Jan 23, 2023 | by Daniel Giamario |
After an amazing weekend of stellar events – Uranus stationary direct resulting in all planets direct for 89 days, the Aquarian New Moon, and the strong Venus/Saturn conjunction – yet another auspicious event is unfolding in the Sunday and Monday evening skies.
The young crescent Moon joins Venus exactly at 2:13am PST early Monday morning, January 23, just after the Moon joins Saturn at 1:25am PST. The Moon and Venus join at 25Aquarius25, about 22degrees from the Sun.
With regards to visibility just after sunset, the bad news is that in North American skies, with the closest grouping happening Sunday evening, the really young Moon may be quite hard to spot. There will be much better luck during Monday evening twilight in North America, with a larger crescent Moon already past Venus, looking down on her from the upper left, and Saturn on the lower right. We will have way better luck over here in Asia on Monday evening with the Moon, Venus, and Saturn in a rather tight circle just after sunset.
In our astrological paradigm, this Moon/Venus conjunction is understood as opening the second gate (or portal) of the Evening Star portion of Venus’ Capricorn synodic overstory which began with her heliacal rise back on January 16, 2022, at 15Capricorn. Both Morning and Evening Star time-frames are about 260 days long, similar to the human gestation length.
This second gate is related to the second chakra, connected to Eros, passion, and a desire to manifest. The Evening Star phase occurs after the journey to the underworld (46 days, last year September 25 through December 1), subsequent to the experience of surrender and shamanic death and rebirth. That experience is often accompanied by feelings of powerlessness and deep grieving. The opening of the second gate – post initiation – signifies the retrieval and growing empowerment of the second chakra. Greater aliveness and increasing joy of creativity, as well as bodily pleasure can be experienced, especially if you are in a Venus return. The opening of the third gate comes February 22, 2023, just after the next New Moon.
These kinds of celestial events are perfect opportunities to connect directly with the archetypal energies of the planets and stars. You can then directly receive the messages, transmissions, and insights you desire. There is no better planetary agent for the bestowing of blessings than Evening Star Venus.
It always reminds me of the classic song “When You Wish Upon a Star”:
“When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you.
If your heart is in your dreams
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do.
Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true.”
For more information on the Venus synod and the Moon/Venus conjunctions, please refer to https://turningoftheages.com/a-shamanic-investigation-of-venus-and-mars/ where you will find a PDF of an article originally published in The Mountain Astrologer in 1997, reflecting key principles of the synodic cycle of Venus from the perspective of TOTAMS Astrology.