Though fledgling astrologers often look to Venus as a measure of long-term compatibility, this common mistake always results in disappointing outcomes. If Venus is so effortlessly romantic, then why is love often so messy and complicated? You're right to be suspicious, cosmic warrior. Skeptical readers (I'm looking at you, Capricorn) may think that Venus's functions sound too good to be true.

That's right, folks, Venus is living the good life - this celestial body is all about luxury. This planet is all about pleasure, so Venus just sits back and relaxes while it gets exactly what it wants. Venus represents your values, including your relationship with finances and material possessions. Within your birth chart, Venus governs courtship and adoration, as well as personal taste and aesthetics. The planet Venus, however, seems unaffected by the grizzly origins of its namesake: Venus is a passionate romantic who simply loves to be in love. UranusвЂ™s genitalia, along with his blood and semen, formed a thick, dense, mist from which Venus (or Aphrodite) emerged. According to classical mythology, after Uranus (the Father of the Sky) was castrated by his son, Cronus (more commonly known as Saturn), UranusвЂ™s testicles were thrust into the ocean. Interestingly, although Venus is depicted as breathtakingly magnificent, her genesis story isnвЂ™t particularly appealing. Considered a вЂњbenefic' planet, Venus has long been considered auspicious, which explains why the ancient Romans named this planet after the goddess of love, beauty, and money. Stargazers have observed VenusвЂ™s vivid radiance for thousands of years.

But when it comes to love and those magical, gushy, butterflies you may feel in your stomach, Venus runs the show. Mercury rules communication (which is why there are so many misunderstandings when it goes retrograde), and assertive Mars represents impulse, including sexual urges. Within astrology, each planet has a different responsibility: The sun, though not a planet, also matters in the birth chart and manages your ego and sense of self the moon, on the other hand, governs your inner world and emotions.

Chart ruler