Venus will conjunct the Sun on March 25 at 4° Aries, marking the beginning of a new Venus cycle. A Venus cycle is about new beginnings in love, beauty, money, and personal values.
What is a Venus cycle? Just like the Moon, Venus also goes through different phases, depending on her relative position to the Sun.
A conjunction of Venus to the Sun -when Venus is retrograde, is called an inferior conjunction and it is the equivalent of a New Moon. But if a Moon cycle lasts for 29 days, a Venus cycle lasts 18 months, and a complete cycle (a series of 5 Venus cycles) lasts 8 years. Eight years ago, in March 2009, Venus and the Sun united at 7° Aries. What happened to you then?
The pattern of Venus around the Earth draws a 5-petalled rose in the sky, as viewed from the Earth. Every 8 years, when the Earth and Venus “kiss”’ to form another petal, Venus comes back to the same position in the sky. The patterns of Venus are extremely beautiful – the heart and the rose, revealing one more time what Venus stands fore: pure beauty and love.
This particular Venus cycle starts in Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, so expect a lot of new beginnings in love.
Aries, or “The Fool” as depicted in the Major Arcana in the Tarot, represents the unlimited potential of life. His journey is unknown but he embraces it with innocence. Every day is an adventure and each moment is lived to the fullest.
Venus, starting a new cycle in the first decan of Aries represents the innocence and the purity of our heart. We are now ready to leave the past behind, and start over with a newfound confidence that will manifest over the next 8 years.
This transit of Venus reminds me of David Bowie’s song “Absolute beginners”:
“I’ve nothing much to offer
There’s nothing much to take
I’m an absolute beginner
I absolutely love you
If our love song
Could fly over mountains
Could laugh at the ocean
It’s absolutely true”
I “absolutely love” this aspect and I believe it is by far one of the most important aspects of the year. Not only Venus starts a new cycle, but the conjunction takes place just after the Equinox and just before the first New Moon of the astrological year (2 days later, on March 27th).
We have so much fresh energy in the skies that is impossible to stay still, we MUST go and pursue our heart’s desire.
Spiritually, this is the point at which we experience a metaphysical rebirth of the heart. All new phases (New Moon, new Venus) are “dark” because the planets are not visible in the night sky. The depth of the night, just like the depth of the sleep, is the best time to connect deeply with the essence of the planet.
Venus will be invisible in the sky until March 29th so in the coming days take the time to reflect what “Venus” means to you. What role does love play in your life? What about beauty? Personal values? What about money and resources?
In the next three weeks (until Venus turns direct) dare to ask yourself the right questions and ponder what really matters to you. More clarity about what this new cycle is about will come after the New Moon on March 27th and two days later on March 29th when Venus will start to rise again, now as a morning star.
Venus’ direct station on April 15th is a good time to take action on whatever has been the outcome of your reflection.
January 9th 2018 will mark the half-way point of Venus’ cycle, when Venus – now direct – will conjoin the Sun at 19° in Capricorn. This is just like a “Full Moon phase” of Venus – a culmination of what you started on March 25th.
The theme of this new Venus cycle is Passionate Love. Passion for your lover, for your career, for what you like, for who you are. It is a time to get in touch with yourself and literally go to the heart of the matter. Now is the time to tell the world “this is what I want, this is what makes me happy” and then go and get it.
Venus in Aries is in mutual reception with Mars in Taurus which means that the two lovers get the best out of each other. No more settling for what others expect out of you. No more waiting. You will all feel an urge, an “all or nothing” desire to honor your heart and let your true self emerge.
Marked by the new Venus cycle, 2017 will be the YEAR OF LOVE. Those of us with planets or angles around 4° in Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) will especially be blessed with love this year. For all of us this new solar cycle will bring something new in your life: romance, relationships, beauty, money and possessions, values.
Anything is possible now: a new love, a new source of income – let the door open and Venus will shower you with her gifts.
Whatever is coming up for you right now is coming up for a reason.