Opening Your Heart

Ah, Love.... Songs, poems, novels, fairy-tales, movies all extol the power and pleasure of love - and for good reason: love is the food of life! There are many opportunities to love, in fact, a love affair with life is not a bad idea. But you also may need to "grow" love by sharing it, and therein is the seed of all relationships.

The planetary energies which are most usually associated with love are Venus and Neptune. Venusian energy radiates directly from your heart, from the center of yourself, where love resides deep within. Loving is an inner experience. The more you open to the love you hold within yourself, the more it grows. Your feelings of worthiness are represented by Venus, and as you grow to understand and appreciate your own value as a woman, it becomes easier to let this love energy flow through your life. Neptunian energy is Divine compassionate love - the love which does not judge and readily forgives. Neptune is the realm of romance, mysticism and heavenly perfection. Truly transcendent Neptunian love arises when you have healthy boundaries of your own, otherwise, you can become a victim of your own illusions!

Love is your inspiration with Venus in Aries. Although you may not like to feel trapped by maudlin, sticky situations, you are a romantic, and may relish the game of love. The pursuit of the man of your dreams inspires highly creative ideas and flashes of insight, and can be a lot of fun, too. You can be a tempting flirt, and even when you're involved in a committed relationship may feel excited by the idea of arousing another man's interest. To sustain love, you need to know that the passion is still alive in a relationship. The love which you hold deep in your heart stirs your sense of faith and hope, and you enjoy an open, passionate exchange of emotions in your close relationships as a means of keeping the flame of love burning brightly. Sometimes, you may wonder if your feelings have changed, when a relationship becomes more every day. But the truth of the matter is that love has its own ups and downs and sometimes just needs to be there, warming your heart, instead of always burning up the sheets! You have the courage to sustain love through keeping it alive and are not likely to allow a relationship to simply wither away. If you have your way, there will always be a burning ember of desire.

You can be a bit frustrated by your love experiences with your Sun in semi-square aspect to Venus. Part of the problem resides in your impatience. When you have a strong attraction to someone, you may want resolution about the outcome immediately. If you can work toward maintaining a bit more objectivity when your heart begins to open to a loving relationship, you'll be more satisfied with the end results.

With Venus and Jupiter in sextile aspect you need love relationships which fulfill your highest ideals. Sharing similar religious or philosophical beliefs with your lover or husband will strengthen your ability to love fully and completely. You may also find that a partner who enjoys travel and cultural events will stimulate the opening of your heart. For your love relationship to prosper, it needs to be inclusive. Social, family and community ties are important to you, and you'll appreciate a partner who shares your priorities.

You're attracted to relationships which are out of the ordinary with Venus in semi-sextile to Uranus. Maintaining your autonomy is paramount, and you may have such a strong need for independence that you're willing to function without a sense of commitment - for a while, at least. What you really need is a situation which allows you to keep your options open, and that can be created within the context of responsible, committed relationship - but on terms which fit your individual needs. The standard contract - love, honor and obey - is not really your style. Particularly the "obey" part. What you're seeking is a love of free expression and unrestrained possibilities. That is something you'll promise, because that is something you can deliver!

Your romantic nature is enhanced through the influence of Venus in trine aspect to Neptune. When you're in love, you create at atmosphere of magical possibilities which transport you into another dimension. Love can be a purely transcendent experience for you, since you are capable of opening your heart to a true feeling of compassion. Your gentility, creativity and artistry can be especially attractive, and when you're involved in a loving relationship, you are comfortable sharing the secrets of your heart. Allowing love to flow as you follow its course is quite natural for you, and you will be happiest in relationships which support your sense of divine harmony. Forgiveness and acceptance keep the energy of love flowing freely.

As one of the generation of women born with Neptune in Leo, your belief that the energy of God is an energy of Pure Love is at the core of your own ability to love another fully and completely. You are quite capable of sustaining love and may be driven by the ideal that love is the ultimate healer. When you surrender your own will to that of divine love, your heart opens and allows acceptance, forgiveness and understanding. You may hold the belief that men should be the head of the household and take care of the family, but have also struggled with the fact that this is not always the case. The contrast between the reality and the ideal has lead you to discover your own individual power, which, when blended with that of your partner, can be even more effective if you are each driven by a common sense of love and compassion. But most importantly, the experience of this energy allows you to accept your own power as an individual woman who has played the integral role of focus and power for many years. It's time that you appreciate yourself, and that you allow regular contact with your divine essence, which is there to recharge and revitalize you whenever you need it.

With your Moon and Neptune in opposition you have a strong need to find your soul mate. That sense that you are not complete until you've merged with your perfect partner may drive you into relationships which are a far cry from your real needs, until you've made some changes within yourself. If you're too needy in your relationships, you will lose a part of your self esteem. Nobody else has the other half of your soul - it's there in the center of your being. But there may be a partner who can help shed light on that aspect of yourself, and this can be a healthy connection only if you are both honest about the realities of each of your lives.
With Mars and Neptune in quincunx aspect you may have had a series of relationships which have led to disappointment or disillusionment. You may believe that men cannot be trusted, or that they can only be trusted to a certain level. The fact of the matter may be that you do not trust yourself or your judgment concerning men because of your experiences. Learning from your past can be helpful, but to break any patterns which have been codependent, addictive or abusive, you first have to decide that you don't need that old garbage any longer. Forgive yourself. Forgive your past. And begin anew with your eyes open, your senses sharpened, and your will pliable to the truth and only the truth.

With Jupiter in opposition to Neptune you need to be very clear about your ideals and aims in relationships. It's easy to misplace your values and become devoted to someone who seems to share your ideals, but who does not really reflect the principles and teachings in your life. If you avoid the importance of spirituality within the context of your relationships, you may wake up one day to discover that there is a huge gap between you and your husband or lover.

With Saturn in a tense square aspect to Neptune in your chart you may feel frustrated by the stark contract between your fantasies and the realities of your life. In essence you know that there does not have to be a gap, but when you've run into trouble, you've probably gone too far to one side of the pendulum. These extremes are the result of your fears and anxieties which block your ability to surrender when you want to let go and flow with the currents of life. If you jump into situations which are not good for you, you may feel that you'll be forever stuck. What you need is perspective, and you can develop that by giving yourself a mechanism which provides some objectivity. Meditation, psychological counseling, and even therapeutic artistic expression can all help you see your life from a different viewpoint. Then, your faith in yourself is more readily restored.
The houses in your chart which amplify love relationships are the 5th, 7th, and 11th Houses. Through the 5th House, you experience giving love. It is through this facet of yourself that you have love affairs, playful and recreational relationships and where you produce the offspring of loving. The offspring can range from artistic endeavors to children. But when dealing with relationships, this is the space which is usually occupied by loving another in an intimate sense.

The feeling of opening your heart to love brings pure joy with Sagittarius influencing your 5th House. You've experienced the transformative power of joy more than once in your life, and know that when you reach out and give of yourself to others, the energy you receive in return can be sweet indeed. You may attract a wide variety of relationships over the course of your life, and may be especially interested in relationships with men whose backgrounds are different from your own. There's more adventure that way! You love to travel, and will probably enjoy sharing travel with your sweetheart (although sometimes, traveling alone makes your heart sing, too). When you fall in love, you really go for it; sometimes you may act too quickly, before you've had a chance to think about what you're doing. Just because the guy is gorgeous and knocks your socks off, that does not necessarily mean it's safe to change your life for him! Jupiter's influence here adds a confidence and enthusiasm to your approach to loving; sometimes it adds too much enthusiasm, so remember to take a deep breath and try to think before you leap from the cliffs of the heart.

You have no planetary energy in your 5th House. There is no need to be alarmed, because this does not indicate that you will be without love in your life. As you've seen above, you have definite inclinations in love relationships. To further understand what you need from a lover and how you can become more adept at giving love, study the planet associated with this house.

The 7th House of your chart illustrates what you're seeking from a partner. More importantly, this part of your chart also tells a story about the kind of partner you really want to become. This is also the realm of social contact, and provides information about your approach to socialization. Although marriage agreements are shown through the 7th House, planets here (or a lack of planets here) do not "promise" marriage or its lack. But if your 7th House is highly activated, you may be more motivated to find a partner.

With the qualities of Aquarius filtered through your 7th House you are likely to attract a partner whose needs for independence and autonomy are as strong as your own. It is imperative that you connect with a mate or husband whom you respect and who will respect you. This will occur most readily once you have developed your own self-respect and when you know how to avoid too much self-absorption. Although you may think you want complete autonomy, you really do love the idea of attentive support from a partner. With the energy of Uranus driving your approach to partnerships, you will be most successful when you develop the experience of unconditional acceptance and learn to project that toward the person who shares your life.

Your Moon resides in your 7th House, opening your soul to the hunger for a mate. If anybody yearns for the experience of a soul mate, it is you. However, finding that man can be difficult, especially if you over idealize. In essence your soul mate is inside you, waiting for you to fully embrace her! But you may give more of yourself to a partnership than many women might. You need to know the support and caring of a mate, and in order to grow emotionally must feel that your needs are important to your partner. Feeling at home with a man has many dimensions, and the promise of creating a home with your partner is high on your list of priorities. Good questions to ask before marriage will center around home and family. Just be sure that the answers are mutually supportive!

You have high expectations of marriage and partnerships with Jupiter in your 7th House. This energy can be very beneficial to your relationships, since you will approach commitments and agreements with a sense of optimism and confidence, and you may enjoy expressing your generosity to your partner. Consequently you may also gain a great amount of support through your husband or mate, including financial benefits. It is important, however, that you clarify your expectations to avoid disappointments or misunderstandings. Shared philosophical and moral values are an important aspect of marriage, and you will enjoy a more fulfilling relationship if you feel that you and your mate are on the same wavelength spiritually.

It is through the 11th House that you learn about unconditional relationships, and where you open to receiving love and support from others. Here you find your friends, your supportive professional allies, and your community. Through this facet of yourself you develop your special interests. And here you set your goals for the future. It's wonderful the way friends can support your aims, provide feedback when you need objectivity, and comfort you when you're facing challenges. Your approach to friendship is also seen through this part of your chart.

You have Gemini influencing your 11th House, signifying that your friendships are forged through a meeting of the minds. When you get together with your girlfriends, you always have a lot to talk about. You probably have friends from a variety of backgrounds and with myriad interests. With your closest friends you are drawn together because you think alike. Sometimes it may seem that you part and greet one another in mid-conversation, but that's okay. The mental link you have to one another probably keeps the connection strong enough that you don't ever really lose anything in your understanding. Mercury's energy influences your friendships by forging a bridge of understanding, and it is through developing your mental connection that you unlock the doors to your heart. You feel most supported when you know you have somebody who will listen. This is one of the best ways to allow love to flow into your life.

Through the energy of Pluto in your 11th House, you attract friends who are involved in creating transformational change. You may not easily open to the experience of friendship, and your few good friends will understand your needs for privacy and confidentiality. Your intensity can sometimes be intimidating, and you need a friend who will embrace and support your power instead of being jealous or offended in some way. Although you do not necessarily distrust your friends, you may find that experiences and changes put their trustworthiness to the test from time to time. You may have a deep appreciation for your women friends, and may attract powerful women into your life. Cooperative efforts with friends can be a highly effective method to bring about significant changes in the world around you, and your energy may be the catalyst to get these things moving. Just be sure that your motives are pure, or directed toward ends which will stimulate growth and opportunity.