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Venus Cazimi

I reviewed Arielle Guttman’s book Venus Star Rising in TMA Oct/Nov 2011.  She began her intensive research on the subject right before the transit of Venus over the Sun in June 2004. The next in this pair of rare transits, which was known to the Maya, is on June 5, 2012. Arielle calls the prenatal conjunction of Venus and the Sun the “Venus Star,” and her book intricately describes how the Venus Star impacts partnership dynamics.

Although we have spoken over the years, Arielle and I met face to face for the first time in May at the time of the Venus-Mars conjunction at 9º Taurus. As we realized at the time, my natal Venus is 4º Aquarius and hers is 5º Leo, both connected to the previous inferior conjunction of Venus with the Sun, which was at 5º30’ Scorpio on October 28, 2010, and to her first appearance in the morning sky, which was a few days later at about 3º Scorpio. (1)

Arielle kindly gave me an idea for this blog, i.e., watch transits to the Sun-Venus conjunction degree for the manifestation of events. So here I’m going to consider the inferior conjunction of Venus with the Sun at 5º30’ Scorpio. (As mentioned above, her heliacal rise was a few days later at about 3º Scorpio.)

The Sun- Venus conjunction is considered the start of her 584-day cycle. The heliacal rise can be considered as the start of the cycle as well. It was recognized by the Mesopotamians and later “termed Phasis by the Greeks — which means “an appearance that speaks.” (2)

But, the heliacal rise is harder to calculate due to variables in latitude, weather, and atmospheric conditions. As I wrote in May, Arielle explained that “because of that slightly irregular timing and her connection to the notion of ‘cazimi,’ that is, a planet at ‘the heart of the Sun,’ the idea that she develops in the book is based on the inferior or superior conjunction of Venus before birth (the inferior is always the retrograde conjunction). In other words, the cycle does not begin with Venus’s observable appearance in the sky (i.e., the heliacal rise), but it begins with the cazimi, with Venus exactly in the heart of the Sun.” (3)

Now, on to the transits, as there has been a lot of planetary activity at 5º Scorpio since the conjunction in October 2010. Venus and Mars both came to 5º Taurus in May 2011, opposite 5º Scorpio. This was when Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and their respective sex scandals, were in the headlines.

Next, transiting Jupiter came to 5º Taurus in the first few days of July. Jupiter is BIG, of course, and as Arielle commented, “It was a biggie – Andrew Weiner’s wiener got flashed all over the internet.”

N.Y. Congressman Anthony Weiner resigned on June 21, hurried along by the solar eclipse on June 1 at 11º Gemini, square to his natal Sun at 11º Virgo. (4)

This sexting incident also had big political repercussions: Republican Bob Turner won the special election held in September to replace the eclipsed Democrat Weiner. (5) He “is the first Republican Congressman to represent this district in 88 years.” (6)

In late October (exact on the 27th), Jupiter made his retrograde pass over 5º30’ Taurus. Arielle had foreseen another “Weiner incident.” Alas, we had two big stories emerging then: Jerry Sandusky from Penn State and Herman Cain. (7)

After a three-year investigation, Jerry Sandusky was indicted on November 4, 2011 and charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse of young boys over a 15-year period.

He was born on January 26, 1944, the day after a total solar eclipse at 4º33’ Aquarius. (8) In the solar chart for his birthday, the Sun is 5º Aquarius (conjunct the South Node at 6º46’), opposite Pluto at 7º39’ Leo (conjunct the North Node at 6º46 Leo). Transiting Jupiter at 5º Taurus was squaring his natal Sun-Pluto opposition; with the cazimi Venus point at 5º Scorpio, there is a fixed square. Like everyone else, I have a sense of the horror of the alleged abuse, but it took sports-minded friends to clue me in to the importance of Penn State in the sports world — it has a very, very successful, very, very wealthy football program.  (As Arielle had said, with Jupiter, it is big.) “The scandal badly damaged the image of the powerhouse college football program and forced out its legendary head coach Joe Paterno.” (9)

Joe Paterno, the other big name mentioned right away in the scandal, also has a natal planet sensitized by the transits to the cazimi point. Looking again at a solar chart, he has natal Mars at 5º Taurus. (10) (I heard him described by one sports commentator as possibly “the most important person in Pennsylvania.”) “The board of trustees fired Paterno and Penn State’s president for failing to tell police about an allegation of abuse once they learned of it. Apart from the criminal case, the university faces a string of external and internal investigations.” (11)

Recent eclipses have lit up both men’s charts. The total lunar eclipse on December 21, 2010 was at 29º Gemini. The Sun was then conjunct Sandusky’s Venus and Paterno’s Sun, both at 28º Sagittarius.

The total lunar eclipse on June 15, 2011 (24º23’ Sagittarius) was square Paterno’s natal Uranus at 25º Pisces. He was fired after a 46-year career in mid-November 2011. The solar eclipse on November 25 was at 2º37’ Sagittarius, the degree of his natal Saturn is (2º08’ in the solar chart). Sports and higher education fall under the dominion of Sagittarius.

Jupiter will make a final transit to 5º Taurus in February 2012. We’ll see what happens then.

But for now, I want to conclude with some other thoughts about the Sun-Venus synodic cycle. The late Robert Blaschke also studied the prenatal Sun-Venus conjunctions. He felt that if the conjunction was retrograde, i.e., inferior, that that person was completing karma in relationships in the current life. The retrograde prenatal Sun-Venus cazimi showed that we move toward significant relationships with those with whom we have deep and incomplete soul connections. He felt that those with the superior cazimi, i.e., Venus was direct when conjunct the Sun before birth, were meeting new people and starting new relationships in this life. I think it’s a very interesting observation, and I invite you to explore that idea in your close relationships.

Robert also noticed that the transiting cazimi degree (whether inferior or superior) is highly sensitive. If you have 5º Scorpio (or 23º Leo, the superior cazimi in August 2011) on an angle or with the Sun, Moon, or other important placement in the birth horoscope, Robert would have said that this would bring an important relationship into your life. This also shows the alluring strength of 15º44’ Gemini, the degree of the June 2012 Venus transit of the Sun.

Both Arielle and Robert have made fine observations about the quality of relationships between those with the prenatal Sun-Venus conjunction at the same degree. (In her book, Arielle calls them “Twin Stars.”)

Here’s to embodying all of Venus’s fruitful gifts as we all learn to love each other in all kinds of ways.

References:
(1) There was a superior conjunction, when Venus was direct, and on the other side of the Sun, on August 16, 2011 at 23º Leo.

(2) See Gary Caton’s blog Astrology as if the Sky Mattered

(3) Unruly Mars has a far more erratic orbit, but with Venus, symmetry prevails.
“Deborah Houlding’s article, The Beauty of the Venus Cycle in TMA Feb/Mar 2010, considers the start of the Venus cycle to be the superior conjunction. What seems important to understand, is that Venus has an “enduring symmetry.” No matter where one considers the start of the Venus cycle (i.e, at heliacal rise, at the inferior conjunction, or the superior conjunction), Venus will always make the five-pointed star in her eight-year journey with the Sun and the earth.”
See Mary Plumb’s blog Venus – Enduring Symmetry

(4) Anthony Weiner; September 4, 1964; Brooklyn, N.Y. Sunrise chart.
Wikipedia

(5) Sexting

(6)
Wikipedia

(7) Using a solar chart, Herman Cain does not appear to have as obviously dramatic a connection to 5º Scorpio as the others. Although we can never know what goes on in the emotional lives of those involved, perhaps this is suggested by the apparently consensual nature of Mr. Cain’s various sexual relationships.  Herman Cain; December 13, 1945; Memphis, Tennessee. Sunrise chart.
Wikipedia

(8) Jerry Sandusky; January 26, 1944; Washington, Pennsylvania. Sunrise chart.
Wikipedia

(9)
News Page 1

(10) Joe Paterno; December 21, 1926; Brooklyn, New York. Sunrise chart.
Wikipedia

(11) News Page 1

17 Comments

  1. Have to read this one several times over- Sun at 5 Taurus. Is there an ephemeris for Venus transits available?

    • Hi Carl, It’s not an ephemeris per se, but it’s a table of Venus cazimi dates that’s included in my book Venus Star Rising. The table covers the years 1750 to 2050.

      • Thanks, Ariel- anxious to read your book! Checked out my own prenatal- Venus direct over Sun 7 days before my birth. Venus has been so important in my life- to the point where I no longer accept the distinction between ‘personal planets’ & ‘outer planets’.

        I think, with the Scorpio Venus Cazimi, our values have been changing as they relate to ‘other people’s money’- this in addition to the sex scandals you describe, Mary.

        Thanks to you both for this rich and informative meditation!

  2. FABULOUS WORK Mary and Ariel-I always love a good Venus story… to bad it has to be so tawdry…

    • Hi Kate,

      thanks for reading…

      Have fun with Kira..

  3. deep gratitude for this article…I’ve been untying the knots of toxic connections..doors are closing..
    my natal north node 5* Scorp conjunct neptune+Jupiter (part of grand cross) opp Taurus moon, square Aqua sun conjunct venus(R) and Uranus in Leo.
    Natal grand trine-Pluto in Virgo1*-Mars 24*Sag (conjunct saturn)-moon 1* Taurus. Asc 29* Scorp
    …Its been an exhausting time since June, lots of shifts literally. this article really supports the sensation that I’m in good position to catch the biggest wave for decades and I’m going to ride it all the way……preparing to pursue again a spiritual path where the door opened to me back in 1992(family members joined to close it)…planning to depart Australia for a journey to the Black Forest….June 2012.
    this article strengthens my urge to follow my heart and do the work which fulfils me best.
    thank you

    • beautiful response Nilaya,

      thank you so much for your openness..

      be very well on your path..

      Mary

    • Thanks for your feedback, and blessings on your journey.

  4. Update on Herman Cain is that while the 5 Scorpio VSP (cazimi) didn’t do much but square his natal Mars in early Leo, his own personal VSP is 25 Aries, which makes a T-square out of his Jupiter at 22 Libra and Saturn at 23 Cancer. I find it rather ironic that his inner eros (the pre-natal cazimi) activates his Jupiter-Saturn (his drive for political power)while at the same time brought him down, especially now with transiting Saturn activating that T-square. This current transit from Saturn to natal Jupiter certainly deflated a great big balloon.

    • Hi Arielle,

      good observation about Mr Cain…his balloon is deflating..

      i like the term ‘inner eros’..you must have used that in your book?

      mary

  5. Hi Arielle

    I heard the podcast between Gary and you, so I ordered your book. VSP Aries (EV) with a Scorpio Sun: certainly answered some questions regarding an ability to keep pushing forward and not drop off by the wayside!
    My Scorpio sun is at 2 degrees;does the cazimi degree apply to me? Or, do you have to have a VSP at 5 Scorpio?

    Warm regards

    • Hi Kelly, The Scorpio VSP of 2010 was at 5 Scorpio, but it’s moving in on your Sun as the next one in 2014 will be at 2 Scorpio, pretty much right on your Sun. Prepare yourself for a new phase in your life that allows your Sun to shine in new leadership ways! congratulations!

      • Thank you so much. Wishing you the Best

  6. Hello
    great article, although did have to read it often, and still don’t grasp all of it…

    am an amateur astrologer, trying to find out more about the sun venus cazimi, my bday is august 16,at 22’49 leo…don’t know about bringing a new relationship in like mentions R.Blaschke? my partner put an end to ours after 5 years,one month after the cazimi.. although he now regrets it..and would like for us to get back,old new relationship !? ;)..but i wanted to ask if i understand correctly the sun and venus have to be 17minutes apart,and in my search i just read the article of yours from October 2010,mentioning Oprah’s venus sun conjunction in her natal chart..but the chart has her sun and venus at 50 minutes apart? i’m trying to figure out my venus rising going thru the ephemeris..(cannot afford Arielle’s book right now) i was born in 1954,and it seemed the cazimi was more at the end of the 10th degree in aquarius,and if i did this correctly would be my venus rising..which got me even more fascinated by this because oddly enough my ex has his sun at 11 degrees aquarius…if my amateur search is correct!
    so what is the rule for the 17 minutes, and if one person has an inferior venus rising and the other superior isn’t that saying like it cannot work out ? thank you and be well !

  7. Hi Louise,
    For your birth date of Aug 16, 1954 the Venus Star Point (cazimi) is 9 Aquarius 34 (Evening Star) – rounded up to 10 Aquarius, so you are correct in your calculation. The cazimi is the exact conjunction of Venus and Sun by degree, minute and second of arc. That is the point that is used throughout Venus Star Rising and also for the material referred to for this article. As to Oprah, she was born at the very same cazimi as you were, but in Oprah’s case she was actually born on that day, giving her Sun, Venus and Venus Star Point all this same degree. I hope that helps explain this, and thank you for your comments.

  8. On the surface, it would seem that having a Solar Return on 6/5/12 might be a good thing (my Sun is at 15Gemini45, within 1 minute of that Sun/Venus conjunction—6/7/47, 11:23 am, Karlsruhe, Germany). But then you have transitting Mars closely square Sun/Venus. I’ve also got Mercury at 7Cancer and Neptune at 8Libra, thus forming a grand square with transit Uranus at 7Aries and transit Moon/Pluto at 7 and 8 Capricorn, in the Solar Return Chart.
    Do you think that the Sun/Venus conjunctions are enough to soften the challenges of the grand square?


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