Exalted Venus in 10th House Pisces

When Venus is found in the sign of Pisces, it's considered to be in it's purest form and is referred to as being "exalted." These individuals are capable of a deep and profound love, with a unique understanding of the interconnectedness of all life. Accepting of and open minded to the faults and strangeness of others, they are also hopelessly romantic and can be very idealistic about partnership. They often struggle to remain committed, falling in love often and for a variety of profound reasons. This universal loving gives them an underlying, seductive sweetness that can be intriguing, as others are captivated by how freely and completely the native is able to love. Theirs is an elusive charm; they are playful, a little moody, and a little irregular. Venus in Pisces seems to offer an escape from reality to their lovers, a kind of story-book departure from the drudgery of daily life. It is this promise of escape that helps Venus in Pisces natives to passively but powerfully attract the object of their affections to them, sweeping them off their feet.

Seduction for Pisces Venus is virtually effortless. Natives possess a vivid, poetic imagination that can at times seems divinely inspired. There's something mystical about them that appeals to the dreamer in others. They see the experiences of life on a symbolic level, which creates an abundance of magic in their relationships. Though they may try, they won't be able to linger long around harsh, abrasive people, or those wrapped up in the mundane. They belong amongst the artists and dreamers of the world, and will inevitably return to them if they're ever to stray.

Unimpressed by status, material wealth and success, Venus in Pisces loves the underdog and is attracted moreso to wayward folks. With their glossy, romantic view of the world, natives become unreasonably attracted to states of suffering and martyrdom, so they too easily fall into the roles of saving someone or being saved. Natives can be rather confusing and hard to pin down as they feel their way through their relationships, and will often change partners while still fully loving the one they've left behind. In fact, it can be argued that Venus in Pisces never falls out of love at all if the feelings were sincere, and not just situational, to begin with.

Love for these individuals can be a mystical, nearly religious experience with the right person, wholly overwhelming and endlessly inspiring them. It is difficult for them to set personal boundaries for themselves in these situations as they find that their devotion is endless and enveloping. Believing their lover to be a rare, kindred spirit, they risk losing hold of their self-identity attempting to merge with them.

However, when Pisces Venus is found in the 10th house, the house of Capricorn, the Venus energy becomes frustrated. The 10th house is the most visible point on a natal chart, and anything found there will inevitably be public and obvious to others. Venus is, at it's essence, a very personal energy, as it represents a host of intensely intimate responses- like jealousy, insecurity, the desire for human contact, and envy. The result of these reactions being seen so publicly is that the native is wholly unable to achieve true, emotional privacy. Their feelings of and approach to love, which is beautiful and mystical throughout, is at the same time constantly visible to all.

For all of the attention Venus naturally and rightly craves (Venus always wants to be admired, in it's natural state), 10th house Venus can become worn with the task of these feelings always being so obvious and easily exploited. These individuals may feel like all eyes are on her all of the time, and the part of Venus that desires private, profound intimacy may feel this can never be accomplished. The primal reaction to this can vary, but most likely the individual becomes a kind of anti-Venus who publicly eschew all pretenses of beauty. They may treat relationships as disposable or feel as if they are in some way unable to give or receive love, sometimes not realizing those feelings are merely defense mechanisms. This is a particularly intense struggle when the 10th house Venus is found in Pisces, as the native truly needs profound love in order to feel whole. 10th house Pisces Venus goes against her true nature, making it seem as though she is incapable of, or doesn't need, the love she feels with her entire being.

Any energy found in the 10th house is directly connected to the reputation; they become ingrained in the image that others, even those who don’t know the native directly, have of them. When Venus is placed there, there is a strong tendency for others to project their own Venusian beliefs and values onto the native. Others (particularly those who form romantic relationships with them) will feel and insist that they "just know" how the Venus person is feeling about the relationship, when in actuality those feelings are their own. This causes inevitable chaos for 10th house Venus, as natives struggle to sort their own feelings from the ones that others merely insist they are experiencing. Natives eventually develop a strict, authoritative reaction to these situations in relationships, which is so contrary to their other expressions of love that their partners often feel that the soft, playful, accepting love they were earlier shown by the native was a front. Their feelings of love are often misunderstood as a result, sometimes harshly, and they may find that those they become involved with remain weary of them even as the relationship develops.

For Pisces Venus in the 10th house, there is a danger that their anti-Venus persona will also inevitably become so publicly known and accepted that it will be difficult for her to stray from it. Relationships will develop with individuals who crave the rejection of Venus influence they half heartedly flaunt, when in actuality the only way the native truly knows how to love is Pisces Venus' profound, mystical way. Many disappointments in love will result, over and over again, if Pisces Venus in the 10th doesn't learn to both cultivate the more positive aspects of her placement AND express them publicly, regardless of any pain, humiliation, or judgment it may bring her in doing so.

Sun Trine Neptune: Alive in Magic

Individuals born with their natal Sun trine Neptune have a natural gift of imagination and a sense of magic that greatly enhances their lives. They are artistically dominated people, feeling most like their "true selves" when indulged in music, poetry, art and literature. However, to make the most of their considerable (if somewhat mysterious) talents, they must struggle to find some practical goal to channel them in to. This will be difficult for Sun Trine Neptune, who learns early through experience that reality rarely accepts the fruits of their grand imaginations. It will be tempting, and very easy, for them to retreat into laziness and daydreams, but if this temptation is overcome, natives will find they can almost work miracles.

Sun Trine Neptune individuals are precocious learners, quickly absorbing ideas and concepts with deep comprehension. However, they are easily bored. Natives of this aspect learn so easily that there is virtually no challenge or stimulation to be found in traditional education. As a result, natives are not typically good students in spite of their natural, curious intelligence. It is during these times that Sun Trine Neptune first turns to their imaginations to challenge them, developing a pattern of escape they retain throughout their lives.

It follows that their strongest vice is procrastination, born from their early disappointments in education and the rich, accepting atmosphere of their imaginations. Sun Trine Neptune is very talented, but is not often motivated to do anything about it. Many promising, exciting projects will be started, but few will be finished. Natives quickly learn and take what they need from each endeavor before rushing on to the next shooting star, making it difficult for them to find the motivation to see their projects to completion.

They are comfortable spending much of their time in solitude, as comfortable in the world of dreams as they are in every day life- often preferring the dreamworld to reality. In fact, they will spend a great deal of time and effort attempting to converge the two in vain. Their desire to live in a perfect world of dreams is so strong that they will pursue jobs, relationships and other experiences that appeal to them regardless of warnings given by those around them. As a result, they are easily disenchanted by the object of their idealization when it can't compare to their initial, dreamy perception of it.

While Sun Trine Neptune is almost always faithful to their romantic partner, they also demand a certain degree of personal freedom for both parties to explore life and it's experience as they wish. They are fluid beings who operate best when kept off a leash and allowed to move and experience life freely. Thusly, shared dreams and complete trust are highly valued as components of ideal romantic love.

Psychic abilities, premonitions in dreams, and intuition are often part of the native's everyday life. These individuals are difficult to shock as almost nothing is unusual to them. Much of Sun Trine Neptune's personal stregnth is garnered by it's intuitive grasp of things; native's are highly perceptive emotionally and easily able to tune into "atmospheres", giving natives a mystical quality. It's important to note that this mystical air is not a front or illusion, as the abilities Sun Trine moon possesses in the way of perception are undeniable. Natives may notice they are often in the right place at the right time, saying the exact right thing to the right people. This is not a coincidence. Individuals with this aspect should always pay close attention to messages received through their dreams or in channeling trance states.

Ceres in 6th House Scorpio, the Exacting Sexual Mother

The dwarf planet Ceres in the natal birthchart is our "Inner Mother," a powerful archetype which concerns itself with our nurture behaviors and needs. In the signs, Ceres shows our nurturing style- both how we help other's grow and what we need to develop ourselves. Ceres' placement in the houses tells us the ways in which we express these behaviors to the world outside of ourselves.

When Ceres is found in the 6th house, the house of Virgo, all nurturing behaviors are expressed in exacting, precise ways. The native is very realistic about the wisdom she imparts, both on herself and others, and will only help those who are willing to take an active role in their own growth. She will always feel she is either giving too much or too little, and will rarely be satisfied that she has done what she should to care for herself and others.

When Ceres is found in the sign of Scorpio, the native's urge to connect becomes deeper than merely skin-deep. They prize strong emotion, regardless of the variety, above all things. Nothing less than full disclosure and intimate bonding will make the native feel confident in her connections, and others will notice that she tends to "pair off" with one partner or friend at a time. In their minds, the "true" depths of understanding, of both themselves and those who are dearest to them, can only be reached through intense, emotional experiences.

In addition to intense emotional bonding, Ceres in Scorpio transforms themselves and others through their robust affirmation of their instinctive and sexual needs. They nurture others through the confident sharing of their strongest energies: emotional, sexual, and shamanic. They can effortlessly combine the three if conditions are right, and thusly are sometimes referred to as "sexual mothers." Sexual encounters may at times feel like religious rituals, healing and changing both partners in the process.

Others are transformed either through such sexual experiences with Ceres in Scorpio, or through their penetrating psychological insight into others' problems. Lack of this kind of intimate nurturance and emotional affirmation in their own upbringing is usually the catalyst which helps natives to heal their own inner emotional wounding, making them more able to help others in this way. Their methods of caring are not always gentle: referred to as "shock treatment," being nurtured by Ceres in Scorpio can be wildly successful for some and painful for others. Friends and lovers will learn a lot about themselves through these "shock treatments," although the process may be difficult.

The people and places in the native's life that have denied them access to these inner recesses will continually haunt them, bringing back oppressively sad memories and griefs not dealt with. The intensity of their bonding is often too much for the object of their affection, which grieves the native as it is their highest form of caring, reserved only for a select few. For Ceres in Scorpio, another's disinterest in her willingness to "go deep" is simply the hardest thing for her to accept. Depending on the circumstances, it's quite possible she never will.

However, Ceres in Scorpio is no weak momma. She knows precisely when and how to take her revenge, and does so swiftly. As easily as she gives, she can take a way. Although she may feel deep pain on the inside, her need for full disclosure and to segregate herself from dishonest influence is still greater. Depending on how deep the connection between the two once was, the absence of Ceres in Scorpio's presence in one's life can leave a deep mark.

Personally, rites of passage concerning life via sexuality such as childbirth, death, sexual experimentation, illnesses or conditions related to the reproductive system, etc could be profound experiences that change Ceres in Scorpio's life in powerful ways. These trials will constitute an initiation for the native into the lessons of loss and return, transformation, and letting go.

Mars Retrograde : The (Backwards) Way You Do The Things You Do

When a planet in a natal chart is found in retrograde (Rx), the native's experience the energy of that planet in a more subjective, internal way. Thus their interpretation and expression of the planet's energy is very unique to them personally. There is almost always a somewhat unusual or obsessive concern with the past where the energies represented by the planet (in Mars' case: action, passion, sexuality and aggression) are concerned. Some karmic astrologers believe that retrograde planets indicate a link to a past life. If this vein of interpretation is to be believed, it can be said that natives with their natal Mars in retrograde had aggression used improperly by or against them in a former life. Their conceptualization of Mars energy is closer to the heart in their current incarnation as a result, and now comes from a different, deeper place than those around them.

Mars Rx is unusual; only Venus retrograde is more rare. Mars turns retrograde only once every 26 months for a period of roughly 8 weeks. Mars Rx individuals need to turn their desire energies inward before they can define the motivations behind their actions. They may do damaging or chaotic things over and over again before they understand why they are doing them to begin with. They often alternate sharply between periods of feeling very stagnant and going to extremes. They almost always have either unusual sexual aversions (a distaste for sexual acts which most consider tame and/or normal, instead maintaining a "risky" or "shocking" sexual lifestyle with no concern for it's "abnormality"), or fickle, constantly rotating sexual tastes. They may find they are more fascinated with sexuality in general than their own, specific feelings on the subject. Mars Rx women in particular are often attracted to partners who are very dependent, particularly those who are sick or physically handicapped in some way and/or unpopular social misfits.

What is usually seen in a Mars Rx person is someone who has particular difficulty finding direction. They rarely act in their own best interest, although this is unintentional. Their passions/motivations, which are always at least slightly out of the ordinary, are difficult to spark. But - and this is a very important point - when they do find something or someone that stimulates them, their drive and passion will be endless where this focus is concerned. This is because this motivation has been properly internalized, which happens rarely to the Mars Rx individual, and so becomes a very personal, important subject to them. A pattern of abusive and/or co-dependent relationships often arises, typically leaving the Mars Rx individual feeling used or as if they had been taken advantage of. There are several reasons for this. It typically takes natives longer than most to internalize that abuse is truly abuse, particularly if the abuse is not directly physical. Also, when a relationship manages to ignite the Mars Rx individual's nearly impossible to spark passion, she will find that her energy for this relationship is endless, and that she is willing to give more than most, and work harder, in order to make it work. As you can imagine, a situation like that is easily taken advantage of by the wrong person, and given their attraction to unwell individuals, this happens to Mars Rx native's often.

When people with natal Mars Rx do not have a stimulating outlet for their passion, they often become afraid of the sheer power of their urges and will often refrain from expressing them, to their detriment. They often must cope with periodic depressions of energy and operate mostly in sudden spurts of revolutionary activity. In fact, they are a contained revolution simply waiting for inspiration. Because of this revolutionary containment, this can actually be a fine natal position to have, but requires a tremendous amount of effort and focus to express it positively.