Beyond the Projections: Venus opposing Neptune

Venus between Mars and Neptune; by Giovanni Battista Zelotti; oil on canvas, 1555.

Over the next several days, the planet Venus (the goddess of love, beauty, and pleasure) will be opposing the planet Neptune (the planet of illusion, mysticism, and cultural idealism). The exact opposition will peak on Oct. 16, just a day before Mars and Jupiter conjoin in tropical Virgo. So, over the next few days, be mindful of your projections—what you’re projecting to others and what you’re projecting onto others. That is to say, what you are presenting yourself to be and how it is you perceive another person. In modern astrology, we say that Neptune is a “higher” vibration of Venus, which means that it is an expression of Venusian beauty and idealism within a higher octave. Neptune relates to experiences of a transcendent nature, often overwhelming to the individual. Thus, Neptune seeks to dissolve our ego-based attitudes and perceptions to allow one access to the “higher self”. As the final barrier of ego, Neptune is like the cell wall separating the self from the deeper reaches of the unconscious—the realm of the soul.

This opposition may allow you to step back and observe your projections for what they are. You can easily be fooled right now if you take anything at face value. That’s not to say that beauty is ultimately deceptive, but that beauty represents an ideal of perfection which we as human beings can only strive to become—to get closer to the “divine”. Under any combination of Neptune and Venus, idealism runs rampant. Romanticism and fantasy become incredibly influential. That’s not to say that we’re all being fooled right now—that love and pleasure represents a temptation, trick, or snare. This stage of the cycle requires full consciousness and full disclosure of intentions and feelings. If you are honest and upfront about what you want, you will represent yourself more truthfully and allow those projections to dissolve to ultimately reveal the higher expression of the opposition: true soul contact.

There’s something incredibly magical about staring into another person’s eyes and seeing them as they actually are. There’s also something incredibly frightening and vulnerable about it too. And the emergence of your fears will allow you to explore just where they’re truly coming from. This is a time to open your heart to someone—not just romantically or sexually, but equally to anyone you find closest to you. Neptune seeks to dissolve those facades that are not in alignment with whom you truly are or who someone else truly is. The fear points to the root of the issue—what you don’t want to face: that true soul contact, when it’s really authentic, melts away the barriers revealing the wounds in your heart you don’t wish to acknowledge. It is through the disillusionment, when we allow it to happen, that we eventually find the clarity we’re seeking.

So what are you really projecting onto another person? Always, how we perceive another person stems from our own constructions of reality. We project something within ourselves. If we don’t like it, we often blame the other person for having so many faults or that they couldn’t live up to the ideal we created for them. Rarely, do we ever see people as they truly are. If you don’t like me, it’s your problem. It stems from your own issues. And that’s fine. We don’t need to cut through all of our crap in one day, or even in one lifetime. But simply acknowledging that, that how you perceive another person comes from a distorted perspective of yourself, you can let go of projecting blame and ultimately heal and move on. Let’s be mindful of this truth over the next several days. Mars and Jupiter will conjoin the following day (Oct. 17). In the “lower” expression, our false projections can lead to petty arguments or outbursts that may be unnecessary had we represented ourselves more authentically.

The conjunction of Mars and Jupiter represents the beginning of a cycle of conscious and courageous expansion toward self-improvement. Ultimately, we are seeking to move assertively in the direction of experiences that will take us to a better place and help us move in alignment with our evolutionary potential. Getting hung up over petty details, or spinning your wheels over the ramifications of inauthentic self-expression will likely distract you from what you need to be focusing on right now. If you ride this wave consciously and fearlessly, you will be on a direct pathway toward more wholeness and toward the attainment of your ideals. What do you need to work on now? If you continue to move past the illusions, past the projections, and beyond the blame, pain and denial, eventually, you will come to see clearly what needs to happen next and just where your energy needs to go. And it requires work and conscious effort to see reality as it truly is. While that may be a never-ending process, every step, hypothetically speaking, brings you closer to wholeness and the truth within your soul.

For personal readings and consultations, please e-mail me directly at kosmicmind@gmail.com. Also, visit my readings/consultations page for readings options and pricing.