I have three planets, the solar trio, in Aquarius. My chart has an Aquarius overtone (a predominance of Fixed signs (7) and of Air signs (5). The house (8) occupied by this trio is also the focalized house of the chart. There is a powerful admixture of Earth as well, and no planets are found in Water.
What is Aquarius like?
Study the Fixed Quality.
Study the Air Element.
Aquarius is highly conservative.
And Aquarius is revolutionary.
They tend to hold tightly to the tried and true, until the tried and true proves inadequate.
Aquarians have a reputation for being "good psychologists". They love to observe people, their quirks and motives.
Aquarians can be expected to do the unexpected.
They tend to be unorthodox and eccentric. They stand on the outside looking in.
Aquarius, the Fixed Air sign, accumulates useless knowledge. At least other people may see it as useless; the Aquarian uses it on the internal level for personal purposes, and keeps it in the Emergency Tool Kit for ready use.
Etc.
What does Venus in Aquarius like?
I can only speak for this Venus in Aquarius.
Without mentioning the aspects and other conditions that affect that Venus.
I like to study things. Inlcluded in my interests are all forms of natural science.
Geography.
History.
Languages.
Oh, and astrology.
The nature of this universe...questions of eternity, and questions of daily living.
I like Van Gogh. And 30 or 40 other painters.
I like Stravinsky, and Roger Miller. Don't forget Hank Williams, Sr. And Javier Solis, the Cuban jazz group Irakere. Pete Fountain plays a mean clarinet. I don't listen to heavy metal, and hip-hop or rap is Verboten in my presence.
I can be entranced by watching a highly skilled craftsman at work.
I like to help people, the downtrodden, the aliienated. I go off at midnight when some neighbor calls me up in a state of emotional distress, sit and listen patiently to his babblings simply because the guy needs someone to talk to and no one else will listen. I have worked as a full-time unpaid volunteer in group homes for unwanted kids three different times. I work every fall cutting, splitting and delivering free firewood to the poor in our community.
I think flying saucers and ghosts and helmets for bicyclists are stupid. I think the electric can opener and Prozac are symbols of our sick society.
But of what use is all this? The next Venus in Aquarius person you meet will tell you things completely different. Reason? You have to look at the whole chart and see what general trends are indicated, and what things impinge on and condition the expression of Venus. For example, I mentioned that Earth is strong in my chart -- so even though Aquarius is said to be theoretical and abstract (it is), in my case there is also a demand for a down-to-earth practicality and usefulness.
Some people in this forum confuse my Venus in Aquarius detachment, objectivity and impersonal nature for a cold and callous sort of guy. People who know me don't get confused.
Venus is personal values. High on my list of values are loyalty, personal integrity, truth, and a sense of perspective on life (call it a sense of humor, of irony), and kindness. Of course personal freedom, liberty, is up at the top of the list (exercised responsibly).
I guess I value fairness. When I was a kid and some "friend" had a cool game to play -- but set the rules in his favor -- I simply walked away and refused to play. As I observe the world I live in -- where 1% of the American population owns 40% of the goodies -- I simply refuse to play. I walk the path less trodden, live outside the system; the system is rigged, and corrupt to the marrow, and built on lies and illusion. How can I knowingly participate in such a world...the only way would be to join the band of thieves (or allow them to enslave me) and that is not my way. Venus is values.
Boy, do I agree with Zarathu.....you can't read ANY factor in a horoscope on its own. We are the most complex organism in the universe, and the horoscope must necessarily reflect that complexity. You must Always refer any particular factor in a chart to the whole chart. Things do not operate in isolation but as an integral part of the whole. Each factor has, and holds to, its own innate character, but adapts to the demands of the whole. It cannot do otherwise (or there will be a debilitating disharmony, and the universe is always quick to re-establish harmony and balance by whatever means.)
Some years ago, while writing about astrology, a large whirlwind passed directly over my house. The windows rattled, the house trembled and shook. And it dawned on me....that whirlwind was a very good example of Libra. The atmosphere in a very large area surrounding my house had become imbalanced with regard to pressure and temperature, and in order to restore the balance the whirlwind came into being....a very violent and destructive focus, but highly efficient at redistributing and harmonizing what was out of balance. Grasping this thought allows us to understand Libra better....we often think of Libra as "harmony", failing to realize that Libra rules war -- which is another way of restoring balance to an out-of-balance world. And that is the same weakness, lack of understanding, that applies to our understanding of "Venus in Aquariuus" or any other "signature." It ain't that simple and neatly packaged.
