Venus in Scorpio for the Holidays: Yikes! Or...
A good friend asked me about Venus being in Scorpio during the holidays back in 2023. She was worried about this transit happening at a time when we are expected to be cheerful and take part in a never-ending barrage of gatherings and events. Her concerns were totally valid, and I appreciated the prompt to dig a little deeper and reflect on how this could actually be a refreshing take on the season. Here are the ideas I shared with her:
Since Venus is considered "in detriment" in Scorpio, she does not do as well here in a traditional role. It is a dark and dirty journey for her through the swamps, bogs, and backwaters of Scorpio, and this requires her to get creative in how she puts her benefic prowess to use. To endure this successfully, she needs to play by the rules of Mars, ruler of Scorpio, and take on a bit more of an edge. No one escapes this transit without getting a little mud on their boots.
Mars being the planet associated with war and strife in many ways is the opposite of Venus, the planet of beauty, relationships, and love. When in Scorpio, Venus can see clearly her home sign of Taurus directly opposite her, giving her a birds eye view of her ideal state while also being as far away from home as possible. She longs for the green, idyllic pastures of the sign of the bull as she traipses through the muck-filled landscape of the scorpion. As difficult as this might be for Venus, it also provides an incredible opportunity for a unique point of view, filtered through the lens of Mars. Venus in Mars’ house sees the benefit in conflict, the beauty in the ugly, the romanticism of duty, and the magical properties of compost.
And just because she has to work a little harder here doesn’t mean Venus won’t bring good things. This transit happening while we are supposed to be celebrating and getting along and avoiding conflict lest we disturb family and societal traditions that uphold patriarchal white supremacy provides a moment to go deeper. This is a chance to solidify connections, commit to those who reciprocate, and celebrate our ride-or-die relationships. There is a choosing in Scorpio, a selectiveness. It is the perfect time for re-evaluation. Who are you making room for in your lifeboat? Who are you bringing with you as we move forward into a new year?
As with all things, there is a flip side. For Venus in Scorpio, it is the inability to have surface-level conversations or relationships, something family gatherings and social events absolutely hinge on. It is the inability to perform pleasantness. It is the tendency toward revenge when those same deep connections go unreciprocated, are betrayed or are avoided all together in favor of the surface. The Scorpionic gift of closeness and truth in relationships has a dark counterpart of vindictiveness that can be all too easy to fall into without some self-restraint.
If we can make choices from a healthy, grounded place, Venus in Scorpio this season may just be the transit needed to finally drop the toxic traditions or “required” gatherings. It may give us the boldness needed to speak up at family dinner or reject the invite once and for all. While this breaking of societal norms might feel really good to go about doing with reckless abandon, we do need to make sure action is being taken from a place of love and not spite. In the home of Mars, it is easy to lose our tempers and take things too far very quickly, causing more damage than good.
In terms of productive uses, Venus in Scorpio might be a great chance to find a way to go deeper with someone you have only stayed on the surface with. Consider gifting yourself or a loved one a hard and kind conversation, one that can bring your relationship to another level of understanding or makes it apparent that this is not a good use of your energy. Utilize the cutting quality of Mars to pare back joyless customs, creating more space for new ones. Cultivate newer relationships by consistently showing up for them. The benevolence of Venus combined with the aggressive nature of Mars gives us the fierceness and courage to really go there and to live authentically, to celebrate in a way that honors what is true to us.