Aspect for the week beginning 5 August 2012 – Venus trine Neptune

Non-Aspects

Venus enters Cancer on Tuesday 7th August, and our collective feelings may become less analytical, and more emotional.  We may become mesmerized by water sports such as rowing and swimming.  Having watched a week of Olympics, hubby (re-inspired) is now down at the gym, while I am waiting for him to check the blog.  Seriously though, the rhythm of water, the rhythms of the sea and the tide, will be soothing for us now and may re-set our pace.  A planet changing sign re-sets the tone of life, though it is not an aspect (the relationship between planets).

Mercury goes direct on Wednesday 8^th August, for retrophobes.  I ought to be a retrophobe after my computer outage at the last Mercury and Uranus retrogrades, but one incident has not created a phobia. Although Uranus is still retrograde, I am still hopeful that there is meaning in his madness.  If you have any lingering paperwork at the beginning of the week save it for Wednesday, which reminds me it is tax return time for me (allowing 3 months to do it).  I will leave it till Wednesday, and mark it accordingly in my diary.  This retrograde feature too is not an aspect.

Venus trine Neptune

So the actual “Aspect of the week” occurs on Thursday (9^th) – Venus trine Neptune, an aspect which occurs twice a year, and last occurred on October 7^th last year.  This is not a life-changing aspect normally, but it was for me then, as it was the time of the Future Life Progression course which I have derived so much from!  Neptune was just leaving my 10^th House of Career, so it revealed a new aspect of my life’s work.  Thursday’s aspect occurs at 22.34 Hrs in U.K. time, with Venus at 2 degrees Cancer and Neptune at 2 degrees Pisces, linking two natal Houses or areas of your life harmoniously.

This aspect will bring benefits to art, music, dance, fashion, interior design, love and spirituality.  You may work all week on a project linked with these (e.g. at the Edinburgh Fringe) but Thursday will be the culmination, the peak, the piece de resistance of the project.  It can even represent perfection.

Famous Examples

Robin Gibb, who died in May, undoubtedly had the gift of musical inspiration as depicted by Venus (music) trine Neptune (inspiration) in his chart.  His Venus was exactly conjunct his I.C. (roots) sextile exactly his North Node in 6^th House (the karmic mission of his work) and trine by 5 degrees Neptune in the 12^th House of Unconscious (musical inspiration springing forth from that source).

Joseph Mallord Turner, the painter: With his whispy, foggy style of painting (Venus) produced very Neptunian effects!  The enhancements of Neptune in this aspect here shows the style of the painting very accurately.  A trine from Saturn to Venus for instance would produce a much more down-to-earth effect on the painter’s work.  Turner had Venus in his 5^th House of Creativity and Neptune in his 9^th House of Philosophy.

Barbara Ann Brennan: Within the field of healing, Barbara Ann Brennan (who wrote the seminal work for healers “Hands of Light”) has Venus trine Neptune. Her Venus in Capricorn is at 14 degrees in her 11^th House and her Neptune is in Virgo (hands-on healing) at 22 degrees.  This represents the Love element or component of healing combining with spirituality.  She also has a Satellitium, a cluster of planets on her Ascendant in Pisces trine her Chiron “the wounded healer”.

Sir Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson were born two days apart in 1942 on 18^th and 20^th June respectively, and are both regarded as having musical genius.  Paul has Venus in Taurus (Music) in 8^th House trine Neptune in Virgo rising within 1 degree of his Ascendant.  His Moon is in showbiz Leo in the 11^th House of bands.

Born two days later, Brian Wilson, formerly of the Beach Boys, has Venus in Taurus in 12^th House of Unconscious inspiration (and sometimes mental confusion) trine Neptune on the cusp of his Creative 5^th House in Virgo (trine exactly his natal Ascendant).  His was a greater struggle for self-expression, with most of his planets below the horizon and the Moon in shy retiring Virgo, and he did in fact retire for many years.

If Venus trine Neptune is in your natal chart

Interpretations within astrology have changed or evolved throughout the years since I have been learning about it.  When I started out in 1970, Margaret Hone’s was the standard textbook.  This is what she had to say about Venus trine Neptune:

“Music, dancing, poetry, painting are necessities of life and bring happiness and benefit.”

A few years later, Alan Oken brought out his trilogy which were combined in 1980 to form “Complete Astrology”.  Here is what he wrote about Venus trine Neptune in the birthchart:

“Personal Magnetism flows or works well with illumination.  These aspects indicate tremendous creative potential, artistic imagination…this aspect also gives compassion and understanding in human relationships – the Lover of the Universe.”

Nowadays, this is what I might write in an astrological analysis (not necessarily better, just my individual take):

“This aspect provides a tremendously idealistic dimension to relationships.  It makes for great perfectionism in both relationships and in artistic work.  This is a positive aspect and its highest manifestation is a perfect spiritual relationship, or the creation of inspired designs or musical compositions.”

Sportswoman of the Week

After four years of fusing them in my mind, I have finally learned this week the difference between Rebecca Adlington and Victoria Pendleton.  This is not because I have been watching the Olympics, but because I occasionally took a stroll into the dining room/hubby’s study, where he has been permanently glued to the other television.

Jessica Ennis definitely claims the title of Sportswoman of the Week, with her achievement of a gold medal in the heptathlon, which requires seven sets of skills.  She has Sun in Aquarius exactly trine Chiron in Gemini, so is good at problem solving. Neptune in Capricorn trines exactly her North Node in Taurus, so her karmic focus is determined but firmly attached to her spiritual vision.  She has Sun/Mercury/Venus conjunct in quick Aquarius.  The planets are definitely with her at this moment, with Jupiter currently trine her natal Venus (personal success), Uranus (her Sun ruler) currently sextile her natal Sun (breakthroughs and excitement), Saturn trine her natal Jupiter (a steadying influence calming her performance), and Pluto sextile her Pluto (psychological balance at a deep level).

In praise of holidays

I took David Cameron’s advice and holidayed on our island last week, in exotic Salisbury.  It occurred to me that meeting new people and seeing new places opens up dormant segments of our consciousness. Away from the have to’s at home you have the opportunity to do things you don’t always have time for at home, such as self healing. Being away provides balances (e.g. a hard bed if you have a soft one at home, or a different magnetic bed position) and of course new perspectives on everyday concerns.  There’s a change from your normal food habits, the chance to rethink your food choices, which could be to your advantage and could help to re-think your habits (but might just go the other way).  Even the meditations I do are different: they are the ones my daughter put on my i pod, hence I exercise different spiritual muscles while I am away.  If you are a healer or consciously work with your guides you may borrow local guides while away and keep in touch with them afterwards. My mum, a Cancerian, says it’s always worth going away, for coming home.

We went to a wedding during this period, and sat in the Science section at dinner. Someone asked me what I do for a living. I replied “Astrologer”. The woman said “Oh I get mixed up between Astrology and Astronomy” then proceeded to assume I was an astronomer and put forward her pet theories about life in the universe etc. After 5 minutes, I gave up and just pretended to be an astronomer (just for a day).

We also visited Jane Austen’s house near Winchester, where she hand wrote all her famous works, on a minute table which was still there, placed by the window.  On entering the house, there was a lady who looked as though she had lived there at the time, and I asked if she was there to answer questions, to which she replied in the affirmative.  I then realized it was July and Jane had died in July, so I asked which date.  She then looked it up in her reference book, and not only provided the date, but also the time of her death in Winchester, so I was glad I asked, for the sake of the avenues of my researches, which gather apace every day (who knows where it will end?).

The coming week in bullet points:

• Tuesday – A new flow
• Wednesday – Communications a go-go
• Thursday – Inspiration and a hint of perfection