I recently sat down for a discussion with astrologer Ada Pembroke where we reflected on our experiences of living with a debilitated Venus. In astrology, planets have different zodiac signs where they either are uplifted and celebrated, or where they feel downtrodden and out of sorts. Venus is considered debilitated in Aries, Scorpio and Virgo. In Aries and Scorpio, Venus is specifically said to be in detriment or exile because these signs are Mars ruled and opposite to the signs that Venus rules. The energy of Mars - a warrior always looking to start a fight - is inherently opposed to that of Venus - a peaceful goddess looking for beauty and harmony. So when she is placed within a Mars ruled sign, she is somewhere she does not feel comfortable and is not well resourced to manifest the relational qualities she preferably would like to bring about.

When Venus is in Virgo however, she is said to be in fall. Virgo is a Mercury ruled sign and is opposite the sign of Pisces, where Venus is considered exalted. The perfectionist qualities of Virgo are a trap for Venus as she is driven to attain something that does not exist. I was born with Venus in Virgo, which is another dimension to her placement in my birth chart, which I explored in my series, Venus in the 12th. One of the key paintings from that series, The Fallen Evening Star, is a direct reference to Venus' debilitated condition in my chart, as well as the fact that she appeared as an evening star in the sky (as opposed to a morning star) at the time of my birth.

The Fallen Evening Star, acrylic on canvas, 2023.

We ended up touching on my own art practice and the quality of my paintings quite a bit during our discussion. So if you are curious to know why I am motivated to paint the way I do and the thoughts that run through my head while I'm in my art studio, then I invite you to tune into this meaningful discussion.