The archetypal expression that most accurately describes Venus in Aries is the Wild Warrior Amazon. However, back in 1995 a primary archetype Shamanic Astrology connected to Aries was the Wild Woman. What follows is an article I wrote in 2001 describing Venus in Aries from the perspective of the essence of the Wild Woman. Having Venus in Aries myself, I found myself identifying with the Wild Woman then and perhaps even more so now. Here is what I wrote then….
The definition of Wild in the case of the Wild Woman means: a natural, unrestrained life or state; occurring, growing or living in a natural state; intensely enthusiastic; amazing or extraordinary. The healthy Wild Woman lives from a place of pure innocence and knowing, unrestrained by the limiting rules and judgments of the current culture. She knows when she is connected to her inner sense of self or her true self, and from this place she spontaneously acts in a natural and supportive way. (See end of article for Special Venus Specific Sessions)
The Wild Woman enthusiastically seeks new adventures, exploring new territory, pioneering new ideas and committing to a cause she believes is worthy of her time. When healthy, the Wild Woman knows what she wants, who she is, how to listen to her own inner sense of knowing and how to respond to her true wants and needs.
She is whole and complete within herself and does not need anyone to know who she is. She knows herself through her own accomplishments and achievements, through her connection with nature, and through trusting what she knows instinctively. She is loyal to her beliefs, to her relationships and to her community, ready to protect what she knows to be the cosmic balance. She values her independence, her freedom, her ability to play, and her spontaneity. She is an adventurer, a Warrior Amazon, a leader, strong, courageous and trusting in her inner knowing and skill.
Fiercely courageous, she protects the birthing space for babies, new ideas, new concepts, and new visions. She does not need anyone to define who she is. She approaches life with wonder, curiosity and the simple trust of a child. She likes to be first, first in line, first to discover a new idea, first to win a race, first to try something new, first to boldly pioneer new territory. She is curious, adventuresome, and playful. She may or may not express in householder ways, but she will always need to have the freedom to express independence and strength.
Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D., was a huge success in 1993 during a Venus in Aries 19 month cycle. Clarissa explains how women have lost their connection with their inner Wild Woman and now yearn and long to remember their own wild essence while courageously operating from a true sense of self without fear.
What Does The Wild Aries Amazon Woman Really Want?
A children’s story by Gwen Gross in a book titled Knights of the Round Table describes what the Aries Woman wants most. In this story King Arthur and Sir Gawain encounter “Sir Malger of the Deadly Axe.” Sir Malger challenges King Arthur with a riddle. Arthur’s life depends upon him discovering the correct answer to the riddle, “What is it that women want most?”
Arthur has seven days to find the answer and he and Gawain asks every woman they meet. The answers are varied including beauty, love, wisdom, children, riches, adventure, and truth. Somehow Arthur knows none of these are the correct answer to the riddle.
On the seventh day Arthur and Gawain are returning to Sir Malger’s castle, when an old woman calls to them. She is horrible to see. Her skin is wrinkled and yellow, her teeth are jagged and she has a patch over one eye. She tells Arthur and Gawain she is Lady Ragnell and she knows the answer to the riddle. However, before sharing the answer Arthur must promise her marriage to one of his knights. Desperate to save his king, Gawain agrees to marry her. Lady Ragnell answers the riddle by saying; “What women want most is to have their own way!”
Arthur’s life is spared and Gawain marries Lady Ragnell. On their wedding night, Lady Ragnell asks Gawain to kiss her. He closes his eyes and gently kisses her and when he opens his eyes the most beautiful woman he has ever seen is sitting before him. He asks her who she is and she tells him she is Lady Ragnell and what he sees now is her TRUE self.
Sir Malger had placed her under an evil spell and Gawain had partially free her from the spell by marrying her and then kissing her. However, she tells Gawain to choose how he wants her to appear as she must return to her former horrible look either by day or by night according to his choice.
After some thought, Sir Gawain informs his bride that he cannot make this choice for her and she must choose for herself. By giving the choice back to Lady Ragnell Gawain freed her from the rest of the evil spell. Remember the riddle?
By letting her choose he had given her what a woman wants most. Her own way, her own choice, the ability to determine what was best for her! Lady Ragnell told Sir Gawain, “Now you have broken the spell forever! I need never take that monster shape again. I can be my true self – day, night, and always!”
Indeed, what the Aries woman most wants is to have her own way, so she can remember and be her true self. Our culture has defined certain roles for women and imposed those roles upon them, so it is difficult for women to remember what their own way is and how to live from their true authentic self. This Venus cycle then is an opportunity for the feminine principle to change that, first by noticing the ways she gives away her sense of self-knowing and self-direction, and then fully reclaiming those parts of herself.
It is easier for the young women growing up now as the old definitions are changing. When my own Venus in Aries daughter was two years old, she began teaching me about these mysteries. If I offered to help her get dressed she would take a deep breath, make herself as tall as possible, and with all the authority and strength she could muster she would shout “I do it myself” or “I do it my way.”
Now age 32 (at her fourth synodic Venus return) she is more than ever doing it herself and doing it her way with courage and confidence. She is a fierce warrior ready to uphold and defend the cosmic order of life at any moment. She is committed to being an athlete and helping others get and stay fit.
At age 24 she was committed to protecting our beautiful planet working with Green Peace and other environmental causes. Though she still deeply cares for the planet her focus now is on personal fitness and supporting others in experiencing that for themselves if they so choose.
It is wonderful to witness a freer more conscious awareness of this Aries energy showing up in our young women, because we truly need healthy feminine (and masculine) expressions of this energy to restore and maintain the natural order and balance of life.
Another definition of the Aries Archetype found in The Shamanic Astrology Handbook, describes Aries as the Goddess of Victorious Triumph and defender of the cosmic order. The Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet provides useful images helping us grasp these mysteries. Sekhmet is actively committed to upholding and maintaining the law of Maat (sacred cosmic law). In some versions of Sekhmet’s story she is the daughter of Ra, the feminine eye of the Sun, sent to Earth by Ra to restore balance and order among the people, through the principle of destruction and transformation. Sekhmet is derived from Sekhem, an ancient Egyptian word meaning “power”. Thus, Sekhmet carries the power to transform through action.
The heliacal rise of Venus near Spring Equinox was viewed by the ancient Sumerians as the Venus cycle worthy of ceremonailly celebrating as a culture every eight years. Venus rose in Aries on April 8, 1993 and then again April 5, 2001 and April 3, 2009. The next heliacal rise of Venus is March 31, 2017. One way the Sumerians honored this Venus cycle that occurred every eight years was to re-enact the Inanna story, symbolizing the mythic representation of Venus and her journey. This celestial event suggests this is an important timing for remembering and working with the mysteries of death, resurrection, rebirth and ascension, all contained within the story of Inanna and the story of Christ.
Venus, radiant and shining Queen of Heaven, brightest of the visible planets, rises as Morning Star on March 31, 2017. She stations direct on April 15, 2017 and moves through the first Gate into the underworld on April 23, 2017 when she makes her first conjunction with the waning Moon in the morning sky releasing her crown symbolizing the crown chakra.
I am offering special Venus Specific readings for those in their eight year Venus return (if you are turning 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88, 94, 102 between March 31, 2017 and Nov 1, 2018 you are in your 8 year Venus return now!) with special information about how to work with this ceremonially over the next year and half. More information is on my website. And you don’t have to be in your Venus Return to get a Venus Specific Reading…these sessions are also valuable for anyone desiring to work more consciously with the Venus cycle and to learn about how it all works before you go into your next Venus Return.
Another option is to join Tami Brunk and me in our next Venus Alchemy Ceremonial journey celebrating and engaging each step of the Venus Cycle. These classes have been life changing for many.