Venus Symbol Meaning and Venus Symbolism on Whats-Your-Sign

Last Updated on September 3, 2023 by Avia

Exploring Vivacious Venus Symbol Meaning: The planet, the myth and the symbol for Venus is filled with symbolism. This article explores the Venus symbol in terms of how it can assist in understanding the planet and its place in astrology as well as astronomy. This post also explores other symbols sacred to the goddess Venus. Read further about the Venus symbol and more.

The Venus symbol meaning is a combination of the circle and the cross.

Visually this symbol speaks to us on two levels: Spiritual and Material.

The circle reminds us of the inclusive nature of our universe. Here there is no exclusion. Only inclusion. All is welcome, and all is ever-expanding. Spirituality holds hands with this same inclusive concept.

The mystic mind never pushes away, but always embraces what is. And, at the base of all inclusion is the vibrating construct of love.

The cross (added in the 16th century) talks to us about nurturing our immaterial understanding into the realm of the material. It rests beneath the womb (represented by the circle in the Venus symbol). The location of the cross under the circle indicates all matter is birthed from a spiritually inclusive, loving womb. As is my nature, I’m drawn by the duality the Venus symbol meaning represents.

On the top half, we feel the openness and inclusivity (circle). Yet, on the lower half, we experience a narrowing, or a “coming to the crux.” Visually you can see opening and closing, beginnings and endings, in this symbol.

That duality of Venus is underscored by her placement in the skies as both the “morning star” (as it rises in the east) and the “evening star” (setting in the west).

Venus Symbol Meaning Themes

Love
Allure
Desire
Beauty
Passion
Harmony
Affection
Sexuality
Creativity
Attraction
Inspiration
Femininity
Aesthetics
Imagination
Appreciation
Relationships
Unification of opposites

“Love is a symbol of eternity.
It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a
beginning and all fear of an end.”
~Author Unknown

Further symbolism comes from the Roman goddess Venus (Aphrodite = Greek) whose (in the most popular version of myth) presence churned forth from the frothy seas. Gentle sea breezes moved the lovely Venus to her final destination, Cyprus where she is said to scintillate with the amorous powers.

Interestingly, the Venus symbol is also an alchemical elemental symbol for copper and Cyprus was a major exporter of the copper. water. It’s also symbolic of light as copper was used to make mirrors because of its reflective, luminous qualities. Here we recapture themes of aesthetic beauty and appreciation by reflecting (mirror) upon finery. Astrologically, Venus influences Taurus and Libra. Both signs are impeccably equipped to appreciate the finer things in life. These personalities are lovers of beauty, style, and elegance. Even if they don’t enhance these aspects of themselves, they know value when they see it – and that knowledge tends to motivate them in all they do. Venus in various houses in astrology charts can also tell you a lot about your personality and approach to love.

Animal Associations with Venus Symbol Meaning

Dove: Because the goddess Venus herself is associated with the soft, gentle nature of the dove – which also connects with themes of love, purity and renewal.
Serpent: Because copper is associated with the snake and copper shares its physical properties with Venus. Snakes carry the symbolism of sensuality, creativity, and fertility which are also associated with the Venus symbol meaning.
Lizards and reptiles: Because of Venus’ (the planet) rising and setting natures. Lizards rise with the morning warmth and retreat (set) as the evening does. These creatures are also symbolic of duality, and thus another connection to the dual nature of Venus symbol meaning.
Cow: Because of Venus’ relationship with Taurus, the sign of the bull. Also, the cow is a sacred symbol of fertility for countless ancient cultures. It is the provisioner, the patient, the nurturer of life. Interestingly, the ancient (love, sex, war) goddess Ishtar was worshipped in the island of Cyprus. And, as mentioned earlier, copper was the major export of Cyprus in ancient times (copper is identified by the Venus symbol). Bull masks were often worn for fertility rituals by the ancient people of Cyprus.
Fish and Shells: According to myth (and the famous painting by Botticelli) Venus emerged from a(and is associated with) the seas sailing on a half shell. This fits in nicely with water being symbolic of emotion and love. Ergo, creatures of the sea will be natural animals associated with Venus.
Swan: The swan is a symbol of love, purity, and grace and so is associated with the deific qualities of Venus (Ishtar, Aphrodite, Astarte, etc). Also associated with water, the swan rides gently on the waves of emotion. The swan also holds themes of duality like Venus because it is a creature of both the waters (also symbolic of openness and the womb-like we see in the circle top of the Venus symbol) and a creature of the earth (firmament and the realm of matter as seen in the cross portion of the Venus symbol).

Stones Associated with Venus Symbolism

Turquoise = Boosts receptivity, attraction of desire and protection
Sapphire = Warms the blood, ignites the body
Emerald = Enhances healing, augments nature-inspired wisdom
Jade = Safe journeying, grounding, attraction of monetary stability

Plants and Flowers Associated with Venus Symbol and Venus Symbol Meaning

Rose: For obvious reasons, the goddess Venus is associated with a rose for its symbolism of beauty, vitality, life, passion and love.
Palm: Because of Venus’ themes of fertility and growth it is associated with the palm because this tree is considered a symbol of fertility too. Also, the palm spreads out like a star, and the orbit pattern of Venus can be traced in a perfect pentagram.
Rowan: Continuing with the pentagram orbit pattern of Venus, the rowan is also a carrier of the pentagram on the underside of its berries. This reinforces the theme of perfecting balance and unifying harmonies.
Apple: Also a carrier of the pentagram, and so affiliated with Venus, the apple also beams with the symbolism of love, romance, beauty and an appreciation of art, poetry and beauty. Also symbolic of fertility and nourishment.
Lily: Because of its connotations of purity, cleansing and loveliness, the lily is a perfect match to the goddess aspects of Venus.

Miscellaneous Associations with Venus and further Venus Symbol Meaning

The pentagram is the sign of Venus (the planet) because of its orbit pattern. In the span of time it takes to come full circle of her trajectory (four years), her path traces the outline of the five-pointed star. This gives further fuel to the pentagram as a symbol of harmony, love and perfect union.
Venus is almost exclusively deemed feminine, including in Asian traditions where Venus is associated with yin energy. However, ancient Incans understood Venus (the planet and persona) to be masculine and a protector of the moon. Because of its luminosity in the skies it was associated with bright virility and proffered wise counsel to the sun within the sentient cosmos.
Mayans used Venus as a basis for their intricate systems of time, and the planet was a foundation to establish their calendars. The planet Venus was represented by Quetzalcoatl which plays nicely with the theme of duality I’ve been discussing in this article. Quetzalcoatl (Mayan god of wind) blew Venus out of existence in the west and then revived the planet in the east. This is analogous of the rising and setting of the planet, carrying themes of duality, life, death and rebirth.
The planet Venus is associated with the colors green and red.
Venus corresponds with Friday in the days of the week
Venus is associated with the Empress card as well as the Lovers card in the language of Tarot.
Its numerological correspondence is four and six.