More For Astrologers Only
Venus Is in a Progressively Deteriorating Situation
Venus moves through the Saturn/Neptune opposition and from Leo into the sign of her fall, Virgo.
In a related article, For Astrologers Only, the conditions of Venus from late June forward are discussed as a prelude to what follows here.
After Venus moves into Virgo, she continues forward, in direct motion, until the 27th of July, when she reaches her retrograde station in the 3rd degree of Virgo, and begins moving backward through the zodiac. She has now gone from bad, to worse, to horrid. Thus we see that during the entire time Mars transits Taurus, his ruler Venus is going through a period of ever-increasing difficulty, and this must be reflected in Mars. The ruler of a sign might be compared to a mother who, if she is living through personal difficulties, creates a certain atmosphere within the home that must of necessity affect the behavior and development of the children in it.
As mentioned above, the exact meanings and timing of events depicted depend on the time and place of birth. No detailed interpretation could be made without that information, but much more than what has been said here can be inferred from the movement and conditions of Venus through the first half of summer. As an example of possible events, a client broke off a long-standing and serious romantic relationship on 2 July, while Venus was still in exact conjunction with Saturn, and closely opposed to Neptune. The polarity between reality and illusion (Saturn and Neptune) was an important contributory factor in this event.
The second set of factors to be considered in evaluating the behavior of Mars in Taurus during this transit is the aspects he beholds. In the earlier part of the summer the aspects to Mars are not bad, but neither is he wholeheartedly supported by the rest of the planets. However, by the middle of July Mars moves into a T-square in Fixed Signs, involving our friends Saturn and Neptune, who earlier had afflicted Venus, ruler of Taurus. She no sooner leaves the zone of the afflicting opposition, setting the stage, than Mars moves into direct affliction on his own account.
The Aspects of Mars
Mars stands at the apex of the T-square, and for that reason becomes a Focal Determinator in the chart of anyone born during this period. The condition lasts until Mars moves out of Taurus, when he immediately enters into an exact square with Venus herself. A planet standing at the apex of a T-square represents a critical issue in life and shows blockage, obstacles to progress, periodic critical turning points, and is generally indicative of a rather unhappy state of affairs. Thus, not only are the aspects to Mars difficult during the latter half of the period of his transit of Taurus, but they also elevate him to a position of power and prominence for all people born during the period, regardless of time of birth, and in a way that augurs for difficulty and challenge.
It is difficulty and challenge that spur a human being to growth and constructive accomplishment. Without them life can be an insipid affair, devoid of spice and any deeper meaning. Tears and suffering are a necessary and vital part of life. The struggle with adversity and the cheerful acceptance of reality as it is are what finally lead us to joy and victory.
