Venus Gets a Say, Too

7.16.08


'To hear Mars tell it, every event or incident lately is some kind of test. And here I thought we were on summer break…

'Mars isn't the only ruler of the astro-roost, by the way. I, Venus in Leo, get my say, too. And I say, "This place could use a little lightening up already!"

'You're allowed to giggle, after all, between the many mouthfuls of important business (and their taste and texture of soggy shredded wheat). It can be almost hilarious how much crap one must plow through before one clocks out for the day, so why wouldn't you be laughing? (It's also pretty funny how much pleasure one can take from making a big deal out of how hard one is working, isn't it?)

'In your precious few hours of leisure, of course, you are so totally ready to frolic and cavort like (for example) reality-TV stars who, desperate to alleviate the cumbersome omnipresence of cameras in every spare inch of their lives, drink their butterflies away… so completely, in fact, they forget who they called what nasty name and whose bed they're going to awaken in tomorrow afternoon. (Hopefully, though, you won't conduct quite that much frolicking and cavorting!)

'Oh, yes, those party-hardy urges will be lurking around, my friends… barely on standby mode, and only one tiny nail-scratch below that conscious surface of responsible behavior Mars and Saturn have insisted upon. Being good little boys and girls all day long is enough to set anyone looking for dramatically entertaining times once his or her shift is over.

'Yet, we all know how these things work, don't we? The more tightly you suppress your inner devils during business hours, the more loose and wild you become when the whistle blows. Your inner disciplinarian will glare suspiciously at your outer adolescent brown-noser with the glint of mischief in his eyes. The tough-guy watches so closely, he cannot see the deliciously devious trouble you're brewing right beneath his nose. From your perspective, though, the release must feel so relieving. You obviously need some type of break from the "diligence" routine. But when, pray tell, does a break devolve into revelry too raucous for anybody's good? (Hint: When it prevents you from being politely seated at your desk, hands folded and ready to work, when the morning bell rings once more.)

'So if it isn't one set of confining circumstances, it's the other set we create by attempting to escape from the first one. There is always something, isn't there? And I, a goddess who values and appreciates taking a trip through a sign of regal self-importance, am not ashamed to create a federal case of this or that restriction. I enjoy the intrigue and excitement. I thrive on scenes painted in bold emotive streaks. It makes this show of mine worth watching or participating in…

'… as long as nobody overdramatizes at the expense of one's internal stability, that is. Too much self-indulgent drama (despite its obvious appeal) can consume every last bit of your energy, reserving you too little for the actual stuff all that drama's supposedly about. Then you won't meet Mars-and-Saturn's standards—and your "suffering" will quickly turn from "meta" to "real". (How sucky is that?) You mustn't overlook my tendencies toward exaggeration. Don't let 'em get you into deep doo-doo.

'But, just like I said at the beginning, everything isn't a damn test. Nor must each and every experience be met with judicious restraint. You can apply my Venus-in-Leo warm-heartedness in savoring all those other moments that are not subject to Mars's decreed finicky meticulousness. And when you do stumble into situations that aren't calling for precise attention or discrimination… oh, what a splendid pleasure! How much better you can appreciate the ease of small simplicities! For when it seems we're being exposed to an endless array of chances to do something wrong or go too far, what could be more welcome than basic pleasures that don't require us to do anything at all nor to go anywhere but here?

'I am Venus, and I will be in Leo through August 5. Until then, I'll be here to happily listen to your outrageous (if not long-winded) stories about all that's stacked up on your plate, to laugh along with your silly annoyances or to utter a hyperbolized "poor you!" when you lament another challenging episode. None of that, alas, excuses you from sticking with the program…'