Venus Retrograde

Venus Retrograde is a disruptive cycle helping you zero in on the life that you want. How do you know what to aim for if you are not clear on what you value?

Curious about what’s likely to happen to you during this retrograde? Skip to likely themes (by rising sign). However, please note that in your birth chart this energy may manifest differently depending on your natal Venus, the houses it rules, and the aspects it makes with other planets, not to mention any overarching transits, progressions, profections, etc. currently happening to you.

Venus in Astrology

In astrology Venus shows where and how we get pleasure out of life. What we find beautiful or desirable —within us, around us and in others — and what attracts others to us, can all be discerned from our natal Venus. Natally, Venus also describes a person’s capacity and willingness to give, whether of time, affection, or money, and is a significator of love in its romantic and physical expressions. All social interactions, and whether they result in peace and harmony or war, are filtered through our Venus.

A Special Retrograde

Every 18 months Venus traces her steps back and appears to be moving backwards, bigger and brighter as it nears Earth, and then disappearing from the night sky when closest to us. When this happens, she spends a staggering four months in a sign, whose themes get highlighted and assimilated throughout the period. There is also a wider cycle, in which Venus returns to the same sign and nearly the same degree every eight years. Additionally, over the course of a century, Venus only retrogrades over the same five zodiac signs, creating the famous Venus pentagram. These five signs are emphasized in your chart as key areas of growth and setbacks for relationships and values, so it is worth revisiting what happened 8 years ago.

Stormy Emotions

During a retrograde, all things Venusian become intensified, in a charged atmosphere of stormy emotions. As s real make-it-or-break-it energy, be prepared to face some chaos as the retrograde progresses. This is a time of significant exploration of our hidden or forgotten truths, and when we may reach a breaking point and rethink our values and priorities. It is is about what the heart truly desires. As all things Venus-related go dark, we may experience power outages around love, friendships, social interactions, motivation at work, values, and finances. It will take conscious effort to be kind, understanding and compassionate at this time. It’s a time of increased honesty with ourselves, to validate ourselves, our choices, and our lives, and take accountability for what isn’t working, like a toxic ex or our disappointing earnings and spending habits. Once we gain clarity, from the Cazimi onwards, our values and sense of self-worth are forever improved. We’re then ready to kick ass again!

Key Dates:

• Retrograde period: July 23rd — September 4th
• Degrees: 29° to 12° Leo
• Shadow periods: June 19th — October 7th (minus the retrograde itself)
• Venus Cazimi: August 13th

Opportunities of Venus Retrograde:

• Healing any issues in your relationships
• Discovering hidden blocks to love and self-belief so you can overcome them
• Recognizing when you’re in the wrong relationship or home or friendship, and move on
• Gaining closure with an ex, friend, or business partner… or rekindling if the timing is better
• Plunging into deeper and more honest dialogue, and strengthening intimacy and understanding
• Setting healthier boundaries in love, friendships, work, and finance
• Learning more effective ways to communicate our emotional and financial needs
• Zeroing in on and asking for what we want
• Asking for a pay rise (after the retrograde)
• Realizing how our work can make us happier or improve our work-life balance
• Building more joy and beauty into our everyday
• Discovering a new hobby or interest

Challenges of Venus Retrograde:

• Romanticizing instead of seeing people for who they truly are; falling for the fantasy and ignoring reality
• Acting out instead of speaking up (and communicating needs effectively)
• Replaying unhealthy patterns (shame, jealousy, resentment, fear of failure or abandonment, isolation, despair)
• Returning (or hanging on to) a toxic person or circumstance
• Analysis-paralysis and inability to move forward

Helpful Tips

• Begin by focussing on relationships and circumstances in which you feel taken for granted or undervalued, or which are simply painful. Is it a person or a situation? Have you done something to remedy it in the past, but without success? If not, why not? Awareness is the first step.
• Honour the process and yourself. Take time out to make sense of what you feel. It’s exactly what you need to make empowering improvements in your life. You will be glad you did when your life takes the turn you’ve always wanted but never dared admit to yourself.
• Be brutally honest with yourself. This retrograde demands courage to be reborn. Is there anything that you’ve been lying to yourself about? Anything that doesn’t spark joy anymore? Anything painful that deep down you know you need to let go of or transform?
• Think strategically – where do you see yourself in eight years’ time in this particular scenario?

Yes, it will be bumpy, especially at the beginning. However, this year’s Venus Retrograde will be empowering like very few others, and we will come out on the other side of this event stronger than ever. This phase is all about reflecting on what we are deserving of – in love, relationships, work, and finances. If we never look back, how can we understand ourselves better and level up in our lives?