The bumpy road felt rural, like a dirt-track.

Light streamed through a crack in the trunk’s lid, allowing me to see the dirt and grime all around me. Not a new car for sure.

Still reeling from the impact of whatever I was hit with, I tried to remember what happened.

But instead, I just kept hearing my self-defence instructor telling me to always escape at the first point of contact. “Never let them take you to their safe place.” Safe for them, anyway.

Am I being led to the second location of the crime where I have less chance of survival?

Should I have paid more attention to my surroundings? Exactly what should I have paid attention to when I didn’t even see it coming? Is it too late to get out of this situation?

This is what it feels like for many since December 2021. A sense of powerlessness and dread. Feeling trapped and confined in situations we have little control over.

It’s like being stuck in mud. The more you try to manoeuvre, the more you seem to get stuck.

This has the signature of Venus (love, money, pleasure) and Pluto (power, wealth, sub-conscious mind) conjunctions since last December.  

Venus and Pluto first made an exact conjunction in Capricorn (establishment, structure) at 25 degrees on 11 December 2021 (GMT).

Then Venus went retrograde on 19 December 2021, and Venus Rx met with Pluto once again last Christmas (GMT) in Capricorn at 26 degrees.

Venus will go direct on 29 January 2022, and will conjunct Pluto one last time in Capricorn at 28 degrees on 3 March 2022 (GMT).

These Venus-Pluto conjunctions mirror the powerplay captured by the Greek mythology of Hades and Persephone.

A nutshell version of this myth is that Hades (Pluto), God of the Underworld, kidnapped Persephone (Venus), Goddess of Vegetation, in an unsuspecting moment and held her captive in the underworld.

Persephone’s mother was devastated. She sought help from other forces after all attempts failed to get her daughter back.

Eventually, an arrangement was reached whereby Persephone would come up to live on earth for a few months at a time before returning again to the underworld to be with Hades.  

Without going into grim details, Persephone’s initial experience in the underworld can be described in one word – hell.

This fits the biblical reference to Hades as a place of hell.

I can’t think of anyone I’ve spoken to since last December who hasn’t felt a sense of hopelessness and despair from the limitations of their circumstances.

To use the metaphor of Persephone’s abduction – it’s like they’ve been held hostage by situations they have little control over.  

For some, this is playing out in their workplaces. For others, it’s in their relationships. And this theme of powerlessness also reverberates when it comes to finances, health and other matters, depending on where these Venus-Pluto conjunctions fall on your chart.   

A bleak existence is what Persephone’s journey was first like in the underworld, as mirrored by Pluto overtaking Venus since December.

During much of January, Venus Rx also suffered from combustion from its close proximity to the Sun.

Being burnt by the Sun further made Venus weak, invisible and overwhelmed by her circumstances.  

Venus-related themes (such as beauty, romance, money & pleasure) felt unattainable and lifeless for many who couldn’t see a way forward.  

On top of that, confusion and lack of clarity over how to get ourselves out of dreary situations were compounded by Mercury (thinking, communications) going retrograde on 14 January 2022 (GMT).  

However, Venus is about to rise from the underworld. 

She is regaining strength, and getting ready to take back her power.

Venus is now at a standstill, and about to go direct on 29 January 2022 (GMT), when all Venusian matters will gradually begin to surface again.

This time, she can rely on the support of Mars (action, drive) who will be hovering close by in Capricorn as she regains strength.

Mars is considered “exalted” in Capricorn.

Exaltation is a placement for a planet where it feels comfortable and welcomed.

Mars in Capricorn, at its best, has the hallmark of strategic endurance until the goal is reached.  

Venus will also be in a separating trine (lucky aspect) with Uranus (surprises, sudden revelations) in earthy Taurus.  

This aspect is particularly favorable as Uranus in Taurus (the sign that Venus rules) is keen to help Venus from the sign of Venus’ rulership. 

Then, Mercury will go direct on 3 February 2022 (GMT) in Capricorn at 24 degrees, close to the same degrees of the Venus-Pluto conjunctions.

From now until February (especially from mid-February & onwards), Venus will get sudden insights (Uranus) and clarity (Mercury) as to how she can liberate herself from debilitating circumstances. And will fight (Mars) back in Venusian ways.

Just like Persephone getting ready to come up from the underworld – we are on the verge of unshackling the chains that keep us stuck in dismal conditions.

This is the moment when a loud popping noise came out of nowhere. There was a screeching sound as the car started to slow down in unexpected ways in the middle of the road (Uranus trine Venus). 

I remembered (Mercury) carrying a tiny switchblade. It was tucked at the bottom of one of the pockets of my jeans invisible to the naked eye. I was able to reach it even with my hands bound.

I was ready to do anything to get out of this situation, even if it meant clawing and fighting (Mars) my way out, no matter what…  

Will Venus be free of its grip from Pluto, especially as it will conjunct Pluto again in March?

I would say that this time Venus will be ready to confront Pluto.

The next Venus-Pluto conjunction is akin to staring right into the face of fear without flinching.

At best, the Venus-Pluto conjunction enables us to find our value, strength and power from deep within, especially after hitting rock bottom and when everything is stripped away.

You find your inner strength and value when you have nothing to lose. What you feared has already happened. And now you’re left with little at stake.  

It’s the level of empowerment you gain in true Plutonic fashion, as symbolized by the Phoenix rising from the ashes whenever we talk about Pluto, which is associated with death and rebirth.  

It’s like the “final girl” in slasher horror films – the last survivor.  

After being tormented relentlessly, the final girl loses her fear and fights back with a ferocity in which the hunter becomes the hunted.

It’s interesting to note that the degrees of the Venus-Pluto conjunctions are in the last decan of Capricorn (each zodiac sign is made up of 30 degrees, and the last decan constitutes the final 10 degrees of a sign).

This parallels the conjunction between Saturn (structure, establishment) and Pluto (hidden power) in Capricorn at 22 degrees back in January 2020, which marked the massive shift to the reality we now face.

Back in 2020, we also had three exact conjunctions between Jupiter (expansion) and Pluto (power) in Capricorn, which was relentless in dismantling our old world.

The exact Jupiter-Pluto conjunctions in Capricorn were on 4 April 2020 at 24 degrees, 30 June 2020 at 24 degrees, and 12 November 2020 at 22 degrees (GMT).

The stellium of planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Pluto) in Capricorn in the next few weeks will continue to hit these degrees that marked the end of an era in 2020, forcing us to confront what we’ve lost, before we can move forward.

It’ll like sequels to slasher films in which the final girl is back to fight again and again…

And no, it’s not too late to get out of captivity, even if you find yourself in the second scene of the crime.

It’s only the beginning for you.

Stand up and fight!

Forge ahead with a renewed sense of empowerment, like you’ve never known before.

And like Persephone who eventually accepted her fate and began embracing life in the underworld, you may even make peace with the past and your circumstances.

By the way, the kidnapping scene I wrote about above is fictional. I wanted to capture the essence of the planetary configurations in another context.

Also, this is not to paint Pluto purely as the bad guy and Venus as a victim.

There are virtues and vices associated with each planet, depending on the context and how their energies are used.  

You can tap into the powerful energy of each planet in your horoscope to discover your gifts and generate success in every area of your life with ease.  

Learn how, and empower yourself for an optimal life, from my Masterclass “Uncover the Hidden Power of YOUR Horoscope”, Part A of which is free HERE.

Featured photo on top by Comfreak on Pixabay.com