Venus represents the way we relate to people and to the environment that we live in. It is also concerned with beauty and the arts. Unlike Mercury, it is concerned with the emotions associated with these contacts.
Venus is also linked to the feminine principle, and to the way in which we express this energy in our interactions with other people. In a horoscope, the house that Venus is in will show you the area of your life that is being affected by the feminine side to your personality. It may also show areas of your life which will be linked to romance.
Aspects between Venus and the other planets show the ways in which our feminine energy interacts with the other energies of our psyche.
Venus is the most brilliant body seen in the night-time sky apart from the Moon. It is very similar to the Earth in size and mass, and has often been referred to as the Earth's "twin". However, its atmosphere is very dense, and largely consists of carbon dioxide. Because of this, the temperature of the surface, around 460º C, is far too high to support life in any form that we are familiar with.
Download mosaic showing lava flows on Venus (JPG 73K)
| Mechanical Data | |
| Diameter | 12,103 km |
| Mass | 4.87 x 1024 |
| Average distance from Sun | 0.723 AU |
| Period of rotation | 243 Earth days |
| Period of revolution | 225 Earth days |
| Mean surface temperature | 726 K |
| Atmosphere | Very dense: 96% carbon dioxide; 3.5% nitrogen |
