For the past few weeks, Venus (love, desire, money, and beauty) has been toasting champagne in chatty Gemini, a sign in which Planet Diamonds energises our flirty, social, and sapiosexual interests (the Twins are cerebral and ruled by intellectual Mercury). Thus a few indications of this Venus-in-Gem transit have been something like: spending and loving more freely, or being drawn to headier books on the complex cursive of desire (I’m thinking of you, A Lover’s Discourse by Roland Barthes).

But from July 17th to August 20th, lovely Venus moves into maternal Cancer, the sensitive cardinal water sign best personified perhaps by an image of mum, sitting at the kitchen table to help us process the latest drama with you know who. Ultimately, this transit will ask us to show love in a deeper way than flighty and lighthearted Venus-in-Gem. By extension, it will ask you to value inner beauty (in a partner or yourself).

Now, it could be said that you should always “value inner beauty.” And while that’s true, of course, there are particular transits that make doing so more feasible, possible, or desirable. And here’s the deeper point: one way to think about astrology is that it doesn’t dole out little platitudes (“value inner beauty”); instead it indexes moments when otherwise flat truisms might transubstantiate into something like a lived truth, just as when the dead letter of the law becomes animated by the spirit of it.

If that is a general tip for thinking about Astrology with a capital A, here are some smaller ones specifically related to this upcoming Venus-in-Cancer placement.

First, don’t stay caught up in the blinged-out Gemini version of instaVenus. We are entering into more of a forgiving Mom jeans transit, where, say, you look beyond your helpmate’s failed attempts to load the dishwasher correctly and see instead the inner beauty in the intention, results notwithstanding.

Because this transit involves Venus, it obviously has to do with romance but such romance could manifest through a bit of good old fashioned sentimentality. Fear not being a bit cheesy in the way you express your love now. Organise a date night more in line with the themes of Cancer–cooking, nurturing heart to heart talks, moonlit walks, sending love poems, watching romantic comedies (the incredible “Moonstruck,” starring Cher and Nicolas Cage at his pre-hair plugs height, is perfect for the Diana-ruled Crab).

In addition to love and romance, Venus is associated with money, so purchasing things of sentimental value is indicated over the next few weeks. Seeing that there is a nostalgic inclination to Cancer, consider rekindling old memories with your bae. Return to a favourite hotel, resort, or music festival where you first held hands and listened to pre-covid pop music about unbridled consumerism (Remember Ariana Grande’s“7 rings”? Alas).

In all honesty, though, Cancer is the homebody of the Zodiac. Unlike Venus-in-Gem, where Planet Love was encouraging us to suffuse rooms with perfume, this transit is all about being with those closest to us. Cancer is familial and happiest being proximate to places it knows best. Of course, the shadow side to this proximity is that the mothering nature of Cancer, intensified by Venus, could turn to smothering a helpmate with endless love. Make sure to get out of the house–gardens, picnics, open air markets, country trails–in order to balance potential for internal combustion that comes with too much affection.

As is always the case with a given transit, some signs will be feeling this one more than others. Scorpio and Pisces, both of which form helpful trines with the Crab, will be extra activated by this Venus placement aspecting their natal Suns. A trine is an always auspicious angle of 120 degrees between two planets on the Zodiac wheel. Further, trines are of the nature of gift-giving Jupiter, which always wants us to expand our hearts and horizons. In this instance, Scorpio and Pisces should be in a position to initiate more care for those close to them.

Taurus and Virgo, both earth signs, could also be feeling more cosmically nudged, as they receive a nice “sextile” aspect with Cancer. Sextiles (planets 60 degrees apart) are said to be of the nature of Venus, which means sextile energy is considered auspicious and harmonious. The Bull and Maiden should get a double Venusian aspect here–double care, double love. Taurus is also Venus-ruled, so it will be doubly (or triply) pleased with this placement.

Unlike Taurus and Virgo, conservative Capricorn, fellow earth sign, will be at loggerheads with Cancer, as the Goat receives an opposition to the Crab. Oppositions are of the nature of malefic Saturn, the planet of lack. For Capricorns, this Venus transit may be emphasising what you do not have, or where you might feel a hole in your heart or chart. However, Saturn energy is all about work, so now is a great time for Capricorns to focus on where they can put more effort or care into their relationships. What are Cap’s long term goals for love? Saturn is not into flakiness–and neither is Venus-in-Cancer.

Finally Aries and Libra make a square to the Crab. Squares are of the energy of bellicose Mars, meaning they are generally not good. Like passengers flying coach on a packed red-eye flight to La Guardia, squared planets get stressed and irritated with each other--there is no easy win that is available to either of them. That said, Libra is Venus-ruled, so its square will be softened somewhat by the balm of Planet Diamond Queen. But Aries? Aries is always causing trouble. This square could manifest in heated words and tensions, along with high emotions (Cancer) and libidinous desire (Aries square Venus), which isn’t so bad, come to think of it.

In terms of important dates to attend to over the course of this transit, Venus will square Jupiter-in-Aries on July 25th. This could very well be a day of enlarged or amplified feeling (Jupiter+Cancer) and combativeness (square+Aries). Jupiter also deals with law, Cancer with fertility and the maternal. Accordingly, given the current climate, heated exchanges around reproductive rights and motherhood could manifest. This day will be especially impactful for those born between the 28th of June and 3rd of July–or March 28th to April 3rd. This square will also energise those who have planets around 8 degrees of Cancer and Aries.

A less hectic day looks to be July 27th, when the Moon-in-Cancer conjuncts Venus. This is a milk and honey transit. The Moon loves to be home in the Crab, so sweetness and light is augured here. Enjoy this evening by watching “Moonstruck” with close friends, bae, or both. Trust me. This placement will be especially potent if you were born around the end of June/start of July or have planets at 10 degrees of Cancer.

And, finally, August 2nd. Mars (libido) sextiles Venus. (Just writing that sentence gets one somewhat atwitter). As we’ve seen, sextiles are of the nature of Venuss and they indicate harmony, meaning Mars will be less gruff, though ready for amour here. This is a great day for relationships–both in and out of the boudoir–especially if you were born around July 7th to 12th or around the 8th to 13th of May, or if you have planets around 18 degrees of Cancer or Taurus.

Mark these dates and enjoy this benefic placement. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pick out my outfit for this upcoming Venus/Mars sextile.

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