On 19th December 2021, Venus will go retrograde while conjuncting Pluto in Capricorn. This morning I woke up with a clear vision of Jesus withdrawing for 40 days into the desert, being tempted by the devil.
I have a deep connection with Pluto. Not only is my first house of self mostly in Scorpio (which is ruled by Pluto), my sun also resides in the 8th house of transformation. That’s why I might feel particularly drawn to this upcoming period when Venus retrogrades (moves backwards from earth’s point of view) on Pluto and therefore spends quite some time in his company.
We’ll actually see three exact meet-ups (conjunctions), one happening on Christmas. How speaking!
But what does this transit mean? Let’s look at what’s in the mix.
Phoenix Rising
Pluto, to me, is the Phoenix rising. A beautiful, yet “cruel” energy that breaks down things entirely only to rebirth them rejuvenated from the ashes. Pluto deaths are far from comfortable, and everyone who has ever experienced a “dark night of a soul” will know what I am talking about.
In Gnostic traditions, Christmas is considered as the birth of “Christ” inside ourselves. That in itself is a revolutionary, internal process that can’t be delegated but must be experienced in oneself.
If we look at Venus, the expression of love and beauty we can imagine easily that she represents our heart.
This heart is going to be transformed by Pluto. Think heart opening. Think breaking free from frozen, imprisoning Capricornian (inner) restrictions. Think death and rebirth.
Aloneness – Time In The Desert
What has also come up recently was the theme of aloneness. Which brings me back to Jesus in his desert. How striking: his stay is for 40 days, the exact same time Venus asks us to go inward and reflect on what and how we love.
But Pluto also has a shadow side, and we could very well call him the devil. He not only represents transformation, but equally power, abuse, taboos and control.
Now, what happens when Jesus goes into the desert? The devil tempts him to prove his divinity and to challenge God’s power.
To me, this describes beautifully the process I am currently experiencing.
We have all the things inside. Our loving heart. The abuser. The passion. The doubts. The temptation.
How Do We Respond?
But how do we respond? How do we navigate these inner conflicts?
When I came up with the analogy to Jesus, things started to make sense again. The desert is the place of raw honesty. No distractions. No-one we can project upon. Just ourselves. Our inner team talking.
How interesting that I also found a fascinating piece of information this morning. Did you know? Our actual Christmas has roots in the roman Saturnalia, a festival where the slaves were given temporary freedom from the strict Saturnian regiment.
Where, again, do Venus and Pluto meet? In Capricorn? Any coincidences here?
He Walked Before Us
What I am learning from this is to take my time (out) in the desert. Aloneness and all.
Jesus did not walk that path for us (in the sense of “oh great, all done!”). No. He walked before us and modeled the path.
Wishing you all a transformative, rich festive season, and enjoy the craziness of the Saturnalia.
