Venus and Jupiter on the Move

Venus moved into the sign of Aquarius on March 5, 2014 after an extended stay in Capricorn courtesy of Venus retrograde from December 21, 2013 through January 31, 2014.  I think that many shared my feeling that there can be a new perspective on relationships and that we can literally breathe easier and experience a new sense of freedom when Venus changed signs.  Venus in Aquarius is much lighter and unconventional than Venus in Capricorn. Venus has been in my 4^th house since Thanksgiving and I am really looking forward to March 31^st when Venus enters my 5th house.

Jupiter retrograde may have been a great time to review issues around values, expansion and abundance, although it had to slow things down to give us perspective.  But enough already—I think that we are all more than ready for some progress to be made.  So there really was a collective sigh of relief on March 6^th when Jupiter stationed direct at 10 degrees of Cancer.  When it stationed retrograde on November 7, 2013 at 20 degrees of Cancer it was only one degree into my 10th house.  By December 3, 2013 it had crept back into my 9^th house and by early February 2014 it was conjunct my south node in Cancer in the 9^th house.  The last time I experienced this transit was in August 2013 when I resigned from my job of 17 years.  While Jupiter transits can be beneficial for the most part, having Jupiter conjunct the south node tends to be stressful because it requires that one reassess their connections with individuals and groups with a view to moving on with one’s life purpose.  Letting go is a major theme.  It isn’t exactly the most lightweight type of Jupiter transit.  Back in August 2013, I was also experiencing the transiting Black Moon conjuncting my south node, so in addition to the theme of letting go, a leap of faith was also required.  The key to handling this transit is to focus on the future rather than the past.  That is no mean feat for a south node in Cancer, let me tell you.  Emotional attachments to the past have staked their claim on me for years and I am just now beginning to trust that as one door closes another opens.

I also confess that I am eagerly anticipating Jupiter’s return transit to my 10^th house which starts in late May.  And before Jupiter leaves the sign of Cancer on July 16, 2014 it will conjunct my natal Uranus and my Jupiter.  So I get a Jupiter return in July.  YEAH!

Jupiter is all about faith, as I was reminded yet again in my weekly meditation group on March 5^th.  There was a reading about Lent prior to the guided meditation and I must confess that I had completely forgotten it was the first day of Lent.  I have always described myself as a lapsed Catholic, so that is no big surprise.  I think that today people use the term “recovering Catholics.”  As a child, I remember giving up gum and candy for Lent, secure in the knowledge that I could gorge myself on chocolate from my Easter basket on Easter morning. How simple it was to have faith back then!

But this week I saw Lent in a whole new light as the minister who led the meditation spoke about Lent as a time for inner reflection and renewal.  During my childhood,  I remember being told to give things up that I liked for Lent, but now I was finally beginning to realize that perhaps Lent had a much deeper meaning—letting go of old patterns, habits and thoughts that no longer serve you so that you can rise up to a higher level of being.  Obviously I have never regarded myself as a religious person, but I do consider myself to be a spiritual person who can now interpret Lent as a time of spiritual resurrection and transformation.  I am, after all, a Phoenix who is on her own path to transformation and rebirth.

What was happening astrologically on March 5, 2014?  Well, the moon in Taurus sextiled Jupiter in Cancer and I think that opened me up emotionally to this new perspective.  And Venus had just entered the sign of Aquarius, which loves groups, so it made perfect sense that I literally “saw the light” in a group meditation meeting.

As I write this post, the moon is in my natal moon sign of Gemini, which I always find comforting.  But it’s not the easiest moon sign to have.  It’s full of nervous energy, but it does help me to relate to a wide variety of people and keeps the child in me alive, which helps me to feel youthful.  Today the moon is sextiling Uranus, so hopefully there will be some pleasant surprises in store for the weekend.  But the moon also inconjuncts Pluto in Capricorn, so be prepared for some adjustments on Friday night.  The moon in Gemini also squares Chiron and Neptune in Pisces, so old emotional wounds could resurface, but a frank discussion might be the best way to heal them and release that victim mentality.