by Robert Wilkinson
Venus leaves delightfully curious, adaptable, and open-minded Gemini at 11:20 pm PDT June 16 and enters tender, sensitive, and caring Cancer, where it stays until it enters Leo on July 11. What does Venus’ passage through Cancer hold for all of us?
This brings the next shift in the energy of planets and houses we have in Taurus and Libra. Whereas Venus in Gemini is in love with learning all there is to learn, Venus in Cancer is more caring, nurturing, and loves close connections. Venus in Cancer makes for beautiful emotional expression, but also for occasionally cranky interactions.
While Venus in Gemini is good with words and ideas, bringing openness, flexibility, and adaptability in our interactions, Venus in Cancer likes the comfort of its own security, and seeks that which is pleasing to its self-interest. It is innocent, seeks insulation from the sources of hurt or pain in the outer world, and is unswervingly loyal to its own self-created world.
Venus in Cancer is loyal and devoted, sentimental and family oriented. This is Venus in Her protective shell, free of fear of being hurt, and perfectly content with Her secure world. This position values sincerity rather than interactive rituals, and is somewhat introverted.
Venus in Cancer moves from the harmonious Air of Gemini into the uncertain feelings of Watery Cancer. While Venus in Gemini is curious and loves to discuss its discoveries with others, Venus in Cancer is content with the simple joys of living. No longer interested in weighing, comparing, contrasting, and blending different takes on things, Venus in Cancer seeks security in close relations which allow for caring, sharing, and a sense of family. The search for Spiritual Brothers and Sisters in Gemini yields the sense of Spiritual Family in Cancer.
In Cancer, Venus is in a Water sign, which is not a natural Venusian element, but is in harmony with its sign of exaltation in Pisces. As Venus is a combination of Fixed Earth and Cardinal Air, the cardinal quality of Cancer is natural, but while Cancer is favorable to its Taurus side, but inharmonious with its Libra side. Venus in Cancer is extraordinarily “self-gathering,” and as it’s in the axis of “The Innocent,” it indicates Venus withdraws into itself to find security in close connections and feelings which are instinctive and natural.
In Cancer, Venus harmonizes with planets in the Earth and Water, and brings those with Venus in Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn to a turning point in their relationships. Venus in Cancer is in its own 10th sign, as per its rulership of Libra, and in its own 3rd sign, as per its rulership of Taurus. In its own 10th it values the public display of its secured ideal, as Libra seeks fulfillment in Cancer, and in its own 3rd, finds value in the closeness of those who are Spiritual Brothers and sisters. It works off instinct, feeling its way to intimacy without risk.
It should be good for people with Sun or Moon in Cancer, because when Venus comes to visit your Lights, you could find yourself beholding something or someone of great beauty or value who can illuminate you or care for you in Venusian ways. Because it is the backdrop to how planets in Taurus and Libra express themselves, it now moves away from the flexible, open, and curious way of relating to a more sensitive, caring, and tender emphasis in relationships. Just beware of people who are defensive or touchy, as they may be dealing with memories or emotional imprints from the past which have nothing to do with you.
Venus entering Cancer turns the corner on how we feel about what we like and don’t like, referencing our needs and feelings rather than referencing our mind. As Venus rules any planets or houses we have in Taurus or Libra, it’s a good time to get more information about those parts of our lives, since this position brings a new set of likes, a new experiential promise, new tenderness, and new sensitivities.
A Brief Look at How We Got Here
Let’s take a look at the last cycle of Venus to get a sense of what’s happening this year.
In late February 2023, Venus left Pisces and entered Aries. Venus in Pisces feels everything there is to feel, while Venus in Aries feels what is immediate and passing, leaping forward into relationships and quick to like and “unlike” things. Venus in Aries opens new likes, new values, new appreciation, and more directness in all interactions. This year Venus occupied Aries from early through late April, when it entered Taurus.
Venus in Taurus savors each moment. Venus in Taurus likes what it likes and is not inclined to try new things unless they’re easy and pleasant. While Venus in Aries is highly agitated, Venus in Taurus likes comfort and ease. We experienced Venus in Taurus mid-March to mid-April 2023. This year Venus occupied Taurus between late April and late May.
When Venus was in Gemini between late May and now it began a new “pulse,” and we experienced a more curious, open and adaptable approach to our likes, loves, and fancies. Venus in Gemini gives a “love of learning,” a love of exploring all the ideas there are to explore which capture the imagination. It is good with words and ideas, and solves information puzzles by seeing ways to put them together. We learned new Venusian likes, values, and the social promise in Gemini.
Venus last moved through Cancer between early May and early June 2023, giving opportunities to secure what nurtured us and allowed us to have deeper relationships. Venus in Cancer loves deep, tender connections with people and experience. While it is VERY sensitive, it is also the most caring placement for Venus, because it rules Taurus, the exaltation of the Moon. The Moon does well in Venus signs, and Venus does well in Lunar signs (I include Leo, as the Moon is the spiritual ruler of Leo, as I explain in Saturn, Spiritual Master, Spiritual Friend. This year Venus will transit Cancer between now and the second week of July.
Venus in Leo began a new pulse in early June 2023, and took the introversion and sensitivity of Cancer and turned it outward in creative and dramatic forms of expression. Then Venus entered its retrograde shadow zone on June 20, and went stationary retrograde at 29 Leo on July 22. It RX’d back to 13 Leo, where it went SD September 3. It then occupied its shadow zone through October 7, finally entering Virgo on October 8.
This year Venus will transit Leo between mid-July and early August.
Venus in Virgo for almost all of October into early November 2023 completed this dual pulse by teaching us to value expressing “significant form” and “divine Discernment.” Whereas Venus in Leo gave us a new enthusiasm and sense of heartfelt liking and loving of things and people, as well as a reflection and review of old Venusian material in our minds and lives, Venus in Virgo helped us find the place and function of each detail in our lives and the value of service. This year Venus is in Virgo between early and late August.
The next dual pulse began when Venus occupied its home sign of Libra between early November and early December 2023. Venus in Libra is said to value and express more balanced, reasoned, beautiful and “symmetric” interactions and experiences. It is interactive, gracious, and wants to make forms more pleasing. In Scorpio, Venus’ reorients our social instincts toward a deeper connection with self and others, and a greater intensity and scrutiny of all our interactions with the world. Venus in Scorpio teaches us about what we can attract and how to do it, as well as what we cannot hold on to because the magnetism is no longer there. This year Venus is in Libra between late August and late September, and in Scorpio late September through mid-October.
We began a new pulse with Venus in Sagittarius from late December 2023 through late January 2024, when it entered Capricorn. Venus in Sagittarius brings openness and a willingness to dance, appreciating the spaces which allow us freedom to explore each other, and seeing how what we value feeds our future or not. It values freedom and higher, broader truths, whether others agree with them or not. Venus in Sagittarius takes all which was “cocooned” in Scorpio and allows it to fly free.
It then takes those truths and potential futures and organizes values and interactions into forms of personal power in Capricorn. That love of propriety and maturity in relationships naturally lead us to see our power in the broader context of society. Venus in Capricorn teaches us about the value of personal power and more mature interactions. Venus will next transit Sagittarius between mid-October and mid-November 2024 and will transit Capricorn between mid-November through early December 2024.
Venus’ in Aquarius leads us to value or appreciation for our ability to make a greater contribution to others or society as a whole, with an ease of maturity and an ability to feel a part of a greater group contribution. Venus in Aquarius teaches us how to enjoy more of a sense of being part of a greater group work. Venus was last in Aquarius mid-February through early March 2024.
Venus then takes the vision and affection for a greater good into the depth waters of Pisces, where it feels all the empathy and compassion there is to feel while understanding the value of saying goodbye, forgiving much as it passes down the stream of Time. Venus in Pisces gives us a renewed swim in the ocean of infinite compassion. Venus was last in Pisces mid-March through early April 2024.
From Here We Dance On
Venus’ entry into Cancer is the gateway to a new Venusian experience which will lead us to a greater appreciation and value for our ability to care about things that matter, and feel a closer connection to others in our spiritual family. Venus in a Water sign brings tenderness to our relationships, so be caring without defensiveness, and show genuine appreciation for those who are genuinely caring for you and others.
So welcome to the gateway to a new Venusian experience which will lead us to a greater enjoyment in Cancer, which will bring new allegiances and life directions preparing us for when it enters Leo in a few weeks. As our Venus response evolves, we have the capability to enjoy the subtle pleasures in life to the fullest. No longer over-indulgent or self-denying, we can choose what to like and find a rich appreciation for the banquet of life experiences which are ours for the enjoying!
The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames
Each transit Venus makes through a sign adds to our Venusian experience, enabling us to shape our likes and affections toward newer and better values and relationships. Venus’ duality is Wisdom/Folly. By our Venus responses, we are led out of erroneous values, vanities, and ways of interacting into the wisdom of “Right Relationship.”
In esoteric philosophy, Venus is said to be the elder sister of the Earth, so perhaps our Venus shows us how to refine what is of value and leave the superficial and vain imaginings of the ego behind, just as humanity is learning globally at this time in history. Venus is definitely part of the equation in our personal and interpersonal happiness.
Because Venus changing signs shows us our own changing tastes as well as the changing tastes of those around us, you can find out more about what you like and why you like it, as well as how Venus functions in Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and all the signs in my book The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames. It is the most comprehensive book on Venus ever written, and explains why we attract who we do and how to create more satisfying relationships in the future. It is a combination of psychological, astrological, spiritual, and experiential knowledge and wisdom accumulated over a 60 year period.
This work offers all you could want to know about the power of your inner Venus and how you can make your relationships more fulfilling because you are living a Soul-ful life. You’ll find out about why you like or don’t like people and things, why you’ve attracted who you have in the past and present, and how to make those attractions more aligned with your Soul purpose in the future. You’ll understand why Soul Mates come into our lives, and how to know the difference between a Soul Mate and our Twin Flame.
It has chapters on the qualities of each sign’s natural mate, the qualities of Venus in each sign, Venus retrograde, and when crucial choices and changes are made, affecting who we attract in the future. It was written for both astrologers and lay people, and as it has a thousand gems for better relationships, with self, others, and Source, please consider getting your copy by going to the link above! (And when you’re done, please leave a review on Amazon, since it helps the book and all other books on astrology as well!)
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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