Tree City Witch: Lighthouse And Lessons from Venus Retrograde

Tree City Witch: Lighthouse And Lessons from Venus Retrograde April 13, 2017

Lesson One
Do not cut off pieces of yourself to feed to someone else.

Venus is currently retrograde and will turn direct April 15th. During these weeks you may have stumbled into some less than flattering partnerships, which is one of the areas of life that Venus “rules.” I know I did. I cut them off at the root once I realized they were tests I needed to pass, not people I wanted in my life.

"The Irwin Lighthouse-Storm Raging" by John Wilson Carmichael.  From WikiMedia.
“The Irwin Lighthouse-Storm Raging” by John Wilson Carmichael. From WikiMedia.

Lesson Two
Do not cut off at the root unless you are dead certain.

Venus values collaboration and allies, but Aries, the sign of (most of) her retrograde this time around is an independent Venus, warrior Venus, armed to the eyelashes. Retrograde periods, although not necessarily wicked, appear to provide no clear path to the satisfaction and ease that Venus prefers. It’s very up and down, or down and out, or just plain painful, confusing, frustrating.

At the moment, Venus has retrograded back to the late degrees of Pisces and dreamy-eyed nostalgia is to be expected.

Lesson Three
Don’t take this dreamy-eyed Venus at face value. Her triumphant return to Aries on April 28th will give you a chance to flex your new found bravery and clarity, discovered during the retrograde of course. Aries, ruled by planet Mars, is quick with a knife. So much bullshit to cut through, so much.

Lesson Four
Know what ye desire. Hmm.

Lesson Five
About this cutting and feeding I alluded to at the top of this post:

I was talking with a client this morning about love and relationships, a common topic in my work and life, and she, a sensitive Moon in Cancer, mentioned being weary of offering up her plate of food (a metaphor of course) to this one and that one and this one, before even taking a bite herself.

“I’m hungry,” she said.

“I get, it,” I said. I don’t have my Moon in Cancer, but Sun and Mercury and Mars there. Yeah. It’s like that.

Everyone I have talked to over the last month has at least one Venus retrograde story, if not more than one or two. Lucky me I got three (see Lessons One and Two above).

Astrologically speaking, Venus rules values and, Lesson Six, the more you know what your values are? The more you stop trying to fit into someone else’s idea of who you should be? The better the better the better.

"Lighthouse at Stora Bält" by Anton Melbye.  From WikiMedia.
“Lighthouse at Stora Bält” by Anton Melbye. From WikiMedia.

Update from Tree City And the House with No Name

People tend to name their things, cars, computers, body parts, Tarot decks. I realize that I rarely do. I never named my house except briefly as Swamp Palace, but that name fell away. It didn’t fit.

It’s always a pivotal moment in the story when someone or something gets a name, or a new name. Let there be LIGHT goes an English translation of a creation story from my childhood holy book – the Torah. Getting or choosing a name is a rite of passage. A rite of passion. Once upon a time, Light was born.

Oh. Yes. That’s it. Her name. My house: Lighthouse. Perfect.

Lesson Seven
Listen.

As I was writing last week, it is my intention with this column to listen to the land, literally the North Florida town where I find myself, and to tell you what I hear, even without the proper nomenclature, even if I can only say to you: bird bird bird, tree tree tree. I’ll learn. That red bird over there, right now: cardinal. Probably.

Lesson Eight
When you listen to where you are, Witch or not, you will know if you are in the “right” place. What is the right place? Moods come and go like clouds and waves, but the absence of struggle or sadness should alert you: a feeling of belonging. I don’t mean socially. I mean that tree over there. You are joined. You fit.

What I noticed on Sunday morning, when I first started writing this post, was a smooth calm feeling like one of my new tumbled agate stones or like an animal at ease in the world. Below my kitchen window is where we buried Cleo my beloved feline last December. I can also see the yard next door where once there lived a neglected puppy. He has since found a wonderful home, but when the animals were suffering, there could be no peace.

Now it’s here, peace is here, smooth agate, and at times I’m afraid to trust it. Suffering leaves an imprint on the air, but it can be healed. Dear Witch, let this be as important as your altar. You just have to pay attention and go deep. Deeper. Follow it down. There is a reason why you feel it so intensely. There is a reason.

Lesson Nine
As Witches we shall not live apart from where we are. Our magick will suffer if we are home and yet not at home. If i were to write my own Rules for Witches that would be my number one: listen. What would be your first rule, your number one?

And speaking of numbers, I purposely left Lesson Ten blank, for you to fill in, for your Venus retrograde story. Dare you tell it?


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