There’s something unique happening this week just after the Sun stands still at its Solstice moment early Thursday morning: Venus and Mars will fall into position on opposite sides of the Earth, drawing our attention to the great mystery of understanding the beloved.
Venus and Mars are the closest planets to Earth, and at this time of year, as the Sun reaches its highest place in our skies, it’s interesting that, at the same time, we’re as though caught in the embrace of these ancient lovers.
Venus is the evening star, the goddess of love and beauty in the region of Cancer to the west, the gateway of the mortal human being. Mars, the warrior, is in the morning sky, in the region of Capricorn stars opposite, at the gateway of the gods. And rather than being at odds with one another because they’re standing on opposite sides of the Earth, they’re actually stronger in this configuration. Think of it: when lovers are close they can whisper and their cooing is privately held, for themselves only. But when they’re apart, as Venus and Mars are now, then their actions are made stronger because they work across the wide world, and we all participate.
And here’s the interesting thing: at Summer Solstice, when the Sun is highest above the celestial equator, everything in the northern hemisphere is reaching up and out toward its greater light and warmth, the human soul included. The imagination about this from the ancient mysteries is that Earth undergoes a celestial conception at Summer Solstice. Said another way: the beginning of summer is like the conception of the new year. And here we have the lovers, gesturing across the heavens, as though it were an invitation to conceive love!
This week, follow Venus, goddess of love and beauty, into the night, into sleep and dream. When you awake with Mars at dawn, know that your actions can be informed by Venus’ dream of love, and think on these words by the Sufi mystic poet Hafez:
“So I will always lean my heart as close to your soul as I can."
From the 60 wild love poems of Hafez "The Subject Tonight is Love".