Venus in Aquarius January 2023: What to expect from the lunation

WORDS Clarisse Monahan PHOTOGRAPHY Unsplash PUBLISHED Fri, 30 Dec 2022 - 1:30 pm

We all have that wonderful friend who gets along with everyone, except our partner. We watch this bestie dazzle at the New Year’s Eve party with stories that manage to be both narratively elaborate, yet somehow pithy. But then, when our BFF meets up with our help-mate at the eggnog bowl, the only words awkwardly uttered are something like: “Yummy drink. Is that nutmeg in it…or…?”

This scene basically describes how Venus gets along with all the other planets, save stern Saturn. Unfortunately, from January 3rd until January 27th, we’ve got Venus – 'Planet Diamonds' – in cold Aquarius, our Saturn-ruled fixed air sign. Romance might feel a bit on ice over the next few weeks. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Of all the signs, Aquarius needs the most space. True, Aries is self-interested, but it still wants to be with others, if only to argue with them. Ultimately, the Ram is a social, albeit somewhat uncouth, dinner guest. Aquarius, on other hand, likes to pretend it’s into abstract things like Humanity, but secretly uses that ruse to hang out alone Sunday afternoons rather than heading to the anti-government protests.

The independence of Aquarius is clearly at loggerheads with Venus, the planet that always looks to get cosy. Indeed, Planet Love functions to join people, places, and things. Some signs help facilitate this cosiness more than others. Venus-in-Pisces transits, for example, are all about mystical unions, in that both the Fishes and Venus tend toward togetherness. Venus is our cosmic glue. Pisces makes it even more sticky.

But with Aquarius, it’s a bit more oil and water. While Venus doesn't hate being in the Waterbearer (Venus only wants to bring love, after all), we are always going to get a somewhat muted version of Planet Diamonds, when it transits through this sign. As an example of how this might look, we can think about someone’s natal chart with a prominent Venus-in-Aquarius placement. These people are drawn to intellectual types who stand apart in some way. They tend to be less attracted to dramatic or emotionally volatile partners. Instead, they are drawn toward a sapiosexual energy: erotic charge through intellectual union. And they are disinclined to sentimental displays of affection.

This little Venus-in-Aquarius character sketch might give some hints about what to expect over the next few weeks for us, concerning romance and what turns us on. How might we align with this energy more specifically?

1. CLEARING THE AIR

Because Aquarius is a fixed air sign ruled by serious Saturn, this isn’t a time for wishy-washy romantic entanglements. If you’ve got your hands in too many cookie jars, you could be wanting fewer snacks. This might be due to the fact that there is a clarifying power to Aquarius–it separates the boys from the men. Remember, too, that Saturn is about commitment, so romance might become less about playing hide-and-go-seek at recess and more about finding a study-buddy for anatomy class. Fixity rather than frivolity. At the same time, this transit could be even more extreme than that: you may feel like you need space (Aquarius) from any kind of erotic tug-of-war this January. Clarity around romance–or distance from it entirely–are both indications of this Venus-in-Aquarius jaunt.

2. FINDING THE FRIEND ZONE

If we are needing our Aquarian space over the next few weeks, it would do us well to recall here that the Waterbearer is associated with friendships, social networking, and community. Rather than being romantically involved with anyone, we may desire instead to exist more in an all-encompassing friend zone with everyone. If you’re more focused on friends (or your online community), don’t resist this cosmic pull. Be forewarned, however: because Venus is always looking to connect people through love, this aspect could betoken finding romance through a friend or becoming involved with one.

3. GETTING ARTSY

Aquarius is one of the “humane” signs (meaning not bestial or ruled by a 4-footed animal). As such, there is a certain elegance to it. Whereas Sagittarius is always torn between its philosophical side and its beastly lower half, Aquarius exists wholly in its head. With Venus in the picture, expect to be more aroused by intellectual conversation. You could also experience an intensified love of learning (Venus+Aquarius) or desire to be around beautiful objects (Venus rules over beauty). Go on a date to a museum and discuss diasporic agency in Vietnamese American photography, for example. In other words, engage the sapiosexual valances of this transit.

While this Venus-in-Aquarius placement is short, it nonetheless contains a date that indicates something long lasting. On the 23rd of January, Venus will meet Saturn in the sky. Symbolically, this union suggests Love (Venus) and Longevity (Saturn) joining hands. Some astrological dates are for tom-foolery and fun. Not this one. Ultimately, Venus conjunct Saturn portends commitment, investing in something that you want to last, be that a person, a place, or a thing. Use the 23rd to commit to something you desire, rather than merely desiring it.