DECEMBER STARGAZER by Stella Woods
VENUS RETROGRADE – THE SHADOW SIDE OF LOVE On 22nd December love goddess Venus slows to a standstill and begins her six week retrograde phase. This phenomenon only occurs every 18 months and while Venus’s apparent change in direction is an optical illusion from our earthly viewpoint, its effects can nonetheless be extremely disruptive. Venus will travel ‘backwards’ from 22nd December to 1st February, moving from 28º Capricorn back to 13º Capricorn and offering special insight to those born with personal planets in this section of the zodiac, as well as to those Capricorns with birthdays between the 1st and 21st January.
THE GODDESS VENUS Venus is a dual goddess with a light and a dark face. She embodies the paradox of the sacred and the profane; the divine and the temporal; life and death and love and war. As ruler of Libra and the morning star, Venus represents the refined, ideal, heavenly and socially acceptable idea of love and what we consider to be culturally desirable or aesthetically pleasing. As ruler of Taurus and the evening star, Venus represents the sexual, sensual, physical and selfish or instinctual side of love and desire – a side we often ignore or push down. Venus has been visible as the evening
star since early June – you may have noticed a beautiful, bright ‘star’ in the western skies after sunset. Venus will be an eye-catching sight for at least a couple of hours after sunset right through the Christmas season, reaching her most brilliant on 6th December.
VENUS RETROGRADE MYTHOLOGY According to Aztec mythology, when Venus was the evening star and stationary retrograde (14th-29th December in this year’s cycle), she came to earth in the form of a man. The man met Xochiquetzal, the goddess of passionate sexual love who seduced him, making him break his vows of purity, and from their union, a sky monster was born. In his shame at allowing his baser instincts to take control, Venus descended to the underworld and was challenged to play a ritual ball game, peylota, also known as “the game of life”. He lost the game and was sacrificed by the sun. As Venus died he became invisible, resting in the arms of the sun for eight days and was eventually reborn as the morning star, in female form.
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to the last one (24/12/05 to 3/2/06). See what was happening in your life. Similar themes are likely to emerge. Here are some possible manifestations.
• Compulsive attraction to someone or something
• ‘Out of character’ behaviour reveals true motives and intentions
• An instinctive understanding of events and interactions
• War on the senses, on attitudes to love and on old, dead values
• Conscious or unconscious retreat • Lovers from the past coming back into your life
• Forbidden or secret love – breaking social norms and conventions
• Guilt and shame over feelings of love or lust
• Infidelity and jealousy – the dark side of passionate and romantic love
• A cold, hard look at relationships of all kinds, often leading to break-ups but also to reconciliation and to new, more honest expressions of love
• Understanding what is needed to maintain personal integrity
• A time of failure, resignation or accident
HANDLING VENUS RETROGRADE Symbolically, the Venus retrograde period makes us re-evaluate our deepest values and examine our closest relationships. As Venus moves towards conjunction with the sun (22nd December – 11th January in this cycle), we are challenged to let go of old ideas of purity and ‘right behaviour’. Seduced by our desires, we often feel ashamed and try to hide our actions and thoughts, creating ‘sky monsters’ in our minds. Going within (to the underworld or unconscious) a battle takes place between our values (Venus) and our essential self (the sun). This encounter with the shadow can produce feelings of irritation and anger. Expect irrational outbursts and surprising behaviour or feelings of willfulness, lust and desire. There may be dissatisfaction with our relationships, appearance, finances or surroundings. Or perhaps we feel completely liberated from past commitments and responsibilities. Venus retrograde can be extremely
challenging, particularly for those in unhappy relationships or who are living a life of duty, rather than pleasure. Imagine a bright torch shining into the deepest recesses of your heart – you can no longer hide your true desires or keep up appearances. When analysing a Venus retrograde transit, look back eight years
• Feeling as though your world has been turned upside down
• Awareness of hidden needs or desires can create emotional turmoil The best way to prepare for the Venus
retrograde cycle is to be honest about any shortcomings in your relationships, or any area of life where you are living a lie and not acting with integrity. Take action to sort out the problem rather than waiting for it to surface and take you by surprise. If you feel guilty or ashamed about your feelings, talk to someone who can help you process them. The Venus retrograde cycle offers you the chance to get in touch with your true needs and desires even if they seem inappropriate or unacceptable. As Venus rules aesthetics, beauty, fashion and interior design, December and January are perfect months for a physical makeover, wardrobe cleanout or home decorating spree. And as Venus is also the planet of money and wealth, you may find your finances take a downward turn as the dark goddess heads into the underworld!
DECEMBER NEW MOON This month’s new moon falls on the 3rd in intuitive fire sign Sagittarius. The Sabian symbol for this degree of the zodiac (10-11° Sagittarius) shows a lamp burning in an ancient temple in a container shaped like the human body, indicating
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