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Relationships and money are intimately connected in astrology. They are represented by the same planet (Venus) and some of the same houses (the 2nd and 8th Houses). Therefore, your approach to money will reflect your approach to relationships, and vice versa. This can be helpful when you encounter troublesome patterns in your love life. If you step back and look at your financial habits, there’s likely to be a strong correlation. Sometimes looking at the problem from a different angle can put it into perspective.
The Taurus side of Venus and the 2nd House (plus the 2nd House ruler and any planets in that house) represent personal survival needs, self-esteem, procreation and your body. The 2nd House and Venus also represent earned income and personal possessions. As a reminder about the difference between houses and planets, the house describes an area of your life (where) and the planet describes a function of your psyche or essence (what). The 8th House (plus 8th House ruler and planets in that house) represents what you share with another: intimacy, and any money that is not completely yours (debts, taxes, your partner’s finances). I haven’t forgotten about the 7th House and Libra, but those are about relating, comparison and projection, and don’t directly involve physical goods or security.
What You Value
You have a Venus/Neptune conjunction in Scorpio, in the 2nd House. Neptune dissolves Venus’ boundaries, suggesting that it may be difficult for you to hang onto what you value. You have dreams (Neptune) about winning the lottery, but building a nest egg seems to elude you. You loan money, but never get paid back. You don’t insist on getting paid what you’re worth at your job. Neptune makes it easy to give (or sacrifice) but grounding yourself in the belief that you are worthy of having enough is difficult. And it probably doesn’t help that you’re not completely motivated to earn/save, because Neptune increases your awareness that there’s more to life than material wealth. Scorpio’s all-or-nothing energy is evident in how you treat money, alternately spending everything on a luxury item you can’t afford, or hunting for bargains. You expect freebies from others who want to get paid what they’re worth, and you’re hurt when they insist on that.
In your love life, compassion, giving and that elusive whiff of magic make you feel worthy. You want (Venus) a deep, all-encompassing soul connection (Neptune in Scorpio). You expect your partners to give just as much as you do (extreme amounts of time, energy and attention) but what you end up with are guys that siphon off your energy and treat you like garbage.
The common theme is a set of emotional and material values that are disconnected from reality. You make sacrifices in the hope of manifesting your dream of a beautiful life and relationship, but end up with almost nothing. You expect others to have the same set of material and romantic values, and are crushed when they use you, or say no. Venus will attract what you believe about yourself, so the fix is to look closely at what you value, and how you express that. You value compassion, romance and magic. There’s no reason why you can’t have those things, but you need to be aware of the difference between compassion and sacrifice. You also need to bring your expectations in line with reality. Giving away resources (until there’s nothing left for you) lowers your value.
What You Share
Looking at an 8th House example, let’s say it’s empty, but the cusp is in Aries. Ruler Mars is in your 10th House (career and status) square Pluto. Mars square Pluto combines will/anger (Mars) with power (Pluto). The tension of the square means you have difficulty handling that energy. It can go either way: you express it, or it comes back at you from external sources. Maybe you find yourself on the wrong end of the stick with the authorities (10th House). The government is always hassling you for money, tax time is a nightmare, and you get embroiled in power struggles with higher-ups. You feel like you’re at war with the powers-that-be, and money is the battle ground.
When it comes to intimacy, you seem to attract partners who try to control you. Some of these partners have actually been dangerous. You’re at the point where you’d rather be celibate than go through another traumatic relationship where you’re victimized as soon as you let your boundaries down.
8th House energy is trickier to deal with than 2nd House energy, because its essence is what you don’t have total control over. But what you can do is focus on the highest possible expression of the house ruler, and any aspects it’s making. In the case of Mars square Pluto, you can cultivate your own power through career and future ambitions. Consider how you deal with anger (yours and others’) and how you express it. Or do you express it? If you’re constantly being chased for money you owe, is there a possibility that you (unconsciously) set up these drama-rich scenarios as a way of acting out your Mars/Pluto energy? Part of you needs something to fight, but there are more productive ways to express this.
You can also consider if you approach intimacy as a war zone. Putting aside scenarios where you’ve been abused — which were obviously not your fault — the flavor of 8th House intimacy will reflect how you express the energy of sharing. Yes, the highest expression of the 8th House is sharing and merging: a safe blending of energy and resources where both partners feel secure and valued. If you don’t want to be overpowered, find a way to express your power. Then, you can enter into the 8th House arena with something positive to offer, and you’ll attract healthy partners who are ready to merge with you.
Related: 2nd and 8th House Sex: From Survival to Intimacy
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