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Venus and Mars
Originally published May 21, 2009
Standing in the hall
of the great cathedral
waiting for the transport to come
Starship 21zna9
A good friend of mine
studies the stars
Venus And Mars
are alright tonight
Come away on a strange vacation
holiday hardly begun
run into a good friend of mine
Sold me her sign
reach for the stars
Venus And Mars
are alright tonight
—“Venus and Mars” by Paul McCartney
On April 21st, Venus and Mars conjuncted at 29 degrees of Pisces, visible in the morning sky. They will stay together within a 10 degree orb until mid-July, conjuncting again at 13, 14 and 15 degrees of Taurus on the 19th, 20th and 21st of June (Summer Solstice).
The relationship between Venus and Mars varies depending on the timing of their individual synodic cycles. Ancient cultures created different mythological stories connected to their varying celestial dance. The current reenactment occurs every 6 1/2 years and can be understood through the lens of the fairy tale Rapunzel.
Rapunzel is a beautiful young maiden, raised by a sorceress named Frau Gothel. When Rapunzel reaches young womanhood, the sorceress isolates Rapunzel from the rest of the world by keeping her in a tower that can only be accessed through a high window. The sorceress calls to Rapunzel to let down her hair and she climbs up the tower.
One day, a young Prince hears Rapunzel singing, and hides in nearby bushes to hear more. The sorceress soon arrives to pay Rapunzel a visit and the Prince learns the way into the tower. Thus, Rapunzel and the Prince meet and fall in love.
When the sorceress discovers their relationship, she casts Rapunzel into the wasteland to wander a lone and throws the Prince out the tower window. He falls into the bushes below, where the thorns pierce his eyes, blinding him.
He wanders alone in the darkness for many months, until finally one day, he hears Rapunzel’s voice. Rapunzel recognizes her long lost Prince, and rushes to embrace him. She is crying tears of love and compassion that fall on his blind eyes, restoring his vision. The Prince leads Rapunzel to his kingdom and they live happily ever after. (1)
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Rapunzel, from an edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales, illustrated by Johnny Gruelle
In William Irwin Thompson’s article, “Rapunzel: Of Plants, Women, and Lost Cosmologies,” the author states, “If Rapunzel is Venus, then Frau Gothel must be the Moon…could it be that the Prince is Mars, and that what is being documented is what the ancients called, ‘the courtship of Mars and Venus’? Mars is by himself for awhile, and then his circuit intersects with Venus, and he lays with her…they stay in conjunction for awhile, then the Moon returns, he is driven out and wanders far into the wilderness, or the vast dark regions of the solar system, away from her and the earth.” (2)
According to Thompson’s interpretation, the Prince and Rapunzel reunited in the springtime when Venus rose as the Morning Star. Pondering the current synodic cycles of the Masculine (Mars) and Feminine (Venus) principle, a question arises as to what the implications are in this particular Sacred Marriage dance.
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The overtone for the current Mars cycle is Cancer – the Warrior/Hero Quest related to the Good Father and Family Man, The Nurturer, The Protector, and Identity Based on Giving Love from Responsibility and Commitment. Mars entered the fourth phase of his quest, Rebirth and the Growth of Wisdom, on January 29th, emerging from his third phase in the underworld of letting go and surrendering attachments. In the story of Rapunzel, this was when the Prince blindly wandered alone in the wilderness (darkness). He had first seen Rapunzel and fallen in love with her, but their courtship was interrupted by Frau Gothel. The first Venus/Mars conjunction occurred in September in the sign of Libra, coming together while Venus was still in her Leo overtone cycle.
Venus began her new 584 cycle on April 3rd, The Feminine questing a new expression of Aries. In this expression, the Goddess is the Wild Woman archetype, “Women Who Run With The Wolves,” (3) Warrior Amazon, Fighting for a Cause, The Tom Boy, Joan of Arc and Queen Bodicca.
On the world stage of their reunion in the last degree of Pisces, (in Shamanic Astrology, the most comprehensive expression of the Pisces Mysteries), Venus and Mars come together in the watery, transpersonal realm of compassion, selfless service and transcendence. They join together to imagine a new dream.
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Venus, in her feminine expression as Aries, strong red energy, individuated, centered on self and focused, begins a dream from her Warrioress-self, Defender of the Cosmic Order, with fierceness about protecting her family, tribe, community and world. This role has traditionally and culturally been accepted primarily as expressed through men.
Meanwhile, Mars is dreaming from his current masculine quest in Cancer. At the Turning of the Ages, he is exploring how to be a revolutionary and conservative at the same time. New ways to take on the role of giver as nurturer, progressively seeking a model that redefines what the tribe or family is, expanding emotional love and support to our world family, outside of the traditional structures that have been culturally accepted. The expression of the Cancer Mysteries has also been validated typically through women.
As Venus and Mars exchange their traditionally accepted roles of expression through women and men, one message or possibility to explore, is that Venus and Mars are sending a signal to encourage the feminine to take a lead on the world stage, and for the masculine to be the role of supporter, nurturer. This is what is needed to restore the balance and harmony here on our beautiful planet.
The Venus/Mars conjunction that began with a dream, comes together again in the sign of Taurus. Appreciation of the Earth Mother, the bounty of her blessings, the fertility and luscious fruitfulness of her, the pleasures of her sensual gifts, and the beauty of her as experienced through the senses.
Embracing the cosmic dancers, I begin with an inquiry as to how this story wants to live through me. What will I create in response to this signal? What is our co-creative exchange to be? As I seed the new dream, I call forth the “woofy,” courageous part of me, asking myself, “what cause can I be 100% committed to?” To bravely go where I haven’t been before. I summon the Aries part of my nature that is trusting, innocent, willing to take a risk. A new adventure awaits. With eyes wide open and enthusiastic curiosity, I will begin.
In my “happily ever after” story, I am tended by a Master Gardener. He is committed to lovingly nourish and support my creative vision and projects as they move through their stages toward maturity. Through our union and commitment to collaboratively offer gifts to our earth family, community and world, we continue the transformational process of creating and realizing Heaven on Earth.
(1), (2) “A Shamanic Investigation of Venus and Mars,” Daniel Giamario
(3) “Women Who Run With The Wolves,” Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.
For additional information and understanding of the current Venus and Mars cycles and their mythic implications, listen to an April 30th interview with Daniel Giamario on Caroline Casey’s, “Visionary Activist” weekly radio show.
© Holly Alexander at http://www.yourdivineblueprint, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Holly Alexander and http://www.yourdivineblueprint.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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