In Vedic astrology, or Jyotish, we attempt to identify potentially problematic situations in advance, so that people can make informed decisions. Saturn just entered Scorpio about a week ago, and Venus joins it at 5:30 pm today (November 11, 2014). Starting at 7:45 PM Pacific time today, Venus and Saturn in Scorpio will be within one degree of each other. This constitutes a planetary war, or a graha yuddha. While Venus and Saturn are friendly to each other, this is still a powerful battle. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Venus is the planet of love, beauty, luxury, passion, and creativity. It enjoys aesthetics, harmony, and romance. Saturn is the planet of solitude, simplicity, discipline, restraint, and fortitude. Venus prefers the finer things in life and wants to spend its time with loved ones, at a spa or beautifying its surroundings. Saturn likes to spend its time alone in a dark, rustic place.
Venus brings its love of aesthetics to Saturn’s need for structure. Saturn stops Venus from being overly indulgent with its desires. Venus softens Saturn’s cold, direct approach in personal interactions.
Scorpio is the eighth sign of the zodiac. It is the house of secrecy, mystery, and the occult. Saturn and Venus together create a passion combination or a signature for amorous adventure. Yet what often follows impulsive romantic misadventures is the painful reality that the pairing isn’t as rosy as we’d imagined.
Additionally, this planetary war of Venus and Saturn in Scorpio is taking place in the nakshatra or constellation of Vishakha Vishakha carries an intense quality to it, as Scorpio does. It can be extremely focused on achieving its goals, to the detriment of social interaction. With the Venus and Saturn planetary war in Scorpio, one partner may want to work, while another wants to spend time together. One partner may want to go all out in a relationship and party all night, while the other prefers to be alone or very conservative with their activities.
Another problematic dynamic is the fact that Venus and Saturn in Scorpio are very close to a debilitated Sun. This renders the two planets combust. Neither can shine their qualities while being blinded by the Sun’s rays. Even if they try, they are unlikely to be noticed or properly understood. Jupiter’s benefic influence softens this a little, but it can’t end the discord.
There can be power plays with partnerships. Saturn deals with events in a cold, forthright matter. Venus strives for harmony and tranquility. Saturn will shun reconciliation, while Venus does the opposite.
Venus technically wins the war, according to the astronomical calculations. But neither planet comes out of the battle unscathed. Venus and Saturn are at the exact same degree on November 12 at 4:50 PM Pacific. They separate by more than one degree on November 13 at 2:40 PM Pacific.
During this time, it is best to avoid confrontations with personal or professional partnerships or with your co-workers. Strive for balance in all that you do. If you are in a Saturn or Venus planetary cycle, or you natally have a Venus and Saturn planetary war, you will be most impacted by this planetary war. Saturn and Mercury will engage in another planetary war later in the month. A personalized Vedic astrology reading can inform you about specific cycles and how to best optimize the upcoming periods.