Venus and Mars begin a new cycle in Virgo in October, symbolizing the eternal dance between feminine and masculine, receptive and assertive, light and dark, negative and positive, yin and yang.

These polarities are interdependent – neither can exist without the other – and they are equal in value.  At times various cultures may ascribe more value to one quality or another (for example, matriarchal cultures may value the peace-seeking qualities of Venus where warrior cultures will value the aggressive energy of Mars), but in their purest form they are equal and balanced.

Finding balance between two polarities is an important part of the astrological symbolism – the twelve zodiac signs consist of six pairs of opposites and each pair requires the other to balance and integrate.  The same is true of Venus and Mars.  Venus is receptive – it represents the force of magnetic attraction.  Under the influence of Venus we attract lovers, money, and other good things, and we learn how to increase that power of attraction by the way in which we interact with the people and things around us.  Mars, however, goes after what it wants.  Mars is the principle of action and motivation, and when the principle of action is thwarted frustration results so Mars also traffics in anger and rage.

In relationships, Venus makes sacrifices for the sake of peace and harmony where Mars seeks personal gratification and the meeting of one’s own needs.  Both are equally important although we sometimes tend to value one over the other.

The conjunction, the meeting of the two planets, is the beginning of a new Venus/Mars cycle.  Like a New Moon, new planetary cycles offer a fresh beginning.  This is an opportunity to find new balance in our relationships – to learn how to ask for what we need if we lean more towards the Venusian side, and to learn to compromise and empathize if we are more Martian in nature.

The current Venus/Mars cycle that begins this week will last through the next conjunction in August 2019.  During that time Venus will retrograde (appear to move backwards) between October 4, 2018 and November 16, 2018, offering an opportunity for a re-do in areas where our efforts to achieve balance have been less successful.

Mars and Venus are often expressed in our relationships with others, but they also are important in our relationship to ourselves.  Just as we strive to balance Mars and Venus in our outer lives, we need also to find that balance within as well.

 

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