Below are a few images and bullet points from my lecture “Observational Astrology – Reclaiming the Sky” that I presented at UAC on May 26th. Be sure to scroll to the end where I’ve added an exercise to connect with the spiritual aspect of Venus.
— When Venus crosses in front of the Sun’s disk it is called a Transit of Venus
— Venus Transits happen in pairs 8 years apart but NOT EVERY 8 years.
— This happens because of the NODES of Venus. Similar to an Eclipse but Venus can not eclipse the Sun!
— The Nodes of Venus’s orbit around the Sun align with Earth’s orbit around the Sun – putting Sun, Venus & Earth all on the same (or similar) plane.
When this happens we can observe the shadow of Venus transit across the Sun’s disk like a dark spot moving across in front of the Sun. 
The above image is from lunarplanner.com. Venus’s orbit is at a 3.4° tilt from Earth’s orbit.
· Venus transits occur in a pattern like this: 8 years, 105.5 years, 8 years, 121.5 years, 8 years, 105.5 years, 8 years, 121.5 years etc it keeps repeating
· The last pair of Venus Transits: Dec 9, 1874 & Dec 6, 1882
· The current pair of Venus Transits: June 8, 2004 & June 5 2012
· The next pair of Venus Transits: Dec 11, 2117 & Dec 8, 2125
Here is where the Transit of Venus is visible. The image below is from eclipse.gfsc.nasa.gov where you can click on your city to get the exact time to witness the transit from your location. Be sure to properly protect your eyes if you are going to observe this transit.
Safety first! Do not put binoculars or a telescope to the sun – ever! Never do this- the results could be blinding literally!! Use special goggles or glass to observe the sun. Once you buy them you can safely observe eclipses and the more frequent transits of Mercury.
Astrologically, I believe the transit of Venus is the re-awakening of the divine feminine, and a call to return to grace. The interplay of Earth, Sun & Venus are all involved to make this happen. With Earth we have physical manifest, with Sun we have the light of divine consciousness, and with Venus we have the divine feminine in the form of love, beauty & grace.
We live in a materialistic society governed by ads so prevalent we rarely notice we are bombarded them as constantly as the sun’s rays. We are told we need all these things to make our lives more convenient and immediate to make our lives simpler. In reality we are over stimulated and preoccupied. We are rarely present in the moment, and the moment is all we truly have! Day in and day out people jump on the hamster wheel, enter the rat race to chase after the money god and die with the most toys and win. We often associate Venus with money. That’s not wrong; it’s just a lopsided view of what Venus is about and if you think about it is her lower quality seeking material pleasures.
Venus is Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love and beauty, born out of the foam of the sea. We also associate Venus with beauty and we buy things to make ourselves & our homes more beautiful. We buy objects that define who we are and if we were to lose them, we lose part of our identity – or at least we do if we are tied up in the illusion that we are the sum of our accumulative possessions, what we have, what we own, the objects of our desires that define us, that make us feel materially secure. We also associate Venus with love, and the others in our lives who reflect our good qualities back to us, who make us feel beautiful inside and out, who we value in our lives, and who values our presence in theirs. That’s the usual astrological take on Venus. I’d like to remind everyone what is often lost in the interpretation of Venus – grace.
Webster defines grace as “1 a. unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification. b. a virtue coming from God. c. a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace. 2. a. approval, favor. b. mercy, pardon. c. a special favor, privilege. d. disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency [….] 8. b. the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful.”
There is a higher spiritual quality to Venus that still has to do with reveling in the pleasures of the senses, but not for material gain or security – but to establish presence in the moment. To practice non-attachment to our possessions because it is the ego that tells us they define the quality of our life and who we are. The quality of our lives is really defined by our ability to love, find beauty in the moment and assume a state of grace.
Try this exercise to take in the spiritual quality of Venus through the senses.
Go into the woods or some peaceful outdoor setting if you don’t have woods nearby. Not everyone can hug a tree without feeling silly, so find a tree that you like – choose it with your heart. Sit on the ground at the base of the tree and lean against it. Feel the ground beneath you and the tree against your back. Take deep even breaths for a count of at least 5 in and 5 out. As you breathe feel yourself becoming grounded in the moment. Breathe in the oxygen the tree is breathing out and breathe out the carbon dioxide the tree breaths in. Breathe with the tree, feel the connection. As you do this, feel the warmth of the sunlight, the caress of the breeze on your skin. Listen to the sounds of the animals scurrying about. Hear the calls of various birds, and the wind in the trees. Activate your voice and gently chant “om” until you feel entirely present in the moment, and your worries about the past or future are set aside for now. Your sense of sight should become heightened as you reach this state of heightened consciousness and presence, and everything will seem more vibrant. Colors will become more vivid, sounds will become more clear and crisp, you’ll start to feel the life in the trees and the wisdom they hold having silently observed the goings on in the woods for many decades. Feel yourself connecting to nature around you – not attaching to any piece of it. Don’t think about what the animals doing or where the birds are going. Just observe them without thought or judgment. Just be present in the moment, a silent observer of the divine beauty and grace of the world, connect to it, breathe it in, and allow it to fill you up. Step into the flow and become one with the ever present moment. Take that state of divine beauty and grace with you when you leave the woods, and share it with others though acts of kindness and courtesy.
Namaste,
Julene
