Venus-Aphrodite
Venus is the goddess of love, sexuality, beauty, and the arts. Called Aphrodite in Greek, she was the daughter of Jupiter-Zeus and appeared born fully grown on the foam of the sea, floating on a seashell. In ancient art Venus was usually depicted as young, beautiful, and often nude. An “aphrodisiac” is a substance that brings about amorous feelings and is named for Aphrodite’s influence on sexual and romantic love.
Venus was betrothed to Vulcan, the god of forges and metallurgy, but because of his ugly appearance she preferred to keep company with the god Mars-Ares.
Venus and Mars represent the archetypical feminine and masculine elements respectively, and in the zodiac are always found in polar opposite signs, representing the need for their constant reconciliation.
The Planet Venus
Venus is the second brightest object in the night sky after the Moon, and is seen close to Sun as the morning star, or evening star.
The orbit of Venus in the sky when tracked over time creates a 5-pointed star, and a beautiful flower shaped pattern, demonstrating how this planet brings beauty and elegance to everything it influences.
Copper
The metal associated with Venus is copper. Copper has a beautiful reddish hue and colorful turquoise patina, and a high electrical and thermal conductivity. Copper has many beneficial properties. It is an essential micronutrient in the body, copper jewelry is healing for the skin and nervous system, and copper gardening tools help nourish the soil for plants to thrive.
Copper is sometimes associated with magic and witchcraft- feminine crafts that can ensnare a person’s heart, one of the negative aspects of Venus’ charm.
Astrological Symbol
The symbol for Venus is the circle of pure spirit above the cross of matter. This shows how virtues such as beauty, art, music, inspiration, love, and sexuality are a result of the wholeness and unity of spirit expressing within the physical, and that through these pathways we may glimpse the perfection of divinity.
This symbol itself is elegant and symmetrical and has now become a universal symbol for the feminine. In ancient Egypt a variation was known as the ankh, a symbol of immortality and regeneration, which implies also the mysteries of sex.
Rulership of Taurus and Libra
Venus brings to these two signs a great appreciation for beauty, harmony and serenity. Taurus is an Earth sign and the influence of Venus is more in the sense of value in the material, and also a soft and sensual nature. Libra is an Air sign and here Venus expresses more the artistic nature, often with a great sense of elegance and color.
While Venus brings an influence of ineffable beauty, love, sexuality and sensuality, and harmony, the shadow side is laziness, addiction to pleasure, superficiality and vanity, and glossing over problems to avoid conflict and discord. The energy of Venus must be balanced with the other planetary rays in order for true beauty and love to express.