VENUSIAN VENTURES
The Venus/Sun Inferior Conjunction & the First Phases of a New Cycle
Today—August 13th—is the day the sun and Venus meet in inferior conjunction (otherwise referred to as cazimi) which marks the beginning of a new Venusian cycle.
This cycle will finalize itself in March of 2025.
The point of cazimi occurs through a degree of Leo that emphasizes the creative utilization of what you already have or posses… to make the most of who you are actively becoming.
The accentuation of Self through creative measures will set the tone for this entirely new cycle… and ‘speaks to the dangers inherent in using anything alien or unnatural for stimulation or excitement’, and thereby ‘dramatizing the consequences of attempting to raise the level of consciousness or achieve spiritual results through artificial means or unconventional techniques.’
Meaning—the hard stuff yet to do… you’ll have to do it on your own.
The idea, then, is to transform your own limitations—real, imagined or created—and create opportunities from them, turning ‘stumbling blocks into stepping stones’.
Ultimately, ‘what cannot be eliminated from self must be used and glorified…’
In other words—this Venusian cycle is all about eliminating from yourself, your immediate environment, and your personal reality everything that is not in a natural alignment with you and yours. Which is to say, anything that causes or creates dis-ease, pain, discontentment, and/or disconnection within yourself.
This degree of inferior conjunction is also known as the Inception Phase.
The Inception Phase is a phase, as it infers, a phase of fertilization… and should your new intentions be pure in heart—there is real potential here—like the spark of a flame within the darkness of echoing cavern.
This is also a phase of self-discovery, as you now need to begin to learn how to enact real change within your life in new and creative ways that truly speak to you, that actually hold meaning, and can be expressed in ways that empower you authentically.
It is impossible to pre-plan this journey… you will have to live it, experience it.
You will need to learn from your experiences.
You will need to be true to yourself.
As it is, ‘legitimate trust is never passive and never asks you to blindly follow something or someone… it is always an active listening to and acting on what you hear and feel to be so.’
This is a time of holding space… for these creatively expressive intentions to manifest.
This phase endures through Tuesday, and I think it’s important to understand that through this time Venus is invisible to the naked eye—engulfed by the sun, the sun’s light symbolically swallows Venus—which is another metaphorical way to envision the depths of our own hearts, with the darknesses of our own Underworld.
“Dare! If you did not have the capability to make your wildest dreams come true, your mind would not have the capacity to conjure such ideas in the first place. There is no limitation on what you can potentially achieve, except for the limitation you choose to impose on your own imagination. What you believe to be possible will always come to pass—to the extent that you deem it possible. It really is as simple as that.”
—Anthon St Maarten
On Tuesday—August 15th—the Gestation Phase begins…
This is the ‘coming forth’ of magical intent—and the inner urgency of so many feelings coming to the surface.
Despite all of these very intensely experienced feelings coming forth to the surface—much remains a mystery, invisible, unknown or unknowable, and within the darkness of the Underworld.
The feelings we feel, or resist or deny, are many times a direct reflection of who we feel we are—and so these feelings, however intense, as they remain somewhat untouchable at this time… this creates a very heavy atmosphere of personal isolation.
Like the spark of a flame within the darkness of one’s own echoing cavern…
Interestingly, the spark of a flame does, more literally, illuminate this phase—as the moon moves into conjunction with Venus today. This conjunction occurs through a degree that describes celebration… though, more specifically, to creative resourcefulness. Further, through such creative resourcefulness, this degree foretells of the ‘imaginative ways to relax and enjoy life before beginning some new cycle of effort…’
How absolutely and divinely apropos.
It is at this time that you may struggle to fully or appropriately understand exactly what it is you need to do—but you are very directly and confrontingly aware that you need to do something… and this is a beginning—this is you receiving and accepting whatever changes will need to be made. This is the emergence of personal evolution.
Don’t be surprised if this entire week is one which requires time alone, if not full-fledged retreat, respite, or recovery. Take this time now, if you’re able, as there is much moving through you in terms of energetic exchange… and it is essential.
As the moon illuminates Venus in conjunction—making space to receive and accept inspires an additional ‘intensification of creativity building as the result of holding back and containing [your authentic self] or keeping things private.’
“Such a simple concept, yet so true: that which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves.”
—Garth Stein
On Saturday—August 19th—the Birthing Phase begins…
Venus is finally, once again, visible—beyond orb of the sun’s light.
Venus is now moving within the morning sky, symbolically guiding our way into new terrain, and new beginnings.
This visibility, as a guiding light, is absolutely a real sense of inspiration!—it is at this time (especially if you’ve given yourself the week to isolate and prepare energetically) that you may want to make first moves in new efforts of self-expression…
To ‘gestate’ means ‘to carry in the womb’, of course, but it also refers to ‘thinking and developing slowly within the mind’… its Latin origins were defined as ‘to carry about; to bear, to perform’.
In fact, there may even be the most subtle active movements occurring within you, still, that you may not yet acknowledge… and in this way, it is that much more crucial for you to understand and agree to the terms of trust.
It is all an essential part of your awakening…
This is when you begin to connect the dots between your current reality and your new needs, or toward that which needs eliminated, and you begin to actively connect. This is when you begin to connect yourself, much more truly, with the clockworks of the cosmos.
This, of course, then, is the part of the initial first phases that demands real courage.
And trust.
And true connection.
These transitions are in full swing—again, even if you’re unable to recognize it.
Naturally, impatience and frustration are common feelings through this phase.
The degree through which Venus moves through this phase is one that highlights the need for cooperation—again, quite convenient. Also, learning self-discipline—which is always required when beginning something new, however large or small.
It might also attract you more light and love, too, should you choose to recognize the efforts others are making within their own personal realities… as they may be feeling similar frustrations with themselves as you are with yours. Especially at first.
Also, as these degrees fall within Leo—the zodiacal show-off—it is crucial, particularly through these first initial phases, that you resist any egoic need to brag or boast your efforts or demandingly alert others of all your new requirements… part of the process of this new cycle is to communicate yourself to others through showing—through living our your changes, in living these changes so that it is so real others begin to notice, acknowledge, and eventually… celebrate them. There’s something really divine, and really special, about how it makes you feel when someone verbalizes back to you an intention you nurtured into manifestation for yourself.
“Success doesn’t come to you; you go to it.”
—T Scott McLeod
On Monday—August 21st—the Emergence Phase begins…
Venus becomes brighter still at this stage, rising earlier, and remaining visible within the morning skies, each day, a little bit longer.
By this time, your active efforts in a new and creatively expressed Self-ness grows brighter and possibly even noticeably to others… you’re beginning to feel a new life force within yourself—a new sense of purpose, a new reason/response for behaviors. It is important, now, that you create new boundaries and author a list with ink, both of which will support your efforts forward—these boundaries, rules, and goal points will inspire new behaviors, new ways of thinking, and new ways to express yourself.
Also, continue resisting any egoic need to exploit yourself… or indulge yourself.
For better or worse.
This can sometimes—depending upon your personal circumstances—be a time when a certain amount of fearlessness is enjoyed… ‘but often it isn’t the absence of fear, but a lack of awareness of the larger picture, that allows you to be quite sure of yourself—and you may not have, or want, that bigger view if it’s going to cloud your actions and decisions… what you may be avoiding is context, the full reality picture surrounding the immediate circumstances, and there are always multiple contexts to everyone and everything… if you’re willing to stop and consider the context of your situation, ie the larger dynamics at play, and/or short-term gains versus long-term success… your heart will broaden and your mind will clear, and will sharpen—though this will be challenging at first, it will mark real growth for you.’
It will be through your relationships with others—all relationships, not just romantic—that will reflect back to you your own growth, efforts, and new actualizations.
Feedback is the essence of Life.
This is also the phase through which your instincts can become a bit… blurred. Confused. All of these new emotions and instincts can become somewhat misinterpreted, and the intensity of all of this—through Leonine energies—can be really dramatically demanded and fought for… even if they’re not appropriate.
These feelings and needs may feel appropriate. Quite convincingly.
Yet, they won’t align.
This is a sign.
In other words, ‘you may believe that you’re in the right simply because you feel so strongly about what you believe…’ and this is called hubris. Always a sign you need to forgive yourself of something you were convinced was appropriate or in alignment. Though, forgiveness is only an active action when one acknowledges what needs forgiven.
This phase occurs through a degree that promises bounce back—once more, certainly appropriate.
This will be a time, as you continue to begin, to actively recuperate, restore, and heal. Cleaning and purging, unlearning and eliminating—these are all sacred salves at this time and will offer immense relief and comfort, especially energetically.
But also emotionally.
All of this is so new, so fresh, so foreign to you still—it’s easy to become frustrated and disappointed, especially if you’re still struggling to see your efforts beyond yourself. Try to give yourself a break on this—and restore your natural balances with those of the clockworks, and trust…
If that spark of a flame seems to dimming—don’t blow it out like a candle as if you’re making a wish (which speaks to the very large, however unpopular, notion of wishes as useless…) as this would leave you very much in the dark… try, instead, as one would with fire, to blow gently—to share your breath with the fire, to initiate a connection. In your life, be gentle with your efforts—share yourself fully with your intentions and your actions rather than forcing yourself forward or onto anything.
Through this degree, Venus is nearly exact in connection to Jupiter by square…
Which is to say that these efforts will absolutely feel, and perhaps even be, that much more enhanced or emphasized within your personal reality—if not, simply, within your perspective of things.
Try to remember that everyone now is struggling through their own versions of emergence—and it’s a slow-going and very emotionally enduring process.
“Isn’t it funny how we make rational excuses for being out of alignment? We say, ‘well, this ____ and that ____ happened, so it makes perfect sense for m to be feeling like this ____ and wanting to do this ____…’ Yet, to this day, I have never met a happy person who adheres to those excuses… There is never a good enough reason for us to be out of alignment with peace. Sure, we can go there and make choices that dim our light, and that is fine; there certainly is purpose for it and the contrast gives us lessons to learn—yet if we’re aware of what we are doing and we’re ready to let go of the suffering—then why go there at all? Why do keep repeating it? Pain is going to happen; it’s inevitable in this human experience, yet it is often so brief. When we make those excuses, what happens is: we pick up that pain and begin to carry it with us into the next day, and the next day, into next week, maybe next month… and some of us even carry it for years or to our graves! Forgive. Let it go! It is not worth it. It is never worth it. There is never a good enough reason for us to be out of alignment with peace.”
—Alaric Hutchinson
On September 2nd—the Fullness Phase begins…
This is the phase through which Venus stations in the sky—as if Venus is on pause—to begin moving directly once again, and shining at maximum brightness.
This celestial pause is a very dramatic one, as it is when any of the planetary energies do so… with Venus, specifically, this pause may inspire a new sense of self-centeredness.
Self-centeredness, unfortunately, as of late, has taken on a more negative expression—as to be self-important, or selfish—whereas to be self-centered is actually to be, quite literally: centered within oneself—which is nothing but being in alignment with oneself.
When you are self-centered you are much more in alignment with the clockworks of the cosmos, and thereby much more in alignment with your inner light… and when this amazing phenomena is sustained and celebrated—others begin to acknowledge…
This is the manifestation of intentions in real time.
This is magic.
This is the embodiment of oneself with one’s power.
This phase is called Fullness because this phase offers a real sense of fullness when achieved—a feeling of wholeness with oneself, feeling of being enough, being more than enough, and being in celebration within one’s own skin, within one’s bones. And perhaps, most importantly, within the universe at large… feeling up for being alive.
Especially, especially so as all of this occurs within the degrees of Leo—feeling alive, in celebration with Life Itself, with the risk and gamble it is to live within the structures of this physical realm… it is through the structures of this physical realm that our souls are given the opportunity to feel within the safety of our bodies—to feel everything. To feel is to be alive. To be alive is to celebrate such an awesome phenomenon.
To be alive—and actually living—is a delight… and it illuminates our inner divinity, and when inner divinity is illuminated God/Source/Spirit/Energy/Light/Life Force is touched. This is connection, this is alignment, this is our personal power. Our light.
It is through this phase that much changes… you begin to feel differently, see things differently, and behave differently. You begin to emerge into yourself, to become… you begin to evolve-in-action…
You begin to glow.
You are now standing alone in your own light.
Again… don’t let this go to your head (though it’ll feel so amazing you’ll want to tell everyone as though you’ve discovered a holy grail…) as this is part of the process—to rise above self-rewarding and making active efforts to acknowledge yourself through Other.
This part of the process occurs through a degree that pinpoints perspective.
This part of the process, indeed, may feel much like another turning point—but one that you intended. It is essential to your growth, at this point, to begin pinpointing cycles and patterns within your personal reality—since childhood conditioning—particularly those that you repeat. Unraveling these and acknowledging which serve you, and which do not, and finding resolve for those while strengthening those that do can become a very real turning point for you—one which will undoubtedly inspire acknowledgements through Other.
There is real maturity now, reflection and active efforts in personal reconstructions of Self, and Ego. Use tenderness. Use your light. Allow your heart to guide you. Trust.
“Every journey begins with the first step of articulating the intention… and then becoming the intention.”
—Bryant McGill
The next phase of this new cycle occurs October 23rd… stay tuned. Much love, JJ
image credit—unknown
Gainsburg, A. ‘The Light of Venus.’ Soulsign Publishing; 2012.
Roche, D. ‘Sabian Symbols.’ Astrology Classics; 2010.