Sun-Venus-Mars Conjunction

Figure 1 shows the forthcoming conjunction of Sun, Venus and Mars around January 6th to 8th of 2026 in the area of 16º to 18º of Capricorn. The conjunction is opposed by Jupiter in 20º retrograde of Cancer.  The midpoint between my Ascendant and Sun is almost exactly 19º Aries so it's likely to have some effect on me.

Figure 1

Here is what Gemini had to say about the synodic period of Venus and Mars.

The synodic period of Mars and Venus relative to each other—specifically the interval between their conjunctions as viewed from Earth—is approximately 2.13 years (about 780 days) on average.

However, this interval is highly irregular compared to the standard synodic periods of planets relative to the Sun. While the mathematical average is about 2.13 years, the actual gap between conjunctions can swing between roughly 1.9 years and 2.6 years due to the planets' complex relative motions.

Here is a breakdown of why this happens and how the cycle works:

1. The "Geocentric" Mechanism

To understand the timing, it helps to view the motions from Earth's perspective:

• Mars moves relatively slowly across the sky. The Sun (and Earth) "laps" Mars every 780 days (Mars's synodic period).

• Venus is an "inferior" planet, meaning it is tethered to the Sun from our perspective. It never strays more than 47° from the Sun.

• The Result: Since Venus always stays close to the Sun, it effectively "tags along" with the Sun as the Sun laps Mars. Therefore, Venus also passes Mars on average every 780 days.

2. Why the Interval Varies

Unlike the Sun, which moves at a relatively steady pace along the ecliptic, Venus oscillates back and forth around the Sun (appearing as the Morning Star or Evening Star).

• Short Interval (~1.9 years): If Venus is on the "leading" side of the Sun during one pass and on the "trailing" side during the next, it catches up to Mars sooner.

• Long Interval (~2.6 years): If Venus is "trailing" the Sun and then switches to "leading" for the next encounter, the gap between conjunctions widens significantly.

• Triple Conjunctions: Occasionally, if Mars is moving very slowly (near retrograde) and Venus swings past it, reverses, and passes it again, you can get three conjunctions in a short span of a few months.

Summary of Recent & Future Conjunctions

To illustrate the irregularity, here are recent and upcoming dates:

• July 13, 2021: Conjunction (Separation ~0.5°)

• February 22, 2024: Conjunction (Interval: ~2.6 years)

• January 8, 2026: Next Conjunction (Interval: ~1.9 years)

Note on Visibility: The conjunction on January 8, 2026, will be very difficult to see because both planets will be very close to the Sun in the sky (solar conjunction).  

Comparison: Heliocentric Period

If you were floating in space looking at the planets orbiting the Sun (heliocentric view), Mars and Venus align much more frequently—every 334 days. We don't see this from Earth because our own orbital motion constantly shifts our viewing angle.

Coming Mars Transits

I won't divulge the details of this "accident" that was quite trivial in the grand scheme of things but it could have proven very embarrassing had there been witnesses. Fortunately there weren't and so it remains my little secret. However, it was a salutary reminder of my increasing age and the consequent physical decline. I thought it might be interesting to look at the astrological configuration at the time of the "accident". This was around 10am on August 2nd 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. See Figure 1.

Figure 1

What struck me was the almost exact square between transiting Mars in 26º55' of Virgo and my natal Uranus in 26º52' of Gemini. Transiting Mars is on the cusp of the sixth house which is appropriate enough. Given the minor nature of the event, only fast moving transits need be considered and so Mars qualifies in that regard.

I tend to neglect Martian transits because the aspects that they form to natal planets are usually short-lived but this incident reminds me that they can produce "results". I'll try to monitor my Martian transits more closely, especially when Uranus is involved. Talking of which, Mars will oppose the transiting Saturn-Neptune conjunction in Aries on August 7th. Mars will just have entered Aries. This is the day that I'm having my potential skin cancer excised. This will involve cutting (Mars) into the skin (Saturn) with an element of mystery (Neptune) involved because it's undecided if it is cancerous. Only a subsequent pathology examination will reveal that. See Figure 2.

Figure 2

By the time I get my results on August 21st, Mars will be in 8º50' of Aries and thus almost exactly opposite my natal Mars-Venus conjunction in Aries. Transiting Mercury will be in 9º46' of Leo and so it will aspect both ends of the opposition. Transiting Venus in 24º25' of Cancer will be exactly square my Ascendant-Descendant. See Figure 3. 

Figure 3

Aries Action

On March 1st 2025, transiting Venus turned stationary retrograde in 10º50' of Aries, very close to my natal Mars - Venus conjunction. It will continue to move backwards through Aries, meet the Sun in 2º Aries on March 23rd and then enter into Pisces over the course of the next month or more.

Transiting Mercury follows a similar pattern. It will station in 9º35' of Aries on March 15th and then move backwards through Aries, meeting the Sun in 4º Aries on March 24th and then moving back into Pisces. These conjunctions of planets with the Sun are apparently called cazimis. I'd not heard the term before. Both the Mercury and Venus cazimis are inferior conjunctions meaning the the two planets will be between the Earth and the Sun.

Equally importantly however, there is a partial solar eclipse in 9°09' of Aries on March 29th and this is right on my Mars-Venus conjunction. This will be impactful, coming as it does just a few days before my birthday. I'll have more to say about this when I return to Jakarta tomorrow and can make use of my Astrolog software. I'm handicapped by having to rely on the web-based Astrotheme.

Mars-Venus Conjunction 2024

Figure 1: conjunction of Mars and Venus
in Aquarius on February 22nd 2024

The conjunction of Mars and Venus took place about 5pm on February 22nd 2024 in 7° of Aquarius. That was a Thursday and it's now around the same time on the following Sunday. The two planets remain close and are currently in 9°25' (Mars) and 10°54' (Venus). The average time between these conjunctions is 334 days. I've written about these conjunctions several times in my blog titled Astrological Meanderings.

The current near conjunction of these planets places them in sextile to my natal Mars-Venus conjunction. I can't say I've been feeling all that well physically or mentally over the past few days. Whether that's the result of the conjunction or not I don't know. Anyway, just making a note of it here.

Update on the Mars-Venus Conjunction

The Mars-Venus conjunction of mid-February has passed and another conjunction of the two planets is about to occur. Figure 1 shows a chart in which the two planets are almost conjunct and right on the horizon here in Jakarta. Pluto as can be seen is very, very close by.

Figure 1

The two planets remain close together over the next few days. For example, currently (early Saturday morning) Mars is 28d55m of Capricorn and Venus is 28d45m. On Monday, at the same time, Mars will be in 0d25m Aquarius and Venus will be in 0d29m with the latter beginning to move slowly away.

This conjunction occurs in a sensitive area of my chart so I'll have to wait and see if there are any marked inner or outer effects. So far, all is quiet. I'll report back in a few days.

Mars-Venus Conjunction

In my last post, writing about the influence of Ceres in my natal chart, I wrote "It would seem to indicate a time of material well-being". Today Ceres stationed in 27°50' of Taurus and is now moving forward. Yesterday, my son and daughter-in-law bought me an iPhone 12 to replace my ageing Samsung A52 that I took possession of in April of 2017, almost five years ago now. For this, and other things, it is indeed "a time of material well-being".

Coming up on February 16th is the conjunction of Mars and Venus in 16°53' of Capricorn. At the time of this conjunction, the Sun and Moon are in a close opposition in 28°-27° of Aquarius and Leo. Pluto in 27°26' Capricorn is involved in this aspect and continues to dominate my chart, standing at the MC and casting aspects to many of my natal planets. Ceres and the North Node of the Moon surround my natal Moon. 

The Mars-Venus conjunction itself links to my natal Moon and Saturn via the sesquiquadrate aspect and also to natal Neptune by square. Figure 1 shows the annotated chart.

Figure 1

The Sun-Moon opposition is transient of course but the other aspects are substantial. The Sabian Symbol for the 17th degree of Capricorn is described by Dane Rudhyar as follows:

PHASE 287 (CAPRICORN 17°): A REPRESSED WOMAN FINDS A PSYCHOLOGICAL RELEASE IN NUDISM.

KEYNOTE: The escape from bondage to social inhibitions and a reliance upon the wisdom of the body.

Under the pressure of religions that have created a sharp and unwholesome division between soul and body, society has produced strict codes of values regarding the play of natural instincts, and has glorified them under the name of "decency" and "modesty." The growing trend toward nudism — which of course has nothing to do with the "pornographic" display of one's body — is a welcome protest against the depressing and neurosis-generating puritanism of the past. Men and women are demanding a psychologically as well as physically healthful freedom of the body as a means of overcoming the hypocrisy and constrictions of social behaviour.

In this second stage symbol we see how our society has been able to repress and distort the natural activity of the human body and its sensitivity to the elements. Thus a contrast is established between healthy youth at play and the neurotic subservience to a socio-religious tradition. The symbol is a call for RELEASE FROM INHIBITIONS.

As a male, the reference to "a repressed woman" would indicate my anima and the activation of this degree would indicate an opportunity to give expression in some form to this archetype that has been denied full and unfettered expression in consciousness.

More on the Mars-Venus Conjunction

In my Astrological Meanderings blog, my latest post on Periodicity of Mars-Venus Conjunctions contained the information that conjunctions of Mars and Venus recur in roughly the same position of the Zodiac every 32 years (plus 0.5 to 4 days). As an example:

• 16°17' of Leo at 12:21am on July 13th 1989
• 19°49' of Leo at 8:33pm on July 13th 2021
• 23°26' of Leo at 7.42pm on July 14th 2053

This means that my natal Mars-Venus conjunction recurred around April 3rd of 1981 and 2013. I doubt whether I'll see the next conjunction which will be in 2045. The conjunction in 1981 occurred on April 5th at 11:27am in 14°44' of Aries. See Figure 1.

Figure 1: 1981 conjunction of Mars and Venus

The 2013 conjunction occurred on April 7th at 11:59am in 19°57' of Aries. See Figure 2.

Figure 2: 2013 conjunction of Mars and Venus

I'm hopefully starting to make better use of this blog by addressing broader, impersonal issues in my Astrological Meanderings blog (such as Periodicity of Mars-Venus Conjunctions) and then applying them on a personal level to this blog.

Mars-Venus Conjunction

On July 13th 2021, Mars and Venus will be conjunct in Leo. Other dates for the conjunctions of these two planets are:

• February 16th 2022 
• March 6th 2022
• February 23rd 2024 

In this forthcoming conjunction, the latitudes of these two planets are very close, 1°39' versus 1°11' north latitude. Their longitudes become identical 19°48'57". See Figure 1.

Figure 1

The conjunction occurs in Jakarta when Jupiter in 1°21'R of Pisces is conjunct the Ascendant and the Moon in 2°45' of Virgo is conjunct the Descendant. The early part of these signs are sensitive areas for Desy and myself who have natal Sun and Saturn respectively in the first degree of Virgo. I'll be watching this imminent conjunction with interest. It is less than a week away.