It will be two years before the planets Venus and Mars come as close to one another as they will this weekend, Saturday, February 21st.
In many ancient cultures, Venus and Mars were typically regarded as lovers,so you would think that when they come closest together, that's when they would impart the strongest influence for love. However, this was actually regarded as the time when love was weakest.
The story of Venus and Mars is somewhat of a compromise. Venus is married to Vulcan, the metal-smith of the gods. Vulcan creates a metal net that is stronger than any of the gods, and that is also invisible to them. He does this because he knows that Venus is involved in an illicit affair with Mars. After creating the net, Vulcan lies in wait, ready to cast the net over their trysting place when Venus and Mars appear, so he can capture and then humiliate them. Because of this, it was always believed despite their strong love for one another, when Venus and Mars come closest together, then love is weakest.
Looking West about 45 minutes after sunset all week long, you can see Venus and Mars coming closer and closer together. Then on Friday night, February 20th, the Crescent Moon will sweep right past them. This will be a spectacular sight that you don't want to miss! Then on Saturday, the two planets will come as close together as they can until October of 2017.
When you get outside to take a look at this magnificent sight, it may inspire you to keep all of your love challenges for another time.
Are Venus and Mars all right tonight?
