A Natal Example: Fabienne’s Venus & Jupiter

As a first example, let’s look at natal interpretation: two planets in a single person’s birth chart. Fabienne has one planet (Venus) in a water sign and another planet (Jupiter) in an air sign. To compare water and air, let’s look at the key words for water signs and those for air signs. Let’s group some of the words in a way that highlights the most obvious differences between these two elements. We might, for example, group them like this:

You could certainly group them in other ways, too. There’s nothing magical or ideal about this grouping.

By pondering these differences, we can get a feel for how the planets could drive each other crazy. From Fabienne's point of view, we can get a sense of what she might experience, like an argument in her head. We can also gain some understanding of how Fabienne might harness the energy of both planets in a positive, creative way.

An Argument in One's Head

From the standpoint of Fabienne’s Venus in water, she needs to delve into emotionally complex territory. She needs to talk about subjects that bring up strong, very personal feelings, to swim in the waters of imagination and intuition. For Fabienne to relate pleasurably to another person, the two of them must make themselves emotionally vulnerable to each other. For this to be manageable, they’ll need to approach each other with sensitivity, compassion, and tenderness.

From the standpoint of Fabienne’s Jupiter in air, she needs to form social and intellectual connections with others such that they’re like thunderbolts of electricity passing through the air. Exploring intellectual concepts and starting social systems, without getting bogged down in messy emotional involvement, is what feeds her faith in life and in herself. Her enthusiasm and expansiveness runs on abstract thinking, reasoning, logic and cooperation—not passion or any other emotional fuel.

In Fabienne’s mind, these planets could act like two voices, going round and round about their respective agendas. Venus wants to swim in the sea, Jupiter wants to soar through the air, and neither wants to accommodate the other. Fabienne’s sense of optimism and joy in life (her Venus and Jupiter) is at stake. Does this mean she’s stuck at a permanent impasse, or with two forces that lead each other to act in excessive pleasure-seeking ways?

Not necessarily. She might, for example, consider…

Windsurfing

Windsurfing can serve as a metaphorical image for getting Fabienne's two planets to work together. It takes both air (like Jupiter in Libra) and water (like Venus in Scorpio) to windsurf. It takes effort and practice, but ultimately it can be a lot of fun.

Before "hitting the surf" together, Jupiter and Venus will need to find a way to talk to each other. Let's listen in on one possible conversation...

Jupiter in air could say to Venus in water, "Hey, we can have more fun and life can be better if we talk about what's going on in our lives.” That's Jupiter's typical message: that the present can be improved upon. “Let's compare notes. I can give you my take on something, and you can give me your take on it. It can be like a rousing volley in tennis, except we don't have to exert ourselves!"

If Jupiter doesn't act pompous or reckless about it, then Venus just might warm up to the idea, and this could keep Venus from becoming too isolated. After all, Venus wants pleasant connections with others, and the only way to get those is to interact.

In turn, Venus in water could say to Jupiter in air, "I know you get a lot out of simply being with others, sharing experiences and ideas, and I'm not saying you should stop doing that by any means.”  That's Venus, being tactful.

“But everyone--even you, mighty Jupiter--needs some time for reflection, to tune into what you're feeling, not just what you're thinking. Like everybody, you probably had some emotionally wounding experiences along the way. If you tell me about about some of those, I can help you make more sense of your life. It doesn't have to be a downer.” Neither Venus nor Jupiter likes negativity.

“I can soothe you with a heartfelt hug. I can light some candles that I collected in my travels to mystical foreign places. And we can look at how you might transmute the yucky old stuff into liberating, healing experiences." This can appeal to Jupiter's interest in freedom.

Venus can be kind, and Jupiter can be benevolent, so if Fabienne acts carefully, she could draw on both of these planets in a positive way. Remember, these planets  represent parts of the same person. Together they could help Fabienne provide others with  visionary, mystical ideas or social programs and a therapeutic touch, to help them find the hopefulness that lies hidden in old pain. Venus and Jupiter want life to be pleasant if not ideal, and when these two planets are connected like they are here, being disappointed (or expecting to be disappointed) can be a hazard. But if Fabienne gives and receives ideas and affection with a variety of people, loving on a “universal level,” this can help her enjoy social interactions without expecting too much from any one connection.

The more Fabienne finds common outlets for her Venusian wateriness and her Jupiter airiness, the less stress she'll feel within herself. She’ll be more satisfied. She’ll feed both her need for deep sensitive connections (her Venus) and her need for horizon-expanding, upbeat collaboration or social activity (her Jupiter).

© Brian Habit - The Proud Phoenix, 2004
(All Rights Reserved)