Joaquin Phoenix & the Venus Return

Inner Wheel

J. Phoenix Birth Chart 

10/28/1974  2:55 am  AST + 4 hours 

San Juan, Puerto Rico 

Outer Wheel

 J. Phoenix Venus Return 

10/02/2019 2:57 AM PDT + 7 Hours

Hollywood, CA

The Venus Return

The Venus Return is similiar to the Lunar Return and the Solar Return charts. It is calculated for the precise moment that Venus will return to it's exact Natal Position and for your location at the time of the Venus return. Venus will return to its natal position about once a year, however, since Venus occasionally goes retrograde you can have up to three. A Venus return chart is good for the time between the current Venus return and the next one. 

Among other things, Venus rules over money and love and so a Venus Return is a tool used to forecast your upcoming social and romantic life and to a lesser extent financial matters. 

Interpreting the Venus Return 

1. What is the Ascendant in the Transit Chart?  What House does the Transit Ascendant fall in your Natal Chart? This will give you an idea of how you approach matters of love and money in the coming year and the area of life that will be of more importance or more affected by the Venus Return. 
2. What is the Chart Ruler and what house does it occupy in the Transit Chart? 
3. What sign is on the descendent? How does the Natal Ascendant aspect the Transit Ascendant? If they connect in a friendly way, i.e. by trine or sextile, a relationship can form. However, if they connect by square or opposition forming a relationship will be more difficult. 
4. What house does Transit Venus occupy in the transit chart? 
5. What aspects are made between Transit Venus and the Natal Chart (since Venus occupies the same place in both charts, the aspects made between Natal Venus and planets in the Transit Chart will be the same). 
6.  Are there any planets on the four angles?
7. Do any natal planets occupy the angles in the return chart? 
8. Are any planets in the return chart  at the critical degrees of either 0° or 29°? 

Interpreting the Venus Return, An Example

In this example, we will be looking at the Venus Return chart of actor Joaquin Phoenix (Libra Sun, Aries Moon, Virgo Rising) who is gaining a lot of notoriety right now for his portrayal of the Joker in the 2019 film of the same name. As near as I can tell, Joaquin was in Hollywood California on the day of his Venus Return and that is the location for which I generated his Venus Return chart. 

The first thing I notice here is that the Ascendant for both his Natal Chart and his Venus Return Chart are the same, which is Virgo.  He can come across as methodical, refined, and intellectual.  He has an analytical mind and a discriminating nature. He can be nervous and restless at times and she and undemonstrative at other. Virgo is ruled by Mercury which occupies the second house.  This tells me that in matters of love, and to a lesser degree money, it is important that he remain humble and not allow his success go to this head. He may strive for perfection in his relationships and in his work and will most likely be his own worst critic.  The chart ruler, Mercury, in the second house indicates that he will need to exercise patience in his relationships and in his interactions with others (especially interviews!)  He may also be motivated to have more security and comfort and may not be inclined this year to do anything too out-of-the-ordinary in order to have it.  

With a Virgo / Pisces axis (Ascendant / Descendant) he comes across as organized, reserved and methodical. However, in terms of romance he can be a shy and quiet dreamer. He is attracted to someone who has the qualities of sensitivity, artistic, creative, and compassionate. With the Natal Ascendant opposite the Transit Descendent he and his partner can find one another physically attractive but he may tend to see his partner as needing to be corrected, improved, or refined and she may feel that he needs to be less critical and more open to the invisible. 

With Venus in the 3rd house (transit and natal) he may be looking for more mental stimulation in his relationships this year. The third house rules Gemini (the twins) and so it is possible that he may find himself attracted to two people at the same time. He could meet this person while traveling, online, or through a sibling or even a neighbor. 

Transit Venus makes no major aspects (Ptolemaic) to natal planets. However, transit Venus does make a quincunx to the natal Moon can bring a increased need for love and affection. Nonetheless it also creates friction between the subject and his loved one. This cause for this can be a lack of reciprocation between partnesr ---- the amount of love received does not equal the amount given. This could be the impetus for seeking love outside his current relationship as indicated by Venus transiting the 3rd house. 

The subject has Jupiter in the angular fourth house and both Neptune and the Moon in the angular 7th house. Jupiter in the fourth house can indicate a need for more harmony and stability. This desire can lead to attempts to improve familiar relationships. 

The Moon and Neptune in the 7th house can be an indication that indicate an emotional desire to work on relationships, however, the subject may need more love and his attention that his partner can give.  He may attract people who end up hurting him or taking advantage of him in some way.  

Putting it All Together

This chart paints a picture of someone who is a diplomatic, people pleaser who can be aggressive and quick to anger. He is often perceived as organized, methodical, and critical --- of himself and others. He demands perfection out of himself and others. In love he can be dreamy and romantic but tends to be critical and demanding of his partner.  He and his partner may find themselves physically attracted to one another but lack compatibility in other more substantive areas.

It will be important that he exercise patience in all his dealings (in both love and money) during this transit. He wants more security, more comfort, and more love. Rather than trying something new to increase his finances or improve his relationships, he should refrain from trying anything new but rather stick to traditional, more proven methods.

He may find that he needs more love than his partner can give.  He may feel that he loves his partner more than she loves him and so he may find himself seeking mental stimulation from someone else. He may meet someone while traveling, online, or through a friend or neighbor who he will find attractive and who will give him the mental stimulation that he desires.  He may find that he attracts people who deceive him or who do not have his best interests at heart. This person may hurt him or otherwise take advantage of him. This is a karmic lesson that he is being presented with to be more discriminating in love and not go all in too quickly. Generally, the subject wishes to improve his familial relationships (all kinds) so as to have more harmony and stability.

 Carolina Dean