Venus and Mars in Libra

Mars entered Libra on the 29th of July 2010, after almost 2 years since it last visited this sign. Venus will follow on the 6th

of August, after 9 months of absence.

Planetary transits through the signs bring consciousness to the archetype represented by the planet and the sign.

Venus and Mars are the two planets most commonly associated with the way we relate to people or we behave in relationships. They myth of Aphrodite (Venus) and Ares (Mars) and their relationship, albeit a famous one, is not a really happy one, according to some sources. There is a 3rd person involved as is often the case in Libra’s relantionships. In their case, is Hephaistos, the ugly dwarf, cripple son of Hera. Brilliant Goldsmith, he returns to Olympus thanks to his talent, after having been kicked out of it by his own mother at birth, because of his ugliness. Some stories say Zeus orders Aphrodite to marry Hephaistos, yet she continues to be in love with Ares. Eros, is the son of this clandestine union for some, yet others say he is Hephaistos’ son.

As Mars enters Libra, puts even more pressure on the current Cardinal T-Square as it conjuncts (0º) Saturn, opposes Jupiter and Uranus in Aries, a wonderful allegory of the current argument on an immigration law, by which the police will be able to ask proof of citizenship to anyone looking “reasonably” illegal, in the state of Arizona. Suddenly the fact that the whole of the United States are immigrants seems to have been forgotten. Except for the Red Indians, and the African that were taken there against their will, everyone else is of immigrant origin in the USA.

Here in Spain, we had a situation after the accident of Castelldefels, where 12 immigrants died, in a train accident, and the judge was very quick to file the case, alleging that it was the victims’ fault and not the train’s driver. Truth is that there was negligence on the part of the victims, but that does not excuse the poor signals of the area, the scarse police presence and the prevention of accidents in a night (San Juan’s festivities and a Full Moon) when loads of people were expected to go to the beach to drink and celebrate until early hours of the morning. Although the accident was on July 26th, the judge’s ruling was couple of days ago.

The leak of the War in Afganistan’s documents (some 91.000 of them ) in the States also ocurred by the time of the Full Moon on the 26th, as Mars was getting ready to enter Libra but already in orb with the current T-Square. As we continue our journey to consciousness, with the help of this most pivotal of cosmic formation, we wonder how politicians don’t realize that after 10 years of war and billions of dollars spent, they are not way near of winning this war, simply because it has only caused more hatred, more insurgents, more death than peace. How many more young people have to die, before they find the courage to end it?.

With Venus coming into Libra on the 6th, we get more opportunities to solve some of these situations in a very diplomatic way. Yet it will bring the focus to personal relationships and the emergence of the full scope of Aphrodite’s archetypes.

As Venus enters Libra, the Moon enters Cancer, kind of putting the missing leg to the T-Square to form a Grand Cosmic Cross, even if for a fleeting moment.

As the Moon squares Venus and opposes Pluto, at the same time that it squares Jupiter and Uranus and Mars and Saturn, many relationships come to an end or they simply transform themselves, change shape so to speak. Even though transformation is in order, it should all be done in a very diplomatic way, typical of Libra. Cancer, the missing leg of this T-Square are being the recipients of these monumental changes as well as the other Cardinal signs. The square of the Moon to Venus, confronts the archetype of the Seductress with that of the Mother. These two aspects of the Goddess, seem to be destined to be enemies or at least never to operate at the same time, with women having difficulties being the two at the same time.

The passage of Venus through Libra should remind us of the possibility of being rational about love. Libra is a very Air sign, not symbolized by an animal, but by an object, the Balance. The challenge of giving the other what he or she needs without sacrificing one own’s pleasure and needs, is a challenge for Libra. As it is making decisions. The myth of Paris and Helen come to mind, once more. Putting “love” above everything else, even if it meant the War of Troy and death. Perhaps the subject of falling in love should be analyzed here and the plot of Aphodite brought into consciousness.

Aphrodite makes Helen of Troy to fall in love with Paris, in spite of being married to somebody else. The process of falling in love, in spite of its mystery is a fantastic tool, to find out what is that that we lack or seem to think we lack. What is that we really fall in love with? is it youth?,Beauty?, Power?, Strength?, Peace of mind? Money? Social position? What is it that the object of our desire possesses that we feel that only in association with him or her we can have access to?

Astrology and the birth chart are fantastic tools to find answer to these questions. With Venus coming to the T-Square, in conjunction to Saturn and then Mars, the issue of following our most inner desires as opposed to taking responsibility for our feelings, is another expression of it. It isn’t always about what we want, especially when there are other people involved, like children for example. Yet the aspect of Venus to Pluto, reminds us that we must contact our inner power in order to feel truly free and happy.

The contact of Venus to Jupiter and Uranus makes it easy for us to open up to the different. The possibility of falling for someone completely foreign to our culture and upbringing brings us the opportunity to open up to the new. To experience our freak side is characteristic of the Venus-Uranus links.

Let’s venture to love the unusual, the estrange, even those we feel racist about for fear or ignorance of their culture. These are some of the situations I have encountered among my clients and friends. Many relationships ending or completely transforming, especially among Cardinal Signs.

Mars and Venus in LIbra bring the awareness of relationships and the way we relate to our consciousness. We should look into it and try to repair some of the our emotional ties before these two planets move to Scorpio, when the requirement will be different.

Mars moves out Libra on the 14th of September and Venus on the 8th.