Venus governs love, beauty, friendship, sex, and all that is pleasurable and gentle. It rules harmony and union. Sexual attraction is linked to Venus, as it governs sensuality of all kinds, creating attraction between people, fostering relationships, and signifying friendships, romantic partnerships, and marriages. Venus governs the reception between individuals, in a connection that involves love and attraction.
Venus rules all types of pleasures, from the simple joys of good food and drink to the sensation of orgasm—everything pleasurable is connected to Venus. The act of looking in the mirror and liking what you see is Venusian. Venus governs our self-esteem, especially when in good aspect with the Sun and Moon. Venus rules desires, particularly those that satisfy us completely, as well as our fantasies and fetishes.
Venus governs all these desires that are reflected in the body, mind, and spirit. However, in the Chaldean order, Venus is associated with the 12th house, which can indicate a tendency towards vices, particularly those arising from the excess of anything that brings us pleasure. For example, excessive sex, drinking, or eating can bring complications to our lives. Venus in challenging aspect with Saturn or the ruler of the 12th house can indicate love obsessions, attachment, jealousy, vanity, unbridled lust, and paraphilias. In challenging aspect with Mercury and the Sun, it can indicate ostentation, and with Jupiter, it can indicate the wasting of resources.
Venus finds its joy in the 5th house, the house of pleasures, specifically associated with sex and the carnal act. Venus governs sex and orgasm. The 5th house, called Agathe Tyche (Good Fortune), reflects all that is pleasurable and governs creativity that brings us wealth. Because of this, Venus also governs works of art, such as paintings of beautiful landscapes. Venus is associated with beauty, so it governs cosmetics, perfumes, and anything that beautifies, such as makeup and clothing. Venus is linked to fashion; for example, a fashion show is a Venusian event. Venus governs leisure, vacations, and rest after a long day of work.
Venus governs women and their beauty, of all types. Venusian relationships are those we have with wives, mothers, sisters, and youthful, beautiful people who reflect love and harmony. Venus governs all places that bring us peace and tranquility, such as nature trails, streams, and lakes—all places that give us a sense of pleasure or peace. A candlelit dinner for two with good wine is a Venusian program.
Venus also governs artistic gifts and works of art. Venusian professions can include makeup artists, beauticians, massage therapists, models, fashion designers, artists, painters, and singers. According to Al-Biruni, Venus governs the left nostril, while Mars governs the right. Because it governs these body parts, it rules sexually transmitted diseases and respiratory illnesses like rhinitis or sinusitis.
Venus governs party venues, nightclubs, music and dance shows, and all types of dance. Venus also governs nightclubs and brothels. Venus governs lust, seduction, flirting, pick-up lines, and striptease.
Because of its association with the 12th house in the Chaldean order, Venus is also linked to adultery, infidelity, and extramarital affairs. While Mars governs war and conflict, Venus governs peace and love. In mythology, they were lovers and were punished for it. A Venus poorly configured with Mars and Saturn in the chart can indicate abusive and masochistic relationships, as well as adultery and chaotic divorces. It’s no coincidence that Venus is in detriment in the signs of Mars (Aries and Scorpio).
Since Venus governs sex, it is not limited to relationships with wives. Along with Mercury, it governs all types of sexualities and genders. Venus governs love, regardless of the sexuality of those involved. But because it is a feminine planet, along with the Moon, it is primarily a significator of women. Those who have problems with female figures would benefit from analyzing the celestial condition of Venus in their birth chart.
However, Venus goes far beyond these meanings. It and Jupiter are considered the benefic planets. While Jupiter governsbelief systems and religiosity, Venus governs faith because it is exalted in the 9th house of the Thema Mundi and rules the 11th house, indicating it can put us in contact with the divine, forgiveness, and liberation from our sins, granting us blessings. Venus governs our faith and the purification of the body. Taking a bath in fresh water, rainwater, or seawater, especially with sacred herbs, is a Venusian act that relieves not only the body but also mental and emotional processes, purifying the spiritual field and bringing a beautiful sense of peace.
Venusian people are naturally peaceful and just, with an aversion to conflict. They are appeasing and receptive, with good humor and temperament, patient and calm. They enjoy pleasant conversations, nothing too intellectual, and avoid arguments. Depending on other more challenging aspects of Venus in the chart, Venus, as the significator of beauty, can represent seductive, vain, and narcissistic people. Venus ruling the ascendant and being well-positioned in the chart can indicate sensual and attractive but delicate people. Love moves their essence, beauty their instinct, and sex their needs.