by Robert Wilkinson
We just had the second Venus conjunction with Mars in 2015 at 15 Leo. What does this mean?
You will recall that 2015 is unusual, in that we have three Venus conjunctions with Mars this year. The first was in Aries in February. I discussed that in the article How Does Venus conjunct Mars in Aries Affect Us?
In that post I offered “… whenever the forces of "love and war," beauty and strife, diplomacy and directness get together, it begins a whole new cycle wherever it falls in our charts. This conjunction fuses energies that rule our Aries, Taurus, Libra, and Scorpio houses, and marks a point where something begins to concretely manifest in whatever house we have early Aries.” If you want to do some research about past Venus –Mars conjunctions and where they fell, I put them in that article.
The conjunction in Aries set a fusion pulse into motion wherever we have early Aries in our charts. This one sets a fusion pulse into motion wherever we have mid-Leo in our charts. The third one to come in November sets a fusion pulse into motion wherever we have late Virgo in our charts.
15 Leo historically is known as “The Lion Point,” connected on the wheel of Ezekiel with the other “holy creatures.” These are also found on the Wheel of Fortune and World cards in the Tarot, but an explanation of their esoteric meaning is beyond the scope of this particular article.
15 Leo has been particularly active throughout this entire year. It was the degree of the Moon conjunct Jupiter in the Full Moon in February, followed by Jupiter on that degree in the March Full Moon. This “primed the pump” for the Venus station conjunct Mars on that degree happening right now. Wherever we have 15 Leo in our charts has been and continues to be highly active, and will be for quite some time to come, releasing a lot of the Jupiter in Leo promise of this past year!
The Sabian Symbol for the 15th degree of Leo is “A pageant.” According to Rudhyar’s notes from the Marc Jones class, this degree is one of “Spectacular, dramatic release of subconscious energies,” “Self-exaltation for social approval,” and “Self-indulgence and license.”
In the Astrological Mandala, he says this degree involves “the more or less sensational release of energies in a form dramatizing the unconscious aspirations of man’s primitive and instinctual nature.” He states this degree shows us the fulfillment of a form of “combustion,” bringing others to a state of “emotional excitement, and perhaps incandescence. He continues that this symbol shows us that any spontaneous expression that arouses others must be planned carefully so that it gives “concrete form to the desires and expectations of the collective...”
Here “theatricality” is fully expressed, and this degree offers that “the mind of the individual is able to give a public demonstration of (our) ability to sway (others) by a dramatic presentation of popularized ideals.” He says it falls in the span of Assurance, and it’s the fifth and final degree of the individual, mental, and spiritual level of the scene of Combustion in the Act of Stabilization.
According to Dr. Jones, creator of the Sabian Symbols, the degree is one of “man’s constant delight in exhibiting the fruits of his achievement, and of a naivete’ dramatized in the world… through a very human pride in common works and co-operative accomplishment.” He continues that “there is high magic in the public display of all the things in which the least of individuals may have had some minor part, and out of it comes a sense of fellowship through which the whole is revealed in an over-all excellence and every last inarticulate ideal somehow is exalted.”
This implies that whenever this degree is triggered by future transits over the next two years via Mars, we can easily express ourselves through cooperative works, and that fellowship can develop through the contributions of each to the whole effort that brings forth a natural excellence. He offers us the keyword of DEMONSTRATION. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree is “an irresistible heightening of self-significance across the whole face of experience.”
So the focus of the fusion of this Venus-Mars conjunction requires us to be willing to be willing to put on the show we’ve trained to perform, and be wholehearted and demonstrative in some creative way, or some way that expresses the heart. This fulfills spontaneity, and leads to powerful releases!
This picked up the theme of the Aries conjunction earlier this year, since the Moon is conjunct Uranus and trine Venus and Mars. This should stabilize the initiatives of the earlier conjunction, and light up the Fire sectors of our charts with stable inspiration enabling us to put on some kind of show!
The Sun, ruling the conjunction, is at 9 Virgo and is very favorably aspected with no afflictions, promising a practical excellence associated with the conjunction. 9 Virgo is about our “original genius … unconcerned with collective values,” and an “absolute, tradition-less self expression.” This implies that there is genius behind the show we’ll be putting on, where our originality can take the stage and express the uniqueness of our Soul.
The Moon releases its inspired “new identity” through the square to Pluto, helping us find balance and nurture through going to center to understand the seeds of power shown by Pluto in Capricorn. And since Pluto is favorably aspected by the Sun and Jupiter, those seeds of power are released through the Moon in Aries. This is an example of how a square between two favorably aspected planets can manifest in very productive ways.
So this promises grounded inspiration in the sectors of our maps involving all the signs I’ve just discussed, as well as a harmony of expression and a solid understanding of both potential, as well as how to fulfill that potential in a practical way. This should be a very productive conjunction, yielding results every time we have transits through the middle degrees of all the signs.
On a final note, we still have the very powerful Mercury septile Venus, Mars, and Saturn, with the conjunction biseptile Saturn at 29 Scorpio. This continues the influence of the recent Full Moon configuration involving the Moon, Mercury, and Mars near the same degrees. As I offered you a week ago,
Moon does make important triseptiles to both Mercury and Mars which are in septile. This makes for 3 points of a seven pointed Star pattern, impacting those with planets in any of the 7 zones of influence. Overall this requires a pioneering sense of relatedness with other pioneers in cooperative collective group activities that might make no sense, but are important in the destinies of all involved.It puts feelings, mind, and action at a critical turning point with each other, and will definitely impact the houses where we have Aries, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, and Scorpio. Those most likely to find themselves at some or another “fork in the road of destiny” where Dharma beckons have planets or angles near 11-15 Leo, 2-6 Libra, 24-28 Scorpio, 15-19 Capricorn, 6-10 Pisces, 28 Aries- 2 Taurus, and 19-23 Gemini.
This continues that influence, but moves the degree spans forward a few. Hot zones created by Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn at this conjunction that will be triggered over time involve 13-17 Leo, 4-8 Libra, 26-30 Scorpio, 18-22 Capricorn, 9-13 Pisces, 1-5 Taurus, and 22-26 Gemini. If you have a planet or an angle in any of these zones, expect big changes to be triggered for many months to come, especially whenever a transit passes through these zones.
We’ll close today with noting that many Venusian things that have slowed down or even gone backward these past few weeks will begin to pick up speed and move forward now that Venus is on the degree where it will go stationary direct on September 6. Get ready to put on the show! This will be favorable for getting a lot of our life “on the same page,” since the fusion between Venus and Mars moving forward in close conjunction will be in play for many weeks to come.
So it’s the beginning of phase two! Onward to phase three to come when Venus again conjuncts Mars on November 2 at 25 Virgo, promising recognition for things we’ve done well, and further recognition for what we will do well between November 2015 and October 2017, when they will again conjunct at 20 Virgo. Until then, take a look back at the fusion effects in your chart related to 2 Aries, and current fusion effects going on now at 15 Leo, and put on the show!
© Copyright 2015 Robert Wilkinson
15°Leo is my Venus/Pluto midpoint conjunct N Saturn. I'm wondering how to find out when was the last time we had such activity at that degree?
Posted by: Maggie | September 01, 2015 at 09:00 AM
Thanks Robert, there seems to be a lot going on.
Blessings be
Posted by: Nic | September 01, 2015 at 10:58 AM
My natal Venus is at 14 degrees 44 min Leo, in my 7th house (my desc. is 8 degrees Leo). i'd like to fall in love again... been divorced for 16 years. I've been doing creative things but would like them to really take off. if wishes were horses... this conjunction is right on top of my Venus so i'm kind of hopeful. Thanks for another good article. :)
Posted by: Valerie | September 01, 2015 at 11:54 AM
Thank you Robert! May I ask if you suspect that the September 27th lunar eclipse at 4.40 Aries is close enough to the 1st Venus/Mars conjunction to have any impact on the trio of conjunctions?
Also, when I see you describing the movement of the planets as a "waltz" It see that as a perfect description of how they revisit some of the same degrees. Like the 22-23rd degree of Leo. Jupiter went station retrograde here last December. Venus and Jupiter conjuncted on this 23rd degree the 1st go around. Venus and sun 23rd degree conjuncted here as well. New moon 22nd occurred the day before. In the coming sept solar eclipse Mars will be on this degree in the chart. In the coming lunar eclipse, Venus will be on this degree in that chart. (It also happens to be the degree of my natal Mars.)
On a personal note, the solar eclipse of the sept 13th is exact my progressed Mars which centers a stellium of progressed planets(merc, Mars, sun, Pallas) and is an anchor point for a grand square with progressed Saturn conjunct IC and progressed moon conjunct MC. So looking for to a big year:))
Thank you again for sharing your wisdom!
Posted by: Clay | September 01, 2015 at 12:39 PM
I was teaching a beginning class in astrology At a Mars/ Venus conjunction. I made a mistake that I did not realize would affect the attendance for the next two classes. I usually put up the chart for the start of class so we could see how the current transits were showing up in our mundane world. Mainly to change the focus for a moment away from the total interest in their own charts. The night of the full moon on the mid heaven I made everyone go outside to "see" the moon on the mid heaven. So my glib Gemini planets asked my class if any of the Mars were especially interested in a conjunction with a Venus...since that was in the mundane chart for the evening. After class everyone retired to th local Waffle House and divided up ( paired up) to go home & experience Mars conjunct Venus. Notable that several pairs stayed together but several never returned as were to embarrassed to come back to class.
Posted by: Judy Murphy | September 01, 2015 at 02:44 PM