Venus Dignified in Taurus – Possession | ElsaElsa

Venus has entered Taurus, the sign of its dignity. This is Venus on her home turf, ruling from a position of strength. When Venus is in Taurus, we can relax and be fruitful. We possess all good things, and we are able to truly enjoy that which we possess.

But did you catch the key word? Possess. In Taurus, even Venus can become single-minded in pursuit of the sweet, sweet security that comes from knowing that which you desire is really, truly yours.

It reminds me of the story of Aphrodite and Adonis. When Adonis was born motherless from a myrrh tree (the reason why this happened is, uh, definitely its own story), the goddess of love was immediately taken with the boy. His cherubic cheeks, his pudgy little arms, his sweet smile, they all reminded her of her own son Cupid. Knowing that his beauty would cause him problems (the chief of which being other women falling for him, which Aphrodite most certainly considered problematic), she spirited him away to her niece Persephone in the underworld for safekeeping. Problem solved.

But when Persephone got a good look at bundle she was meant to protect, she immediately claimed him as her own. Aphrodite screamed her fury to the heavens, and an impartial judge was brought in. Adonis was to spend four months on his own, four months with Persephone, and four months with Aphrodite. Persephone, used to such arrangements, accepted the outcome. Aphrodite most certainly did not. But Adonis, now grown into a gorgeous and quick-witted young man, recognized a good thing when he saw it and opted to spend the four months of his own time with Aphrodite as well. Now having primary ownership, she was satisfied.

And on it went for several years. With the exception of his winters with Persephone, Adonis and Aphrodite spent every moment together. They lolled about in the gardens, tasted nectar on their tongues, and generally experienced every delight earth had to offer. Aphrodite was even smitten enough to accompany Adonis on his many, many hunting trips, which he loved most of all. But Aphrodite couldn’t entirely enjoy herself. She saw the way his young ego yearned to prove itself, to snare the biggest and most dangerous game he could.

She had felt compelled to protect what was hers. She begged, she pleaded, she COMMANDED Adonis to confine his hunting to small game, to does and hares and small birds, and to stay far, far away from any animal that Providence had seen fit to supply with a weapon. No lions with their murderous claws, no bucks with their deadly antlers, and most of all, no vicious boars with saliva and fury dripping from their tusks.

Adonis, of course, agreed. There was really no reasoning with Aphrodite when she was like that. Goddesses, am I right? But the moment that Aphrodite had left to tend to her divine business, flying away on her chariot pulled by swans, Adonis threw caution to the wind. He went into the deepest, darkest, most dangerous part of the forest, and there he found his match. An enormous boar, with foam on its mouth and death in its gaze stood staring back at him. It was an epic battle. They chased, they lunged, they parried, they dodged. Finally, Adonis had the upper hand. He held the beast by the neck and fished for his knife. But at that small moment of distraction, the boar saw his chance. He thrust his mighty tusks into the young man’s guts, and that was the end of Adonis.

As he lay writhing in his own blood, the life swiftly fleeing his body, the boar began to transform. It revealed itself to be Ares, god of war and Aphrodite’s lover.  At least he had been before she became besotted with Adonis. Ares couldn’t bear the shame (being spurned in favor of a mortal? How humiliating) and decided to take back what was his, thus completing the cycle of possession.

Poor Adonis. Aphrodite wanted to possess him so she hid him away. Then Persephone, his protector, wanted to possess him as well. And when Aphrodite got what she wanted, she so feared losing him that she chose to keep him on a short leash and failed to truly enjoy him while he was there. And finally, Ares, incensed at Aphrodite’s rejection, chose to lay claim to her by destroying her most prized possession, Adonis himself.

Let this story be a lesson. Had Aphrodite simply chosen to enjoy Adonis in his youth, the conflict with Persephone would never have manifested. If she had chosen to relax and appreciate what she had with him later on, he wouldn’t have been driven to hide from her and she could have been there to protect him. And if Ares could have accepted that love comes and goes and that no one can truly possess another, he would not have needed to go to such lengths to soothe his wounded pride. Venus is dignified in Taurus, but there is a right way and a wrong way to go about making the most of its pleasures. Relax, enjoy, and delight in what you have. Tomorrow is never guaranteed. But today? Today is sweet.

Do you have a story of possessiveness gone wrong? What Venus in Taurus lessons do you have to share?

Consult with Midara.