Ruler of Taurus

We have entered the Taurus part of this year’s zodiac cycle so it’s a good time to take a look at this sign’s ruling planet.  Venus is one of the planets that rules two signs and, in this case, she rules both Taurus and Libra.  For the purpose of this post though we will be focusing on elements that relate mainly to Taurus. The second planet from the Sun, Venus’ cycle through the zodiac takes place over approximately 224 days, less than a year.  It is considered a fast-moving planet and as a result Venus transits to our natal charts pass very quickly and generally reflect our day to day lives and can be considered at least mildly beneficial.

The sixth largest planet in our solar system, though next to the moon Venus is the brightest planet in the night sky and quite visible to the human eye.  As a result, she is also known as the Morning Star and the Evening Star since these are the times when she is at her most visible. Considered the sister planet of Earth, Venus is similar in size at 81.5% of the Earth’s mass and similar in make up since both planets have a core, a molten mantle and a crust.  This is where the similarities end however, for one thing she is the hottest planet in our solar system with a surface temperature in the range of 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Love, Beauty, and Art

VenusVenus represents many things and we often think of love, beauty and art when we consider her attributes.  To the Greeks Venus was Aphrodite, the goddess of love and her Son was Cupid (also known as Eros). With these two references its easy to remember some of the main characteristics to consider when interpreting this planet in a horoscope.  Love requires attraction in some manner, so from the idea of love we can expand our reference to include things like charm, grace, and relationship, although human relationship is most often associated with the sign of Libra.

With the Taurean Venus the relationships we consider deal with the material realm in some way, for example how love and beauty manifest in the physical or material side of life.  Things such as money and possessions, as well as ways in which we adorn ourselves like jewelry and cosmetics all fall under the jurisdiction of Venus, as does personal real estate holdings.

With Venus we learn about what we enjoy, the pleasures in life, what our personal tastes and preferences are as well as our view of art and artistic endeavors.  There is also a degree of sentimentality associated with this planet reflecting a sense of attachment, to people or things.  One might feel sentimental about a piece of grandmother’s jewelry and any thought of parting with it tugs at the heart strings. The placement of Venus in our natal chart will suggest how we approach relationships and where we find pleasure or tend to enjoy ourselves the most.

The Goddess of Love

If we think about the qualities of the planet itself and the suggested symbolism this provides clues as to the inherent nature of the planet. Highly visible for example can relate to the way we use cosmetics and adorn ourselves, making ourselves more beautiful, appealing or attractive to others as well as what makes others appealing to us.  Representing the Arts I often think of the beautiful Venus de Milo, the better known name of the statue Aphrodite of Melos, residing in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

As the ruler of Taurus, Venus has a strong relationship to the 2nd House and therefore things we highly value come into play as does our own self-worth. Possessions, money, personal real estate, and how one earns their income…how we attract money or financial gain.  The sign in which Venus appears in our chart says a great deal about these things.  For example, Venus in Taurus tends to reflect what is material or real, things which are tangible and perhaps even earthy such as gardening.  In the sign of Cancer she might suggest a love of feeling secure and will look for things and relationships to satisfy that need.   Venus in the practical sign of Virgo wants to feel worthwhile and needed, so may demonstrate love and caring through providing some type of service that gives her a sense of purpose.

House Placement

House placement also says something about where Venus plays a strong role in one’s life.  In the 5th House she might manifest in the realm of personal pleasure, how one enjoys spending their leisure time, what they do for entertainment.  In the 6th, as with the sign of Virgo, a sense of enjoyment in work or being of service to others, there may also be some affinity with health and wellness.

Consider which sign and house your Venus is in.  How does she manifest or express in your life?  What do you love to do or attract, what do you yourself find attractive or enjoy, what do you value?  Look for signs of Venus in every day life and see what you notice.  There is a big beautiful world out there, enjoy your part of it!