Edge of the Precipice

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On Saturday, Venus entered Sagittarius and stimulating our adventurous impulse to embrace the unknown we may find ourselves during the next four weeks standing at the precipice of humanity’s consciousness as the goddess of love waits ever so sweetly to push us into the darkened abyss. The conventional wisdom of Venus expresses in our appreciation of our physical pleasures and the quality of our personal relationships because both offer us the opportunity to share with others what we value. Venus rules our earthly delights in Taurus and our  aesthetic judgements in Libra. When Venus enters Sagittarius the focus on what we value shifts from what we own and who we have in our life to what our life can be in the future. When under the influence of Sagittarius we understand that we are a part of something greater than ourself so we gravitate to those experiences in life which teach us something new about who we are. When Venus travels in Sagittarius our mind is open to new ideas and new experiences, and because they are different than our own they offer us the opportunity to expand our conscious awareness of who we are and what we value if we are willing to reach beyond what is familiar.

A positive attribute of Sagittarius is our capacity to think freely, to decide for ourself what we believe, and then share our beliefs with others using a shrewd eye toward inclusive rather than discursive commentary. This bright face of Sagittarius was self-evident the day after Venus entered Sagittarius when during an interview on Meet The Press General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State under the Bush administration, judiciously outlined what he valued and personally believed was the best future for the American people. Stepping outside Republican rhetoric General Powell overwhelming endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president of the United States. I was delighted hearing Sagittarius sentiment underpin his reasons for his endorsement by exemplifying Senator Obama’s “ability to inspire; to reach out all across America; to cross ethnic, racial, and generational lines; and to understand that all villages have something of value”. General Powell’s words resonating the very breath of Sagittarius rallied optimism, enthusiasm, and broader support acknowledging Senator Obama as a world leader engendering intellectual rigor and substantive style; a transformational figure.

The ancient symbol of Sagittarius, half human and half horse, alludes to our capacity as humans to integrate our instinctual needs to survive and our lofty ideals in equal measure to enhance and advance human consciousness. As we grow in self-awareness we need to recognize the shadow side of Sagittarius, the dark face of our self-righteous fanaticism which rears an ugly head disregarding the the beliefs  and values of others. What I found to be of equal significance in the interview, the other half of the equation, was General Powell’s commentary on his belief of the imprint of the Republican party upon the well being of the American people. General Powell described what I believe to be the dark face of Sagittarius as he eloquently spoke of his concerns about the future direction of the Republican party. He voiced his concern that Senator McCain’s campaign was dangerously polarizing, and that it had become narrower and narrower in the weeks sense Governor Palin’s nomination as vice president. General Powell also said that he was greatly disturbed that  some leaders in the Republican party we intolerant of people’s religious differences and that  in his opinion the party had moved so far to the right that it was out of touch with the broader spectrum of American values.

The American people face a serious challenge on November 4, a challenge requiring them to broaden their perspective and crossing racial and ethnic prejudices reach out across America in unity. The day before the election Venus makes a square to the Saturn-Uranus opposition warning Americans that there could be outside influencing interfering with the elections similar to the voting manipulations witnessed in 2004. Venus in Sagittarius offers us the opportunity to speak out, to broadcast when necessary, our beliefs and values. The  Venus square to Saturn in Virgo highlights our fear of letting go of all the hard work that has gone into making our past, and the square to Uranus in Pisces highlights our potential to sacrifice ourself if we resist breaking free from the status quo .  A square aspect between planets connotes an internal tension demanding release through action. It seems likely that we are being called upon to take action on behalf of what we believe and value because it is no longer advisable to submit our freedom to the action of a few. If this is the edge of the precipice where we stand today then what happens next is truly in the hands of every individual.