Venus Square Pluto

April 3, 2009: Venus Square Pluto (exact at 3:27 am PDT)

This celestial alignment has Pluto, the god of the underworld, in a challenging aspect to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty.

During this time, passions escalate and relationships may feel more intense. The concept of control—maintaining it and/or releasing it—takes center stage, with a feeling of all-or-nothing enveloping romantic and/or creative pursuits. If you’ve been looking for some help pushing through self-imposed limits, now may be a good time. There’s an intensity in the air, which may have you replacing the “I should” in your sentences with “I must” when it comes to experiences that can bring you joy and pleasure.

Ardor abounds, with desire—whether it be sexual or a deep yearning to be truly known by another—the name of the game. Pluto-Venus energy helps to draw forward buried feelings, whether those to which you’ve turned a blind eye or just didn’t want to express to another.

Tensions may be stirred both in romantic liaisons as well as friendships (notably those with women). If you can stay true to your deep needs and express them, it will help your relationships to transform and become more integrated and authentic. Or you will see that, in fact, certain ones have run their course and do not necessarily offer you the value that you truly seek.

This is the second of three times that Pluto and Venus will be in this alignment this year. Reflect back to February 5, when the first one occurred, to see how these themes played out during this time. There should be some resolution in related areas of your life around May 2, when these two planets finish this season’s tension-filled dance.

Venus Square Pluto Apothecary Suggestions

Ylang-ylang essential oil: Ylang-ylang is a romantic fragrance well known for its aphrodisiac qualities. In fact, in a traditional Indonesian wedding ritual, the flower’s petals are strewn across the marriage bed as a means to foster intimacy and sexual connection. Enjoy an enchanting candle-lit bath by sprinkling in a few drops of ylang-ylang, or lift the libido-elevating effects of a couple’s massage by adding some to unscented body oil.

Basil flower essence: During a Venus-Pluto square, deep-seated sexual issues may come to the surface making it a great time for us to connect with this intimate part of ourselves. If you find that your sexual expression is not as connected to your emotions and the core of your being as you would like, you may want to explore Basil flower essence. It may also help when there is a draw towards keeping sexual encounters clandestine, when they not only happen under the sheets but are also swept under the rug. (Flower essences are made from flower-infused water and work energetically to restore emotional and mental balance. You can find them in natural food stores or holistic pharmacies.)