Shukra is the Sanskrit name for Planet Venus. It is a male planet that is ascribed with feminine qualities. It rules over the signs of Taurus and Libra: which govern over our material existence. The overarching theme of Shukra is balance; contrary to the opposing energy of Mars, a highly masculine planet.
The Teacher of Balance
Shukra is traditionally cited as the Teacher of the Demons. It all began when the ocean was churned and the Gods and Demons opposed each other in order to gain the elixir of immortality. The demons were the first gods that were later demonised. They represent the spirit of nature: the force of our instinctual urges and our deep desires as material beings.
That Venus has been demonised speaks to how we have ‘evolved’ to deny our basic needs through unnecessary dogma. Our material needs–be they for a happy marriage, offspring, and material abundance–have been both demonised and glorified at the same time.
We are taught to choose one at the expense of the other. The side effect of this binary is that we end up living compartmentalised lives. This manifests when our inner Mars has not worked out that it needs other people to fulfil its soul task. Interestingly, this trait and tendency is commonly seen with people who have strong Venusian energy in their natal charts.
The balance we are seeking is an integration. We are trying to become whole. We cannot do this if we–or others–do not possess the material resources we need to manifest this wholeness.
Venus’ rulership over the second house speaks to our material resources. By the time we reach the seventh house, the focus shifts to how we share our resources in our long-term partnerships.
To Share
How do we share our resources with others? Venus is a calculative energy. It wants to know what it is getting for what it is giving. At the same time, since Venus is an indicator of our fertility, such tit-for-tat thinking stands in the way of us multiplying the abundance that we can create. It is about having a forecast for the future that takes into account unforeseeable needs.
One of the ways in which we used to express our fertility was through having children. This can only be done via a partnership through which we receive–but also give–what the other person does not possess. It is through this exchange that we manifest more than we ever could on our own. It is about the multiplication of our tangible resources.
To do this successfully, we need to understand why we chose to incarnate as physical beings. For some, this means letting go of thought patterns regarding what they consider to be their as well as someone’s else’s possessions. We are all born with resources–be it inner or outer–that we will be called to share with others within our lifetime.
When we choose to hoard, we stop this energy in its tracks. Taureans are notorious for sticking to the status quo no matter what. The balance, as per Vedic Wisdom, will not be achieved until the Libra energy begins to kick in and we learn to balance our own material abundance against what others are able to provide.
Some people have more money, others have more talent and so on. We cannot compartmentalise the world into haves and have nots. The true lesson of Venus is to know that as material beings we all possess certain gifts.
It our gifts–and the gifts of others–that we need to tap into if we want to lead materially rich lives.
A Rich Life
What does it mean to be rich? It means to feel and to emanate that abundance that we know is our birthright. It does not mean having it all or not having it all. It is about feeling that abundance within ourselves–by balancing our inner masculine and feminine–so that we are able to share the bounty within.
The bounty within is what we have been called to share with others during this lifetime. To hoard our gifts is to leave them to rot. Venusian gifts do not last forever. When we do not use them; they will rot, wilt or fade away. Venus is about honouring the time cycle. It requires us to neither rush nor wait too long. When we do not take care of something or someone, it will not last.
When you read your Shukra in the context of your natal chart, let it be a stark reminder that everything–and even everyone–comes with an expiry date. If we allow the milk to sour, the fruits to go uneaten and the silver to rust; it becomes worthless.
Honour what you have been entrusted with temporarily. No one promised you forever. If you do not take care of it well, it will be entrusted to someone else.
That is the Venusian lesson.
