Reception is an astrological concept that occurs between planets that are in aspect to each other, where one of the planets is in the essential dignity of the other planet.
As I write this, Venus in Cancer is separating from an exact sextile from Jupiter in Virgo.
Venus in Cancer is in the sign of exaltation of Jupiter. When Venus casts an aspect to Jupiter from Cancer, Jupiter looks at Venus and is hospitable to her significations. In this dialogue, Jupiter is likely to help Venus bring about whatever it is that she is wants to accomplish. This is even more the case as Jupiter is a benefic planet and thus is more willing than other planets to be helpful to Venus’ aims. Venus governs passion, love, sensuality, and pleasure. Its broader activity is of connecting and joining things together. Jupiter governs growth, philosophy, overall coherence, generosity, and balance.
Jupiter in Virgo describes an overarching awareness of many details at once, which may be more challenging than helpful (requiring conscious attention to accomplish efficiently), universally applied rationality where a different type of intelligence would be more useful, and over-emphasis on the useful where instead of happiness and joy being ends in themselves, they are overlooked in favor of the strictly functional.
Venus sextile Jupiter describes a situation where Jupiter in Virgo eases a bit since Venus is approaching from Jupiter’s place of exaltation. This potentially describes a situation between friends or lovers where the more nitpicking details are smoothed out due to emotional sympathy.
Jupiter is the in place of Venus’ fall, which might lessen the overwhelming positivity the union of the benefics brings to mind, but these do remain benefic planets in aspect to each other.
Venus and Jupiter are both aspecting Pluto in Capricorn, both separating from an exact aspect. This adds a layer of hidden emotion, power plays having to do with status and material considerations, and the revelation or concealment of such, a boost that comes from elevated status, or a promise that does not quite pan out.
In a horary with Venus in Cancer and Jupiter in Virgo representing something relevant to the question asked, Venus would find help in the sextile to Jupiter, but probably not too much or not quite the kind of help that would be over the top, completely and exceedingly helpful.
Warmly,
Ichrak
I am thankful to Nina Gryphon and Ryhan Butler for their discussion of this topic on this episode of the On Questions podcast, and for Nina’s writings on this topic on her blog.
