In ancient Sumeria the planet we call Venus was revered as a personification of the Goddess Inanna, hailed as 'Queen of Heaven and Earth'. The myth of Inanna is a poignant story of the soul maturing from personal to transpersonal Love, through deep self- confrontation and loss. It is an allegory of the visible movements of the planet, and also describes the meaning of Venus in astrology. To marvel at the splendour of Venus poised graciously in the night sky, radiating increasing brilliance before disappearing from view, is indeed to contemplate the poignancy of transience, and the inevitability of loss. We need arise early to greet her re-appearance...if we are not watchful in the pre-dawn hours we may miss her gentle but brilliant morning return, and fear that she has gone forever.
The planet Venus in astrology
is about value, of self and others. It concerns what we find worthwhile,
what we value, appreciate and seek to attract into our lives.
Thus Venus also signifies relationship, and represents the energy
of Eros or connection, attraction and pleasure, harmony, beauty
and joy. Venus also addresses how we respond to the loss of these precious experiences
and qualities, and how we might defend against allowing them at
all, as a con-sequence of past disappointments.
Every 18 months, Venus begins a retrograde cycle, where
she appears to reverse direction. She disappears from the night sky, makes
a conjunction with the Sun, reappears as the Morning Star, then turns direct. During
these times we are given the opportunity to plumb the depths of
our relationships, finish unfinished business, release the past
and renew our capacity for love. Indeed, we could say that Love matures in synchrony with this
cycle.
The story of Inanna [i]
Inanna has plucked a single tree from the chaotic floodwaters
which mark the beginning of times. Day and night she cares for
it, in a lonely vigil, longing for her consort and her throne.
Inanna duly becomes Queen, but only after she has received initiation from Enki, the God of Wisdom and the Waters; he bestows on Inanna her
spiritual heritage in the form of qualities needed
to fulfil her role (the 'me', or attributes of civilisation). She also has to stand firm against Enki when he tried to take back his gift. Here we see a touching exposition of the theme mentioned above - that of value and how we need to claim it.
Eventually Inanna
is introduced to Dumuzi, the humble young shepherd who will be
her husband. At first she rejects him, but relents as he proudly
pleads his own case. There follows an ecstatic union of the young
Queen and the shepherd, who thus becomes god-king and takes the
throne beside her. This section of the poem is perhaps some of the most beautiful erotic verse in world literature, characterised by its translucence, warmth and total lack of prurience.
Inanna departs for the Underworld to witness
the funeral rites for Gugulanna, the 'Bull of Heaven', the husband
of her sister, Erishkigel. She is stopped at each of the seven
gates leading to Erishkigel's abode, and must surrender the symbols
of her worldly power. Her crown, necklace, breastplate, measuring
rod and finally even her robe must all go until she stands naked before
her distraught sister.
This symbolizes energy moving down through
the seven major chakras in a process of purification. Our worldly
accomplishments are a hindrance on this inner journey and our attachment to them is relinquished, willingly or with protest! At the base chakra, the root, lies our deepest
sense of despair, for here resides the densest illusion of our
spiritual isolation, and all our incomplete grieving. It is the
place of inconsolability, where we hold to familiar grief rather
than release ourselves into the Void of Unknowing.
Erishkigel fixes her 'Eye of Death' on Inanna, who is killed
and hung on a peg to rot. Meanwhile, Inanna has taken the precaution
of asking her maidservant to send help if she does not return.
The alarm is raised. Enki, the god of Wisdom comes
to her aid, with little creatures made from the dirt under his
finger-nails. They slip unnoticed into the Underworld and approach
Erishkigel, to witness and echo her lamentations, affirming her
suffering. The call and response of compassion to her litany-chant of woe eventually softens
her heart, and she offers a gift in exchange for their kindness.
Immediately, they request the body of Inanna, upon which they
sprinkle the waters of life. Inanna lives!
Return and redemption
As Inanna prepares to leave the Underworld, she is told she must
send a substitute. She exits surrounded by a cloud of demons,
looking around in horror. Who shall she now condemn to the Underworld?
Her children? Her faithful maidservant? She cannot. Then she sees
her former consort Dumuzi occupying the throne which he gained
through their union. He is oblivious to her suffering. Inanna
fixes her 'Eye of Death' on him, and he flees into the desert,
but eventually the demons catch up with him and he succumbs to
his fate.
A great wail goes up as Inanna mourns the loss of her
husband by her own doing. Then Inanna sees Dumuzi's sister Geshtinanna, beside
herself with grief, and her heart is touched. She may not reverse
her choice, but she decrees that although Dumuzi will spend half
the year in the Underworld, he may return to Earth for the remaining
half. The cycle of destruction is now broken, vengeance is tamed and
forgiveness can begin. The purified energy rises and Inanna becomes
Queen of Heaven, ennobled by love and loss, and the suffering entailed in the process of 'death and rebirth'.
The astrological process
Because the Earth is not in the centre of the Solar System, from
our vantage point planets sometimes appear to slow down, pause
and back-track in their orbital pathway. This phenomenon is very
common, but also marks out particular phases of the planet's energy
movements as paralleled within the human soul. When a planet is
appearing to go backwards, this motion is called 'Retrograde'
and the normal motion is called 'Direct'. Retrograde motion favours the interiorisation of consciousness, offering a time for reflection,
inner healing, meditation, and the cultivation of stillness to assist us in 'digesting' our life experience.[ii].
Venus will turn Retrograde on July 27th, 2007. This resonates
with Inanna's descent into the Underworld, already visually portayed by the decreasing height of the planet above the visible horizon. From June 9th, it's highest point, Venus is lower in the sky each evening until she disappears on August 13th, having meanwhile turned retrograde.
A
previous 'superior' or 'exterior' conjunction with the Sun occurred
on October 27th 2006, which we can see as Inanna's union with her
consort Dumuzi. This occurred in the sign of Scorpio, and the inner development of this cycle includes the recognition of
the Spiritual Warrior energy, and how it is directed in our lives. How do
we direct our own vitality and energy and the aggression that
arises if it is thwarted? How do we approach the darker intimations which beckon from the recesses of our soul? What resources do we have to deeply process our own inner poison, so that we are thus transformed and do not yield to the temptation to spill it out on others? Do we crave power to shield us from our emotional vulnerability?
As mentioned, Inanna-Venus reaches her highest position
in the sky on June 9th, 2007, gradually descending to the
horizon until she disappears on August 13th 2007. Since December 7th, 2006, Venus has been visible as the evening star, and on July 14th 2007 reaches maximum brilliance. This is Inanna in her prime, Queen
of her land, her temples, bearer of high office, authority and
title.It is interesting that the visible descent of the planet begins before 'maximum brilliance'. In the story, Inanna is at first haughty and resistant to her future lover and king, Dumuzi, but 'descends' to surrender into mutual delight with him. Inanna also 'descends' to Earth, bring both Queen of Heaven and Earth.
There are approximately 7 weeks from her highest point in the
sky to when Venus turns retrograde. This parallels Inanna entering
the Underworld through the 7 gates or chakras. Likewise, she is
visible for approximately 7 months or 7 New Moons. We see a holographic
repeat of this occurring: from the retrograde point on December
July 27th 2007 to the Interior Conjunction with the Sun on August 18th 2007 - 22 days (average 21 = 3x7).
This symbolizes
the meeting with Erishkigel, a cyclic ego-death occurring in the depth
realms as we encounter that within us which obscures our inner light. Our
ancient griefs surface: we access the inconsolable, the ignored, the denied,
the shamed, the hurt. The 'Eye of Death' is also that which enables us to
recognise with uncompromising clarity what is true. It sees through the posturing of the ego, to what lies beneath - our True Nature. The focus is unrelenting, purifying and transformative.
The few days after this conjunction are precious, as they correspond to the time when Inanna hangs
on the peg and Erishkigel's distress is gently witnessed by the
little mourners. Likewsie, this is the time to 'sit with' ourselves and sense the
movements within our own soul, engaging as little as possible
with external relationships.
Heliacal Rising
We bear witness to our own soul until
Venus reappears as the Morning Star (August 21st 2007). If you want a sight to thrill your soul, get up early enough to see this. It might be a few days before Venus moves into visibility, low on the Eastern horizon. She begins to rise ahead of the Sun on 21.8.07, but they are not far enough apart for Venus to emerge over the horizon without her light merging with the light of the Sun, and so rendering her still invisible, until a few days later. About 6.00am GMT would be a good time to aim for, from say, August 25th when she will be about 7 or 8 degrees above the horizon already.
Helical rise 2007
Note the Sun is positioned near the Fixed Star Regulus, 'Coeur de Lion', in the heart of the constellation of Leo. In her movement prior to this rising, Venus travelled right into this area, then looped out again ....
Inanna is
revived by the waters of life, and she emerges from the Underworld, purified by her encounter with the 'Eye of Truth'.
She begins her return to the Upperworld, but is presented with
a further soul-task to undergo....
Venus once again turns Direct on September 8th 2007, and this corresponds with Inanna's exit from the Underworld. In the story, she emerges surrounds by a cloud of demons. This can be seen as representing the residue of hurt and unforgiveness which is destined to rebound on Dumuzi. In our own lives, this is an important period of making new a new start, with a conscious commitment to releasing the suffering of the past through allowing ourselves to feel what needs to be felt, rather than deflecting it on to others. In ancient times, the heliacal rising of Venus was when armies were set marching...... a precise illustration of this.
The mourning of Erishkigel for
her lost husband is echoed now in Inanna's grief over the loss
of Dumuzi, by her own actions. The decree which condemns Dumuzi
to the Underworld is modified, and his sister Geshtinanna will
alternate with him, sharing the requirement to go down when called.
Inanna's heart is softened by grief.
This is a powerful parable of how the hardness of heart that
is occasioned by unreleased grief can serve as a precise trigger
for more destruction, punishment and cruelty. History is created
by such a mechanism of vengeance, as demonstrated in the story. We are also shown the way to break the
cycle, and this is perhaps the most significant element of the
whole story. Paying attention to our own grief - being willing to make our own 'descent' - helps soften
the heart.
Venus signifies relationship
and represents
the energy
of Eros
The orbit of Venus
The orbit of Venus is very regular: she goes retrograde
every 18 months, and every 8 years returns to almost exactly
the same place in the zodiac (within about 2 degrees!) at the same time of year to repeat the cycle. The
mathematics is simple, precise, elegant and inspiring:
8 x 365 = 2920
(8 years for the cycle to repeat in the same place
in the zodiac)
5 x 584 = 2920
(5 cycles of Venus, each taking 584 days to complete)
So each time Retrogradation occurs, we are connected back to the
same period exactly 8, 16, 24, 32 and 40 years ago. The unfinished
business from those times may gather and return to consciousness,
as we are helped to let go, forgive and move on. Merciful clarity
arises, sometimes following shocking insights, sometimes arriving
quietly like a mother watching a sleeping child. These retrograde
loops are times of profound inner movement, and precious times
of healing, like the 'house-cleaning' of the heart.
Therefore the Venus cycle of 2007 is a repeat of the one which occured in 1999, which was the year of the Total Solar Eclipse visible from the coast of New York, through the UK, Europe, the Middle East and on into the northern part of India. (Read on to Part II of this article for further reference to this eclipse.)
Stay tuned for reminders, repeats, echoes, memories of people, places and events. Friends you've not seen since 1999, dreams and hopes that were seeded then ....... we make contact with this period of time in the present. With Venus in Leo, which rules the heart, we are challenged to see how inwardly generous we can be with ourselves and others.
Venus always spends a period of almost exactly 40 days retrograde, mirroring the 40 weeks
of human gestation and the archetypal 40 days in the wilderness.
There are also roughly 9 months between the different conjunctions
of Venus and the Sun. The stationary points, as Venus is about to turn direction, when plotted around
the zodiac circle, make a 5-pointed star, which symbolizes the
power of the mind.
This star can be drawn without lifting your
pencil off the paper - try it! (Start at any point, and skipping the next one take your pencil across to the next-but-one, and so on .....)
Indeed, any intentions drawn during
these times are infused with great significance. Every time Venus
is retrograde we get an opportunity to review unconscious decisions
and intentions we may have unwittingly set in motion, fuelled
by suffering and misunderstanding. We may then re-set them in
the light of consciousness, made wiser by accepting both love
and loss, and thereby also adjusting likely outcomes.
Note that the positions of Venus' stations, conjunctions, and other points on her orbit occur at intervals of 72 degrees of the zodiac apart. Both diagrams above are variations on this theme.
360 = degrees in a circle
5 x 72 = 360
2920 (see above) divided by 72 = 40.55 (see above)
The entire process lasts from 4.6.2007 - 11.10.2007. These two
dates also mark the edges of the portion of the zodiac over which
Venus traverses to and fro as she turns direction twice before
moving on. Note also that the area thrice traversed is 16.35
Leo to 2.57 Virgo,[iii] with most activity occuring in the sign of Leo. Wherever this area falls in an individual horoscope, we will see an emphasis: reflection on the past, new impetus for the future. Indeed, the mystical notion of being 'thrice-born' is suggested here, as we are able to visit and revisit something in order to move on.
With the Interior Conjunction in Leo, this 8-year theme connects us with the theme of individuality, authority, creativity, and what we invest energy in to reflect this. Our pride, narcissism and appetite for ego recognition also comes under the spotlight, as we review the cycle of experience.
Click here to play an ancient Mesopotamian board game:
1. Notice how the designs on the square of the board resemble the Venus mandalas, in shape and in the prevalence of numbers 5,7 and 8.
2. Rotate the board upwards in your imagination to see that the 'game' begins at the heart chakra rosette in the middle of the board, and the players proceed 'down' into the Underworld, returning via the central column to the head, and fountaining up and out, as if dispensing wisdom ....
And Onward ....
On September 2nd, 2007, just before Venus turns Direct again on the 8th, the planet Saturn leaves the sign of Leo and enters Virgo. Thus the current Retrograde cycle also provides an opportunity for a review of the recent transit of Saturn through Leo, since July 2005. Leo rules the heart, and the 'hero's journey' of Saturn's transit through this sign has been an opportunity to develop our courage, self-respect, sense of personal authority and capacity to be willing to stand up for what we feel to be right. This may have occured through facing old fears in a new way. In this acknowledgement of inner 'kingship' or 'queenship' we are introduced to the responsbility of creative custodianship. What has been entrusted to us, that we may do our best to honour it?
In suitably grand Leonine style, the next act in this year's celestial drama is a Solar Eclipse, which falls on September 11th 2007! The ruler of Leo is eclipsed, just afer Saturn leaves that sign. Also, when Venus turns Direct a few days before that, she is very close to the Degree in Leo where the 1999 Eclipse fell.[v] These planetary markers suggest creative reflection on the past, in order that we may come into our own present in a deeper and more accepting way.
We are given an opportunity to deeply connect within ourselves to that which truly makes our hearts sing ........
VENUS Part II
JOURNEY
ACROSS THE SUN
The first 'transit' of Venus since
1882 occured on June 8th 2004, and the next one will be on June
5th, 2012.
This diagram was created with the computer programme 'Astrological Mandalas', using an interval of 224.7 days, measured 2000 times. Note the resemblance to the Botticelli painting of 'The Birth of Venus' where she is shown arising from the sea and standing on a shell that looks like this....
When a planet passes in front of the Sun,
a 'transit' [iv]occurs, visible as a small
black disk moving slowly across its shimmering face. The last
occurrence of this rare event was on June 8th, 2004, lasting from
06.13am BST to 12.27pm BST [vi] At 09.43am
BST Venus and the Sun were in exact conjunction as Venus crossed
the central area of the Sun, as if the Goddess of Love revealed
herself in a moment of deepest intimacy with her fiery consort.
Transits of Venus occur in a very regular rhythm of 243 years, as
illustrated by the table below. Two
occur in the month of December, 8 years apart, followed by a gap
of 121.5 years. Then the next two occur in June, also 8 years apart,
and are followed by a gap of 105.5 years.
(8 + 121.5 + 8 + 105.5 = 243)
As you can see below, the transit date migrates slowly through the calendar
year, and the entire cycle takes more than 80,000 years to complete!
TRANSITS OF VENUS
| JUNE |
DECEMBER |
| |
7.12.1631 |
| |
4.12.1639 |
| 6.6.1761 |
|
| 3.6.1769 |
|
| |
9.12.1874 |
| |
6.12.1882 |
| 8.6.2004 |
|
| 5.6.2012 |
|
| |
10.12.2117 |
| |
8.12.2125 |
Eclipsing the Eclipse
Although the alignment is the same as an eclipse, being small
in comparison, Venus does not darken or obscure the Sun's light. With proper
equipment, however, a transit is visible [vii].
Significantly, the places which afforded the best view of the 2004 transit correspond
roughly with the path of visibility of the Total Solar Eclipse
of August 11th, 1999. Beginning near New York and crossing over
to Europe, Israel and the Near East, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan,
Pakistan and Northern India, a great shadow raced over the earth
at that time. Venus followed. Astrologically, Venus is the goddess
of Love, which at its deepest level is the experience of connection
with all creation, and so influences our values and choices. Here
is our current challenge.
The Ripening of Karma
On the inner levels, eclipses signal endings. They may accompany
blessed closure on matters lingering and painful, or herald the
painful loss of what we hold dear. Our karma matures, and situations
precipitate like ripe fruit falling. To witness a total solar
eclipse is an initiation of deep purification, resonating for
several years. Below is a list of recent and forthcoming eclipses.
Your journal or dream book might reveal a clustering of intense,
deep and transformative experiences within a week or so of the
dates mentioned [viii]. Note there are no
Total Solar Eclipses until March 2006, as if allowing time for
integrating deep changes.
TABLE OF SOLAR ECLIPSES
| DATE |
TIME (GMT) |
ZODIAC |
POSITION |
| 26.02.1998 |
17.27 |
07°Pi55' |
Total |
| 22.08.1998 |
02.05 |
28°Le48' |
|
| 16.02.1999 |
06.33 |
27°Aq08' |
|
| 11.08.1999 |
11.03 |
18°Le21' |
Total |
| 05.02.2000 |
12.48 |
16°Aq01' |
|
| 16.07.2000 |
02.13 |
08°Le11' |
|
| 25.12.2000 |
17.35 |
04°Cp15' |
|
| 21.06.2001 |
12.03 |
00°Cn11' |
Total |
| 14.12.2001 |
20.52 |
22°Sg56' |
|
| 10.06.2002 |
23.43 |
19°Ge54' |
Total |
| 04.12.2002 |
07.30 |
11°Sg58' |
|
| 31.05.2003 |
04.07 |
09°Ge19 |
|
| 23.11.2003 |
22.49 |
01°Sg14' |
Total |
| 19.04.2004 |
13.33 |
29°Ar49' |
|
| 14.10.2004 |
02.59 |
21°Li07' |
|
| 08.04.2005 |
20.36 |
19°Ar06' |
|
| 03.10.2005 |
10.31 |
10°Li19' |
|
| 29.03.2006 |
10.10 |
08°Ar35 |
Total |
| 22.09.2006 |
11.39 |
29°Vi20' |
|
