Tonight there is an opportunity to see one of the most beautiful astronomical events that is regularly visible: a crescent Moon conjunction with the planet Venus.These conjunctions are sometimes called Venus Gates in reference to the mythology of Inanna and her descent to, and return from, the underworld through seven gates. They have also been called Rose Gates in reference to the beauty of these conjunctions and the flowering of love they can bring into your life.
I prefer to to think of the sequence of these conjunctions (seven in the morning sky before sunrise and seven in the evening sky after sunset) as an exploration of a rose garden: a rose garden filled with adventures and mysteries that have the power to open you to ever more love and compassion for yourself and others. This rose garden has many gates that open to new spaces filled with devotional temples and altars, each dedicated to the goddesses of love and nurturing. With each Moon-Venus conjunction we are invited to go deeper into the garden, opening our hearts more and more.
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Venus returned to our sunset skies in July after three months on the other side of the Sun, and is now easily visible every night (with good weather) after sunset for an hour. Look for her about 20 degrees above the sunset point on the western horizon, 15-20 minutes after sunset, and she should be easy to see.
Her first visible conjunction with the Moon was a month ago, but that was more challenging to see as it was so close to the horizon and visible for only about 30 minutes (needing perfect sky conditions during that brief window). This Venus Gate will be much easier to see, and so I really encourage you to find a beautiful spot to take in the sunset and then wait 15-20 minutes for the Moon and Venus to materialize in the growing darkness.
There will be 6 more Venus Gates after this one, and I think it is a great moment to set the intention to follow the full sequence, inquiring over the next 6 months into the nature of the evening Venus Gate mysteries, and what they can bring to our lives.
This has been my most powerful and magical astrological practice these last four years, and making the effort to connect with these Moon-Venus conjunctions each month has brought a level of intimacy with both of these planets (and with the people I love) that my astrological studies of the previous 25 years never did. The simple act of finding a spot to visually commune with this conjunction each month, and praying to find more love and compassion for yourself and others, has a kind of power that can only be experienced directly.
So this is your opportunity to get onboard the Rose Gate express, and ride through seven portals in the next six months, catching seven waves towards greater intimacy with the sky, with yourself, and with others. Sending you all blessings and looking forward to supporting you on this journey deeper into love! Matthew