“…How I longed to be over there with you…”
http://househistoryman.blogspot.com/2012/02/love-letter-mystery-from-capitol-hill.html
Dear Readers,
In lieu of Venus going retrograde, I thought I’d write you a letter and tell you about it. No matter what happens, I want you to know that the goddess of love is even closer to our hearts now than she is at any other time…
“Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.” ~Washington Irving
Venus turns and dances backwards on December 21, 2013—she’ll be doing a foxtrot for her winter solstice celebration. Retrograding just about every 20 months or 1.6777 years, this is not a terribly uncommon style for Venus. But just because the planet of love is reverting to her former astrological turf in the sign of Capricorn, does not mean that her love shall -in any way- wane.
During this period, she will re-cover her retrograde shadow – last visited on November 20, 2013—at 13 degrees of Capricorn. Check your charts. Check for other planets, midpoints, or other degrees of note at that point or by aspect to your natal chart. See if Venus left anything there for you to pick-up during her revisit from now until January 31, 2014 – for afterward, she will turn forward and proceed with dignified manner, lessons learned.
Like good jazz dances up and down the pentatonic scale, Venus was here and back, potentially making some swanky (or not so swanky) artistic moves along the way. After all, Venus rules everything sensual – music, art, and the fine things in life. It may not be just an old flame you revisit; it could be that you are given the opportunity to get in touch with your artistic muses.
Regardless, what makes this Venus retrograde period so tantalizingly interesting and profound is that her return period takes her right back into the thrall of her Pluto mate – perhaps for one last dance—one critical opportunity to choose transformation over stagnation.
The whole idea of the goddess of beauty, Venus, dancing next to the god of the underworld, Pluto, got me thinking about how Persephone was wooed into the underworld.
“Persephone was picking flowers … but these weren’t earthly flowers … these flowers were the work of Zeus and put there for “a girl with a flower’s beauty.” The flowers were there to ensnare Persephone in a trap, a beautiful, divine trap. The trigger for the trap was an irresistible flower with one hundred stems of fragrant blossoms. When Persephone reached out with both hands to pluck the flower, the earth opened at her feet and Hades roared forth in his golden chariot and seized her before an alarm could be raised.” http://mythagora.com/bios/persephone.html
So much for temptations.
You will be interested to know that Venus retrograde period lasts approximately 40 days and 40 nights. Does this sound familiar to you? Well, it’s very likely that it does, both Jesus and the Buddha were “tempted” and fasted during periods of 40 days and (40 nights) –and in some legends Quetzalcoatl, too!
Mara’s daughters
Temptation of Christ
http://ericarmusik.com/temptation_christ.html
Venus is also known as “morning star” and “evening star.” The morning star, or the light bearer, was named Lucifer. Originally, the two different appearances of Venus, one as morning star and one as evening star, were thought to have been two separate stars. This has to do with the perception of Venus based on its planetary orbit in relationship to the Sun. http://www.universetoday.com/22570/venus-the-morning-star/
It’s interesting to see how the period of temptation (40 days of Venus retrograde) aligns with a planetary body originally named Lucifer, only later to be associated with satan or the devil. More on that Lucifer name, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer
In classical literature, daemons (a term not always negative) were benign beings of inspirational nature. They could even be spirit guides. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daemon_(classical_mythology)
Venus retrograde may be a time for temptation and for old demons visiting, but it also just may be a time to explore what value we obtain from stories and myths, a time to consider what really inspires us and urges us to make music, write poetry, or make a painting. At best, these “temptations” that attempt to break us from our higher natures, also serve—once conquered—to strengthen our bond with those drives and motives that go beyond the senses. That is, it is actually by the hand of temptation that we come to seek spirituality, God, and the clarity of reason as a means for our redemption. Remember, in the words of Shakespeare,
“Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind. And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”
Love always,
Ka Malana
Fiesta Estrellas 
Reblogged this on Fiesta Estrellas and commented:
*Thank you to Alessia -nice to meet you! -who favored a tweet today of this blog post, and by doing so, reminded me me about a blog post I wrote when I had more time and energy for writing and astrology :-)* In honor of Venus Retrograde: Here it is…Cheers.
This is an excellent letter dear Ka. Thank you for reblogging it.
love and hugs, Linda
Thank you, Linda! xo
Hey Ka,
A fascinating format by which to deliver your post, I really liked the Venusian creativity in the fascinating format of your post. What a great idea 🙂
It’s quite a tale you tell of the good lady Venus and her transient ways, What a star 🙂
Tell me…what is your take on the giant ‘heart’ shape on the surface of Pluto? I am spellbound by its appearance and enthralled once again by the mysteries of ancient tales. I clutch at dark distant straws perhaps, but find synchronicity’s wild-eyed stare all to apparent in Persephone’s story and its representation within the patternation upon Pluto’s surface…and yet how would the ancients have known of this given Pluto’s far-flung secretive turn. Of course I am relating facts where they are not intended to be related…and yet, I still think there is far, far more to be found out about the cosmic control freak that is Pluto.
A wonderful tribute to our sensual shining herald 🙂
Namaste
DN – 27/07/2015
Hi Dewin,
Thank you for your comment. I agree that Pluto keeps a guise quite well, and even the love-markings on Pluto’s cheek do little to tell the tale of what really makes Pluto’s recovery from the “land of the dead” into such a transformative archetypal expression. Cast in light of ancients’ memories, Pluto was in the dark. Our ancient astronomers observed as far out as Saturn. Though there are always thoughts and hints that exist for observations beyond that scope, it was on February 18, 1930 that astronomers discovered Pluto and the adepts of the era reigned in its signature. So very close to Valentine’s Day! ❤ The once-and-done-planet, now planetoid, 'destroyed' by name/concept and yet given life through the myth of its namesake …is perhaps continuously occult… how can it ever tell its own tale? ~ ah "far flung secretive turn" indeed, as you say. As for now, the atmosphere is on verge of collapse they say, "http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jul/24/pluto-nitrogen-ice-flows-atmosphere-collapse-red-haze." What does that mean for us? We shall see if more is recovered from all our witnessing, and our meditations…After all, Pluto is "100 million years old young" http://www.wired.com/2015/07/pluto-will-send-earth-love-letter-tomorrow/
In terms of astrology, one could make a specific study of Pluto's nodes for more information about 2018, to view this man-pluto meeting in light of a longer-term context. In 2018, Pluto will be in conjunction with its own S.Node. It seems I've gotten carried away here on Pluto. Here's pretty snapshot of Venus to keep her happy 🙂 http://strangesounds.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Earth-Venus-sacred-geometry.png Venus really tells some tales. Her pattern is deep within our many cultures. Namaste
Ka
Pluto got my letter!!! ❤
😀 I think you might be right Ka….and just look at how he shines for you and wears your heart upon his blushing cheek! Heaven only knows what he’d do if you actually visited one-day ❤
LOL… 🙂
I do so like the phrase ‘love markings’ that you used in your poetic description of the moody mover… it’s simply adorable 🙂
Sweet dreams for when you arrive in the Land of Zzzzz.
Namaste Ka
DN – 29/07/2015
Thanks Dewin 🙂
I am so pleased you reposted this Ka.. and loved your letter.. I hope not to enter the period of temptation 🙂 But hope that I do get to dance I enjoy toe tapping rhythm.. 🙂 and its good to tap into your posts again 🙂 xxx Hugs Sue ❤
Hi Sue! So lovely to see you here! Thank you. I’m looking forward to visiting your sanctuary and your garden in a short while. I think about temptation in a sort of analytical way here, sort of stepping back to see it for what it is… a momentary reconnecting with something that previously held value, and/or a question about the relative value or importance of the muses in our lives. When we eat, drink, and are merry… What value does pleasure hold in our lives? Do we give it any place? What do our values say about our relationships?… love in a personal-human sense is to value. There’s no value without relativity! I’m sort of opening up thoughts surrounding the astrological themes and the correlations…I think it’s more about the journey than the destination, especially as it relates to the earthly experience. Symbols are so beautiful aren’t they? So rich in versatility… I am so very grateful that you visited. Thank you. I have also reconnected with a couple of special Venusian woman-friends so far during this particular biennial Venus retrograde. xo Ka