus and Libra will go from an intellectual focus to a focus on others, and get swept up in
the gravity of emotions.
Following the Moon Aug 7-Sept 6
Let’s take a quick look at
some of the many changes the moon goes through in its path through the ecliptic
in one month:
The morning of August 7th
the moon will be in the high energy sign Aries; so the planet of stability and
balance will come under the pull of others at a time when emotions are in a
state of excitement. This is very
similar to the crisis people experience at the birth of new life. But by sunrise Aug 8, the moon will be in
Taurus, and disturbing emotions will be grounded in useful tasks for the next
two and a half days. The night of Aug
10, when the moon in is Gemini and lining up with distant but very large
Jupiter there will be a chance to review the new landscape. The moon’s proximity to Jupiter will infuse
emotions with an expansive sense of hope and purpose. That sense of hope should carry for the next
two days.
The morning of Aug 13 the
moon will be in Cancer lining up with Venus.
This will be the point when Taurus and Libra feel the strongest
attachment to others. It will be like
the magic that happens when friends are on a raft in the middle of the great Mississippi, weightlessly traveling toward their next adventure,
two hearts beating as one.
By lunch time Aug 15 the moon
will be in Leo and something we have not talked about will be impossible to
ignore- Mars lining up with Saturn. This
passage of the moon thru the territory of the ego will intensify the test of
will subjected to discipline of the Mars/Saturn conjunction. Bonds formed from Aug 7 till the 14th
will be strained. The needs of survival
and individuals will supersede those of connectedness. Mercury, still in the sun’s sign, will speak
to the moon of how much fun our own thoughts are, how creative we are when we
shine our own light- and there goes happily ever after. The child in our raft mate (every one has a child
in them) is after our attention and we would rather be shining our own light, but
they will not stop till they get a reaction.
At this point our ability to laugh and be entertained will be most
important. We have to be able to look in
the eyes of that other person we are connected to and see another light, a
different light that holds our attention.
Skip to the night of Aug 17
when the crisis has had its way with us and the moon enters Virgo. Here we become students, if we imagine
ourselves still on that raft, we are now analyzing our partner, our
surroundings, recent activity. It is a
time to adjust to the reality that surrounds us on either shore of the river,
to discuss how we can cook the fish differently to improve the quality of life
on the raft.
When the sun rises Aug 20th
the moon will be in Libra, and on the night of the 21st it lines up
with Mars and Saturn. Mars will have
completed its alignment with Saturn but they will still be close. It is as though the moon’s passage through
this area brings added gravity and reflective new light to the crisis of Aug
14-16.
Cancer’s View
Here I want to shift to the
perspective of Cancer natives, who are gaining sympathetic companions with this
transit of Venus into their sign. As
Taurus and Libra natives are dipped in the healing waters of love, Cancer
becomes like a minister whose flock has gained members. People who normally take pride in their
ability to stand on their own two feet (Taurus), or see friendship as an
agreement instead of a life and death bond (Libra) are given over to the lunar
influence which governs the lives of Cancer natives. Until we are at the top of that Ferris Wheel
about to take gravity’s plunge we have no idea what it is like to live life as
a Cancer. Just as childless adults are
baffled at the emotions that transform parents, many of us cannot understand
the powerful emotions that drive Cancer natives. We can’t understand their fears. We cannot see the edge of the cliff where
they stand looking at the ground wayyy down below.
So, for the month from Aug 7-
Sept 6 while Venus is in Cancer, Taurus and Libra sun people will get a taste
of what it’s like to be a Cancer- and Cancer natives will get the support of willing
partners working beside them and witnessing the reality of what they live with
every day.
Return to the Following Moon
Back to following the moon
through this month when Taurus and Libra join the Cancer club as honorary members-
Aug 22 the day begins with the moon in Scorpio.
When the moon is in Scorpio the time it spends above the horizon has
diminished markedly from when it was in Cancer. While the moon was in Cancer it was above the
horizon for more than 14 hours a day, Aug 22, when it enters Scorpio, it is above
the horizon for less than 11. We have
less time of conscious awareness of our feelings and the period of unconscious
awareness is increasing. We are now
looking at the feelings under the surface.
The moon reaching Sagittarius
at sunrise Aug 24th, is a critical stage in the Cancer walk; the
moon is preparing to ‘bottom out’ in the lowest energy point of the cycle. I often think of Sagittarius as the point on
the Ferris Wheel ride where the seats are close enough to the ground that
riders can see the network of power cables supplying the push that gets all
those rides to spin and whirl. Then I
picture a tube of toothpaste that looks empty- how if you’re not careful a big
blob will squirt out when you roll that envelope up thinking there is hardly
anything left in there. Sagittarius is
about directing the diminished incoming energy to achieve the most
effect.
It happens that the later
signs are occupied by two outer planets; Pluto is in Capricorn for the next
several years and Neptune is in Pisces till 2025. Once the moon passes through
Scorpio/Sagittarius and enters the ‘mature’ signs occupied by slow moving
planets, emotions will be affected by wider ranging issues related to the
longer term flow of history. The night
of Aug 26 the moon will be approaching lineup with very distant and small
Pluto.
Returning to the journey on
the raft, when the moon is conjunct Pluto the night of Aug 26 it will be like
getting a sense of what’s on the bottom of the river. How deep is it? What is making the water change course in
areas where there is no visible obstruction?
In Capricorn we are at the lowest point of the energy cycle. All we have is what’s been saved and built
up. The plunge has been taken, emotions
have spun out, and here we begin the process of rebuilding. We pull ourselves together, control our emotions,
and do what needs to be done. By dinner
time Aug 27 when the moon opposes Venus, Taurus and Libra can see how much
stronger they are because of the bonds they have formed with others; they will be
3/4ths of the way through the month long journey walking in the shoes of Cancer,
and have enough experience to make a sober assessment of love’s power to heal
and nurture life.
As the moon moves on to
Aquarius the afternoon of Aug 28, consciousness will be lifted out of the body,
up above the treetops where we see the river’s water going to sea. Though Venus is still in the moon’s sign, and
under lunar rule, the moon will be in a place of detached observation. If we turn again to the image of the Ferris
Wheel, Capricorn and Aquarius are the two signs at the very bottom, where we
find the mechanic insuring that the system runs smoothly. There is no sense of danger or adventure for
the self; thoughts are on the safety of everyone, and the integrity of the
machinery.
At sunset Aug 30 the moon
will be full and lined with distant Neptune. Aug 30- Sept 1 are the days assigned to compassion
in this Pisces stretch of the month long journey. As the moon climbs toward the equinoctical
midpoint it spends an increasing amount of time above the horizon. There is a
sense of being lifted up in the sign Pisces that infuses us with hope.
When the sun rises Sept 2,
the moon will be back in the high energy sign of Aries. This is where it was when Venus first entered
Cancer on Aug 7. But this time around the
sun and Mercury will be in studious Virgo instead of pleasure seeking Leo, and
the trial of Mars contacting Saturn will be a known event in the past instead
of an unknown event to come. Martial
drive will be in a position of quiet power, instead of having to bow graciously
to necessity.
But the most interesting
aspect of Sept 2 will be Venus coming to a place 90 degrees behind Saturn. While energy is over the top with the moon contacting
Uranus in Aries, Venus will be teaching authoritative Saturn a lesson about the
importance of love in balancing the scales of justice. I wonder if this means Taurus and Libra will
have to stand up to some one and challenge them to a more loving interpretation
of fairness. Cancer will certainly be prepared to speak up as they always are
when kindness is an issue, and they will appreciate the support of allies.
By the afternoon of Sept 4
things will be more grounded with moon in Taurus. At this point Venus is in the last couple
degrees of the sign Cancer, Mercury is almost across from earth on the far side
of the sun and moving fast. Minds will
be sparking and there will be lots of activity around documentation. The month of Taurus and Libra walking the
path of Cancer will be over by lunch time Sept 6- Venus will enter Leo and the
tender lessons learned about love will now seem like child’s play. It will be time for Taurus and Libra to shine
and have some fun.
Wrap up
Before I sign off this
interminable post I want to say one more thing to Taurus and Libra- Venus has
been in Gemini since April, that’s 4 months of wonder and amazement at the
variety of the universe.
You are about to be carried on the wave of life instead of observing it,
to leave the detached world of ideas and enter as a participant into the flow
of events. Beliefs will cease to be
things you study like a naturalist, or theories to advocate among cohorts; they
will propel you forward, and by the actions you take, reveal what matters most
to you.
Taurus natives will be amazed
and intrigued at the direction they take.
Librans (as if they haven’t been doing this for the last two years) will
feel the responsibility of following through and standing up for others.
