Peace and Prosperity! Venus Retrograde in Capricron.
Warning: This is a bit long but covers a lot that is going on right now.
I just watched a tourism video set in the 1920s. It was a time fairly soon after the industrial revolution (1880's) meant inventions and machines were developing fast and furious; everything was accelerating and changing the landscape in irreversible ways.
Right now, Venus (love, relationships, money, values) is going backward in Capricorn, sign of material progress, and we may all find ourselves reflecting on our values and our relationship to money and success, or going back over past loves and personal relationships.
The video got me thinking about the incredible acceleration and the pursuit of material goods (Capricorn) ... in the form of money and things and gadgets etc (at least in in western culture), which is now spreading to the rest of the world. Before the industrial revolution, things stayed relatively the same for hundreds and hundreds of years. People
farmed and produced goods on a very basic level (compared to today)and even though there was international trade, it all moved at a realtively slow pace (compared to now).
Capricorn brings the tendency to think about how we ‘get
ahead’ i.e. acquire status, money and some form of mastery. This is where we 'make our mark' on the world.
Venus retrograde here prompts us to reflect on what that 'mark' might be, and on what 'success' means. The New Moon
in Capricorn on Jan 1st set the stage for some serious thoughts about manifestation, and now Venus retrograde
prompts us to reflect even more deeply on our values, our successes and (so-called) failures.
Looking at this video I was thinking that compared to ages past, this time was so very sophisticated and advanced (on a technological scale). And yet now it seems so dated. It's quite remarkable to think about how it all keeps evolving and shifting so rapidly.
And now this
material progress has become accelerated to to point of absurdity, as we all race
to get the newest iphone or tablet or laptop, or big-screened telly or faster car or, or, or....
Even in remote places
in India, everyone has a mobile phone. I am not judging this as good or bad, only reflecting on where
we are with it all, as appropriate to this retrograde in Capricorn. One truth we have to face is that this drive for more, more, more has brought us to the brink of some very serious global problems.
Capricorn wants to progress. It's ruler Saturn brings us down into the
physical realm. It builds structures and systems and sets up authorities and
teachers and rules and regulations. And like lead, which Saturn rules, these can be protective
or they can be poisonous. Pluto in Capricorn now is breaking down a lot of these old
systems and getting us to rethink the way things are run.
In this time of deep transformation (if you so choose)(or even if you don’t) a required part of that is to look at the footprint we leave on this planet…as an individual and as a society. Capricorn is nothing if not pragmatic. It requires that we
grow up and take responsibility for our own lives. Saturn in Scorpio has been forcing
some of us into some deep self-examination over the past year (with more to
come). It is we who have to sort ourselves out, not some government, or pope of church or set of outdated rules.
So what rules do we follow instead?
Neptune and Chiron in Pisces continue to lead us inward to connect to a greater source. As within so without. They pull us deep into ourselves and bring us face to face with our innate creativity and spiritual core. This will help us let go of old dependencies and habits, as we base our strength of an inner knowing rather than conditioned beliefs. Pisces also activates our compassion and empathy which bring us into connection to others. We are all part of the same source.
Memories of the past may be stronger now with Jupiter opposite in nurturing sign of the mother (Cancer). We may also find ourselves looking more closely at how we get our own needs met and what feeds us in our relationships. The Pisces influence calls on us to feed ourselves from within. I know this sounds very selfish, or even
narcissistic, and in excess it certainly can be, yet there is a required process now that means letting go of outer influences and seeking our own inner centre. If our cup is empty, we have little to give.
As we reminisce about the past and our childhood influences, the grand
square, by forcing change, may be bringing up old traumas and unmet
needs in order for us to heal and transform our relationship patterns.
It doesn’t have to all be negative. Jupiter in Cancer also
brings us positive memories that will contribute to our self understanding. I recently
had a flash back of being six years old, sitting at a desk in school, learning
how to read and write. As I painstakingly outlined the letters..a.b.c..etc I felt such a deep
satisfaction and pleasure of learning that have marked my whole life (Sun/self in 9th house of learning). This pure
and pristine sense of being engrossed in
the moment and in that wonderful pleasure of learning brought me a sweet moment of joy remembered.
How do we get so far away from
ourselves?
The main point is that right now we can access the past
(Venus retrograde) in a productive way (Capricorn) to see what holds meaning
for us (Venus) and what makes us feel happy and safe (Jupiter in Cancer).
Our inward focus then brings us naturally into our relationship with others. So many influences in the past couple of years have been getting us to examine our inter-connections to see if they are working or not. and with
Mars in Libra (ruled by Venus), our relationship area is being stirred up and
agitated. Mars, in great tension to
Pluto, Uranus and Jupiter, brings learning through confrontations and
stand offs and through standing our ground. Lessons in boundaries and self regard are part of the process.
Libra wants harmony and balance and Mars wants a fight, so
this is a tricky aspect, even without the added squares. Personal conflicts and
tensions are causing people to feel they have to draw lines in the sand. If this is stirring up your fight or flight (or freeze) instincts, and/or pushing you to speak up for yourself, just be careful of knee jerk reactions or any ego driven urges for retaliation.
Anger has its place and I am not saying suppress it. That would be
hard to do now anyway as we encounter old buried stuff that
needs clearing. Use the Venus based reflection to look at the roots of any rising anger, such as how we
give our power away in order to lease others(Venus) or let some people run all over us.... or sometimes it's about how we don't always make the best choices.
Mars Pluto can also show where we
might bully others (consciously or not) or try to control everything by force.
This is very strong energy and is easily projected… (it's not easy to own such
powerful stuff).
So remember to STOP (Stop Think Observe Proceed) before you act.
Venus will help us take the time to step back to observe our own responses and reactions, then we can use our Mars assertiveness more wisely (assertiveness is different from aggression).
Venus will help us take the time to step back to observe our own responses and reactions, then we can use our Mars assertiveness more wisely (assertiveness is different from aggression).
There is also an unexpected factor in everything right now. Sudden surprises, courtesy of Uranus, can also bring positive turnarounds; Make the best of it!!
One last warning: Mars opposite Uranus also triggers accidents and mishaps. Do
be careful driving or if some object is flying toward you…. remember to
duck!! I have heard of several accidents
recently amongst people who I know are being personally hit by these transits. One
friend backed right into a cement block that was in his blind spot. Ouch!! Talk
about a wake up call!!
And for those of you who are in the midst of a stand off right now with lines being drawn deeply in the sand...
.... Forgiveness and forbearance are a vital part of the mix(Neptune Chiron in Pisces)
If you are having trouble resolving angers that are coming up, or shifting deep resentments, there is a lovely Hawaiian prayer called the Hoponopono that helps with
releasing negative energies toward ourselves or others.
“I’m sorry
Please forgive me
I love you
I thank you.”
Say it to yourself first, then to the person who is ticking you
off. They are your greatest teacher.
The I Ching (one of my favourite books of ancient wisdom)
also provides some good advice in the fine art of letting go of blame.
“The superior person, when obliged to judge
the mistakes of others, tries to penetrate their minds with understanding, in
order to gain a sympathetic appreciation of the circumstances.
…
A deep understanding that knows how to
pardon, was considered the highest form of justice (in ancient China) …
…
There was no reason to fear abuse of
such mildness. For it sprang not from weakness but from a superior
clarity.”
I wish you peace and prosperity.
Thank you! Wonderful reflections on the current mood.
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome!
ReplyDeleteVery nice blog, thanks fro sharing nice post. now you get peaceful life with help of astrology specialist.
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