ANTINOUS AND THE STARS

"THE SUMMER OF VENUS"

TAKES A TURN FOR THE BETTER

THE SUMMER OF VENUS gets a real boost on June 27th when Venus does an about-face and goes Direct again ("forward" as seen from the Earth) for the first time since May 15th. ANTINOUS THE MOON GOD gives his blessings in the form of a nice trine aspect to Venus — his way of saying it is high time to stop dwelling on the past and to finally move forward again with interpersonal relationships.

Because Venus is in Gemini, the emphasis is on interpersonal communications and commerce. On the business level, financial, career and job relationships that have been plagued with "old issues" can now move ahead at last.

On the personal relationships level, the end of this long Retrograde Venus phase means issues that involved "old flames" and ex-partners have been resolved for now, and it is time to go forward. 

In traditional heterosexual astrology, the end of a Retrograde Venus period means it is now safe to "tie the knot" for a lasting monogamous marriage. Astrologers warn that wedding vows made during Retrograde Venus will not last forever. But that's for the kind of conventional heterosexual marriage based on inequality of gender roles from a time when divorce was a ruinous scandal ....

In gay astrology, Gemini Venus going forward again means you can look forward to making new contacts and acquaintances rather than revisiting old relationships (Retrograde Venus). And because Gemini is the sign of the gay twins Castor and Pollux, the emphasis is definitely NOT on monogamy. Gemini is about dualities among equals. Gemini is playful and flirty and morally ambiguous. So you can expect to find yourself juggling two relationships — or more.

Venus entered Gemini on April 4th and — thanks to that protracted Retrograde phase — Venus will remain in Gemini until August 4th. That's why we call this THE SUMMER OF VENUS.

And what a summer it has been. Remember the VENUS OCCULTATION on June 5th when Venus passed directly in front of the face of the sun, something that only happens once every 121 years!

Yes, Venus will be in Gemini until early August. That's a whopping four months — which is especially impressive when you consider that Venus takes only eight months to go through all 12 signs. It is spending half its Venusian Year in the Sign of the Twins — this only happens once every seven or eight years — so it is a special time in your life.

Back in mid-May, remember, we said that on a Gay Spiritual level RETROGRADE GEMINI VENUS was reminding you to look into your own depths to find your GAY SPIRITUAL TWIN — you may call this twin your "Soul," "Higher Self," "KA," "Spirit Guide" or "Guardian Angel." The terminology is unimportant. What is important is that you become aware of your Second Self.

In the Religion of Antinous, we call this the NARCISSUS PRINCIPLE, which is one of the founding principles of our religion. It is at the basis of the Spirit of Homosexuality — Love of the Divine Self.

Most of us go through life unaware of this Other Self. We do what is expected of us. We do what we feel others want us to do. We put the perceived wants and needs of others ahead of our own. We think that it's "selfish" to put our own interests first.

But RETROGRADE GEMINI VENUS reminded us that there is another Self — a Spiritual Self — without which we are not spiritually whole. For it is only by "looking out for Number 1" that we are physically, mentally and spiritually able to love ourselves. And only then can we truly love others.

RETROGRADE GEMINI VENUS invited you to take a deep and profound look at yourself, with all your strengths and all your weaknesses, all your virtues and all your faults, all your courageous achievements and all your failures. 

Now, having become aware of your Spiritual Twin, Venus turns Direct so that together, as one spiritual entity, you can go forward together to fulfill your destiny.