Venus and Mars; Dogs and Cats

Tuesday is the first day of September. At 12:04 am CDT, Venus will conjunct Mars to simultaneously kick off the day and the month. Six hours later, one with a clear view of the eastern horizon will be able to watch them rise side-by-side ahead of the sun. I’ve been observing Venus before sunrise, but unfortunately there’s too much light pollution around here for me to see Mars.

Venus conjunct Mars is sort of like caring for a dog and a cat at the same time.

The dog wants constant attention. She follows you around…and gets under your feet. If you sit, she wants to be in your lap. If you walk, she pulls at the leash, either ahead of you or behind. The dog is always happy, and seems to always want to play…even if she was sound asleep the moment before.

The cat wants no part of the dog. Play? Only on her terms. She’ll happily go outside, but not on a leash. More than likely, she’ll want to be on the other side of any closed door, regardless which side you’re on. She’ll tolerate affection, for a minute or two. If you happen to pet her a few seconds too long, you just might get some teeth or claws to set you straight.

You may have guessed: I’ve been dog sitting. I’m used to craving affection from my aloof cat, but I’m NOT used to the constant attention I’m getting from the dog. Being woken in the middle of the night is one thing, but then having to go outside at that hour is another.

The walks around the property have been nice…even if they are a pain to start. You see, I’m on the sixth floor. It’s a long walk and a lot of stairs to get to grass around here. And, since I’m caring for a very small dog, I have to carry her up and down the stairs.

Yes, there is an elevator; but it’s in the wrong direction…better for the ride up than the ride down. And this is a very big building. There is just no simple way to take the dog out for a quick pee.

My cat is a quiet companion…even if she’s typically under the bed or some other furniture. The dog is sometimes quiet, but abruptly loud when something catches her attention.

The one thing they each have in common? Neither does well with other animals! Ha ha!

Now I am not going to equate one with Mars and the other with Venus. That just wouldn’t work.

However, having both a cat and a dog—for the weekend—has me thinking. It has me craving an animal for a pet, which doesn’t exist. One that is quiet, like the cat, but portable, like the dog; one that can use a litter box, yet is happy to walk on a leash; one that will sit in your lap when you want the company (and warmth), but is also happy to sit on the other end of the sofa when you want your space (and no…more…heat; it’s August in Austin for Pete’s sake!) One you can go out with (a walk, a ride, a trip), and one you can stay home with.

Mars and Venus are very different archetypes…yet we each have both in our natal charts. One might be stronger, and more influential, but they are both there. In my birth chart, they are in adjacent signs, which means they are even more different than normal.

For a moment, imagine being perfectly bisexual: equally attracted to men and women—physically, sexually, emotionally, socially, etc. How hard it would be to pick just one mate, wouldn’t you think?

Venus and Mars are personal planets. They tend to affect us in personal ways. Uranus aspecting Pluto, by contrast, seems to be the bringer of the kind of events that affect large numbers of people all at once, as we’ve seen these past few years.

So Venus and Mars soon unite, blending their energies for a few days. They sit in Leo…and touch that part of each chart. For me, they are deep into my 12^th house…just a few degrees above my ascendant. It’s not so much who I am…but something much deeper inside. The contrast I feel is with my wants and desires.

For the next few days, notice how you feel about contrast. You’ll probably see pros and cons simultaneously. You’ll see the advantages of this, and the advantages of that. And you just might ask, as I have been: “Why can’t I have it both ways? Why can’t I have it all? Why can’t I have just the things I want…without the tradeoffs?”

A house can give you this…but an apartment can give you that. A cat is good at these times…and a dog is better at those times. There’s everything the city gives you, and then those things we need the country for. Being single has its advantages, but it would be nice to NOT be single ALL of the time.

Liking dogs versus cats is not better or worse. Liking men versus women is not better or worse.

Some of us are heavy on the Mars…others overwhelmingly Venus. In reality, each of us is affected by both. Sometimes you want a spoon, but sometimes you need a fork.

My dog sitting days are just about up…and I have enjoyed the contrast this weekend has brought. I’m not thinking I’ll be a dog owner any time soon…at least not while living in a big apartment building by myself. But I like to imagine having it all—not merely having a dog and a cat, but having (a) companion(s) that can be all the things I want…even if I want different things at different times.