Mercury and Venus are two planets whose energies works together to help us in our ability to make decisions. In the zodiac, they are never too far apart as their orbits are closer to the Sun. Very often, in fact, they are in the same sign and conjunct. At times it seems like they are inseparable and their energies are very synergistic towards each other. In Vedic Astrology, they are known to be mutual friends towards each other which means that each’s natural characteristics and qualities complements those of the other. Now let’s look at how they work together.
The Synergy of Mercury & Venus
Whereas Venus is the planet representative of valuation, Mercury is the planet of evaluation. Venus weighs the wants and needs of an individual in relation to an item to assign value and worth. Mercury measures all the tangible qualities and all the possible angles to assess something’s value. These two energies work very synergistically in helping one to arrive at the best possible conclusion. Mercury can help one to see all the potential variables and assess the best possible course of action. Venus can then help to decide whether or which option suits them best by finding the one they will find the most comfort with. Mercury is like an accountant who crunches the numbers and looks at all the cold, hard facts. Venus operates more like an art enthusiast who finds value by appreciating beauty and seeing meaning where it is not clearly stated. Together they cover all the possible bases of helping to make decisions in life.
Unfortunately, this week both of these planets’ natural abilities will be cloaked with inhibition and limitation. Therefore, this is not the time to assess new paths in life nor expect the examination of such to bring about trusted results. It is a time of making do with what one has to work with and not spending too much time trying to make changes. That time will come, but now is a time of surrender.
Wave the White Flag
Surrender is the key, especially when discussing Mercury. The mercurial energy is that of wanting to explore and with this process discovering the best possible route to take. It is about constantly wanting to improve because it understands there is always a better way out there. It is a somewhat restless energy, but it can also lead to breakthroughs and new ways of understanding.
It is this incessant and pressing energy of Mercury that will be getting held at bay this week. And it is Saturn who we have to thank for this because of its full special aspect that it is casting upon Mercury. This particular aspect of Saturn’s is one that is exclusive and not mutual at all. This means that we only get the effect of Saturn upon Mercury and not the reverse, which would be more beneficial.
What this means is that Saturn is going to suspend, inhibit, and limit Mercury’s ability to explore its options. Saturn’s energy is restrictive in the sense that Saturn only wants to work with that which it has at its avail and not to explore out of the box. Saturn is about old things and working with things that are worn down. It inhibits new growth. Mercury is not necessarily about new growth, though, inasmuch as it is about researching all the available options. This process becomes very limited when the only options available are the ones that it has already explored or are in constant usage.
What will likely occur during this time is that one will tend to be more indecisive as they feel that they just don’t have enough information to arrive at an accurate decision or that they aren’t capable of trusting their information. It can also present itself in the fashion of being too rash or impulsive and creating further problems because of not wanting to look at the other options out there. Either way, it’s like having blinders on or being inhibited by one’s blind spots. At this time the best thing to do very well may be to just wait for the information to come and not to be either too impulsive nor dwell in a space of indecisiveness. Again, surrendering to the reality of the situation and accepting it as it is for now is the best remedy.
The Dilemma of Venus
At this time we also have Venus becoming conjunct Ketu to the exact degree. When a planet is conjunct Ketu (the south node of the Moon), this shows us that this planet represents something that has been utilized in the past and there is now a yearning to go in the opposite direction that is indicated. With Venus in Capricorn it is about finding comfort in the way things have been. It’s about settling into a comfort zone with established patterns and routines that work. However, with Ketu conjunct Venus at this time, it brings about a sort of restlessness with this established pattern where things just feel like they need to change—like it’s somehow not working for the individual anymore and has become too restricting. It’s like there’s a pressing inhibition where one feels stifled by being stuck in these old patterns and now there is a desire to somehow break out of this.
To further understand the effects of Ketu, we need to look to where Rahu (the north node of the Moon) is posited and that is in the sign of Cancer. With Rahu in Cancer, this indicates wanting to open up to new ways of adapting to a changing environment. It’s about feeling drawn almost impulsively to diving into foreign experiences and circumstances that one is not comfortable nor familiar with.
On a mental level, this is all about realizing the solutions that one needs to meet are to be done by thinking outside the box. However, the thing about Rahu is that it brings about fear and uncertainty because of this lack of familiarity in this area of life. It’s a paradox of becoming restless with what one has become comfortable with and yearning to break free from this, but not being certain of where to go or of being reluctant to find a new direction because of the prospect of incurring unexpected problems.
What Can You Do?
With this in mind, the processes that I would recommend during this time are that of meditation and/or whatever one’s spiritual practices may be. In fact, Ketu with Venus in Vedic Astrology is known to have a somewhat mystical connotation attached to it as well. This makes it all the better to turn one’s gaze internally instead of trying to engage in the paradoxical conundrum that this energy brings about. So, let your higher Self guide you and let go of the need to figure things out externally. The way forward will present itself in due time. Diving inward and opening oneself up to potential mystical experience will be most beneficial. Besides, if one wants to break out of the box, doesn’t it make more sense to know what actually lies inside?
