On February 22nd, Venus and Mars meet at 6º Aquarius with Pluto not far behind them in the same sign. Venus-Mars conjunctions in particular spark meetings of significant partnerships and act as a springboard for collaborative projects, but also, highly dramatic separations and endings. The archetype of the sign, house, and additional aspects typically dictate the overall experience. Let's explore the nature of these transits and the larger cycle surrounding them.
Venus-Mars cycles...
Venus and Mars cycles as a whole are not very consistent, except for the appearance of triple conjunctions indicating a more significant beginning, but one that develops and builds upon each "hit". After this happens, the cycle continues with just one opposition (the climax of the cycle) and alternates with another single conjunction (a new cycle), rinse and repeat until the next triplicate. These often happen during Venus and Mars retrogrades where a planet has to regress back to a previous degree to review and rework something.
For example, this phenomenon occurred back in 2015 during our last Venus retrograde in Leo. Venus and Mars first met in February 2015 in Aries, again in September 2015 in Leo while Venus was retrograde, and again for a final time in November 2015 as a direct Venus and Mars ingressed Virgo. A month or so after the first conjunction of 2015, I was hired for my first paid theatre gig as a lighting technician. By the second conjunction in September, the artistic director asked me to stage manage their fall production which was quite a promotion, paying significantly more with greater responsibility. I had never stage managed before, but was told that I'd be a natural at it. I ended up enjoying it so much that I felt disappointed after the show completed as I had not been asked back for the next production– this felt like such a failure at the time, I questioned my abilities and wondered if I lived up to the company's expectations. By the third and final conjunction in November, I discovered that I wasn't asked back because the director wanted to hire me for the winter musical and the rehearsals would have conflicted with the production I had not been hired for. The theatre career that began in 2015 lasted for 5 years until I finally moved on in 2020. This group of Venus-Mars conjunctions solidified my role in a new venture and I continued stage managing until the very last opposition before the next triple conjunctions five years later, fully seeing the cycle through.
As you can see, these triplicates are very significant to the following conjunctions and oppositions. Looking back, every following conjunction and opposition after the triplicate of 2015 until the opposition in 2020 coincided with the beginning or ending of a new production or some significant step in this journey, furthering Venus and Mars' intentions. As you can see, it is important to think of the upcoming Venus-Mars conjunction at the beginning of 2024 and the opposition at the end of 2024 as extensions of the last triplicate in 2021-2022.
More than this being a career focused matter alone, it was very much a relational one. Venus and Mars are known for being in love. This brought me into an entirely new community with many different friendships, co-workers, role models, and even enemies. It certainly wasn't all positive, my theatre experience revealed a lot to me about toxic relationships, how they form, what abuse and trauma bonds look like. I got a long hard look at the hideous underbelly of society and community, the selfishness of it all (most of the conjunctions in this particular cycle hit my 11th house of community and shared interests). The thing about astrology? It is a cycle. If you don't have time, or the maturity, or the experience to heal a cycle first, it will repeat itself. For me, I saw members from my childhood in new faces and forms triggering these pain points over and over until I really had no choice but to deal with them.
Venus and Mars are the lovers that keep missing each other, or when they do meet, they have very little time together. In their stolen moments, they work to bring out our relationship wounds, our motivations for connection and sex and art, the learned family patterns behind it all. Venus conjunct Mars is often dramatic and explosive because of this short transit. They are the runner and the chaser, the mistress and the married, the young and the dumb, Romeo and Juliet– sometimes they join hands to put something beautiful together (like the wedding in the 4 of wands– the ultimate Venus-Mars conjunction tarot card) and other times they come to remind us of the foundation that is rotting, how we must tend to it before we gain access to beautiful things such as weddings, and promotions, and the artistic breakthrough.
Venus brings an affectionate, creative nature while Mars provides an activity or motivation that unites or destroys. Their meetings invoke both the destruction of older relationships and thrust us into new ones within the following months of the perfection. In fact at every conjunction and opposition I have met a new person, even several new people, that deeply contribute to what the conjunction wanted to accomplish and even fit the archetype of the sign the conjunction was in. Venus-Mars always has an agenda and it is always deeper than it seems on the surface.
An example of how relationships present themselves: In the months following a Venus-Mars conjunction in Leo of 2021, I began working as a private nanny for a 7 year old boy– Leo is the archetype of the child and it hit my 10th house of career. What's more, he had a Leo Moon triggering this house in my chart as well, personifying this archetype– my astrologer brain was thrilled when I found out. I think that this relationship helped me find the light in an otherwise very dark time in my life, connecting me with a childhood I could never afford while also ushering me into a new era of my career since the last conjunction in Leo back in 2015 (Leo is also associated with the archetype of theatre maker!)
Another example: In the months after the Venus-Mars conjunction in Virgo of 2019, I met my therapist who has a Virgo Moon. Not only are they Virgo personified, but our relationship very much "fits" the 11th house in my chart: friendship, support, common interests, hope. Virgo is the sign of health and healing and I do think this partnership has been pivotal in my own mental and physical health journey. I wasn't very sure about this relationship when it first emerged, but we have since created a revolutionary kind of therapy, one that incorporates astrology, spirit, and differentiation. In this case, Mars acted as a disruption to the stuffy, clinical nature of how therapists have shown up in my life in the past while Venus brought in someone who shares many of my more radical values.
A Word on Oppositions...
After the "new beginning" of the conjunction, we have an opposition next. Just like the nature of the Full Moon, the Venus-Mars oppositions mark a time of culmination and turning points where something twists itself to shape the remainder of the cycle. Like I said, it was the opposition in 2020 where I finally quit theatre a few months before leading to a complete re-evaluation of my life, specifically unpacking how I no longer aligned with any of the people or projects or goals that I had built my life around since those triple conjunctions in 2015. This crisis point prepared me for the upcoming triple conjunctions that occurred between Summer of 2021 and February-March of 2022 where a completely new era was summoned. It is worth noting, since relationships are so heavily emphasized, my theatre journey brought me a long term relationship that took a turn for the worse after the opposition in 2020 and we finally went our separate ways by the conjunction in July of 2021– it was like, as I shifted away from this old passion, the love that accompanied it died too in order to make way for whoever I was becoming. Do you see how beautifully it all works together?
Even the separations are serendipitous, with need, with love for future you.
This exploration of the past using personal examples of mine was for the purpose of:
a) explaining how these cycles correlate with very large and impactful moments in our lives, showing astrology as historical, present, and futuristic all at the same time.
b) has hopefully allowed for some curiosity and reflection on your own transits from that last Venus-Mars cycle of 2015-2021 and
c) has set us up for understanding both the cycle that began itself just two years ago in 2021-2022 and the one that escalates it in February of 2024.
Our current cycle....
We had our last triple Venus-Mars conjunctions on July 13th 2021 in Leo, February 16th 2022 in Capricorn, and March 6th 2022 in Aquarius. Again, each "hit" is responsible for both an ending and a beginning. In the chart here, you can see the next triplicate and the beginning of the next cycle isn't until 2027-2028. The most recent contact that Venus and Mars made since the triplicate of 2021-2022 was the opposition on December 1st 2022 between Venus in Sagittarius and Mars retrograde in Gemini. This would have been some sort of climax or turning point related to the conjunctions in July 2021 and February/March of 2022. Can you spot any clear threads holding these two time periods together?
It is helpful to remember that the exact day is not always as important as it is to follow the bell curve of energy in the months surrounding the conjunctions and oppositions. Personally, even though the last opposition took place on December 1st 2022, I had my own "turning point" about a month later and yet, it was still deeply related to the sign themes of the Gemini-Sagittarius axis and those houses in my chart. Whatever plot twists you experienced at the end of 2022 will somehow contribute to the conjunction this coming week.
The Venus-Mars conjunction at 6º Aquarius on February 22nd 2024...
It's very likely that this particular conjunction will closely resemble the one in March of 2022 as it is happening in the same sign and same decan of Aquarius. We can't expect the exact same thing to happen, it's likely that the circumstances are different and the same outcome wouldn't even be possible, but they are deeply connected. Look for the archetypal resonance between the two.
The conjunction in 2022 took place in my 4th house of the home and I had a female roommate (signifier of Venus) move out and another male roommate (signifier of Mars) move in to replace her– very on par with the conjunction's symbolism as Mars and Venus literally switched places during the conjunction. Venus who was moving faster than Mars promptly made her way out of my 4th house and mimicked this in real life. Astrology can be very literal in this way! I can already see a similar "trade" situation approaching two years later, this is one way we can look for said "archetypal resonance" between transits.
This conjunction will be ruled by Saturn in Pisces who is completing its post retrograde shadow right after and is also preparing for a rebirth in the heart of the Sun. This beginning will be quite connected to our Saturn stories meaning, "tough love" is possible, more responsibility, or the initiation of a long, arduous journey is tethered to our relationships and resources (Venus), as well as our motives and actions (Mars). The challenging thing about this? Mars and Venus can't see Saturn, but they still answer to him. For this reason, the long term consequences and benefits may not be immediately obvious, but we are assured that these two concurrent stories are working together.
Pluto in Aquarius will be involved with the conjunction this year which did happen in 2022 as well, but Pluto was still in Capricorn. The cycle beginning this year will show us more of our Pluto in Aquarius stories; we don't have a lot of information about what we could be learning or experiencing yet (in a personal context) and I'd say this is a good transit to look at as a small indicator of the larger 20 year experience. Even I am looking at all of the changes in my life, struggling to put together the underlying meaning behind them, but that is the nature of these longer term transits. It's like when you're moving into a new place, you're really just moving boxes inside, figuring out where and how things fit together later. We're essentially in the moving process with Pluto this year while it transitions into this sign. Now is a time where we might see things take shape– kind of like when you spot "kitchen" or "bedroom" written on a box and can, at the very least, put it in the correct room. 2025 is when we will truly begin unpacking the boxes, unearthing whatever the universe has placed there for us.
As far as the more poetic, subjective archetypal themes we might see: Aquarius has a strong connection to humanity and friendship. When I first began studying astrology, I thought it was odd that Aquarius season contained Valentine's Day as it opposes our solar, loyal, romantic Leo, but now I don't think it's so odd at all. True love and true intimacy comes with acceptance, detachment, confrontation, patience. The ability to unionize with people of all backgrounds, the ability to not take someone else's nature personally, the gall to protest and call out the people we love most when they aren't being the person we know they can be. A Saturnian sign, while often withholding, is likely the closest embodiment of universal love as opposed to the often self centered, egoic nature of puppy love. I believe that whatever beginnings emerge now have to do with retreat, gathering of resources, the private club meeting, organization. This is about preparing for a dream. The endings on the other hand, these are final conclusions to the first chapter (0º-7º) of Saturn in Pisces, separating ourselves from those who poison our communities, taking the time to implement boundaries that probably should've been there all along.
Aquarius abandons when it's lost the plot. Consistency is important to this sign because it recognizes that dreams and wishes can only come true when there is a level of continuity. Sometimes, it doesn't even know "why" as much as it knows it's time to separate itself from this particular cause, there is an internal alarm clock set to cosmic redirection when it's come as far as it can with its resources (and people can be resources too). Without realizing it, this separation, this ability to zig zag back into bodily flow is how it centers itself in the right place at the right time to catch the falling star. Aquarius is the sign associated with electricity, lightbulb moments, restoration. I know many Aquarians who find themselves drifting away from something and realizing they only just avoided disaster in their mindless wandering, or they only just made it in time to catch their next opportunity. Some inexplicable force pushed them along. It is when they ignore the force and ground in to the lost cause that they miss out.
The last conjunction in Aquarius, for me, drove home the concept of "right" and "wrong" people. The idea that not everyone is your friend. Not everyone has pure intentions. Not everyone is ready to love. We do not all have the same size cup to fill and that's okay. It also taught me about right timing, how I had been pushing and forcing instead of letting the force show me the way. I had been attaching myself to lost causes for the sake of "community" and "friendship" and "family" when all along, not only did we have different ideas of what that looked like, but we were on completely different timelines. Transits to Aquarius can be about letting go of outside acceptance, love, and support. Allowing yourself to be an outsider, allowing yourself to be alone. It is when you are cast out from the group that you are reconnected with the inexplicable force. Instead of trying to make yourself fit, life starts to build itself around you. If your feet hurt, it's very possible that you should sit down for awhile, you never know who you might find sitting beside you when you do.
I don't think we can search for love, it is really something that has to be embodied, not found. When we search for love, it will evade us, always. Or we might find a love that wears a mask of what we think we want, only to reveal something frightening once we're locked in. Saturn's restrictive nature can show up in the perceived absence of love, resource, and direction or if you try to avoid that predicament, some demonic black hole of loneliness-in-the-crowd-syndrome swallows you. When I have gone searching and pushing for love and friendship, they never love me in the way that I need or desire. Love, friendship, belonging, these are things that surprise and trap you in the best of ways. You were just living your life and following your true north and suddenly you've crashed into a great love, a wise sage, the sister you never had, the friend you needed on the playground 20 years ago. New experiences bless you when you learn to love being lonely or embrace a different definition of love altogether.
For others, I think this conjunction could be about trying. Not in a way that forces, in a way that harmonizes. There is a difference between learning to love your own company and hiding from the world because you were hurt that one time. Sometimes when you just try, apply, experiment, throw shit at the wall, you somehow finally utter the correct code. All it took to open the gate was to grab the key around your neck, or to communicate, or something simple and ridiculous like that. Really, I think this conjunction is about trying something different than you would typically. If you have a tendency to isolate, maybe it's time to take a walk and talk to a stranger. If you have a tendency to run, maybe it's time to find stillness. If you have a tendency to over explain, try silence. If you're usually passive, see what it feels like to be more forthcoming. If you hate it, you don't have to commit to it, but if you haven't succeeded with your way, it could be time to try a different approach.
As always, these are just some thoughts– I can never truly outline a transit in totality due to the extremely personal nature of them. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that the nature of the triplicates will guide this conjunction. So, what have you learned so far? What relationships and interests and opportunities have randomly appeared in your life since 2021 and what is the wind whispering to you now? What is the force that moves you? What dream are you weaving? What is it time for? Is it time to connect or to abandon?
When a transit is conjunct Pluto, we ought to be careful of obsessive tendencies, giving our secrets all away, not accounting for underlying motivations– the reason for this is because Pluto takes. It demands a pound of flesh. Take past and present losses as a sign that you are about to evolve, not that you are failing miserably, but also? If you do have some agency here, be wise with what you give up. Don't allow Pluto to eat away at your precious life force– let him take whatever is currently leeching onto you.
Love, love, love,
Your friendly neighborhood astrologer,
Katie