Illustration by Maggie Terlecki, visit her website http://www.chezeury.com

In my solar return Venus is Ascendant. Thus, in addition to receiving awesome gifts; a kick a** purse and gorgeous shoes for my birthday, my love mailbag has been brimming with questions. A friend wrote me last Thursday, right before the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Cancer: I’ve got Cancer on the cusp of 2nd house. I need security, relationship and relating, intimacy and nurturing. Actual physical presence (nourishment) of humans (i.e. partner!). These are the days of progressed Venus exactly conjunct my Sun, too. Aphrodite is aching to be seen and met! When Venus joins our natal Sun by progression we are ready to meet new friends, rowdy conspirators and soul mates… and progressed Venus wants to broadcast her sonar signal to all of our soul mates, near and far. Anything we can do during this time, enchantments, body image work, self-esteem work and self-love, can and will amplify our attractive powers (No, you don’t need a Venus progression to do these things- just intention & readiness).

I immediately asked: Do you have a Venus altar? Have you been reciting a mantra or affirmation? No!, she replied, then, Please Help! People say they’re ready for love, but the waters can be rough on the sea of love, so after years of dating sometimes they’re tired & jaded, which explains why this desire is often expressed more like a complaint or lament. That’s no Venus mantra. My girl is ready, but in order to meet the Love Goddess we can intentionally embody the feminine, receptive energy of Venus, to meet the Goddess in our self. I gave her the following ideas for getting ready for love, and there’s more where this came from in A Love Alchemist’s Notebook: Magical Secrets For Drawing Your True Love Into Your Life.

• Clean your house with the loving care you would take to get ready for a new partner. Choose your favorite flowers, aromatherapy scents, beautify with your favorite art and add personal touches that you enjoy, not simply the typical clearing/cleaning.
• This one is especially important if you’re the kind of person who is blessed with ambition and knows how to hustle to make things happen: instead of trusting in your considerable can-do and girl power, practice trusting in the power of softening and yielding to bring you what and who you desire. Relax, play, enjoy  and do this with intentionality: trust that if you relax, yield and enjoy yourself you will be loved, cared for and get noticed. No striving. Gentleness. Pull, don’t push.
• If you could talk to your Venus and ask her what and who turns her on, what she most wants and needs, what would she say? After devoting an entire day, Friday, to Venus my girl said: I think Venus in Aquarius likes love from friends. I also would like to be friends first, if possible. So existing long-time friends that may turn into more are fabulous! What does your Venus desire?
• Before you build a love altar or do a love ritual, like my Sexy Solstice Spell, relax and get still and calm. A walk in nature, beach, bath with rose petals, something that energetically fills you with relaxation, peace, safety is powerful state of being to do any love ritual. Be grace. Embody her and allow your self to claim that energy as inside of you, always. Own your Venus!
• If you’re really ready…and I do mean be careful what you *witch* for because energy will move…memorize and repeat an intentional phrase, prayer, mantra or affirmation. Try to relax and feel this as true as a quality of energy that you recognize in your body. Start with any of these:

I am ready for the love of my life to come to me.

My perfect love comes to me in perfect time.

My perfect spiritual partner and love of my life comes to me in the right time.

I’m ready for love… (to quote Bad Company– drats John Shepherd!!! — it’s his fave group, and I can’t get it out of my head)

Finally, the most important advice for making love magic is to energetically match the relaxed, easy, receptive, joy, in love with life vibration. Venus wants to deliver our companions, but we need to be on her wavelength; otherwise they may be standing by our side and we won’t be open enough to recognize them.

Just a day later, my girl wrote me with this follow up email: Venus works fast!!!! Yesterday a friend from overseas emailed me to ask if I would be interested in dating were I there; now I’m planning to visit. Also last night I spontaneously went drinking & dancing and ran into an old flame (who I’ve often thought still has potential) and we got cuddly and moon-y! I’m going to keep using the mantra below. She likes it. I also add: My perfect partner – physically, sexually, emotionally, spiritually, financially, intellectually, mentally, intimately, healthily – IS joining me in Divine right timing.