We knew Venus in Leo for months – as opposed to the usual weeks – would shift some style dials. But now, with Venus near the end of this epic journey, it’s easier to take in the total scope of the fashion zeitgeist.
It’s fresh – yes, even to cultural psyches that have become jaded by the Pluto in Capricorn fuqery – and reflects outbreaks of bold Leo creativity all over the place. Don’t believe me? Read on!
Exhibit One: Isabella Rossellini’s Vogue Italia cover. I’ve been trying to figure out why I love this so much and I think it’s because she’s 71 and they haven’t slapped on a coverline to refer to that. I mean, I’ve seen fashion mags doing ‘Ageless Aging’ issues with 24 year olds to illustrate so an evidently unretouched Rossellini on the cover is a creative, radical even, choice.
From the interview: “On set I felt like I was in Magritte’s studio. Zhong Lin’s images have a poetic, refined and elegant dimension. This is precisely what I ask of fashion and cosmetics. I want guidance on how to be elegant and refined . I find it very reductive to appear younger than my age and in any case it’s a losing battle. I asked Vogue Italia not to retouch the photos and leave me with my wrinkles...”
Also, her Mona-Lisa smile, the arch-signature of Gemini women or, in her case, Sun + Venus in Gemini. The Venus through Leo trip has been back and forth over Rossellini’s Leo Pluto and Midheaven – I think there was a lot more to this cover shoot and the negotiations around it than her nonchalance suggests and it’s a daring power play.
Some of you may remember that 31 years ago, the actor/model/director was ignominiously let go from Lancome because she’d turned 40. Just over one entire Saturn cycle later, here she is!
Pamela Anderson rocking up to Paris Fashion Week without wearing any make-up has become a thing. Not to be piffling, I think she is wearing lip gloss, right? Still, she’s apparently given it all up completely so this is her new look, as opposed to a one-off look.
It’s a big deal for someone whose hyper-made-up look was huge in the 90s – hands up if your brows are permanently pammed as a consequence of that era’s style norms? And, as Justine Bateman writes about so brilliantly, it’s not easy to age in the public eye when you’re deemed a ‘sex symbol’ so this is another strong statement.
A Cancerian, Anderson’s Venus is at 23° Leo so she’s just enjoyed three – clearly productive – Venus Returns in a row.
Venus in Leo for the longest time in over a century has also given us the following delights:
#NASA announces that the Italian fashion house Prada will be designing the spacesuits for the 2025 Artemis III mission.
#Tube Girl emerges from the hyperbolic matrix of Tik Tok to be a celeb – she’s Gen Z, a Scorpio with Venus conjunct Pluto in Saggo – perhaps three zaps from Venus in a row amplified her (surprisingly cool) message?
#Sia, the musician whose face is usually concealed, suddenly emerged in a technicolor dream kaftan, talking about the joy of her facelift as she presented an award for Outstanding Achievement to her cosmetic surgeon. It seems surreal, like a JG Ballard novel but she’s a candid Saggo and Venus in Leo activated her natal Jupiter-Neptune trine – Jupiter in Aries to Neptune in Saggo, a reliably over the top combo.
#The actor Florence Pugh debuted a surprise bleach-blonde/violet buzzcut at the Valentino couture show, brilliantly paired with a foo-foo frock. I know there is no way she did it herself but the punk joy of such a look is that you technically could D.I.Y. Pugh is a Capricorn with Venus in Aquarius – she had three provocative Venus oppositions in a row.
#Mattel introduced a Stevie Nicks Barbie doll – it’s a marketing hook-up of course but it feels weirdly apt for the Gemini musician. Venus was buzzing her natal Saturn-Pluto in Leo conjunction for the last few months, suggesting some sort of enduring statement gesture.
#Finally, Angelina Jolie has launched a fashion brand, operating out of artist Jean-Michael Basquiat’s studio. She has Venus Rising in late Cancer so Venus has been in her 1st house for months. What’s more, it trined her Aries Moon, Midheaven and Jupiter combo for essentially the entire Venus in Leo phase.
So as you can see, Venus in Leo has powered many a style pivot – what do you think?
Just wanted to leave a belated comment to say that I love this post–and love this trend. We badly need to center the full natural female body and embrace its beauty. I think women’s faces look so lovely without makeup–and yet it’s lovely in a different way than the kind of bright telegenic stuff, but I’m all for it and hope that this is just the beginning of a much bigger cultural turning. And love the comments here that identify this with fierce leonic confidence and self-expression: yes. I’ve always been a beauty minimalist, but fully grew out my leg and armpit hair in recent years and find it feels so sensual and right.
Also finally clicked the link here and enjoyed reading about Atelier Jolie–hope NYC treats her well.
xx <3
Pammy 💜
I love her. Her son did a great job capturing her spirit in his documentary. As a woman a few years older than Pam I am so weary of makeup and hair dye. I am tempted to do the grey long hair and wear black and live in Mew Mexico like Georgia O’keefe
Am I mis reading the Vogue piece on Isabella? Click on the English version and Isabella’s Pronouns go from he to she. Ah well, she/he is beyond gender norms literally and figuratively anyways!
I saw La Chimera (Italian FF) wonderful Alice Rorhwacher’s new film, Isabella Rossellini has a gorgeous part in it, truly delightful movie 🙂
Love, love,love Isabella Rossellini and love her again. I think that is all I have to say. 🌞
Stevie Nicks Barbie? surely no, more witch than performer and Sia needing surgery? not sure why, her Aussie charm exudes from her cheeky grin, but its her choice not ours. Empty Leo except for DC. I don’t give a flying f!
I can’t help but be annoyed by this — all the years I had to defend Stevie or tell the chillen who she is…my entire beauty school cohort associates her with me ’cause they didn’t know who she was. And apparently, it will now be easy for me to get my long-sought-after Stevie haircut, for which I have been dragging around photos on my laptop for 15 years, because it is all the page. #AquaruisProblems.
I grew up singing along to Fleetwood Mac cassettes in our family car in the 70’s, my cousin in her early 50’s does covers of their songs beautifully. The Dixie chicks version is their only song I like. So gusty and raw, it takes you to a million timelines in a single album.
That is just a gorgeous photo of Isabella with her sultry side-eye, and I’m so glad you pointed out that there’s no text to call out “look, we put an old person on the cover.” More of that please!!
Venus and Lilith danced with my Venus/North Node in Leo three times this year — and what pleasure it was! Art, glamour, beauty, new romance (on THAT mid-August Leo New Moon 🌚), even deep mental/spiritual changes! As someone pre-Saturn Return still finding my footing in this world, it felt like emerging at last. After much private struggle, the new hard-won strength finally joined itself to my aura. The change was blazing and bold. Unmistakable. Aphrodite gave me an industrial-strength sunny glow, haha!
The last day of my Venus Return, a perfume recipe came to me in the night (real rare essential oils and proper flower waxes, of course!). This is our parting gift for now. Thank you Inanna, Aphrodite, and all the Venusian spirits and teachers! I won’t forget!
Also, Saturn is square my Mars rn so I’m keeping my nose to the grindstone but I wanna go baaack! Don’t tell Saturn I said that 🫥 *goes back to stoically fixing my entire existence*
Ooooo what was the blend?? You may have comes across a dark moon goddess nightly ritual! Night blooming Jasmine by any chance?
Oh, you were real close!! Egyptian jasmine grandiflorum floral wax as a base (so intoxicating it makes me swoon) and some innocent looking — yet devious flowers (tiaré flower, ylang-ylang, champaca) …with some spice! In the middle of the night, I was thinking of those old-school hoodoo Follow Me Boy perfumes… but I just KNOW most of these oils are straight uncut mineral oil 🤣 I asked myself: “what would be actual serious magic AND have half the neighbourhood following you around?” 🤔
Venusian flowers + Mars spice + Saturn grounding = a damn good perfume!
Ooooooooooo I LOVE this blend! The Mars scent would most definitely protect you from bringing all the boys to the yard lol, black pepper is one of my favorites! You’ve got all bases covered lovely lady ✔️
I’m currently basically bathing in Ylang Ylang daily, (especially to counteract the heavy cosmic blasts during this eclipse season) the benefits of flower medicine are VERY underrated.
Ah, ah, not too much Mars to make them flee, just enough to heat things up! 😂 You’re right, the subtle and the nuanced are underappreciated in general. And yet, with the advent of everything plastic and petrochemical and polyester-y, the impact of those materials/substances/techniques intensifies infinitely. When you’ve never tasted the ‘real thing’ before and only ever had the sterile-environment created lab-made version, it’s chakra-blowing!
Haha but of course 😏😏
Flowers are the ultimate reproductive system, I’ve just started a course on flower medicine and in my notes I’ve written ‘trap that man in your nectar’ 😂😂
Chakra blowing should be an every day term lol, and yes the essential oil/perfume market is saturated with synthetics especially when you get into the exotic flower scents. I am very allergic to faux anything lol.
Chakra-blowing! Meridian-decongesting! Third-eye-opening! 🤣
‘Trap that man in your nectar’ love it, Ms. Venus-man-trap!
Natural discernment is good — the longer I stay in woo-woo spaces, the more I seriously value it.
Body wisdom? Body erudition!
Your terms need to be behind a hashtag or something lol 😂 LOVE!
I mean if you consider all the benefits beginning at the olfactory system and ending in the spiritual that flower medicine can deliver, who wouldn’t want to stay in that supercharged health benefits-mood enhanced-aphrodisiac lane? Reality seems too 3D lol.
¡Viva Las Flores! And goddess bless their abundant gifts! 💐
I laughed with delight at this article on “bloomcore” – I think this is the housewitching trend that my Venus-ruled Taurus Rising needs for my sometimes-sad rental. Everything flowers. And I need to do some giant paintings of flowers. https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/sep/16/bloomcore-the-floral-homeware-trend-taking-root-in-our-living-rooms
Ugh, why can’t Sia just disappear and go back to writing songs for other musicians who aren’t “alleged” pedophiles or ableist megalomaniacs.
Thanks for this take Mystic! I felt this Venusian transit as it was right next to my Leo sun, now passed. I have to say, it brought me closer to a more authentic style and acceptance with my own appearance. I find it incredible how Hollywood is now walking back a lot of the extremely overdone facial touch ups and viewing them as excessive. Is that the raw and natural Leo glamor affect? Whatever it is, anything that moves away from that distorted image of female attractiveness and that carbon-copy-face that is one click away on instagram is necessary……
Ps yes Pammy! She looks freeeeee 🕊️ I feel after her documentary telling her own truth regarding the infamous STOLEN sex tape (needs to be differentiated from the Kardashian angle), how she was subsequently treated and the toll it took on her mental health has signaled a rebirth.
Also if a cosmetics brand in this current era axed a screen-cultural icon and one of their “faces” for turning FORTY, but still attempted to spruik anti ageing slime / youthifying goo, surely a mass boycott would ensue. I’d happily troll their social media 4evz
Here here
Just wanted to comment quickly that I am SO loving the unmade-Pam vibe, but also excuse me her outfit?? Is amazing??? Or is my Saturn influence showing? Anyway I am very here for this. And my love of “ageing in Italy” philosophy.
Saturn trine her sun, is that a thing? For pammy
Thank you for this post.
Isabella Rossellini is incredible. Blue Velvet was what made a loyal fan. I follow her on IG and adore her. Sure I remember her being let go from her contract with Lancôme, I was so disappointed as I draw comfort from seeing her face. A genius mind, loving heart, creative, intelligent and a beautiful woman. This look on the cover is perfection “F U I got more money and clout, you do see who’s in charge.”
I never followed the 90’s eyebrows trend. Love this version of Pamela Anderson she is gorgeous and living her best life, on her terms. We share July 1st birthdays and I can relate to a lot in her relationship history.
One certainly hope this is not a fashion fad for women, the invisibility of age and the value and worth we create during our lifetime. Rock on with a Stevie Nicks outfit swirling around with a scent trail inspired by art, fashion, music, top shelf scents, delicious food and drinks. Maybe I’m having an Angelina Jolie inspired lucky return too.
Isabella Rossellini’s face. breathtaking.
I love it. And the Sia story is so relatable and so Sag / Jupiter Venus in Leo / trine Neptune. As someone with that exact astro signature in my own chart it’s exactly what I’d do. Sorry for also being a tiny bit cynical about Pam’s no makeup look (fwiw I think she looks fantastic) so whatever it’s still kind of a win. All together I love the direction- thanks Venus in Leo. You rule.