I have an astrologer friend who, in a workshop on developing more acute psychic ability, was sitting across from a young boy and his grandfather. She was asked to tune into these two people.
What she saw in her mind was an image of a syringe with the Venus symbol on it. She started to share what she saw, out loud, while her eyes were closed. She surmised from this image that the boy might be diabetic and that it appeared that he was highly sensitive and creative, and very intuitive, and he was having trouble with the diabetes, perhaps because he was not allowed to express his more feminine side.
When she came out of the visualization she looked at the both of them—the grandfather had tears running down his face. This boy was being pushed into being a man by an overbearing father and indeed, yes, he had diabetes. After the workshop, the child was allowed to go live with the grandfather, where he was allowed to explore this side of his sensitive nature. The diabetes disappeared.
The disease of diabetes is the body's inability to process sugars in the body. Sugar, in astrology, is ruled by Venus. A healthy Venus will create good physical health, as will all the planets when they are given attention. Venus is the need for love. If we don't have enough, we can suffer bodily deficiencies And of course, sugar has the connotation of love—like that old saying "give me some sugar." Why is it a lot of us crave sugar, say in the form of chocolate, when we're down and in need of some comfort? The answer lies in the need for love. We’ve seen it on television—the woman who loses a lover and heads for the cheesecake in the refrigerator. Something about the sugar in the dessert gives us a temporary feeling of warm fuzzies and love. Why is it we look for love outside of ourselves?
There is a duality about Venus - since rules the two signs of Libra and Taurus. From the perspective of Libra, the love comes from outside of self; finding it in the mirror of our beloved to see ourselves. And equally as important as it relates to Taurus, we need to come to terms with the other side of Venus , the part that needs to take care of loving self first. This is what Venus is about—the ability to receive and give love. We have the image of the inner female, inner goddess in all of us, men included.
The meaning of Venus is a little different for each sex. In most astrology books, Venus in a man’s chart is what he's looking for in his ideal woman/partner. In a woman’s chart it is how she envisions herself, her own perception of her femininity. Either way, Venus is about receptivity; either the receiving of love from ourselves to ourselves, or from someone who gives to us.
Both the Moon and Venus represent the basic feminine archetypes within us. The Moon is about the most basic human needs, from a basic central core of survival, or mother-love. Venus is about those emotional needs getting synthesized into self-love. The Moon and Venus together can help the individual understand what loving is about—what the basic needs are—and then somehow translate those needs into feelings of love for self, and then others, in turn.
If we want to understand the type of love we need to receive, as well as give, all we have to do is find our Venus in our chart, and what the sign is. That qualities of that sign will be in what we love, from others, and find in ourselves. Lets explore each of the Venus placements, to get a better look at how all this works:
Venus through the Signs:
Venus, in whatever sign that it is in the natal chart, tells about the way love is expressed—given and received—that will allow the person to feel loved and wanted and connected to one’s own heart. The following are the signs, and their individual qualities - AND what each Venus placement is likely to look for in itself, for warm , and from their partnerships:
Venus in Aries. Venus's normal softness is touched by an aggressive urge. This Venus goes after what it wants, and wants a partner that does the same. This Venus is more active and more initiatory and competitive than most Venus placements, since we're placing Venus in Mars's sign, Typically, people with Venus in Aries attract powerful partners, one that they can "spar" with - they can't handle boring relationships there has to be a "spark", or some fire and passion. The sparring might actually mean someone they can battle with, since they are learning the fine art of courage through their partnerships.
Venus in Taurus This is the "touchy-feely" Venus. What is often looked for in a relationship is solidity, earthiness and sensuality, and self-pleasure. Affection must be given and received physically, the most important need is for touch. Massages are good for these people on a regular basis so they can get filled up with strokes - physical ones. There is also a need to pamper oneself with the filling of the senses. Smell, touch, taste - all are important, because the love one receives is based in the here and now. The giving of gifts and receiving of them is a need that will fill up a Taurean Venus.
Venus in Gemini The need for love is taken into the mind, or love of the mind. If you want love from them, or show love for them, buy them a library of books. They will love that. This is Venus that wants to talk about love, and better yet, to be listened to. This is how you can show your love for a Venus in Gemini, to really talk to them, and listen to them. The connection to love is hearing, writing, and verbally expressing it.
Venus in Cancer Venus is now in the sign of the mother (ruled by the Moon), so love given and received has a maternal quality about it. Nurture a Venus in Cancer by cooking, playing house, fluffing up their pillows, feeding your partner, take care of them when they aren't feeling well - all those soft fuzzy things Mom did for you when you were a kid. The affection takes on this maternal quality, rather than romantic. The need for a secure home environment, a well-decorated atmosphere will assist a Venus in Cancer in feeling loved and completely nurtured.
Venus in Leo This is the Venus placement that is looking for a playmate, someone who is full of the inner child, drama and silliness. In relationships, Venus in Leo needs to be admired, and the partner also has to be this way too - full of drama, enthusiasm, and somewhat larger than life. The Venus in Leo person is looking for a very heroic sort of partner, with a kingly/queenly sort of demeanor. The most important ingredient however, is finding a partner, who gives and receives love from the heart.
Venus in Virgo Venus in Virgo is looking for the "perfect" partner, in a highly discriminating sort of way, someone who is very particular of what kind of partner they want. The key ingredient in a relationship, and love for Venus in Virgo is to serve the other partner. It is also very common is to have someone with Venus in Virgo be very critical of their own beauty, or their partners' qualities. However, if you want to endear your Venus in Virgo person to you forever, get them a health club membership, since having a partner that takes good care of their health would be a strong need. To love this Venus placement, they need to know they are useful.
Venus in Libra We have again, Venus in its own sign, except this Venus is trying to find balance in its relationships, keeping the peace and making sure their partner's needs come before their own. Venus is now in the sign of "other" which means the person is looking for Venus outside of oneself. When one knows that the "other" is doing well and is feeling good, then this Venus feels loved. Love is about harmony and beauty and esthetic pleasure. Don't be surprised to find a Venus in Libra go for a partner that's very attractive because this Venus appreciates beauty in its finest form.
Venus in Scorpio Venus is going for the depth of soul connection; the love received and given is very intense in which sexuality plays a big part. The connection, once made, is not easy to disengage because of the intense desire to merge two souls into one unit. There is the great possibility to be reborn and transformed through relationships. This Venus needs two hearty souls that are both transforming their own individual lives and that wish to bring that intense quality into the relationship to burn off old relationship karma and patterns.
Venus in Sagittarius This Venus needs partnerships that are adventurous, fun, traveling to see the world and all that is out there, both literally and metaphorically. Finding a partner who is philosophically friendly, who can converse on the issues of life, and yet poke fun at life would be a strong need for this Venus placement. They like relationships from other cultures, perhaps someone even foreign born. Keeping the partnership full of life, and a sense of humor would be greatly appreciated by this Venus placement, if you please.
Venus in Capricorn This Venus rather takes love seriously, and usually doesn't enter partnerships just for the heck of it. Instead, the partnership can be looked upon as a potential "business venture", and often times this is seen with this placement - finding a partner that one can go into business with. In many cases, we will find this Venus placement attracted to older partners, someone with stability, and a secure foundation. In a woman's' chart, it can mean finding a man that's like her father, an older, wiser, more stable, mature partner, with paternal qualities. In a mans' chart, it could mean looking for that woman that is older, but that woman is self-secure and like a rock, both professional and disciplined.
Venus in Aquarius Venus in this sign is looking to see eye to eye with anyone they meet. Without exception, there are no class barriers, or one being better than the other; they need acceptance for just who they are, AND who they are NOT. They wish to treat and be treated equally, no exceptions. They tend also to look for the relationship that breaks the bounds of all conformity, the type of relationship that doesn't stay stuck in stereotypes. The basic need is for first, to build a strong foundation of friendship, and as such, relationships for these people are usually more detached and open-ended.
Venus in Pisces This is Venus in its most idealistic and elevated form. The love is elevated to the universal, and the unconditional. Love, to this placement, is unconditional, no matter what, and can be self-sacrificing for the one that it loves. Extraordinarily romantic, and visual, this placement of Venus is looking to merge with its beloved, but in a spiritual way. The boundaries between two people are dissolved and the two become one, and then merge with God. This is not easy to attain in the real world, so many times Venus in Pisces is let down, or have had the "rose-colored glasses" stripped off, because the ideal is so hard to obtain - yet Venus in Pisces keeps looking.
The search for love has been the quest of our entire species. And yet, if we stop and spend time with our own inner Venus, we will find that type of love we seek. Its a necessary part of us, both emotionally and physically, to experience.
a