Besiegement is never fun. Be it on the battlefield, or when everyday life presents unfortunate challenges. To have limited options, one can feel stuck between a rock and a hard place with no way out.
Venus has been besieged twice since the beginning of March. Once, wedged between Mars and Pluto, March 3rd-5th, 2022 , and between Mars and Saturn since March 6th until now. This is an uncomfortable position for a planet who lives its best life reclining in the enjoyment of comfort and connection.
In a state of besiegement, there’s no relaxing and unwinding when there is the constant threat of ambush and pressure from an external source.
When a besiegement situation is seen astrologically, the best option is to wait things out. In real time however, that isn’t always an option as besiegement suggests that a pressure, or a force, is encroaching in on one’s space, forcing an outcome. It’s almost impossible to win. Lose-lose often ensues.
On the world stage we can see this playing out with Ukraine wedged between Russia and NATO bureaucracy, and on a personal level we saw Will Smith rise to the top of his career, only to have his moment of glory accompanied by hardship.
Venus and Mars: Love is a Battlefield
Outer planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto suck a lot of oxygen out of the room. This leaves the conjunctions of Venus and Mars without their dues until the aspect lands. Even then, the carnage is attributed to outer planet dances.
Venus and Mars are companions, siblings, lovers; antithesis energies that balance each other out. Venus is receptive, gentle, diplomatic and loving. Mars cuts, divides, heats up and asserts. Mars advocates for war, Venus for peace. Mars divides, Venus unites.
At their best, they are lovers, getting creative after the Sun goes down, under the dominion of the Moon. But when they come together, as Pat Benatar says, like so many who live with Venus and Mars under the one roof, love is a battlefield.
So if Venus and Mars are constant companions, what place does Venus have on the battle field?
Venus in love and war
From an early age we are introduced to the Venus – Mars dynamic. When we are cut (Mars), a band-aid is placed over the wound for healing and repair (Venus). When we’re anxious to fall asleep, bedtime stories are told, or sung. When we fight with siblings or friends, we are taught about making amends. Venus-Mars archetypes are weaved throughout our lives.
Socially, Venus is held in art, architecture, music, relationships and cultural customs. As we’re seeing in real time, the act of war seeks to destroy these lineages in an attempt to eradicate the past and overwrite it with the oppressor’s dominant narrative. As Mars separates and destroys, Venus is simultaneously expressing as unity across the globe.
When Saturn is added into the mix to create besiegement, it brings a tone of seriousness, depression and added difficulty. Venus and Mars are companions in the night sect of the Moon, and while they may create tension with one another, when they work together they can produce vibrant colours and dynamic, passionate, creative expression. Saturn is like the cranky neighbour across the road who asks them to turn the music down at 7pm and fires up the leaf blower at 8am the next morning. Saturn is a buzz kill on what could be a Venus-Mars good time.
With Venus besieged, it’s difficult for good to manifest without great effort and potential danger. We’re watching the destruction (Mars) of art and architecture (Venus) of a place and people, simultaneously eradicating the stories that underpin belonging, meaning and cultural identity (the Moon). Saturn’s presence is inhibiting aid, resources and peace-talks from occurring, enforcing a cold and callous barrage through a historic landscape. Art is foundational to who we are, and in true life paradox, once it is destroyed we also need the impetus of Mars to create it again.
Venus and Mars make music together
Another vibrant expression of the current Venus and Mars dance is the story of Andriy Khlyvnyuk. Front man of Ukrainian band Boombox, mid tour of the US he put down his microphone (Venus) to take up arms (Mars) and defend Ukraine.
Both Pink Floyd and South African producer, The Kiffness, have turned a traditional folk song into an anthem to motivate the troops, who are essentially the people, in their fight against Russian imperialism. Standing in camouflage, holding a weapon singing a folks song; Mars and Venus are united in the fight. It’s hard to not be moved listening to this.
Khlyvnyuk is on the right having returned to Ukraine. He has since been removed from the front lines after being injured.
If that didn’t rouse Mars and Venus in you, Ukrainian figure skating duo Nazarova and Nikitin received minutes long standing ovation for their Mars-Venus-Saturn besiegement act: art combined with sport as a statement against war. They skated at the World Championships in France this week to the Khlyvnyuk-Kiffness remix:
There are innumerable heartbreakingly beautiful expressions of Venus balancing the destruction of Mars and the resistance of Saturn in these times. As Venus joins, unites, and brings things together, below, 94 violinists come together online to play a Ukranian folk song:
Will Smith: “I’m being called to love and protect people”
While we can watch these energies play out on the world stage, there are also individuals who will carry this narrative into the public eye. Will Smith is one such example.
Reaching a peak in one’s career can be signposted by Saturn moving across the MC, the most visible point in one’s chart. Taking approximately 30 years to transverse the entire Zodiac, Saturn crossing this personal point can mark great achievement, or great loss, depending on the choices one has made along the way. Dedicating 30 years to one’s professional life suggests there has been both advancements and adversities. Still standing after those 30 years often garners reward and praise for the path of longevity.
For Will Smith, this public point in his chart is 14 degrees Aquarius, and Saturn crossed it in January, 2022.
Early 2022 was always going to be a pivotal time in his career. He mentioned in his acceptance speech that he is ‘overwhelmed by what God is calling him to do and be,’ suggesting his greatest work is yet to come.
On the night of his career recognition, in front of his peers and anyone in the world who gives enough of a shit about celebrity pop culture to watch the Oscars, Will Smith personally carried the narrative of this besieged Venus on stage when he hit Chris Rock for a joke made about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
“Love makes you do crazy things”
Just like there are more than enough astrologers picking apart the astrology of the war on Ukraine, there are endless opinions on the Will Smith / Chris Rock exchange. What I find interesting is how the astrology of March 27th, 2022 suggests that Will Smith was set to reach a peak in his acting career, but unfortunately this particular night added a double edged sword to the occasion.
As life imitates art, there are so many uncanny connections between the celestial narrative and the play by play unfolding here on Earth. We are seeing simultaneously Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who stepped from the shoes of an on-screen character who became the President of the People into the shoes of real-life President of Ukraine, and Will Smith accepting his first Oscar award for a role where he fiercely protects the ones he loves, in this case Venus Williams.
No doubt, when Denzel Washington said to him “At your highest moment is when the Devil comes for you” he wasn’t aware that the Devil is traditionally symbolised by Saturn, and it was passing over the highest point in Will’s chart.
With peace-loving, art making, song singing Venus wedged tightly between malefics Mars and Saturn, there is little room to move, or few opportunities for Venus to take the edge off difficulties, pushing both men into situations of pressure and acts of violence in protection of what, and who, they love.
As Will’s actions were motivated by ‘fierce protection’ of his wife (Venus), he expressed the besiegement energies of being stuck between a (Chris) Rock, and the hard place of having his boundary crossed, resulting in Mars throwing a punch and verbally setting a very clear boundary.
At your highest moment is when the Devil comes for you
With the Moon being the great illuminator of the night moving swiftly around the Zodiac, it tends to carry messages and highlight specific themes.
On March 27th, all night it lit up this besiegement and simultaneously activated Will’s chart. It spotlighted the tension involved in such a celestial gathering, and brought this attention directly to Will Smith’s career.
When the Oscars began at 5pm PST, the Moon was at 13 degrees Aquarius, close enough to be activating the besiegement. Between 5.54pm – 7.37pm the light of the night shone on Will’s MC (the Moon was at 14 degrees Aquarius during this time frame). From there, it slowly crossed each planet, first Mars, then Venus and finally Saturn. The incident was likely a significant mood marker of the night. As the Moon gathers and brings narratives together, it was not until 12 noon the following day that there was likely any reprieve from the tension.
While the Moon moves rapidly around the Zodiac, we wouldn’t tend to look at such a fleeting transit for such a profound event. It’s the gathering of Mars, Venus and Saturn together on Will’s MC that was waiting to be lit up and activated by the transiting Moon. Had the event taken place the night after, Will may have potentially verbally retaliated, but not left his seat, as the peak of this energy would have waned and lost steam. This we may never know.
For Will personally, March brings with it a heavy Saturn square Moon transit suggesting that this event will no doubt weigh on him like a responsibility he can’t ignore. Coupled with that, we will no doubt hear about the Scientology lessons learnt as he simultaneously moves through the peak of his learning cycle, Jupiter opposite Jupiter. This is not a one off incident he will be able to leave in the past.
Thankfully for all of us, this incident marks the ending of the besiegement of Venus. Where we have all felt stuck between a rock and a hard place in love, relationships, diplomacy and creativity, we can begin to breathe out and allow avenues of possibility and change to open up.
We can now look forward to April 7-17th when Venus is in its preferred sign of exaltation, Pisces, joining Jupiter and Neptune in their once every 166 year union. Get the popcorn and the lie detector out.