Venus sextile Mars: an easy spark that needs a nudge

Venus sextile Mars gives you an easy, friendly way of going after what you like. Love and drive work as teammates here, so you can flirt, ask and push a little without upsetting anyone.

A sextile sets two planets about 60 degrees apart. It links signs that get along, such as fire with air or earth with water. Venus brings warmth and taste. Mars brings nerve and effort. Mars sextile Venus describes the same link. Both planets lend a hand, and neither one takes over.

A door that opens if you push

Astrologers call the sextile an aspect of opportunity. The trine hands you a skill. The sextile hands you a chance, and it waits for you to do something about it. You notice the person at the bookstore, and something tells you to speak. If you do, it goes well. If you go home instead, nothing happens at all.

Many people with this aspect have more social ease than they use. They assume everyone finds flirting this simple, so they never think of it as a talent. Try treating it as a skill that grows with use.

Reading the orb

Most astrologers allow 4 to 6 degrees for a sextile. Within 2 degrees, the link shows up in everyday life. Near 6 degrees, you may feel it only when other planets join in.

Venus circles the zodiac in about a year and Mars in about two, so this angle forms about once a year, and sometimes more. It lasts a few weeks, which means a good many people share it. Your birth date alone is enough to check it, and a birth time adds the houses. The aspects overview lists the other angles that matter.

Easy flirting, fair fights

You can tell someone you like them and keep your dignity. You tease without stinging, and a no does not crush you. On a first date, you ask a direct question, then listen to the answer. People relax around you, because your interest feels warm and has no pressure in it.

In a steady relationship, this aspect keeps some play alive. You plan a Friday night out after ten years together. You reach for your partner’s hand in the grocery line. Your affection stays active, and small gestures do most of the work.

Fights tend to stay within bounds. You can say “that hurt” without slamming a door, and you can hear the same from your partner. Mars gives you the courage to bring it up, and Venus keeps your tone decent. A couple of hours later, you can both laugh about it.

Getting along with coworkers

This sextile works very well in teams. You push a project forward without making enemies. You can ask for the deadline to move and still leave the room with a friend. Fields that mix people and action suit you, such as sales, event planning, coaching, hospitality or running a small studio.

Creative work gets a lift too. You can make something attractive and also finish it. A hobby can turn into a modest side income if you follow up on the first few orders. Once again, the follow-up is your part of the deal.

Asking for the raise

Money comes more easily when you ask for it. Venus knows what looks fair, and Mars can say the number out loud. You can negotiate without a scene, and you enjoy earning what you spend. Spending stays fairly moderate, unless other aspects say otherwise.

Set yourself a yearly habit of reviewing what you charge or earn. People with this sextile often have the skill to ask and forget to use it. Treat this as a tendency and take larger money choices to a qualified adviser.

When easy turns into coasting

Soft aspects carry a soft kind of trouble. You may get by on charm and skip the harder talk. Since nothing forces you to act, some of your best chances pass while you scroll through your phone. Friends with hard squares in their charts may end up with more to show, because pressure made them move.

You can also keep too many warm connections going. A little flirting at work feels harmless, and it usually is. It can still blur a line that a partner cares about. Decide where your lines are before the office party, and stick to them.

If the rest of your chart is stressed, this aspect may feel weak. A tight square from Saturn to Venus, for example, can bury this ease under doubt. Check the whole picture before you decide what you have.

Element pairs that make the link

The sextile joins fire with air, and earth with water. Venus in Gemini and Mars in Aries is a quick, playful mix. Mars in Gemini wins people with words, and a Leo and Libra pair has a sense for style and occasion. Fire and air both like to talk, move and be seen.

Earth and water feel slower and more private. Venus in Taurus with Mars in Cancer cares through food and home. Venus in Pisces, exalted, with Mars in Capricorn, also exalted, joins tenderness to serious ambition. Venus in Virgo shows love through useful acts, and Mars in Scorpio adds patience. Whichever pair you have, the houses show where the two help each other, and the 5th house links them to romance and play.

Using what you were given

• Make the first move once a month, on anything from a date to a coffee with a coworker.
• Finish one creative project this season and show it to someone.
• Ask for what you want the day you notice you want it.
• Bring up small problems while you can still joke about them.
• Pair up with a friend who has a stricter chart and copy their follow-through.

For a stronger version of the same pair, read Venus trine Mars and Venus conjunct Mars. A chart shows your style in love, and it cannot tell you who you will meet. Use the birth chart calculator to see your exact angle.