OK. It's 'unusually bright'

I can see it too, and I been watching the sky for at least that long too - but it's not SO unusually bright as to make it magical or mystical or whatever - it's just cyclical.

And I post, because I am an Amateur Astronomer and can explain that it's not unusual.

Venus right now is at about magnitude -4.4 That's QUITE BRIGHT. By way of contrast Jupiter which is also very bright in the early evening sky right now, is a mere -2.1 and the different in 4.4 and 2.1 isn't just a factor of 2x's....so....that's all I'm saying.

V