Venus Rx in Capricorn—Part 2
Into the Underworld

Over the holiday a retrograded Venus made its second of three conjunctions to Pluto upon a degree which associates itself to potential, and what astrologer Dane Rudhyar, much as psychologist Abraham Maslow, explained as ‘peak experiences’.

Remember, potential isn’t always an open opportunity for wonderful… 

Potential can also refer to probability, and just as easily imply the likely, reasonable, and realistic probability of something not-so-pleasant.

❝Part of the problem with the word ‘disabilities’ is that it immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk or do other things that many of us take for granted. But what of people who can’t feel? Or talk about their feelings? Or manage their feelings in constructive ways? What of people who aren’t able to form close and strong relationships? And people who cannot find fulfillment in their lives, or those who have lost hope, who live in disappointment and bitterness and find in life no joy, no love? These, it seems to me, are the real disabilities.❞ ——Fred Rogers

This upreaching, then, as Rudhyar described it, be it wonderful, painful, transformational, or otherwise, if I understand it appropriately, refers to the rising up and rising above to apply oneself up and above the ever-so-easy probability for something shadowy, lazy, and void of real effort… and on toward the probability for something more enlightened: the higher frequency or vibrational essence of the energy.

And please keep in mind—Venusian matters regard both love and finances; personal relationships, investments, and anything that feels good.

From here, next up came Mercury—December 29th—and Mercury connected with Venus, retrograded, at 24°26′ Capricorn while Pluto remained very very close at 25°51′ Capricorn, and “not taking somebody/something seriously… [could’ve proved extremely] alienating for all concerned…” and furthermore, and perhaps a smidge more importantly, this degree associated itself with “feel[ing] the need to reassess one’s real attitudes and ideals.”

Naturally, this mixture between Mercury, Venus, and Pluto would allude to the needing or wanting—or possibly even obsessing—to sharing and communicating these reassessments with others, particularly with loved ones, or those within your smaller circle.

With those who matter, who hold value.

And this is where this Venus Rx/Pluto narrative started to get interesting…

Remember, too, that Venus at this time is well within the depths of her retrograde, into the Underworld—as we were working our way through the darkest nights in the Northern Hemisphere—working closely with Pluto, and with Mercury as, worst case, paparazzi… and best case, as a carrier pigeon with a meaningful, and mind-changing message…

When Venus is retrograde, deep within the Underworld, Venusian matters begin to wane and require a bit of exhaustive nurturing and demanding maintenance—and when retrograde in Capricorn, much is to be honored, released, and mourned at this time… and therefore, it’s ideal to surrender to this process in your own space, with privacy and time, and love.

❝You can reduce your anxiety somewhat by facing the fact that there isn’t a mechanic alive who doesn’t louse up a job once in a while. The main difference between you and the commercial mechanics is that when they do it you don’t hear about it—just pay for it, in additional costs prorated through all your bills. When you make the mistakes yourself, you at least get the benefit of some education.❞
——Robert M. Pirsig


These conjunctions had everything to do with traditions—honoring those which still hold meaning, have value, and have been rendered useful while honoring the space to release and mourn those no longer meaningful, valuable, or useful.


Shortly after this conjunction, Mercury quickly moved into Aquarius on January 2nd, and bam!—thoughts most certainly began vibrating… these new thoughts were likely supercharged—like lightning, appropriately—however audacious, and as Jupiter simultaneously moved into Pisces from Aquarius, and gave us an ethereal green light to dream… these thoughts were never more worthy of our attention.


Still… nothing much had evolved yet for Venus, retrograded back in Capricorn—and as of today we’re still sort of feeling many things out; harsh things, touchy things, squishy things, and things that we’d really rather not feel through.


Mercury’s buzzing about could prove to be distractive.


But then again, Mercury’s role here may very well be one of cooperative cohesion in matters of the heart being strengthened and supported through the muck of the mind… perhaps our past patterning conditioned particular thoughts and thought-processing that, in turn, attempted to protect our emotions and egos… and these patterns of thought simply no longer serve our highest good?


Try to stay present with your Venusian matters. Within your heart. Try to stay out of your mind.


On January 8th, Venus will move retrograde back into a conjunction with the sun at 18°43′ Capricorn—a degree Venus moved through slowly, though directly, back on November 27/28/29th… this degree associates itself to ‘a child of about five carrying a huge shopping bag filled with groceries…’; this inferior conjunction could influence (further or additional) feelings of weight, or burden, or having to carry some type of heavier responsibility—one, particularly, that is beyond your scope or skill in some way. 


Again, try to be present with whatever manifests for you here.


Venus won’t catch up to the sun again for a superior conjunction until October 22nd, meeting at 29°26′ Libra—and so the inferior conjunction and it’s influencing, as through this inferior time before October Venus will become a morning star once again, it could indicate a phase that, despite an unexpected necessity to mature somewhat quickly and possibly abrasively, it could be a time of great resilience… that you’ll strive to learn the skill or broaden your scope—there is also, within this degree, an accelerated calling… a rising (to the occasion), as well as a renewed sense of faith.


However detached this renewal may be for the time.


Either way, January 8th, then, looks to hold a certain prominence… 

❝It is easy to tell the toiler
How best he can carry his pack
But no one can rate a burden’s weight
Until it has been on his back…❞
——Ella Wheeler Wilcox


On January 16th the sun will connect to Pluto in conjunction at 26°26′ Capricorn… a very powerful degree, this conjunction will associate its energies to ‘ascensions in consciousness, striving, missions, grounding, ambitions, and highest ventures’… this is also the annual meeting between symbolic day and night—between the Light and the darkness.

This, too, will be a prominent day in this narrative.


At this time, mind you, both Mercury and Venus are moving in retrogradation, while Mercury moves back into Capricorn on January 26th—but not before meeting its own inferior conjunction with the sun on January 23rd at 3°23′ Aquarius… meaning, basically, that all matters—mercurial and venusian—are still very much undergoing transitioning and pause.


Mercury’s inferior conjunction is an entirely separate story from this Venusian narrative, but I’ll just say that it conjures the sentiments of healing—if you’re focusing on the appropriate matters or details… this is key.


❝Human freedom involves our capacity to pause between the stimulus and response and, in that pause, to choose the one response toward which we wish to throw our weight. The capacity to create ourselves, based upon this freedom, is inseparable from consciousness or self-awareness.❞
——Rollo May


Venus stations direct on January 29th at 11°05′ Capricorn, a degree which describes ‘a student of Nature lecturing, revealing little-known aspects of life…’; this type of energy could very well ‘blow a whistle’ of sorts… “revealing the truth of something can lead to wonder and awe, but it can also lead to disbelief—it really depends on how the message is received.”


This, again, can be where the potential will matter… and how the rising and upreaching could better support you. Furthermore, given your direct experience with the Underworld—if you’ve been honest with yourself and truly surrendered to this phase in your Venusian cycling—you should be able to discern between supposed or unanimous fact and manipulated fiction, informally or emotionally.


January 29th also sees MercuryRx connect once more to Pluto, this time at 26°52′ Capricorn (the first time was on December 30th at 25°53′ and the final conjunction will occur February 11th at 27°17′ Capricorn), which again, is something of a peak moment—adding to Venus stationing…


This day should prove to become its own sort of prominence, as well.


In fact, in my notes for January 29th, I have transcribed a message of overall rejuvenation…


(February’s narrative will involve revival.)


(In March we will experience a complete renewal.)


(These are posts to come…)


For now, I’ll leave you to navigate this narrative within your own direct experience, with your mind and heart set upon rejuvenation—a word that defines itself to the ‘restoring to a formal state; to make fresh or new again…’ 

Conveniently, the physical geographical definition goes further: to renew the activity by uplift, or by the removal of a barrier… hmmm—how unexpectedly explicit.


It is my astrological guidance, for this Venusian retrograde narrative, that any uplift occurring will ultimately occur only through the honorable release and removal of a barrier which is no longer meaningful, valuable, or useful.


But always, it’s up to you how you honor your needs.


❝We must throw out the old, fear-based thought-forms and evolve, and begin to live as higher beings of compassion.❞
——Bryant McGill


∆

Image credit— @dreamingincollages on Instagram

Goldsmith, M. “The Zodiac by Degrees.” Weiser Books; ©2004.
Hill, L. “360 Degrees of Wisdom.” A Plume Book; ©2004.
Rudhyar, D. “An Astrological Mandala.” Vintage Books; ©1973.