©2010 by Donna Cunningham, MSW
Note: For an Astrology student, mastering aspects like the conjunction, square, trine, or opposition is an important step forward in analyzing a chart with confidence and skill.
Aspects to a planet can override the nature of the sign it is in. For instance, a conjunction to the Sun from one of the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto) can make you less like your Sun sign than the sign the outer planet rules. Uranus conjunct the Sun can give you some of the qualities of Aquarius; Neptune conjunct the Sun can make you seem like a Pisces; and Pluto conjunct the Sun can make people swear you’re a Scorpio.
The following is an excerpt from Astrological Aspects: The Building Blocks of Chart Interpretation, my ebooklet that includes step-by-step guidance in interpreting all the major aspects and some of the lesser known ones. Ordering information below. I’ve chosen Venus-Saturn aspects here as an example, but the book uses different pairs of planets as examples of each aspect.
Venus-Saturn aspects are often given entirely negative interpretations, but speaking as one who has the conjunction, it gets better and better as life goes on. In my 70s, I feel more comfortable and happy in social situations than I ever have in my life.
Because of their stability, work ethic, and willingness to support those with similar goals, youthful people with Venus–Saturn conjunctions and trines often attract friends among successful, slightly older people who then become mentors and protectors.
One reader asked whether grandparents played a major role in the upbringing of a Venus-Saturn person. Yes, I often see that a grandparent was a loving and major influence in the person’s life, and that the person may have taken on some of the grandparent’s better qualities.
Love affairs in youth often involve older partners — almost like father or mother figures — who help them acquire a social polish that might not have been learned at home. (It’s an aspect that often confers upward mobility.) At midlife and beyond, their partners are often younger.
Not as trendy and fashion-forward as Venus–Jupiter or Venus–Uranus people in their sense of beauty, Venus–Saturn folks are likely to have an elegant, classical look. In fact, there’s an air about many of them that just says class. They often age beautifully — it’s those enviable cheekbones. They grow in poise and confidence as they come into their own, professionally and socially.
Venus–Saturn people might be rather reserved and formal, but they’re solid and steady, a source of practical support and sage advice when you need them. If you asked their help in moving, they’d have your move organized and a reliable moving company hired before you finished asking.
There is a kind of luck that happens with Venus–Saturn aspects, since Venus (along with Jupiter) is a good luck planet. Because of Saturn’s presence, there are windfalls due to an innate instinct of timing — being the right person in the right place at the right time. Then, too, you’ve worked hard to prepare for what you’ll be doing, so your good fortune isn’t entirely an accident. With breaks like these, observers rightfully remark, “You must be living right.”
Maturing with Style and Grace: The Promise of Venus and Saturn
Just as Uranus is the planet most associated with adolescence and young adulthood, Saturn is the planet most associated with the later decades, especially those after our second Saturn return at ages 58–60. Many of the women with this aspect seem to age gracefully, with a more chiseled profile, silver hair, and an increasingly elegant fashion sense.
Part of what makes this type so striking is the poise and confidence that come with having risen to the top of whatever hierarchy matters to them, whether it’s a pinnacle of career achievements or of social status.
In her 70s, Tina Turner continued to be a knockout — incredible legs and all — in her concert tours. Other female stars with Venus–Saturn trines whose appeal seems to grow rather than fade are Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
If you have a Venus–Saturn aspect of any sort, you too can hope to get better as you get older, but if you have the trine, you probably already possess many of the necessary qualities. A classic style quite possibly comes more naturally to you than to most people, and the mature years are bound to be your best ever. We’re old a lot longer than we’re young, and there’s no reason that we can’t live and love and keep on growing for all of our years.
Who are the Venus-Saturn People? Celebrities born with Venus and Saturn conjunct—the strongest connection between these two planets—include Matt Damon, Donald Trump, Denzel Washington, Ashley Judd, Vanessa Williams, Queen Latifah, and Sean Penn.
Here’s how to order Astrological Aspects: This 40-page ebooklet, which includes chapters on all the major aspects and some of the minor ones, can be a valuable step forward for astrology students. It’s $8 and can be ordered here: moonmavenpublications.com
Sky Writer 