Venus: the Key to Getting What You Want
Learn how to work with this magnetic planet in your natal chart and in transit!
After the Sun and Moon, Venus might be astrology’s most popular celestial body. The planet of love, money, and beauty embodies many of the things we come to a practice like astrology seeking: clarity and success around our financial and interpersonal lives. While all planets can help or challenge us in these cornerstone areas of life (depending on what’s going on and our own predispositions to the planet), Venus is often the first choice. This is because the true theme that underlies all that Venus rules is the experience of desire. Venus describes what we want, and when we work with Venus we can begin to draw that which we want towards us. Today, we are going to deep dive into Venus energy and begin working with Venus both in our natal charts and in transit.
Venus rules the zodiac signs of Taurus and Libra. Taurus, as an earth sign, is the physical embodiment of Venus energy. Taurus energy feels luxurious – we are well-fed, comfortable, safe, and have a fat bank account. The other Venusian sign is Libra, an air sign. Libra embodies the interpersonal and intellectual qualities of Venus: harmony in relationships and artistic creations that come from a beautiful mind. The areas of life in your natal chart that are ruled by Libra and Taurus, even (especially) if there aren’t any planets there, are naturally designed to flow with ease and collaboration. The location of Venus in your natal chart shows another area of life that you may find it is easier to receive success or support. This is also an area of life that feels good / fun / lighthearted (depending on the sign and other planets that are present in the same house). The houses 1,5, and 9 are considered “personal houses” and having Taurus or Libra, and/or the Venus placement here could point to a person who desires a powerful personal evolution through self-knowledge, creation, or expansion of wisdom. The houses 2, 6, and 10 are considered “money houses” and having Taurus or Libra, and/or the Venus placement here shows a person with a vision for a specific physical reality – this could look like meeting a savings goal that allows them to feel secure, a daily life aligned to their values, or a rewarding career. The houses 3, 7, and 11 are considered “communication houses” and people with Taurus or Libra, and/or the Venus placement in one of these houses place a high value on relationships and community. This could show up as a desire to get to know the neighbors, a desire for a life partner, or a person who wants a strong community around them. Finally, the houses 4, 8, and 12 are the “psychic houses” and having Taurus or Libra, and/or the Venus placement in these houses show a person who is enjoys exploring the mysteries of life – this could look like an interest in ancestral lineages, trauma healing, or connection to guides/ the spirit realm. A person’s Venus placement can also point to some qualities a person enjoys in other people, and this is a key element astrologers consider when looking at professional, romantic, familial, and platonic compatibility between people. When looking at Venus specifically for seeking a romantic partner, the house placement could give you a clue as to where you may meet these people. While Venus brings blessings regardless of the sign it is in, there are some signs that bring out the highest qualities of Venus more than others. When decoding your Venus placement, consider the qualities of that sign and how Venus’s ability to find the path of least resistance and receive assistance from others/Source may meld with the sign’s energies. It can be helpful to also check in with both the element and modality of the sign. The elements – fire, earth, air, and water each have their own flavor, as do the modalities – cardinal, fixed, and mutable. We already talked about the signs that Venus is at home in – Libra and Taurus. These signs naturally overlap with the qualities of Venus. In Aries and Scorpio, the signs opposite Venus’s homes, Venus is said to be in exile. In these signs, Venus adapts to an environment that is in direct opposition to the planet’s natural way of being: in Aries, we may see a person who enjoys competition over collaboration, and in Scorpio we may see a person who chooses a rebirth experience over maintaining the comfy status quo. While some astrological sources may paint these Venus placements as negative or weak, it is simply a flavor of the planet that is less stereotypical of the qualities of that planet. All Venus placements are capable of balanced, loving relationships and have the potential for receiving the wealth/lifestyle/experiences that person desires. While Venus is generally considered a beneficial planet and bringer of blessings regardless of placement, there are some challenges we may be faced with it. For example, a strong Venus making a hard aspect (like a square) to a weak Mars may result in a person who struggles to take action or misses opportunities because they are a little too tapped into that easy energy. A Venus making a hard aspect with a powerful outer planet can also make us feel small or victimized, depending on what else is going on. Venus is a very sensitive sign, and most of the time this planet gives us access to sensations of pleasure and joy – but we also have access to the other end of that sensation spectrum.
Getting to know the Venus placement in our natal charts is essential for understanding what is meant to be easy and what might feel really good to receive for ourselves. Once we have a good grasp on what the Venus placement in our natal charts means for us, we can start looking at the transiting Venus to ‘catch a wave’ of ease throughout the rest of our charts. As Venus moves through the signs and houses of the natal chart, we are presented with the opportunity to lean into the ease and take a rest. We also are presented at the same time with the opportunity to receive assistance from others or from Source. The temptation with a Venus transit is always that we may choose wrong – we may choose ease when we should be calling in support or wheedling assistance out of others when we should be taking a long weekend. Discernment is key, as is having a good understanding of what is going on in the area of life that Venus is transiting. If Venus is moving through the 6th house of daily life, where a burnt out single parent is being asked to take in a puppy from a friend’s litter – choosing ease by saying no may be more aligned than trying to convince the neighbor to help walk the dog a few times a week. Alternatively, a 6th house Venus transit for partner A in a bored DINK household who wants to be more active and spend less time watching TV may find that taking in the dog and tapping in to community to find the best doggie daycare for those long days at the office is perfectly aligned.
The other piece of working with Venus in transit is to look at the aspects Venus makes to planets or points in your natal chart. Some aspects bring a predisposition for ease and flow, while others will naturally bring out the excessive ease and inaction. However – it is key to note that even the most supportive aspect can result in suboptimal conditions if we are not approaching the situation with awareness and intention; likewise, a seemingly challenging Venus aspect may turn out in our favor when we are clear on our goals and values. Having a good understanding of your own natal chart and how the various energies show up for you is essential to working with Venus in this way (book a natal chart reading with me if you want some support with this). Venus is a relatively fast-moving planet, staying in aspect for a few days to a few weeks (maybe longer if a retrograde is involved). These periods of activation are potent opportunities to access that ease and collaboration that can pave the way towards a goal. Even challenging aspects hold the potential for great movement. A person has Mercury in Cancer in their 10th house of career, and they really want to get a promotion at work. They provide care to others and are very good at what they do, and they would like to be recognized for their skills as well as receive the pay increase that they know they deserve. As Venus transits Aries in the 7th house, an opportunity may present itself to go on a last-minute adventure with their best friend. This is tempting, but this coincides with an opportunity to take a training that would widen their skill set. Because Venus in Aries is squaring the natal placement of Mercury in the 10th house, this person has to choose between what feels good (adventure) and their desire to advance in career. Taking advantage of the training opportunity – perhaps collaborating with others at work or getting to know the boss in a slightly different setting – may move the needle into that promotion zone. But it would be a challenging decision, and only that person knows what the right choice is. There is also the potential for them to make a new connection while traveling that opens the door to a position at a different company. Perhaps they do want that recognition, but it is coming from a place where they feel undervalued – perhaps they desperately need a break from work and the adventure is truly the medicine they need. Considering other placements in the chart is also important – if this person has a Gemini Sun in the 9th house, they place great value on learning and expanding their worldview, and that 10th house Mercury is a very important player in their chart, as the ruler of their sun. On the other hand, perhaps they are an 11th house Leo Sun and strengthening community ties is more integral to their personal identity – that Venus in Aries will even come into a trine with the Leo Sun at some point, strengthening the desire for heart-led relationships and following what lights them up.
Working with Venus can be extremely rewarding and eye-opening. I suggest spending some time with your chart and in reflection over your own values and goals. What would bring you immense pleasure to receive? What area of life and planet(s) are associated with this desire? Identify a few trigger points in your chart associated with what you want, look up the dates of the Venus aspects with those points, and put them in your calendar. Taking action towards your desires during these peak Venus times has the potential to yield results with minimal effort. Things can flow much more easily and support can come from the most unexpected sources. Additionally, making progress towards your desires on Fridays (Venus’s day), as well as when the Sun or Moon is in Libra or Taurus can also allow you to tap in to that “little goes a long way” Venusian vibe.