On both a personal and global level, people have been having undergoing transforming and tumultuous experiences. From the standpoint of Vedic astrology or Jyotish, we’ve had a gathering of planets first in fiery Aries, and now in earthy Taurus. This is known as a stellium in Western astrology. Venus and Mars will be within one degree of each other. This is known as a graha yuddha, or a planetary war, in Vedic astrology. The timing of the Mercury and Venus planetary war is during an eclipse.
Each planet has its own unique way of expressing itself and enjoys having the room to do so. We currently have Sun, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Mars in Taurus in Vedic astrology. Venus and Mercury will be within one degree of each other beginning at 6:24 AM PST on May 23, 2013.
Venus is the planet of beauty, love, romance, luxury, passion, and the arts. Mercury is the planet of analysis, communication (oral, written & technological), commerce, the intellect, and education in Vedic astrology.
Fortunately, if a planetary war has to occur, the least worrisome combination is between Mercury and Venus. They are friendly to each other. The two are usually close to each other in orbit and are comfortable being in each other’s company. The battlefield is in Taurus, a sign of the zodiac ruled by Venus. In Vedic astrology, we say that when a planet is in its own sign, it provides protection to that house. Taurus is a fixed, earth sign. Taurus relates to speech, family, ingested items, personal articles, and accumulated assets. Be mindful of misunderstandings or disputes with family members or romantic partners. As Mercury governs the intellect and Venus desire, do not engage in impulsive behavior in making purchases.
The war plays out in the constellation or nakshatra of Mrigashirsha. Mrigashirsha translates as “deer’s head”. It is often associated with investigation on the material plane. While there can be ongoing searching, there is the element of anxiety and apprehension. Skittish behavior, similar to that of deer, may be observed in Mrigashirsha. Passionate relationships are also related to Mrigashirsha, but there may be issues of co-dependence or searching for the ideal partner. In terms of Ayurveda, Mercury is associated with the nervous system and Venus with the reproductive tissues and genito-urinary system.
This Mercury and Venus planetary war during an eclipse is of particularly noteworthy. There is a lunar eclipse on May 24, 2013, which is visible in the U.S. The eclipse occurs in the sign of Scorpio. Opposite Scorpio is Taurus, where the planetary war is occurring. In an eclipse, our vision is occluded, and we may be blinded by illusions. Thus both our emotions (signified by the Moon) and our intellect (ruled by Mercury) may be clouded.
This war is particularly of significance to those in a Venus or Mercury planetary cycle. How this will impact a person individually depends on where Mercury and Venus are placed in their natal charts as well as what house Taurus represents in their charts (i.e. first house, fourth house, etc.).
At 4:40 PM PST on May 24, the planets are at the same degree. Mercury and Venus will be at the peak of the war very close to the eclipse. The war between Venus and Mercury ends on May 26, 2013 at 6:49 AM PST.
Who “wins” a war is determined by their astronomical magnitude, and in this case, Venus “wins” the war. However, as my Jyotish teacher says, “Both parties in a war are bloodied.”