Venus/Mars Gender Dynamics in Astrology
One of the biggest problems in modern astrology is its strict division: Venus equals female love, while Mars equals male sexuality
Venus matters for every gender because it is the principle of relaxation, pleasure, possession, attraction and equalization
Mars is the engine of the chart: lust, aggression, direct action and challenge
Both of them are needed by modern people just as they were needed by ancient philosophers who wanted to speak about ascent, enlightenment, the Great Work, or whatever expensive word they used to avoid saying that a human being needs both desire and rest
Mars below the horizon is preferable for calm power, especially when it is in Scorpio or Pisces. Such a Mars will be naturally balanced: its hot and dry nature will be moistened and cooled by the Water signs. Mars in other signs retains more of its malefic nature, especially in a day chart. But the real power of Mars is crucial: it is the ability to be the subject of action rather than its object, to take an active role in life. Even if you are a princess in a tower, you still need your own loudly roaring dragon to make the prince notice the damn building
Venus works well in Earth and Air, except in Virgo. In Air, the nature of Venus becomes moister, which gives creativity and social flexibility and enriches its powers with harmonious rises and falls wherever they are needed. In Earth, Venus receives a colder quality, which gives receptivity, attraction, patience and the ability to satisfy basic needs. Venus matters because it teaches us to chill, relax, rest and leave some things until tomorrow. Without rest, there is no victory, only burnout wearing a war medal
But some positions may bring trouble. There are three of them
“You love me, but I don’t. I want you, but you’re a monk”
A cruel joke of the stars, where people are dragged into run-and-hide relationships. When love is finally obtained, desire may disappear; when desire returns, love may have already packed its bags. Only with support from harmonious sextiles and trines can this condition be partly resolved
No jokes here. This aspect hurts. It may manifest as pain, conflict and violence in many forms, from traumatic experiences in sport to dirty business with serious risks. Sometimes these natives cannot distinguish chemistry from a fire alarm because both make the nervous system scream
Resolution comes only with time, especially when symbolic directions bring one planet to a sextile and the other to a trine with their natal positions. When the natal aspect is exact, this may happen around the age of thirty
“No rest, no work, or nothing more”
This aspect is difficult because, in the better case, people may choose activity exactly when it is time to relax, and relax exactly when the work is on fire. The inner shift manager is drunk, and both departments blame each other
In any Venus-Mars aspect, as Ptolemy, Valens and Maternus noted, people may be more sexually active. The tighter the orb between the planets, the stronger the lust, for the native’s good or evil depending on the rest of the chart
So, as we can see, the Sun and Moon are the first rays of spirit and soul, although their meanings differ across traditions, especially in Hellenistic astrology. But at the core, “to do or not to do” is the question of Venus and Mars: great love as will moving through harmony, and great hunt as will moving through tension
From a gender perspective, Mars and Venus form a gradient shaped by the planetary condition of the sign and house. I am not talking about slop like “Venus equals the 2nd and 7th houses.”(Sorry, I'm on dino-party this time) In the tradition, Venus rejoices in the 5th house, while Mars rejoices in the 6th, and there is solid theory behind it. But in any case, we need to analyse the terms and faces of the signs to judge planetary power. On the other hand, we also need to inspect whether the planets can see their own domiciles and the rulers of the signs they occupy. These are just the basic things that come before judgment and the final thesis
Both masculine and feminine principles may be mixed within one chart. A woman with Venus in Scorpio will be a huntress and a heartbreaker, while a man with Mars in Libra will obey his spouse with knightly devotion. In another variation, Venus in Capricorn in a day chart will rule the earth, as Dorotheus put it. For a man with such a Venus, matters of love and relaxation will be subordinated to practical needs and regulations
Peregrine planets, such as Venus in Gemini, possess little natural power. But even when Venus has no dignity by term or decan, Gemini can see Libra, so not everything is lost. For a woman expressing the feminine role, this position may spoil her private life, especially when Venus itself and Mercury are afflicted
For a man with a strong Mars, the most obvious path is to realise himself through the masculine role: to achieve, to challenge and to fight. But an exact aspect with Venus may turn him into a playboy or a dickwhore, depending on his orientation
So, enough has been said about the balance between Venus and Mars
This is only rhetoric about the meaning of astrology on a philosophical level. I am not adding karma, gods, cosmic debts or any other spiritual office paperwork. Because even if the Great Work exists, responsibility for it lies only and exclusively in the hands of the one who seeks it
