Iâve been thinking a lot lately about detachment. I know that doesnât sound very Venusian, but stick with me here.
Our newsletterâs namesake spent October trudging through Virgo, the sign of her fall. Just a few hours ago, she came home to Libra, one of the two signs she rules. Venus governs our values, aesthetics, and relationships; in Libra, her affinity for balance is unmatched. After this summerâs fiery, destabilizing Venus retrograde in Leo, thatâs certainly a welcome shift.
While weâll still get those harmonious Venus in Libra vibes, the tone of this transit is a bit different than usual. Thatâs because Venus will be co-present with the South Node, a karmic point associated with surrender, release, and decrease. The Nodes are where eclipses occur (and did occur last month, to dramatic effect); their influence can be similarly loud. If anything got kicked up during Octoberâs Venus-ruled eclipses, this transit could bring about a postscript.
Venus will spend most of November building toward an exact conjunction with the South Node on the 29th. Hereâs an overview of her major movements this month:
Tuesday, November 7: Venus in Virgo trines Pluto in Capricorn
Wednesday, November 8: Venus enters Libra
Wednesday, November 15: Venus in Libra sextiles Mercury in Sagittarius
Tuesday, November 21: Venus in Libra opposes Chiron in Aries
Wednesday, November 29: Venus conjoins the South Node in Libra
In buzzy, sociable Libra, Venus charms everyone she meets. Sheâs the pleasant, easygoing partner, the friend whoâs down for whatever, whenever. Youâll never have an issue getting her to compromise. If anything, she sometimes over-compromises, a reflection of her deep attachment to her social and romantic connections.
Alongside Venus, the South Node in Libra acts as a karmic checkpoint for our relationships. It highlights the people, patterns, and outcomes weâre clinging to with all our might and whispers questions in our ear like, What would happen if you released your grip?
Really, it asks us to practice healthy detachment. To disengage from dynamics that feel imbalanced. To examine our childhood patterning from a logical, judgment-free point-of-view. To, in the immortal words of my father, stop expecting people to be anyone but themselves.
Detachment may seem inherently cold, but it doesnât have to be. In fact, I believe it can be profoundly loving.
In All About Love, feminist scholar bell hooks defines love as âthe will to nurture our own and anotherâs spiritual growth.â When we release unnecessary attachments to and within our relationships, we open ourselves up to new and different modes of connection. Itâs an implicit surrender to the inevitability of change, a way of reassuring ourselves and the people we love, I know youâre going to grow, and I want that for you. A sense of freedom sets in; resentments fall away with greater ease.
As Venus moves through Libra this month, I challenge you to meditate on letting go as an act of love, whatever that means for you. Where do you struggle most with release or surrender, particularly in relationships? How might detachment help you navigate these connections with more pleasure or peace of mind?
And not to be all âBritney Spears in Juicy Couture circa 2002â about it, but babeâŠis it finally time to dump him?
Song Recommendation: âThis Love (Taylorâs Version)â by Taylor Swift
âThese hands had to let it go free, and / This love came back to meâ
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