In astrology from the medieval Islamic world, Venus in the various zodiac signs spell out the fortunes of a person in love.

But the significations of Venus also tell us a great deal about medieval people's ideas of love and sex

A thread-

Astrologers like Mashallah and Al Khayyat and Abu Ma'shar provide general interpretations for Venus as she appears in the 12 signs of the zodiac

Venus in Aries indicates quarrels in marriage. In nocturnal births it can indicate a partner who will fall severely ill at one point.

As Venus is harmed in Aries (detriment) it can also mean impulsive decisions and mistakes in love.

Venus in Taurus finds comfort and security in partnerships. They are lusty and have a voracious appetite for sex. They enjoy the company of women.

In diurnal birth they will experience many infatuations when younger.

Venus in Gemini indicates a noble mind with a love of words and partners who are scholars and intellectual. They delight in men and women both.

They will craft beautiful things.

Venus in Cancer is guarded but once in love will rush. They seek comfort, affection, and will guard their partners fiercely.

They desire great passion and sex. They will love believers.

Venus in Leo spells a great desire for sex, love, and affection. They enjoy the attention of those they love but struggle to return it in equal measure. They may earn a reputation among former lovers as demanding and experience envy from rivals.

They find controversy in love.

Venus in Virgo is a sign in its exile or fall because of the clashing aql of Venus and Mercurial Virgo.

They will struggle because their mind and heart travel different paths. They will be cautious in love, but caring and generous. They will love the crafty-minded.

Venus in Libra seeks out the attention and approval of women. They delight in women and men both. They enjoy the presence of singers and entertainers.

They are wounded easily in love and wound others.

Venus in Scorpio leads to suspicions and doubt of intentions of potential lovers and jealousy. Enemies will seek to undermine their marriages and likelihood of divorce is high.

When in love they will be fiercely in love.

Venus in Sagittarius portends the acquisition of beautiful things, a lust for women and men, and nobility in partnerships.

They are inclined to restlessness in love.

Venus in Capricorn indicates delays and false-starts in relationships, often finding love later. Partners may be older and there is great lustiness.

In a nocturnal birth marriage will come later in life and possibly with disreputable people.

Venus in Aquarius means love comes in the second and third part of life, unrequited romances, and in nocturnal births a possibility of falling in love with people already betrothed to another.

Venus in Pisces means partners who are artists. They will be indecisive in love but find good reputation in creative and beautiful pursuits.

In a diurnal birth working among women and giving comfort will grant success for Venus is exalted. They find joy among the mukhannathum.

The significations of Venus tell us a great deal about love and sexuality in medieval Islamicate societies. Firstly, they viewed sex as a good thing and not just for the purpose of reproduction.

Pleasure was a blessing and mutual pleasure was critical for loving partnerships.

We know medieval Islamic authors wrote all sorts of treatises on how to achieve mutual orgasms and how to become better lovers.

Their main anxiety was around intimacy. Sex was an intimate act done with responsibility and affection.

So we could say they were relatively sex-positive while having hang-ups about “hook ups,” or noncommittal sex.

Venus also uncovers their thoughts about sexuality. Some signs like Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius indicate bisexuality or non-heterosexual romance

It was treated as natural and normative. Each sign was also noted for being “noble” or inclined towards piety without contradiction

While there was some pathologizing, like in the case of Ibn Sina who treats same-sex desire as an excess of lust (as being extra horny) but not requiring treatment.

On the whole diversity of desire was viewed as normal.

For example, we know that Caliph al Ma’mun was intimate with a male astrologer named Yahya ibn Abi Mansur. The two were inseparable.

While the court astrologer would counsel the caliph on formal matters, Al Ma’mun would spend his nights with Yahya ibn Abi Mansur

In addition to casting horoscopes, Yahya ibn Abi Mansur wrote an important treatise on solar eclipses.

Al Ma’mun’s brother, Caliph Al Amin was likely gay.

He was said to love his male pages so much his mother feared he wouldn’t have children so encouraged his wives to dress as men.

His lover, the scandalous poet, Abu Nuwas even composed an astrological poem claiming Al Amin’s was like a Scorpio in sexual prowess.

Now let us compare with Latin translators.

That same relative acceptance is erased entirely.

In the Arabic the word used is “Al Afarah” meaning “joy” or “delight” as in "joy in men and women" whereas in Latin they translate it into “perverse.”

Similarly aspects from Saturn, Mercury, and the Moon to Venus in the Arabic indicate “delight in women and men” while in Latin it means “perversity.”

The same when it comes to the treatment of women. Venus in Taurus for example says “nisa” literally “women” or الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ meaning “believing women” in Cancer

But when John translates it into Latin, he calls them “stupid women.”

The same thing happens with the figure of the “mukhannathum” which in medieval Islamic society was a person of indeterminate gender. Today, we’d call them nonbinary, or trans

Some were intersex.

European translators wrote them out of the texts.

Where in Mashallah we are told Gemini and Pisces find success in the work of the mukhannathum, they disappear in the Latin translations.

In medieval Islamic society the mukhannathum were important companions of the caliph often acting as musicians and match-makers.

None of this is to paint a rosy picture of the past; medieval Islamic societies had their own racialized, gendered, and classed hierarchies.

But their understanding of gender and sexuality is far more nuanced and complicated than we often give them credit for.

They acknowledged gender, sexuality, and love in all its varied forms.

So where were LGBTQ people in astrological texts? The answer is they are right there, but they were translated out by European authors.

It is also a reminder of how tricky translation can be. You aren’t just translating words, but also the world view of your sources.

In the case of medieval Latin translators, they often imposed their own views, or felt the Islamicate astrologers were softening the earlier Greek

I'll cover more astrology from the Islamic world in future threads.

In light of Valentine's Day I've also shared instructions for one of the most famous lunar mansion love talismans on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonhistory 

for everyone asking how to look up their Venus sign: https://www.astro-seek.com/  under "free horoscope" and "traditional"