After teaching us the value of balance, compromise, and diplomacy, love planet Venus concludes its journey through harmony-seeking Libra on December 4. From relationship building to discovering mutual interests with significant others, Venus returns to the Underworld in Scorpio, where the highs are high and the lows are low.
The Underworld is a place of darkness, but despite it being bound together by the afterlife, Venus in Scorpio craves the intensity and depth that lives between the light and the dark. While transiting this all-or-nothing water sign, Venus falls in love with the good, the bad, and the ugly. Scorpio is, after all, governed by Mars and Pluto, hence Venus’ smouldering approach to matters of love and romance.
In traditional astrology, Venus is in detriment when transiting this fixed water sign, because, in addition to Scorpio being the farthest sign from Taurus—the planet’s sign of rulership—Venus isn’t able to essentially bloom, and express itself fully. Also, when considering the goddess Aphrodite’s innate connection to abundance, comfort, pleasure, and sustenance, there’s not much available to her in the netherworld, alongside the planet of death, Pluto.
If you’re curious about a planet’s dignities (Exalted, Detriment, Domicile, and Fall), look at it this way—would you feel comfortable staying somewhere other than your home? The same goes for Venus when transiting this polarizing sign. The love planet’s superpowers become less accessible, but this doesn’t make its journey through Scorpio less productive.
Despite not speaking the language of Hades, this annual transit challenges Venus’ usual modus operandi—reflecting onto our reality, both individually and collectively—given Scorpio’s intensity, passion, and eruptive emotionality. Here, Venus is challenged to surrender its fears and hesitations, specifically surrounding themes such as love, relationships, finances, and values. This, however, is a lot easier said than done, as Scorpio’s fixed waters can be equally as persevered as they are volatile.
There’s an inner knowing and mystical foresight with Scorpio, which contributes to the shadowy attributes (jealousy, secrecy, possession, fear of loss, and betrayal) surrounding this transit. This fixed water sign’s commitment to unveil what’s beneath the surface can also explain why we may struggle to stay present at this time.
On a more ravishing note, Venus’ desires and sex appeal are intensified while traveling through the depths of Scorpio. Her seduction is triggering and emotionally charged, which is why Venus in Scorpio’s love language is not for the faint of heart. Here, the love planet longs to merge with another mind, body, and soul, and the presence of love, lust, and loss is all-consuming. It’s no wonder individuals born with this Venus placement are more than often inhibited and mysterious in their self-expression. The irony of this is that the majority of these individuals leave their mark unintentionally, whether it be because of their rare beauty, or the unexplainable effect they have on the rest of the world.
Venus in Scorpio isn’t interested in the superficial nor the lighthearted; those born with this intensity-seeking placement often find themselves engaging in passionate affairs (and entanglements), where they can explore the danger and mystery of a forbidden love. Rest assured, when they mate, it’s for life. Venus in Scorpio native Halsey describes it perfectly in the second single, “Graveyard,” of her third studio album, Manic (2020):
They say I may be making a mistake, I woulda followed all the way no matter how far; I know when you go down all your darkest roads, I woulda followed all the way to the graveyard.