Venus Retrograde

Venus Retrograde is a chance for you to get you the life that you want. How do you know what to aim for if you are not clear on what you believe you deserve?

In astrology Venus shows where and how we get pleasure out of life. It 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. Our sense of self-worth, what we value and find beautiful or desirable, around us and in others, and what attracts others to us can also be discerned from our Venus placements and aspects.

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. Venus will be retrograde in Capricorn from December 19 and lasting until January 29, going back from 26° to 11° degrees of the sign, and extending her stay in Capricorn to a staggering four months. All things Venusian likely became intensified from mid-November, when the Shadow Period started, and will continue to be our focus well into March. The conjunction with the Sun on January 8th is when we finally see the light and get clear on what we want!

Venus Retrograde is about evaluation, re-evaluation, and de-valuation of what matters to us, from relationships, to priorities and finances. This is a time of significant exploration of our hidden or forgotten truths, in a charged atmosphere of stormy emotions. 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 8^th of January, our values and sense of self-worth are forever improved. We’re then ready to kick ass!

In Capricorn, Venus Retrograde wants us to make life choices that will serve us well in the long run. We will be shedding all that is no longer working for our future happiness and wellbeing, and setting healthy boundaries, in terms of the people in our lives but also professionally, in terms of what we charge for what we do and the kind of work that we are prepared to do. No quick fixes or shoddy compromises. No power imbalances and manipulations either. If it will not last the test of time, support our vision, or make us happy now, it is not worth our while. This is when we may reach a breaking point and rethink our work and life goals, and what we are doing in our professional careers. This is real make-it-or-break-it energy, so be prepared to face some chaos as the month progresses. What is at stake is no less than our own sense of power.

Opportunities of Venus Retrograde:

Healing any issues in your relationships, personal and work-related
Discovering hidden blocks to love and career so you can overcome them
Recognizing when you’re in the wrong job or match 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. Pluto is involved throughout, and demands courage and dredging through dirt 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 five or ten years’ time in this particular scenario? Capricorn does nothing unless it’s worth it long term!

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?

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If you need help with getting out of a rut, making important decisions, or just validating your choices and what you are going through, readings are open again this month.