... and Venus was her name. Shocking Blue.

Remember that group? Shocking Blue. I liked their song, Venus. Tonight, a special treat to observe in the South/Southwestern skies.

Celestial Show Set for New Year's Eve
SPACE.com
robert Roy Britt
Editorial Director space.com – Tue Dec 30, 11:47 am ET

A delightful display of planets and the moon will occur on New Year's Eve for anyone wishing to step outside and look up just after sunset.

Venus, brighter than all other planets and stars, will dangle just below the thin crescent moon in the southwestern sky. It'll be visible -- impossible to miss, in fact -- just as the sun goes down, assuming skies are cloud-free.
Soon thereafter, Mercury and Jupiter will show up hugging the south-southwestern horizon (just above where the sun went down) and extremely close to each other. Jupiter is very bright and easy to spot; Mercury is faint and harder to see, but it'll be apparent by its location just to the left of Jupiter.

Jupiter and Mercury will set less than an hour after the sun, so timing your viewing just after sunset is crucial. You'll also need a location with a clear view of the western horizon, unobstructed by buildings, trees or mountains.

What's up with the swinging monkey in this video?? Maybe it's a symbol of all of *us* ... enraptured with the Venusian aspects of this planet. Lust, greed, name a deadly sin! Maybe the Shocking Blue video is a 1970 idea for some silly fun. Either way, let's hope that 2009 (Year Of The Ox) will be one that sees people more in tune with the idea of being present for each other and, thus, falling away from the pleasure principles that so frequently trip us up on Journey.

SHOCKING BLUE - VENUS