Venus Cazimi 2023
It is now that we find ourselves in the heart of things. On August 13th, at 4:16am PST, the Sun and Venus will conjoin perfectly, at 20° 28’ Leo, marking the velvet center of Venus’s retrograde story, and inviting us into a Venusian renewal.
What is a Cazimi?
Conjunctions in astrology tend to imply a merge, a sense of unification, a blurring of boundaries between two planets. A conjunction between a planet and the Sun, though, is special, and has its very own term: “cazimi.” Cazimi is a term from medieval astrology, a Latin transliteration of the Arabic word “kamīmī,” which is a translation of the Greek “egkardios,” which means “in the heart.”
Some astrology perspectives hold that when planets get close to the Sun, within 15°, they are “under the beams,” or overpowered by the Sun. But when a planet gets so close that they share exact cosmic space with Sol, it is like they are born anew.
Sol, Venus, Apollo, and Leo—Tracing the Heart’s Pathways
To be in the heart of something implies centrality. Our hearts with their electric synapses and holy chambers provide us with lifeblood, sustain our very being. From our hearts beams our very existence, as well as our passions, our loves and hates, our desires. The heart is central, as though it is our own corporeal Sun.
In medical astrology, Leo is the sign that governs the heart and its functions, and Leo is ruled by the Sun—thus the sun/heart connection is more than just poetic, it is also astrological. Venus is the goddess of love and connection, passion and beauty, and as this Cazimi happens in Leo, we are awash in a deluge of the heart.
Venus’s retrograde has brought its own burning, its own longing, its own ache. We have navigated summer up till this point with the love goddess casting a backward glance over one shoulder, not fully present, distracted, nervous. Matters of the heart have followed suit.
Whether we’re navigating the depths of a breakup, or coming to terms with some heavy realities about our partnerships, many of us are going through an important challenge right now, thanks to this transit.
Cazimi as Illumination
While some believe that planets near the Sun are overpowered by him (this is called “combust”), planets that make a cazimi are psychic, electric, renewed, full of insight. This reminds us that Apollo, the Sun god, was associated with both light and solar force, as well as prophecy. Cazimi can make a planet into an oracle, for a moment, as they are purified and dazzled by the Sun’s omniscient core.
As this cazimi arrives in the early hours of August 13th, we can welcome the insight and magic of the moment by turning towards our centers, our own hearts. What are we holding on to that needs to be set free What can we offer up for purification from our heart’s center? What relational dynamics have disempowered us for the last time? And finally, how can we enfold ourselves in gentle, Venusian love, offering to our own hearts the care and attention we so often dole out to others?
Venus’s cazimi is still in aspect to Uranus, who she squared off with last week, which means that an underlying current is asking us to choose something radical, true, authentic, and future-oriented. We’re no longer able to maintain the status quo, in whatever area of our charts Leo occupies. It is time for a dazzling renewal. Let the old self fall away, and open to the rose enlightened by the Sun, Venus in her Leo cazimi.
If you’re looking for more Venusian support, you can explore this Guide to Venus Rituals I compiled a few years ago, for advice on altar creation, timing, and magical empowerment.
