Sneaky Schadenfreude

...On the Venus/Mars conjunction

There are two ideas that come to mind when I think of the union between Venus and Mars: the birth of Harmonia and the shade cast over status as a result.  We often think of the union of opposites—that great alchemical notion of Coincidentia oppositorum—when the two come together, often forgetting the drama surrounding them.  When the two come together, it's not just divine skin rolling around in celestial leaves, it's also lies, deceit, and the inevitable consequences.  How we carry ourselves along this forever road strewn with arrows from another child, defines the way we keep our dignity intact.

Tomorrow, Venus and Mars will come together in the morning sky (6º57' Aquarius).  The last one was in March of 22' alongside Russia's invasion and the next with be in Jan of 26'.  It's a rare conjunction, one that we should not ignore or have static around our understanding of it. It can happen in the morning sky or the evening or no sky at all.  This matters.

Not long ago, Mars became visible in the morning sky.  Toes pointing in his love’s direction, he had already picked up the call for adventure and needed to visit her before stepping beyond the 'ordinary world.'  Planets who greet the day before the Sun carry a youthful energy.  Novelty and wide open plains of potential unfold in front of them.  In this greenery, there is also folly.  As is clearly seen with their affair and how it is told in Greco-Roman mythology. Which, strange as it is, seems to have an impact on us. The status lost to both of them was immense. We all can relate to a part of the story.

There are many consequences for the sin of adultery, yet among the highest on the list is the loss of status.  For the Greeks, there was the idea of klaos—an undefeated glory—that lived on beyond their passing; everything was done to keep that intact and to grow it.  For us, we don't have such a fancy word, but as humans, we still have the experience.  Whether it's this act or another, the loss of our status in our family, with our friends, at work, wherever it may be can feel like the end of the game.  Then to add the schadenfreude perpetually poisoning us from all directions—on and offline—, it's just enough motivation to maybe avoid the mistakes in the first place.

This is all to say, we don't always think clearly when the two come together.  Mars can be impatient, Venus skilled in persuasion, and the magnetic pull is just too damn strong. It's important to note: this is not always romantic or sexually orientated.  It's a dynamic interplay within us at all times.  How ethical or moral we become in life depends on the rules that both we and thee set around what actions are socially sanctioned.  It's a dance and the tune is constantly changing.

The Chandra Symbol for 7 Aquarius is compelling as always. Here is what Elias Lonsdale says of it:

AQUARIUS 7

A woman burning a book of black magic.

Karma works by indirection. We draw to ourselves what we previously activated and as it comes back, we curse the reflection. Such gestures multiply. They gather force and momentum. And soon we have fixed ideas about what is pulling us back and what is carrying us forward. Before you know it, you have become partisan, taking up this side against this other side, swept up in the drama. And you even become sure in your mind that whole segments of existence are bad and terrible and must be renounced completely. Yet you are making a self-commentary in where your mind has led you, and there must come a point in the journey when the mind strips away its disguise and you know once again that all is of God, that all is toward the good, and nothing can ever harm you, unless you insist upon it.

...this echoes a theme I touched on with my writing on Monday. "...before you know it, you have become partisan..." That's it.  We are there.  Whoever the woman is burning the book matters not.  We have arrived in Bradbury's nightmare, again.  It's not any old witch-hunt either.  This one is modern and digital and clever.  AI is involved!  And so, when we find ourselves relishing in the pains of others, not only have we fallen into the most dangerous trap of all, but we have become part of the problem.  How to float above the rabble and remain politically non-binary, yet informed, is the true wizardry we must be after. What an image.

So, will this conjunction bring the heat—either in your heart or the bedroom? Sure.  But like with all things astrological: it depends.  Find it in your chart.  Is it Vulcan's trap you find there or the birth of Harmony herself? It will depend often on how much we engage with schadenfreude.  Whether it's the Red King or the gods themselves, our X or on X, we must beware of this poison.  We always have a choice to engage or keep to ourselves.  It's a conjunction with chivalry and decency braided tight in an ancient way at its core. How many licks will it take to get there?

Facts:

Venus conjunct Mars; Feb 22nd, 24' (6º57'Aquarius)

Eudaimonia,

Adam

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