Bite the Poisoned Apple - The Dark Side of the Moon & Venus in Aspect

Many astrological cookbooks treat the Moon – Venus aspect as very congenial...just excellent. I've read somewhere, though I can't remember where, that this is the 'milk and cookie' aspect. Ironically, this may not be too far from the truth, at least for the women with this aspect. As someone who has Venus conjunct Jupiter and the Moon, I not only have professional experience working with others with the Moon and Venus in aspect, but also dramatic personal experience. The Moon - Venus aspect has a distinctively darker side that is rarely mentioned; thus, my interest in bringing more attention to how this aspect can function in a harmful - yet Soul-evolving - way than what has so (too) often been written.

Please be aware that aspects taken out of context of the whole chart can be misleading; despite this potential, it is often useful to examine each individual piece of the puzzle first before integrating the entire chart. Thlook at the Moon & Venus in aspect is an exercise in examining just one small piece of a very complicated and intriguing puzzle - that of an individual Soul and what is represented in his or her natal chart.
 
The Initiation

The poisoned apple and the sleeping death brought to us so vividly in the story of Snow White can be viewed as an analogy to the Moon (Sleep, Dream-world, Unconscious) and Venus (the Apple has long been associated with Venus and the feminine, love, fertility) in aspect.

Biting the Apple (a Mars action – penetration) leads to a deeper understanding and awakening of womanhood or the feminine, but one must experience ‘love’s first kiss’ in order to be truly initiated.

The Moon – Venus aspect can become ‘poisoned’ and painful at adolescence. The first love is a rite of passage for these individuals and often, our first love is our parent of the opposite sex. Yet, as the Moon-Venus individual blossoms into womanhood, she may be suddenly thrust away from her father or shamed (by her mother or other female role model) for expressing her love and affection in a natural way.

A simple hug or kiss can turn into the ‘poisoned apple’ (tainted love) without warning or understanding. The initiation (recognition that one is changing – becoming a woman, becoming fertile) can feel like the death of her relationship with her father…and her mother.

Mother as the Wicked Queen (or evil witch)

The Moon-Venus individual’s Mother (or other mother figure) may feel uncomfortable with her daughter’s blush of adolescent beauty. She may feel that she is in decline and her own concern of her loss of beauty (Venus) through aging is amplified by her confrontation with the Moon-Venus child’s innocent erotic power. When she looks in her magic mirror, the mother is no longer the fairest in the land. If the mother is unable to embrace the beauty in wisdom (the apple) of her approaching Hecate phase, she will – consciously or unconsciously – begin poisoning her daughter psychologically with mixed messages and signals.

 

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The Cauldron bubbles – the 2nd Jupiter – Saturn Opposition, August 2010

As we approach the 2nd Jupiter-Saturn opposition in the current cycle, Saturn has moved back into Libra and Jupiter remains in Aries, albeit in retrograde motion. This opposition will occur on August 16, 2010 at 2’26 Libra (Saturn) and 2’26 Aries (Jupiter) at 3:24 pm US EDT. The Sabian Symbol for 2 degrees Aries is A Comedian Reveals Human Nature…perhaps it would be more fitting to consider the ‘comedian’ in this case to be more like the Fool in the Tarot. The Fool is a very Jupiterian symbol; he can appear foolish to Saturn because he trusts in the Universal unfolding to such an extent that he can step off a cliff with a smile on his face. Saturn would be literally petrified at the possibility of rushing headlong into the future without safeguards and guarantees. Jupiter sees potential and takes risks with passion, often rushing headlong into situations because he has faith in his own ability to deal with whatever lies ahead. He also has faith in the Universe, something Saturn simply can’t comprehend with his need to protect and hold on to everything from the past. Saturn fears change unless he is in control of the physical building of the structure. The perfection of the Sabian Symbol for this Jupiter-Saturn opposition must be remarked upon. The Comedian (Jupiter, the Fool) reveals Human Nature…what is more common to humanity than Saturn’s tragic fears? Saturn fears becoming something more than the physical; he strives to maintain boundaries that can be touched or physically experienced. He needs to know something is real, yet he only believes in his own definition of reality. Jupiter is oh, so much more…everything beyond the physical is the realm where Jupiter likes to play. He is at home in the Spirit world of intuition, philosophy, and inspiration…he revels in the fires of Hope…he is a visionary taking a gamble with life as he reaches for all that can’t be seen in the great beyond.

When Jupiter and Saturn face each other across the Zodiac, Jupiter is pushing Saturn to transform his attitude and his approach to life. With Saturn in Libra, the transformation longed for (or expected) will affect our relationships and how we perceive our role within them. Jupiter in Aries is impatient and eager to make changes, and his retrograde position makes his thrust for inner change all the more potent. Retrograde planets help us to utilize a planetary energy in an alternative way…with Jupiter in Aries retrograde, we turn more inward and focus on our personal visions and understanding. It is a time to develop a stronger personal philosophy which suits who you are now rather than basing your beliefs – and actions – on worn out criteria. Jupiter wants to shake Saturn up and make him see that there is great potential for personal, spiritual growth in an erotic (transformative) relationship. Eros, the God of Love, in Plato’s Symposium, “is a coming to life in beauty in relation to both body and soul” and in Richard Idemon’s words “Eros occurs when two or more separate entities combine in such a way that they are totally transformed by the experience” (Through the Looking Glass, pg 130). Erotic love is transformative love. If we are caught up in a relationship that no longer supports our growth and potential – or worse, prevents that very thing - this opposition between Jupiter retrograde in Aries and Saturn in Libra will make us very uncomfortable as we come to the realization that we are being dishonest and phony not only in our relationship, but with our own True Self! Focusing too much on Saturn – security and the known – leaves a deep void if we struggle to retain old structures and relinquish the joy that can be found when we let go and step off that cliff. If we look at Saturn’s Sabian Symbol for the 2nd opposition, we have The Transmutation Of The Fruits Of Past Experiences Into The Seed-Realizations Of The Forever Creative Spirit. Difficult past experiences and restrictions (Saturn) in our relationships have helped bring us to this point of self-understanding…we are becoming aware of our need for a more erotic love, a love that supports the development of our Creative Spirit (Jupiter!).

Bubbles of discontent will begin rising to the surface of our consciousness more rapidly during this 2nd opposition. Saturn is in the alchemist’s cauldron and Jupiter has lit the flames beneath with his passionate new hopes and visions for a more erotic future. Jupiter is boiling Saturn alive within the cauldron, forcing him to change his patterns, his beliefs, and his ideas of what relationship and relating mean. This may not be a fast and sudden process – though with Uranus and Pluto involved, it may well be for some of us – no, it can take time to transmute Saturn’s prima material into uncommon gold. At this opposition we are embedded in the cardinal t-square, with Saturn and Jupiter squaring Pluto in Capricorn (2’59 degrees). As we’ve already looked at the Sabian Symbol for both Saturn and Libra, let’s consider Pluto’s involvement. The symbol for 3 degrees of Capricorn is A Human Soul, In Its Eagerness For New Experiences, Seeks Embodiment. Embodiment. A Soul seeking Embodiment…Jupiter pulls the Soul up out of Saturn’s prison and Pluto transforms it into something – someone – new through NEW experiences. This is a cardinal t-square. There is going to be great pressure to make changes so that our true beings can arise from deep within and then…and then be thrust back into body almost as a new entity. This is the power of seeking out and being involved in an erotic (transformative) relationship.

Transformation is the key word for the 2nd Jupiter-Saturn opposition and the cardinal t-square. This is reaffirmed – as if we need any further clues! – byBlack Moon Lilith sextile Pluto and Pallas sextile/trine the nodal axis. In Karmic astrology, many of us use wider orbs and I would not hesitate to suggest that Pluto is conjunct the North Node and functioning on a karmic level. If your current partnership is an unhappy, karmic one, you can expect further difficulties to arise between you at this time. The Moon is in Scorpio at the time of the opposition, enhancing the Plutonian energy of the t-square as Pluto ravages Saturn’s Capricornian lair. Another very interesting aspect at the time of the opposition is the Sun in square to Sedna . The Sun, our Creative Spirit, in his own domain (Leo) squaring Sedna, the Goddess of the Deep – who has a deep need for fulfillment of physical security needs – in Taurus, the sign of physical needs. This is a secondary ‘battle’ very similar to the one ongoing between Saturn (form) and Jupiter (Spirit) and take careful note of the following – Sedna is at the same zodiac degree as the last Saturn-Jupiter conjunction on May 28, 2000. 22-23 degrees Taurus. A Jewelry Shop Filled With Valuable Gems. This is truly a war between our own security-driven needs and our ability to have faith in our future. Do we trust ourselves – Jupiter in Aries retrograde – to make a difference in our OWN lives? Do we really need all the trappings and gems of the material world? Are you willing to sacrifice your own Spirit in order to maintain Saturn’s comforts? What did you begin in May 2000 that brings you material security but may inhibit your own alchemical transformation?

How you answer these questions depends on your own natal chart, your personality, and your mind-set…but be warned, this is Jupiter’s main purpose at this time – to make us aware of how we are lying to ourselves about our relationships and our ability to relate on a higher level. It’s intense, but being inside a cauldron tends to be that way! And I haven’t even mentioned the upcoming Venus-Mars conjunction in Libra in square to the nodal axis. If any two immortals enjoyed an erotic relationship, it was Venus and Mars. Their union rocked the entire pantheon and, in some myths, created Eros himself. Their upcoming rendezvous will last for 5 days (August 17 – 22nd) in Venus’ own sign, where she tantalizes, disarms, and satisfies Mars in a way no other Goddess could. This is Love…Erotic, transformative Love. We have to look deeply now, deep into our own situation and into our own relationship beliefs, and determine if we are ready to be true to our self and to the greater Universe for each of us are our own little Universe, encased in flesh, grounded in human form. When we are able to be the Fool and to trust and have faith in higher process, we are at once a building block for Higher Source and a Universe in our own right. It is our responsibility to become, to grow, to evolve...the fears we face are but obstacles on the path making us ever more resilient and ever stronger a foundational block upon which to build. This is the meaning of the 2nd Jupiter – Saturn opposition square to Pluto.

As Jupiter and Pluto work their magic on Saturn, boiling him down in order to rebuild and reshape his beliefs, we have 2 - 3 degrees Cancer as the outlet to the t-square. The Sabian Symbol for 2 Cancer is A Man On A Magic Carpet Hovers Over A Large Area Of Land…Jupiter and Pluto combined are the Magic Carpet hovering over the Land (Saturn). While they fly overhead they come upon A Man Bundled In Fur Leading A Shaggy Deer (3 Cancer). This is the PIONEER (Jupiter in Aries) showing the shaggy deer (Saturn) the way forward through the icy tundra (Pluto)…you may feel alone as you navigate this new territory, but it is time to be true to your heart despite the difficulties that lie ahead. This may be very much an inner process at this time as Jupiter is retrograde, but what you come to understand and transform within your own being and how you relate to others will externalize and manifest more concretely by the 3rd and final opposition on March 28, 2011. With Saturn retrograde and the Sun (Aries) square to Pluto at that time, it will be a time to break out of frustrations, reassess or break past commitments, and welcome the inner Pioneer within as we lay the groundwork for a more transformative, soul-inspiring relationship that will enable and support us on our own individual evolutionary journey . Most of us will be unable to continue in a situation that no longer serves our own being. The following quote by Mother Jones fits the Aries-Libra-Capricorn t-square beautifully:

“Injustice boils in men's hearts as does steel in its cauldron, ready to pour forth, white hot, in the fullness of time”

The Opposition chart is below: