Venus Retrograde

It’s only about every 18 months that Venus goes retrograde for about 40 days. She spends the least amount of time retrograde of any of the “planets”. (Of course the Sun and Moon are technically the “lights” and they never go retrograde.) The last retrograde station of Venus occurred October 7, 2010, where she went retrograde at 13º Scorpio. Moving back into Libra, Venus resumed forward motion on November 18, 2010, at 27º Libra. She made it back to 13º Scorpio on December 20, 2010. The next retrograde station of Venus occurs May 15, 2012, where she goes retrograde at 23º Gemini. Moving back to 7º Gemini, she resumes direction motion on June 27, 2012. Venus makes it back to her original retrograde point at 23º Gemini on July 31, 2012.

Venus is rather like our happiness gauge. During its backward motion we have the opportunity to take a deep look at what is making us happy, whether it be relationships, situations, environment or “things”. We enter a period of review of these.

Throughout this process, keep in mind that Venus has to do with attraction, affections, and objects of devotion. Venus connects to the sentiments and since our sensitive side is more sensitive than usual, it’s a good idea to practice diplomacy and be gentle, especially with those you love. They are likely to be the first target of your displeasure. Give others the benefit of the doubt.

If the passions are aroused a new relationship could form. In this case you might need to reevaluate how precious your freedom is. In many cases, there’s a matter of a choice; giving up one thing in order to have another. Incidentally, it’s a good time to explore a new relationship but not a good time to wed. For some, the need to end a relationship will be real and a wise choice, however, you should be wary of the impulse for this Venus to act too quickly. Think it over carefully and if you have the slightest inkling that you could be making a mistake, wait awhile. We may be anxious to turn over a new leaf only to find later on that something crucial is missing from the new page.

Ruling objects of beauty, art, décor, jewelry, etc. this may not be the best time to make expensive purchases, but a time to de-clutter and let go of things that are no longer a reflection of who you are. Look around you; what about that old collection of ______from the 80’s? Does it still bring you the pleasure it once did or have you outgrown it? Let it go and make room to grow. You may not want to actually sell it until Venus turns direct if it’s really valuable but you can spruce it up and get it ready – emotionally detach.

Of course, there’s always the chance that something will “happen to” some of our “stuff” that upsets us. We lose something, break something, plans are cancelled, etc. If you find a way to use the energy of this transit constructively, however, fewer of these incidents will occur.

Depending upon the house of your chart in which this cycle takes place, something may come under issue for you to assess for its value in your life. Best wishes! Celeste Teal

Celeste Teal is the author of Predicting Events with Astrology, Identifying Planetary Triggers, Eclipses: Predicting World Events & Personal Transformation and Lunar Nodes: Discover Your Soul’s Karmic Mission.