A 3 months! Venus-Mars conjunction.

1
From April 12th till July 13th Venus and Mars will be within a mutual distance of 8?. Since these are fast moving planets of which Venus is the faster one this is quite extraordinary. Usually such a conjunction lasts only a few days. However now Venus is retrograde and after that will be a slower than normal moving object, it will be easy for Mars to keep up with them.

The exact conjunctions will occur
wednesday April 22nd on which the Moon also will occult Venus,
friday June 19th again accompanied by the Moon (no occultation). This day Moon Venus Mars even are in semisquare aspect (45?) with the Sun. Two days later the Sun is in the summersolstice point and the semisquare with Venus Mars is still a bit there.

Venus is now in Aries and from April 11-22 will be a short time in Pisces with Mars. Then they both will be in Aries till May 31 when Mars will enter Taurus. Venus enters Taurus june 6th and stays there till July 5 when she enters Gemini. Mars enters Gemini july 12.

I wonder what type of mundane astrological effects might appear. Maybe a warm and moist spring on the Northern hemisphere. Last few years in Europe there is a period of warm weather in May, but when summer comes in it's all rain and cool weather for a few months.

Maybe more relationships will get started in this period. A 'sultry' period in both senses, social and climatiological. Further with the background of the crisis several strikes or uprisings.

2
I noticed this too Eddy. It is even more interesting because they were conjoined in middle of Libra in September ( around 10th-15th), then they moved to a sextile in Feb.

Then Venus went retrograde taking them back to the long conjunction you described. So perhaps if we look back at September we will see some themes that will be picked up again.

4
I noticed this too Eddy. It is even more interesting because they were conjoined in middle of Libra in September ( around 10th-15th),
This is right around the time the current financial crises began to become apparent. Adverse Venus - Mars contacts could be associated with squandering money.

then they moved to a sextile in Feb
.

More of the same.

Tom

5
Tom wrote:
I noticed this too Eddy. It is even more interesting because they were conjoined in middle of Libra in September ( around 10th-15th),
This is right around the time the current financial crises began to become apparent. Adverse Venus - Mars contacts could be associated with squandering money.
That conjunction was also with Mercury joined in. These three were in square aspect with Jupiter in Capricorn, which on its turn was about to go in the before last trine (of five) with Saturn. October 10 the Moon was conjunct Jupiter.

Like Tom points out this could have introduced the financial crisis which (officially?) started in October with Iceland's collapsing stock market. Although I tend not to use the zodiac signs (like Kepler) it looks like that with the bad positioned Mars and Jupiter in Libra and Capricorn respectively the well positioned Venus and Jupiter's trine with Saturn seem to be turned to signs of a lack of decisiveness.
Quote:
then they moved to a sextile in Feb
.

More of the same.
Note that this was also a longduring sextile, second half January till end February sextile within a 2?. Till beginning of February both were in their exaltation. With upcoming conjunction passing mainly trough Aries and Taurus I'm curious if this could be seen in the effects. First period, Mars is strongly placed and Venus weakly, second period the situation is reversed.

The former aspects and the upcoming conjunction could signify indecisiveness after overestimation. The Dutch governement finally has come with a plan for the crisis after several weeks of consultations. The opposition complains that the measures are half measures and that they had no influence on the decisions and that one of the labour unions has exerted too much power on the consultations. However, isn't it in the nature of the opposition to disagree :)... ?

6
Today I have little time but as a reminder, tomorrow Venus is occulted by the Moon and on the same day is in conjunction with Mars.

This position is also interesting in the light of Andrew's thread on "lunar cazimi". Venus occulted and Mars within the 0?15' limit at the same time.

Here the postions from www.ephemeris.com April 22nd 13:30 UT
Date/Time: 2009.04.22 13:30:00 UTC (GMT - Delta T), JD = 2454944.062500
Sidereal Time: 03:32:57, Delta T = 69.4 seconds
Geocentric positions

Phase of Moon: 0.909 (0.000=New; 0.250=First 1/4; 0.500=Full; 0.750=Last 1/4)

Planet Longitude Latitude Right Asc. Declination
Sun 02 Tau 33'08" 0?00'00" 02:01:26 12?21'32"
Moon 29 Psc 38'37" 4?05'16" 23:52:11 3?36'30"
Moon's Node 05 Aqr 10'35"R 0?00'00" 20:30:08 -18?58'27"
Apogee 00 Cap 15'31"R - 2?52'40" 18:01:09 -26?19'02"
Mercury 22 Tau 12'59" 2?30'39" 03:16:28 20?44'56"
Venus 29 Psc 38'03" 3?07'55" 23:53:40 2?43'40"
Mars 29 Psc 59'32" - 1?09'06" 00:01:48 - 1?03'35"
Jupiter 22 Aqr 44'44" - 0?38'49" 21:41:15 -14?32'43"
Saturn 15 Vir 25'21"R 2?14'11" 11:09:49 7?48'26"

In the link given a few posts ago people in the US and Canada can find some data for the times of the occultation.

I do think the period of good weather will last the whole spring during these 3 months, a bit moist and warm.

7
I notice how Mars applied to Venus in the end of Pisces. Then noting that both planets were close in early Aries, I was assuming that Venus would pick up speed and catch up Mars again. However, I notice that this does not occur in Aries and unless there is a translation of light, the question will be frustrated. Venus does not complete her application to Mars before well into Taurus.

How utterly frustrating for anyone looking for love... :?
http://www.astronor.com

8
I was thinking it describes romance rather well, you meet or connect in a romantic watery way, then sort of walk along together passion burning in your firey heart getting to know each other until you pair up again in a much earthier place,way... but yes I see your point lovers dont connect until change takes place...

Granny

9
Andrew Bevan wrote:I notice how Mars applied to Venus in the end of Pisces. Then noting that both planets were close in early Aries, I was assuming that Venus would pick up speed and catch up Mars again. However, I notice that this does not occur in Aries and unless there is a translation of light, the question will be frustrated. Venus does not complete her application to Mars before well into Taurus.

How utterly frustrating for anyone looking for love... :?
granny_skot wrote:I was thinking it describes romance rather well, you meet or connect in a romantic watery way, then sort of walk along together passion burning in your firey heart getting to know each other until you pair up again in a much earthier place,way... but yes I see your point lovers dont connect until change takes place...

Granny

Just after moving direct Venus will stay a 'slow' object for quite a while. They finally will meet not before June 19th. This longduring conjunction is quite unique. I rembember that in autumn 1997 there was another longduring Venus Mars conjunction. Just have a look in the ephemeris:
http://www.astro.com/swisseph/ae/1900/ae_1997.pdf

I also think that it may have to do with relationships. Although I don't know how to 'check' this as a mundane effect. Perhaps more passionate relationships these months? I think the warm april had to do with this aspect and apart from this week I think the weather (in Europe) soon will recover and be warm and moist again for a long period.

10
A few days ago I was reading about applying and separating aspects. As Venus and Mars are in conjunction and have been separating since the conjunction of April 22, I looked in the ephemeris when they would be applying again, going for a final meeting June 21 13:10 UT (by the way I was wrong stating earlier that it would occur, however that date is a conjunction in right ascensional coordinates and moreover accompanied by the Moon). I saw I was just in time for finding the moment.

Namely tonight (from European perspective) the aspect will become applying, Venus again becomes the faster planet as usual. This period then is a sort of 'standstill' in which the mutual distance will remain almost the same for a while.

This is interesting because a couple of hours later Saturn will turn direct again. This is therefore another 'standstill' period in which Saturn is near 15?Virgo during a few weeks.

Moreover there is an interesting conjunction and square aspect with a couple of planets involved these days. First Mercury will be in its inferior conjunction with the Sun monday 18th, Sunday 17 Moon is conjunct Jupiter. Moon is also in last quarter with the Sun. Today (16) Jupiter is in square aspect with the Sun. And Neptune (in conjunction with Jupiter friday 22) also plays a part in it. Venus perhaps also plays a minor role in it because she is 46? degrees from the Sun and 43? from Jupiter, a (though not very exact) semi-square aspect. (greatest morning elongation begin of June).

Or in a more schematical way:
{Sun conj. Mercury in Taurus} square {Moon conj. Jupiter conj. Neptune in Aquarius} (and semi-square Venus in the middle of these)

Yesterday there have been heavy rainshowers (in the Netherlands), so perhaps these planetary positions have to do with it. I hope the good weather returns when these positions get wider again :) .



Below are tonights planetary positions for a better overlook of the positions mentioned above:
Source: www.ephemeris.com
Date/Time: 2009.05.17 00:00:00 UTC (GMT - Delta T), JD = 2454968.500000
Sidereal Time: 15:39:18, Delta T = 69.4 seconds
Geocentric positions

Phase of Moon: 0.741 (0.000=New; 0.250=First 1/4; 0.500=Full; 0.750=Last 1/4)

Planet Longitude Latitude Right Asc. Declination
Sun 26 Tau 14'03" 0?00'00" 03:35:41 19?18'36"
Moon 22 Aqr 47'29" 1?45'54" 21:38:12 -12?14'58"
Moon's Node 02 Aqr 33'13" 0?00'00" 20:19:19 -19?35'23"
Apogee 18 Cap 09'32"R - 1?16'07" 19:19:26 -23?27'54"
Mercury 28 Tau 25'08"R - 0?31'03" 03:45:11 19?18'12"
Venus 12 Ari 11'03" - 0?50'58" 00:46:09 4?02'01"
Mars 18 Ari 45'53" - 1?03'15" 01:10:52 6?22'34"
Jupiter 25 Aqr 40'45" - 0?44'14" 21:52:47 -13?39'16"
Saturn 14 Vir 54'41"R 2?10'23" 11:07:49 7?56'50"
Uranus 25 Psc 48'50" - 0?44'40" 23:45:49 - 2?20'49"
Neptune 26 Aqr 26'14" - 0?23'12" 21:55:13 -13?04'03"
Pluto 02 Cap 51'54"R 5?47'16" 18:11:58 -17?37'19"