Venus in Aquarius Opposing Mars in Leo: 5 Things to Watch For

Hey, everyone. This is Adam Elenbaas from Nightlight Astrology. Today, we're going to take a look at Venus and Mars opposing one another one more time. This time, though, we're going to examine it from the standpoint of things to watch for — manifestations of the symbolism that you might actually observe in your life.

Yesterday, we looked at this opposition from a more philosophical perspective. We discussed how different wisdom traditions hold the tension of these opposites in a broader, more abstract way. Today, we're going to narrow in and look at the more concrete way in which we might see them in our lives. This is just as important, right? We often try to balance both approaches on this channel.

So anyway, that’s our agenda for today. Before we dive in, remember to like and subscribe. Share your comments and reflections — it really helps our channel grow, especially if you listen regularly. It's completely free to do so. You can also find transcripts of these daily talks on my website, which is NightlightAstrology.com.

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If you’re in the Twin Cities area, we’re holding a Winter Solstice gathering on the 21st in Minneapolis at the Grapevine Collective. It’s free to attend, but please RSVP so we can make sure we have enough tea, cookies, and other goodies. It's going to be a fun evening of meditation and ritualizing the solstice moment together. If you're in the area, please feel free to attend — just be sure to sign up only if you're actually in Minneapolis, as we've had people from California sign up, and this is an in-person event.

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If you find that this is your experience on the channel, please consider donating. One of the things I like to do throughout the year is help people navigate transits that are commonly recognized as difficult. Venus-Pluto oppositions, Uranus transits, Mars-Uranus conjunctions — these are transits that we all recognize and often dread. What I aim to do is give people different ways of looking at these difficult transits.

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As someone who deals with astrological anxiety myself, especially when it involves my kids or family, I know how helpful it is to have well-rounded takes on tough transits. We can be both realistic and encouraging at the same time. If that's something that’s been helpful to you, I hope you’ll consider supporting the channel.

And with that, let’s turn our attention now to more on the Venus-Mars opposition.

All right, let's go ahead and get into it. We're looking at Venus opposing Mars today. Yesterday, we took a look at this opposition between Venus and Mars from the standpoint of a larger metaphysical framework. I mentioned that it’s important to do this because we want to not only use astrology to predict and describe events in the material world but also put them into a spiritual container. This allows us to reflect upon our experiences, learn, grow, and understand why they are part of reality from the standpoint of ancient mystical traditions like astrology.

However, today, as I mentioned yesterday, it’s also crucial to be able to name, describe, and predict things that happen in our world—the things we are personally invested in, which we are here to live. So today, let’s take a look at five things to watch for given this Venus-Mars opposition.

Let me put the real-time clock up, and let’s refresh on the timeline first. I’ve isolated Venus and Mars for you, and you’ll see that Venus is opposing Mars on Thursday, December 12, at about five in the morning Central Time. So, if you’re watching this today, wherever you are in the world, this may have already happened, and it was building yesterday. However, it’s important to mention that the three-degree engagement range that ancient astrologers worked with doesn’t close for us until Saturday. So, we have today, tomorrow, and Saturday to continue working with this transit. This is the time range within which the karmic fruit will blossom and be heavy on the tree, so to speak. That’s the overall timeline we’re working with.

If we back this up just a bit, you may have been feeling this, as I mentioned yesterday, as early as Monday, December 9, around the time when Venus entered that three-degree engagement range. So, if any of this is describing things that have already happened, that wouldn’t be surprising. However, for many people, it may very well be today, tomorrow, or Saturday where you see some of these things manifest. Again, yesterday, we reflected on some of the archetypal and philosophical meanings of Venus and Mars in the greater scope of reality itself, according to ancient mystics. Today, let’s look at it from a more practical standpoint—five things to watch for.

Number one—oh, wait a second. I almost forgot! Let me quickly show you the dignities. Just a few interesting things to note. One thing I notice right away is that within the span of this transit, Mars is in Jupiter’s bound, while Venus is in Mercury’s bound. Venus is in the bounds of Mercury in Aquarius (up to the first 7th degree), and Mars is in Jupiter’s bound (up to the first 6th degree) in Leo. Why is that significant?

Well, you may remember that Mercury and Jupiter stand in mutual reception by opposition in their detriments right now. These two planets are working something out and are part of the T-square that involves the Jupiter-Saturn dynamic. So, Venus and Mars taking place in the bounds of Mercury and Jupiter is interesting.

Let’s look at Mercury and Jupiter’s placement really quickly. Notice how Mercury is configured to both the retrograde motion of Mercury and the Trine and Sextile with Mars. Why is that important? Because Mercury is in the domicile and bound of Jupiter, and Jupiter is in the domicile of Mercury. These planets are very intimately connected right now.

We might add that if we go forward just a few more days, Mercury will begin to station and turn direct. So, right now, as you’re taking this in, we are at Mercury’s station point, which will reach the sixth degree tomorrow. So, it’s really important to look at that little nuance and say, “Okay, Venus and Mars are opposing one another,” but their opposition is very intimately tied to Mercury stationing, Mercury turning direct, and both planets being in each other’s signs and bounds. These two planets are working something out.

I talked yesterday about reluctant agreements, how something bad can turn into something good, and how we may need to look at things from the perspective of their opposite. Could it be that this Venus-Mars opposition is amplifying the importance of the Mercury-Jupiter opposition?

Because Venus and Mars are in each other’s bounds, we may see connections to deeper philosophical, intellectual, or ideological values and beliefs being debated or exchanged. There could be compromises being sought or mediation of conflicts of ideas, thoughts, or strategies. So, Mars and Venus are playing right into that.

Now, let’s focus more specifically on Venus and Mars. I have a lot to say, so don’t worry if one of these doesn’t resonate. Another one might.

Number one: The cold, impersonal Venus imposing her will. Now, this may sound strange, because we don’t usually think of Venus as imposing her will. We think of Venus as harmonizing, but Venus is coming off a conjunction with Pluto. And none of us are so ignorant that we don’t recognize that the goddess Aphrodite has her own willpower. It might look a little different than Mars’ willpower, but she has her own desires and a way of getting what she wants.

In this case, Venus in Aquarius may be a bit more cold, impersonal, systematic, objective, and rational. She may be enforcing a view on Mars that Mars finds degrading to his ego. For example, Venus may need to state a rule that is equitable, fair, balanced, and rational, but Mars doesn’t like it. Mars may want something special or individualized, but Venus may say, “Sorry, there’s a whole system here, and your situation isn’t an exception.” This could be very challenging for someone who believes they are a special case. The ego wants to be treated as unique and exempt from the rules, but Venus could say, “This is just how the system works. This is the fairest and most beautiful system.”

Now, let’s look at it from a different angle. Could Venus be the villain in this situation? Venus might have a standard or ethic that, on paper, looks very good but could be degrading to someone else if applied without nuance or context. It’s too cold, detached, and impersonal. This is something to watch for.

Number two: The king bending the knee. Sometimes the “I’m special” mentality may stem from privilege, pride, power, entitlement, or arrogance. Venus, coming off the conjunction with Pluto, could be saying, “There’s something bigger than you. You need to submit your ego and bend the knee for the greater good.”

Mars in Leo may resist this idea, but Venus may be demanding submission or sacrifice. In ancient texts like the I Ching, a good leader is someone who knows when to step back, when to redistribute power, and when to empower others. This could be playing out in relationships where Mars is asked to bend the knee or make a sacrifice for the greater good.

Number three: Revising old conflicts in relationships. Mars retrograde can bring up old conflicts, just like Venus retrograde can. This Venus-Mars opposition may bring up old power struggles, but with a new eye—an eye for how to create peace and resolve things more constructively. Mars retrograde is an excellent time to reflect on how we handle willpower, effort, and determination. We may find ways to improve relationships by handling conflicts more maturely, less reactively. These are great opportunities to address old wounds around ego, self-worth, and power dynamics.

Number four: Collective versus personal tensions. The Leo-Aquarius axis often highlights tensions between the collective and the personal. If the collective overwhelms the personal, it’s problematic, and if the personal overwhelms the collective, it’s equally problematic. Watch for these tensions between how we identify relationally through groups and how we identify as individuals. A refinement of this tension may be presenting itself right now.

Finally, number five: Creative sparks flying. The tension between Mars and Venus often leads to creativity. While they may fight, they also make love, and this dynamic sparks creativity. For me personally, when I’m in peak states of tension, I often reach for my guitar and channel that tension into music. Music has always been considered a form of medicine, and when tension is in the air, it’s a great opportunity to create. Whether that means leaning into playful tension with others or finding a creative outlet, don’t miss the opportunity to channel that energy into something productive and cathartic.

I hope this advice helps. Just a reminder: We need your support to continue the work on this channel. Every little contribution helps. If you haven’t donated yet, please consider supporting the channel. Your pledges aren’t collected until January 1, if and when the Kickstarter is successful. Thank you so much for your support. See you tomorrow!