Hellenistic astrology can be super intimidating, and even once you sit down and actually decide to read some of these ~2000 year old books, it can be a bit confusing. So I wanted to basically translate into plain English what 2nd-century astrologer Vettius Valens had to say about “Marriage, Wedlock and Happiness: Various Theorems and Configurations” in Book II of his Anthologies (pp.50-52), thankfully translated by Mark Riley from the original Greek. Because everyone’s interested in what astrology has to say about our prospects for nookie! That’s probably like at least 50% of the reason astrological inquiry first started. It was probably the very first horary question.
A reason I want to share this part of Valens’ work with you today is because while it’s not useless, some parts of it are utterly insane. I can’t endorse everything that he’s written on this topic. Granted, there could be some misunderstandings and things getting lost in translation over the centuries, but no astrologer today would make such extreme and irresponsible claims as…okay, the vast majority of astrologers today would never make such extreme and irresponsible claims as he does, especially based on such general aspect patterns that he draws from. The only way that I can make sense of this is that he purposely generated such specific and extreme delineations from basic aspects to make a general point about them, but they still look exactly like a specific delineation…That’s about as much of a defense as I can muster.
In any case, the following is how I understand what he’s written in the plainest and easiest terms possible. He repeated himself a couple of times but I copied his repetitions anyway. I’ve degendered as much of the language as he specifically allows, and I’ve changed “will” to “may” and “more likely to” because by Lord Xenu as my witness, I will not be accused of condoning everything here. I am merely reporting and adapting his labyrinthine descriptions into easily digestible slop. Otherwise I’ve tried to stick to the wording of Riley’s translation, and frankly, some of the language is both cringeworthy and/or hilarious.
All I can say is, after writing this, I’m going to be a lot kinder to people with Venus in hard aspects to Saturn from now on…So, without further ado, here’s Vettius Valens on love and romance in your natal chart:
1. Valens says to investigate topics of marriage you have to look at:
- The sign of your 7th whole sign house
- What sign your Venus is in
- Other planets in the same sign as your Venus
- Aspects to your Venus
- Ruler of your Venus
2. Valens says you’re more likely to be married a few times and be promiscuous if:
- Your Venus is in Aries, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius, Capricorn or Pisces
- You were born at night
- Your Venus is conjunct Mercury
If your Venus fulfills the above conditions, Valens says you’re also more likely to…“rush into the embrace of boys” (this means what you think it means ?) if:
- Your Venus is in aspect to Mars
3. Valens says you’re more likely to be unlucky in marriages and relationships if:
- The traditional ruler of your Venus is in the whole sign 7th or 12th house
- Or if your Venus is in Aries, Scorpio, Capricorn or Aquarius and
- Mars or Saturn is in conjunction, square or opposition to your Venus
- Or if the traditional ruler of your Venus is in otherwise poor condition
4. Valens says your spouse is more likely to have a premature death, injuries, diseases, pains or other problems if:
- Venus is conjunct, square or opposed by Mars or Saturn
- Or if the traditional ruler of your Venus is in aspect with Mars or Saturn
5. Valens says you are more likely to be unmarried and unsociable if:
- Venus is in the 7th whole sign house and Saturn aspects Venus
6. Valens says you are more likely to be a widow or virgin if:
- Your Venus is in Capricorn or Aquarius
- Your Venus is in the terms of Saturn, meaning your Venus is in these degree ranges:
- 25°-end of Aries
- 22-26°59’ of Taurus
- 24°-end of Gemini
- 24°-end of Cancer
- 18°-23°59’ of Leo
- 28°-end of Virgo
- 0°-5°59’ of Libra
- 24°-end of Scorpio
- 21°-25°59’ of Sagittarius
- 22°-26°59’ of Capricorn
- 25°-end’ of Aquarius
- 28°-end of Pisces
- Your Venus is closely opposite Saturn, without Mars or Jupiter making an aspect to Venus and without Mercury conjunct Venus
7. Valens says your spouse is more likely to be sterile and sickly if:
- Your Venus is opposite Saturn
8. Valens says your spouse is someone beneath your station if:
- Your Saturn is conjunct the Midheaven and opposite Venus
9. Valens says you are more likely to cheat on your partner with nurses, the spouses of your teachers and/or engage in quasi/actual-incestuous encounters with step-parents or aunts and uncles if:
- Your Venus is in the same sign as your Saturn and,
- Your Venus is in an aspect with Jupiter, or
- Your Venus is separating from an aspect with Jupiter and is in an applying aspect with Saturn, or
- Your Venus is applying to a conjunction with Saturn and in an aspect with Mars
If the above applied to you, Valens says you’re involved in even more perversion if:
- Your Sun is also in aspect to Venus, Mars, Jupiter or Saturn
- Especially if your Moon is also in aspect to Venus, Mars, Jupiter or Saturn
10. Valens says you marry below your station and are caused grief in marriage if:
- Your Venus is conjunct Saturn in the 7th or 4th whole sign house, or in the same sign as the IC.
11. Valens says you may hook up with prominent or elderly women, regardless if you are male or female if:
- Your Venus is conjunct Saturn
- Saturn is in Taurus or Libra
- If Venus is in a superior aspect with Saturn and,
- Your Jupiter is in aspect with both Venus and Saturn
12. Valens says you may engage in relations with siblings if:
- The Moon and Venus are in the same sign and in the 1st, 4th, 7th or 10th whole sign house
- The Moon and Venus are in aspect to Mars and Jupiter
13. Valens says you may be jealous if:
- Your Moon is square or opposed to Venus
- Especially so if Mars aspects the Moon-Venus square or opposition
14. Valens says you may get married to your father’s relatives if:
- Your Sun is in Leo or Aries and
- Your Sun is conjunct Venus or Jupiter
15. Valens says you may get married to your mother’s relatives if:
- Your Venus is in Taurus, Libra or Pisces or,
- Your Venus is in its own terms, meaning Venus is in these degree ranges:
- 6°-11°59′ of Aries
- 0°-7°59’ of Taurus
- 12°-16°59’ of Gemini
- 7°-12°59’ of Cancer
- 6°-10°59’ of Leo
- 7°-16°59’ of Virgo
- 21°-27°59’ of Libra
- 7°-10°59’ of Scorpio
- 12°-16°59’ of Sagittarius
- 14°-21°59’ of Capricorn
- 7°-12°59’ of Aquarius
- 0°-11°59’ of Pisces
- Your Venus is conjunct the Moon and Mercury.
16. Valens says you may marry your sibling or relatives if:
- Your Moon and Venus are in the same sign as your IC or,
- Your Moon and Venus are in opposition
- Especially if your Moon is on the Midheaven and Venus is on the IC, or vice versa
17. Valens says your marriage may be “chilled and contaminate[d]” if:
- Your Saturn in a superior aspect to or in opposition or conjunction with your Venus
- Your Saturn in a superior aspect to or in opposition or conjunction with your traditional ruler of your Venus
- Especially if Mercury is in aspect to your Venus-Saturn aspect
18. Valens says your marriage may be shameless, degrading and rebellious, involving disreputable or lower class people, for whose sake you are snowed under with trouble if:
- Your Venus is in aspect with Saturn in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th or 11th whole sign houses
- However, if the above applies it can be canceled by an intercepting aspect from another planet.
19. Valens says you may cheat on your spouse without shame or impunity with prominent people of high status, have few children or have difficulties getting pregnant if:
- Jupiter is in aspect to Venus
20. Valens says you may achieve success with the help of women and children, but fail utterly in the end if:
- Your Venus is in an aspect with Saturn
- Your Saturn is in Venus’s terms, meaning Saturn is in these degrees:
- 6°-11°59′ of Aries
- 0°-7°59’ of Taurus
- 12°-16°59’ of Gemini
- 7°-12°59’ of Cancer
- 6°-10°59’ of Leo
- 7°-16°59’ of Virgo
- 21°-27°59’ of Libra
- 7°-10°59’ of Scorpio
- 12°-16°59’ of Sagittarius
- 14°-21°59’ of Capricorn
- 7°-12°59’ of Aquarius
- 0°-11°59’ of Pisces
- and if Venus is a sign-based aspect with Mars and Jupiter
Although this is not the outcome if:
- Venus is in Taurus, Libra or Pisces, and if Saturn is Libra, Capricorn or Aquarius.
21. Valens says you may become successful, wealthy, well-regarded by famous people if:
If the above applies to you, Valens says you may also be vigorous, shrewd, intelligent, charming, promiscuous and unstable in marriages if:
- Your Mercury is also aspecting the Venus-Jupiter aspect
22. Valens says you may be more sociable and helped by the opposite sex if:
- Jupiter is in a superior aspect to Venus
- Especially if that aspect is by degree, not just by sign
- Even if Venus is afflicted, you’re not entirely ruined
23. Valens says you may be happy in your marriage if:
- Your Venus is conjunct the Ascendant, Descendant, Midheaven, IC, and/or in the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th whole sign houses
- Especially if your Venus is conjunct the Ascendant or Midheaven
- Your Venus is unaspected by Saturn
24. Valens says you may have a good marriage but experience the grievous death of a good spouse if:
- Your Venus is in the whole sign 12th house
- Your Venus is in Taurus, Libra or Pisces
- Your Jupiter is in a superior aspect to your Venus, especially a trine
25. Valens says you may become a widow/er or unhappily married, distressed by death and desertion if:
- Your Venus and Saturn are in the 12th whole sign house
- Your Jupiter does not aspect Venus or Saturn
26. Valens says you may become an adulterer, a victim of adultery, a dirty unlovable person and consequently drawn into difficulties if:
- Your Venus is in the 12th house
- Your Jupiter does not aspect Venus
- Your Mars aspects Venus
27. Valens says generally you may experience separations, deaths, grief-producing unions if:
- Your Venus is conjunct Mars or Saturn
- Or worse, if your Moon is also in a conjunction, square or opposition to your Venus-Mars conjunction or Venus-Saturn conjunction.
28. Valens says it’s not good for your marriage(s) if:
- Your Moon is within 15° before or after the Sun
- Your Moon is setting, i.e., close to the Descendant in the 7th whole sign house
29. Valens says adultery, whoring and lechery is caused by:
If the above applies to you, Valens says the adultery, whoring and lechery is worse, sinning more often, casting eyes everywhere but not attaining one’s desires, sometimes hooking up with people like themselves, suffering the terrible things at their hands that they had done to others if:
- Your Mercury and Mars are in Aries, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius, Capricorn or Pisces
If the above applies, then Valens says you may be treated ungratefully even when you’re kind to others, so much so that you may plot against them as a result of their ill treatment, even treating your spouse violently if:
- Your Saturn is in aspect to your Mercury-Mars conjunction
30. Valens says you may be a sneaking adulterer and committer of secret sins if:
- Your Venus and Mars are within 15° before or after the Sun
- Your Venus and Mars are setting, i.e. close to the Descendant, in the 7th whole sign house
31. Valens says your sneaky adulterous sins may be more public if:
- Your Venus and Mars are within 15° before or after the Sun
- Your Mars and Venus are conjunct the Ascendant, Midheaven or IC, in the 1st, 10th, or 4th whole sign house
If the above applies, Valens says the adultery and public outcry regarding it may be rather dangerous if:
- Your Mercury is conjunct Venus and Mars and rising, i.e., close to the Ascendant or Midheaven, in the 1st or 10th whole sign house
If the above applies, Valens says you can escape death by paying a great ransom if:
- Your Jupiter is also aspecting the Mercury-Venus-Mars conjunction
Or Valens says you may be seized and murdered, if fated to this sort of death if:
- Your Jupiter does not aspect the Mercury-Venus-Mars conjunction
32. Valens says the ruin of adultery may be more terrible and hazardous, the outcome more murderous if:
- Your Venus is in the same sign as Mars in the 12th whole sign house in the day time
- Your Venus is in the same sign as Mars in the 7th whole sign house in the day time
- Your Moon is in the same sign as Venus and Mars in the day time
Valens says it’s even worse, signifying divorce, unpleasantness, jealousy, anger, plots and dangers if:
- Your Venus and Mars are in opposition
If any of the above applies, Valens says you may also be promiscuous, someone who whores around, is notorious, seduced by friends, seduced by people in low stations, seduced by enemies, and involved in riots and murder by poison if:
- Your Mercury aspects your Venus and Mars
If any of the above applies, Valens says you may do it secretly and accumulate property if:
- Your Jupiter is conjunct Venus
- Especially if Jupiter is rising on the Ascendant or the 1st whole sign house, or rising on an angle like the Midheaven or the 10th whole sign house.
33. Valens says your relationships are a result of adultery if:
- Your Venus is in aspect with Mars, especially a harmonious aspect or in mutual reception
34. Valens says you may have relationships with virgins or young adults if:
- Your Venus is rising on the Ascendant, the 1st whole sign house
- Your Mercury is in aspect with Venus
- Your Mercury-Venus aspect is unaspected by Saturn
- Especially if Mars is in aspect to the Mercury-Venus aspect
- Even more so if Jupiter is in aspect to the Mercury-Venus aspect
35. Valens says, generally your relationships will all be with younger lower class people if:
- Your Mercury is in aspect with Venus
36. Valens says you may be an adulterer, lecher and involved with lower class people, dealing with criticism, divorces and the deaths of partners if:
- Your Venus is conjunct or square Mars
37. Valens says you may hook up with elderly or sterile people if:
- Your Venus is opposite Saturn
38. Valens says you may hook up with people of high rank
- Your Venus is opposite Jupiter
39. Valens says you may hook up with nobility or prominent people if:
- Your Venus is conjunct Jupiter
- Your Saturn is in aspect with Jupiter
- Especially if your Venus is conjunct or trine Jupiter and Saturn
If you’re a woman and the above applies to you, Valens says you may be a spinster, marry late in life or be abstinent and chaste if:
- Your Mercury and Mars do not aspect your Venus-Jupiter-Saturn aspect
40. Valens says you may have the ability to “command” the opposite sex if:
- Your Venus rises ahead of the Sun as a morning star
41. You may be “commanded by” the opposite sex if:
- Your Venus is within 15° behind or ahead of your Sun
If you can believe it, there is way more stuff he talks about with the Lot of Marriage but this article is already way too long. Valens’ Zodiacal Releasing timelord system can also be used to release from the Lot of Eros, which gives you a life-time overview of the peaks, valleys and reversals in your love life. I can take a look at it in your chart too if you’re interested. If you guys would like me to do more traditional astrology “in plain English”/CliffsNotes/SparkNotes/No Fear Shakespeare- style articles, let me know!
Well, V V certainly nailed MY skanky ass! Too Funny! Yes more of this stuff Patrick. Better than GAME OF THRONES!
Well, V V certainly nailed MY skanky ass! Too Funny! Yes more of this stuff Patrick. Better than GAME OF THRONES!
That was brilliant and a lot of work by the look of it, enjoyed it v much thank you!
That was brilliant and a lot of work by the look of it, enjoyed it v much thank you!
Very interesting! Keep it coming Patrick.
Are the bulleted points all meant to be a set of conditions to all be met, or “if you have any of the following” (unless otherwise stated)?
a.k.a is this an and / or situation?
I was tryna figure out if I was gonna die or what my problem was so I’ve been looking at my sister and partner’s charts for clues and also to practice (n00b).
My partner is a Libra rising with Venus in Aries in the 7th who’s only aspects to Venus are opposing the AC and squaring a conjunct Mars-Saturn in the 3rd (using whole signs, no outer planets). Jupiter is with her though, not conjunct, but still! T_T
My Venus is in Leo in the 9th sextile my sun in Cancer in the 8th. Venus in my chart rules the 6th (Taurus) which contains a lone Mars being attacked in a t-square by Saturn and Mercury, and also the Moon because why not, and/but is sextile my sun.
I’m an amateur so I’m still like “sextile good, opposite bad?” and I’m just learning about house rulership and crap.
I’ve been looking at whole sign whatever this week and my chart looks happier (my Venus and mercury moved into the 9th house from the 8th. I was also excited because Saturn moved into my 3rd, leaving my 2nd house empty, but then I learned about house rulership….and I saw Capricorn was still on the cusp of the 2nd =_= …and my Saturn return has technically started….and -). But then my partner had Venus move into the 7th, and I was like…..um…..
Anyway now I feel bad for him, and also me because WTF, but I’m still confused. I’m guessing astrologers have the tarot reader’s problem too then. “The 4 of pentacles came up, which means it’s totally a go for that impulse purchase, because then, uh, I’ll have it in my hands, yeahhh”
Crap my line breaks! They disappeared! Sorry for text wall
Lol. I have Venus in Aries in the 12th in an exact square to Mars in Cancer conjunct IC. Yes, I did have the loss of a partner in my 30’s, and all the other things. Oddly this is still one of my favorite aspects of my chart even though it makes me terribly unromantic.