The Venus Cycle is an approx. 2.5 year cycle (584 days) that tracks Venus through her incarnations as Morning and Evening star. She goes through 2 sets of 7 (or eight) conjunctions with the Moon (one set as the Morning Star, another set as the Evening Star), then she goes Retrograde and disappears. About 2-3 weeks later, she reappears and rises once again.
The myth of Inanna (also known as Venus or Aphrodite) as told in ancient Sumeria is a reflection of this Journey of the planet Venus through the sky, meeting up with the Moon 7 (or eight) times and then descending into the Underworld where she dies and is resurrected. In the myth, Inanna leaves her home and her role as Queen of Heaven to travel to the Underworld to comfort her grieving sister. She abandons Heaven and Earth and her office of Holy Priestess to descend to the Underworld to attend the funeral and support her sister.
Venus must pass through 7 (or eight) Gates and at each Gate she is asked to give up some symbol of her power – bracelet, necklace, ring, scepter, crown, breast-plate. Inanna knew this journey could be dangerous, so before she left she told her servant Ninshubar (Mercury): “If I do not return, Set up a lament for me by the ruins. Beat the drum for me in the assembly places. Circle the houses of the gods. Go to Enlil (the god of air) and ask for help. If he does not help, then go to Nanna (the moon god) and beseech his assistance. If he refuses, then go to Eridu, to the temple of Enki, the God of Wisdom, who knows the food of life. He knows the water of life. He knows the secrets. Surely he will not let me die.”
Each of the Gates Venus must pass through represents a way we express ourselves in the world that no longer serves us. Finally at the 7th gate she is stripped of her robe and vestments so that she stands naked and bowed, humbled. At the 8th Gate (if there is one) she is asked to set her pure intent to die to her old self so that she may be granted permission to enter the underworld.
The 2007-2009 Cycle is significant for anyone turning a multiple of eight – the ages of 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 72, 80, 88, 96, etc. – from August 24, 2007 to April 5, 2009, as this marks the 8-year personal Synodic Venus Return.
August 13, 2007 – Venus meets up with the Sun in the Underworld (Interior Conjunction with the Sun) for about 12 days. “She is going into Council with the Sun and with the Planets that join her (in this case, Mercury and Saturn, both in Leo). She has disappeared from the sky. This means that the Goddess has descended to the Underworld to renew herself in the Light of the Sun. Her backwards and inward retrograde motion calls for a re-evaluation, coming deeper into the Heart of the Rose.” (M. Kelly Hunter http://www.heliastar.com) The Goddess is convening off the world stage (an unconscious process for us). This is Sacred Time.
August 25, 2007 – Venus Rises from the Underworld as the Morning Star (Heliacal Rise – she rises with the Sun). She reappears in the Morning Sky with a new agenda for how we communicate (Mercury) our feminine side and how we build our world (Saturn) in a more balanced way that honors the feminine.
September 8, 2007 – Venus’ backward motion (Retrograde) ends and she starts to move forward (Stations Direct), bringing forward what she has learned from her brief Council meeting. This new-found wisdom begins to become conscious to us now.
VENUS AS MORNING STAR, THEME OF THE 2007–2009 MORNING STAR CYCLE:
According to the work of Miguel Sague – a Taino Elder and founder/leader of the Caney
Indian Spiritual Circle in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania – the Mayan theme of this particular
Morning-Star cycle of the 584-day Venus round is the Mayan Glyph known as CIB, the
warrior OWL. This Mayan myth in ‘The Popul Vuh,’ tells the story of the heroic Twins
(representing the dual nature of Humanity) being tested by the Lords of Darkness. For
this particular task they are locked up in a room all night long while at the same time
being required to provide a basket of flowers by morning – or meet their death. This is
one in a long series of challenges presented to the Twins in their visit to the Underworld.
Miguel writes: “The Twins were watched carefully lest they sneak into the royal garden
and purloin the royal flowers in their full bloom. The night creature (Owl) stands guard
over the precious blossoms in the garden of the Evil Lords so that the Divine Twins will
not be able to succeed in the impossible task set before them by the Negative Ones
between games. How can they present the Lords of Negativity with a basket-full of
flowers in the morning if they are locked up in a room all night long?” The Twins are
victorious because they enlist the aid of another bird of the night: the Bat.
Miguel says that the questions to ask ourselves during this cycle are: Will I find a way to
get access to the flowers of life in the forbidden garden? (The flowers represent the gifts
of the Underworld and can only be accessed if we completely surrender.) Or will I arise
in the morning empty-handed and defeated? Will I be able to rise with the morning sun
bearing the Morning Star petals, or just a failure?
Here we are asked to contemplate the lengths to which we are willing to go in order to
create real change in our lives. Will we visit the Underworld and still not learn anything
from it, or will be surrender our old ways of being and bloom like a flower, receiving
gifts that were hidden within our Shadow?
And so, Venus’ Journey of Letting-Go Begins. She will have 7 (or eight) conjunctions with the Moon, each conjunction symbolizing one of the 7 (or eight) chakras. This is her descent back into the Underworld. The Journey will take 7 (or eight) months – one Moon conjunction per month. (Note: When she reaches the Underworld at that time, she will stay for 90 days.)
At each Moon conjunction, Venus is asked to let go of some form of Power, represented by the chakra that corresponds to that conjunction. In the end, she must let go of everything – be stripped bare – in order to be admitted to the ultimate realm of transformation. She can take nothing with her, no props; and her identity must be broken down to the zero-point so that it can reborn in a form that better serves. As Venus takes her Journey, we journey with her. We also are asked to let go of habits, beliefs, patterns and identities that keep us from our true expression of our Highest Self. Since this cycle is about the Mysteries of Leo, in particular we are being asked to anchor all of our actions, words and thoughts in the Heart.
September 8, 2007 – THE FIRST GATE – The Gate of Authority – Crown Chakra (Leo) – Venus surrenders the Shugurra, the Crown of the Steppe, symbolizing her being stripped of her connection to her Godhood, her connection to Heaven. Because this conjunction is in the sign of Leo, ask yourself: how is my Heart not aligned to my connection with Spirit? Am I clinging to old beliefs or dogma and judgment that keep me from loving service? Do I see myself as a Holy Child of God and, as such, radiate self-love? Do I lead others as I radiate self-esteem?
October 7, 2007 – THE SECOND GATE – The Gate of Perception – Third Eye Chakra (Leo) – The lapis measuring rod and line are removed from Venus’ hand (or in other versions of the story she surrenders the small lapis bead earrings she was wearing). She is stripped of her sense of Magic and Ability to Manifest. Because this conjunction is in the also in the sign of Leo, ask yourself: how is my Heart shut-down and thus blocking me from creating abundantly and standing in the Flow? How do I block or ‘pinch off’ the The Beloved Infinite that is always flowing to me and through me? How can I create from the Heart? How can lead others to live from the Heart?
November 5, 2007 – THE THIRD GATE – The Gate of Communication – Throat Chakra (Virgo) – Venus surrenders the double-stranded beads around her neck, releasing all the ways she no longer communicated the Truth and Authenticity of her being. Because this conjunction is in the sign of Virgo, ask yourself: what patterns of communication keep me from true communion with my friends, family and colleagues? How can I make my speech Sacred and Holy? In what ways can I used my gifts of communication as a part of dedication to The Sacred Work?
December 5, 2007 – THE FOURTH GATE – The Gate of Compassion – Heart Chakra (Libra) – The breastplate called “Come, man, come!” is removed from Venus’ chest, symbolizing her emotional heart and the release of all the ways she no longer truly loved herself. Because this conjunction is in the sign of Libra, ask yourself: is my heart shut down, blocking me from conscious, equal partnership? Are there ways that I deny my own Truth and allow another’s truth (or the truth of the collective) to control me?
January 5, 2008 – THE FIFTH GATE – The Gate of Personal Power – Solar Plexus Chakra (Sagittarius, near the fixed star Antares, the Heart of the Scorpion) – Venus must remove the Golden hip girdle (or in other versions of the story, the gold ring around her wrist); and she is stripped of all the ways she had tried to have power over others or had given her power away. Because this conjunction is in the sign of Sagittarius and near Antares, the Heart of the Scorpion, it brings our attention to especially intense power issues and connections to the Heart in our lives. In our culture in particular, we are surrounded with rampant misuse of power and the resulting corruption of the Heart. Ask yourself: do I compromise my Heart and Soul in order to ‘get along’ in the institutions and corporations of the world? Am I complicit with unethical activities within these organizations? How am I misusing power in my personal life? If I have lost my Power, how can I take it back?
February 4, 2008 – THE SIXTH GATE – The Gate of Creativity – the Sacral Chakra (Capricorn) – Venus’ ankle bracelets are removed and she is stripped of all the ways she no longer truly values herself. Because this conjunction is in the sign of Capricorn, ask yourself: What is the state of my connection with the earth? Am I interacting with nature, the material world & all things earthly in a healthy manner? How am I structuring my life in ways that honor or dishonor the earth? Am I stepping up to the plate as an ‘elder’ when needed?
March 5, 2008 – SEVENTH GATE – The Gate of Manifestation – Root Chakra (Aquarius) – The royal robe – also referred to as the Garment of Ladyship – is removed, stripping Venus of her Life-Force energy. Because this conjunction is in the sign of Aquarius, ask yourself: Am I free to express myself creatively or have I allowed myself to be ‘in bondage’ to sources of creative blocks? How do I block my visionary creations, those parts of myself that are ‘on the fringe’ or cutting-edge of my culture and community? Am I willing to channel or ‘download’ information from cosmic, celestial and galactic sources in order to help Humanity to move forward? Am I too emotionally detached from Humanity, or am I too attached to what other people think of my ‘avant-garde’ creations?
April 4, 2008 – EIGHTH GATE – The Gate of ‘Death by Intent’ – Earth Star Chakra, below the feet (Pisces) – NOTE: We don’t always have an 8th Gate. Daniel Giamario, founder of Shamanic Astrology, calls this Gate the ‘Death by Intent’ Gate. Since the Seventh Gate is associated with the Root Chakra (Life-Force energy), the 8th Gate is one step beyond the Root Chakra. It could be likened to our deepest earth or “Underworld” connection, or to the Earth Star Chakra beneath our feet. It takes us one step further into the depths of surrender.
The 8th Gate is a time for releasing ALL attachments that life must be a certain way and surrendering to the transformative process of shamanic death and rebirth. Because this conjunction is in the sign of Pisces, ask yourself: Am I aware of the Oneness of all Creation? Do I realize that I am connected to everything, or am I living in a state of unconscious separation? Am I living in THE NOW? Do I make time in my life to experience ecstatic, mystical and empathic Union with Humanity and God? Do I meditate? Do I volunteer to help those less fortunate than me, whether by money or time? Where am I on the Path to becoming the ideal of the compassionate Bodhisattva like Quan Yin, the fountain of Compassion? Am I spending too much of my time in Spiritual Practice and not enough time in reality? Do I ‘escape’ reality through drugs, alcohol or mood-altering addictions of any kind (food, sex, work, computers and internet, television, shopping)? Because this Gate is associated with total shamanic death and rebirth, the energies of Pisces are very powerful here. We must examine where we are on our Path back to re-merging with the Godhead.
NOTE: If you are looking back on these dates, think about what you were doing around the time when each of the Gates opened. Did you have any breakthroughs? Did issues suddenly rear their head for you to face and resolve? What was going on in your life during that time? Analyze the entire month associated with each conjunction. If you keep a journal, look back to those dates.
May 1, 2008 – Venus descends into the Underworld for 90 days (Exterior Conjunction with the Sun). This is a much longer visit to the depths of her being. She disappears from the sky and – along with her – we begin to operate from unconscious drives, responding on deep levels (off the world stage of ordinary reality) to the need for release and reconfiguration of all of the issues described above.
As mentioned above, the ancient Sumerian myth of Inanna was a symbolic representation of the 584-day Venus cycle. We look to this ancient story which describes Venus’ 90-day experience in the Underworld (the following was sourced and written by Cayelin Castell): And thus Inanna arrived in the Underworld, stripped bare of all her garments of protection that no longer served her. Naked and bowed low, Inanna entered the throne room. Erishkegal, her sister, rose from her throne – jealous of Inanna’s place as Highest Queen of Heaven and judging of the ways that Inanna had misused her powers. The judges of the Underworld surrounded Inanna. They passed judgment against her, and Erishkegal fastened on Inanna the Eye of Death.
Erishkegal spoke against Inanna the word of wrath. She uttered against her the cry of guilt. She struck her. Inanna was turned into a corpse, a piece of rotting meat, and was hung from a hook on the wall.
After three days passed, Ninshubar hastened to the gods as instructed, but Enlil (the god of air) and Nanna (the moon god) refused to intervene. Enki (god of wisdom and water) however, consented to help. He created two emissaries from the dirt beneath his fingernails and gave them instructions and sent them into the Underworld. These two beings did not confront Erishkegal in a power struggle for Inanna. Instead they listened to Erishkegal’s moans. They heard her pain, the pain behind her jealousy and judgment of her sister… and they named it back to her. This is the action of Wisdom. This is the action that heals depression when our hidden pain is named and honored.
When Erishkegal felt relief from her pain, she offered Enki’s creatures anything they desired and they requested Inanna’s corpse. Then they revived Inanna by sprinkling the water and food of life on her dead body sixty times. Inanna awoke and began her departure back through the seven gates collecting her vestments and claiming a new healthier relationship with them all.
July 15, 2008 – Venus Rises from the Underworld as the Evening Star. She will now pass through all the Gates (in reverse) picking up her mantles of Power and living each facet of her identity in a new, more evolved manner. She will renew herself in ways that better serve her, and all of Humanity.
VENUS AS EVENING STAR, THEME OF THE 2007-2009 VENUS MORNING STAR CYCLE:
According to the work of Miguel Sague – a Taino Elder and founder/leader of the Caney
Indian Spiritual Circle in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania – the Mayan theme of this particular
Morning-Star cycle of the 584-day Venus round is the Mayan Glyph known as IK or
WIND. In the ongoing tests given to the Divine Twins (representatives of the two sides
of each of us), this test involves the element of Wind. Miguel writes: “Between games,
the Lords of Negativity locked the Divine Twins in a chamber filled with terrible frigid
wind. The awful bone-numbing pain was an unbearable expression of their ultimate
exposed vulnerability. What leaves me exposed and shivering?”
As Venus begins her ascent back up from the Underworld, we are reminded of what a
humbling experience it is to face the Shadow experience and surrender to a Power
Greater than Ourselves. No wonder our ‘little selves’ resist it! This process reveals our
deep pain; and reminds us how vulnerable we are as Humans. We come into this world
as helpless infants and are dependent on our caregivers to help us to feel safe and
loved. Often they fall short of this task. So in this process we see how our pain comes
from feeling exposed, abandoned and not Loved – dating back to childhood and even
past lives. The ultimate goal of the Journey to the Underworld is to realize that we ARE
Loved and that all of our mis-creations are simply a misunderstanding of this Truth.
And we will come to see that any and all distorted aspects of our psyche are defenses
against our fear of Trusting Spirit and our fellow Humans to Love, sustain and support
us in life. We are asked to open up to that Love now.
And so, Venus ascends, returning to the Heavens and reclaiming her place as Queen of Heaven and Earth. But now she has the knowledge and experience of pain and darkness, having experienced them for herself. The Wisdom that originally orchestrated her descent into the Underworld, also arranged her return.
Venus will again experience 7 (or eight) conjunctions with the Moon as she travels through the Evening Sky. At each conjunction or Gateway she will pick up a facet of her power that she had to relinquish in order to gain access to the fertile land of the Underworld. She retrieves her power in way that better serves her, and thus all others.
August 2, 2008 – Venus returns through the FIRST GATE – The Gate of Manifestation – Root Chakra (Leo) – which had been the last gate she passed through on her way into the Underworld. She retrieves her royal robe or Garment of Ladyship and reclaims the healthy potency of her own Life-Force expression. Because this conjunction is in the sign of Leo, Venus now realizes that living from the Heart of herself, the Heart of God and the Heart of Earth is the true way to express Life-Force energy.
September 1, 2008 – Venus returns through the SECOND GATE – The Gate of Creativity – Sacral Chakra (Libra) – She retrieves her ankle bracelets symbolizing a renewed and healthy connection to her value and self-worth. Because this conjunction is in the sign of Libra, Venus here learns that she is a precious and valuable soul and that only by bringing this sense of value to her relationships will these relationships be conscious and equal partnerships.
October 1, 2008 – Venus returns through the THIRD GATE – The Gate of Personal Power – Solar Plexus Chakra (Scorpio) – She retrieves the golden hip girdle from her waist (or the golden ring around her wrist) and she reclaims her personal power. Because this conjunction occurs in the sign of Scorpio, Venus has deep insight into her previous misuses of Power, ways that she held power-over others through her own fears and need to control. She also has learned that right use of Power serves herself and all those around her. She has learned how to better channel her own Power in the world.
November 1, 2008 – Venus returns through the FOURTH GATE – The Gate of Compassion – Heart Chakra (Sagittarius) – She retrieves her breastplate called “Come, man, come!” symbolizing the healing of her emotional heart and her renewed ability to truly love herself and thus love others. Because this conjunction is in the sign of Sagittarius, Venus has new wisdom concerning her belief systems around her ability to Love others and herself. She now has renewed desire to quest for the Truth, feeling confident in her ability to love and be loved.
December 1, 2008 – Venus returns through the FIFTH GATE – The Gate of Communication – Throat Chakra (Capricorn) – Here she retrieves the double-stranded beads around her neck, reclaiming healthy authentic communication of her true self. Because this conjunction is in the sign of Capricorn, Venus has learned new ways to structure her speech, writing & the use of her voice in the world. She has learned to follow the rules in order to create a foundation for getting her message across and being an advocate for others. She has learned to work hard to make sure her communications are received by her audience, and to build templates for new ways to reach others. She is now an ‘elder’ in her community.
December 31, 2008 – Venus returns through the SIXTH GATE – The Gate of Perception – Third Eye Chakra (Aquarius) – She regains the lapis measuring rod and line or the small lapis bead earrings, and reclaims her sense of magic and ability to manifest. Because this conjunction occurs in the sign of Aquarius, Venus is now open to the visionary modalities that are available to us – methods for manifesting and creating a life of Pure Joy – at this amazing time of Renaissance at the Turning of the Ages on earth.
January 30, 2009 – Venus returns through the SEVENTH GATE – The Gate of Authority – Crown Chakra (Pisces) – She retrieves the Shugurra, the Crown of the Steppe, symbolizing her reconnection to heaven and her godhood. Here Venus picks up new knowledge and deep understanding of how important her connection to Spirit is in her journey through life. She explores balanced ways to meditate and have a Spiritual Practice – and not get lost in the realms of Spirit as a form of escape. She opens up to Divine Transcendence and the Oneness of all the Cosmos.
February 27, 2009 – EIGHTH GATE – The Gate of Commitment to Spirit – Soul Star Chakra, above the head (Aries) – Just as described above, we don’t always have an 8th Gate. Here the Gate is focused on the chakra above the Crown Chakra, our connection to God, the Celestial, Spirit and to the Cosmos. Here we are being asked to renew our commitment to Spirit, to the Service of Humanity and God through the fiery action of Aries. We are now aware of our deep desire to channel the wisdom of the higher realms into the earth experience and of the need for spiritual warriorship in some situations. Here we take ‘new vows’ of fierce dedication to the Holy Cause of bringing Light, Love, Balance and Compassion to earth.
CONCLUSION OF THE CYCLE; Looking ahead to the Next Cycle:
After passing through the 7 (or eight) Gateways, Inanna has encountered all her Shadow parts, the uncertainties of who she really was. All her tools were stripped from her and she was required to die to who she believed herself to be. This is the Underworld initiation of death and rebirth that we all encounter. Inanna’s journey reminds us that it is through the wisdom of surrender, trusting the process and going with the flow that brings us through this passage to an entirely new, more empowered and magical way of being.
NOTE: Venus will begin her backwards journey (Retrograde) on March 6, 2009 and will experience her brief Council in the Underworld (Mercury will be joining her there). Then she will rise again as a Morning Star on APRIL 3, 2009 – beginning a new cycle in the sign of Aries. Thus will begin a new Archetypal Journey and exploration of the energies of the Mystery School of Aries, with the themes of: taking right action, spiritual warriorship, self-awareness, the I AM prime directive, spontaneity, aggressive play, and the Defense of the Cosmic Order.
Copyright 2008, all rights reserved
Carol can be found at: www.threemoonocean.com
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