Venus changed signs last weekend, leaving the compassionate sign of Pisces and entering the more rational Aquarius. Venus affects our dealings with others, and the way we feel about ourselves. In Aquarius Venus is depersonalized; the importance of the collective becomes more important than individual expressions of affection.

However, with Jupiter in square to Neptune as it has been since January, there is a blurring (Neptune) of ideals and values (Jupiter) that renders all of our interactions pretty fuzzy right now. In Aquarius, Venus will seek to advance the agenda of the collective at large rather than individuals, but with the influence of the Jupiter/Neptune square this becomes confused. What is the collective? Who are the alliances? We see this on the world stage with global relationships. The US was allied with Pakistan. Suddenly after Bush’s foray into India last week, Bush is now allied with India and appears to be less supportive of Pakistan. Australia suddenly announces it will begin selling Uranium to India. Factions in Iraq fail to unite to call a parliament.

Also this weekend, Jupiter turned retrograde (appeared to move backward from our perspective here on earth). When planets turn retrograde, we become more focused on issues important to that planet. In its most positive form Jupiter deals with issues of values, philosophies, opportunities, expansion. When retrograde, we tend to see ALL shades of a planet’s functions, not just the positive ones. Consequently, we are most likely to see Jupiter’s self-righteousness and overconfidence. Jupiter rules Sagittarius, and with Pluto (destruction and transformation) having been in Sag since 1995 we have been witness to an increasing tendency towards religious and cultural (Sag/Jupiter) war and conflict (Pluto). With Jupiter in square to Neptune, the reasons behind these conflicts have become blurred and confused (Neptune).

The Jupiter/Neptune period will culminate around March 15 and then begin to dissolve towards the end of the month as Jupiter retrogrades away from its contact with Neptune. We may find ourselves waking up, rubbing the sleep from our collective eyes at that point. Until then, we will want to remain as alert as possible, balancing our need to be right (Jupiter) with our deeper understanding that all paths lead to the same ultimate goal (Neptune).