In the summer of 2020, a longtime client came to me with this question: What’s going on with the woman at work?
After some clarifying questions, he revealed that nothing sexual had occurred with the woman at work, but there had been heavy flirting and it was driving him mad with desire. He did not, however, have a desire to consummate the relationship since he had been married, more or less happily, for nearly thirty years and did not want to leave his wife. He just wanted to know the intentions of the office flirt - did it mean anything more than just a bit of fun?
With some trepidation for what the cosmos would reveal, I cast the chart. My client, “Jeff,” is signified by Mars in Pisces in the fourth house of home and roots. Also, of hidden things, things that happen in the dark. Mars at 24 degrees Pisces has triplicity, term, and face in Ptolemy’s dignity scheme, so it does have some essential dignities, and in the fourth house, Mars enjoys accidental fortitude. Mars in Pisces is also known for ‘rose colored glasses,’ not always exercising the best judgment, and trends toward romanticism, and perhaps even escapism.
Jeff’s current office interest is signified by Venus retrograde at 6 degrees Gemini in the 7th house. Venus at 6 degrees is peregrine, having no essential dignity, but is well-placed in the strong seventh house. The moon is also there, in Gemini, peregrine in the 7th house. The moon often signifies the wife, and she is at 1 degree Gemini, having changed signs from stable, solid Taurus. There are two women in Jeff’s house of relationship – a rather crowded room!
The moon also signifies the “heart of the matter” in a horary chart, so it is clear that Jeff’s mind is preoccupied on relationship matters. Indeed, he admitted that he can’t think of anything else at the moment.
Gemini can be a flirty, fun sign, though in this case, it may be cueing the deception that is occurring since the aspect to Jeff’s significator is square, so a harsh aspect that may bring out the shadow side.
Jeff, moored in the deep waters of home, has a significator that is squaring both Venus and the Moon, indicating tensions that he is indeed feeling both at home and with his new love interest. When he described her, he said that she is young, pretty, and fickle, often ignoring him for days and then suddenly showering him with attention. “It drives me crazy!” he revealed. This hot-and-cold behavior is indicated by the Venus retrograde, coming back for a little fun, then moving on to another flower, after perhaps remembering the wife!
I asked Jeff when all this started, and he said that it had been going on for 2-3 weeks now. Mars is at 24 degrees Pisces and Venus is at 6 degrees Gemini, so in symbolic timing, the significators would have been a perfect square about 18 days ago. Squares between Mars and Venus can create quite an exciting friction, an itch that just begs to be scratched.
But that perfect square was weeks ago, and in the meantime, Jeff’s significator has moved forward and Venus is retrograde, moving backwards according to our geocentric viewpoint. Venus is separating from Mars and is now out of orb.
The moon at 1 degree of Gemini is moving toward, or applying, to a square to Mars, which is at 24 degrees Pisces. In symbolic timing, the square will perfect in a little over three weeks. The moon is the one who is seeking connection with Mars, not Venus.
I asked my client if he wanted to break with his wife. “Not at all! I just wanted a bit of fun.” Well, I advised him that his fun was over; Venus was no longer interested in him; she might be interested in an older fellow at work, but this guy didn’t seem overly keen on her. Venus is applying to a trine to Saturn, but Saturn, also retrograde, is refraning it from perfecting. My client admitted that his Venus has attracted the eyes of many of the co-workers and often flirted with their manager.
I advised my client that he may want to refocus his attentions on his wife, as she is still very interested in him, though it won’t be smooth sailing. Even if he has not alerted her to this woman at work, a wife always knows and he has some, ahem, work to do to smooth the domestic waters.
What happened?
Nothing more with the office flirt. She moved departments and they never see each other anymore. Jeff and his wife are still together and she never found out. All’s well that ends well? Perhaps. But it reminded me yet again how fragile our relationships (and lives) can be.