Venus Ingress – Taking Care of the Body

The month of May will include four ingress changes: Mercury leaving Aries and entering Taurus then leaving Taurus and entering Gemini, Venus leaving Aries and entering Taurus, Mars leaving Gemini and entering Cancer, and Lilith leaving Aquarius and entering Pisces. Ingress results in a change in tone and meaning for a point, which is an energy shift designed to promote and continue growth as well as change on a regular and ongoing basis.  Each point moves at a different speed, so the ingress for Mercury, which is faster than Mars, happens more frequently and is part of a recurring cycle in which every point eventually “returns” to the same degree as part of its elliptical cycle around the Sun.  This article will look at Venus’ ingress from Aries into Taurus.

Changing the Tone, Changing the Meaning

On May 15 at 5:46 am Eastern Standard Time (EST) Venus will leave Aries and enter Taurus.  Venus is the point associated with relating to others, the care of the body, our sense of beauty, and what attracts us (and makes us attractive).  In Aries, the “tone” is independent, maverick, risky, and selfish.  It started out in Aries on April 20 and did not go retrograde, so its movement through this sign was its usual approximate 1-month time frame.  It will spend three weeks and four days in Taurus before making ingress into Gemini on June 9^th.

In Taurus, Venus is in one of its dominant signs; Libra is the other one. In Taurus, the focus is on the body, its pleasure, care, and indulgence.  When in Libra the focus is much more on relating to others.  Because it has a unique retrograde period, not as frequent as Mercury, Venus also takes roughly a year to return to a degree.  So, when I was born, my Venus was at 5 degrees 10 minutes (5d10m) of Aries and each year Venus will “return” to my natal degree and “trigger” that point in some profound way for me.

Venus in Taurus

After Aries “selfishness”, the move into Taurus can help us “get into our bodies”, which may mean realizing we need to do something to improve our health, heal an injury, or want to do something to really enjoy our physical selves.  Taurus energy is sensual when Venus is involved and will likely find our physical senses all heightened and tuned up during this transit.  When a point moves into a new sign and spends time there, certain actions and choices become emphasized. For the period between May 15 and June 9, it is an excellent time to work on our nutrition, taking care of our bodies through exercise and pampering (this is a great time for a massage or a spa visit), and enjoying sensual/sexual pleasure.

As with any material I write about regarding astrology, it is most useful if you know your own chart.  In my case, Taurus rules my 7^th House of Partnerships and will be passing over four points in that part of my chart: Mars (my drive), Lilith (what I am unyielding about), my Part of Fortune (my natural “good” luck), and my Descendant (what I seek from my relationships).  The period from May 15 to June 9 will have me energetically attuned to activities with my friends, working on my health, and enjoying time with my wife.  Of course, this area is not the only one that will be affected by this transit, just the strongest, as it is each year when Venus passes through Taurus.  I get something of a “double hit” since Venus also rules the 7^th House.

Generally speaking, Venus in Taurus is about the earthly delight of being incarnated.  For this reason, it can also lead us to overindulge, whether it is food or sex or shopping. The key to making the most of Venus in Taurus is to getting the best of something and appreciating it at the right level.  You may find certain cravings to be quite intense and you will enjoy them more if you choose moderate action with the best quality.  In others, enjoy one bar of Belgium chocolate instead of five bars of a cheap brand.  Instead of buying five inexpensive shirts, get two high-quality ones and take good care of them.

Venus in Taurus and Money

Venus in Taurus can also relate to money matters, especially regarding your home and the items you use daily, like your car, your grooming supplies, your bed, your shoes, and so on.  This can be a good time to get repairs done, replace something worn out with something of much better and higher quality, as well as look at your savings and investments.  How is your money flowing, is more coming in than going out?  If so, what are you doing with the excess?  Keeping it all, some, or none?  If you are looking to invest during this transit, purchases of precious metals, art, or land are all good choices while Venus is in Taurus.  Tangible pleasure, whether in an activity, spending time with others or someone special, or in the purchases you make during this time, is the best use of this energy.

Lastly, the transition from Venus in Aries to Venus in Taurus can feel like going over a speed bump or hitting the breaks.  Aries energy is rather excitable, while Taurus is a bit more subdued.  It has its own strength, but more through persistence than agitated action.  The last time Venus was in Taurus was between March 31, 2018, to April 23, 2018.  During that time, you likely experienced some of the energy and feelings you will feel with this transit again this year.  Looking back at my calendar for that period of time I can see a lot of interaction with family and a lot of work done on improving the home.  I expect more of the same again this year.