On August 31, 2015, Venus conjuncts Mars, just as she’s finishing her retrograde stint. They meet at 14º Leo. Obviously, if you have anything in your chart at 14º Leo, this would hit you with some significance. It would connect strongly with your Sun if your birthday is within a week on either side of August 6, November 6, February 3 or May 4.
If you are just finding this article series now, I strongly suggest you begin at the beginning of it. (And beware of the many spoilers of the Disney movie, Tangled, in this series.)
The Cost of Fun, according to Grimm
In the Grimm’s version of Rapunzel, we have gotten to the part of the story where Rapunzel has been having an affair with her rescuer, who visits her regularly, and Rapunzel innocently asks Dame Gothel, “Why is my dress getting tight?” She is pregnant. In that tale, Gothel cuts Rapunzel’s hair and casts her out of the tower. She then ties the hair to a nail and lures the prince to climb it in his usual way, only to drop him from the tower’s height to a thorn bush where he is blinded. In some versions, this is where the story ends—badly, unromantically. The prince spends the rest of his life wandering as a blind man and thus, in a very pre-modern plot ending, Rapunzel and her prince must pay for their pleasure.
The Cost of Fun, according to Disney
In other versions, Rapunzel and the blind prince reunite years later and find happiness together. In the Disney version, the happy ending is even more pronounced (as modern and post-modern viewers expect).
Rapunzel has escaped the tower and Mother Gother pursues her (she covets the hair, remember?) and, observing that Flynn and Rapunzel are falling in love, tricks her into thinking he has abandoned her for riches. Rapunzel returns to the tower with Gothel, and to her life of submission and non-adventure. Flynn is imprisoned but escapes (with the help of the most awesome cartoon horse character I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing) and returns to the tower to rescue Rapunzel. There a beautiful, magical transformation happens, which teaches about the power of love (a favorite theme with Disney) and the evildoers are all appropriately punished while the good guys find love and happiness.
They aren’t the only ones who have to pay
While Flynn is speeding towards her, Rapunzel has the epiphany where she realizes that the lost princess the lanterns are raised for is actually. . . herself. This triggers the further epiphany that Mother Gothel isn’t her real mother. This allows Rapunzel to see the false mother love she’s been given for the cheap, gaudy thing it really is—more Leo symbolism there, as Rapunzel begins to discover substance as opposed to surface.
In the fracas, Flynn is dealt a deadly blow. Rapunzel begs Mother Gothel to allow her to heal Flynn with her hair, giving her word of honor that she will remain in the tower forever. This is a devil’s bargain: Rapunzel must choose between her life of isolation, but saving Flynn’s life, or rebelling against Mother Gothel and gaining her freedom, but allowing Flynn to die. She chooses to save his life, but he chooses her freedom. With a shard of glass, he cuts her hair, rather than allow her to save him. Both characters grow. BUT Flynn is dying. All is lost.
How can a happy ending happen?
In the next article, discover the magical healing power of love.
Begin this article series here.
Read more about Venus Retrograde here.
