The Astrology Of Love

The Astrology Of Love 

With Valentine’s Day upon us, our thoughts turn to love and now is a time to examine our relationships -- our relationships to others and our relationship with ourselves. 

If you are single, you may wish to meditate upon how you feel about not having a partner. Are you happy? Unhappy? Do you want a lover, or is your life complete just as it is? If you are in a relationship, you may want to set aside some time to really think about how you feel about your partner. Does your partner bring you joy? Are you happy with the state of your relationship or could it be improved? If not, is this relationship worth saving or is it time to move on?

Love begins with the self. How can you expect to be loved by another, if you cannot love yourself? By examining our Natal Chart, with emphasis on Venus (the planet of Love) we can begin to understand how we love, how we are perceived and what we need to feel loved. 

Venus & Dignity

Essential Dignity is a term used in Astrology to describe a type of relationship each planet has to specific signs. The power of a planet can be enhanced, empowered, diminished, or blocked depending on the essential dignity of the sign it occupies in a chart. There are four types of dignities. They are:

• Exaltation- When a planet is in exaltation, it has the benefit of being enhanced by the sign it occupies and which fully supports its own. Keyword: Enhanced
• Rulership- When a planet is in the sign of it’s rulership, it feels at home and is free to act. Keyword: Empowered
• Detriment- When a planet is in the sign which is the opposite (six signs away) of its rulership, it is far from home and cut off from its resources. The planet needs to adapt in order to fulfill its potential. Keyword: Diminished
• Fall- When a planet is in the sign which is the opposite (six signs away) of its exaltation, it must find alternate resources to reach its potential. Keyword: Blocked

Essential Dignity of Venus

• Exaltation- Venus is enhanced in Pisces
• Rulership- Venus is empowered in Taurus / Libra
• Detriment- Venus is diminished in Virgo  
• Fall- Venus is blocked in Aries / Scorpio

So the first thing you want to do is determine what sign Venus occupies in your natal chart and determine if it is in Exaltation, Rulership, Detriment, or Fall (if any) and this will give you an idea of what you have to work with insofar as how you express and seek out love in your life.

Venus in the Signs (How We Love) 

• Aries- You are a fiery, assertive lover. 
• Taurus- You are a patient and determined lover
• Gemini- You are a curious and open-minded lover. 
• Cancer- You are a caring and emphatic lover. 
• Leo- You are a loyal and affectionate lover. 
• Virgo- You are an attentive and meticulous lover. 
• Libra- You are a flirty and considerate lover. 
• Scorpio- You are a passionate and intense lover. 
• Sagittarius- You are an impatient and outgoing lover. 
• Capricorn- You are a brooding and disciplined lover. 
• Aquarius- You are an spontaneous and imaginative lover. 
• Pisces- You are a shy and sensitive lover. 

Your Rising Sign (How we are perceived) 

• Aries- who comes across as headstrong 
• Taurus- who comes across as dependable 
• Gemini- who comes across as flighty 
• Cancer- who comes across as romantic 
• Leo- who comes across as confident 
• Virgo- who comes across as humble 
• Libra- who comes across as a people-pleaser 
• Scorpio- who comes across as magnetic 
• Sagittarius- who comes across as flippant 
• Capricorn- who comes across as respectful 
• Aquarius- who comes across as erratic 
• Pisces- who comes across as introverted 

Venus in the Houses (What We Need ) 

1. And who needs a partner that motivates you. 
2. And who needs a partner that reassures you. 
3. And who needs a partner that listens to you. 
4. And who needs a partner that supports you. 
5. And who needs a partner that cherishes you. 
6. And who needs a partner that comforts you. 
7. And who needs a partner that balances you. 
8. And who needs a partner that understands you. 
9. And who needs a partner that inspires you. 
10. And who needs a partner that fortifies you. 
11. And who needs a partner that stimulates you. 
12. And who needs a partner that unburdens you. 

Example

Let us say that you have Scorpio Rising with Venus in Scorpio and the first house.  Venus is said to be in detriment in Scorpio which would mean that Venus is diminished in your chart. You are going to have to adapt in order to reach the full promise of Venus.

Venus rules love and relationships and Scorpio represents the archetype of the researcher or investigator. So with Venus in Scorpio you want to dive in deep and get to know everything about your lover. Both intimacy and depth are of paramount important to you and love is taken very seriously. While Venus seeks out harmony, Scorpio is about bringing harsh truths to light and so power struggles can ensue.

With Venus in Scorpio, you are an intense and passionate lover. You come across as sexy and magnetic (Scorpio rising) and you need a lover who is fiery, passionate and aggressive that motivates you (1st house). As a Venus in Scorpio person you want to fully possess and control your lover (mostly likely through sex) however, you tend to attract or be attracted to lovers who are stubborn and hardheaded who resist being controlled.

Conclusion 

While this is somewhat of an oversimplification this simple formula can act as a stepping stone for us to define ourselves as loving and sexual beings. A deeper examination of the natal chart with emphasis on the 5th (love) and 7th (relationships) houses as well as aspects to Venus can expand our awareness ourselves, how we express love, how we receive love, and when / how we can expect love to manifest in our lives. 

Carolina Dean