In a previous post, I described how the conjunction of Mercury with Uranus, Neptune or Pluto brings the outer planet qualities to all conscious thought and the mind-set as a whole.
How do these conjunctions work for Venus? Venus is about femininity, relating, beauty, sensuousness, money, and values, and when this planet is conjunct Uranus, Neptune or Pluto, these Venusian qualities are deeply colored by the outer planet significations.Similar outcomes can be seen with other aspects of Mercury–opposition, square, sextile and trine–to the outer planets. So you will want to read the conjunctions described in the following really as any aspect of Venus, while keeping in mind that oppositions and squares (along with conjunctions) tend to be more intense in their manifestation than the sextile and trine.
Conjunct Uranus
Venus is the feminine side. In women, it strongly colors the identity, the sense of what it means to be a woman. When Uranus is conjunct Venus, the personal notion of femininity may not be rigidly defined. Women who have Venus conjunct Uranus might appear liberated and unconventional to other women, and to the world at large. An example is Sally Ride, who was the first American woman in space. (Space is a Uranian signification.) She had Venus (16 Can 46) conjunct Uranus (07 Can 30). To the world, her identity is undeniably tied to space. In another Uranian signification tied to her Venusian sense of identity and femininity, she is the earliest space traveler to have been recognized as LGBT.
Venus conjunct Uranus colors relationships with independence, unconventionality, and other Uranian qualities. A Venus-Uranus person is capable of relating to anyone at all, from any background, however unconventional that may seem to others. She dislikes cliques, especially those that may relate to her family background or upbringing–in short any group that may be seen as conventional. Relationship needs may be even met through many people. This does not mean all Venus-Uranus people are polygamous, or even serially monogamous. It is simply one likely manifestation.
Another manifestation could be that the person marries someone who is Uranian—perhaps from a different religion, or culture, or economic class. In fact, anyone that is clearly “different” in an obvious and remarkable way. The Venus-Uranus person may be unpredictable in relationships, or simply exciting to be around. They may be unfashionable to the extreme, or simply anti-fashionable just to thumb their noses at conventional, sheep-like behavior of others who are always following the latest trends. Venus-Uranus people are capable of forming quick and abrupt relationships, and equally capable of breaking up abruptly, unexpectedly, and unpredictably.
The range of manifestation can be narrowed down according to the sign that Venus is in. For example, Venus in Libra is generally conventional in social behavior, observing protocols, loathe to disrupt the harmony. So in social settings, she is not likely to be disruptive, or quirky. The Uranus conjunction for her is a lot more likely to show in her choice of one-on-one relationships, in romance and friendships, where she will not be bound by conventional choices.
On the other hand, Venus in, say, Sagittarius, will not adhere to social protocols. With the Uranus conjunction, her desire for freedom and independence will become extreme, and she may have a hard time making and keeping conventional relationships. Long-term relationships and marriage could still work, but only if she is with someone who gives her a lot of freedom, and is able to handle her unconventional needs.
Venus is, of course, more than just relationships. A very important but often forgotten significance of Venus is values. What we value in ourselves and others, as well what we value in our world, is signified by the Venus position in the horoscope. A stand out example of this is the chart of the precocious environmental activist Greta Thunberg, which shows Venus (25 Sco 34) very tightly square Uranus (26 Aqu 21). Her values regarding the world she inhabits (Venus) has found just cause in a highly progressive (Uranian) stance on addressing the climate crisis. Her activist fight started when she was only 15, when she spent her school days outside the Swedish Parliament to call for stronger action on climate change.
“When haters go after your looks and differences, it means they have nowhere left to go.” Venus is about looks (beauty) as well, so here in Thunberg’s case we see the double duty played by Venus-Uranus, mixing looks with Uranian differences. The Scorpio placement of Venus is also apparent in the brutally honest language she uses to make her point. “Since our leaders are behaving like children, we will have to take the responsibility they should have taken long ago.” “I want you to act as if the house is on fire, because it is.”
Conjunct Neptune
Venus-Neptune makes a person a true romantic. Fantasy, idealization, and an expectation of the perfect relationship or perfect mate are pronounced, so much so that no relationship may be able to pass the test. In which case the person may elect to remain pristinely single.
As with Venus-Uranus, another, quite different manifestation could be that the person marries someone who is Neptunian: imaginative, creative, sensitive, and so on. Relationships are the channel through which Neptunian energies play themselves out. In the more unfortunate manifestations of Neptunian signfications in the relationship, it may be that the person marries but the husband disappears, or that every person she relates to somehow leaves, or she ends up in a relationship with an alcoholic.
Venus-Neptune people may be delightfully fashionable, with an exquisite grasp of aesthetics, color, form, and a highly refined sense of taste in the good things in life. They may be quick to spot and adapt new fashion trends, and are very much attuned to glamor and dazzle.
A surprising but fitting example of this is tennis great Roger Federer. Surprising, because I am not talking about his tennis genius, but his elevated sense of fashion and style. In his chart, Venus (17 Vir 22) is square Neptune (22 Sag 16). In December 2019 Roger Federer was voted by the readers as the Most Stylish Man of the Decade (2010–2019) in GQ, ranking first in the list ahead of Timothee Chalamet, LeBron James, Harry Styles, etc.
There is such a wide range of possibilities, as always, the best approach to try and understand Venus-Neptune is to figure out what particular flavors of Neptunian energies are most often and powerfully manifested in the life, and then imagine alternate constructive possibilities.
Conjunct Pluto
Venus with Pluto is an empowering aspect, but it can also be extremely challenging. Plutonian qualities including intensity, extremes, death and destruction, relentlessness, and power can quite literally manifest themselves in close relationships, especially with the lover or mate. Sharing of power needs to be done with care, otherwise there may be mighty power struggles.
Venus-Pluto people have trouble letting go. Even after a relationship is long over, they carry a part of it around—they are simply unable to forget it and move on. If all goes well, on the other hand, a Venus-Pluto conjunction can bring relationships that are intense, powerful in the mutual expression of undying love, a marriage that holds up in the face of even the most extreme difficulties.
Many of these Venus-Pluto significations are seen in Celine Deon’s relationship and marriage to Rene Angelil. Her horoscope has Venus (17 Pis 48) square Pluto (21 Vir 04). Rene Angelil was her manager, and later became her husband–she met him when she was 12 and he was 38. “”I was in love with a man I couldn’t love, who didn’t want me to love him, who didn’t want to love me.” The love was typically Plutonian for its extreme age difference, and the forbidden nature of the relationship. They got married toward the end of 1994 when she was 26 and he was 52. After only 22 years of marriage, in 2016 Pluto came knocking and ended it. She lost her husband to throat cancer, and she found herself widowed at the age of 46.
Since Venus also signifies money and values, Venus with Pluto can signify a relentless drive to acquire money and material resources, and if other horoscope factors agree, extreme wealth is possible. Alternatively, the person could be in love with power, especially over the opposite sex, and would turn any stone to acquire it.
If you have any Venus-Pluto aspects in your horoscope, pay careful attention to them and relate them to the way you approach romantic relationships (and more broadly friendships and business relationships), and how these relationships have impacted and influenced you. Also, how do these aspects define and color the things you value in your life?