Love and Desire~the soul union of Venus and Mars

Every culture has its beautiful legends of love, and in Greek and Roman traditions, myths of love, sexuality and relationship flourish. Aphrodite, the great goddess of love and beauty was said to rise from the sea foam near the south shore of Cyprus. Its counterpart Venus is the Roman goddess appeared in countless artworks during the Renaissance period. In Greek mythology, Aphrodite’s passionate lover is Ares, god of war, who was later worshipped by the romans as Mars. The dynamic interconnection between these iconic gods is also eternalised throughout astrological tradition. Venus and Mars are the eponymous planets in our horoscope that call for love, desire and relationship.

Venus is the planet in astrology symbolising love and pleasure. It reflects our ability to show affection, to appreciate beauty and to feel attraction. In ancient Greek mythology, Aphrodite is constantly involved in passionate love affairs and sexual explorations. Here what we must understand is that Venus in astrology is not directly linked to marriage per se, since marriage is more about traditional value and family formality. Venus is the erotic love instead of marriage bond. She was unrepentant in her sensuality, and chose her lovers freely with her raw instinct. Even though the King of Gods Zeus, in order to control the wild Aphrodite, arranged her marriage with Hephaestus, Aphrodite found her desire to ravished by the masculine God of war Ares. Venus in our horoscope reflects what we are attracted to, and what we need in romance. For example, Venus in Cancer desires a man who is nurturing, protective and sympathetic; while Venus in Sagittarius craves mutual freedom, and mutual development through adventuring together; Venus in Gemini always needs conversation and intellectual rapport with the loved one; while Venus in Scorpio looks for intensity, passion and have a strong tendency to see sex as a barometer of love. Do you know your Venus sign? You can check at https://www.astroreveal.com/Find-venus-Sign.aspx , and below is a quick interesting slogan chart to tell what your Venus sign says about you:

Venus in	slogan
Ares	Who says there is no love at first sight??
Taurus	I wanna make you warm and snugly!
Gemini	Communication is the key, and I want to talk!
Cancer	Nurture me! Protect me!
Leo	Be passionate and dramatic!
Virgo	I will make everything perfect for you!
Libra	I am in love with love!
Scorpio	I love you and I hate you, and I love you again.
Sagittarius	I want to grow together!
Capricorn	I love you and I take full responsibility!
Aquarius	You are my lover, but also my best friend.
Pisces	Dreamy and romantic love is the best!

So which one is you? :-)

Since Venus is also the goddess of beauty, our own sense of beauty is often influenced by the aspects that Venus forms in our horoscope. In the myth, Venus constantly looks for love and seduction; in our modern society, we also see both some men and women would go on a sexual adventure to look for approval and validation of their own value. “If I can sleep 5 women this month, I am a stud!”, or “She has a great boyfriend, I don’t, and it is because I am not as attractive as she is”. The fundamental message of Venus in our horoscope starts from self love and self respect first. What is your criteria to feel beautiful inside and outside? Do you love yourself? I have noticed in my years of working with clients, especially in a female’ chart, Saturn and Venus harsh aspects (conjunction, opposition and square) clients tend to have a lot of negative feelings about their own beauty. They usually grow up in an environment where they feel unattractive due to lack of acknowledgement from the family or friends. For example, a client of mine with Saturn square Venus talked about her lack of confidence about her appearance. She is actually an attractive girl, but she never feels so because she grew up with her sister, who was always the one loved and told beautiful by her parents; and when she went to school, the girls around her tend to be all good looking and boys tend to “overlook” her in the group. It is important to be aware that many of those experience are more psychological. The first step to cultivate a healthy Venus in us is about building a strong base of self love and acknowledgement. Only by knowing how to receive love from ourselves, can we relate to others and exchange love freely without our own subjective censorship.

The last message Venus gives us is our ability to social and relate to others. This quality is also seen in the zodiac sign Libra, the sign Venus rules in a horoscope. A prominent venus with harmonious aspects with other planets in a person’s horoscope usually gives the native very smooth social skills(especially with Mars or Moon), and they tend to feel comfortable and confident in group gatherings, parties, and any type of social environments. While challenging aspects might make us feel vulnerable, afraid of socialising with strangers, and nervous due to fear of judgement and lack of confidence. However, having Venus in challenging aspects does not mean we are just doomed to be the awkward one out there. The first thing we must do for our Venus is to know how to establish healthy relationships with ourselves instead of letting self-denial and self-loath overwhelm us. There are also many small things we can do daily to make the Venusian energy live and breathe through us, such as having fresh flowers at home, listen to beautiful music, dance, put on a floral dress instead of simple black pants….Venus loves brightness, sexual differentiation and fragrance. If you are a man, have a nice haircut, wear stylish suits once a weak, and take good care of your physics. Venus will be manifested. 

Ares is the God whom Aphrodite adores and loves. Mars, the Roman mythology counterpart was long worshiped by the Roman empire army. He was associated with spring, fertility and growth. In fact the reason for which our 3rd month of the year named “March” is from Mars--It is the start of the spring in the northern hemisphere. Aries, the ram shaped zodiac sign is ruled by Mars, also is associated with the northern vernal equinox. As the father of Romulus, who was the founder of Rome, Mars was revered by the ancient. To the Romans, Mars was the protector of their empire, and psychologically Mars is the defender of our ego and individuality.

In astrology, Mars governs our aggression, sense of action, forcefulness as well as sex drive. Seen as a red coloured planet in the sky, Mars is a fiery planet. It ignites our passion and keep us driven in our endeavours. Without Mars, we wouldn't feel any ambition, desire and strength. A prominent Mars in horoscope makes the native driven, courageous and very masculine. Mars conjunct Ascendant natives have a very strong sense of presence. They are natural leaders, independent, and fight for what they want instead of wait around. Mars is also a source of energy. People who have Aries on midheaven or Mars conjunct midheaven in horoscope tend to work in professions that require a lot of physical stamina, such as fitness coach, professional athlete or in the military. Finally, Mars is our masculinity and sex drive. A prominent Mars with harmonious aspects with other planets in a native’s chart usually shows a smooth expression of their masculine energy. They feel confident like an emperor standing on top of the world. The challenging aspects with Mars and Saturn in a man's horoscope could cause self-consciousness about their own masculinity, and they from time to time hold themselves back from expressing their true desire.

When Mars' influence becomes too strong, it can also turn negative if we let it roar without channeling it healthily. In Greek mythology, Ares is known for its bad temper and destructive behaviour. When we we are being too feisty and all riled up with someone, it is the Mars in us that is exploding. It could bring conflict and strife, tension and anger, even accidents and violence.

Venus and Mars being the feminine and masculine, passive and assertive, yin and yang, wet and dry, complements of one another. Anyone who gazes at a seductive and alluring actress is revering Venus, while the one who steals a desirous look at the shiny bodybuilder working out on the beach is worshiping Mars. In a individual’s horoscope, Mars’ sign signifies who type of men you are attracted to; and Venus shows what type of women you are drawn to. By analysing the position of our own Venus and Mars, we will have a clear understanding about what we really need in romance and relationships. For example, Venus in Cancer natives honours emotional attachment and they tend to want to nurture their lovers; while Venus in Aquarius natives are usually attracted by the uniqueness and independence in their partner, and they tend to love their partner like loving a good friend. When two people are looking at their chemistry, woman’s Venus and man’s Mars positions are critical, especially when they form a conjunction—there is usually instant sexual attraction from both sides and is irresistible.

When we have our own Venus and Mars forming harmonious aspects with each other, it is a good indication of great balance of yin and yang, masculine and feminine within ourselves(Venus trine or sextile Mars). These people are usually charming, radiant, and easily attract people to them. Especially in social situations, they get along with both men and women, and their charisma makes them popular in the crowd. Square and opposition between Venus and Mars could cause certain imbalance and delay in relationships, but these natives are extremely creative and passionate. Usually good relationships come to them after they learn their lessons at a younger age, so that they are balanced in themselves.

Next time when you raise your head and see the bright Venus shining in the night sky, remember there is always love in life, there is always love to believe in. 

Letao~the Kingdom Healer

www.thehealingkingdom.com