Venus Rising: A New Year’s Omen for Women

This danger

is a danger of love, of complete love

toward all of life, toward all lives.

Pablo Neruda

-Are you afraid of what the New Year might bring?

Does the danger of an unknown future make you feel depressed and powerless?

I have to admit that’s how I was feeling on New Year’s Day.  News reports of terrorism, and my own lack of sleep the night before, had left me with a sense of foreboding.  To clear my head, I took a night walk after dinner.

As I stepped out alone into the silence, my eye was caught by a vision in the west.  What looked like a bright, clear star had risen above the Moon.   It was the planet Venus, shining for this one night brighter than anything in the sky:   Venus, planet of love, named for Aphrodite, powerful goddess of love and inner beauty.

I walked towards the light, new thoughts flowing as my blood warmed. After a year of terrorism and intolerance, this was a vision of love ascendant. I found myself remembering Lysistrata, the ancient Greek story of women who made their men give up war. Then some lines from the 15th century mystic Hafiz came into my mind:

Women sometimes pronounce the word ‘God’

A little differently:

They can use more feeling and skill

With the heart-lute.

Now I no longer feel powerless. The Venus omen has brought me strong insights on how to live in a hostile world:

1. I do not have to measure my strength in terms of armed violence or brute force. (Instead, I can keep myself fit and physically strong, but still value and build skills associated with peace.)
2. I can use sensitivity, intelligence and intuition as my “weapons” against war.
3. I can replace being passive with taking action from the heart.
4. I can avoid news stories that disempower me, and focus instead on healing the world that is close by.
5. Even when those around me choose hate and intolerance, I can choose to live and lead my children by the principles of love, and God as love.

Do you have a story of a strong peacemaker you’d like to share?  Have you experienced the power of love to turn a dangerous situation around?  This blog is open to comments and welcomes ideas from parents, teachers and peacemakers of all ages. Can’t wait to hear from you!